Small Talk: The Welcome Mat

[Netfoot]

Woke up this morning at 9:30. Both lights were on and my phone was in my hand. i guess I was tired last night!

Mo was sitting on end of the bed watching me. First thought was to open the front door so he could go out. I started to hustle down the passage, with Mo leading the charge. 

Suddenly, he diverted into the kitchen, and a few seconds later came out again and headed for the front door again. P I peeped into the kitchen. He had peed in there. WHY, you nasty little brute? 

Well, I gave him a very severe telling off, and I have given him the cold shoulder for the entire day. He still got his breakfast and hus his dinner, and I still took him to the club when he jumped into the van. But no pats, cuddles, or snuggles, and any time he has come smooching up to me, I've chased him off. 

And from tomorrow, every time he pees in the house, he will get his nose pushed into it followed by a serious spanking. It isn't like the concept of going out to do your business is beyond him. He hasn't done a poo in the house in the last five months. Maybe the old ways are the best ways.

Not done much else. Had my beans on toast (with egg) this morning for breakfast, but since I don't usually eat breakfast, I skipped lunch. Dinner was diced cucumber, tomato and onion, with a handful of Manzanilla olives. Mixed with some tuna fish, mayo and Bajan pepper sauce, I ate it with a spoon.

I'm supposed to "pop in" to see Dr. Kristi tomorrow so she can tell me how my stress related heart arrhythmia is doing. I dunno why I am bothering. There isn't anything we can do, no matter what she discovers. (Actually, I've been feeling much better since the day after I saw her last. The chillax tablets are obviously doing their job, although I can't say I detect any difference in myself. But maybe it's like Arthur Dent's clockwork brain. I don't notice any differences because I've been programmed not to!)

I've taken Mo for a walk around the garden every night since he came home, armed with a torchlight to keep the scary dark away, and a bucket to discourage any crapaud we might come across. (We have discovered and disposed of a large crapaud every night for the last week or so!) I'm thinking tonight to let him go out and look after his business on his own. I'm not ready to become the loving daddy of a peezie dog just yet. Tomorrow morning, is soon enough. 

Actually, Tuesday is a PT/INR day (as well as the Book-Tent).  Dunno if Dr. K. will want me to come twice, or what. We'll sort it out.

The wheelie bin went out tonight, without any additional 50 gal. trash bags. Since they were here only 4 days ago, it isn't likely they will come tomorrow, but I've given up trying to 2nd guess those guys.

Edited April 4, 2022 by Netfoot

[Rootbeer]

Netfoot, I know you're frustrated with Mo, but please, please do not hit him; he won't understand why and it will only frighten him.  Same with putting his nose in his pee, he won't get the connection.  There are a lot of resources online with advice on housebreaking, but, please don't hit him.  He doesn't understand why you haven't been affectionate with him today either.  He's a beautiful boy and I know you love him and just want him to behave; but he's still a baby.

[Netfoot]

I love Mo. He is a sweet boy. I loved Buddy and Dotty in their times as well. And still do.

The last think I want to do to a little puppy is break him.  Either in body or spirit. Buddy was a rogue and a rapscallion and believe me, Dotty could be quite a naughty fellow too, when he was ready. 

My family have owned a great many dogs over the years. Once in Trinidad, we had sixteen dogs at the same time. From Fraulein Lina the little dachshund to Shylock the Doberman/Alsation cross that required a pound of flesh a day. And every single one of those dogs was loved and looked after. Not one was ever required to live on a chain. But each and every single one of them was house-trained with the same technique. Nose in the puddle, newspaper to the rump.

With Mo, I thought I'd try the more modern methods recommended by every expert in real life, and online. But it's over 5 months now, and Mo still thinks it's fine to pee indoors. He will have the open door directly in front of him, and will pee inside rather than take a few steps to get outside first. He will be outside, and will deliberately come inside to pee. The front door opens at first light and closes towards midnight so he is never trapped inside and unable to get out. He gets taken out just prior to bedtime so he has a chance to go to bed with his bladder empty. And he can (and has) woken me at every hour to let him out, if he needs it

I'm afraid I've had enough. If he pees inside the house from now, he won't get a dressing down or threats. I will put his nose in the puddle and spank him good, and throw him outside to think about it. He's growing up to be a part of a society so he can't act in such an anti-social way and get away with it.

When he was a little puppy I cleaned up his puddles and his piles and thought nothing about having to do so, but he is becoming a big dog now. They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, so I will have to teach him now, before he gets too old.

Believe me, I don't like to do it this way, which is why I've spent five months trying a lot of other techniques. But this is going to happen, because I can't have my floor awash with dog-pee just because he can't be bothered to go outside. I am tired of cooking myself a meal, walking towards the table with my plate, and Sploosh! A puddle to clean up and a shower to take while my meal gets cold.

I'm done. His ass is grass. If he won't learn, he will get licks every day for the remainder of his life.

If someone has a magic method, speak up quick!

Edited April 4, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

I decided to have cheeseburgers for dinner. Along with chips. (What the colonists to the north call "french fries".) Rather than cut my chips like fingers, I figured thin, round slices. 

I sliced the tomato with my mandolin. I sliced the potato on the mandolin. I sliced the the onion with the mandolin. I sliced my finger too, but not with the mandolin, with the knife I used to slice the cheese!

I wasn't too confident about the chips. Nut But they came out great. Golden brown, and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. (The mandolin slices are a little under an eighth of an inch thick.) The onion fried up nicely next to the hamburger patties (100% beef, unfortunately). The cheese melted onto the top of the patties. The wholewheat buns with a very thin smear of mayo, the cheesy patty, cucumber and tomato with a sprinkle of salt, and the round chips on the side. I was surprised how nice this went down!

Gotta see Dr. Kristi tomorrow. She had a funeral to attend today (not a patient!). Have to get a PT/INR as well, and the Book-Tent ladies will be out tomorrow too. (A savvy poster suggested scouring the tent for cook-books on baking and ovening generally!) Gotta buy some marmalade. Peanut butter works OK on toast, but toast was designed for marmalade!

Need a couple things from the pharmacy, too.

 

Edited April 5, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Mo and I went out this morning, first to Dr. Kristi, who drew blood for the PT/INR and also spent a long while listening to my heart. Normal Sinus Rhythm. Can't complain for that.

Off to the mall to buy a plate and a cookie sheet. Remember the large glass plate that Mo somebody broke a week or so ago? Replacement (looks identical to me) fourteen bucks and change. A cookie sheet was seventy nine bucks. I thought that was crazy until I saw a different one for eighty seven. The plate came home but the cookie sheet didn't. To be fair, there was a cookie sheet for only twenty seven bucks, but it had no rim. If you cooked anything on that and it juiced on you, the juice would be all over the bottom of the oven. Nope. Nope. Nope-nope-Nope!

