I want to wish a Happy 2007 to All!
2007 image on my 1966 Sony TV
First off, a word to what I have lost personally in 2006:
On December 10th, I lost a good friend to Hodgkins Lymphoma, he lived in Colorado, his name was Timothy Riley Walker. He passed on at the age of 35. I met him online at one of the role playing games forums for Twilight: 2000 and we became friends around 1998 or so. We exchanged ideas, gifts, cards, and so on in the ensuing years. Like me, he loved cats and I consoled him when he lost one cat as he did when I lost three total in the time I knew him. I know he wasn't a Freerer but I felt it was a good idea to mention him somewhere. My God grant him, his family, friends and anyone else I might have forgotten on the list, the comfort and guidance that is needed at this time
Greystone: (4-15?-2001 - 4-15-2006, he was found as a kitten on 5-12-2001)
We lost him due to kidney failure at the age of five, he barely made it to five. His passing was hard to take.
Pansy: (8-19-1987 - 8-27-2006)
Lost her due to lymphoma although I think her age could have been a factor, I dunno, until she hit a brick wall, she was so active. She had a hyperactive thyroid but we kept that under control. She was very hard to take due to her being with us for so long plus we were still reeling from the effect of Greystone
Corky: (5-12-1989 - )
She is my oldest cat now, she will be 18 in May.
Boo (Buddha): (Found 7-19-1990)
He got very sick a week after we laid Greystone to rest. The vet said his liver was acting up and he was put on antibiotics hoping it was an infection causing his problems. His liver values returned to normal for a cat his age (will be 17 this year) so we pulled him through.
I hope 2007 is better for all of us.
I'm sorry to hear of your losses in 2006 and hope that 2007 is happy and healthy for you and yours. I had a rough time in 2006 also although I didn't lose anyone to death.
I lost my nice rural suburban neighborhood to the influx of people that we're getting as people move away from New Orleans. My road that had been so nice for taking walks will get about three or four subdivisions in 2007. It will go from a rural suburban area to an urban suburban area. Walking may no longer be safe, and losing a favorite form of exercise will be bad for my health.
After waiting 35 years to get my first real pet snakes, 2006 saw an attempt by the state legislature to take those pets away from me. While the bill didn't come for a vote in the state senate, all but one member of the state house voted for it. As a result of that vote, I will never support any current house member. Even those Republicans that other people around here like will never get my vote again. As far as I'm concerned, they can all go to Hell. I didn't lose my pets, but I now have that threat hanging over me.
In July, I learned that my employer failed to set me up in the pension system when I transfered to my current job. I spent 2002 at this job working on a "letter of assignment." One reason for using the letter of assignment was to try to keep my pension intact. In 2003, I was officially transfered here because changes made the transfer possible. I filed a request for an investigation. Right now, it appears that I'll get put into the system for 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006. I don't know whether I'll get any credit towards retirement for my work from 1999 to 2003. If I do, I likely won't get full credit. Several human resources and management types kept telling me that they believed that the situation would be fully resolved. Because of that, I didn't start looking for a job. If the situation isn't resolved to my satisfacation, I've now lost six months on finding a new job and starting a new life.
Again, here's hoping that 2007 will be better for both of us.
Bill