Attitude of Gratitude

Gray Days of Gratitude
I don't always keep track of the exact day when something big hits the news but in rather quick sequence there was the pipeline oil spill in Arkansas (or was it Alabama) and the bombing at the Boston Marathon, and the fertilizer plant explosion near Waco, Texas. All while I was bitching and moaning about winter not going away where I live in the mountains of New Mexico. Oh, and trying to find a reduced protein food for my sick dog.

Sometimes I think I want to move. Then I look at a map of all the oil pipelines in the country and see that nobody has built one over my mountain or through my valley. Or it dawns on me there is no statement to be made by placing a pressure cooker bomb within a 100 miles of where I live. Sure I would have to drive clear to Santa Fe (110 miles) to be able to look at the back of every single dry dog food brand Petsmart carries but in that distance there are also no fertilizer mixing plants.

Yes, it is 2/3rds through April and March winds have not stopped, and I have ceased looking at the weather report because I am tired of snowflakes. This has been a horrid spring with lots of breeze and freeze but very little moisture to lessen the forest fire danger this summer. Knowing my senior fur pet has liver disease has not been easy. Nor have I solved all the problems of serving two different meals to two different dogs who have always played musical chairs with their dog dishes.

And then the water pump needs replaced on my Corolla. The good news is it was at the mechanics when I found that out. And I have a great neighbor that has been generous with letting me take her vehicle out to do my pet sitting gigs, and unlike last month at this time I have the money to get it fixed. And then there was the earthquake in China. Did you miss that? Didn't get a lot of coverage with the bombing, the escape of the bombers, the fertilizer plant, and pipe line spills. Actually the last two on that list didn't get a lot of coverage.

I am always really grateful that terrorists (home grown or imported) are stupid. Take the first attempt at bringing down the World Trade center. They were caught because one of them went back to get the deposit back on the rental van which was destroyed because of the bomb in it. And the Oklahoma City bomber was pulled over because he was making a statement about government by not having a license plate on the get-away car. If the FBI had been smarter before 9/11 they would have paid attention to a group of foreigners that were getting flying lessons but did not want to learn how to land. Or less sexist because a female agent in Arizona did send in a report about that. And of course there was a report about these last two bombers. Russia brought the older brother to the attention of the FBI who then dropped the ball.

But the most stupid thing the Boston Marathon Bombers did was wait until the leaders in the event had crossed the finish line. In fact, they waited about 2 1/2 hours. No doubt the crowd and definitely the media had cleared out quite a bit by then. Aren't we thrilled they were that stupid. So stupid they tried to rob a mini-mart so law enforcement would know where they were. And they did all this wearing hoodies without the hoodies up. And evidently they were not smart enough for smart phones so they could see their pictures everywhere.

But I am most grateful I live in a small mountain community with no fertilizer, pipelines, or terrorists. I will spend the extra time and money shipping in the dog food I will have to order on line.

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