Small Talk: The Library

[Endeavour]

Good luck, @Bleu, in finding new homes for your kittens. Is there a chance that you'll keep the little one you're getting attached to?

 

I saw a turkey walking up the street.

 

One trotted across the road a few weeks ago in front of me while I was driving. I was taken by surprise but it was completely unfazed. Stupid turkeys.

Edited May 22, 2014 by Endeavour

[Earl Is Dead]

Safe travels, @Bleu and good airport vibes to you .

 

Full discolsure:  I don't like sweet potatoes in any form, be they baked, casseroled, fried, or chipped.  Topping them with marshmallows, circus peanuts, pecans, or even death will not sway me.

 

Vacation Pup goes home tonight.  I will miss her, but I will not miss her poop.

Edited May 22, 2014 by Earl Is Dead

[Erratic]

This is really dumb, KPC, as I think that you look mighty fine, but rather than dieting for a month, how about a 24 or 36 hour fast before the photo shot to gaunt your face? Also, June 10th is my birthday so pizza followed by chocolate chip cookies for everyone!

I'm in the mountains. Going for a hike and a bike ride today. We are also having a fancy meal tonight. This beats working!

House hunting vibes to those looking, problem-solving vibes to those that have found potentially.

Welcome back, @ZenLizzy . 'Sup?

Edited May 22, 2014 by Erratic

[Bleu]

Good luck, Bleu, in finding new homes for your kittens. Is there a chance that you'll keep the little one you're getting attached to?

 

 

It's like a .1% chance, since we're trying to avoid her going to the shelter. I'm trying to make sure any possible new caregivers know she's super playful and curious.  

 

Thank you guys for the vibes and good wishes! I will treat them like virtual amulets.

 

I don't think I've ever had sweet potatoes. Or a casserole. Probably because they aren't staples here, though I think I have seen them around--the sweet potatoes more than the casserole.

 

I'm in the mountains. Going for a hike and a bike ride today. We are also having a fancy meal tonight. This beats working!

 

 

That sounds like a wonderful combination! Safe nature times.

[Boliver]

 

I know I make bad decisions Bol.  It's frustrating (and also why I'm not pursuing said crush on unavailable guy).  I'm a work in progress, I guess.  Step by step.  I'm not actively dating BECAUSE I'm working on myself.

See, to me your attractions don't seem like bad decisions, since you're not making the "decisions" consciously; that stupid closed-door and sound-proofed committee of old white guys in our subconscious tells us who we like and want to get with, and there's no reliable appeals process to their decisions. I hate those guys sometimes. But knowing you're a work in progress and starting to consciously NOT date because your secret committee's been steering you wrong means you're starting to shine a penlight on those motherf&$^@rs. I don't think that many people can say that, because it takes bravery to do that. Good going, dude.

 

Bleu, you're doing great work trying to find good homes for kittens.

 

I'm hoping to be able to watch some TV tonight, finally, with SF working late, and I'll make sure I have a sleeve to wipe my nose on for the W13 finale.

 

I read last week that having multiple cats can REALLY stress some cats out and make their lives crappy, which makes me wonder whether I should bring another cat in after the dog's gone, because Super Kitty still, after, like, 2 years, hisses at interloper Sal, and seems to tense up. Do I wait until Super's gone, or save a cat? It feels like the last 2 years has been full of just waiting for a pet to die, one after the other. And Cordy is going downhill pretty fast; I can see her being ready to go later today, or 6 months from now. She has good days and bad days. It does feel like I've already mostly processed her being gone, since she's almost 14 (2 years past her sell by date, according to the vet) and has lived a great life for a tightly-wound control freak of a dog. Today she's wobbly and tired and out of it, and maybe in some pain, but the latter is hard to tell.

[AnnieF]

Oh, poor Cordy. I am going to miss her when she's gone, that big ol' control freak of a dog. Maybe Superkitty would like more space? If only they would just learn English, then they could tell us. They really aren't putting much effort into it. ;)

We were supposed to see a house this afternoon, but the listing agent (who has to be there to show the property, since it has an alarm) is going to be in Incline (up at the lake. Tahoe, I mean, heh) all day, so it has to be tomorrow. Poopy.:/

Bleu, you're doing great work trying to find good homes for kittens.

