Small Talk: The Prayer Closet

[Minivanessa]

Happy Friday to everyone, with extra helpings of good thoughts for those impacted badly by weather and flaky utilities and other such awfulness. This is day three of what I'm calling my "pre-spring break" from work. I scheduled it in case I had a reaction to my second COVID vaccine shot on Wednesday. But except for sleepiness that afternoon (which wasn't necessarily caused by the shot, lol), I've been fine.

Yesterday I had a list of cleanup/clearout projects for here at the condo. And? I got sidetracked and went down another path although it was a project that needed to be done. I mentioned here that yesterday morning I discovered that my Music (fka iTunes) library on my desktop Mac had - vanished. (It's actually stored on an external drive which just turned up blank.) That led to my finding an older version stored on another external drive and getting it all restored - and backed up robustly, lol. 

As the saying goes, one thing leads to another . . . 

I've acquired TOO many external hard drives over the years. I'll skip all the deets, but yesterday I got serious about getting rid of the excess ones. Those that had been sitting on a shelf for ages, unused. Which required dusting them off, checking to see what the heck I'd put on them, offloading some things, and then reformatting/erasing them. They are destined to go to a local electronics recycling company that I trust. I don't know if I've mentioned them here. They are in Denver, Colorado Springs, and - Chicago.

Blue Star Recyclers has been recognized for its ethical practices in recycling e-waste as well as its employment of (their description) "autistic workers, and others with disabilities, who typically can’t get gainful employment elsewhere."  My hard drives will be either securely wiped of data or completely shredded. I need to call and ask about the fees. As a  Denver resident I qualify for a discount coupon from the City government, which I have requested. But if the cost without the coupon isn't too high, I may not wait the two weeks for the coupon to arrive. Instead I'll drop the drives off today, and get that project checked off the list. [ETA: I called them and the good news is, hard drives are FREE of charge to recycle. Yippee skippy!]

Now, back to our regularly scheduled list of condo projects . . .   🧹 🧺 🪣

Edited February 19, 2021 by Jeeves
Clarity of wording re employees

[Jeanne222]

Morning all!  Just sitting here thinking. We certainly spend a lot of time waiting!  Today I'm waiting the one hour after taking my thyroid medicine to have my coffee and breakfast.

Also I'm waiting for our CPA to call and tell us our taxes are done and ready for filing!  She said about one week and today is day six!

I used to practice patience during Lent.  Patience is needed when you're waiting!

What are you waiting for today?

[crazy8s]

1 hour ago, Absolom said:

The grandkids have been offered the option to go to hybrid learning.  The parents were leaning toward it and last night asked the kids if they wanted two days a week in a classroom with all the fun stuff removed, wearing masks the whole time, with desks six feet apart surrounded by plexiglass and the kids jumped at the option.  They both said just to see their teacher in person would be enough, but to get to talk in person to another kid would be fantastic.  

my grandkids jumped at the chance for in person school days as well. They were even willing to follow the "kids from each family must sit together on the bus" rule - which would never be their choice. the 9yr brings a book each day so she can ignore sitting with her brothers.

for my grandkids wearing a mask has seemed to become just something you do and they think nothing of it. to them a parent or teacher saying wear a mask is like being told you need to wear boots or mittens.

[doodlebug]

sitting at my desk playing online instead of doing charting or labs which is what a GOOD doctor would do with free time.

I took this photo yesterday morning, the first thing I saw when I woke up; my little man, waiting for the day to start.

I have no idea why the dog is upside down, I’ve rotated it multiple times, but it keeps putting him on his head.  Meanwhile, my patient has arrived.

 

Edited February 19, 2021 by doodlebug
Finally got him off his go**amned head!

[iwantcookies]

What a cute boy @doodlebug

[Minivanessa]

@doodlebug - he's so cute!  Thanks for sharing the dog love.  I downloaded him and flipped him back off his head. 

[Suzn]

Just now, Jeeves said:

@doodlebug - he's so cute!  Thanks for sharing the dog love.  I downloaded him and flipped him back off his head. 

He is adorable!

[Oldernowiser]

43 minutes ago, Jeanne222 said:

What are you waiting for today?

If I have learned anything about myself in the past endless 14 months, it is that I am REALLY REALLY not a patient person. And I already knew that.

I am waiting for some indication as to when I might be eligible for a vaccine. From what I can tell from Kaiser’s website, I’m not eligible in any phase they currently have listed. I have zero to complain about, because I really don’t HAVE to go anywhere and Mr. Wiser gets his vaccines next month because he’s older than I am. But it would be nice to have some clue? June? July? 

I am also waiting for the housing market to calm down. I won’t bore you with all the stupid details, but when we moved here, we bought a lot that our hideous neighbor was very accustomed to treating as his property. In the three years we’ve lived here he’s cost us about $50k in various remedies for his revenge tactics (including a new well, because we were supposed to share one and he kept turning the pressure down so that every night starting at 6 pm we had no water) plus a bunch of other stuff. I finally threw him off our property and that isn’t exactly my style. 

This was our little dream house...I designed it and we finished much of it ourselves to save money. And because of his ongoing harassment (it’s usually things like claiming we have to help pay to fix the road he’s been tearing up for twenty years that we don’t use), we’re looking to move. Ha. We have to stay in this county for health insurance reasons and the housing market has gone insane...as in 35% higher than May.  We’ve tried to buy two different houses...the last one they had eight offers on in addition to ours and it sold in five days. And there is almost zero inventory, not even lots to build on. And at this point we couldn’t afford it...lumber prices have gone through the roof.

I look at everything other people are dealing with and I feel and sound like a total asshole. But it’s hard to have be at home all of the time and have to deal with the crap from the guy down the hill. We also can’t walk our dogs here because our other neighbors just let their aggressive dogs run, and I am too old to to be in middle of a four-way dog fight. So we have to drive them out of here just to go for a walk.

And while I’m whining...Horrible Neighbor has his house on the market, has since August. Hooray, right? Nope. He refuses to list it, he’s selling it himself, and it’s $200,000 overpriced, easily. It’s literally the only house in the whole damned county that isn’t selling. The irony...it burns...

I’m sorry for the snivelfest. I won’t do it again. At least not right away 🙄

[Ohiopirate02]

11 minutes ago, libgirl2 said:

And under 21 years old too! 

Ah, yes. the miracle of transubstantiation.  Where fortified wine becomes the Blood of Christ and loses all the alcohol.  In the before times, I sat in the back of the church and my unofficial job was to take a healthy sip to assist the Eucharistic Ministers.  If I didn't, someone was going to have to chug it.  Just doing my part as a Good Catholic Woman.  

I also remember the church I attended as a child had the altar servers be responsible for making sure the different vessels for the wine were filled.  I have no idea who thought having a bunch of 12-year-olds refill two different vessels from the main jug of wine was a good idea.  You would have thought that responsibility would be left to an adult or the deacon.  

[Mindthinkr]

@Oldernowiser I sincerely feel your pain. I’m considering moving too and like yours the market has exploded. I’m hoping that you may be able to find something that is in foreclosure or that a place has sadly (for them) tossed their renters due to nonpayment. 
What even started this war? Water is a vital commodity. How is it they control it? Wells aren’t cheap. I feel you on that one. I’d be calling animal control about their dogs. You could get seriously injured if they go after you with a pack mentality. I’m am sitting here so angry for you. I will channel that excess energy into prayers. 
1) I will first pray that you get an opening (loophole) for the vaccine so at least that weight is off your shoulders. 
2) That his place sells so you won’t feel compelled to move. 
3) That someone else gets to him and he gets what he deserves...karma 

Please vent all you need to. I’m just surprised that you have lasted that long with such a jerk for a neighbor. 

