What a Wonderful World

What a wonderful world to bring babies into.  Terrorists driving trucks through crowds of people is the new norm.  If you haven't already, imagine the brutality of what happened in Berlin and Nice: people's bodies being smashed, crushed, dragged, and brutalized.
I remember hearing that there was a baby boom after 9/11.  Apparently, people are so fucked-up, that when terrorists hijacked passenger jets and used them to knock the Twin Towers down, they thought, what a great world to bring babies into!
Life is pain, fear, shit, boredom, frustration, and agony.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Those were the days: mama Veronica with 4 of her babies.

My fears have, apparently, been confirmed.  Mama Veronica is still MIA.  Even worse, it seems as though we are down to 2 groundhog babies (from 5).  I believe that an intruding adult groundhog chased Veronica away and, perhaps, 3 of her babies.  It was horrible to witness; I heard the now familiar sounds of a young groundhog crying.  She was being attacked by the intruding adult.  She ran across the grass to the other building (the one I live in).  The adult chased her: right on her heels all the way.  I heard more of her cries.  I yelled, "Leave her alone!" out my window several times.  I don't expect the adult groundhog to know English, but I was trying to break it up.  If the adult is scared, then maybe it will put an end to the assault.
However, lately I haven't even seen this intruder around.  I recently saw a groundhog that moved around strangely: like a cross between a groundhog and a sloth.  Haven't seen that one around as of late either: just the 2 youngsters.  When it's hot out, at least one likes to lie down under the shade of a nearby bush.
What a shame it is that we're living in such a violent world.  That's why I'm dead-set against bringing people, or animals, into it.  Even though my mood has been consistently better since I've been eating fresh organic spinach every day,  I still think it's an act of cruelty for a person to bring another person or an animal into this brutal world.
I have a new neighbor.  I had been living alone in my apartment building.  Then this guy moved in right under me.  So now I'm back to hearing someone living underneath me.  It would have been better for me, and for him, if he had moved into the unit that's not below, or next to, mine.  But he didn't do that, I had no control over the situation, and what happened happened.  I have heard him making noise and I don't like it.  Considering how consistently good I've been feeling lately, today hasn't been a good one.  Either way, I'll try to persevere.  I don't believe it's in my constitution to commit suicide, so I have no choice.           

World of Pain

Picture of a mama groundhog attacking one of her young 'uns.

Can anyone really doubt this is a world of pain?  Anyone over the age of 30, and of sound mind, should admit this is, in fact, a world of pain.  I'm in pain right now: in more areas than one.  It's just another day for me.  Once I thought of the title and subject of this post, I tried to imagine all the pain that all the people and animals were feeling at that moment.  I was overwhelmed by what I felt.  At any given moment, the people and animals of this world are feeling incredible, incalculable amounts of pain.
I was watching the news the other day.  A lot of doctors don't want to practice medicine in the state of New York, becasue the cost of malpractice insurance is so high in this state.  Apparently, several states have put caps on the amount of money someone can collect for "pain and suffering."  According to what I heard, New York does not put a cap on that, so that's why doctors have to pay so much money for their medical malpractice insurance in NY.  They interviewed a man who proposed NY limit "pain and suffering" damages in this state to $250,000.  I couldn't help thinking that I've endured much more than a quarter-million-dollars' worth of pain.  But, in my case, no one person is responsible for all of my pain.  Most of all, LIFE is responsible for my pain.  Life is pain.  To live is to feel pain.  Right from the beginning, what do doctors do to get babies to breathe?  They cause them to cry from pain by spanking them.  Welcome to the world.  Get used to it.  There's much more where that came from.
Every single day, I see more evidence that I've done the right thing by not bringing any people or animals into this world.  This is a world of violent cruelty.  Even the natural order of things has animals being eaten alive by others.  It makes me wonder if there are truly civilized, peaceful planets out there.  This one certainly isn't either of those things.    

The Face of Evil

How could a grown man try to hurt little babies like these?

