So we're going to try Glucosamine as a treatment with Gee. Of course there are no guarantees that this will help him. But it sounds like there is not much that seems to help these symptoms in cats.
I went and got my hair cut tonight and my eyebrows shaped. I needed to do something since the stress is taking a toll on me, making me look very tired and worn out. I could use a vacation as well, LOL.
Gee is having more cystitis problems. He had been doing much better, but began peeing blood again yesterday. *sigh*
What do you do or say when people indicate that you should cut your losses and give the cat back to the organization you adopted him from? They act like it is an easy decision to make. Granted I'd rather not have shelled out the cash I have this past month, especially since my goal has been to buy a house this year. But he is such a sweet cat. We've grown attached to him. Who is going to adopt him now knowing he has medical issues?
If it were a child instead of a cat, would people still suggest I cut my losses?
God, this sucks....can you cut me a break here?
This has definitely been a trying month for me financially and emotionally. I'd just like something to go my way.
Additionally, I just wish the vet could come up with something beyond testing for this, that, and the other. I need some sort of treatment for Gee to make him feel better and to keep him from peeing blood all over my apartment. I can't keep him locked in the bathroom at all times.
The events in Moscow have been disturbing to say the least. Granted Russian official had little choice but to incapacitate the hostage takers otherwise they would have killed all the hostages with the explosives strapped to the women Chechen rebels. But rather than hide the identity of the gas they used in order to cover their asses, they should reveal that information to doctors treating those who survived. These survivors deserve the chance to live with the least amount of consequences from being exposed to the gas. I don't know that will happen but one can hope.
Found this article from Bellingham, WA which could suggest that the sniper suspects were receiving money from somewhere. Could it have been from al Qaida? One has to wonder.
Late Addition: This Washington Post today has an article that suggests the men funded themselves through a series of bank robberies. Authorities are checking to see if they can connect the men to this series of robberies in addition to a homicide in WA.
Hehehehe....Father Goose is airing right now on AMC. It stars Cary Grant and Leslie Caron. I saw it a few months back when my parents were here. It's quite an light-hearted, amusing comedy about this French school teacher and a group of school girls who become stranded on an island where Cary Grant watches for enemy aircraft during WWII. The girls and the teacher cramp Grant's style by taking over his camp and hiding his liquor. The battle of wills between Grant and Caron's characters is the driving force behind this comedy. I certainly recommend it for laughs. LOL.
Hopefully that description makes sense....I think I'm going braindead due to lack of sleep and so I better just head off to bed and to the land of Zzzzz.....
Thanks to C-Span I got to see some of the speakers at the rally against the war with Iraq. If I had planned better, I could have gone down to DC for the rally. Instead I slept in. (Actually I slept poorly overall, which why I stayed in bed until past 9:30.) The protesters were very fortunate to get such wonderful weather for the rally. It was warm and sunny, unlike yesterday which was chilly and rainy.
I would have liked to show my support for the anti-war movement, since I think Bush's push for war is not based on any good reasoning. Clearly Bush is using this push for war to distract voters from the real issues. Even though he has obtained Congressional backing, it's not clear now if he truly intends to actually deploy troops there. It certainly hints of 'Wag the Dog.'
So instead I went out and purchased two pairs of shoes, a navy pair and a brown pair. I saw a third pair that I wanted, but they were more for fair weather and with winter coming I thought it not wise to spend the money on them. Boots seem to be quite popular this year, but since I bought two pair last year I decided to focus more on getting shoes to match the outfits that I have nothing for. The navy blue pair are meant for the new outfit I bought last week. LOL. :)
Tonight Karen and I went to Buffalo Billiards. Unfortunately I got there later than I said I would...which seems to be par for me lately. Karen has decided I will be late for my own funeral, LOL. I lost the first game by sinking the 8 ball but then went on to win the next five. I actual played quite well and was pleased with the stick I was using. When I was returning the stick, a fellow started talking to me. I introduced myself to he and his friend. The fellow indicated that he was married but that his friend was single. After a few minutes of conversation I excused myself since I knew Karen was waiting. While paying the bill, I decided what the heck....I might as well see if they want to play pool again sometime soon. So I went back over and gave them my number. It was kinda funny because the single guy was taking a shot so I started giving my number to his friend, inviting them both to play pool sometime soon. The married guy laughed and said his wife would kill him if he took my number but said his friend would very much like to take it. So it sounds like the bunch of us may try to play pool again next week. And we'll see where this goes....I figure nothing ventured, nothing gained. LOL.