[doodlebug]

On 2/18/2021 at 12:15 PM, Jeanne222 said:

We continue to get the lake effect snow coming down from Lake Michigan!  Snow is piled about 5 feet on each side of our driveway.  I can't imagine all this snow melting!

I live next to Lake Erie, smallest and shallowest of the Great Lakes.  It was 80% frozen last weekend and we haven't gotten above freezing since then, so it must be pretty close to frozen over.  As you said, once the lake freezes, no more lake effect snow, which people living east of Cleveland will appreciate.  Of course, a few days of weather above freezing and it's back to lake effect.  I live west of the city and we really don't get lake effect.  I've probably got about a foot of snow on the ground which is a whole lot for here.  

[doodlebug]

31 minutes ago, Jeeves said:

@doodlebug - he's so cute!  Thanks for sharing the dog love.  I downloaded him and flipped him back off his head. 

 

Thanks, Jeeves.  As I was trying to get the pic flipped, I kept thinking of one of the gastroenterology docs when I was in med school.  Back in the olden days, when a patient had an upper or lower GI series, there would be a bunch of X rays of it and it was the student's job to hang the films in sequence for rounds.  Inevitably, being as we students didn't know enough to figure it out, some of the films would be upside down.  When the attending GI guy came for rounds, he would take one look and say in his gravelly voice, 'Get him off his Go**amned head!!' and the guilty student would try to quickly flip the films before he exploded.  That is all I could think of when I was trying to right this photo, 'get him off his gd head!'.  Ahhh, memories!

[rue721]

The housing market is insane. I thought it would drop with the economy, but it just keeps heating up more and more.

I will likely have to move from my current place within the year, and because of my needs in terms of yard space (for my dog), a driveway or garage (electric car that needs to charge), etc, it's important that I move to a house. But houses are WAY beyond my budget, it's incredible how expensive they are. I have a close friend who, between her and her husband, make a quarter million dollars a year just in salary, and they have a cash down payment on top of that. Can't get a townhouse in any neighborhood in DC, they keep getting outbid and they've been house hunting relentlessly for about four months now. I honestly don't know how to handle it.

[Scarlett45]

3 minutes ago, rue721 said:

The housing market is insane. I thought it would drop with the economy, but it just keeps heating up more and more.

I will likely have to move from my current place within the year, and because of my needs in terms of yard space (for my dog), a driveway or garage (electric car that needs to charge), etc, it's important that I move to a house. But houses are WAY beyond my budget, it's incredible how expensive they are. I have a close friend who, between her and her husband, make a quarter million dollars a year just in salary, and they have a cash down payment on top of that. Can't get a townhouse in any neighborhood in DC, they keep getting outbid and they've been house hunting relentlessly for about four months now. I honestly don't know how to handle it.

Could you find a town house a little bit further out from where you want to be?

[rue721]

11 minutes ago, Scarlett45 said:

Could you find a town house a little bit further out from where you want to be?

They are looking anywhere that's accessible to the red Metro line, which is what she takes to work.

Me, I have to wait and see where I'm going to law school and where my next job will be in order to even start looking -- right now I don't even know what state in MD/DC/VA I need to live in. But you have to go literally hours away in order for prices to drop anyhow, even Baltimore has gotten overheated. And I don't think there's literally a house in northern Virginia that I could buy. I also don't know if I would be buying with my boyfriend or not. We're planning to move in together, but buying a house together would be a whole different level of commitment...on the other hand, neither of us can really afford a house alone (maybe not even together) and where else would we live?

It's very fucked up, excuse my French.

[Oldernowiser]

28 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

@Oldernowiser I sincerely feel your pain. I’m considering moving too and like yours the market has exploded. I’m hoping that you may be able to find something that is in foreclosure or that a place has sadly (for them) tossed their renters due to nonpayment. 
What even started this war? Water is a vital commodity. How is it they control it? Wells aren’t cheap. I feel you on that one. I’d be calling animal control about their dogs. You could get seriously injured if they go after you with a pack mentality. I’m am sitting here so angry for you. I will channel that excess energy into prayers. 
1) I will first pray that you get an opening (loophole) for the vaccine so at least that weight is off your shoulders. 
2) That his place sells so you won’t feel compelled to move. 
3) That someone else gets to him and he gets what he deserves...karma 

Please vent all you need to. I’m just surprised that you have lasted that long with such a jerk for a neighbor. 

@Mindthinkr, you’re a sweetheart. The well...Hideous Neighbor actually called the county twice while we were getting it drilled. He claimed it was ten feet too close to the property line (keep in mind we have three acre lots and his idea of where the property line is is fictional). County said, “hey, variance, no problem.” Hideous Neighbor said no. So we got to start over, because there was no time to get the line surveyed. That was about $5000. 

Then while we were still finishing it he showed up at the front door, ignoring the “Don’t enter the fenced yard without calling or texting please” sign, with an envelope of invoices for the tiny little electrical bill the shared well had generated for that year. He wanted half. I finally lost my mind, told him to get out and stay out. The good news is that he now seems to be afraid of me. The bad news is he finds new ways to reach us despite blocking him repeatedly. The last time he wanted us to pay for part of a $2500 road repair bill for a road we don’t use. Nope. He apparently hit up multiple neighbors, who all noped him. He then listed his property... for $975,000. That’s some World Class Assholery.

We keep talking about getting a lawyer and going after him, because he’s encroached on the lot, he’s running a business out of his house with large noisy trucks (against the covenants), and he’s in violation of several other covenants (two-lot subdivision, so it’s not like we can complain to the HOA). But we’re not fighters. We just want peace in our home, not war. We just want to leave.

Anyway. Blech. Enough of that. How are you doing with your own Asshole Neighbor? And how is your poor daughter holding up?

@doodlebug, dunno where I’ve been, as I had no clue you had a dog, let alone such a cutie. He looks like something out of a movie!

[QuinnInND]

8 minutes ago, rue721 said:

They are looking anywhere that's accessible to the red Metro line, which is what she takes to work.

Me, I have to wait and see where I'm going to law school and where my next job will be in order to even start looking -- right now I don't even know what state in MD/DC/VA I need to live in. But you have to go literally hours away in order for prices to drop anyhow, even Baltimore has gotten overheated. And I don't think there's literally a house in northern Virginia that I could buy. I also don't know if I would be buying with my boyfriend or not. We're planning to move in together, but buying a house together would be a whole different level of commitment...on the other hand, neither of us can really afford a house alone (maybe not even together) and where else would we live?

It's very fucked up, excuse my French.

The prices are ridiculous. We wouldn't be able to live where we do in the DC area without BAH. Even with our income. Any closer and we'd be way out of our price range. We're renting a house, but still. Rents are ridiculous. 

[GeeGolly]

Yikes @Oldernowiser, what an awful situation. That dude sounds like a neighbor from hell. Hang in there, there's a house out there with your name on it! And a vaccine! It is a sellers market, but don't forget, you're a seller too.

@rue721, house prices are crazy, almost everywhere but NY. Have you considered a co-op type mortgage with your boyfriend? I forget the actual name, but its a mortgage, or maybe two, with specific buy-out clauses. Its hardly romantic, but it would take the pressure off making your relationship serious, before you want it to be.

[Suzn]

1 hour ago, Oldernowiser said:

If I have learned anything about myself in the past endless 14 months, it is that I am REALLY REALLY not a patient person. And I already knew that.

I am waiting for some indication as to when I might be eligible for a vaccine. From what I can tell from Kaiser’s website, I’m not eligible in any phase they currently have listed. I have zero to complain about, because I really don’t HAVE to go anywhere and Mr. Wiser gets his vaccines next month because he’s older than I am. But it would be nice to have some clue? June? July? 