Yes indeedy. That's awesome. :) Edited May 22, 2014 by AnnieF

[Chyna]

I saw a turkey walking up the street.

 

 

Um. What?

[Boliver]

That's easy to do, living as close to Washington, D.C. as ZenLizzy does.

 

[harrie]

Turkeys are pretty comfortable living close to people; today one crossed the road in front of me.  Gangs of them - I think "gang" is an official term - have been known to stop traffic, and then some of them will start to peck at the stopped cars.

 

But yesterday I saw a skunk, and over the weekend I watched a crow v. hawk dogfight.  So yay - looks like spring has sprung for good.

[AnnieF]

Rimshot!

[harrie]

Bleu, good luck with the kitten placement. You're a wonderful person to undertake that task, and with such care. 

 

Erratic, a hike, a bike and a fancy meal sound awesome.  The best part being that you can totally justify eating anything and everything at said fancy meal. 

 

Boliver, I've only had four cats (my husband has had zillions), but I think they each have their own preferences.  Of the four, one was fine with other animals as long as we all knew he was in charge; two were pretty snuggly with other cats and the dog; and one (#3) just loved the dog, liked the cats we already had when she came into the household, and hated Cat #4, who is really mild-mannered and sweet.  So I don't think the rules about cats loving company always work, or we've just run across a bunch of rule-breaking cats.   I'm sorry to hear about Cordy; having an aged pet can be so hard.  I'm intrigued by her control freak-ness; would it be prying to ask what breed(s) she is? 

[Boliver]

She's a Dalmatian/Pointer mix, and she's never been able to be around other dogs without eventually attacking them and losing her shit. We tried various experiments with friends' dogs over years, and if we stayed on top of her, monitoring her attitude and tail and ears every minute, she'd not be an assh&%e, but I couldn't keep that up, so we stopped trying to get her to be nice around other dogs. She loves people, but every new person in the house was a new person she attempts to dominate, which requires people training every time, except more recently when she's now too told and tired to be that way. I wish I could post a photo, she's so cute.

 

For the record, there are no prying or inappropriate questions, because I skipped the shame gene. But that also means I get TMI alerts from people, so...

Edited May 22, 2014 by Boliver

[AnnieF]

every new person in the house was a new person she attempts to dominate, which requires people training every time

Indeed, she and I had a staring contest once. Bol made me aware that Cordy was trying to stare me down, and told me how to handle it -- stare right back until she submits and looks away. And it took a while. She really wanted to win. If @Boliver hadn't clued me in, I wouldn't have figured it out. Edited May 23, 2014 by AnnieF

[Darkpool]

every new person in the house was a new person she attempts to dominate, which requires people training every time

 

I remember Boliver briefing several of us on the "invisible dog" before we entered her home. Nobody was to acknowledge Cordy's existence, no matter how much of a pest she was, until Boliver gave us the go-ahead.

Edited May 23, 2014 by Darkpool

[AnnieF]

Yep, invisible dog in the car, too. @Darkpool, you wouldn't recognize her; I saw her in March, and she is definitely getting old. Her eyelashes are white! I hope she doesn't have too much pain. :(

I am so angsty about real estate and finding the right house and moving and arghhh. Thank you all so much for all your good wishes and vibing; it really does make me feel calmer. :)

[Harvester]

Here are some more vibes for @AnnieF!

We have been in crazy tornado land. We had six tornadoes touch down yesterday, and another warning today. The hail was so bad yesterday that it looked like snow drifts in places. I have never seen anything like it. So far, I have not experienced any damage, but many others have.

I have not heard about the job I interviewed for yet. One of the bosses asked me to breakfast this week, and I have been invited to a meeting of theirs tomorrow morning. It is supposed to be fiery, so I think I am auditioning to show how I handle difficult situations. I feel good about it, so we shall see.

Vibes to @KPC and to anyone else who could use a few!

[harrie]

Harvester, still crossing the fingers for you -- and all those developments sound promising. Hoping for the best.  And keep your head down with the tornadoes and hail. 

 

Boliver, I had a bet with myself that Cordy would have Border Collie or German Shepherd lineage.  Oh, well. 