Kewl link of the day....MultiBabel. [Link Courtesy of Swish Cottage]
Here's what I put in and what it gave me:
Original English Text:
That was something else she'd have to shuffle in
Translated to French:
C'était autre chose qu'elle devrait brouiller dedans
Translated back to English:
It was other thing which it should scramble inside
Translated to German:
Es war andere Sache, die es nach innen kriechen sollte
Translated back to English:
It was other thing, which should creep it inward
Translated to Italian:
Era l'altra cosa, che dovrebbe strisciare esso verso l'interno
Translated back to English:
It was the other thing, that it would have to crawl towards the inside
Translated to Portuguese:
Era a outra coisa, aquela que teria que rastejar para o interior
Translated back to English:
It was to another thing, that one that would have that to crawl for the interior
Translated to Spanish:
Estaba a otra cosa, aquélla que tendría eso a arrastrarse para el interior
Translated back to English:
It was to another thing, that one that would have that to crawl for the interior
LOL.....TGIF!
Since so many folks have been coming here in search of Chief Moose's bio, I'm reposting the link to the Oct 10th Washington Post article. It details how Moose got into law enforcement and describes Moose's career including his previous position as Police Chief in Portland, Oregon.
Everyone here is breathing a collective sigh of relief as it would appear that the sniper has been apprehended. And many are thanking the police/FBI task force with such things as baking cookies and hanging banners. One such banner is said to read "Thanks Chief Moose." It hangs on an overpass in the area of Georgia Avenue. Now things can gradually return back to normal around here. Thank God that the pieces fell together and they were able to get these guys off the street. We don't need such hateful people on the streets--those that would convert a car to shoot out from the inside.
*sigh of relief*
The only thing that worries me about this whole situation is that the sniper requested that the police say a statement 'We have caught the sniper, like a duck in a noose.' My concern is if these guys are connected to al Qaeda (dude converted to Islam several years back), this could be a code telling others to continue with a course of action. Their goal could have been to distract us (terrorize us), then make us feel safer for an instant as the men are arrested, then strike us when we're not expecting it.
There has been a fear in the back of everyone's minds here that these sniper shootings could be a cover for a larger operation. A diversion tactic so-to-speak. This thought certainly makes me feel cautious and hesitate to embrace this situation at face value. I'd certainly like to be wrong. The thought of something more happening in the nature of these shootings or 9/11 is horrifying.
It may be over...one can only hope. Two men have been arrested outside Frederick, MD on I-70 near Myersville. It seems the sniper indicated that a shooting in Montgomery, Alabama in September was his handiwork as well. He mentioned it in one of his communications. That piece of information led them to a fingerprint left at the Alabama shooting. That fingerprint led them to identify one of the suspects, an ex-army man.
I'm crossing my fingers that they have captured the pepetrators. I must admit I'm surprised they were captured without incident. I'll just be happy when I can move about the area without major concern of getting shot. :)
I just hate it when Yahoo Mail acts quirky, especially when I've just been sent a boatload of jokes, some of which I had hoped to forward. In this case the address book feature is not working properly. *sigh*
I'm getting tired of all the media speculation of whether the police task force is being effective or not. I don't want to see them having to divert their attention from the sniper to defend themselves to the media. Let's face it. This is totally new ground. It's not like there is Standard Operating Procedure for dealing with serial snipers.
And the suggestion that Bush take the investigation over??? Since when does Bush have any training in police work? He has enough trouble with foreign policy and domestic issues without getting involved in directing the sniper investigation. Some media outlets just come up with some of the most ludicrous material.