I am also waiting for the housing market to calm down. I won’t bore you with all the stupid details, but when we moved here, we bought a lot that our hideous neighbor was very accustomed to treating as his property. In the three years we’ve lived here he’s cost us about $50k in various remedies for his revenge tactics (including a new well, because we were supposed to share one and he kept turning the pressure down so that every night starting at 6 pm we had no water) plus a bunch of other stuff. I finally threw him off our property and that isn’t exactly my style. 

This was our little dream house...I designed it and we finished much of it ourselves to save money. And because of his ongoing harassment (it’s usually things like claiming we have to help pay to fix the road he’s been tearing up for twenty years that we don’t use), we’re looking to move. Ha. We have to stay in this county for health insurance reasons and the housing market has gone insane...as in 35% higher than May.  We’ve tried to buy two different houses...the last one they had eight offers on in addition to ours and it sold in five days. And there is almost zero inventory, not even lots to build on. And at this point we couldn’t afford it...lumber prices have gone through the roof.

I look at everything other people are dealing with and I feel and sound like a total asshole. But it’s hard to have be at home all of the time and have to deal with the crap from the guy down the hill. We also can’t walk our dogs here because our other neighbors just let their aggressive dogs run, and I am too old to to be in middle of a four-way dog fight. So we have to drive them out of here just to go for a walk.

And while I’m whining...Horrible Neighbor has his house on the market, has since August. Hooray, right? Nope. He refuses to list it, he’s selling it himself, and it’s $200,000 overpriced, easily. It’s literally the only house in the whole damned county that isn’t selling. The irony...it burns...

I’m sorry for the snivelfest. I won’t do it again. At least not right away 🙄

I think that is horrible to live with.  If you can't have peace in your home & neighborhood, it is very wearying and difficult.  I hope you can escape all that very soon. 

[iwantcookies]

NYC rent/own prices are insanely high. I wish rent would crash to something actually affordable.

 

I am watching apartment videos where a 4/5th walk up is $2500 and up. And not in Manhattan.  I cannot believe I’m trapped here. I remember when rent was $400. Long long ago.

 

 

Edited February 19, 2021 by iwantcookies

[Jeanne222]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

I live next to Lake Erie, smallest and shallowest of the Great Lakes.  It was 80% frozen last weekend and we haven't gotten above freezing since then, so it must be pretty close to frozen over.  As you said, once the lake freezes, no more lake effect snow, which people living east of Cleveland will appreciate.  Of course, a few days of weather above freezing and it's back to lake effect.  I live west of the city and we really don't get lake effect.  I've probably got about a foot of snow on the ground which is a whole lot for here.  

I remember flying over Lake Erie and was so surprised there were small islands with houses.  My granddaughter has a friend that owns one of the homes.  Interesting indeed!

[skipnjump]

22 hours ago, QuinnInND said:

https://www.jacquielawson.com/?mrkgcl=1210&mrkgadid=3304576218&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=e greeting cards&adid=429714778021&addisttype=g&creative=429714778021&device=m&matchtype=e&network=g&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=Cj0KCQiAvbiBBhD-ARIsAGM48bysvS44EvBYQCS6cwGIBE0davokInYvzFzyUNRQaw2DYRdnTNbelz4aAqMSEALw_wcB

 

This is the one I use. 

My Mom uses Jacquie Lawson too.  They are really great ecards

[Mindthinkr]

1 hour ago, Oldernowiser said:

Anyway. Blech. Enough of that. How are you doing with your own Asshole Neighbor? And how is your poor daughter holding up?

   Well he is on top of his shame game because I refuse to go to parties with non-maskers, and to now seem to be labeled the hermit. I can think of worse things that I can be called. Ha, I probably am. I was kind. I did find extra openings for the Covid vaccine and made him an appointment. He is on his own with that (I got choice of the times). I refuse to stoop to their levels. 
  My daughter calls a lot. She is very sad. She sees a therapist and they are doing couples counseling. She puts in the effort to change. He doesn’t. He has now been ignoring their special needs child (He works from home. She will say “Did you make or have lunch with ____?” His answer is always no.) He has also been neglecting their older son who now seems to be doing nothing right in his Dad’s eyes. That’s probably because as a 17 year old (and after a man to man chat with Dad) he knows his Dad was unfaithful and is siding with his mother.
SIL is a wuss. He is just getting worse hoping that she will be the one to end the marriage so he can blame her. According to her lawyer they live in a good ole boys Bible county where the Judges always favor the husband. Unfortunately she is allowing this to affect her work and without her job she won’t be able to support her kids. She doubts she can afford to stay in the house and thinks the best thing to do is to sell it and split 50/50. He doesn’t want to because it’s surrounded by his family’s farm land, but he claims he cannot afford to pay her out. She has also learned that her prenup was a joke. That she will get none of his retirement or 401k. I think she needs a better lawyer and will speak to someone in my family who is more familiar with the law. I’m getting depressed. Thank goodness for my cats and friends. It’s not like I can run out and explore a new life during Covid. I keep my sanity, sometimes barely, thinking about all of you with worse conditions in your lives and poo poo the crap going on in mine. Thank you for asking. 

[Oldernowiser]

@Mindthinkr, good for you on holding your ground with the Emperor! That’s big progress.

Yes, yes and hell yes your daughter needs a better lawyer. The older son is almost an adult but a special needs younger child trumps over any damned prenup. Any good lawyer would point out that child will need your daughter’s care for a long time and Daddy has legal obligations to do just that. She couldn’t have foreseen these circumstances when signing a prenup and that should negate it, especially if she’s in a community property state. Or even if she’s not. Have her start googling. She can also call Women’s Support centers in her area for recommendations. Her lawyer is useless.

Group hug?

 

[iwantcookies]

15 minutes ago, Mindthinkr said:

   Well he is on top of his shame game because I refuse to go to parties with non-maskers, and to now seem to be labeled the hermit. I can think of worse things that I can be called. Ha, I probably am. I was kind. I did find extra openings for the Covid vaccine and made him an appointment. He is on his own with that (I got choice of the times). I refuse to stoop to their levels. 
  My daughter calls a lot. She is very sad. She sees a therapist and they are doing couples counseling. She puts in the effort to change. He doesn’t. He has now been ignoring their special needs child (He works from home. She will say “Did you make or have lunch with ____?” His answer is always no.) He has also been neglecting their older son who now seems to be doing nothing right in his Dad’s eyes. That’s probably because as a 17 year old (and after a man to man chat with Dad) he knows his Dad was unfaithful and is siding with his mother.
SIL is a wuss. He is just getting worse hoping that she will be the one to end the marriage so he can blame her. According to her lawyer they live in a good ole boys Bible county where the Judges always favor the husband. Unfortunately she is allowing this to affect her work and without her job she won’t be able to support her kids. She doubts she can afford to stay in the house and thinks the best thing to do is to sell it and split 50/50. He doesn’t want to because it’s surrounded by his family’s farm land, but he claims he cannot afford to pay her out. She has also learned that her prenup was a joke. That she will get none of his retirement or 401k. I think she needs a better lawyer and will speak to someone in my family who is more familiar with the law. I’m getting depressed. Thank goodness for my cats and friends. It’s not like I can run out and explore a new life during Covid. I keep my sanity, sometimes barely, thinking about all of you with worse conditions in your lives and poo poo the crap going on in mine. Thank you for asking. 

Stay strong and away from Mr. COVID! You can do it. He isn’t worth getting sick.

Im sending your daughter positive vibes.