Down to the supermarket, where I had a chat with Buddies ladies

I say Buddies because the plate came in bubble-wrap. Bud loved bubble-wrap. Give him a sheet of bubble-wrap and it was like a kid with a pop-gun, going Pop! Pop! Pop! All afternoon long.

They did have a small section on cookery books. I was looking for the one called "Cooking Delicious, Cheap Meals In The Oven With Minimal ingredients, No Talent and Without Any Special Ovenware At All" but strangely enough, they didn't have a copy of that.

So I bought a book called "Easy Chicken" with 150 different recipes, one per page with a matching photo so beautiful it is enough to give you a hardon. I suppose at least some of those will be oven-cooked and the others... well, there are stove-top burners too. One buck. 

I also bought a much larger book called "The New Classic 1000 Recipes" Not so heavy on the sexy photos but plenty of detail on the recipes. Chapters include Pastry, Pies & Pizza, Breads, Cakes, Biscuits Cookies and Scones, plus many other chapters on various types of meat and vegetables. Again, at least some of this have to be ovened, right. Two bucks. 

I also bought four novels which I hope will be escapist rubbish just interesting enough to hold my attention. Unlike the piece of crap I've been reading now for what, two weeks? Anf have not gotten past chapter one and can't remember who anyone is by name. I don't usually give up on a book easily, but I think I'm just going to call this the exception that proves the rule and bin it.

Bought some meds from the pharmacy, plus a few veggies, tins, some soy sauce, cheese, milk, etc. Gave the plantains a miss because they looked shady. And left the mushies and jalapenos because $$$.

On the way out we stopped for Mo th to have some cuddle-time with his ladies. One of them had a photo of Mo's brother Cooper, all brown and a bigger puppy than Mo by a fair amount. (We've actually met Cooper in person at the vet on a couple of occasions.) Mo then picked my pocket and donated a twenty to The Ark. I wish he'd pinched a tenner, because things are hard, but hey! Without The Ark, there would be no unique Mos and Coopers for discerning folks to adopt, and we'd all be stuck with sickly, pure-bread, cookie-cutter pooches of large value and small character. 

We had Tiffin around 3:00 and I'm sorry to report that Molasses likes toast and marmalade. He's been very sweet all day, despite escaping twice and requiring that I give chase all around the neighborhood. I dunno what he weighs now, but it can't be far short of a ton, seeing as I had to carry him back from his last escapade, and it was no easy task. (He also escaped Sunday evening and my neighbor down the road who had years of practice catching runnaway Buddy caught him for me.)

I'm tired. Dr. K. says her chill-pills shouldn't cause me to be sleepy, but if they have relieved stress - which they obviously have - it will allow normal tiredness to play it's part and pop me off to sleep naturally. That will probably happen within the next 3-4 minutes.....

 

Edited April 6, 2022 by Netfoot

[Spunkygal]

As you can surmise from previous posts, I love kitchenalia, yes that’s a thing! So seeing your posts about a mandolin caused me grief. My precious mother made homemade potato slices (in a round form) my entire life. But when we cleared her house, I passed on her mandolin. Wow, it was primitive and there was no protection from slicing a finger off.  I always marveled at her deft process of rapidly slicing potatoes so we could have the most amazing potato chips ever. I knew I would lose several fingers if I used that beauty. But I do wish I had kept it, well, for old times sake. 😥

[luv2lurk]

1 hour ago, Spunkygal said:

As you can surmise from previous posts, I love kitchenalia, yes that’s a thing! So seeing your posts about a mandolin caused me grief. My precious mother made homemade potato slices (in a round form) my entire life. But when we cleared her house, I passed on her mandolin. Wow, it was primitive and there was no protection from slicing a finger off.  I always marveled at her deft process of rapidly slicing potatoes so we could have the most amazing potato chips ever. I knew I would lose several fingers if I used that beauty. But I do wish I had kept it, well, for old times sake. 😥

A couple of decades ago I purchased one of those plastic mandolins that had a sharp blade but all the accessories to shape things were plastic. It also has a hand thingy with prongs to insert the vegetables before cutting. But it wasn't always stable and one time I did get a cut slicing corn (still have a scar from that). Plus there was always vegetable left over that had to be hand cut. Now corn on the cob gets cut with a knife. But I would still use it now (carefully) to slice onions for onion soup. And perhaps potatoes for scalloped potatoes.

But speaking of gadgets from our mothers, one of many I kept when I cleared the family house was from the 60's era - Veg-O-Matic. This was how potatoes for scalloped potatoes were sliced when I was growing up.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veg-O-Matic

I have no idea how my Mother got it, but it has been restored to use recently to cut perfect French fries (or chips as the British would call them). Chop, soak in water, dry then into the Air Fryer with minimal oil.

[luv2lurk]

5 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Off to the mall to buy a plate and a cookie sheet. Remember the large glass plate that Mo somebody broke a week or so ago? Replacement (looks identical to me) fourteen bucks and change. A cookie sheet was seventy nine bucks. I thought that was crazy until I saw a different one for eighty seven. The plate came home but the cookie sheet didn't. To be fair, there was a cookie sheet for only twenty seven bucks, but it had no rim. If you cooked anything on that and it juiced on you, the juice would be all over the bottom of the oven. Nope. Nope. Nope-nope-Nope!

Down to the supermarket, where I had a chat with Buddies ladies

They did have a small section on cookery books. I was looking for the one called "Cooking Delicious, Cheap Meals In The Oven With Minimal ingredients, No Talent and Without Any Special Ovenware At All" but strangely enough, they didn't have a copy of that.

So I bought a book called "Easy Chicken" with 150 different recipes, one per page with a matching photo so beautiful it is enough to give you a hardon. I suppose at least some of those will be oven-cooked and the others... well, there are stove-top burners too. One buck. 

I also bought a much larger book called "The New Classic 1000 Recipes" Not so heavy on the sexy photos but plenty of detail on the recipes. Chapters include Pastry, Pies & Pizza, Breads, Cakes, Biscuits Cookies and Scones, plus many other chapters on various types of meat and vegetables. Again, at least some of this have to be ovened, right. Two bucks. 

 

Congrats on your excellent cook book purchases, they will give you inspiration to decide what you really need to purchase for oven cooking.

I just about had a heart attack when you said the price of cookie sheets, so happy you left them in the store!