Evil lurks behind many different faces.  I saw one this week.  Fortunately, I happened to be looking out my bedroom window as an elderly man walked across the grass toward the groundhog hole/home that's right next to the building I live in.  I suppose he saw the groundhogs frantically scamper into their home once they saw him coming.  He began by making a sudden move to frighten them.  Then he picked up rocks and began throwing them at point blank range into the hole at the baby groundhogs: not on my freaking watch.
"What are you doing?"  I yelled out the window to him.
He stopped throwing rocks and looked around to see who said that.  He saw me at the window.  He seemed guilty; like he'd been busted.  He smiled and said something that I didn't entirely catch, but I think he said something about how they damage the ground or some such garbage.  They're on this Earth, so they obviously belong here, and they have the right to live here in whatever way they see fit.
My adrenaline was pumping, so I don't remember if I told him to leave the animals alone.  I think I did, but my memory is a little fuzzy.  This guy's cruelty blew me away.  I think he's just a bully.  Now he's old and feeble, so he can't bully someone like me, so instead he terrorizes some baby groundhogs.  What's even worse about it is there's at least one bully among the babies.  One time, I watched from my window as a baby groundhog kept trying to get into the hole, but it seemed like at least one of the babies wasn't letting her enter.  So it's possible that one or more of the babies was having trouble getting to safety while this coward was throwing rocks at them.
Today, I heard a bunch of kids running around.  They were chasing and terrorizing rabbits.  I didn't like it, but as long as they were just chasing them, I'd figured I'd stay out of it.  When I saw that the largest of the kids was throwing rocks at a rabbit, I knew it was time to intervene.  I went downstairs and walked toward the kids.  They noticed.me.
"Don't hurt any animals," I said to them.  "Don't throw anything at them."
The largest boy said, "Okay."  So I went back inside.
I realize I can get into a lot of trouble, but I don't want to passively watch as people try to hurt animals.  I'm against fighting; it's stupid.  But if I see someone beating an animal, my plan is to tell them to stop.  And if they don't stop, I might have to take action.  And in such a situation, it's highly likely that I would be the one in trouble with the police.  But our legal system exists mostly to protect people: not animals.  Pets have some rights, though they are obviously abused on a massive scale.  Wild animals and "food" animals like pigs, cows, and chickens have very little in the way of rights.  And all I'm really referring to is the right to not be beaten, tortured, and killed.      

Mind the Gap

Blood of my Blood.

This is a public service announcement: without guitars.  This weekend, my friend and I went to see a stand-up comedian perform at the Comedy Club in Webster, NY, which is a Rochester suburb.  I couldn't believe how loud his mic had been turned up.  I've seen a bunch of comedians there; they have had plenty of impressive talents gracing their stage.  Anyway, this comedian was so loud, that I needed to go to my car to get my earplugs, which I usually bring everywhere with me, because everyone I know plays their music and/or TV too loud for my sensitive ears.  I was running behind the Comedy Club to my car.  I didn't notice a step on the sidewalk.  I tripped over it and landed on my hands and my right knee.   The picture I'm posting with this is of the tissue I used to absorb the blood that came from my hands afterward.  My right hand was worse.  A strawberry-sized piece of skin had been completely removed from my hand as a result of the trip.  The left hand wasn't much better.  The skin had been broken in several places on the palm.
Sure, what I did was stupid.  But I wonder whether it even makes sense for that step to be where it is.  It comes out of nowhere, and I bet it's tripped lots of people.  It's dark back there.  I think they should have an outside light over that step, so people can see it.  Of course we need to watch our steps.  We should look to see exactly where we're stepping and whether it's safe or not.
The baby groundhogs continue to grow.  They really grow too quickly.   For the first time, I stretched my neck so I could get a look at them climbing into their hole in the ground from my bedroom window.  They're great, but the sad part is that new babies means in with the new and out with the old.  Groundhogs can be tough and ornery.  I think the mother always chases away other groundhogs once she's had her babies.  She wants to protect them.  She has the instinct.
I'm worried about me naming one of the babies Sweetpea.  I wonder if this will be another situation where I helped a groundhog get her superpowers.  As was the case with Bumpkin, a perfectly cute groundhog has received a perfectly cute name.  Have I done it again?  Will Sweetpea get superpowers?  Will she be able to fling fireballs from her left paw like Bumpkin can?  Time will tell.
Bumpkin, and her sisters Lucinda and Sloopy, are still in love with the new babies.  Bumpkin has indefinitely postponed her war against humans for control of the world.  She's full of peace and love.  Once again, humans have the luck of the Irish.  If not for the recent births of these 5 babies, she'd be wreaking havoc against them for sure.  

New Babies!

One of the new babies.