 

re  staring a dog down, my neighbor tried that with our last dog, a Shepherd/Doberman mix.  I asked him not to, and he said "Oh, no, I've read about this" and continued to stare down my dog. Then she jumped up from a sit and snapped at him - thank whomever for his quick reflexes.  I said "I don't think she read that book."  It was embarrassing, too, having a girl dog with dominance/aggression issues, but in every other way she was amazing and superbly behaved. 

 

Annie F, good luck with the house hunt.  Probably just because I haven't spent a lot of time doing it, I think I would like the house shopping process.  Not from a nosy point of view, but like "oh, look what they did" or just checking out new places. 

[LittleVoice]

trudi tru, Stephen Fry narrated the British Harry Potter audiobooks, Jim Dale the American. I've listened to some of the Fry, and as much as I love him, the Dale is better.

ZenLizzy, hope all is well with your mom. Boliver, sorry to hear about Cordy.

Turkeys are pretty common around here too. Saw a bunch of them in the parking ramp at work a couple years ago -- a surreal moment pre-coffee.

I was supposed to have tomorrow off for a 4-day weekend, but work is too crazy so in I go. I wouldn't mind so much except for the fact that I could have gotten everything done if it weren't for the constant interruptions from my boss to respond to less important requests or answer questions I've answered several times before.

Good vibes to all the job-seekers, house-hunters and cat-home-seekers.

[trudi-tru]

Sorry about Cody. She was lucky to have a great life with an owner who knew how to hanlde her. Pets are wondeful, but emotionally straining.

 

Bleu, good luck with the kitten placement. You're a wonderful person to undertake that task, and with such care.

Indeed.

 

 

Stephen Fry narrated the British Harry Potter audiobooks, Jim Dale the American. I've listened to some of the Fry, and as much as I love him, the Dale is better.

I wonder if accent plays a part in this. I was considering getting the audiobooks, and now you've created quite the dilemma. Thanks a lot, LittleVoice!

 

Vibes for new jobs and houses.

[LittleVoice]

That's what I'm here for, trudi-tru! Jim Dale is also British, with a similar accent to Stephen Fry, at least to my ear. I think I prefer him because he does such a distinctive voice for each character (with so many different accents!) that they really come alive in a fun way. At least in the excerpts I've listened to, Fry didn't do as good a job with this, IMO.

ETA: I also got the audiobook of The Night Circus in part because Jim Dale is the reader, and while the book was only okay, he did not disappoint. He's a narrating superstar!

This post was not paid for by Jim Dale.

Edited May 23, 2014 by LittleVoice

[Boliver]

Good luck, Harvester. If you're hired, I hope this time it isn't a big promise of an awesome workspace with them being all Lucy and pulling the football away like your current job did. That was dirty pool.

 

I haven't had to do the invisible dog thing for some time now because her energy level is so low (for her) that she doesn't freak out anymore when people come over. Come to think of it, she hasn't tried to stare at anyone in a good while, either. I'm lucky in that Cordy was a passive aggressive form of aggressive, being sneaky about it and never attack-y; it's all about the energy with her, and if her eyes look crazy like Michele Bachmann, or just normal and attentive. I remember the time my mother came to visit and immediately accused me of being a control freak over the dog, and by the end of the trip she got why we did it that way because Cordy was kinda freaky and controlling. She'd just never seen a dog act like that before. Oy, too much dog talk, sorry.

[Loandbehold]

No such thing as too much dog talk. So long as we avoid bodily functions, that is.

 

Harvester, I remember driving up to Estes Park and being caught in a hail storm that ended up looking like one inch of snow fell. Fortunately, there were no tornadoes. Stay safe. And, good luck w/ the job interview-breakfast-hoop-thingy.

 

More house-hunting vibes for AnnieF.

 

My trainer sent me a text this morning. It was a picture of me from about two or three years ago. Man, I was a fat tub of lard then. Someone should have sat me down and just had me stare at that picture for several hours.

[KittenPokerCheater]

LnB, congrats on the weight/health change in the last few years!  Hoo and Ray and Yip and eeeee!  :)

 

cool employment vibes harvester.

 

And thank you for the vibes- I'm in a funk so I am happy to have them.

 

Annief, I read "mouse hunting" instead of "house hunting."   I hope you find the house you want, and if this one fails inspection, then you don't want it anyway (although it sucks when something doesn't work out).