As to the postscript of the note concerning the safety of children....I'm not sure that releasing that info sooner really would have benefitted anyone. It's a blanket threat, rather than a specific one. We already knew that he could/would target children after he shot the boy in Bowie. I think all that quote does is produce more hysteria. And of course he knew it would get him more media attention as well. And in turn create more fear. That's precisely why he added that postscript to his list of demands.
My question is....if he is 'God' why does he need police to satisfy his demands? One would think 'God' would think himself omnipotent, not needing anyone or anything. If he is in need of 10 million dollars, he doesn't sound like much of a God to me. Not to mention that the 3 people who have survived must be irking him royally since he chose for them to die.
If you are a woman and you care about your reproductive rights, read this commentary detailing what Dubya and his cronies are up to now. (And you can read it if you're not a woman as well, LOL.)
I finally got to read the article about the stone crypt/coffin that appears to be that of James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus. I find this most interesting, not so much that it exists, but that it refers to Jesus having a sibling. The teachings of the Catholic Church leave out any reference to Mary and Joseph having any children of their own. It wasn't until I looked through an old family bible (not my family) from 1885 that my Dad found, that I became aware of other books of the bible that the Catholic Church does not accept as authentic. In one of these books, it has a line that mentions Jesus' brothers (and sisters?) and it was not referring to them figuratively. I recall how it was a moment of revelation for me when I realized it would be silly to think that Joseph and Mary did not act as man and wife and have children. Certainly she did not remain the 'Virgin' Mary forever. LOL. So perhaps this coffin is further proof of that. :)
Remind me never to participate in a phone survey ever again! I had this guy call about a series of books which then turned into a series of demographics questions and then it mutated into questions about my learning habbits. After a half hour I hung up on the guy because the questions kept coming even after I indicated I was getting irritated at the number of questions I was being asked. I've participated in short surveys before, but this one was beyond all belief. And it was never indicated at the outset how long the survey would take which should have been my first clue. Oy!
This is why I spend my evenings on-line....so telemarketers and other annoying telephone surveyors can not get through on my phone line. Cable might be faster, but who the hell wants to deal with a barage of phone harassers?!
Personally I think telephone solicitors should be locked together with the spammers so that they'll not disturb the rest of us who'd like to come home from work and relax without annoying interruptions or having to sift through unwanted emails. LOL.
He's baaaackkkkk....unfortunately. It was what I was afraid of. (This is becoming a pattern, isn't it?) Since the media was focussing on saying that federal authorities should take the case over because the majority of the killings were not committed in Mont. Co., he struck here again. I suspect he wants to keep in contact with the Montgomery County police for some reason.
Can I slap the media with a wet fish for all their suppositions and analysis? Haven't they figured out that they should just cover the facts rather than challenging this guy with their so-called analysis.
Meanwhile traffic will be an absolute nightmare in the region with the beltway shut down. It won't be pretty. In fact my brother is leaving now since he figures 270 will be a parking lot and all the roads in Germantown will be gridlocked, too. I better get ready myself. *sigh*
I'm starting to feel like we're trapped inside some weird blockbuster film and the plot just keeps getting more convoluted. Unfortunately this is real life and the police have not captured the elusive sniper. Instead we have two illegal immigrants picked up by a payphone. And a lot of cryptic messages from the police to the sniper. At least someone else is asking what I have been thinking in regards to all these so called experts and former somebodies. Why do anchors insist on asking them questions about the mystery shooter that no can answer?
Outside the media, everyone is just trying to cope and deal with what life throws at them.
In other news....Gee has still been sick, but appears to be a bit better tonight. I think we will still go with the ultrasound to see if he has bladder stones. I just hate putting out that kind of money for no real answers. On the other hand, I'm not exactly looking to have him need surgery either.
This weekend I picked up a great leather jacket at the Wilson Leather Outlet for only $70 that was originally listed at $300. It appears they are trying to clear out their inventory to make room for the Christmas arrivals. Additionally I got an outfit from Banana Republic Outlet and I purchased a few Christmas gifts. It's a start.
