N00b E. McN00berson from New N00bingham

Meet the n00b. This is Liam, who joined us already in progress on Friday, February 15. Like Esme and Jethro before him, he came from the Animal Welfare League of Arlington. He originally was in a shelter in West Virginia but was transfered here due to overcrowding. At the first shelter he was "Batista", at AWLA he was "Brandon". I wasn't in a hurry to rename him, but I woke up on Saturday and thought "I should go see how Liam is doing". I have no idea why that particular name was the one that popped into my head, but it seems to suit him. It sounds enough like a meow that he responds to it well.

He's six months old and already a big boy. His tail is much longer than Esme's and when he stretches out he's about 10ft long. I exaggerate but little. At the moment he is stretched out on my outstretched leg, his nose by my ankle and his hind feet by my hip bone. Granted, I'm not very tall, but still.

He's got kitten energy but he's not too rowdy, which is good for Esme. They are getting along as well as can be expected. There was some trash talk from Esme at first, but now, after 3 days, she'll only hiss if he gets right in her face, which he doesn't very often. He seems to adore and respect her.

We'll see how long that lasts.

Acceptance. I has it.

Just an update so this site doesn't look like Kitty Mourning Central.

Make no mistake, I'm still missing Jethro and adjusting to his absense but my thoughts are now composed more of fond memories than sadness. I am also able to think about taking in another cat in need of a home. Stay tuned.

Grief. I has it.

My beloved Jethro Hull is gone.

Yesterday I knew he wasn't feeling well but I had no idea that he wouldn't be here tomorrow. I had planned to take him to the vet today but last night he was breathing hard and his Buddha belly was more distended than usual so I took him to the emergency clinic, fearing a blockage. You don't mess around with that.

There was no blockage, but there was fluid in his lungs and abdomen and he was in respiratory distress. The vet said that this pointed to a chronic condition that had turned critical, like a cancer. They kept him overnight and tests this morning confirmed that his chest and belly were filled with cysts. Cats are masters of masking pain, so the vet was not surprised that I had had no idea that something was so seriously wrong. She also said that it appeared to be a particularly aggressive cancer and so it might have spread very quickly.

They made him more comfortable by draining some of the fluid but said that Jethro had at most a few weeks, during which the fluid would build up again and cause the distress again. Not wanting him to go through more pain and stress, I made that very hard but very necessary decision to end his pain today. I was with him and it was over quickly. Now that he is out of his pain I have no regrets.

This picture is the last one I took of Jethro, just 15 days ago. His favorite game of late had been for me to line up a half-dozen fake "mouses" along the edge of a 2-foot high padded ottoman so he could smack them down. I'd line up the mice in the morning and come home from work later to find some still standing, others scattered around the floor. The last mouse lineup is still in place, untouched for a few days. I wish I had realized why he hadn't felt like playing. Not that the outcome would have been different.

Friends, family and strangers wishing to honor Jethro are encouraged to make a donation to his alma mater, The Animal Welfare League of Arlington, or to your local animal shelter.

Mah lolcat, let me show u it

You have to take life's pleasures where you can find them. After several months of submitting lolpics to icanhascheezburger.com, I have finally made what passes for the big time there: one of my captions is on the main page!

Click here to see it in all it's glory. (Opens in a new window/tab.)

Having known a measure of success in humor contests such as The Style Invitational and The Top Five List, I was getting somewhat frustrated at not being able to crack the ICHC front page. But by gadfrey I'm going to win that Least Competitive medal at all costs!

What's New in Hullcloth World

At long last a re-design has happened. I've spent a lot of time in the past year learning some new web tricks and applying same to a few of the sites I have a hand in. It seemed only right to spruce up my own site as well, even if the content has not changed significantly in some time.

Here's what's here:

• Learn about me
• See pictures of me, my friends and family
• Run your fingers through pictures of guitars and other stringed instruments
• Read through my former blog, Warped Woofing
• The boidcam is currently offline but look for it again sometime soon

As always, use your conscience and the links on your left as your guide.