Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[Boston]

13 hours ago, sixlets said:

Belated birthday wishes to all recent celebrants!  

Once again, Baltimore got lucky with the winter weather.  We were forecasted for anywhere from 6" to 12+" inches, but the highest recording in the county was 4.2".  In our neighborhood, we got roughly 2" but last night brought us 1/4" of ice.  Mr. Six & I went out yesterday to clear our walks and clean off the cars, and it was the nice fluffy snow.  We went back out this morning to break up all the ice.  I ended up going back out to get my car cleaned off.  The ice was literally breaking off in sheets, and I managed to get bruised when one slid off my car right into my knuckles.  Mr. Six is taking my "stupid safe car" (Subaru Crosstrek with AWD) tomorrow.  I fully expected him to say screw it and take his.  

A handful of the kids that live on the street above us decided to go sledding.  One of them came down and ended up smacking his head off a tree.  I heard the little girl asking if he was ok, and he wasn't getting up.  I went over to make sure he was ok while a third kid went to get their mom.  Thankfully, he wasn't bleeding and he was able to get up on his own to walk home.  We don't have kids, but damn, that "mom gene" came on real quick.  

I hope everyone stays safe and warm!

We got 16 inches (here in Northern Mass.).  still digging the car out and waiting for the plow.  All in all, not a big snowfall

[louannems]

8 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

Well it’s after midnight and I’m baking walnut brownies. No wonder I’m gaining weight. 
 

Do you prefer brownies with nuts or plain? 

Now you sound like Jill Dillard!  Swipe up!

I love them with lots of walnuts.

[ginger90]

11 minutes ago, louannems said:

Now you sound like Jill Dillard!  Swipe up!

🤣😂🤣

[Scarlett45]

9 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

Well it’s after midnight and I’m baking walnut brownies. No wonder I’m gaining weight. 
 

Do you prefer brownies with nuts or plain? 

I dont mind nuts, but if I put anything in my brownies its cream cheese. I have been thinking about brownies for the last week, but my Mom ordered Mrs Prindables apples for Valentine's Day and we are having cake for my godmother's bday, so I am going to hold off. I really dont want to spend the calories. I am still on track to make my next 15lbs goal for March 5th. I dont think I look any different, but I can tell one pair of my corduroy pants is a little loose in the hip area.

 

My Mom got stuck in the alley this morning on her way to work. Our neighbor and I were able to get her out, and as soon as she left the garbage trucks came by. Taking off my boots from the event I kicked myself in the shin. Winter is SO MUCH WORK. Humans are a tropical species dang it!

[QuinnInND]

9 hours ago, iwantcookies said:

Well it’s after midnight and I’m baking walnut brownies. No wonder I’m gaining weight. 
 

Do you prefer brownies with nuts or plain? 

So I'm blaming you for me having brownies in the oven at 9:30 in the morning. 😂 Plain ones. I don't like nuts in mine.  Off to see how many tiny humans show up for class today. 

[Minivanessa]

I hate to say this but I think I'd rather we were having those heavy snowfalls here in Denver. I think I said this the other day but our state is in a drought. If we don't get some really good snowfall in the next couple of months we're screwed. Probably some big wildfires will blow up later this year.

The posts about historic snowfalls reminded me of our big blizzard of March 2003 - it's on this list of historic Colorado blizzards. I was working at the airport then, and got home just before the roads got impassible. My little old Subaru Outback had to pretty much plow snow to get through the last block outside our townhome complex. I just gunned it as I passed by a Volvo station wagon that had gotten stuck there, and made it home. Fortunately we didn't lose power, and since it was springtime, once the storm was over the temps were mild. We were out shoveling snow in shirtsleeves (long sleeves, but heavy coats were too warm for such activity that day). 

I also lived here during the Christmas Eve blizzard of 1982 - but I was out of town when it hit. I flew home a couple of days after Christmas, and that was one memorable late-night cab ride home. Amazing stacks of snow everywhere, streets felt almost like tunnels where they'd been plowed just enough to let vehicles through. 

Good times. I'd take one of those this year. As is our constant refrain in this high and dry state: We Need The Water!!!