[Scarlett45]

I am taking Monday off from work to go with my Mom to help my god mother with some things, I have the time (especially with my roll over days due to Covid) and she needs the help. She is safe and comfortable right now. A (the retired nurse who is her caretaker right now) got her some pancakes and bacon via uber eats and she ate the entire thing! She is happy that she has hot tea again, and her towels are soft.

 

But in the interests of my own self care, I am taking it easy this weekend. Doing the bare minimum taking care of my sister (thank god for food delivery) and not over doing it on chores. I did mop last night, Cosmo has a lot of fur! We walked in the street this afternoon, because we were helping a neighbor stuck in the snow, and he got filthy! I wont be making that mistake again.

[QuinnInND]

@doodlebug your dog is adorable! 

[Tikichick]

21 hours ago, louannems said:

My husband was due to get his second shot Tuesday; it was rescheduled for Wednesday due to inclement weather and then pushed to Friday.  They just called and said the shipment is stuck in Kentucky (we're in Washington state).  He's been rescheduled for next Tuesday, a whole week behind schedule!

The poor receptionist was so breathless.  She must have so many calls to make and so many unhappy people.  She did thank me for being so understanding.

As a listener of Dr. Fauci, I know that being a week late is no big deal and may even be better.

It was on the news here that Michigan didn't get the scheduled supply of vaccines this week because of inclement weather in TN and KY.  We've been trying and trying to get my mom an appt.

A kind of frustrating twist is that much or all of the Pfizer vaccine is produced in, Michigan.   I'm sure there is good logistical reasoning behind it, but intuitively seems "wrong" to ship Michigan's allotment out of state in order to ship it back for distribution and dissemination.   

[emma675]

We're melting down here in Texas! And that's a good thing for a change, lol. We hit the upper 30s today where I live and the snow is quickly turning to mush and slush, which won't be fun for the next few mornings, but it's better than it was. I got out and scraped snow off of my driveway so I might actually be able to leave the house tomorrow to run errands (although it's going to take days for stores to get stock back in). And the trash got picked up and the mail has started up again. It's like a return to civilization. 

Unfortunately, my eyelid procedure is postponed until late March, at the earliest. All surgeries were canceled this week so my doctor is playing catch up and then she herself has knee surgery the first week of March. Oh well, nothing to do but wait my turn. I'm supposed to get my second dose of the Covid vaccine on 2/26 but I have a feeling that will get pushed back with everything that went on this week. 

Doodle, your dog is just adorable! He looks like he could be a Disney cartoon doggo.

[doodlebug]

4 hours ago, Suzn said:

He is adorable!

He is a handful, he's 19 months and still very much a puppy; but he's also sweet and lovable when he's in the mood.  He loves to snuggle in bed.

3 hours ago, Oldernowiser said:

 

@doodlebug, dunno where I’ve been, as I had no clue you had a dog, let alone such a cutie. He looks like something out of a movie!

I've actually got a pair.  The little guy is Scout and his big sister is named Maggie.  Scout is a Jack Russell mix and Mags is Rottweiler/Bernese Mountain Dog.  Quite a pair.

[doodlebug]

 

2 hours ago, Jeanne222 said:

I remember flying over Lake Erie and was so surprised there were small islands with houses.  My granddaughter has a friend that owns one of the homes.  Interesting indeed!

There are multiple Erie Islands that are occupied.  Put-in-Bay is a village on South Bass Island near Sandusky that is famous for its nightlife as well as some really beautiful Victorian homes and B&B's.  I know quite a few people who own homes or condos out there.  I spent a few days renting a condo there last summer.  Beautiful place.

https://www.visitputinbay.org/

Edited February 19, 2021 by doodlebug

[Happyfatchick]

A bedtime story:

this really will be long and whiny.  I’m apologizing in advance for what’s bound to be lengthy.  I was jealous of @Oldernowiser having a shot at Love Thy Neighbor.  Here’s my vacation story.

 You guys know I love my camper.  Love camping.  Love to discover America.  We just sold the bus (repair) shop and after having been basically grounded except for short overnights to the river... and knowing we were going to sell, we began planning this month long trip to Florida.  Just to veg and regroup and plan ahead.  

when we arrived, mr HFC discovered a broken water line coming from outside.  Not a life altering event - when you drive your house several hundred miles, spit happens.  But we have no water inside the camper.  Next day, he’s gone early to find part.  It takes hours (the hunt).  Meanwhile, I decide to use the time to work the dogs.  I normally do make part of our trips all about the dogs, obedience, new tricks, lots of exercise.  The whole reason we even own campers is: dogs.  

I leash them both (one is a cutie pie smallish cocker - Ollie.  Very obedient and eager to please.  Happy guy.  The other is a boxer pit mix built like a side of lean beef.  She is 75 lbs of ooomph - Molly.  Obviously if we ever grow our pack, we’ll have a Dolly and a Wally).  I take them outside the park because it’s snowbird season in FL and there are 947 yappy little dogs in the park.  I thought maybe I would find an open field for them To run a little.  Free range pooping!!! (I always carry bags).

about 50 feet out of the gate, we run across a very senior man who’s walking a crunchy little dog.  To clarify, we have discovered Molly prefers crunchy angular dogs to the poofy cream filled ones.  Molly would love Doodle’s little crunchy dog.  (For lunch, I mean).  

On our family compound, molly runs and plays (hard!!) with a German shepherd, an American bulldog (Russell, who’s 95, deaf, blind and love-rub hungry - we love Old Russell), a bassett, a yellow lab, another cocker and a tiny little crunchy dog.  Every. Day.   (well, except for Russell.  Russell is relatively inert.  Although his bestie is my granddaughters goat).  Molly is a rescue, so there is definitely history I dont have - but I’ve had her just shy of a year and have NEVER seen this dog show any type of temper.  Ever.  Just 🤷‍♀️ Never.  I have my toddler grands around her all the time, allllll the compound dogs.  So much stimulation all the time.  Seriously, until this moment I would have labeled her the most docile dog I’ve ever met.  Except for Russell, but Russell never knows what’s happening.  

im walking along, I see the man coming (and I have worked this dog, I absolutely believe I KNOW my dog...) and I stick my hand through the loop of her very strong leash and around my arm a couple times to shorten her lead.  (We “believe” that was the step off the cliff, by the way - Molly read my precaution as me being worried about this crunchy little terrier coming up.  And she thought “I’m not scared of THAT!  I gotcher back, mom!!!”.  I thought I was controlling Molly.  Molly turned that into saving MY life.  At least I think so).  Little 15 lb terrier is all between her daddy’s feet - she wants NO part of my beast.  I’m calm, I’m confident (I teach by Cesar Milan technique, honestly I do).  I call out to senior “you’re fine.  She’s a big baby -“ and about that time, molly lunged forward (VERY nearly pulled me off my feet) and drug me (fighting all the way) to jump on that poor little baby.  OMG!!!!!!!!!!  That poor old fellow was bopping her on the nose yelling “get away!!!  Get away from My dog!!!”  I now have my feet planted and im giving it all I’ve got, molly is ALL IN.  She’s bitten the dog a couple times and now seems to have her teeth stuck in the little baby’s collar.   I was HORRIFIED!!!!  I have never EVER had something like that happen!  I’m really really goood with dogs.  I’ve had bigger dogs (bigger teeth!) than Molly.  I’ve just never EVER had a dog I couldn’t trust.  Never.  