[Netfoot]

The stuff my mum had that (presumably) went into a skip when she died! A fondue set I bought her for Christmas one year that was put away so carefully it never got used is just one item that springs to mind. She had a boat motor blender. An electric carving knife. 

She had pans of every shape and size for baking bread, pies, cakes, as well as savoury stuff like mackie pie and meatloaf. She had pizza pans of every size: small, medium, large, huge and ridiculous. Multiple muffin pans, cookie sheets, Bundt pans, spring-form pans in every size. She had dohickies for holding roasts over a drip pan. She had thingamajiggies I have no idea what they were for. All gone now, alas.

 

[andidante]

I'm still trying to get over the price of the cookie sheet! Do you know why it was so much?

[Netfoot]

40 minutes ago, andidante said:

I'm still trying to get over the price of the cookie sheet! Do you know why it was so much?

Ukraine!

Who knows? Things are just expensive here. By the way, those prices are in Dollarettes, so the price in US would be half. But that don't help me since I don't get paid in US......

 

[Lovecat]

Are there any secondhand stores around, or do folks have yard sales (garage sales/tag sales/rummage sales) on the weekend?  I’ve found that’s a good way to find gently used kitchen ware on a budget.  I still have a slightly dented roasting pan I got for a buck at a yard sale in 1992…like the lady I bought it from said, cakes taste the same whether the pan is dented or not!

[Netfoot]

3 hours ago, Lovecat said:

Are there any secondhand stores around, or do folks have yard sales (garage sales/tag sales/rummage sales) on the weekend?  I’ve found that’s a good way to find gently used kitchen ware on a budget.  I still have a slightly dented roasting pan I got for a buck at a yard sale in 1992…like the lady I bought it from said, cakes taste the same whether the pan is dented or not!

I'd love to go to a few yard sales and see what they have. Unfortunately, you have to drive around looking for them. I'm not aware of any way to know about what sales are happening where without you see a cardboard sign stapled to a telephone pole somewhere telling you about a sale on Sunday. And when you see a sign like that, they are usually for last Sunday...

I've been thinking about suction sales, too. But you're more likely to find second hand furniture and appliances than... What's the word? Kitchenalia!

ETA: made lunch consisting of minced beef with diced potatoes, carrots, cucumber and onion, also some sweet pepper and broccoli, and cooked it in a wide, covered pan over a low flame, with a little EVOO. Spiced with dried cilantro, garlic powder and a little red pepper flakes (just acquired a jar, surprising how spicy they are!)

I was sure it was going to be hororshow, with some of the ingredients overcooked and others inedibly raw. To my surprise, it all turned out smashing, and I wish I'd cooked enough for two meals. But I guess it wouldn't hurt to eat something light tonight. 

But first, some more toast and marmalade for tea, with a mug of char to go with it. Come to think of it, I have a bloody great teapot, somewhere! Why don't I try to find that and see if I can get it running again? Yes tastes so much better from a pot.

Ever tell you about my first experience with drinking tea in the USA? I was stuck in an aeroport somewhere. Think it was O'Hare, waiting to catch s puddle-jumper to Dayton. Went to this little food stand in the middle of the concourse and asked for a cup of tea. This guy took my money, handed me a teabag and turned away. "And what," I asked, "am I to do with this? Suck it?" He was not amused!

Going to see what mischief Mo is up to, and try to take his photo.....

Edited April 6, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

I'm watching a movie called "Moonfall". 

Don't.

It's 2+ hours of unadulterated shit. And this from a Sci-Fi aficionado! Save your money. Save your time. And save your brain-cells.

It would be physically impossible to smoke enough hashish to make this movie bearable. Take the word of someone who saw the 1978 Battlestar Galactica movie!

 

[dbklmt]

10 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

I'm watching a movie called "Moonfall". 

Don't.

It's 2+ hours of unadulterated shit. And this from a Sci-Fi aficionado! Save your money. Save your time. And save your brain-cells.

It would be physically impossible to smoke enough hashish to make this movie bearable. Take the word of someone who saw the 1978 Battlestar Galactica movie!

 

Here's what one of the reviews I saw said about it...

A disaster film that knows what it is. It's epic, with some cool visuals and some entertaining performances. April 4, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review… Moonfall is every bit as big, loud and stupid as you'd expect, but Roland Emmerich's latest disaster epic is also an unforgivably dull slog.

Since it's on one of my streaming services that I pay for  and I'm a glutton for punishment I'll probably watch it.  Will let you know what I think after I attempt to watch it.

[Netfoot]

1 minute ago, dbklmt said:

Since it's on one of my streaming services that I pay for  and I'm a glutton for punishment I'll probably watch it.  Will let you know what I think after I attempt to watch it.

Stock up on hashish first.

[Netfoot]

Well, I said I'd eat something light for dinner. And what could be lighter than no dinner at all?

It isn't a problem. When I was a starving student, many is the night I went to bed hungry. For a period of about 10 months I ate one meal every two days. I can even tell you what it was: potatoes boiled, then fried in oil with onions, and topped with a red kidney beans.

When things got really bad a friend and I resorted to "baglatoots" (we made up the most ridiculous name we could think of). To make baglatoots you mix flour with water to create a sort of rubbery dough. If you can afford it, you add salt to taste. Then you rolled the dough into balls, smashed them flat and fried then in oil, lard or what ever. If you got them right, they were crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle. And of course, completely devoid of taste. If you got them wrong, they were like small cobblestones.

Now, Trinis make a very similar thing to this called "bakes" or occasionally "floats" (Which are never baked.) Frequently eaten with either salt fish (like buljol) or, especially at Maracas, with fried shark. But Trini bakes contain more than just flour and water. Baking powder or yeast, for starters.

So tomorrow, I will have breakfast (a rarity for me) and then spend the morning deciding between fettuccine or penne for lunch. Dinner will probably be bangers and mash. 

Also looking out for SSA because my bin (which has been out since Sunday night) still hasn't been cleared. Last week they didn't clear until Thursday, but who knows? Maybe it will be Friday this week. Once upon a time, when they came twice a week, they actually skipped my neighborhood for 22 full days. I'm convinced they finally did come back only because people started driving their garbage to the Minister's house and throwing the bags over his gate! (Not me, of course. I would never!)

[Netfoot]

Beans on toast for breakfast. With with ham and eggs, and two slices of toast with marmalade and a mug of tea. Yes, I found the teapot. It was filthy and I have not cleaned it to my satisfaction as yet.

Lunch was two cheeseburgers similar to a recent meal, with everything cut on the mandolin except the cheese. Lunch tasted great but I forgot to fry some potatoes. I really didn't miss them. 

