 The Shaffer Journal
Volume 9 † Issue 3 † March 2003
[Internet Stuff] [Hockey Puck] [The Mountains of Ao]
[Poetry Corner] [The Dull Stuff] [Guest Articles] [In The Keys]
Kitty Talk
These journals are dedicated to Kitty GreyCat's spirit. She is at RainBow Bridge now along with her human friend, Leo. We all loved you, Kitty! Click the cat graphic to visit her Memorial page. Kitty born June 6, 1982. Died July 9, 1997. Please fill out our email form below to tell us how we are doing or make suggestions. >^..^<  Ebony: Meow, everybody. I meow that some human bean unhooking our cat leads either from the post by the steps or right at our collars. Now, I meow to our human bean who it was, but, as you might suspect, human bean not nose much about our meow language. I not nose why some human bean would want to do this to us cats. I do nose why I hide when our human bean cleaning our trailer or spraying for bugs. Why, of course, us cats not want to get wet. Cats don't like to get wet. I heard tale that a few rare cats do like water, but day dumb.>^..^<
Abby: I just elect to stay inside when bean grabs a hose to spray the trailer or for them nasty old bugs. The trailer inside is secure and safe. I got lots of windows to look out of, I do. When I am tired of being nosey, I just wedge my cat body betwixt human bean buttocks and the back of his computer desk chair. I like sleeping there.>^..^<
Ebony: I do my power catnapping under the bayside captain's bed. There is a big storage area under the bed that has almost nothing in it except a luxurious place to sleep. When I am done catnapping, I like to go outside and wait for things and beans to bite. A good mouse is an easy bite. Human beans you got to let them pet you first and talk sweetly to you. Then when them human beans get up to walk away, you paw swipe and bite at them.>^..^<
Abby: While Eb is biting people, I love to supervise groceries being put away. I like to play with stuff that human bean rips off of stuffers. Grocery days is exciting for lots of reasons like playing in the bags and mostly for the yummy Friskas chicken softies in gravy. I can't wait for the human bean to open them up for me to gobble all up inside my tummy. Then I aggravate human bean even more by meowing and meowing and meowing more.>^..^<
Ebony: I think it more interesting when you were gone somewhere for a very long time. That was the most peace I ever have in a very long time. It all started when human bean adjusted the pin settings on the nasty old hot water heater thing. The hot water heater is located in the trailer basement only large enough for us kitties. Of course, Abby snuck in there without bean knowing it. When bean done with water heater, he put the door back on. Well, we all being peaceful when the door popped off and out walked Abby looking very put out and mad.>^..^<
Abby: I couldn't believe human bean didn't miss me right away and come find me. He and you is bad, bad! He so bad that he put the tiny label box on top of the computer monitor to keep me off the heat-generating machine. So I showed him. I got inside that little, tiny box and squeezed my body into the box. I stuck out all over.>^..^<
Ebony: I not really minded at all that you were missing. Finally some peace and quiet me stinks. You nose me, after catnapping, eating, and absolutions in the litter house, I am ready for the outside and hunting stuff.>^..^<
Abby: I never nose whether I want outside or stay inside. I just hang around the front door and peak outside, but human bean always trying to coax me outside. Sometimes he rushes inside and grabs me for outside. That not very nice, I meow. But once I is outside, I love rolling around on the hot cement and getting belly rubs.>^..^<
Ebony: Use full of stuff, I meow. I would rather go exploring as long as the lead let me. Why one day I got wrapped around the faucet thingee that controls how much yucky water gets inside. I meowed and meowed and meowed, until the human bean came back of the trailer to rescue me from sure boredom and stuffers.>^..^<
Abby: Yes, Eb, you is one boring cat, I tale you. There was one fing I not like at all while I was outside. There was a yucky smell from a great biggie dead fishie in the water. Some human bean done scraped off all the flesh of that fishie what hap big old popped out eyeballies staring at me I meow. After a couple of days, all the little fishies done eat the big old amber jack fishie to bare, white bones. I not never want to fall in that water, Ebony.>^..^<
Ebony: I meow that you right about that. That water is salty and even wet. Not nice for cats to be wet. I did get up on the bathtub to watch and wonder why human bean was getting wet on purpose. Beans are crazy.>^..^<
Abby: Use look awful wet and crazy. Instead of being wet, I like to go back in the mangroves. I fink they should be cat groves, but human bean say I is silly. What he noses, I meow. And Eb just stares at me while I climb high in the trees back there. I even scratch them old mangroves too. That might not be lawful maybe, but I do it. Well, you not get into any unlawful troubles and read the rest of the magazine down there below right here.>^..^<
Internet Stuff