Anyway, I know better - I absolutely KNOW better - but I reached in the fray and got ahold of Molly’s collar and jerked as hard as I could, screaming her name.  She looks back with that uh-oh way dogs do that moment when they’re realizing they are clearly over the line.  And lets go. The senior was shaking and SOOOO MAD (and I don’t blame him, I probably would have called the police myself!)  He says he has to take his baby to the vet and I say of course, yes of course.  Yes.  I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I apologize, I NEVER saw that coming, I’m so sorry.   I never ever saw it coming.  I’ve never had ANY reason to suspect this docile, sweet and totally complacent agreeable dog had an inner monster lurking.  

He does the shaky, irritated old man stomp off with his dog, takes her to the vet, reports us to the park office, brings me the bill, (which we paid) and the office calls to let us know we are no longer welcome.  This is day one of a month long stay.  

They Agree we can leave in the morning.  I have, by now, been crying since Molly first sank her teeth into that crunchy little morsel.  Hours of bawling, explaining and apologizing.  And I swear upon all I know to be holy, I did NOT do anything without forethought, and nothing with malice.  I had zero intent.  I never meant to do anything AT ALL but give the dogs a workout.  A performance I’ve done a million times (said Sigfried).  Cried my EYES out.  (Just had cataract surgery, just saying).  

That night, Mr HFC and I had the worst confrontation of our entire marriage.  Where were you GOING?  Why were you outside of the PARK??  What did you DO to her??  What did you say to HIM??  And my favorite:  I WALKED THE ROUTE YOU SAID YOU TOOK.  WHYYYYYYYY did you go that way????

ok...... what?  What are you SAYING??  I mean, there’s a trial going on here that I don’t understand, right?  Why WOULDNT I be walking the dogs?  Why WOULDNT I be training my dogs???  I do it allll the time!!!  All the training ANY of our dogs EVER got was from MEEE!!!  What, exactly, are you accusing me of?????  I think he honestly believed our dogs come (even the puppies) fully trained.  It’s a miracle!  

and finally:  (me) if we end up divorced over THIS after alllllllllllll the things we’ve been through together, a) it’s going to be the stupidest thing in the history of EVER and b) it’s going to one heck of a court date.  

and so yes, I cried all night and into the afternoon the next day (even through the securing of another camp and the move).  We finally talked it out that afternoon and he admitted he’d been a dick.  (His word).  I’m not entirely sure I’m ok with that yet.  I love this man 50 ways from Sunday but have never been put through anything quite like that.  He measured the dang distance!!!!!  I just can’t even.  

And then it rained for 3 straight days.  

nevertheless, we settled in and had some enjoyable moments.  On day 3 we kayaked in the rain (but it cleared up halfway through that trip).  We kayaked several other times (it was beeeeeeautiful weather most of the time).  Went to Tampa. (There are chickens in the streets in Ybor - kind of the north Tampa area - like in the Keys.  I had no idea.  Blows my mind!!). Went back that way again to St Pete (GORGEOUS!!!).  

And then.  Yesterday I woke up to a phone call from my precious DIL - same one who just lost the halfway baby - who’s choking, crying and screaming that her brother (2 years younger) has just died.  Overdose.  She thought he’d been clean for over a year.   Nnnnnooooo - although mostly clean.  He’s moved to Florida with his father and had gone home to get his girlfriend and spend some time with his mother.  They get high together.  I mean he and the mom.  And the sister too, when she’s not in jail.   (Team spirit and all that).  He died.  In the living room.  With his mother.  And his girlfriend.  Sitting right there.  Someone commented his “lips are blue” and that apparently got the ball rolling.  The mom “thought” he was breathing funny as a joke to make her laugh.  And then, at first when she thought maybe he OD’d, she didn’t want to call 911 because she knew he had drugs in his system and was afraid she might get him in trouble.  Well, and not to mention:  she had drugs there too... so... 

my DIL was angry with her mom because she feels (probably rightfully so) that if the mom had been straight, action could have been taken and he could have been saved.  (I mean, ultimately the brother holding the needle is 100% responsible, I know).  But she’s also saying that her heart is broken because she knows her mom has just lost her baby - that she was RIGHT THERE, sitting there when he DIED - and watched him being loaded up and taken away with a sheet over his face, and the actual words “we’ll take him to the morgue at the hospital and the coroner will see him there”.  

I have to digress (surprise!!).  The angry part for ME, if I were DIL, would not be so much “she could have DONE something!!!”  It would be (dear Lord, SOOOO much!!!  I am so PERSONALLY angry with the mom - it’s all I can do not to tell her myself  - but that’s not my fight) “my brother was comfortable enough doing drugs around my mother that he DIED doing exactly that”.    I mean... I know I grew up sheltered and this is all incredible to me... but what the HELLLLL, man???   He’s there one minute and then... he’s not.  How WEIRD IS THAT???????

she drove over to check on her mom 4 times yesterday, wanting to shake her until her head falls off - and yet afraid this is all going to ultimately going to cause another needless death.  She doesn’t want to be the one not paying attention.  Amazing.  

and so tooooooday, on day 12 of a full month off, I’m on my way home because I’m a mom and she needs me.   She’s about to lose her mind, I know she is.  I told her I was on my way - she says “I don’t want you to mess up your time, you were so looking forward to that time!!!”  I said “it’s ok.  I feel like you need to know I’m nearby, even if I can’t help at all”.  Then she’s wailing “okaaaaaaay, please come hommmmmmme!!!”  Poor kid.  Just can’t catch a break, I swear.  And her f-n FAMILY.  HOLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEE COW!!!  The mom JUST got out of jail a month ago, and the sister is a current resident.  And of course one of the druggie friends called to let her (the sister) know before a family member could get there. All KINDA of special going on.  

I love them all.  My crazy whacked out zoo crew.  Even the dog.  (The terrier is FINE, no stitches, vet just cleaned her up and gave her an antibiotic shot).  Thank GOD Molly didn’t break skin on the man punching her in the nose!  I would have lost her for sure.  At least I have a minute to try to get to the bottom of why that happened.  I’m emailing Cesar; if I’m lying I’m dying!!!

All in all a pretty busy not-2-weeks.   If anyone needs some help planning a quiet getaway, PM me - obviously I’m your girl!  
 

believe it or not, I actually have a GOOD story to tell.  I’m going to post this and then tell a fun story.  

[Westiepeach]

19 minutes ago, doodlebug said:

He is a handful, he's 19 months and still very much a puppy; but he's also sweet and lovable when he's in the mood.  He loves to snuggle in bed.

I've actually got a pair.  The little guy is Scout and his big sister is named Maggie.  Scout is a Jack Russell mix and Mags is Rottweiler/Bernese Mountain Dog.  Quite a pair.

OMG ~ I think your pupper and my Harley were born around the same time? July of 2019? My Harley was born on 7-11. We should have named him Slurpee!

[SunnyBeBe]

In cases of property dispute, child support, etc. I’d get a couple of opinions.  Local attorneys know the judges, however, that doesn’t override the law.  I’d consult with a specialist in Family Law, so they will spot any and all claims to which you may be entitled.  
Well, I selected the roofing company today.  I did lots of research, so, I hope I made the right decision.  
The sun is shining right now! It’s so beautiful!

[doodlebug]

7 minutes ago, Westiepeach said:

OMG ~ I think your pupper and my Harley were born around the same time? July of 2019? My Harley was born on 7-11. We should have named him Slurpee!

July 26, so they're virtually the same age.

[doodlebug]

23 minutes ago, Happyfatchick said:

A bedtime story:

this really will be long and whiny.  I’m apologizing in advance for what’s bound to be lengthy.  I was jealous of @Oldernowiser having a shot at Love Thy Neighbor.  Here’s my vacation story.