What I feared woud happen has in fact happened. Looks like the sniper struck again....this time near Richmond Virginia.
They've gotta catch this guy....
My boss had an eerie thought on Friday. He suggested that if the sniper were to stop killing now, there would be 9 dead out of 11 shot. 9-11. I sure hope that's just a coincidence. I'm not sure how you could shoot 11 people and be certain to have 2 survive. Of course those numbers don't include the guy who was shot at in Hillandale plaza in September. However, we both agreed it's not likely the sniper would stop for good unless he was caught. My only thought is the dumb scmuck has a cold and is staying home. My biggest fear is he will kill on the weekend breaking his 2 week trend.
Despite the chaos of my life I managed to squeeze in a couple hours of writing and accomplished writing a page last night. Woohoo....LOL.
I took Gee to the vet again since he was still peeing blood and peeing everywhere including on my bed...grrrr..... This time when I left Gee immediately peed for them and it was bloody. See I'm not a crackpot...at least not the majority of the time. ;) LOL. Also, since he had stopped eating and had been spending much of the time under my bed, I knew he wasn't doing so well. The vet gave him SQ fluids and x-rayed him. He suspects there may be a bladder stone, though it wasn't really clear on the x-ray. So now cat#2 will get an ultrasound this week. Those suckers cost about $250 a pop, and Tabitha had one back in the spring. Can I deduct cat medical expenses on my taxes? Do you think I could get them social security numbers and claim them as kids as well? LOL. I don't even want to think how much I spent on these two cats this year. I know it's got to be more than I spent on Tabitha for the previous 7 years. *sigh*
I managed to get my brother to give me $300 toward the cat expenses today. I've already spent over $600 this month without the ultrasound. So much for trying to save money. The sad part is I didn't decrease my 401k contributions, so I feel like I'm throwing away $200 a month as well. It would be nice if something would go my way lately. *double sigh*
Have you ever felt like you finally extracted yourself from one group of people that are not really your friends to find yourself amid another group who is only interested in you to diss the previous set? I just feel used. I think that's a simpler way to put it. Either that or I'm simply paranoid.
*sigh*
Additionally I feel like a complete fool for bringing Gee back to the vet. This morning I saw blood spots from him and assumed his UTI was back. But when I left him with the vet for the day he neither peed nor bled from anywhere. He acted perfectly normal. I didn't know what to say.
So I feel not only used but I feel like a complete crackpot as well...sheesh. Chalk this one up as a crummy day.
Since Blogger has been flaky the last two days, I've not been able to update as I've wanted. :(
At work, me and another co-worker have been cringing at another co-worker's engagement. (I almost typed en*gag*ment which would be close to the truth.) This girl has done nothing but talk about her ring, calling it a car, as in costing as much as one, (*coughbullshitcough*) and saying '"isn't it amazing?" And telling us about how it is 0.01 carat larger than her younger sister's. *rolls eyes*
Then today she was telling her crony, who missed the last two days, everyone's reaction to her ring. As I've become more acutely aware in the last several months, everything must revolve around her. And that we at work all must hear every detail of every decision she is to make. I'm quite sick of her selfishness and really am ready for her to stop shoving her ring in everyone's faces. I'm ready to say, "I see you managed to bag and tag him in record time....you must be pleased with your efforts to get that ring ASAP."
Actually what's next is she'll push for a house the minute I start my search for one again. She started taking interest in getting one when I started looking last spring. It's that thirst for competitiveness that drives her.
I could really do without this sort of pettiness and self-centeredness. I'd like work to be about work and not a platform for her to push her agendas and to attempt to garner praise and adoration. Flaunting a ring like she's been doing, while showing little emotion toward the man who gave her that ring--it is enough to make those of us forced to witness it ready to hork.
Needed to vent that...LOL.
Unfortunately I've come across far too many people in my life who live in their self-centered worlds and treat people like dirt, meanwhile cry out foul the loudest when they get their toes barely stepped on. I often wonder why is that?
