My sanity has returned and other musings

Okay folks, I don't know what the hell was up with yesterday's post, and I have no idea if it even made any sense.  That's what happens when one starts writing at 11:00(ish) PM after being up since 5:30 AM: one comes up with some bizarre, incoherent fever dream.  But it is what is (which is probably crap) and I'm going to leave it up anyway.

Here are some random observations from the world around me:

Our 17 year-old cat Shadow and one year-old toy poodle Bodhi are an endless source of amusement.  They have a fascinating relationship, if it can even be referred to with that term.  Bodhi always wants to play, and tries to engage Shadow in playtime by feinting with him as if he, Bodhi, was a toreador.  Shadow usually sits still, swatting and hissing at Bodhi.  Shadow is completely fearless and usually gets in some good licks.  The cat has faster fists than Muhammad Ali had in his prime.  Bodhi thinks this hissing and swatting is wonderful, and the bigger rise he can get out of Shadow, the better.  Thankfully for Bodhi, Shadow is front declawed, so he can't inflict any serious damage.  The funniest part for me is how differently the two view each other, as there is a definite dog/cat "language barrier".  Bodhi thinks that Shadow is playing with him, when from Shadow's perspective he's merely trying to get the dog out of his face.

Now I don't want to give the impression that Shadow and Bodhi live in constant conflict (at least from Shadow's perspective).  Most of the time they coexist in close quarters with no incident.  It's only when Bodhi decides it's playtime, or Shadow decides he wants to eat Bodhi's food, that the fur starts to fly.  For example, at the very moment that I'm writing this, Bodhi is attempting to eat his dinner, but Shadow moves in when Bodhi is not looking.  Bodhi went on the offensive and chased Shadow away.  Shadow usually is relegated to the basement when it's Bodhi's dinnertime, but I haven't been able to get myself away from the computer to corral the old kitty.  As it turns out, Bodhi, in a rare display of anger, has chased Shadow away for the moment.

Did I mention that Top Gear is one of my favorite TV shows to watch with the kids?  It doesn't require an interest in cars because the show is just hilarious with its dry British wit.  Host Jeremy Clarkson comes across as the constantly put upon smart aleck with an uncanny ability to set various objects on fire.  His two sidekicks are Richard Hammond and James May.  Hammond, with his ever changing hairstyles, looks like an aging British pop star from the '90s,  he could have played bass for Blur or Oasis.  James May, on the other hand, looks like an aging '70s British rock star--like the least well known member of Pink Floyd.  The best parts of the show are the absurd challenges that are featured, such as all three having to buy an Italian sports car for under a predetermined amount of money and having to endure whatever wacky contests are assigned.

Another fun feature of Top Gear is "Celebrity in a Reasonably Priced Car", the title of which is probably self-explanatory.  A famous guest comes on the show and drives around the Top Gear test track as fast and skillfully as he or she can.  The results are often surprising and always fun.

For the readers who are unfamiliar with Top Gear, here's a taste: