Jack

Morning insight: I wonder if Jack is doing with Pop what mother and Pop did with her father: maintain an insurance policy for a big pay-off when Pop dies.

That would help to explain Jack's surprising friendliness toward Pop, seeing in him a tremendous cash cow that is waiting to explode. I wonder if Pop may know about it and is counting on Jack to pay for a nice funeral service for him, which Jack presumably will not do.

If so, may Pop live into his nineties!

Las Vegas Shooting

David Frum tweets, "President Trump is telling me about God and Scripture." He quotes Trump saying, “It is our love that defines us.” Frum goes on to remark, "If we weren’t so heartbroken, it would be funny."

There was an historic shooting in Las Vegas last night. From a high-rise hotel, Stephen Paddock opened fire with a virtual arsenal on a country music festival, killing over fifty and injuring over 500.

I don't know if it is just the pervasiveness of the media, but it can feel like the foundation of the world is starting to crumble beneath our feet.

I wonder how much of it is my aging and my life-despair that just makes it feel like the whole world is crumbling with me.

* * *

The GOP insists that the Vegas shooter's gun arsenal is "a right," but medical treatment for his 500+ survivors is merely "a privilege."

-- Desirina Boskovich‏

* * *

A CBS vice-president was fired after saying that the Las Vegas victims didn't deserve sympathy because country-music fans "often are Republican".

Pets

I wonder ... if there were a heaven ... and if I went there ... and if the divine system were such that we get back one pet ... the pet that had been most in our heart upon dying ... whether when I went to pick up my pet ... I would find ... Coco there ... instead of Bo.

I do pine for her more. Of course, it was exactly one year ago that she died, rather than the nine long years since Bo died. But, still, I am confused that Bo is such an abstraction to me - my bestest friend for the best part of my youthful life.

Such is time? In ten years, I suppose Coco will also be this faint in my thoughts (provided that I am still kicking around, myself, in ten years). I just feel that I should always feel a fresh pain over the loss of Bo, and it's, like, I can barely remember him.

Home Life

Lorie called, telling Pop it is supposed to rain tonight. I check the forecast. There is only a 20% chance of rain. Tomorrow night, though, calls for a 65% chance. I am looking to see that chance blow away, but I decide that I should take care of that kitty litter box now, on the off-chance that the cats might be locked in the house again for another spell.

Pop is probably hoping that I would take to mowing the lawn. The lawn is bad and kind of wild now. I wasn't planning on hitting it until Thursday at the earliest, and I am still sort of thinking that way. It was a long weekend for me, with Kay and Lorie and all that noise. I don't feel up to pushing myself.