Some dude on Fox is saying that he thinks the shooter(s) is a couple of teenagers egging each other on. And that these kids were inspired/driven by playing sniper-like video games. While I cannot discount this theory completely, I don't agree with it.
My feeling is that this person or persons involved are more formally trained and knows a good deal about police procedures. They know how not to get caught. They know how to get around the measures the police have been putting into place. To me, I see a greater level of maturity than some teenagers who play video games.
In other related news, the Washington Post Friday published this article about Charles Moose, detailing how he went from wanting to be a lawyer to being recruited as a police officer, and how he moved from being Police Chief in Portland, Ore. to that same position in Montgomery County, MD. I found it gave further insight into the man we've seen shed tears for the children one day and lash out at the press the next.
Another unrelated article in the Post friday detailed how the humanitarian efforts and quick thinking of a bus driver and doctor in Israel saved the lives of the people on a crowded bus targeted by a klutzy suicide bomber. It's the closest thing to a feel-good story one can find out of Israel these days.
I've been so sleepy the last few days and now I'm wondering if it's the Zyrtec. Hmmmm......
Otherwise, not much new here. Sniper's still on the loose. Continuing to duck and run.....
Another man in Virginia is dead and likely killed by the sniper. The man had been pumping gas. The forensic reports are not back yet but we all know the grim likelihood that it is connected. This man will continue to kill until he is caught. He will continue to feed off the media spotlight he has been given. Clearly he has reverted to killing one at a time so that he can spend the remainder of his time getting high on watching all the media devote the majority of their airtime to him. Or at least I can see him doing this. I think he will continue to stagger his strikes to keep us in the community guessing as to when and where he will strike next.
I hope they catch this guy before I need to fill up my gas tank. Otherwise I'll be driving to Pennsylvania or West Virginia to get gas. And I'm not kidding.
Just finished watching Chief Moose's latest briefing. I've found I enjoy watching this man speak. His words are purposeful, deliberate, and at times, moving. This morning he made pointed comments toward the media, specifically Channel 9, for releasing info leaked to them. He admonished both the reporters and any police officer involved. I found myself cheering. [my 10/7 entry details earlier thoughts on channel 9.]
While we are all desperate to catch this man, desperate to know any information, it is vital that the little evidence they find be kept confidential to ensure a later conviction, as well as to not tip off the perpetrator as to what direction they are looking. Clearly the channel 9 is more concerned with ratings numbers than the safety of the people of this area. Yet again they have shown journalistic irresponsibility.
Additionally, he showed his disgust at a retired police officer who has been making the media circuit in an effort to get publicity for himself under the guise of being an expert in terms of talking of the shooting and playing Monday Morning quarterback, so to speak. Neither the media, nor this man will be the ones apprehending this criminal. It is the committed police personnel working hour after hour that will break this case with the help of the public providing information regarding the case. The media is just trying to make a buck. I haven't seen any of the media outlets put their money where their mouth is and donate to the reward fund.
I find it interesting that I had no desire to watch Bush's blatherings the other night about going to war with Iraq unilaterally, but I am drawn to watching Charles Moose skillfully deal with the media. I find myself cheering 'Go Moose!' during his speeches while cringing at the idiocy of our president during blurbs of his speeches shown on the news. While I find Moose likely to have no interest in politics, I find him to be a leader for whom I feel great respect. I cannot say the same of the man the courts put into the Oval Office.
For those that watch Game Show Network and more specifically Match Game, I found online this bio of host Gene Rayburn. I get such a kick out of watching the reruns. I grew up watching the show as a small child in the late '70s.
Yesterday I dealt with my cat Gee's continuing UTI issues. Where Tabitha normally responds to antibiotic treatment, Gee continued to squat and pee blood around my apartment. I tried to keep him isolated to keep his messes to a minimum. But he wasn't exactly cooperative as he kept tearing at my carpet from under the bathroom door and meowing/crying to be let out. When placed on my balcony he would also vocalize his protests in addition to scratching at my screen door. *sigh*
Today he spent the day at the vet and we have opted to let him remain there overnight to ensure he continues responding to the antibiotics and he doesn't become dehydrated again. I must admit it is strange not having him here. But maybe tonight I'll get a full night's sleep as opposed to dealing with his protests at being isolated or letting him run around squatting in all the corners of my apartment and hear him ripping at my carpet. (Does that make sense?....sleep deprivation is my excuse if it does not, lol.)