[rue721]

No nuts in my brownies please! I don't like them in fudge or cookies, either. I like nuts on their own, but the texture is all wrong for sweets!

[MargeGunderson]

In the end I only got a light dusting of snow, but a lot of rain. I did lose power but only for about half an hour. Now I’m going to buy more flashlights on Amazon because mine are terrible! 

[Scarlett45]

Dog care help to the hive mind-

 

I am trying to keep Cosmo on a schedule so long as I am WFH, out to urinate between 6-6:30am, at least 30min walk at 12pm, shorter walk at 5pm (this will be longer once the time goes back and it gets warmer) and out for one last break between 9-9:30pm. I have noticed he has bowel movements in the afternoon/evening usually- besides yesterday.

However the last two days he has wanted to go out around 9:30am- this is less than ideal for me because I am working and I may have meetings etc. I fill up his water bowl in the morning and then give him one serving of food when we get in from the 6am break and again after the 5pm break.

Am I doing the right thing?

Thank you!

[Suzn]

@iwantcookies, look what you've done!  Half of us have brownies on our minds now.  As soon as I'm through working today, I'm going out in search of brownies. 😁  I have a problem with my oven, so no baking for me.

[Oldernowiser]

@Scarlett45, What does he do at 9:30, pee, poop, both? 

[Minivanessa]

So, it's Groundhog Day. I woke up, saw my shadow, and went back to sleep.

Is that how it works?

[Scarlett45]

3 minutes ago, Oldernowiser said:

@Scarlett45, What does he do at 9:30, pee, poop, both? 

Yesterday he did urinate and have a bowel movement at 9:30am. Today he urinated and circled as if he was going to have a bowel movement but then he didnt! I said "Cosmo it is too cold out here you need to make up your mind". I walked him half a block and back (the cleared areas because I just had regular shoes on) and nothing. I brought him back in, gave him his post outing treat, he drank some water, chewed some kibble and is back on his bed half asleep.

[Oldernowiser]

Feeding them stimulates their digestive systems so they often need to poop shortly after their meals, especially as they get older. You might try taking him back out for a short “we’re out here just to poop” about fifteen to thirty minutes after he eats? 

If you’re an incredible morning person and feel up to having his daily walk before you start your work day, he’ll probably snooze the rest of the day.

And I had to laugh, because dogs train us so very well, but no more treats after pee/poop trips. If he’s learned that outside then inside equals treat, he’s going to want to go out twenty times a day. Ask me how I know...🙄
 

ETA: This is a pretty big adjustment for both of you, so it’s going to take him a while to really settle in. At the shelter we usually said three days, three weeks and three months are sort of the “settling in” benchmark times. 

Edited February 2, 2021 by Oldernowiser

[Jeanne222]

I made Brownies about two weeks ago.  I know everybody has a recipe they like but this one was new to me.  Lunch Lady Brownies.  I found it over on YouTube.

They were delicious and even hubby commented how good they were and he's not a sweet eater!

[doodlebug]

17 hours ago, zoomama said:

 

i have it too and right now its loud!   i have had 2 vicious attacks of vertigo over the years and it has left me with bad balance. cant tell you all how often i trip myself becuase i step wrong and throw off my balance.  

I've got tinnitus too. Lately, it has been louder than usual, but it has settled down in the past and I expect it will do so again.  You do kind of adjust to it after a while.  There isn't any real treatment for it and it usually isn't caused by anything really serious.

A couple of simple things to consider:  Excess ear wax can cause tinnitis.  See your family doc or an ear nose and throat doc and have them check.  Getting your ear canals cleaned can help a bunch.

Tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, especially in people exposed to loud noise.  Asking your doctor for a referral to get your hearing checked, especially if you're older or are around noise a lot is a good idea,

[Scarlett45]

17 minutes ago, Oldernowiser said:

Feeding them stimulates their digestive systems so they often need to poop shortly after their meals, especially as they get older. You might try taking him back out for a short “we’re out here just to poop” about fifteen to thirty minutes after he eats? 

If you’re an incredible morning person and feel up to having his daily walk before you start your work day, he’ll probably snooze the rest of the day.