 You guys know I love my camper.  Love camping.  Love to discover America.  We just sold the bus (repair) shop and after having been basically grounded except for short overnights to the river... and knowing we were going to sell, we began planning this month long trip to Florida.  Just to veg and regroup and plan ahead.  

when we arrived, mr HFC discovered a broken water line coming from outside.  Not a life altering event - when you drive your house several hundred miles, spit happens.  But we have no water inside the camper.  Next day, he’s gone early to find part.  It takes hours (the hunt).  Meanwhile, I decide to use the time to work the dogs.  I normally do make part of our trips all about the dogs, obedience, new tricks, lots of exercise.  The whole reason we even own campers is: dogs.  

I leash them both (one is a cutie pie smallish cocker - Ollie.  Very obedient and eager to please.  Happy guy.  The other is a boxer pit mix built like a side of lean beef.  She is 75 lbs of ooomph - Molly.  Obviously if we ever grow our pack, we’ll have a Dolly and a Wally).  I take them outside the park because it’s snowbird season in FL and there are 947 yappy little dogs in the park.  I thought maybe I would find an open field for them To run a little.  Free range pooping!!! (I always carry bags).

about 50 feet out of the gate, we run across a very senior man who’s walking a crunchy little dog.  To clarify, we have discovered Molly prefers crunchy angular dogs to the poofy cream filled ones.  Molly would love Doodle’s little crunchy dog.  (For lunch, I mean).  

On our family compound, molly runs and plays (hard!!) with a German shepherd, an American bulldog (Russell, who’s 95, deaf, blind and love-rub hungry - we love Old Russell), a bassett, a yellow lab, another cocker and a tiny little crunchy dog.  Every. Day.   (well, except for Russell.  Russell is relatively inert.  Although his bestie is my granddaughters goat).  Molly is a rescue, so there is definitely history I dont have - but I’ve had her just shy of a year and have NEVER seen this dog show any type of temper.  Ever.  Just 🤷‍♀️ Never.  I have my toddler grands around her all the time, allllll the compound dogs.  So much stimulation all the time.  Seriously, until this moment I would have labeled her the most docile dog I’ve ever met.  Except for Russell, but Russell never knows what’s happening.  

im walking along, I see the man coming (and I have worked this dog, I absolutely believe I KNOW my dog...) and I stick my hand through the loop of her very strong leash and around my arm a couple times to shorten her lead.  (We “believe” that was the step off the cliff, by the way - Molly read my precaution as me being worried about this crunchy little terrier coming up.  And she thought “I’m not scared of THAT!  I gotcher back, mom!!!”.  I thought I was controlling Molly.  Molly turned that into saving MY life.  At least I think so).  Little 15 lb terrier is all between her daddy’s feet - she wants NO part of my beast.  I’m calm, I’m confident (I teach by Cesar Milan technique, honestly I do).  I call out to senior “you’re fine.  She’s a big baby -“ and about that time, molly lunged forward (VERY nearly pulled me off my feet) and drug me (fighting all the way) to jump on that poor little baby.  OMG!!!!!!!!!!  That poor old fellow was bopping her on the nose yelling “get away!!!  Get away from My dog!!!”  I now have my feet planted and im giving it all I’ve got, molly is ALL IN.  She’s bitten the dog a couple times and now seems to have her teeth stuck in the little baby’s collar.   I was HORRIFIED!!!!  I have never EVER had something like that happen!  I’m really really goood with dogs.  I’ve had bigger dogs (bigger teeth!) than Molly.  I’ve just never EVER had a dog I couldn’t trust.  Never.  

Anyway, I know better - I absolutely KNOW better - but I reached in the fray and got ahold of Molly’s collar and jerked as hard as I could, screaming her name.  She looks back with that uh-oh way dogs do that moment when they’re realizing they are clearly over the line.  And lets go. The senior was shaking and SOOOO MAD (and I don’t blame him, I probably would have called the police myself!)  He says he has to take his baby to the vet and I say of course, yes of course.  Yes.  I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I apologize, I NEVER saw that coming, I’m so sorry.   I never ever saw it coming.  I’ve never had ANY reason to suspect this docile, sweet and totally complacent agreeable dog had an inner monster lurking.  

He does the shaky, irritated old man stomp off with his dog, takes her to the vet, reports us to the park office, brings me the bill, (which we paid) and the office calls to let us know we are no longer welcome.  This is day one of a month long stay.  

They Agree we can leave in the morning.  I have, by now, been crying since Molly first sank her teeth into that crunchy little morsel.  Hours of bawling, explaining and apologizing.  And I swear upon all I know to be holy, I did NOT do anything without forethought, and nothing with malice.  I had zero intent.  I never meant to do anything AT ALL but give the dogs a workout.  A performance I’ve done a million times (said Sigfried).  Cried my EYES out.  (Just had cataract surgery, just saying).  

That night, Mr HFC and I had the worst confrontation of our entire marriage.  Where were you GOING?  Why were you outside of the PARK??  What did you DO to her??  What did you say to HIM??  And my favorite:  I WALKED THE ROUTE YOU SAID YOU TOOK.  WHYYYYYYYY did you go that way????

ok...... what?  What are you SAYING??  I mean, there’s a trial going on here that I don’t understand, right?  Why WOULDNT I be walking the dogs?  Why WOULDNT I be training my dogs???  I do it allll the time!!!  All the training ANY of our dogs EVER got was from MEEE!!!  What, exactly, are you accusing me of?????  I think he honestly believed our dogs come (even the puppies) fully trained.  It’s a miracle!  

and finally:  (me) if we end up divorced over THIS after alllllllllllll the things we’ve been through together, a) it’s going to be the stupidest thing in the history of EVER and b) it’s going to one heck of a court date.  

and so yes, I cried all night and into the afternoon the next day (even through the securing of another camp and the move).  We finally talked it out that afternoon and he admitted he’d been a dick.  (His word).  I’m not entirely sure I’m ok with that yet.  I love this man 50 ways from Sunday but have never been put through anything quite like that.  He measured the dang distance!!!!!  I just can’t even.  

And then it rained for 3 straight days.  

nevertheless, we settled in and had some enjoyable moments.  On day 3 we kayaked in the rain (but it cleared up halfway through that trip).  We kayaked several other times (it was beeeeeeautiful weather most of the time).  Went to Tampa. (There are chickens in the streets in Ybor - kind of the north Tampa area - like in the Keys.  I had no idea.  Blows my mind!!). Went back that way again to St Pete (GORGEOUS!!!).  

And then.  Yesterday I woke up to a phone call from my precious DIL - same one who just lost the halfway baby - who’s choking, crying and screaming that her brother (2 years younger) has just died.  Overdose.  She thought he’d been clean for over a year.   Nnnnnooooo - although mostly clean.  He’s moved to Florida with his father and had gone home to get his girlfriend and spend some time with his mother.  They get high together.  I mean he and the mom.  And the sister too, when she’s not in jail.   (Team spirit and all that).  He died.  In the living room.  With his mother.  And his girlfriend.  Sitting right there.  Someone commented his “lips are blue” and that apparently got the ball rolling.  The mom “thought” he was breathing funny as a joke to make her laugh.  And then, at first when she thought maybe he OD’d, she didn’t want to call 911 because she knew he had drugs in his system and was afraid she might get him in trouble.  Well, and not to mention:  she had drugs there too... so... 

my DIL was angry with her mom because she feels (probably rightfully so) that if the mom had been straight, action could have been taken and he could have been saved.  (I mean, ultimately the brother holding the needle is 100% responsible, I know).  But she’s also saying that her heart is broken because she knows her mom has just lost her baby - that she was RIGHT THERE, sitting there when he DIED - and watched him being loaded up and taken away with a sheet over his face, and the actual words “we’ll take him to the morgue at the hospital and the coroner will see him there”.  

