Middle of the Road - Nandina

Well, I started out the week all amused by the Republican world, the timing of the Katrina reminders, the day to day revelations about the surprise VP to be (my first reaction, no doubt like many San Franciscans: I just found my Halloween costume!). And I’m a firm believer in keeping a politician’s family out of the limelight and off limits to mockery, but that’s been a challenge… and I’d like to suggest that it’s time for the politicians to not run on their families but on their proposed polices, please.

But Gustav proved lessons had been learned and then went away, first excusing Bush & Cheney from appearing within 1,000 miles of St. Paul. Palin delivered the Bush speechwriter’s speech well, and swing state suburban women seemed to like her. Even assuming the standard cheating – er, shortage of polling places, etc. – those middle of the roaders will be decisive. Yep, most air’s seeped out of my bubble.

Off to Maddie’s, where deflated moods can be at least temporarily lifted. Not nearly as many people there this week, but there are a few. First thing, a fellow volunteer helps a pair of friends locate their perfect kitten, a tiny shy all black fellow. The woman doing the adopting posts her friend at his condo door to ward off any competition.

I’m watching this from my visit with Mack and Mabel across the hall. Partly they rub around and bat at toys, partly they watch the action in the hallway too. These people look average. Would they be more swayed by a feisty hockey mom or by the potential of a decade of right wing Supreme Court decisions?

Anyway, average is a poor term applied to living things. My next visit is to Nandina, a Sidekick, according to her "feline-ality" testing. That’s the cat middle of the road, average sociability and average braveness. She's a young, multi-hued long hair, a bit of a drama queen, but cuddly and nice. She likes having company but also wants to know what's going on in the corridors around her.

Then I spend time with Giselle, another Sidekick. Giselle is also so much her own kitty. Unusually beautiful (and sure to be adopted fast), she’s a two year old light tabby with large swirly markings, and a couple little freckles to keep her face from perfection. She’s bright eyed, active and chatty. Ears perked, she stands tall on my leg and kneads, then darts off to chase a toy with abandon.

Mack also tested middle of the road Sidekick. Any of them will make a fine pet, but they will act pretty differently from each other in their new homes. Which points out a flaw in other sorts of testing, polling or assumptions based on a few questions to a few people. Gotta hope there’s some independent thinking out there in the middle America.

(One more thing? Why do people want a VP who might be elevated to the Presidency to be like someone they’d meet at the PTA? I mean, no matter what your political views, wouldn’t unusual brilliance and vision be more laudable?)