Dinner was bangers and mash. I preferred powdered mash because I can add things like garlic powder, dried basil and red pepper flakes, plus a chunk of red butter while reconstituting the spuds. But it's been a while, so I ended up with a very large portion of mash. I fried the sausages and a thinly sliced onion (mandolin again) then deglazed the pan to make a nice gravy for the mash. 

It was good but it was too mucho, so Mo got himself a second meal of mash and two bangers, which I cut into pieces he could handle more easily. I could have saved the excess mash and fried it into some sort of fritters tomorrow, but I couldn't be bothered. 

It's Thursday night and the wheelie bin I rolled out on Sunday still hasn't been emptied. So, four days waiting on SSA to come cart it away. If they don't come tomorrow, I'll have to try and remember where the Minister's house is again...

[Netfoot]

My boy with his latest outfit!

 

Progression...

[andidante]

I love the colors!

[Netfoot]

Heated debate ongoing about a model seen in a video. Everyone is saying it is an English Electric Lightning. While the "English Electric" name was commonly used for all these aircraft, in fact it is a version of the Lightning, built under license by BAe (not English Electric). This Lightning is by BAe 

Whereas this one is by the original manufacturer English Electric.

You can clearly see the difference in the shape of the tip of the tailfin. The EE one is rounded whereas the BAe one is flattened.

Notice that both aircraft are pointed nearly straight up. This was the Lightning's party trick. It would lift off the ground, bring up the main gear and generally clean up the airframe, then pull the stick back and pour on the sauce. One minute later you'd be at 50,000 feet, the sky would have turned black and the stars come out. It was called the "Thunder & Lightning" takeoff because the afterburners made so much noise.

Check out a real Lightning takeoff in this YouTube video.

This aircraft, introduced in 1960, was not only capable of supersonic flight, but could fly at twice the speed of sound, and was capable of supersonic flight straight up. Anecdotally, it's the only aircraft to intercept a U2 spy-plane. The U2 was flying at 88,000 feet and didn't see the Lightning coming, because the Lightning jumped him from above.

Once upon a time, there was a company in South Africa that maintained a fleet of retired military aircraft, and for a fee you could book a flight. I priced out a flight in a Lightning, including a "thunder & Lightning" climb to operational height. Came to about US$8,500 including airfare and hotel, plus some general sightseeing in SA.

When I went to book, I learned they had discontinued the service 8 months earlier. I've always said I never shed a single tear. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

If you remember an old comedy movie called "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines", at the very end, as the old Curtis, Farnams, Demoiselles etc reached the finish line to general jubilation, in contrast, four modern jets come blasting overhead and in an instant are gone. They were Lightnings.

 

 

 

 

[Netfoot]

Apparently, Mo likes French toast.

He is "hiding" outside this morning, ever since I asked him if he could explain why a bag of charcoal briquettes was suspiciously damp. (He stopped hiding long enough to sample the toast.)

I'd love to take him for a drive up to the club, but I'm low on gas and even lower on cash.

I'll go give him his morning meal now. He normally gets fed late in the morning and early in the evening, plus a soupçon when ever it is my mealtime.

Sleeping on the garage floor.

Waking up when food is discussed.

ETA: The wheelie-bin is empty, so I guess SSA came bright and early this morning...

Edited April 9, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Mo has been with me 25 weeks now. And all that time, when he peed, he stooped down with his two hind legs and let go.

Last three days, he's been raising a leg and cutting loose sideways, like Buddy and Dotty used to do. I take it this is a sign he's growing up. 

He has also mastered the art of jumping on top of you in such a way his feet land in an obviously targeted pattern.

Bud didn't like me laying on my right side to read. Mo doesn't care which side you lay on bit either way, he will use his front claws and teeth to wrench your upper arm behind your back so he can play with it. Often seeming to want to dislocate your shoulder in the process.

I think he is part panther. Not only the colouration, nit only the tendency to pounce, but the inability to sleep at night, the constant demand to be let out, and the noisy activity that continues all night long if you do let him out. What Mo doesn't understand is that if he keeps the neighbors up at night too often, they will poison him dead! I obviously don't expect him to realize this. But I really wish he would just learn to go to bed as normal, when the lights go out!

I like his black & red collar. I didn't ask for any opinions on colouration because when I tested the last one I found it was very tight, so a new one was made as soon as possible. I pulled out the first two colours and they went together well. Mind you, I've done red/black Paracord projects before so I know the colour combination works, I just have been avoiding black due to his colouration. I'm now thinking if the time ever comes for me to buy him a "proper" collar with his name and phone number on it (like Budweiser had) I might get it in black with scarlet embroidered name & number. 

Anyway, I'm tired (again) so I will pop off to sleep now! I won't even look at my new book, which is about the passing of great king Alfred and the actions of the Viking and Danish groups who are all set to demolish Alfred's kingdom for their own personal gain and the Saxons who oppose them, for the good of England. 

 

[Netfoot]

They emptied the wheely-bin only yesterday, so I didn't bother to put it out tonight. This almost guarantees they will.ba around to collect first thing tomorrow.

Scrounged around under the sofa cushions (so to speak) and found a few groats so I out some gas in the car and took Mo up to the club. He and I went for our usual walk around the property, then I sat in the shade while he played a game which involved running back and forth at maximum speed.

It was a bit on the windy side, and while that wouldn't usually stop anyone flying, we sat around instead, with a collection of broken models, discussing best methods of repair along with an analysis of how they got re-kitted in the first place, and ideas how to prevent that sort of accident from reoccurring. 

(Many models come in the form of a kit of parts. Even if you are building from scratch, you start by creating your own kit if parts before assembly begins. A model which experiences "unexpected gravity fluctuations" and strikes the ground hard, disassembling as a result, is said to have "re-kitted" itself. Modelers have a large, specialized vocabulary of words and phrases that we use when there is a mishap with a model. Especially someone else's model. One of my favourites, used preemptively, is "Is that all it can do?" to which any seasoned modeler will laugh at you because they will know what you're doing. A new pilot, however, will take this as an insult to the flight capability of his model as well as his piloting skill and will promptly engage in high energy aerobatic manoeuvres which usually end with the wing ripping itself off the model at 400 feet altitude and 100 MPH. The wing flutters down slowly like a dandelion seed, but the fuselage usually torpedoes straight down, forcing the engine to be dug out of the ground with a shovel.)

I stood on a piece of rusty metal tonight when I took Mo out for his pre-bedtime stroll. It punched straight through the bottom of the Croc I was wearing and embedded itself into the sole of my foot. Essentially nailing the Croc on. I had to hobble painfully back off the lawn to somewhere I could lean on something and stand on one leg while I un-nailed my foot. I can't remember the last time I had a tetanus shot. Dr. Kristi could check the file, but I'm not harassing her three Mondays in a row. If the foot turns green I will go in and talk to her about it.

