I’ve been doing daily personal updates on the Ron Gray story. Some of these updates have been included in my radio news. Many of you know the story; some of you don’t. Ron’s the retired Mass State Police Captain missing in the backwoods of Idaho. He’s been gone for more than a month now (9/19) and even though he is an avid hunter and knows the terrain, the fact he’s been missing so long is terribly bothersome, especially now that cold, snowy weather has moved in. The area in which he’s missing is about the size of the state of Rhode Island. About 1,000 square miles of rugged terrain in the Selway portion of the forest have been searched so far.

Friends, family and fellow troopers helped in the search until it was called off earlier this month. Now they’re relying on hunters to keep an eye out for the 62 year old Gray, a Vietnam veteran who served with the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. Members of that group were known as “The Walking Dead”.

The unit’s web site says “the Battalion was engaged in combat for 47 months and 7 days, from June 15, 1965 to October 19, 1966 and December 11, 1966 to July 14, 1969. The Battalion sustained heavy casualties during its Vietnam service: 749 were Killed In Action (KIA) and 2 were Missing In Action (MIA).”

Keep this man in your prayers, please. I know Ron from the days before the Metropolitan District Commission (MDC) merged with State Police. We used to have great conversations about the news and the Quabbin Reservoir and dogs (we both love dogs) and the fact I hate hunting and he loves it and cars and longtime mutual friends. One day, maybe the last time I ever saw him, I pulled into his yard in North Brookfield as he was out washing his car on a summer morning and showed him my new car. He sprayed me with the hose, the crapper. Ron is a very caring person with a great personality.

Maybe if enough of us say a prayer for Ronnie today, God will hear us. It worked when George Bailey went missing.

There’s a big meeting on tap later this month of every social service agency in the region. The point is to make sure no one falls through the cracks this winter during the recession. As I write tonight, the temperature is dropping. Pat Pagano says it will be in the teens by daybreak. Question is; who’s taking care of the homeless people out there tonight? Sure we have shelters, but the shelters are full. Now what?

On the overnight in Keene, at 2am when no one else is around, I see these homeless people walking the streets, nowhere to go, nothing much on their backs. I talk to these people. I know where they’re living. Why aren’t we getting these people some help? Why do police “move them along” when someone calls to complain? Why is someone calling to complain rather than helping these folks? Why do we allow people to live in their cars? What’s wrong with us?

I admit, my taking homeless people into my home off the street, is a little over the top and sometimes dangerous, but I’d rather chance my safety or my money than see someone die out there. Trust me, I’ve been burned by taking in homeless people, but I’d do it again rather than see someone suffer. People die when they have no food and no shelter and no shoes. There’s no taking back death.

We have to do better. We have to be a better society. It’s cold out there. How would you like to be homeless and think that no one gives a crap?

If you heard my news Thursday, you heard that one in every 1100 homes is in foreclosure in Cheshire County. That means your neighbors might be out walking the street tonight or living in their car. How could you live with yourself knowing you did nothing to help? Do we have to know someone to help them? Let us not forget, we are all strangers until we meet.

Everybody thinks I’m crazy. Mostly I blame my schedule. I work while people sleep. I sleep while people work. By the time the morning show opens up at 5:30am, I’ve been up almost 12 hours. And when it ends and my dentist sees me at 10:30am, I’ve been up 17 plus hours. No one gets why I’m so tired. Most folks figure I come to work sometime just ahead of 5:30am. Not the case.

Last night I got up just after 7pm, had coffee, cleaned the house, finished cooking today’s lunch for Matty, dealt with all the furfaces, their food and water and their litter boxes, read six newspapers, answered email, paid bills, colored my hair, cleaned out Matty’s lunch bag, did dishes and got ready for work. I was out the door at 11:45pm and in Keene shortly after midnight. I’ll be home by 10:15am when I can clean some more before collapsing into bed around 1pm.

The older I get, the harder it is to live this 3rd shift life. Only seeing my husband for about ten hours a week is a big bummer. I could easily go get a job with better hours, but I’d miss my writing. I love to read and write the news and get the show prep piled-up and blogs written. I also like to stay informed. Many jobs don’t offer all those options. So it’s a trade; fun work for crappy hours.

The health aspect of living a 3rd shift life hasn’t killed me yet, although it has certainly tried. I’ve handed back more than 60 sick days over the past 13 years. It’s a use them or lose them deal around here. So, staying healthy is one thing I’m good at, despite the lack of sleep and upside-down schedule.

Maybe I’m writing this blog as a pep-talk to myself. By Thursday, I’m pretty whipped. Today is Thursday isn’t it? I’m pretty sure I got up Wednesday night to write Thursday’s news. Weird thing is that I’ll go to bed Thursday and get up Thursday to write Friday’s news. No wonder I’m tired and confused.

Several of my fur-faces were born feral kittens and even though they eat IAMS today, that was not always the case. A quick story about a couple of these kittiots. Baby Kitten and Owen share the same mother (feral) although they are from different litters. Momma Kitty gave birth under a floor and under a porch with the different litters. Owen is big and yellow and fluffy. Baby Kitty is a small, soft, tiger.