And I had to laugh, because dogs train us so very well, but no more treats after pee/poop trips. If he’s learned that outside then inside equals treat, he’s going to want to go out twenty times a day. Ask me how I know...🙄
 

ETA: This is a pretty big adjustment for both of you, so it’s going to take him a while to really settle in. At the shelter we usually said three days, three weeks and three months are sort of the “settling in” benchmark times. 

Thank you for the suggestion. I am very much a morning person but it’s still quite dark at 6am now and I don’t feel comfortable going for a long walk when it’s so dark. (Especially with the snow/ice outside) in the summer I would be 100% game for a decent walk at 6am.

I have been giving him a treat after our trips outside! That’s what my god mother always did so I’m keeping up the routine. Yeah he’s only been here two weeks I know there will be growing pains. He’s snoozing now. 

[doodlebug]

14 hours ago, Jeanne222 said:

Several liked my book suggestion of The Glass Castle.

May I recommend Still Alice by Lisa Genova.  One of my favorite book club reads.

I haven't read Still Alice, but it was made into a very good movie starring Julianne Moore, who won an Oscar for her performance as the title character.

[Zella]

23 minutes ago, Oldernowiser said:

If he’s learned that outside then inside equals treat, he’s going to want to go out twenty times a day. Ask me how I know...🙄

A certain Chihuahua (who will not be named to protect the guilty) once ran outside on the porch to make a circle before running back in instead of, you know, going to the bathroom and was shocked and angered that that didn't get him a treat. 😂

[doodlebug]

3 hours ago, Happyfatchick said:

 

These are two of my all time faves as well.  I also loved the Edward books - I forget the writer but it’s McSomething.  McAllister?  Craig (just popped in my head).  
One of my friends has a daughter who is a voracious reader like myself.  And recently I happened into Amazon (or whatever it is) and bought a boatload of $3 books.  I bought a bunch and they were mostly GOOD!!  Usually I ditch quite a few.  I made her a list and I’m attaching it.  These aren’t my LIST” )the one that gets locked up with the (Coca Cola and Coronel Sanders), just some from the cheap list that I thought were pretty good. 

I've read #14, you cannot go wrong with anything from Anne Tyler.  She writes about quirky, but believable people living regular lives.  Marriage and family relationships are at the heart of most of her writing.  Most of her work is set in Baltimore where she has lived for much of her adult life.

She wrote 'The Accidental Tourist' which was made into a film starring William Hurt and Geena Davis who won an Oscar.  I really like 'Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant', 'Saint Maybe' and 'Breathing Lessons'; but I've never read anything of hers that I didn't enjoy.

[doodlebug]

37 minutes ago, Oldernowiser said:

Feeding them stimulates their digestive systems so they often need to poop shortly after their meals, especially as they get older. You might try taking him back out for a short “we’re out here just to poop” about fifteen to thirty minutes after he eats? 

If you’re an incredible morning person and feel up to having his daily walk before you start your work day, he’ll probably snooze the rest of the day.

And I had to laugh, because dogs train us so very well, but no more treats after pee/poop trips. If he’s learned that outside then inside equals treat, he’s going to want to go out twenty times a day. Ask me how I know...🙄
 

ETA: This is a pretty big adjustment for both of you, so it’s going to take him a while to really settle in. At the shelter we usually said three days, three weeks and three months are sort of the “settling in” benchmark times. 

Yep, try feeding him before the walk, especially in the morning.

[emma675]

I also have tinnitus, it's a fun side effect of thyroid problems for some. It's actually been flaring up recently, which means I probably need to get my labs done. Most of the time I don't even notice it--I often wonder how people with totally quiet ears handle it, the silence must be deafening, lol. 

[louannems]

36 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

I've read #14, you cannot go wrong with anything from Anne Tyler.  She writes about quirky, but believable people living regular lives.  Marriage and family relationships are at the heart of most of her writing.  Most of her work is set in Baltimore where she has lived for much of her adult life.

She wrote 'The Accidental Tourist' which was made into a film starring William Hurt and Geena Davis who won an Oscar.  I really like 'Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant', 'Saint Maybe' and 'Breathing Lessons'; but I've never read anything of hers that I didn't enjoy.

