Everyday Stupidities

Hiya, readership! I finally made good on updating the Daybook and Rant on Say Something Cryptic, even if I didn't have all my thoughts together, so that's one accomplishment since then and now. My bride has taken this coming week off of work and one of the projects she has in mind is to stain that fence we put up, weather willing. Speaking of the in-Spite-of Fence, the woman next door gave me a $200 check to partially cover the cost and intends to hand over some more soon. Now, as you have read before, we don't want her payment or partial ownership. Of course, there's no rule that says we have to cash the checks. The fence may have put a crimp in our finances for the month, with plenty of other expenses we need to save up for to face (dental, auto, kitchen improvement), but we still don't see fit to compromise our beliefs.

On my way to work yesterday there was a bit of traffic on Yakima Avenue and I'm casually scooting along behind some other cars. I see about twenty yards ahead of me this cat go bolting across the road, then get rebounded onto the yellow center strip by the vehicle two cars ahead of me. I emitted "youch!" The car didn't stop or slow down, and off it went. It took a couple blocks before I could turn my car around and go back, then like thirty seconds once I got pulled over near where the cat was laying for the cars coming my way to break. He was still alive. Every ten seconds his legs would flail like he was trying to get out of there but couldn't get off his right side. I got out when I could and walked over to the cat, asking him if he was okay. I worked quickly to scoop him up by the right shoulder with my left hand and right hip with my right hand, and carried him like a cake back across the street. Cars slowed to a crawl, and I presume many of the drivers saw why I had delayed them.

I set him down on the grass of the yard which he'd run out from, which was sloped down to a sidewalk so others could see him. I didn't see any sort of activity at the house so I hoped if this was their cat they'd take notice. I petted his head gently, him still giving that shocked look and breathing in forced bursts every five seconds, and then said goodbye and resumed my travel to work. Certainly I know that there was more I could have done, but I did something other than let him remain in the middle of the road at high risk. This was the first time I've prayed in a long time, and it didn't even start with "Father, forgive me my sins"... it wasn't about me. It was about a scared and broken kitty that didn't have a collar but likely had a home and people, that needed to either find mercy quickly or someone who could put the human into humane.

When I got home from work ten hours later, the first thing I did was hug my own cat. I'd be devastated if that were Cheddar which got hurt.