And otherwise the anxieties here in MD continue to grow as it has been confirmed that the 13-year-old boy is in fact another victim of the sniper. The only thing I'd like to add is I'm quite disappointed with Channel 9 news anchors who started making assumptions about the boy and this case on misinformation and surmisations. At one point they were reporting that the child was shot twice (even though numerous witnesses ALL said they heard one shot), that details of the case did not fit the profile of the sniper (yes early reports suggested the shot came from the woods and that is not consistent with the previous shootings, but who said the guy had to be consistent?), that the caliber of ammo was .22 rather than .233 (which did not match the amount of noise the witnesses heard), AND that simply because the boy had some incident with the bus that resulted in his aunt having to drive the boy to school, that somehow the shooting was more likely to be a result of the confrontation and not 'the sniper.' (hinting that the boy flirted with trouble.)
It was such bad, irresponsible journalism that it made me sick to my stomach as the words were being said. Interestingly enough when I checked the station later, they were backpedaling BIGTIME, as they stressed that classmates indicated the boy was funny and helpful and had lots of friends. And of course within hours the ATF confirmed that the ammo used was .223 caliber. I will be certain to avoid Channel 9 news after this, since they showed such unprofessionalism in reporting anchors' unsubstantiated opinions and incorrect information. Each of the other networks mentioned the .22 caliber remark that someone had made but added that it was not consitent with the amount of naise heard by the witnesses. They did their homework.
After seeing Chief Moose's press conference this afternoon, all I can say is I respect the guy a great deal and feel fortunate that he's the guy in charge here in Mont. Co. You can tell the fact that this sniper has moved to shooting a child has affected Moose greatly and he is ever more committed to getting this guy sooner then later. I suspect Moose is a father himself and this really hit home. And after seeing Chief Wilson speak initially this afternoon, I'm even more thankful we have Moose here in Mont. Co. ;)
It seems Disney has a new film to be released next week called Tuck Everlasting. Yeah, this had me scratching my head, since the title seemed awfully familiar. And well it should--had you grown up in the 1980s. The original Tuck Everlasting was released in 1980. I vaguely recall liking this film. So now I'm thinking a Blockbuster run is in order for tomorrow in order to refresh my memory. It seems the newer Disney version got panned by one critic.
Maybe I should pick up the book up as well. Yeah and add it to the pile of books I already have waiting for me to read, LOL.
Currently Reading: Matthew Klam's Sam the Cat and Maeve Binchy's Light a Penny Candle.
Unqualified Offerings has a listing of the updates on the Montgomery County Maryland Shooter. One of the updates mentioned that the FBI and the DC Police will be working with Montgomery County Police to find the shooter and his accomplice. I concur with Unqualified Offerings...."The DC Police....Now we'll never catch the bastards." We all know how they've handled the Chandra Levy case.
While some folks around the country may not think this case warrants this much attention, I have a different perspective considering I live in the county in which this nut is sniping random people. I'd prefer not to be popped by the rounds this guy is shooting. Perhaps it's my survival instict kicking in. And considering I know a good number of people in this area, I'd prefer they not get shot and killled either. A friend's sister happened to be catching a bus by that Mobil station where that the Indian fellow was killed not ten minutes before it happened. And another friend's neighbor knew the guy mowing the lawn at the dealership in White Flint/Rockville since she works at a company neighboring the dealership. There ain't even 6 degrees of separation in this case. It's not a comfortable feeling.
Additionally, unless this guy is using a scope (and even then), he is in fact skilled at not only shooting this type of weapon at a great distance but also at being inconspicious. My boss made a good point when he stated that this guy is likely shooting from a vehicle (white box truck or any other)--that way the shell casings fall inside the vehicle and are not left behind AND he can make a quick getaway without being seen. Otherwise he is using a hunting rifle that does not autmoatically release the shell casings when the weapon is fired. But remaining in a vehicle makes sense considering the little space of time between the Thursday Morning's killings.
