Well, I'm impressed.

Zoe sat still to have her claws clipped. She was, in fact, purring the whole time, even while I removed the sharp pointy bit. Maybe (for) now my hands, knees, forearms, ankles, etc. won't get as scratched up.

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Now I'm disturbed.

I got a phone book today. This in itself is only a little disturbing, because I am after all a paying telephone service subscriber, even if I've already received one phone book. What's distrubing (besides the many, and massive, ads for bail bonds) is the tag in the corner: "New Guide To Homeland Security: Emergency Preparation Information Inside (See 'H' for Homeland Security)".

I don't think I can do this terrible section justice. First it draws a clumsy analogy between a house fire and a terrorist attack, making out the Department of Homeland Paranoia Security to be the corresponding fire department. Then it has several "useful" pieces of advice:

- There may be harmful debris in the air after an attack. This can't hurt you unless it gets inside you. So you should cut out plastic sheets that fit over all your doors and windows, and be ready to duct tape them in place, "if you see debris in the air." No mention as to how to actually get clean air flowing into your house once you've made it airtight.

- You should have a plan of who to call after an attack so your family knows you're ok. Mind you, I don't see this as such a bad plan - but it says EVERYONE should plan to call the SAME PERSON. Never mind that if it's a disaster of any scale, there's going to be a lot of families calling to reach each other. Even if the infrastructure is undamaged, it's not set up for that big a spike in usage.

- A helpful place to write in emergency numbers: Police, fire, physician, hospital, FBI. Ok, the first four make sense... but honestly, FBI???

Well, it's convinced me. Remember folks, there are bad people out there ready to attack YOU with radioactive anthrax bombs. You should all live in a perpetual state of fear.

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Leaving town

So, I'm going back to Colorado this weekend for family's sake. I would appreciate three favors:

- Get me to the airport *early* friday morning. The flight leaves at 6:45, so I need to be there at 5:30 or so.
- Get me back from the airport next wednesday morning, around 10.
- Catsit on the intervening days.

For drivers, if you can use a manual transmission you can use my car, otherwise I'll buy you gas; if all else fails I can park my car at the airport if I have to. The catsitting is the most important - Zoe needs new food everyday, and someone to play with to keep from going crazy.

I'll buy and/or make dinner for anyone willing to do one or more of these things.

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