Gave Mo sardines with his lunch and he was very suspicious of them. By dinner time, however, he demanded more sardines most strongly, only barely failing to stamp his feet when they were not immediately available.

Going to call it quits, now...

[Spunkygal]

Yikes! Rusty metal in one’s foot is definitely something to call Dr. K about! Hop to it—pun intended! 

[Netfoot]

5 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Yikes! Rusty metal in one’s foot is definitely something to call Dr. K about! Hop to it—pun intended! 

Silly Wabbit! It isn't still in my foot. I pulled it out right away!

It's not even sore. Fear not. If it starts to hurt or show any signs of going bad, I will be round there so fast your head will spin!

My mun mum used to day say we West Indians were a hardy lot, because (to quote her) "If we're eating duncs we don't bother to wash them first. We just wipe off any bird-shit we find as we go."

In the mean time... Lunch?

Mo peed on the floor again last night, then came and woke me with such a suspicious lot of lovey-dovey behaviour I just knew there was a puddle to clean up. But he's been hiding and running away so skillfully I haven't had a chance to even speak to him about it yet. Let me go and see if I can find him. (Probably dunning sunning himself in front of the van...)

Dontcha just hate it when some people are do so cute they just get away with murder?

Edited April 11, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Took a nap. Was awoken by a puppy jumping directly on the "Speedo" area. 😠

Then came some one-legged Cardio. This is when you run hop around the yard, for exercise.

This always sounds interesting and amusing, but... If you have a minute to listen to some heavy breathing, growling (me, not the puppy) and use of foul language and threats of violence, you could always watch this video. Then you might get an idea how amusing it really is...

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Netfoot

[dbklmt]

42 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

Took a nap. Was awoken by a puppy jumping directly on the "Speedo" area. 😠

Then came some one-legged Cardio. This is when you run hop around the yard, for exercise.

This always sounds interesting and amusing, but... If you have a minute to listen to some heavy breathing, growling (me, not the puppy) and use of foul language and threats of violence, you could always watch this video. Then you might get an idea how amusing it really is...

 

Did you ever get the shoe?

[Netfoot]

3 minutes ago, dbklmt said:

Did you ever get the shoe?

Yes, eventually. It took a lot longer than the video showed. 

You have to use psychology. You have to find the most interesting rock in the world! Then you ignore the shoe and go all gaa-gaa over the rock. Pretty soon Curiosity Catches The Doggie.

[luv2lurk]

You need to get that dog a frisbee and or tennis ball - then he *might* leave your shoe alone.

[Netfoot]

He has a tennis ball. A frisbee might not be a bad idea though...

I could make a sort of flying toy / boomerang, etc, but he would actually eat it. He'd eat a frisbee too, but it might take longer.

[Netfoot]

Second day in a row I've had issues with water. It hasn't been off all the time, only when I need it. 

So, there was no water to cook dinner with, and I had to go raid Mo's mobile water can (about 5 liters) which I keep in the car for when we go to the cliff. There was enough water in there for two cups of tea, so that was my dinner. I hope there is going to be water when it's time for breakfast tomorrow...

I've been hearing a lot if talk about impending food shortages, and the word "famine" has come up more than once. When we were first learning about athlete's foot a couple years ago, and there was talk of lockdowns, nobody could suggest how severe or for how long those lockdowns might be. Well, I live in the hurricane belt and I know how disruptive they can be, and how long it can take for recovery to begin, far less be complete.

Anyway, I went out in the week's leading up to the first day of lockdowns, and laid in supplies. I bought loads of corned beef, tuna fish, beans (dry and tinned), rice, pasta, powdered potatoes, etc. I filled my freezer to the brim with chicken, beef, pork, frozen veggies, etc. Plus flour, cornmeal, etc.

You can't really stockpile fresh, but I worked out that I could feed myself and Buddy for 4-5 months, and even longer if it became apparent after a while, that rationing would be necessary.

Well, since then, I've been eating much of the stockpile. We were locked down for 56 days, after which it became possible to visit the supermarket for fresh veggies, etc. So those months of food have lasted years, supplemented by fresh purchases. 

And now that my emergency stockpile is almost all gone, we are hearing about famine?

When I was a handsome 18 year old boy (yes, I actually was, once upon a time) I used to stop at the Fruit & Vegetable market on the way home every Friday and buy a little, decorative pepper plant in a little pot. 50p or something like that. Not because I wanted to eat the peppers (Bajan pepper sauce was shipped to me regularly) and not really because the plant looked cute (even though it did). I bought that potted plant every Friday because the tall, willowy blonde who sold it to me was cute! Very cute.

I thought I was in there, until one day she asked me how many pepper plants I now had at home. And I had to admit that the answer was none. Because if I bought a healthy plant on Friday afternoon, by the following Tuesday or Wednesday, it would be stone dead. No matter how hard I tried, no matter what I did or refrained from doing, that little potted plant she sold me each week was doomed.

I mention this so you will understand why I have no money-trees growing in my back yard. Nor anything else that I could eat. So there had better not be any food shortages, far less famines in the the imminent future. 

I used to keep Dotty and Buddy for use as emergency meals, but Mo isn't big enough yet to provide more than a single small pot full of stew! Or a medium sized pot of soup, if you could find some ground provisions to add in to it. Besides, Mo is such an ornery cuss I very much doubt he would be very palatable. 

[Netfoot]

For the third night in a row, no water. There is just enough of a trickle to keep the toilets full, a slow stream enough to use for cooking (but insufficient for washing up) and absolutely nothing coming out of the shower.

I had a good lunch today, penne pasta in a red sauce (onion and tomato) with Trinidadian beans and a few spices. I was hungry so there was none left for dinner, especially after Mo took his larger than usual share. 

Anyway, I can't even begin to remember what I had for dinner, or even if I had any dinner at all. 

For tomorrow, I have white cabbage, some pak choy, tomatoes, onions and even christophenes someone gave me. But since I'm not terribly fond of them, I never learned to cook them. Meat wise, I have tinned fish and beef, and frozen chicken and sausages. Also got plenty of spuds, both powdered and whole. 

But according to my computer I am running low on meds of various sort, so perhaps I shall go out and buy myself replenishments and at the same time maybe stick stock up on a few things like breadfruit and plantains. Can't remember the last time I bought a breadfruit. And the plantains have been very sad looking, last few times. Hell, I might even buy an avocado pear, if I can find a decent one. But not one of those horrible, black,  warty things you guys eat. No, I want a nice, green, Pollock pear that rattles when you shake it (so you know it's ripe).