These customers are unaware they are half-siblings although they get along like peas in a pod. Most remarkably, they both LOVE carbohydrates. Today, for the first time ever, Baby Kitty begged for pizza crust and on any given Friday night, Owen will sell his soul for a Dorito. We nicknamed Owen “Carbo-Boy”.

It occurred to me that just like human babies, fur-faces tend to prefer what their mother ate. And seeing Momma Kitty was wild, she ate mostly out of a dumpster; hence the love of carbohydrates.

I know their momma is probably dead given her tough life, but I am so happy I have four of her six surviving kittens. Kittens five and six also have wonderful homes so saving them and placing them was a job well-done.

Never a dull moment around here. Pretzels anyone?

Sometimes I get utterly confused. Why do we have two new copiers in the building, made by the same manufacturer which look exactly the same, only one needs the original face down on the glass while the other needs it face up?

Why do we still have cars with the gas tank fill-nozzles on either side when it’s universal to have to intake nozzle under the rear license plate? That way no one is ever going in the wrong direction at the gas station. Why don’t we do that? Seems simple enough.

Why do we give fat kids candy for trick-or-treat? Doesn’t that border on child abuse?

Why do we teach children to avoid strangers then sanction them going door-to-door to strange houses on Halloween?

If someone cannot find the “self help” section at the library, should he be entrusted with a book?

Why don’t sheep shrink when it rains?

Why does the sun lighten our hair, but darken our skin?

What was the best thing before sliced bread?

If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is he homeless or naked?

If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?

Lastly, why is it the older you get, the better you realize you were?

From a Worcester-area obit: Rose was a longtime employee of The Dodge Park Rest Home living there while she worked until 1989 when she then became a resident in their care until her passing there Saturday.

Not many people paid attention ten years ago when I warned about the growing homeless population in Keene. In fact, some people outright called me nuts for taking an interest in these folks by buying them meals or clothing or taking them in or finding them shelter. For the most part, police would simply “move them along”. In general, the public thinks the homeless are lazy and don’t want to work. Maybe a few of the homeless fall into that category, but not many. Now that working families are one paycheck away from hitting the street, the name of that tune has certainly changed. Homelessness can happen to anyone.

No one wants to be homeless; not the mentally ill or the drug addicted or the working person who can’t make ends meet. Bottom line is, it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better so perhaps it’s time for organizations like the Salvation Army and the Red Cross to prepare for a new kind of disaster. Shelter beds should be ready and waiting as we head into the cold realities of winter. We not only need “warming stations” in the Monadnock region, we need to be ready for the worst case scenario because in my estimation, it’s coming quicker than any of us figured.

Lives will be at stake this winter and it is incumbent upon each and every one of us to do something to help those who need shelter.

My thanks to Barbara Blanchard of the River Valley Animal Protection League and all the great folks who made me feel welcome Sunday at the “Cause for Paws Dog Walk” held at Whelen Engineering in Charlestown. (What a beautiful facility!) A great group working for an important cause. FYI-they’re looking for a plot of land in Charlestown, so if you know of one, write us.

Hats off to everyone who took part in the Friends of the Keene Public Library Book Sale. As you can see, it was a banner sale year!

2008 Day 1 sales: $ 8,571.55
2008 Day 2 sales: $ 1,945.65
2008 Day 3 sales: $ 2,307.80

2008 Total: $12,825.00

2007 Day 1 sales: $ 7,531.35
2007 Day 2 sales: $ 1,870.60
2007 Day 3 sales: $ 1,603.05

2007 Total: $11,005.00

I’m not big on eating. Don’t enjoy it much. If I could, I’d take a pill and replace the “eating experience”. It’s fuel, that’s all. But other people in my house enjoy eating. So today I made a lovely roast with candied carrots and real mashed potatoes.

Hours after the meal was done, I’m back in the kitchen cleaning pans and putting left-overs into smaller containers. A beautiful meal that took 90 minutes to prepare, 15 minutes to eat and an hour to clean-up after. Hours spent in the kitchen turn into weeks and the weeks turn into months and the months into years.

My best friend from childhood sent me an email this week about being tired at the end of the day. She tried to blame our age. But I’m not buying. My day today started at 6pm. It will end at 3pm. Yes, I am wicked tired. But I think anyone, regardless of age, would be pooped.

Time to break out the winter jackets! Down into the 20’s at night. And if you haven’t already found your windshield scraper; what are you waiting for?

Last, but hardly least; I think Britney Spears will be found guilty. Here’s why; one cannot sign legal documents in California (relative to divorce) and later contend in court (driver’s license case) that you were a resident of Louisiana. Britney! You swore you were a California resident when you got your divorce and now, you’re suddenly a resident of the Bayou State to “buy you” way out of court! NOT! Stop pouting, you’ll trip on your lip.