I have to digress (surprise!!).  The angry part for ME, if I were DIL, would not be so much “she could have DONE something!!!”  It would be (dear Lord, SOOOO much!!!  I am so PERSONALLY angry with the mom - it’s all I can do not to tell her myself  - but that’s not my fight) “my brother was comfortable enough doing drugs around my mother that he DIED doing exactly that”.    I mean... I know I grew up sheltered and this is all incredible to me... but what the HELLLLL, man???   He’s there one minute and then... he’s not.  How WEIRD IS THAT???????

she drove over to check on her mom 4 times yesterday, wanting to shake her until her head falls off - and yet afraid this is all going to ultimately going to cause another needless death.  She doesn’t want to be the one not paying attention.  Amazing.  

and so tooooooday, on day 12 of a full month off, I’m on my way home because I’m a mom and she needs me.   She’s about to lose her mind, I know she is.  I told her I was on my way - she says “I don’t want you to mess up your time, you were so looking forward to that time!!!”  I said “it’s ok.  I feel like you need to know I’m nearby, even if I can’t help at all”.  Then she’s wailing “okaaaaaaay, please come hommmmmmme!!!”  Poor kid.  Just can’t catch a break, I swear.  And her f-n FAMILY.  HOLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEE COW!!!  The mom JUST got out of jail a month ago, and the sister is a current resident.  And of course one of the druggie friends called to let her (the sister) know before a family member could get there. All KINDA of special going on.  

I love them all.  My crazy whacked out zoo crew.  Even the dog.  (The terrier is FINE, no stitches, vet just cleaned her up and gave her an antibiotic shot).  Thank GOD Molly didn’t break skin on the man punching her in the nose!  I would have lost her for sure.  At least I have a minute to try to get to the bottom of why that happened.  I’m emailing Cesar; if I’m lying I’m dying!!!

All in all a pretty busy not-2-weeks.   If anyone needs some help planning a quiet getaway, PM me - obviously I’m your girl!  
 

believe it or not, I actually have a GOOD story to tell.  I’m going to post this and then tell a fun story.  

Good lord!  I hope you weren't planning on getting much R&R, HFC!  Your poor DIL, she has had such a rough go of it this past few weeks.  My sympathies to her and I hope that what happened will perhaps spur her mother and sister into making some changes for the better.

I have a friend who lost both of her sons-twins, no less- to heroin in less than 3 months time a few years back.  I don't know how she survived it.  Both of them had been to jail and rehab many, many times and she and her husband decided that, for their own sanity, they needed to take a step back about a year earlier.  It was the right thing to do and I don't think it would've changed a thing if she had kept paying their bail and checking them into rehab and letting them stay with her when they needed a place to crash; but, boy, its been so hard for her.  I pray for your DIL; she's lucky to have you to count on.

Edited February 19, 2021 by doodlebug

[Rabbittron]

MommyRabbittron here.

It's been a week since I got out of rehab and boy I think I should go back into it. Not because I need it because of  shit that's been happening here. I ended up having to quit my job because the state of Colorado sent me a letter and sent my boss a letter saying that I am disabled and can not work  😭. Then I  have been telling my landlord about the door knob problem I have been having for the last 3 months.  Well this morning I got locked in my bedroom and had to call the police to get me out.  If I was only 30 years younger. 

[zoomama]

guess what? out of nowhere a slot opened up for me to get my first covid shot yesterday. easy peasy (this one). didnt even feel it go in. however, today i have been , of course, sore in my arm. i need a shoulder replacement in that arm so its extra sore but i am left handed so they gave it in my right arm even with my shoulder. today has been chills all day, especially my feet, and i do have headache. no fever tho, last i checked. heading back to my bed with the space heater blowing!

[Happyfatchick]

Yesterday we were paddling along in a very wide but shallow river - Mr H, maybe 4 feet ahead of me - startled a HUGE manatee.  That sucker rose up like a submarine surfacing, only a scared submarine - oh my God - directly underneath him.  HUGE wall of water, lots of manatee, Sonny was yelling, i’M yelling - OMG - at first you can’t make it be a manatee materializing under your feet - it was like a bomb going off.  Scared us half to death (not scared of a manatee - just a whole lotta WHATTHEHELL????).   Later (about an hour, actually) it was REALLY funny.  At that moment, I had NO IDEA what was emerging underneath us.  Like a land mine!!!  I would HAPPILY slap down $1000 for a video!!!  

no manatees were harmed in the telling of this story.  We saw him surface and blow, all manatee-cussing about stupid people in his river in kayaks during mating season.  He was fine.  I’m telling you, all night long I would envision that kayak rising like a gigantic wave had blown up under us, in the middle of that river, and I would just crack UP!!!   I was as surprised as I’ve ever been in my life!  

im sorry I’ve hogged so much space today. 

[Rabbittron]

7 hours ago, Jeeves said:

Happy Friday to everyone, with extra helpings of good thoughts for those impacted badly by weather and flaky utilities and other such awfulness. This is day three of what I'm calling my "pre-spring break" from work. I scheduled it in case I had a reaction to my second COVID vaccine shot on Wednesday. But except for sleepiness that afternoon (which wasn't necessarily caused by the shot, lol), I've been fine.

Yesterday I had a list of cleanup/clearout projects for here at the condo. And? I got sidetracked and went down another path although it was a project that needed to be done. I mentioned here that yesterday morning I discovered that my Music (fka iTunes) library on my desktop Mac had - vanished. (It's actually stored on an external drive which just turned up blank.) That led to my finding an older version stored on another external drive and getting it all restored - and backed up robustly, lol. 

As the saying goes, one thing leads to another . . . 

I've acquired TOO many external hard drives over the years. I'll skip all the deets, but yesterday I got serious about getting rid of the excess ones. Those that had been sitting on a shelf for ages, unused. Which required dusting them off, checking to see what the heck I'd put on them, offloading some things, and then reformatting/erasing them. They are destined to go to a local electronics recycling company that I trust. I don't know if I've mentioned them here. They are in Denver, Colorado Springs, and - Chicago.

Blue Star Recyclers has been recognized for its ethical practices in recycling e-waste as well as its employment of (their description) "autistic workers, and others with disabilities, who typically can’t get gainful employment elsewhere."  My hard drives will be either securely wiped of data or completely shredded. I need to call and ask about the fees. As a  Denver resident I qualify for a discount coupon from the City government, which I have requested. But if the cost without the coupon isn't too high, I may not wait the two weeks for the coupon to arrive. Instead I'll drop the drives off today, and get that project checked off the list. [ETA: I called them and the good news is, hard drives are FREE of charge to recycle. Yippee skippy!]

Now, back to our regularly scheduled list of condo projects . . .   🧹 🧺 🪣

When I was working that was  where I  brought my works old computers. 

[Oldernowiser]

1 hour ago, doodlebug said:

I've actually got a pair.  The little guy is Scout and his big sister is named Maggie.  Scout is a Jack Russell mix and Mags is Rottweiler/Bernese Mountain Dog.  Quite a pair.

Folding arms. Glaring slightly. Tapping one foot rapidly. 

Hey, Dr. Doodle? You know how much we value your knowledge on all things medical. But you’ve been holding out on us all this time on adorable dog duo photos??? And one is a puppy???

