Astonishingly, we have reached the final Monday in August. The next Monday we see will be a holiday. Labor Day. Already.
When I was gainfully employed at a go-to-the-office job, I'd sometimes run into people who'd say, "You'll have to forgive me. I work at home -- I've lost track of what day it is."
Easy to do. So, I'm offering you this information so help launch your week. It is Monday, Aug. 29.
And, I guess, the folks in Louisiana and Mississippi and Alabama will have no problem remembering Aug. 29, 2005. I was watching one of the cable news channels before 6 a.m. today and a dry anchor in the studio was interviewing a reporter standing in a windy rain in Gulfport, Miss. The reporter had been talking about how deserted the streets were when, suddenly, moving along behind him on a road was a car. The reporter and the anchor then swapped a couple of lines criticizing the driver for being out in the storm and basically saying "What kind of idiot would be out in this weather?"
And, yes, indeed, one could see the irony in that situation.
HURRICANE AND ANIMALS: By now, this has become a familiar story. A hurricane threatens an area, the Humane Society of the United States sets its disaster plan into motion and shelter animals are evacuated to safer cities.
So, as Hurricane Katrina began its assault on the Gulf Coast, the HSUS contacted the Metroplex Animal Coalition to round up help. MAC President Elaine Munch and MAC Groups Coordinator Rebecca Poling passed along this info from Lou Guyton of the HSUS in Dallas.
Hundreds of animals from Louisiana are being moved to Houston for redistribution. The HSUS hopes to place at least 145 animals with Dallas-area groups (e-mail [email protected].)
Area shelters and groups, already crowded with dogs and cats, have somehow managed to squeeze in the hurricane animals in the past. And, I guess, the fact that the hurricane areas. so soon after the last hurricane, have a new load of animals to ship out shows that Dallas is not the only area of the country with a relentless supply of shelter animals.
COURTS AND HORSES: Word came late Friday that a federal court ruled that a 1949 law prohibiting slaughter of horses for human consumption was just not viable. (I've shorthanded this in college dropout terms.) Authorities had been using this state law as the basis for trying to end the horses-for-the-platter business at the state's two plants, one in Tarrant County and one in Kaufman County.
Look for more efforts to end this horsemeat trade, according to the folks at the Texas Humane Legislation Network (www.thln.com), The indication is this will have to occur on the federal level -- with the U.S. Congress, bless its heart -- since the court ruling implies that selling horsemeat for human consumption is a federal issue and not a state issue.
Besides, the Texas Legislature is too busy trying to come up with a good plan for financing and improving the state's education system. What? Oh. Sorry. They took two shots at that this year and missed. Well, better luck next time, kids.
Sheesh, two things you'd think Texas would really protect: kids and horses.
SONIC BOOM; VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Those folks at the Companion Animal Network are always hustling for money. Of course, name a rescue group that has enough! It's like Marlene Dietrich told Ray Milland in the movie Golden Earring. She asked him if he had money to fund their escape from danger. He said he had enough. She replied, "Enough? Hah. There is never enough."
So, on Oct. 1, the CAN folks are going to be delivering for cash, or, as Barb Weinberger describes it, "Car Hopping for Can." First, though, she needs volunteers who are willing to help for four hours on Saturday, Oct. 1, as a Sonic Car Hop at the Sonic Drive-In at 3404 Coit Road in Plano, just north of Parker.
Volunteers won't have to wear Sonic uniforms, roll on Sonic skates, make change or clean the kitchen. They simply deliver food orders to the cars and all of the tips will go to the Companion Animal Network.
Barb sees it as a relatively easy way to add hundreds of dollars to the CAN treasury. To volunteer, call 214-923-9160 or e-mail [email protected].
Ah, yes, by October 1, we should be enjoying autumnal weather. You can be at Sonic, car-hopping and living the good life -- the opportunities for nostalgic sensations will be dramatic. Especially if you give in to temptation and have some of those cheese tater tots. Oh, my. Well, let's remember to help the animals, not to help ourselves. It's OK to tip big, though.
MOVING ALONG NOW: This isn't animal-related, though, of course, I have seen some real animals at the place, but Dick's Last Resort, a stalwart of Dallas' West End, is moving out. The move isn't far in distance, but it is far in location, location, location.
Dick's will move from the south end of the West End to the north side of Woodall Rogers Freeway, i.e., closer to the American Airlines Center and the Victory project.
Specifically, on Sept. 6, Dick's will open its new location next door to Hooters at Houston and N. Lamar.
The move will be celebrated with (how's this for irony considering today's weather news) a "New Orleans-style funeral process and jazz parade winding through the West End." That'll start at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday the 6th -- fair warning.
I've never been to a Hooters restaurant. I have been to Dick's Last Resort many, many times. There are vegetarian dishes at Dick's. I'm not sure what they have at Hooters -- no sense straining my marriage.
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER: Reader Angeline Welch describes herself as "a member of HSUS, SPCA, ASPCA, PETA and a bunch more animal welfare groups." She lives with rescued dogs and has a great feeling for the plight of animals.
She is concerned that animals "belonging to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan" are routinely being dispatched because of a military order that says "kill 'em."
Here is the link to the Humane Society story that has upset Angeline:
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pets_related_news_and_events/enemies_of_the_state.html
Gosh, it would really be great if the first human solution to every situation on this planet wasn't "kill 'em."
THE GLORY OF GREAT DANES: My shutterspouse Martha snapped this family photo during a visit to “the kids” in Longview on Saturday. The magnificent dog in the foreground is Henry and the black Dane is Frog. The humans are the newlyweds, Andrea and our little boy, Bret. Only by being photographed with a 180-pound dog could Bret look like a little boy.
I guess I could have titled this photo: “Three Big Boys and the Love of Their Lives.”
People who don’t have access to Great Danes probably just think “big” when they see them, but if you watch them, you’ll think “grace” and “gentle” and “endearing” and “adorable” and “We’re going to need two couches in this room.” Yes, Bret and Andrea have two couches in their living room.
Two couches are enough for the dogs. The family's big ol' black cat, George W., has his own wing of the house. Yes, I believe it is the West Wing.