 

How great you are, Bleu, to so diligently find homes for your stay kittens.  Is there any way for you to take Mama kitty to a vet so you don't become a permanent kitty orphanage?  Some places don't charge to fix stray cats.

 

Happy Memorial Day/weekend for all us-ers.  For everyone else, happy weekend!

[Endeavour]

@AnnieF - sending more good house inspection/hunting vibes your way.

 

Hope the weather is better now by you @Harvester and good luck on the meeting tomorrow.

 

I had a bet with myself that Cordy would have Border Collie or German Shepherd lineage.  Oh, well.

One of my relatives has a dog that's part border collie - craaazzy. Which brings me to my question for @Boliver - where did you learn how to handle Cordy? Is there a book you can recommend? Because crazy dog is definitely winning in that house.

 

Congrats on the weight loss @Loandbehold - you must be pretty disciplined. I tend to yo-yo. The more stressful my life becomes, the less I take care of myself. I need to carve out time for that and make it part of my routine.

Defunking vibes to @KittenPokerCheater - I hope you and everyone here have a nice weekend.

There are a few things I need to get done, but no special plans for the long weekend. I do have a little work which hopefully won't take long. I'm going to get that out of the way, so I can be somewhat caught up next week.

Edited May 24, 2014 by Endeavour

[AnnieF]

Thanks everyone for the vibes. :) We saw a house this afternoon that we REALLY liked, so we're going to make an offer. This place doesn't have any fixer-upper aspects to it, hooray. Fingers crossed that inspections don't turn up anything major -- this house was built in '67 but rebuilt from studs in '07, so all the mechanical is pretty new. Let's all hope...

Annief, I read "mouse hunting" instead of "house hunting."

Hee, there could defs be some of that, as my dumb ol' kitty is quite the hunter, and there would be opportunity in this yard.

Super-happy long weekend vibes to the USians, and happy weekend to all y'all furriners. ;)

[Harvester]

Thanks for the support everyone. The morning meeting went well, so we shall see.

When I had mice in my old house, my cat did not care. She would see one and look at me as if to say, somebody needs to take care of that shit. After many attempts, I did.

[LittleVoice]

I tend to yo-yo. The more stressful my life becomes, the less I take care of myself. I need to carve out time for that and make it part of my routine.

I hear that. Between work stress and my mom getting sick last fall, my exercise routine was anything but routine, which is dumb because it's such a great stress reliever. And now I'm paying the price. Half my clothes from last summer don't fit anymore.

Good luck on the house offer, AnnieF and on the job, harvester.

Mice. Yuck.

Edited May 24, 2014 by LittleVoice

[Chyna]

I tend to yo-yo. The more stressful my life becomes, the less I take care of myself. I need to carve out time for that and make it part of my routine.

 

 

I hear ya, sister. For me, it's usually work stress, meaning that I spend all my time hovered over my computer and never going to the gym, which causes me literal physical pain. My back and neck get all messed up and hurt like a mf. You'd think that would be enough to remind me to hit the gym, even when time is tight, but it apparently is not.

[Endeavour]

Good luck with the offer AnnieF.

Oh, I'm really bad about incorporating exercise. I like to fit a mile or so walk in daily but that doesn't happen with any regularity. Maybe I'll look into something I can do at home and, if it does help manage stress, all the better (because I have an abundance of that lately). Then I need to suck it up and stop snacking at night.

Edited May 24, 2014 by Endeavour

[AnnieF]

I've got the exercise commitment down, but it took the MS diagnosis to make that happen. I don't really recommend getting a chronic illness just to get your exercise routine on track, though. Seems counter-productive. ;)

Mice. Yuck.

The ones that my cat can catch, mighty hunter that she is, are teeny little field mice. They are freakin' adorable. Until they've been gutted and decapitated, then yeah. Yuck. :)

We really liked the house we saw yesterday, so...onward. We've cancelled the other offer, and now it's time for more inspections, 'cause I can't get enough of those. Wheeee!! Thank you all so much for all the vibes. :)

Edited May 24, 2014 by AnnieF

[Erratic]

I couldn't place Jim Dale so I just looked him up. He was the young 'dashing' straight man on all the 'Carry On' movies. Wow!

Pets are wondeful, but emotionally straining.