*shiver*
It's just too close for my taste.
My plan for the day included spending the day on the Chesapeake with a few co-workers on Bill's boat. That plan quickly went down the tubes when Gee started peeing everywhere after going in the litter box at least a dozen times within an hour. This included peeing on the bag I planned to use today. Granted it was not that much urine since he had been in the litterbox a dozen times. But it was a sure sign that something was wrong.
So I called the vet, convinced the young woman who answered (after some persistence) to squeeze us in today, and arrived there shortly after 9am. They took us into the exam room immediately since their next appointment was running late. And sure enough the little bugger has a urinary tract infection. *sigh* I've gone through this a good bit with Tabitha this last year. But this is the first time Gee has had a UTI. So they treated him with fluids, a ketoprofen shot, and sent antibiotics home with me. And amazingly I popped the pill in his mouth with no fuss or muss. He seemed unphased by me opening his mouth and dropping the pill down his throat. And he swallowed it! If I'm extremely lucky he'll take the pills that easy all week. (unlikely, LOL.)
This day turned out stranger than most. It started with me waking up late (surprise, surprise, surprise). Luckily we (me and coworkers) were having a breakfast meeting at Woodside Deli which meant I was only a few minutes late rather than 40 minutes late, LOL. After a yummy breakfast, we all drove back to work shortly after 10 am. As I was waiting at the light at the intersection of Waring Station Road and Clopper Road, at least 6 cop cars came flying past headed for Germantown. When the light finally turned green I heard another siren. I paused to look down Clopper. What I first thought was just an ordinary car I quickly realized was an unmarked cop car. So I remained stopped at the green light and waited for it and another cop car to cross the intersection. Only after that could I finally make the turn. Heading up Clopper toward Gaithersburg I passed another three cop cars, each going at a high speed. Something major was clearly up.
It wasn't until a little while later another coworker came in and directed us to the internet to see the shocking story of 5 shootings in lower Montgomery County. Considering there was no news out of Germantown, I'm guessing the cops were chasing a lead on a white box truck which didn't pan out. But between that and an email from our HR about the lockdown at Montgomery County Schools and the suggestion that people stay indoors and away from gas stations and shopping centers, needless to say we were all a bit anxious.
And all that time no one knew that these seemingly random killings were done at long range, by a skilled shooter with a high powered rifle. That news wasn't available until the evening and makes the whole situation even more frightening. Strangely the county I live in is now the top new story in the nation. It's quite surreal. And the scariest thing is the guy(s) who did this have not been apprehended. The big question in everyone's minds is 'Will this killing spree continue.'
I hope to God not.....
Here I am, awake at 3 AM with my nose running and stuffed up at the same time and coughing up a lung. I stumbled around in the dark trying to find my Flonase until I finally found it in the living room. That stuff is worthless because my nose is so stuffed up there is no way the mist is going to get far up my nose. So then I remembered that Mom bought some allergy medicine when she was here this past weekend. Thankfully she left it in my medicine cabinet, so I took one and I'm currently waiting for it to take effect.
I'm not sure if what I have is allergies or not, but I'm freaking miserable. :P
Meanwhile the kitties have joined me by my puter and I'm just waiting for my brother to wake up and bitch about my noisy typing. Unfortunately I'm much more of a rapid hunt and peck girl as my 'real' typing is still painfully slow.
Found a good blog entry by JB here, though unfortunately I can't seem to directly link to that particular entry. It's dated today 10/03/02. In it JB discusses George II's foolhardy crusade to go to war with Iraq and Saddam Hussein in particular. And how comparing Iraq to Hitler's Germany is just ludricous considering that Iraq is no Third Reich. As with desert storm, the whole thing revolves around oil.
Ok....if I'm lucky the drugs will work and soon I'll be able to breathe and be able to go back to sleep again. I'd like more than just 4 hours of sleep tonight, thank you very much. ;)