I love all of Anne Tyler's books.  So much. I must have read Ladder of Years four times.  I always daydreamed of doing what she did.  (Just walking away from her family, going to another city and renting a small room)!  Of course I never did that!

Edited February 2, 2021 by louannems

[Absolom]

1 hour ago, Oldernowiser said:

And I had to laugh, because dogs train us so very well, but no more treats after pee/poop trips. If he’s learned that outside then inside equals treat, he’s going to want to go out twenty times a day. Ask me how I know...🙄

This is VERY true.  

I learned from a friend that some dogs can be trained to mostly poop on command or at least try to do so.  I've managed it with my mother's dog and it helps a lot.  The way it works is to walk the same path twice a day for awhile (varies by dog) and at about the same point chant time to go poop several times.  Try to pick a spot where dog has actually pooped or does frequently.  Do the good dog routine and give a treat when dog is successful.  Repeat over and over.  It took about two weeks for mom's dog to get with the program.  Then you can give the treat after pooping less often and we even phased it out completely.  He still gets told he's a good dog for responding to the command.   It's really useful when I have appointments and need to walk dog and get on with doing things.  

Mom's dog is kind of backwards.  Most dogs eat and then need to poop.  This one won't eat until after he poops.  

[iwantcookies]

2 hours ago, Suzn said:

@iwantcookies, look what you've done!  Half of us have brownies on our minds now.  As soon as I'm through working today, I'm going out in search of brownies. 😁  I have a problem with my oven, so no baking for me.

I bake mine in the air fryer. I don’t use my oven at all anymore. Well I store my skillets in there.

 

Made my apartment smell so good! 
 

Everyone enjoy your brownies!
 

 

[GeeGolly]

I wonder if 9:30 was part of Cosmos' home schedule, @Scarlett45. 

Our dog does all her peeing in the backyard but waits for my husband or son to take her for walk to poop. On most days she'll hold her poop until as late as 10am waiting for her walk. If she can't hold it she begrudgingly goes in the backyard. But she still gets her walk everyday. She doesn't really need it, she's a tiny thing and gets plenty of exercise in the backyard.

[Zella]

In my experience, dogs really like their routine. The Emperor is a big fan of routine, and if things are out of order, he gets bent out of shape. (He wants his breakfast at a certain time and in a certain order, damnit. He also gets cranky if he doesn't get tucked in at night because that's what he's used to.) My grandma owns his brother Biscuit, and Biscuit's bedtime is 8:30 pm. He knows when it's 8:30 pm, and he will remind you frantically until you take him outside and then lock him up in his crate. 

[Suzn]

46 minutes ago, iwantcookies said:

I bake mine in the air fryer. I don’t use my oven at all anymore. Well I store my skillets in there.

 

Made my apartment smell so good! 
 

Everyone enjoy your brownies!
 

 

I guess I need an air fryer!

[rue721]

2 hours ago, Scarlett45 said:

However the last two days he has wanted to go out around 9:30am- this is less than ideal for me because I am working and I may have meetings etc. I fill up his water bowl in the morning and then give him one serving of food when we get in from the 6am break and again after the 5pm break.

I think he needs to go out at 9:30 because that's when he's digested his breakfast. Personally, I would just take him out for his walk at 6am so he can get his morning pee out, but not feed him a real breakfast until 9:30am or so. That way, it'll be more like noon when he's ready to go out again, and you'll be ready to take him out at that point anyway. Maybe he can have his meals at 9:30am and 2:30pm, so that the walks are better timed for his digestion?

To be really honest, my dog doesn't even like to eat until her dinner anyway. Her breakfast goes to waste at least half the time, and I've given up even trying to feed her lunch. She likes treats anytime, of course, but she's happy to just have one big meal at the end of the day rather than a few spaced out like a human. I've asked the behaviorist and the vet about it, and they said that's actually normal for dogs, and sometimes they'll even want/need a fast day. If you're used to cats, who legitimately need to eat at least once every 12 hours just to stay healthy, it can be quite a surprise!

