RIP Socks, the most gentle cat in the world.

Last night Socks emerged from underneath my armchair and struggled to reach his food bowl in our kitchen. He had been there for a few days and we obviously did not realise the extent of his illness and by this morning he had fallen asleep for the last time.

He was Morgan's 13th birthday present and was such a sweet natured cat that he immediately became a loving member of our extended family. He never bothered our other two female cats Cilla and Smudge and was so tolerent of Cilla's hissing and other antics. Not long after reaching his birthday he came home one evening in pain and on being taken to the vet we were told that he had been in an accident and had his tail amputated. This made him look slightly odd and he waddled around the place. Soon after we forgot his predicament and his personality returned.

He didn't like crowds and on the evening of Morgan's 18th birthday party he left the house in disgust. Usually his return wasn't long, but as time went on we were more and more concerned. Finally, we feared the worst and thought that something had happened to him and we hoped that he hadn't suffered in any way.

One Sunday evening in early December 2009, Gaynor called me into the kitchen. To my suprise there eating heartily from the food bowl was Socks, his stumpy tail a clear indication of who he was. Where had he been for the intervening five years. He didn't say, but he quickly reaclimatised himself to our house and to Gaynor in particular. He was the original "prodigal cat".

Since then he has become a firm fixture in our household, often leaving for a few weeks at a time to go where? We never knew. This was just him and we would always be glad to see him pushing his face up against the conservatory doors to come in. After he ate his way through several sachets of cat food he would do his customary settling in on Gaynor's lap and loved the affection she poured on him.

When he came back from his last trip away he was visibly thinner and we had put this dramatic weight loss to his feral tendencies. He was still bouncing around on Monday evening but we now know that this covered up a more serious condition.

We can now only be asured that he is no longer in pain and at peace. We will bury him in our garden where he used to spend long sunny summers sleeping in the undergrowth, still close to our hearts.

Resquiet in pacem Socks. You were a marvelous affectionate animal who brought great joy into our lives.

A Christmas Story for people having a bad day:

When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not producetoys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel thePre-Christmas pressure. Then Mrs Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more. When he went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them wereabout to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where. Then when he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked,the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a cup of apple cider and a shotof rum. When he went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drankall the cider and hidden the liquor. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass piecesall over the kitchen floor. He went to get the broom and found the micehad eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.Just then the doorbell rang, and irritated Santa marched to the door,yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmastree. The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this alovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it?'And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmastree.

Week 4 and back on track and keeping the Rams scoreless

No need for Frank as he left th

Week 3 and a last minute heartbreak

That man Brett Favre just keeps coming back to haunt us. With seconds left he just throws a hit and hope into the end zone where it is caught in a last gasp win for the Vikings. I can't see what's the big deal with the Vikings, do they see Favre as the last piece in their Superbowl jigsaw. They don't seem to be as strong as the Giants and I'm sure as the season progresses the Favre determination to get back to the show will see him trying to force the game and start throwing his customary interceptions. This was a tough one to see but we're in good shape.

At last we've singed our #1 Draft pick

Michael Crabtree was the first round wide receiver that noboy thought would be on the board by the time the 49ers would take their first round pick. But there he was, and we took him. I hope that he's worth it because his hold out until after the Week 4 demolition of the St Louis Rams. So he'll have to learn the play book pretty quick and catch some footballs. Time will tell. No pressure there then.

I've reached my half century

On 7th October 1959, David Cynan, first born to John Cynan and Mary Lucretia Jones was born in the front room of 1 Hermon Street, Treorchy. Today is the 50th anniversary of that event and history will tell that it has been a great day. I expect that one day there will be a blue circular plaque placed here marking the event.
The day began, as usual, with the alarm ringing at 6.05 a.m and my customary trip down stairs to make the morning coffee. When I made it to school, the staff and parents had put some of my facebook profile pictures on the windows and loads of Happy Birthday banners strewnn around the place.
The atmosphere in the plac was electric an everyone was wishing me many happy returns of the day.
I m now eligable to go to the local Day Centre for lunch, and because I've got all my teeth I can have solids. I'm also still aiting for my free Parker pen from Sir Michael Parkinson so that my premium can look after my loved ones and cover any funeral expenses.
I've been receiving e-mails from SAGA about their cruises and holidays, so life is good for someone who's just held his bat aloft and signaled to the crowd in recognition of reaching 50 not out.

NFL Week 2

Week 2 and another divisional matchup that pits Mike Singletary's 49ers against former 49 assistant Jim Mora Jr. now Head Coach of the Seattle Seahawks. Could the 49ers stay undefeated?