Chicklet, 1994–2007

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Thursday 13 December 2007 @14:37

Chicklet

A baby picture

Action shot

Kitty the hacker

On return from hospital

I regret having to report that Chicklet died at 10:05 Thursday morning at home, with both of us beside her. She had been ill for a while but that last night was the first she seemed to suffer. We set up the air mattress so she could sleep between us once again (but stay near the floor). At 3 AM she got up to visit her favorite hiding place in the closet. Later in the morning she moved next to the radiator and I gave her some water. We just got off the phone with the vet’s office (scheduling her final appointment) when she cried out, had a tiny seizure, and passed. A diva to the end.

Please enjoy this collection of photos, and leave your thoughts below. Chicklet (aka Kitty) came to live with us in 2000 — Art’s first year of med school. She previously belonged to Art’s brother’s family, so we have some baby pictures too. In student housing, she enjoyed her perch atop the air conditioner vents, looking out the 28th floor window at the Whitestone Bridge and the landing planes at LGA.

She moved with us to Yates Ave, and although she missed the air conditioning, she appreciated the deeper closets and the wider variety of furniture on which to sit. She traveled with us when possible, as much as six hours away by car. She loved sitting on the shelf beneath the car’s rear window, relishing the attention from passing travelers. When she couldn’t travel with us, she was watched over by a pack of caring friends, who she often tricked into giving more than her usual serving of food. Although some may think of us as jet-setters, we’re actually well-traveled homebodies. Usually upon boarding a plane for some exciting destination, our first thought would be “I miss Kitty.”

Kitty was always… er… big-boned. We tried restricting her diet, but she just became less active. A year or two ago, she started showing signs of kidney disease in her blood. (Most cats will get this, if they live long enough.) We switched her to specially-formulated food, and eventually added some daily medicines. Shortly after Thanksgiving this year, she began behaving strangely, and her vitality noticeably deteriorated.

She spent four full days in the kitty hospital the week of December 3rd, on intravenous fluids and medications. On returning she was more responsive, although she looked pitiful with her shaved forearms. For the next 5 or 6 days, we tried nursing her back to health with subcutaneous fluids, and cajoling her to eat with syringes and baby food. It was a difficult time, but we were glad to have her back and she clearly enjoyed the attention from us. We thought that if she could resume eating, she’d last weeks or maybe months. Then, everything changed Wednesday night; suddenly, she was clearly very ill and suffering. We’re glad this stage did not last long.

For seven years, Chicklet was an integral part of our lives and our relationship. We’ll miss you, baby.

Namesakes

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Thursday 15 March 2007 @8:18

My surname is a common noun, but an uncommon name. So I expect some false hits in my Google space, such as a page for one Christopher Williams — a Welsh football/soccer player — that lists “Christopher’s League Stats.”

But here are some uncanny clips I found via Google this morning:

Christopher League is something I love and look forward to throughout the week.

Aw, thanks… is that from one of my students maybe? Just don’t turn into a stalker!

Christopher League has become such an important part of my life and I look forward to the years to come.

Uh, okay. You turned into a stalker.

There is no better legacy that I can think of than to take the Christopher League to new venues to allow others to experience the thrills, joy and elation…

Woah, that’s spooky. I’m happy to provide thrills, joy, and elation, but what’s with the definite article in front of my name?

Last Saturday I went to the baseball field to begin a new season of Christopher League.

Okay, now I’m seriously confused. When did this become about sports?

The Christopher League is a baseball program for disabled children and is run in conjunction with NYO’s youth baseball program on a “buddy system.”

Ah, got it! NYO is the Northside Youth Organization in Atlanta, Georgia. Presumably, their Christopher League co-opts the name to honor an early participant…?

Anyway, I’m proud to have this organization as a namesake. Somewhere, I’m sure there’s an unfortunate woman with the name Megan Law.