We had a tree by the front door when we lived in TnT that grew pears 15" tall. We used to have a picture of one next to a 40 oz. bottle of rum for comparison. The trouble was our dog Shylock loved avocado. And if we heard one fall, it was a race to see who would get there first (usually him). We had to get a long bamboo pole and add a ring with a bag on it so the fruit could be picked before it dropped. 

The tree was pretty tall, the one on the back yard was twice as tall, but the pears were nowhere as big, maybe only 8-10 inches max. But I only need a small one, maybe 8" tall and rattling.

I wouldn't mind finding a nice shaddock either! Can't recall when last I saw them for sale. But I will have to check my meds to see if grapefruit is banned by any if of then them. If grapefruit us is, you can bet a shaddock would be! I remember years ago we took a house down Cattlewash and used to get up early to watch the sun rise out of the sea. Every night I would peel and pick the pith completely off a shaddock, wrap it in plastic and put it in the fridge. That way we are cikd ate cold shaddock as we sat on the balcony and watched the sunrise.

I wonder why I kept keep talking about food? Maybe I should get some crackers and cheddar. Or peanut butter. Or cheddar and peanut butter. Mo would probably help me with any excess....

Yep, I will go see what I have in the fridge to eat with crackers. Come to think of it, I have cream cheese!

 

Edited April 14, 2022 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

Got to sleep with the sun already in the sky, and when I awoke, I remembered this is a 4-day weekend. Went to the pharmacy to top up on supplies but they refused to help, even though I couldn't get back before next Tuesday.

No breadfruit. No avocados that didn't look like toads. Plenty of plantains but small ones. Bought six. Got some pumpkin, some cucumber, some sweet potatoes.

Bought a big piece of cheap clod which I will slice up and put in my soup/stew. Also two pig-feet for flavour, but they will be picked out when the cooking is done and Mo will get them. I also bought him some beef heel.

After months of only whole pepper corns (black, white, red, green) being available, I finally found some black pepper I can just use without having to buy a blasted pepper mill.

Brought bread, crackers, cherry jam, rough-cut marmalade and more cream cheese and peanut butter. Breakfasts or lightish lunch or dinner.

Came home and spent the remainder of the afternoon nodding off in front of the computer. Didn't take a nap; hope to just go in and go off to sleep early. Please, Mo, no bullshit tonight!

I am reading an interesting book about royal succession in Britain, the 900's when the country is still divided between the Danes and the Saxons, and every landowner with a 30-man "army" Good as it is, can have a major effect on the outcome. Interesting as it is, it won't take a whole chapter to put me off to sleep tonight. Providing Mo won't make a circus of the  entire night.

[andidante]

Forgive me if I missed it Netfoot, but what is happening with your water (or lack of)? Did it get shut off by someone?

[Netfoot]

2 hours ago, andidante said:

Forgive me if I missed it Netfoot, but what is happening with your water (or lack of)? Did it get shut off by someone?

Just low water pressure. I think Barbados is slightly below Kuwait when it comes to water resources.

Fortunately, I was able to have a good shower a short while ago, before falling into bed. I also checked the puncture wound @Spunkygal, and I could hardly find it, and for a while I was not sure I was even looking at the correct foot.

Took baby out for his pre-bedtime stroll and there is a Mad Bull flying downwind of us and is making it's traditional V1 "Buzzbomb" noise. It's been there for days (or nights, actually). It is kite season, after all.

Easter Sunday has traditionally been a day for kite flying, even though the higher winds usually die away by Easter. (Kite season is also Gliding season, by the way.)

The Mad Bull kite is most popular here and is just called a kite. In Trinidad they refer to it specifically as a Mad Bull to distinguish it from the more common square kites built down there by kids.

These kites are designed to roar while flying, and can be a PITA when someone upwind launches one that spends the next 2-3 weeks a few hundred feet over your house, roaring away nonstop! Fortunately the one I hear when I take Mo out at night is downwind of me and not very noisy from where I live. I must try to remember to go out in daylight and see if I can see it. Decorating your kite can be a matter of pride!

Years ago when I was a student living at 16 Rugby Place in Kemptown, I described the Mad Bull kite and they called me a liar. "A kite can't make noise!" They insisted. Obviously, I was round the shops that afternoon buying 1 meter bamboo canes, string and tissue paper. Flour & water glue was used and a white kite was made which flew in our street and growled a bit. 

But kites are to be pretty, so I obtained coloured tissue and did a design in red, orange and yellow. We took it out onto the nearby putting green, not far from the famous Roedean School and flew it there. It roared so loudly it stopped traffic on the nearby coastal highway!

Unfortunately, I'd not made it out of the best materials so we only got to fly it a few times before it started falling apart. My friend Lynn asked for it and used it as a wall decoration in her flat. 

In the 40 something years since then, Lynn has moved to San Francisco, but she took the kite with her and I believe she still has it decorating some part of her house. She certainly did for a very long time! I should really send a WhatsApp and ask if she still has it and if so, would she send me a picture. But getting Lynn to respond to a text, email or WhatsApp is like pulling teeth. From a turtle.

 

Edited April 15, 2022 by Netfoot

[luv2lurk]

Hearing your story of kites reminded me of the book - The Kite Runner which is set in Afghanistan starting in the mid 70's. I originally purchased the book about 15 years ago to try and understand why my country (Canada) was involved in military conflict there. I re-read it this past summer and thought nothing has changed for those poor people. And that was before the bungled evacuation and what has happened since.

I would also recommend a book by the same author -  A Thousand Splendid Suns which continues the story.

To be clear - these are fiction, but I think strongly rooted in reality.

[Netfoot]

44 minutes ago, luv2lurk said:

Hearing your story of kites reminded me of the book - The Kite Runner which is set in Afghanistan starting in the mid 70's. 

I bought and read that book when first it came out, and funnily enough, I saw it again just a few days ago! But I can't remember where (I have books all over the house).

I can't remember any details, so it might be a good candidate for a re-read!

[Netfoot]

Video of Mad Bull kite, flying near my home. Before you watch: It's about 1:15 long, and is noisy. Not noise from the kite, I'm afraid, but  just general traffic noise, wind noise, and general racket.

If you do look, there is a tree that sticks up above the mall next door to my house. You will see a little dot swaying back and forth above this tree and shifting from side to side. Sometimes the kite vanishes behind the tree for a few seconds.