Tell me about it. My stupid Silky Terrier with the back problems raced along a second floor roofline and dove onto a concrete patio below yesterday to say hi to a could of dogs walking by our balcony. Luckily, by the time we sprinted downstairs to get her, she had recovered enough to decide to act all tough and aggressive to the two dogs that obviously tricked her into trying to fly. The owners of those dogs were too shaken up to get mad about it, so that was good.

She had a split lip from her five point landing (four paws and chin) but no other damage. Amazing!

@AnnieF - I hope this house offer works out! Best of luck :)

[Loandbehold]

One hour, thirty minutes until Season 2 Episode 6 of Orphan Black.

[Endeavour]

Good luck @AnnieF - will you need to do a lot of inspections like you did on the other house or less?

 

She had a split lip from her five point landing (four paws and chin) but no other damage. Amazing!

 

That must have been scary. I'm glad she's ok.

[AnnieF]

will you need to do a lot of inspections like you did on the other house or less?

@Endeavour, almost certainly fewer. We don't need an arborist to check out a bunch of trees all growing right into the power lines (grr, that still annoys me about the previous house's neighborhood. People of the 50s, stop and think about what you're doing! Heh). Nor will we need multiple opinions on the HVAC system, in all likelihood, since the major mechanical remodel happened on this house in '07, and people have lived there since, so one hopes that if the heating and a/c didn't work, it'd have been fixed by now. And we don't need to check a sewer line; this is septic.

But that does still leave a general inspection, pest inspection, septic* inspection, and pest inspection. Whee!

*TMI time for menstruation stuff: changing to septic from sewer, which is what I've had forever, has finally motivated me to order a Lunacup. I've been meaning to do it and just have been lazy, but now there's a reason to get on it. Anyone familiar with a menstrual cup? Love? Hate? Neutral?

[Erratic]

I haven't any knowledge in that area, but would love to hear how you like it if you go that way.

[trudi-tru]

Anyone familiar with a menstrual cup

I don't even know what that is.

Hoping everything goes well with the inspections and you can finally move, Annie. Then the fun packing part can begin.

 

Erratic, you have on tough little girl.

 

My dog's mast cell under his paw sort of exploded the other day. We have patched him up and are now looking with a surgeon if it's possible to remove it and close it with skin taken from another part of his body.  

I would never in a million years consider plastic surgery for myself, now it looks like I'll do it for the male dog. Heh.

 

On the exercise front, before I started hydrobike, I used Nintendo's Wii for awhile. You can jog and do step aerobics without leaving the house, it's not bad.

 

We had a totally unexpected death yesterday. My aunt's sister in law's husband dropped dead of a heart attack. He was 59 and didn't have heart problems, so it was completely out of the blue. His 14 year old daughter witnessed the event, and I believe hasn't really realized what happened. She went to do an exam right after and when I went to see her yesterday afternoon she was way too cheerful. I'm kinda worried about her.

[Erratic]

That is awful, Trudi. I hope that the girl has a great support group so they can keep an eye on her. Sorry for your family's loss.

It's my last day in the mountains. We are going to do one last bike ride while the parents go to Church. Given how well we've been eating, the bike ride and hikes are only going to lessen the inevitable weight gain and bloating.

[Loandbehold]

My condolences on your and your family's loss, trudi-tru. And, I hope that his daughter is ok, or gets the help she needs if she's not. 

[Chyna]

So sorry, trudi. Vibes to your cousin. She probably just hasn't really accepted what has happened--I'm glad your family will be with her, because it's going to be hard when it hits her in the coming days.

 

Anyone familiar with a menstrual cup?

 

 

I looked into it, but then went with the Mirena IUD and it became a non-issue. Best thing ever.

[Endeavour]

I'm sorry for your loss @trudi-tru and I'll keep you and your family in my thoughts.

Can't help with your question @AnnieF but I'm glad to hear there will be fewer inspections this time around. I hope all goes well.

I did manage to get out for a long walk today. Tomorrow I'm going to stock up on healthy snacks so, when I inevitably start snacking at night, it shouldn't be as bad.

[LittleVoice]

So sorry for your family's loss, trudi, and how awful for the daughter.