22 minutes ago, Zella said:

In my experience, dogs really like their routine. The Emperor is a big fan of routine, and if things are out of order, he gets bent out of shape. (He wants his breakfast at a certain time and in a certain order, damnit. He also gets cranky if he doesn't get tucked in at night because that's what he's used to.) My grandma owns his brother Biscuit, and Biscuit's bedtime is 8:30 pm. He knows when it's 8:30 pm, and he will remind you frantically until you take him outside and then lock him up in his crate. 

Oh yes, definitely!

I was never a very structured person with a strict daily routine. I've always said that I hate routine, in fact! But Portia needs one and does so much better with one, and now my homelife is VERY regimented. 😅

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

I've got tinnitus too. Lately, it has been louder than usual, but it has settled down in the past and I expect it will do so again.  You do kind of adjust to it after a while.  There isn't any real treatment for it and it usually isn't caused by anything really serious.

A friend of mine has tinnitus, too, and she said there's an app that will play a note at exactly the right key to cancel out the tinnitus, and it's really worked wonders for her. I'm sorry, I don't know the name of the app!

[Oldernowiser]

1 hour ago, Zella said:

In my experience, dogs really like their routine. The Emperor is a big fan of routine, and if things are out of order, he gets bent out of shape. (He wants his breakfast at a certain time and in a certain order, damnit. He also gets cranky if he doesn't get tucked in at night because that's what he's used to.) My grandma owns his brother Biscuit, and Biscuit's bedtime is 8:30 pm. He knows when it's 8:30 pm, and he will remind you frantically until you take him outside and then lock him up in his crate. 

Ha. Dogs have the most accurate internal clocks in the universe...NASA could learn a thing or two. Ours get dinner at 4. They start agitating at 3:50 p.m., come rain, shine, blizzard, or power failure. And don’t get me started on the aggravation that is Daylight Savings Time, which dogs do NOT believe in, thank you very much. Fall back? Oh hell, no. 

[Jeanne222]

2 hours ago, emma675 said:

I also have tinnitus, it's a fun side effect of thyroid problems for some. It's actually been flaring up recently, which means I probably need to get my labs done. Most of the time I don't even notice it--I often wonder how people with totally quiet ears handle it, the silence must be deafening, lol. 

I never knew tinnitus went with thyroid and luckily I have both.  Somebody wrote about their vertigo.  I had that once maybe three years ago.  Went to the doctor but saw the nurse practitioner.

She told me to take an allergy pill once a day and use Flonase.  The vertigo went away!

I still take an allergy pill once a day but only use the flonase when necessary.

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, rue721 said:

I think he needs to go out at 9:30 because that's when he's digested his breakfast. Personally, I would just take him out for his walk at 6am so he can get his morning pee out, but not feed him a real breakfast until 9:30am or so. That way, it'll be more like noon when he's ready to go out again, and you'll be ready to take him out at that point anyway. Maybe he can have his meals at 9:30am and 2:30pm, so that the walks are better timed for his digestion?

This is an excellent idea! Thank you, I will do that. I kind of had a similar thought to this and gave him a second portion of kibble when we got back this afternoon, so maybe he would be good for our 5pm walk. And I just checked and most of his second portion of kibble is gone. there are about 6 kernels left in the bowl. I am feeding him just a bit less than he was used to at home, as we have a lot of stairs here (im on the second floor) and my god mother said he could stand to lose 8-10lbs for his joints. But of course given her health the past year and everything thats been going on she hasnt had the energy to walk him very much. So my goal is for him to have lost a few pounds by his vet appointment in May. given our increased activity and slightly smaller portions we should be good. 

 

When I was middle school-law school aged my godmother had two golden retrievers, they passed away in 2012 at the age of 15 (litter mates- they died a few weeks a part). I would walk them for her at night when she was on call, when big dogs get old the stairs are a TRIP, I remember that from helping her take care of them. She adopted Cosmo the summer of 2013, she loves big dogs but said at that point in her life (all her kids were grown and moved out etc), one dog was plenty, she didnt need a bonded pair.

 

2 hours ago, Absolom said:

Try to pick a spot where dog has actually pooped or does frequently.  Do the good dog routine and give a treat when dog is successful. 