The kite is bright orange, about 3 to 4 feet in diameter and between noisy cars can clearly be heard by my ears, unfortunately, wind noise makes that a non-starter on this film. Because nighttime is usually quieter, kite noises are more clearly heard.

I had to take about 12 videos before I could get even one that showed the kite, and did so at Zoom #4. Then I had to run stabilization on the video and finally crop it down to about a quarter of it's original size. I think it's about 400 meters from my house.

I don't believe this is the kite I've been hearing at night because it is North and East of me whereas the kite from previous nights was West, but with the  setting sun, there was nothing to see in the western sky this afternoon. If I get a chance to get a better (closer) look at a kite I will post it here.

Heard back from Lynn, who says regretfully the old kite made 40+ years ago finally fell to sust dust some time ago. She says she might have a photo but that it will take some searching for. And it's Lynn we're talking about. The miracle that she answered me at all in less than a year is probably as much as I can expect.

ETA: Went out with him a Moment ago, and despite it being a quiet night, I heard no kite noises at all!

Edited April 16, 2022 by Netfoot

[dbklmt]

6 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

Video of Mad Bull kite, flying near my home. Before you watch: It's about 1:15 long, and is noisy. Not noise from the kite, I'm afraid, but  just general traffic noise, wind noise, and general racket.

If you do look, there is a tree that sticks up above the mall next door to my house. You will see a little dot swaying back and forth above this tree and shifting from side to side. Sometimes the kite vanishes behind the tree for a few seconds.

The kite is bright orange, about 3 to 4 feet in diameter and between noisy cars can clearly be heard by my ears, unfortunately, wind noise makes that a non-starter on this film. Because nighttime is usually quieter, kite noises are more clearly heard.

I had to take about 12 videos before I could get even one that showed the kite, and did so at Zoom #4. Then I had to run stabilization on the video and finally crop it down to about a quarter of it's original size. I think it's about 400 meters from my house.

I don't believe this is the kite I've been hearing at night because it is North and East of me whereas the kite from previous nights was West, but with the  setting sun, there was nothing to see in the western sky this afternoon. If I get a chance to get a better (closer) look at a kite I will post it here.

Heard back from Lynn, who says regretfully the old kite made 40+ years ago finally fell to sust some time ago. She says she might have a photo but that it will take some searching for. And it's Lynn we're talking about. The miracle that she answered me at all in less than a year is probably as much as I can expect.

ETA: Went out with him a Moment ago, and despite it being a quiet night, I heard no kite noises at all!

Cool!  Loved it! 🪁

[Netfoot]

Made a great pot of soup/stew! Had a large bowl for lunch ad there is enough for another to bowls at least. And that is if I don't add more stuff to "stretch" it.

I heated some oil in a pot, while I sliced up a cheap clod steak.  Threw that in to brown, then chopped some onions, which went in next. The pig-tail went in at this point.

Carrots and sweet potatoes were chopped next, and when they were prepared they went into the pot with a large quantity of beef stock. As that simmered away, I did the English potatoes and added them too. Finally, a tin of diced tomatoes. (No point taking my fresh tomatoes, dicing them and then boiling them to buggery!)

The simmering went on until the smell was so appealing Mo came asking for some of it. I etched his bowl, fished out his pig-tail, and put that for him along with a ladle full of the other soup, but withheld the beef because he gets the pig-tail and I get the clod!

It was really good. After finishing my bowl I was tempted to go get a second helping, but I will have that tonight instead.

Now, what else could I have added? I had cabbage (and pak choy) but don't think they would have improved things. I could have added beans or peas. I actually looked for a pack of dried lentils but couldn't find any. They'd have had to be soaked overnight and run through the blender, but they really make for a great soup. Again, they were not missed here.

I had plantains but adding plantains to soup/stew is difficult. Boiled in teir skins, they give off inky black dye. (When adding green figs to soup, you should cook them separately, ten peel the skins off and add the cooked green figs to the soup at the end.) Or you can cube and peel the plantains before adding them to the soup, but peeled, they have more of a tendency to disintegrate, particularly if over-cooked. And since this pot will get re-heated at east twice...

So, actually, given what I had on hand, I think I've done the perfect balance of ground provisions and come up with a great result. With a bigger pot (say my 8¼ gallon stove-enameled pot) I could have added so much other stuff, like yams, eddos, dasheen, cassava, also chicken, salt kine, and even fish (although Trinidad fish braff has put me off that, because when I look into my soup I don't like to see it looking back.)

The only addition I can think of that would have been an improvement, would have been dumplings. And not those fluffy, awful things most people make! They are supposed to be hard and chewy. Flour, water, salt, maybe sime sort of flavouring agent like dry seasonings, taking care to avoid any yeast, baking powder or anything that will make it soft or fluffy. When you cut a dumpling in half with your spoon, the bottom half is supposed to stick to the bottom of the spoon!

As for shape, my mum said there are only two real types of dumplings, and I religiously add both to my soups when I make them.

You make up your dough. You then roll it out into a long snake. From here, you have two choices:

1) You cut the snake into small pieces, roll them around and put them into the soup. These she called "ball dumplings".

2) You slice the snake into sections diagonally, so the pieces have a narrow point at each end. These go directly into the soup as-is. These she called "puppy-prick dumplings."

You would probably have liked my old mum. Most people did.

It may not look appealing, but this stuff is great!

[dbklmt]

35 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

Made a great pot of soup/stew! Had a large bowl for lunch ad there is enough for another to bowls at least. And that is if I don't add more stuff to "stretch" it.

I heated some oil in a pot, while I sliced up a cheap clod steak.  Threw that in to brown, then chopped some onions, which went in next. The pig-tail went in at this point.

Carrots and sweet potatoes were chopped next, and when they were prepared they went into the pot with a large quantity of beef stock. As that simmered away, I did the English potatoes and added them too. Finally, a tin of diced tomatoes. (No point taking my fresh tomatoes, dicing them and then boiling them to buggery!)

The simmering went on until the smell was so appealing Mo came asking for some of it. I etched his bowl, fished out his pig-tail, and put that for him along with a ladle full of the other soup, but withheld the beef because he gets the pig-tail and I get the clod!

It was really good. After finishing my bowl I was tempted to go get a second helping, but I will have that tonight instead.

Now, what else could I have added? I had cabbage (and pak choy) but don't think they would have improved things. I could have added beans or peas. I actually looked for a pack of dried lentils but couldn't find any. They'd have had to be soaked overnight and run through the blender, but they really make for a great soup. Again, they were not missed here.