 

[Scarlett45]

1 hour ago, Happyfatchick said:

And then.  Yesterday I woke up to a phone call from my precious DIL - same one who just lost the halfway baby - who’s choking, crying and screaming that her brother (2 years younger) has just died.  Overdose.  She thought he’d been clean for over a year.   Nnnnnooooo - although mostly clean.  He’s moved to Florida with his father and had gone home to get his girlfriend and spend some time with his mother.  They get high together.  I mean he and the mom.  And the sister too, when she’s not in jail.   (Team spirit and all that).  He died.  In the living room.  With his mother.  And his girlfriend.  Sitting right there.  Someone commented his “lips are blue” and that apparently got the ball rolling.  The mom “thought” he was breathing funny as a joke to make her laugh.  And then, at first when she thought maybe he OD’d, she didn’t want to call 911 because she knew he had drugs in his system and was afraid she might get him in trouble.  Well, and not to mention:  she had drugs there too... so... 

my DIL was angry with her mom because she feels (probably rightfully so) that if the mom had been straight, action could have been taken and he could have been saved.  (I mean, ultimately the brother holding the needle is 100% responsible, I know).  But she’s also saying that her heart is broken because she knows her mom has just lost her baby - that she was RIGHT THERE, sitting there when he DIED - and watched him being loaded up and taken away with a sheet over his face, and the actual words “we’ll take him to the morgue at the hospital and the coroner will see him there”.  

I have to digress (surprise!!).  The angry part for ME, if I were DIL, would not be so much “she could have DONE something!!!”  It would be (dear Lord, SOOOO much!!!  I am so PERSONALLY angry with the mom - it’s all I can do not to tell her myself  - but that’s not my fight) “my brother was comfortable enough doing drugs around my mother that he DIED doing exactly that”.    I mean... I know I grew up sheltered and this is all incredible to me... but what the HELLLLL, man???   He’s there one minute and then... he’s not.  How WEIRD IS THAT???????

OMG your poor daughter in law. I am so very sorry she lost her brother, and sorry her mother lost her son. Addiction is a terrible disease and often family members are the biggest enablers and "get high" buddies. 

[GeeGolly]

Wow, that poor gentleman and his poor dog. Do you have plans to make sure your dog doesn't harm anyone else @Happyfatchick? 

And the young man, may he rest in peace, my thoughts are with his sister and mom. 

[Absolom]

In a word about dogs, I inherited my mother's dog.  Normally he's the sweetest, friendliest little guy you'd ever want to meet.  About once a year, he takes another dog into instant dislike.  There is no rhyme or reason visible to the average human.  But if let loose he'd attack and fight bitterly.  Fortunately dog can not drag me along.  This has convinced me that no dog is ever 100% safe for unrestricted contact with other dogs.  

[ChiCricket]

Ok.. I need to vent.

   I really want to go kick my husband RIGHT IN THE NUTS right now.
 I finally got him an appointment to get the vaccine..something he's been hounding me to get for him for weeks.

 He was SO nasty to me when told him I actually got him an appointment....and all because he's mad that it is  52 minutes from our house..big whoop.

Everything else was many, many hours away.  I did the best I could! And It's straight down the tollway near our house, and I told him *I'd*  drive him there... but noooooo..he still went on and on and on and ON..until I finally just walked away from him, and shut myself up in our spare room.(and it felt damn good to slam and lock the door, too)

Crabby old COOT.

What a let-down...he has no f'ing IDEA how HARD I've been trying to get him an appointment in the past few weeks. 😭  Hours and hours and HOURS on the computer and phone, hunting the ever so elusive appointment.( and all while I myself have been down in the dumps, big time.)

   I feel like crying out of frustration, but I'll be danged if I'll let him know he upset me. 

 😡   W H A T   A   W A N K E R 😡

(sorry for the rant..it's either this or go and poison him or something)😳

Edited February 20, 2021 by ChiCricket

[Oldernowiser]

Oh, Chi. I’m sorry. At some point, you gotta throw up your hands and let him act like an adult and run his own life, no matter how shitty a job he’ll do.

No more appointments. He wants a vaccine, let him figure out how to get it. He knows how to use a phone. 

Can you change that appointment to get the vaccine yourself?

[Happyfatchick]

@GeeGolly, I knowwww!!!   When he was stomping away from me, I was already covering my mouth trying not to sob.  I felt sooooo bad for him!!!  His little baby!!   Seriously, if a big dog attacked my cocker, I would be out for some ugly revenge.  These are my children!  I am QUITE confident I would have called the police.  And if he had, I would have stood in that spot until they arrived.  

And truthfully, (THANKFULLY!)  - her physical injuries weren’t really that bad, truly not.  I have the paperwork, and it was all minor - but that’s all beside the point.  I kept moaning all afternoon “that poor baby was SCARED TO DEATH!!!”  It wasn’t the injuries - Her feelings were hurt!!  She lives with an older couple, probably never gets scolded even, is hand fed chicken - and suddenly she’s DINNER.  OMG!  Like a chihuahua with a bull mastiff bearing down HARD.  When they were walking off was the most PITIFUL image - he was old man stomping and the dog was tottering/shaking - like her knees were knocking.   It is SOOOO horrifying to see that and know it’s YOURS.  I caused that.  Or I couldn’t prevent that.  In an ENTIRE year (one month shy),  Molly has never ONCE given me a reason to believe I couldn’t control her.  Until that day. 

this has changed since then:  I don’t walk her.  I won’t ever willy-nilly strike out for a walk with her again.  After 1000 walks, I can’t do it any more.  If I can’t handle her, I can’t walk her.   I will work with her in my back yard, I won’t walk her outside of my own fence.  She never gets to be let loose in a dog park again.  (That can’t be explained to her - but I feel bad about it because she REALLY loved ripping around in a dog park).  
 

side note:  my husband said “did you beat her?” He meant “spank”; we aren’t beaters of any kind.  I was astonished!  I’ve known him 22 years and have never seen him strike out at ANYthing, much less a dog!!  I said NOOO!!!  And I guess my expression shut him up - but immediately I envisioned traffic on that road - someone driving by - while I’m smacking my dog with a stick (or something).  THAT wouldn’t get the police involved, right??  

@Absolom it is TRULY the WORST to know it’s YOUR DOG.  Yes.  MY DOG caused this.  MINE!!!  This is why we don’t know the names of serial killers’ mothers.  They go into witness protection immediately.  (I hope they do.  They should!)

 

[emma675]

ChiCricket, why is he being such an ass about a 52 minute drive? Doesn't he understand how lucky he is to even get an appointment in the first place? And how much time and effort it took you to get him an appointment?? There are millions of people who would kill to drive twice that to get the vaccine. If you don't kick him in the nuts, I will. 

[Happyfatchick]

18 minutes ago, ChiCricket said:

Ok.. I need to vent.

   I really want to go kick my husband RIGHT IN THE NUTS right now.
 I finally got him an appointment to get the vaccine..something he's been hounding me to get for him for weeks.

Crabby old COOT.)😳

PM me to make arrangements to receive your new attack dog.  I know a guy   JK

i agree with @Oldernowiser, tell him to get a new assistant.  You just quit.

[Absolom]

57 minutes ago, Happyfatchick said:

@Absolom it is TRULY the WORST to know it’s YOUR DOG.  Yes.  MY DOG caused this.  MINE!!!  This is why we don’t know the names of serial killers’ mothers.  They go into witness protection immediately.  (I hope they do.  They should!)

It is.  It's why I won't have a dog I can't pick up and carry.  It has to be so tough though.  The what on earth happened and what could I have done.  I hope you get over it soon.  

Oh my, if I were the mother of a serial killer, I'd change my name and move to the other side of the country or possibly to another country.  

From the other side, my daughter's dog is no longer trustworthy around other dogs.  She was attacked in the park and bitten enough for stitches.  She now will bite at other dogs, but it's out of fear.