Yes we have been walking the same path each day so far, mostly because of the weather.

 

2 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

I wonder if 9:30 was part of Cosmos' home schedule, @Scarlett45. 

Our dog does all her peeing in the backyard but waits for my husband or son to take her for walk to poop. On most days she'll hold her poop until as late as 10am waiting for her walk. If she can't hold it she begrudgingly goes in the backyard. But she still gets her walk everyday. She doesn't really need it, she's a tiny thing and gets plenty of exercise in the backyard.

Thats a distinct possibility. I will ask my godmother when I speak with her next. (likely tonight) I am going to try and train him for a morning urination break in the yard and I know from the years I have dog sat him he does like to walk a bit before a bowel movement. 

[doodlebug]

1 hour ago, Zella said:

In my experience, dogs really like their routine. The Emperor is a big fan of routine, and if things are out of order, he gets bent out of shape. (He wants his breakfast at a certain time and in a certain order, damnit. He also gets cranky if he doesn't get tucked in at night because that's what he's used to.) My grandma owns his brother Biscuit, and Biscuit's bedtime is 8:30 pm. He knows when it's 8:30 pm, and he will remind you frantically until you take him outside and then lock him up in his crate. 

I used to have a basset hound who would stand on the stair landing and alternately bark and cry if it was time for bed and I wasn't heading in that direction.

One of my current dogs is very used to eating her dinner at 5:30 PM.  She's a little chubby, she enjoys her meals.  If I am doing something else around that time, she will find me and start pawing at me and crying and generally making a nuisance of herself until that dish is full.  If I have the nerve to not be home by mealtime, I get major stink eye when I do get there.

[Absolom]

Mom's dog really tries to police my bedtime also.  He also has fits to make sure we play hide the dog treat on time every night.

[ginger90]

Night 3 of work sleepover. 
 

This picture was in my Facebook memories from 2018. It’s two of my grandchildren dressed for the 100th day of school.

[rue721]

Adorable, @ginger90!

[emma675]

My dog Boo likes her schedule, too. She has this habit of nudging you with her nose to get your attention or make you move faster or just for fun. When 5:00 pm rolls around, she'll come sit near me and start up the nudging and whining until I get up to feed her. I try to make her wait until around 5:30 so she's not eating too early, but some nights she is so annoying that I feed her just to get some peace and quiet (and honestly to avoid getting bruises on my legs, she nudges hard when she's hungry). Boo is a talky/whiny dog in general, she makes her presence known. 

Edited February 2, 2021 by emma675d

[doodlebug]

Picture of my furry son, Scout, and two playmates enjoying the snow at doggie daycamp.  Scout is the not so purebred one in the middle.  The wonderful thing about doggie daycamp is that he and his sister will get home, eat their dinner and collapse in a heap until bedtime.

Edited February 2, 2021 by doodlebug

[Scarlett45]

I saw on instagram that the film version of Wicked is a GO. Jon M. Chu has tapped as the director. I say Lea Michele as Elphaba and Laura Osnes as Glinda. 

[Oldernowiser]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

Picture of my furry son, Scout, and two playmates enjoying the snow at doggie daycamp.  Scout is the not so purebred one in the middle.  The wonderful thing about doggie daycamp is that he and his sister will get home, eat their dinner and collapse in a heap until bedtime.

Ha. Scout’s a Doodle sandwich!

[ozziemom]

3 hours ago, Oldernowiser said:

Ha. Dogs have the most accurate internal clocks in the universe...NASA could learn a thing or two. Ours get dinner at 4. They start agitating at 3:50 p.m., come rain, shine, blizzard, or power failure. And don’t get me started on the aggravation that is Daylight Savings Time, which dogs do NOT believe in, thank you very much. Fall back? Oh hell, no. 

This is my dog too, he eats at 5 and starts giving me the “look” around 4:50. Every  day, without fail. 

[QuinnInND]

My doxies demand food when I wake up, at noon ish and about 5 pm.   

The brownies from this morning are almost gone. @iwantcookies my kids say thank you for the idea. 