The DVD films from http://www.netflix.com are packed with extras and full of good entertainment. We Were Soldiers, my second, complete look at the movie didn't change my mind. This is a classic war film. Bad Company was a great vehicle showcasing the talents of Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock, an unlikely acting duo. Austin Powers in Goldmember was a bit stupid, but I couldn't stop laughing. Scorpion King was a very well done action film, but I was still a bit disappointed. I expected a larger-than-life picture. XXX was a super Vin Diesel movie full of speed and action. The film had a definite James Bond flavor, but was still very entertaining. Spy Kids 2 was even better than the first movie. The film had plenty to offer children and adults alike. No bad movies this time. Several websites were useful this month. Dell at http://www.dell.com had to send me three different DVD-ROM units, before I got a good one. Still, their service is reliable and always there. Dell also sent me a new laptop battery and a 256MB RAM chip that doubled the laptop's memory. I ordered the 3-in-1 credit report from http://www.equifax.com, so that I could maintain my credit worthiness. If you do not check your Equifax, Experian, and Transunion credit reports annually, you could be in for a nasty shock. http://www.logos.com sent me a replacement CD-ROM for the one that was cracking. The cracked one was really old after all. I ordered some great products at http://www.medicaltoys.com and http://www.speedo.com. I downloaded a super freeware piece of software called SpyBot at http://security.kolla.de. This great software seeks out and destroys stuff that is spying on your computer and online usage. Jeff at http://www.xfireweb.com is the CEO of an outstanding company dedicated to service and quality. Lastly, I've always received excellent support from http://www.microsoft.com. In The Keys
The owners of the trailer park that I live in announced at the annual party that the park is under contract to be sold. Of course, this has generated a ton of rumors before and after the announcement. Rumors do no one any good, as they most often reflect a small part of the truth if any at all. Regardless of that, there are things that residents and concerned people can do. First, the goal is to save our park and homes and to induce the City Council to protect parks like ours from any such possibility in the future. Second, we must organize and get legal help. We need to do these things even if the park's prospective owners decide to keep things as they are. We must go to all City Council meetings and make our voices heard often. We must tell our stories to the Keynoter and the Key West Citizen. The Citizen is associated with the Free Press that covers Marathon. Most importantly, we must vote. If you were eligible to vote and did not, now you might be reaping the results of not voting. Even if you are not a full-time resident, your voice and action will do a lot of good. This is a tourist-based economy after all. If you can't understand why the owners would sell such a great park, think about the rumors, rudeness, petty complaints, outrageous requests, loose pets, cigarette butts at the pool, numerous rules violations, and so on. Living at the point means that during the winter my gigantic truck has to live on the 37th Street parking strip. So I have to carefully plan things around that. Once you find a great parking spot, you don't want to give that spot up. I walk if I can. If you give your parking spot up, you might have to park on the other side of town. There is certainly more dust that gathers out there. A few people insist on denting your doors. And dog doo is everywhere. All in all, I don't get too upset. I still have what I consider the best spot in the entire park. Truck, be damned! Miscellany: The City now pays me instead of a contractor. I was pleasantly surprised to see Harry D. back as the Boot Key Harbor Manager. He is excited about his job. I couldn't help myself. I liked the President's State of the Union Address. I still don't like him though. The poker gang is now playing pauper's poker, which is an interesting twist on the rules. I've witnessed several boat groundings at Boot Key Bridge recently. They don't seem to get red right returning and run right into the western shallows. Andy and Dave's garage worked on the truck, but I most liked being able to clean my window shield with my new wipers. I took a fun boat trip around Stirrup Key through Vaca Cut with its bayside markers backwards. On the ocean side, we investigated several finger channels going deep into Vaca Bight. On the way back, we cruised down Sister's Creek into Boot Key Harbor. We headed home via the Knight's Key Channel. John's fish dip was to die for! I've been reflecting lately on how time flies. Why the cats will be seven and six soon! Wasn't it just yesterday that they were mere kittens? Even overcast days can have amazing sunsets. I jogged to Sombrero Beach and walked back, a six-mile round trip. It was fun too. Lastly, Wyland Galleries showcases marine and wildlife art. They are located in Key West at 719 Duval St. You may call them at 1-305-292-4998, while the fax number is 1-305-292-9164. Outstanding artworks. Poetry Corner
“Clear Blue Skies” 02.02.03
by L. E. Shaffer © 2003 L. E. Shaffer
dedicated to the space shuttle Columbia Clear blue skies
Sunlit deep into space
Across the heavens
Do the spirits fly
One wonder
After another
Thrills the soul
Knowing stars
Are above that
Deep blue canopy
And the blue planet
Beneath us
Making us human
Wrapped in love
