September 16, 2005

Birthday Parties and Presents
by Jeff Langstraat

Yesterday was my 37th birthday. Today, I'm feeling older: when I got off my bed from watching TV to play with my cat last night, I was struck by a fairly intense lower back pain (it's fairly dull now)--I haven't really been able to bend over since then. But, my cat, Harriet, is actually the lead-in for this piece.

Tonight, I'm having a birthday party. One of the things I've been doing when throwing parties for myself out here in MA, is to bring a piece of Minnesota to the folks here. My parents shipped me a bunch of bratwurst from Schmitt's Meat Market in Nicollet, MN and I'm making my killer German Potato Salad (I posted that recipe a couple years ago--it's undergone modification since then). This is definitely an artery-clogging party.

The other thing I try to do at these parties is raise a little money. In the invititation to the party, I sent people a link to this post, which was before Hurricane Katrina--otherwise the post would have included organizations like Noah's Wish and the American Red Cross. Last year, I passed the hat for the Kerry campaign. This year, I'm doing it for Noah's Wish:

Noah's Wish is a not-for-profit, animal welfare organization, with a straightforward mission. We exist to keep animals alive during disasters. That's it.

We are not involved in any other animal welfare issues. It's not that we are not concerned about all the ways animals are abused and exploited. Noah's Wish would like nothing more than to see all suffering stop. Fortunately, there are a multitude of national and local animal welfare organizations who are tackling the issues that adversely affect animals. No other organization has made the commitment though to just focus on disaster relief work for animals. That's the void we are filling.

Noah's Wish came into existence in March 2002, not to duplicate existing efforts to help animals during earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes, but rather to expand on what's already in place. Too often, efforts to help animals during these life threatening situations have been gravely inadequate. It would be unacceptable if relief efforts for people were as fragmented.

With all the devastation along the gulf coast, it's easy to overlook the animals affected by Hurrican Katrina, especially companion animals. I sat at my computer and cried as I watched this piece. I could completely relate to the young man who refused to leave without his dog. No one would be able to get me to leave Harriet behind...NO ONE! (The picture to the right is Harriet in our Minneapolis apartment.) She's my baby.

My favorite time of the day is what I call "Kitty lovin' time." Before I leave for work and in the evening, I just spend time with Harriet. We play or I scratch her tummy or behind her ears. There have been times when I've had her purring so hard she starts to wheeze. Other times, when it's time for bed, she'll lay on her back, cradled in my armpit, and fall asleep--when she starts to snore, I melt. She gets fussy with me if I leave town: last summer, when I got back from a week in Minnesota, and while I was talking with my roommate outside, she stood on the balcony above me and, yes, screamed at me. It was a "Where in the fuck have you been?! Get up here NOW!!" She then followed me around the house for a week. Harriet is more than merely a pet. She's my family.

I think of how I would react if I were to lose her. I would be devastated. I know a hell of a lot of other people who feel the same way about their companion animals, and there are thousands of people along the Gulf currently feeling that devastation. It compounds the other losses.

If you can, please help.

[Note, the top image is from this Yahoo slideshow.]

Posted by in Emergency, Ephemera, Hurricane Katrina
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