[doodlebug]

The best part of doggie daycamp, for me at least:

[CalicoKitty]

I have two cats, and they were actually hurting me starting at 4:30 every morning.  I bought an automatic feeder, and set it to feed a small amount 4 times a day.  It saved my life.  They knew food was coming, and they didn't have to jump on me while I was sleeping.  They got to know the motor sound and would run to eat.  It was great.  Then, Lilly had to have all of her teeth pulled.  No more kibble, and no more automatic feeder.  They are actually pretty good about food now.  They wait until I get  up to run to the bowl for food.  I found that I need to feed three times a day because Miss Toothless can't chew well, and would throw up if she ate too fast.  By feeding that third feeding, she knows food is coming and she doesn't have to gobble.  She still throws up sometimes, but she is getting better.  Flora, on the other hand, sits on the counter while I open the can of food, and tries to get a mouthful while I divide it into the dishes.  Then she licks out the can until the food is down on the floor.  She has this routine down to a science.  I miss the automatic feeder.  It was great.  I knew exactly how much and when they were was eating.  The one I bought had a dog setting and a cat setting, but you could customize the schedule and amount.  Since I couldn't use soft food in it, I donated it to the local Animal Shelter.

[jcbrown]

38 minutes ago, CalicoKitty said:

I have two cats, and they were actually hurting me starting at 4:30 every morning.  I bought an automatic feeder, and set it to feed a small amount 4 times a day.  It saved my life.  They knew food was coming, and they didn't have to jump on me while I was sleeping.  They got to know the motor sound and would run to eat.  It was great.  Then, Lilly had to have all of her teeth pulled.  No more kibble, and no more automatic feeder.  They are actually pretty good about food now.  They wait until I get  up to run to the bowl for food.  I found that I need to feed three times a day because Miss Toothless can't chew well, and would throw up if she ate too fast.  By feeding that third feeding, she knows food is coming and she doesn't have to gobble.  She still throws up sometimes, but she is getting better.  Flora, on the other hand, sits on the counter while I open the can of food, and tries to get a mouthful while I divide it into the dishes.  Then she licks out the can until the food is down on the floor.  She has this routine down to a science.  I miss the automatic feeder.  It was great.  I knew exactly how much and when they were was eating.  The one I bought had a dog setting and a cat setting, but you could customize the schedule and amount.  Since I couldn't use soft food in it, I donated it to the local Animal Shelter.

We stopped feeding our kitties in the morning two generations of cats ago, when we got tired of them waking us up for breakfast. We put out food in the evening and they free-feed at will. The current kids have my husband trained to provide treats and fill their treat ball when he makes his coffee, though, so they will race down the stairs ahead of him, stopping to look impatiently over their shoulders if he does not go immediately to the kitchen.

[Scarlett45]

38 minutes ago, jcbrown said:

We stopped feeding our kitties in the morning two generations of cats ago, when we got tired of them waking us up for breakfast. We put out food in the evening and they free-feed at will. The current kids have my husband trained to provide treats and fill their treat ball when he makes his coffee, though, so they will race down the stairs ahead of him, stopping to look impatiently over their shoulders if he does not go immediately to the kitchen.

For the longest time I’ve done one scoop in the morning when I woke up and one scoop after work for my cats. Now I feed Blake after I come back from Cosmo’s 9pm walk and during the week Cosmo is in the office with me so I don’t have to worry about him swiping it. 
 

SO my little experiment of kibble at 7am, and lunch time didn’t work. I did my taxes and put away my laundry and Cosmo was standing by the food bowl looking forlorn. So I gave him a small portion of kibble. I’ll try to give him his first portion later in the morning and see how that works. 

[marypat57]

@doodlebug:  one of the best things about my walk to the parking lot near my school was looking in the window of the doggie day care next door.  They were all so cute.  
@iwantcookies:  I don’t put cookies in my brownies, but I do add Bailey’s Irish Cream instead of water—quite yummy.  I occasionally add miniature chocolate chips instead of nuts.

@Jeanne222:  Still Alice is a wonderful book.  I’d also recommend another one of Lisa Geneva’s books, Inside the O’Brien’s, which deals with Huntington’s disease.  I did not know that Lisa Genova was a neuroscientist.