Tramps and thieves

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Monday 8 January 2007 @17:33

Ah, the League family tree. One of my father’s hobbies is genealogical research. Sometime back I posted about how I am a descendant of King William I, via my mother’s side of the family. Of course, that and $4 will get you a cup of coffee, as they say.

Anyway, the crimes of royals are well-documented, but my father’s side of the family is more… shall we say… colorful? He spent an industrious day at the Maryland state archives last week, browsing police records from South Baltimore during the years 1867–1902. In only 4 hours of research, and looking at a relatively narrow time period and geographical bounds, here’s what they found. Everything below is quoted from my father, so when he says ‘grandfather’, add a ‘great-’ to get relations relative to me.

• Edward League Nov 27, 1895 7:18 PM Disorderly conduct. Fined $1.00.
  (I am not sure who this was. I have no record of him in my database. He could be in my database under a different given name. However, I suspect that he is related to us, because he was a League from South Baltimore and every other League I have ever found in South Baltimore is related to us).
• John League (age 33) August 30, 1895 5:15 PM Assaulting with the intent to commit rape on Lizzie Kreamer age 8 years. Released to court.
  (This was my Grandfather League’s cousin).
• August Geisler (age 23) Jan 26, 1893 9:34 PM Disturbing public worship. Fined $10.00 and court costs. Committed. Released the next day. In other words, he slept it off in the tanker.
  (This was my Grandmother League’s uncle).
• George Geisler (age 19) Oct 24, 1893 being on B&O cars without authorization. Fined $0.50, plus court costs of $1.70.
  (This was my Grandmother League’s uncle).
• Thomas League (age 19) Sept 21, 1895 12:40 AM Disorderly conduct.
  (This was my Grandfather League’s older brother).
• Thomas League (age 33) Sept 25, 1881 Disturbing the peace, using loud and profane language on the streets. Committed and afterwards released on bail to keep the peace and pay costs of $1.95.
  (This was my Great Grandfather)
• George (age 43) & Annie (age 17) Geisler, July 28, 1881. Assaulting and beating Elizabeth Faulk. Each released for court.
  (This was, most-likely, my Grandmother League’s Grandfather and Aunt. It could have been her Uncle George instead of her Grandfather, but Uncle George was only 7-8 years old at the time, so I suspect it was his father, George).
• John J. League (age 51 ) May 28/29, 1887 Larceny of three ducks valued at $0.45. Property of Jos Grimm of 611 Light Street. Committed for court. Note: John lived at 317 Light Street. So, after he took the ducks, he didn’t have to walk too far to get home.)
  (This was my Grandfather League’s Uncle).
• George H. League (age 23) June 22/23. 1887 Selling a hired wagon, valued at $40.00 with intent to defraud the owner, William Robinson. Committed for court.
  (This guy was a very distant relative. Thank goodness, I would not want his actions to besmirch our good name.)
• William League (age 22) Jul 14, 1887 4:00 PM hauling offensive matter through the streets in an open cart. Released for hearing.
  (This was my Grandfather League’s cousin)
• James League (age 27) Jul 1887 Disturbing the public peace. Fined $1.00 and released.
  (I think this guy was only a distant relative).
• Louis H. Bennett (age 39) Nov 12, 1902 Disturbing the peace at 308 S. Hamburg Street. Complainant John J. League. Charges dismissed.
  (Louis Bennett and John J. League were brothers-in-law. Louis was married to John’s sister Catherine. Both of these guys were my Grandfather League’s uncles. By the way, they lived together with their families at this address).
• Thomas League (age 17) Oct 6, 1893 1:27 AM Burglariously entering the store of Samuel Gross at 316 Light Street with the intent to steal. Committed for court. On Oct 17th, he was sentence to 60 days in the house of corrections.
  (This was my Grandfather League’s older brother. By the way, at the time of the attempted robbery, he lived at 317 Light Street, which was right across the street from the store he tried to rob.)
• Walter Bennett (age 15) Dec 6, 1893 being on B&O cars without authorization, committed to 30 days in the house of corrections.
  (This was my Grandfather League’s cousin).