What a great spring already.  Daisy, Bumpkin's daughter, gave birth to 5 babies!  They are scared of so much.  You only have so much time to get a picture of them while feeding, because most noises scare the babies into running back to the family hole as fast as possible.  One got real cuddly with her mommy.  They are cute as hell.  I hope the system will let me upload the pics.  If not, I'll have to look into troubleshooting.  These babies need to be seen.
Bumpkin, Sloopy, and Lucinda have spent a lot of time looking at them from the windows.  They all love the babies.  Bumpkin is so moved, that she's postponed her war with humans for control of the world.  She is full of peace and love.  She's been listening to The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love" repeatedly.  She's been listening to "Strawberry Fields Forever" quite a bit too.  The sisters keep sighing and fawning all over the cute little babies.
I saw something troubling this week, though.  I'd seen plenty of squirrels shimmying across the telephone wire in front of my windows before.  But I noticed a squirrel racing across the wire.  There was a good reason for this.  She was being pursued and attacked by 2 sparrows.  What craziness.  I was rooting for the squirrel.
I heard Sloopy and Lucinda squeal with delight.  I rushed to the bedroom.  Sure enough, Bumpkin had teleported 2 of the babies into the bedroom.  At first, they were a little scared.  Suddenly, they were indoors for the first time.  But then they saw the loving looks coming from the sisters.  Bumpkin and Lucinda are cuddling with the babies.  Sloopy started to make whiny noises, so Bumpkin brought another baby up for her to cuddle with.  Now each sister had her very own groundhog baby to cuddle and play with.
"Hey Bumpkin," I said.  "Could you please bring the other 2 babies and Daisy up now?  Daisy might get worried if she can't find her babies.  Then, I'd have a baby to cuddle with too."
"Okay," she replied.  She did it.  Now there were 9 groundhogs in my apartment.  "Let's have a party," she said.
"Sure Bumpkin," I said.  Should I bring out the sod and wheatgrass?"
"But of course," replied Bumpkin, "turnips and radishes too please."
"You got it ma'am." 

Let's Go to the Beach!

The kiss

Bumpkin, her sisters (Lucinda and Sloopy), and I were enjoying a quiet morning in our apartment.  We were watching TV, and we were looking at a beach.  Neither of the sisters had ever seen such a thing. 
"Yo, dummy," said Bumpkin.
"Yes, ma'am," I replied.
"Is there anything like that around here?"
"Sure.  The ocean isn't very close, but we live near Lake Ontario."
"Is there a beach there?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good, we're going," declared Bumpkin.  Sloopy and Lucinda squealed with delight.
"Great idea, Mistress Bumpkin," I said.  I'll pack lunch and other things we might need: like sunscreen."
"What is sunscreen?" asked Bumpkin.
"Well, it's not something you, Sloopy, and Lucinda need to worry about, because your skin is covered with fur, which protects you from the sun's harmful rays.  But people, like me, really need to put it on, so, hopefully, we won't get skin cancer."
"Whatever.  Hurry up.  We're all ready to go," said Bumpkin.
"Yes, ma'am."  I got off my duff and got busy.  I packed a nice lunch for all of us and I didn't forget the sunscreen.  Then I took off my pajamas so I could change into my swimsuit.  While I was completely naked, the door to the bathroom opened.  Bumpkin, Lucinda, and Sloopy were all staring at  my nude body.  Then they all began to laugh hysterically.
Bumpkin briefly stopped laughing long enough to ask, "What the heck is that thing dangling between your legs?"
"First of all, Bumpkin, it's not nice to open the bathroom door, without knocking first, when someone is in there.  And that 'thing' is called a penis."
They all laughed harder now.  Sloopy and Lucinda were rolling around on the floor.
"First of all, dummy, I do whatever I want, whenever I want to, and if you  have a problem with that, I'll hit your little penis with a fireball," replied Bumpkin, which led to more laughter.  Tears of joy were streaming down the faces of Sloopy and Lucinda.
"Yes, ma'am."
"It is so ugly," said Bumpkin.
"Even though it is a part of me, I simply must agree with you.  I think penises are ugly too."
"What the heck do you do with that thing?" asked Bumpkin.
"Well, I use it to go pee pee, and it also can be used to make babies."
"How?  How does that thing make babies?"
I sighed heavily.  "I'll tell you on the way to the beach, okay?"  Holy cow.  I don't have any kids, so I never thought I'd have to explain to anyone where babies come from.  I certainly never fathomed that I'd need to explain it to a groundhog.  I never signed up for that: no, sir.

TO BE CONTINUED...