And imagination
Along with mysteries
If only we
Could dream
And remember
Happier visions
Across the skies
Streak lives
Held in the balance
All our hopes
Are held by hearts
That beat no more
Yet we must
Go on to the stars © 2003 L. E. Shaffer Hockey Puck
As amazing as this sounds, the Swiss are leading the Kiwis in the best of nine America's Cup. Major League Baseball is steeped in drugs and money. Tiger Woods won the Buick Invitational. Can you say Tiger is back? The NHL All-Star game was well played with the West winning in a shoot-out overtime. The Panthers have a streak of not losing over four games. Maybe they can make the playoffs and hopefully the cup. The NFL's Pro Bowl was a big yawn. The NBA's All-Star game featured Michael Jordan's last all-star game, while Yao was playing in his first. Dale Jr. dominated everything at NASCAR's first race weekend at Daytona, but Michael Waltrip won the big race, the 500. Venus and Serena Williams keep winning their tennis matches as usual. Guest Articles
We have various guests this journal. As always everything is copyright of the author. Bridge to No Where Long-time resident, Jack S., provided some research from local media to fill in some interesting background on Boot Key Bridge. Boot Key Bridge is located in the middle of the Florida Keys in the city of Marathon. There are many mysteries surrounding the 1960s bridge. One mystery is why the bridge is there to an island with only radio stations and a commercial fishery. One Edward Germain Jr. wanted to build an exclusive residential resort. At the time, the state and county were building roads and bridges everywhere, which generated plenty of controversy. Sombrero Beach Road was one such road. Now there are all kinds of buildings back that way. Then there was nothing. In that atmosphere, Boot Key Bridge was built for less than a million dollars. A month after the bridge was completed. Mr. Germain promised the resort, but it was never built. Other proposals ranged from a US Air Force facility to a theme attraction. Although Boot Key supposedly has gold buried from the 1800s on it, none has ever been found. No plans are currently proposed, but an environmental park would be desirable. © 2003 Jack S., local media, L. Shaffer. Steelwerks Jewelry  Steelwerks is one of the leading body jewelry manufacturers in North America. All of our products are handcrafted with precision and care. Our reputation has gained us recognition from the Association of Professional Piercers as well as the Quebec Arts Council. The telephone number is 1-514-286-2606, while the fax number is 1-514-286-1428. The website is at http://www.steelwerksextreme.com. Our company also features the art of Jerome Abramovitch, endorsed by freaks and supermodels worldwide! The website for that is at http://chapter9photography.com. Another specialty is custom Prince's Wands and toys for extreme play.
© 2003 Steelwerks Jewelry LTD. The Mountains of Ao
Tears from Ao and three poetry collections, Pages of Life, Visions of Life, and Moments of Life are available electronically at http://RunesofAo.com/aobp/. The Runes of Ao project, The Mountains of Ao novel currently in final edit, Twins of the Dark Star novel in early stages, and the The Book of Kalian Mysticism poetry collection are all works in progress. Also a collaboration with K. Young on a novella called Dragon Embers is now published on the fan site known as Runes of Ao.com. The Dull Stuff
All opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of this magazine or its advertisers. Inputs and letters to this journal are subject to approval by Ebony and Abby. Submittals may be edited for content and become the property for the one-time nonexclusive publication of: Shaffer Novels/Poetry Company
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www.RunesofAo.com/abby/ Publication date: February 28, 2003
Author: L. E. Shaffer
Company: Shaffer Novels/Poetry Company &
Shaffer Internet Publishing Company
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Email Reminder" in the subject line. [Previous Journal] [Journal Index] [Next Journal] 15 Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before God made anything at all and is supreme over all creation. 16 Christ is the one through whom God created everything in heaven and earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—kings, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities. Everything has been created through him and for him. 17 He existed before everything else began, and he holds all creation together.
18 Christ is the head of the church, which is his body. He is the first of all who will rise from the dead, so he is first in everything. 19 For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, 20 and by him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross. 21 This includes you who were once so far away from God. You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions, 22 yet now he has brought you back as his friends. He has done this through his death on the cross in his own human body. As a result, he has brought you into the very presence of God, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23 But you must continue to believe this truth and stand in it firmly. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed by God to proclaim it.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.) 1996. |