[harrie]

trudi-tru, I'm sorry for your and your family's loss. My thoughts are with you all. I hope your cousin is just in shock; it's not unheard of, and everything might hit her later. For what it's worth, my MIL passed after a long, multi-round bout with cancer; and her granddaughter (my niece) was a rock until the funeral, when she started sobbing at the graveside.  Different people react differently.  That being said, I hope your cousin gets any and all the support she needs. 

[trudi-tru]

Thanks guys. You're awesome, as always.

I really hope it hits her sooner rather than later. The funeral is later today and I have the worst cold ever. Weee!

[AnnieF]

I'm so sorry, trudi. I hope the funeral is...well, peaceful, I guess. It's hard to make positive wishes for a funeral, because it's a funeral, but I hope it's not too stressful.

[KittenPokerCheater]

Love and major support Trudi, and also to family and your cousin, who is clearly struggling.  I hope today goes as well as it possibly can.

[Harvester]

Yes, vibes to @trudi and her family.

[trudi-tru]

The funeral was sad, but a nice ceremony, due to the priest being a childhood friend of the deceased.

My cousin is still completely in denial land. She didin't even look sad, it was jarring. Makes you wanna grab her and shake her.

[Earl Is Dead]

Trudi that is so sad.  I'm sorry for your family's loss.  I hope that when your cousin starts to feel the reality of the situation, she's surrounded by a lot of love and support. 

 

I hope that those who had one enjoyed their three day weekend. I'm a little grateful to be back at work because the farm has been a madhouse since Thursday. 

[Boliver]

 

One of my relatives has a dog that's part border collie - craaazzy. Which brings me to my question for Boliver - where did you learn how to handle Cordy? Is there a book you can recommend? Because crazy dog is definitely winning in that house.

I watched a LOT of Dog Whisperer, and it changed our lives. She would not be as relaxed as she is without that education, and the realization that the dog wasn't the one in need of training, I was. Over and over I see people blame their dogs, but they are not willing to do what it takes to get their dog balanced and into a pack mentality. I realize that Milan isn't popular with dog trainers, but every criticism I've seen reeks of BS, having used the techniques and knowing I'm not harming my dog. It's exactly what she needs: exercise, discipline, and affection, in that order.

 

Cordy went to the vet on Friday, and the vet said given her age, Cordy's in primo shape, with fantastic musculature. She may have some pain in her lower spine, so the vet put her on anti-inflammatories, and I'll make a chiropractic appointment for her as soon as they call me back. On Sunday she had a swollen eye, and a $200 trip to the emergency vet and 2 Benadryl later, she's fine. Thank goodness for credit cards.

 

trudi, I'm sorry about the shocking death. I hope his daughter starts to process, or if she has a reason (nobody else knows about) for being okay with him being gone, she stops caring that others are too worried. I'm sorry that my brain even had that thought, but I can't help it. [ETA now I feel like an asshole. I'm sorry.]

Edited May 27, 2014 by Boliver

[harrie]

I watched a LOT of Dog Whisperer, and it changed our lives. She would not be as relaxed as she is without that education, and the realization that the dog wasn't the one in need of training, I was. Over and over I see people blame their dogs, but they are not willing to do what it takes to get their dog balanced and into a pack mentality. I realize that Milan isn't popular with dog trainers, but every criticism I've seen reeks of BS, having used the techniques and knowing I'm not harming my dog. It's exactly what she needs: exercise, discipline, and affection, in that order.

 

 

Boliver, I agree that a lot of trainers roll their eyes at the mention of Millan.  However - and I say this as someone who took the same dog to Basic Obedience class three times -- I find they both do a lot of the same things.  So much of dog training is about consistency, clarity and paying attention to signals; and even my dog trainer guy, whom I like an awful lot, has said it's more about training people than the dog.  Of course I never shared this thought with the dog trainer guy.  Our second dog took a lot of exercise to settle her down, too; fetch saved our sanity. 

 

Over the weekend I saw Chef, Jon Favreau's new flick.  It's not perfect, but it's fairly entertaining, funny, and all feel-good like.  I have a couple of nitpicks but still enjoyed it.  For the food porn alone, it was worth the matinee ticket price.  (Warning:  It will make you hungry, so avoid if necessary.  I should have, for that reason.) 

Edited May 27, 2014 by harrie