Photo Phone Phriday

My nephew Zach at two months.

I NOW INTERRUPT YOUR ENJOYMENT OF THIS CUTE BABY TO TELL YOU ABOUT MY TRAUMATIC MORNING.

Dawn called me at about 7:35 (we were both on our way to work), saying that she felt like she could cry because she had seen a cat that was apparently dead on the road move its head and try to get up. Well, I take roughly the same route to work as she does, and she told me to check on the cat and make sure it wasn’t still alive. I got to where the cat (I later named him Tuffy) was about 10 minutes later and pulled over to the side of a busy Douglas Avenue, and Froggered my way over to the kitty. By this time the cat looked dead to me, but didn’t appear to have been hit by any cars since Dawn had seen him. There was a pool of blood around the cat, and I thought it nearly impossible for Tuffy to still be alive. But when I reached down and pinched his tail to drag him off of the road, he popped its head up and hissed at me (which, obviously, scared the crap out of me and made me think, "I’ve got to save this kitty!"). So I ran back across the four-lane road and got a bag out of my trunk to use as a kitty stretcher. When I gently picked up Tuffy and carried him back to the car, he was clearly in pain and started to squirm, but I had no real choice other than letting him die (the cat ambulances usually are out of service until 9 a.m.). I had to get him to the veterinarian, and the only one I knew of was the one that Coop goes to up in Johnston. That’s a good 15 minute drive in rush hour. I got a little worried and was yelling at fellow drivers about the time the cat stopped responding to my touch (about seven minutes into the drive). By this time, I was doubly determined to save this cat, and found myself saying little prayers for the cat like it was my own. So when I pulled into the pet hospital I ran to the door and found a vet who ran out to my car and checked for vital signs. But Tuffy didn’t make it. He was diagnosed with massive head trauma and pronounced dead at 8:09 a.m. I was really bummed, having really cared for this animal’s life in the previous 20 minutes of my life. But like I told Dawn, if it had been our pet, I would have expected everyone that drove by or over the animal to do the same to at least try to save its life.

On that note, HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!