I had plantains but adding plantains to soup/stew is difficult. Boiled in teir skins, they give off inky black dye. (When adding green figs to soup, you should cook them separately, ten peel the skins off and add the cooked green figs to the soup at the end.) Or you can cube and peel the plantains before adding them to the soup, but peeled, they have more of a tendency to disintegrate, particularly if over-cooked. And since this pot will get re-heated at east twice...

So, actually, given what I had on hand, I think I've done the perfect balance of ground provisions and come up with a great result. With a bigger pot (say my 8¼ gallon stove-enameled pot) I could have added so much other stuff, like yams, eddos, dasheen, cassava, also chicken, salt kine, and even fish (although Trinidad fish braff has put me off that, because when I look into my soup I don't like to see it looking back.)

The only addition I can think of that would have been an improvement, would have been dumplings. And not those fluffy, awful things most people make! They are supposed to be hard and chewy. Flour, water, salt, maybe sime sort of flavouring agent like dry seasonings, taking care to avoid any yeast, baking powder or anything that will make it soft or fluffy. When you cut a dumpling in half with your spoon, the bottom half is supposed to stick to the bottom of the spoon!

As for shape, my mum said there are only two real types of dumplings, and I religiously add both to my soups when I make them.

You make up your dough. You then roll it out into a long snake. From here, you have two choices:

1) You cut the snake into small pieces, roll them around and put them into the soup. These she called "ball dumplings".

2) You slice the snake into sections diagonally, so the pieces have a narrow point at each end. These go directly into the soup as-is. These she called "puppy-prick dumplings."

You would probably have liked my old mum. Most people did.

It may not look appealing, but this stuff is great!

It looks fantastic and wish I was there to eat some of it with you.

I love stews but mine don't look as good as that does.  I think I need to have a Netfoot recipe book of Stews to try.  I'll be printing and keeping this post to try in the future!  😃🥣 😃

[Spunkygal]

Your stew had me drooling. I can eat soups and stews year-round although some people mistakenly think they’re just for cold weather.

My mom had a randy sense of humor too! She was a feisty little thing! 

[andidante]

It looks awesome! I love hearing about what you are cooking. 

[Netfoot]

3 hours ago, dbklmt said:

I think I need to have a Netfoot recipe book of Stews to try.

I just put in what ever I can get, so long as I believe the different things will go together. 

One thing I forgot to mention was pumpkin. I diced up some yellow pumpkin (Around here: "Belly Pumpkin") and added it in at the end with the potatoes.

You can add a lot of stuff, but unless you are cooking an immense pot, you have to draw the line. Too many different ingredients and the flavours all begin to run together. Also, you have to cut the stuff up into pieces that are small enough to get onto a spoon and into your mouth, but not so small it loses it's individual taste. 

Also, you have to have an idea how long things will take to cook. How small you cut them can have an effect on this, but you want to avoid tiny pieces that get overwhelmed (flavour wise) by other things. So in my case the meat went in first to brown in hot oil, then  some onions to soften as well. the stock was added along with slower cooking sweet potatoes and carrots. The fast-cooking stuff went in last.

And there is a great deal I forgot to add. Dumplings I've already mentioned, but I had a bottle of Jamaican Red Dragon stout that would have gone well in there, I think. (I frequently use Guinness  but the Red Dragon is fine too). There was no plantains, cabbage, cucumbers or sweet peppers. Spices were a minimum, just garlic, basil and red pepper flakes. Could have chucked in everything from corn to channa, but it's like painting with water colours. If you mix too many colours together you only end up with brown.

You can mix various meats. I've had great success in the past with thinly sliced salt kine and chicken breasts in the same soup. Today was just clod and Mo's pig tail. Personally, I don't like to put a spoonful of soup/stew in my mouth and be surprised by a bone, so I eschew the popular chicken wings. Boneless breasts or thighs for me. Big old soup bones are fine, as long as they are too big to hide in your next spoonful!

I didn't use any this time, but dried peas are a good base as well. I like lentils, but they didn't have any in the shop. But they had yellow, green and orange split peas, any of which would have been a good place to start. I've also mixed lentils and black beans which gives good favour but a much darker result. I like to cook them, then put them through the blender, but be deliberately inefficient so some of the peas escape to remain in the soup whole.

I'm not big on fish. I like the taste of a good Trini fish braff but I hate to look into the bowl and see all those eyes floating there,  looking back at me! I don't know why Trinis cant make a braff without all those damned eyes! ("Braff", by the way is just Trini for "Broth".)

I had another bowl of mine for dinner and ladled some over Mo's food to spice it up a bit There is enough left for a small breakfast bowl, and then... who knows what next?

 

[Netfoot]

Prelude to Space by Arthur C. Clarke. Written 9 years before I was born.

😡

[raven]

Maybe Mo doesn't like Clarke?

[Netfoot]

He learned to poo outside in two weeks. But for the last six months he has insisted in hosing down the entire house with pee every single day.  I've been getting up at 4:00 AM to open the door so he can get out to pee if he needs to. And he does go out at 4:00 AM, to bark down the neighborhood, taking a break from that only to come back inside and hose the place down with pee.

He has been banned from the house for ever. If I catch him inside, I will beat him unmercifully. But that is only until I can find another home for him. He and I are done. If nobody will take him, I will carry him to the RSPCA where he will enjoy four final days of life behind bars and then the stinking little pee-factory will end his career.

Maybe in the four days some fool will take him. Some fool who loves him knocking over, chewing up, pissing upon or generally destroying everything of value he he can get his hands upon. But it won't be me. 

[Netfoot]

This is Easter Sunday. The traditional day for flying kites. So now, I have three kites entertaining me with their song.

The loudest is the one I sent film of yesterday, which appears to have had it's cord lengthened because it is much closer to the house.

Here is a 30 second clip of the kite in full song. Accompanied with some wind noise, but still clearly audible.

You thought I was making it up, didn't you?

[andidante]

2 hours ago, Netfoot said:

He learned to poo outside in two weeks. But for the last six months he has insisted in hosing down the entire house with pee every single day.  I've been getting up at 4:00 AM to open the door so he can get out to pee if he needs to. And he does go out at 4:00 AM, to bark down the neighborhood, taking a break from that only to come back inside and hose the place down with pee.

He has been banned from the house for ever. If I catch him inside, I will beat him unmercifully. But that is only until I can find another home for him. He and I are done. If nobody will take him, I will carry him to the RSPCA where he will enjoy four final days of life behind bars and then the stinking little pee-factory will end his career.

Maybe in the four days some fool will take him. Some fool who loves him knocking over, chewing up, pissing upon or generally destroying everything of value he he can get his hands upon. But it won't be me. 

I can't say I blame you! I don't know how you did this for six months. Just my opinion.