Allergies

Batman And Other Fine Creatures

/ Gardy Loo Pismire / Leave a comment

Sometimes, when we least expect it, something happens that forever changes the dynamics of your family. In our case, it appears to be Batman.

On Halloween, son #3 was outside trying to hand out candy to the local youth. Since we recently moved here we went all out to ensure we could meet local demands and based the quantity of candy needed on our old neighborhood numbers. We bought 600 pieces. This was a mistake of epic proportions.

We had ONE trick-or-treater. ONE. This, of course, means that I must personally consume the other 599 pieces within one week in order to ensure that said candy does not expire. At this point I will need to eat 300 pieces tomorrow and 299 the next day. But who is complaining? According to my calculations to burn off this amount of candy I will need to stay at the gym until the last of my still-in-the-nesters reach 18…and that is another four years. Good luck, Dad! It’s my turn to stare at the buns now!

Anyway, besides the lone costumed candy kid, there was one more creature that hit our driveway on Halloween night. As related by son #3, he decided it was time to take a look around after hearing strange noises as he sat waiting for the other 599 children to show up at our door. Imagining spooks, grim reapers, and the like out for his head; son #3 was pleasantly surprised to find this creature of the night which was immediately brought inside and cuddled.

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According to the vet he is 5 weeks old and very healthy for a wild kitten. He weighed in at 15.5 ounces and his vocal cords are very busy. Due to all of his “talking” there has been a divide in our home as one contingent wants to name his Chairman Meow while the other insists that Batman be his moniker due to the pointy ears and the fact he is nearly all black. But this isn’t the only issue facing our young feline friend.

I have always believed that you are either a cat person or a dog one. I grew up with cats but when I was old enough to have a home of my own; canines became my companion of choice. But then this cat shows up completely unannounced and uninvited. For our boxer mix this cat is a menace and because of his DNA he likes to chase and kill small rodents. It is obvious that he considers Batman is of that ilk (small rodent) and his proudest moment would to be to serve Batman up on a platter as a nice tasty dinner for his human friends. Obviously, perspective is everything.

The other hurdle we have to overcome is Paul’s previously severe allergy to cats. Thus far, it appears that the weekly allergy shots for seven years are paying off. There are no itchy red eyes, swollen faces or sneezing going on here.

So for now, like it or not, it appears that Batman is here to stay. Doors are now shut to keep dog from cat and cat from kid. Earplugs are worn to keep us from hearing Chairman Meow’s views on everything under the sun. So while this cat issue remains up in the air for now one thing no longer is. Next year I am making everyone stay indoors on Halloween.

 

 

 

Springtime Hell

/ Gardy Loo Pismire / 4 Comments

There is something about the TWO weeks of spring that we experience here in the middle of California. All the trees blossom at once and everyone walks around sniffing, eyes watering and holding their heads because they have massive allergy induced headaches. The amount of anti-histamine sold here in one month maximizes the pharmaceuticals profits and gives their CEO’s the 20 million dollar bonuses they have come to expect as their due compensation.

 

For two weeks the weather is a lovely 70-80 degrees. The shorts come out and there is a spike the number of new memberships at the gym as folks suddenly realize that swimsuit season will begin April 1. Of course, everyone’s posture soon becomes stooped as they realize that those 25 pounds they gained over the winter will never disappear in two weeks… if ever! This leads to an uptake in drinking in the local bars as residents try to forget about those extra 25 that are now hanging over their bar stools. Sigh. Yep, spring around here is a challenge.

But as big as a pain that is it; this time of year is really beautiful. Everything is lush and green.The kids swing with delight in the cool breezes as they try to touch the sun. The hummingbirds re-appear; their wings buzzing with delight. Bears come out of hibernation and this eagle built her nest on a power pole a few miles from my house. Best of all the photo ops are maximized as thousands upon thousands of acres of fruit and nut trees are in bloom while the cows roll happily in the fields not realizing that everything will turn brown 14 days from now as the temperatures start climbing into the 90’s.

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I love spring because my garden comes alive. My grape vine buds, my apricot tree is in bloom as are the guava and the asian pear. The lilies appear out of nowhere from the deep rich earth. Blue hydrangea buds push out and massive blooms of roses appear around the yard. Unfortunately, the pool man just rang the doorbell to remind me that I need a new motherboard for the pool system that will cost a mere $700. I nearly pass out from this most unwelcome news on my soft green grass.

Yes, I love these two weeks of spring. I appreciate it even more as I watch my relatives on the East Coast endure yet another blizzard. Shoveling vs. gardening… it’s an obvious choice.

So now I am off to get in my 10,000 steps on this glorious morning but first I down my Claritin like an alcoholic downs his first drink of the day. My eyes are watering, my head is aching and post nasal drip inflames my throat. But as I pass my neighbors all of us with a smile plastered on our face; I get a perverse sense of satisfaction that we are all experiencing the same special sort of Springtime Hell that can only be found in this lush Valley.

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