Here’s another blizzard story:  in February of 1969, there was a blizzard that hit the northeast.  The mayor of NYC at the time, John Lindsay , became infamous for neglecting the borough of Queens.  The storm was on Sunday and the streets in Queens (home to JFK and LGA airports, as well as Shea Stadium) were still unplowed on Wednesday and Thursday.  The city ended up hiring construction firms with their heavy equipment to remove the snow from highways.  My father, who worked for one of those companies, worked clearing snow for about 24 hours straight.  My mother insisted that the overtime check go directly toward the purchase of a dishwasher.  The purchased avocado green dishwasher was always called the “John Lindsay Memorial Dishwasher “.

 

 

[CalicoKitty]

I have very, very fine, soft hair, and I keep it short because it is not heavy enough for any length.  I usually have it trimmed every month.  But since I moved over 3 months ago, I haven't found a hair salon yet.  I'm hunkering down and not going may public places.  Finally yesterday I just couldn't stand it any more.  I had hair sticking up on top and out at the sides.  So, I went into the bathroom, got out the scissors, and gave myself a haircut.  I cut off at least an inch all over (and my hair is usually only about 2 inches long). I do not know how to cut hair, but I was desperate.  It actually came out pretty good.  My neckline isn't quite right, but I'm not ashamed to go out of the house, so I consider it a win.  It really does look so much better than it did.  I figured I could wear a hat if the cutting went bad, but, I must say, I did a pretty descent job.  Desperate times call for desperate measurers, I guess.

[iwantcookies]

28 minutes ago, marypat57 said:

@doodlebug:  one of the best things about my walk to the parking lot near my school was looking in the window of the doggie day care next door.  They were all so cute.  
@iwantcookies:  I don’t put cookies in my brownies, but I do add Bailey’s Irish Cream instead of water—quite yummy.  I occasionally add miniature chocolate chips instead of nuts.

@Jeanne222:  Still Alice is a wonderful book.  I’d also recommend another one of Lisa Geneva’s books, Inside the O’Brien’s, which deals with Huntington’s disease.  I did not know that Lisa Genova was a neuroscientist.

Here’s another blizzard story:  in February of 1969, there was a blizzard that hit the northeast.  The mayor of NYC at the time, John Lindsay , became infamous for neglecting the borough of Queens.  The storm was on Sunday and the streets in Queens (home to JFK and LGA airports, as well as Shea Stadium) were still unplowed on Wednesday and Thursday.  The city ended up hiring construction firms with their heavy equipment to remove the snow from highways.  My father, who worked for one of those companies, worked clearing snow for about 24 hours straight.  My mother insisted that the overtime check go directly toward the purchase of a dishwasher.  The purchased avocado green dishwasher was always called the “John Lindsay Memorial Dishwasher “.

 

 

I don’t put cookies in my brownies. Just walnuts.

It would be interesting if you were my teacher once upon a time. That shall remain a mystery!

[ChiCricket]

9 hours ago, doodlebug said:

I've got tinnitus too. Lately, it has been louder than usual, but it has settled down in the past and I expect it will do so again.  You do kind of adjust to it after a while.  There isn't any real treatment for it and it usually isn't caused by anything really serious.

A couple of simple things to consider:  Excess ear wax can cause tinnitis.  See your family doc or an ear nose and throat doc and have them check.  Getting your ear canals cleaned can help a bunch.

Tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss, especially in people exposed to loud noise.  Asking your doctor for a referral to get your hearing checked, especially if you're older or are around noise a lot is a good idea,

I had tinnitus and dizziness last year when I unexpectedly had to stop an anxiety medicine I had taken every day for years.

I had gotten a new Psychiatrist because my old one retired...and six months after I started with him he lost his licence for over prescribing controlled substances (to other people, not me!) So, I had no doctor to prescribe it when I ran out.

As soon as I found a new psychiatrist that:

1.took my insurance

and

2. was taking new patients

 He immediately got me back on the anxiety meds, and in about a week, the ringing and dizziness stopped. I feel for anyone that has it...it was awful.