Small Talk: The Welcome Mat

[Netfoot]

Hope everyone had an enjoyable Independence Day!

[Spunkygal]

16 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Hope everyone had an enjoyable Independence Day!

Hope you and Buddy are doing well!

[Netfoot]

It's three months since Foxy disappeared.  Bud no longer looks for her.  Thankfully.  Because he drove himself to exhaustion for days and days, after her first disappearance.

I regret.  I'm sorry that sweet girl vanished, and I am convinced that foul play befell her.  I should have acted more quickly to take her into "custody".  

The little collar I bought for her the very day she disappeared, hangs from the rear-view mirror in my car.  I don't know what to do with it.

[chitowngirl]

On December 15, 2017 at 8:58 PM, Netfoot said:

The little collar I bought for her the very day she disappeared, hangs from the rear-view mirror in my car.  I don't know what to do with it.

You could bury it and have a little ceremony for closure.

[Spunkygal]

@Netfoot, I'm not sure that being more aggressive in capturing Foxy would have been best. She had lived in the wild on her own, had numerous litters of puppies and may not have handled being captured very well if she wasn't ready. You did the right thing by building trust with food and affection. It is heartbreaking that she vanished. Perhaps it would help to give the collar to a local shelter to another doggie in need? 

[Netfoot]

I don't really need another dog, because Budweiser is enough of a handful to satisfy.  (You wouldn't think he was any stress if you saw him now, snoring on the floor.  But if you had seen him last night, playfully running up, headbutting me in the face and chomping on my arm, when all I wanted to do was read my book...)  But in Foxy's case she needed a home and Buddy and I would have made room for her and given her love.

@Spunkygal, I know it wasn't really an option to just grab her.  Not at first.  I was just getting close to where that could have happened, when she went missing.  I thought if I could get the collar on her, it would mark her as somebody's dog, rather than a wild creature.  Which might have offered her a little protection from the local ruffians.  I figured another handful of visits and she would have been relatively OK with being taken home.

@chitowngirl, I thought of disposing of the collar in some way, or even donating it to The Ark.  But I think I will keep it, right where it is.  Someday, perhaps, I will encounter another little girl who needs a home, and I will have a collar for her.

[Netfoot]

Budweiser and I want to wish our friends a Merry Christmas!

Edited December 24, 2017 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

So, how did I occupy my time on New Year's Day? See here!  

[Spunkygal]

3 hours ago, Netfoot said:

So, how did I occupy my time on New Year's Day? See here!  

That looks like fun! We were inside and staying warm with bloody marys!

[Netfoot]

8 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

We were inside and staying warm with bloody marys!

:)  Given some of the news reports I've seen, I don't blame you!  No Bloody Marys, I'm afraid, but there were  Cuba Libres to spare, pizza, more than one type of beer, and chocolate-chip cookies for desert.

That model (a Booby from Australia) had just been field-repaired to fix a CofG problem, so I was not throwing it around too much.  I also flew my old Zagi, the first aircraft I ever owned and taught myself to fly on.  18 years old and much battered, but it still owns the sky!  There were four Zagis flying that day.  And also a F20 Tigershark belonging to my buddy Jim (you can glimpse it in the video).  Lots of fun, and not a motor in sight!  We all had a blast!

Sorry about the video quality.  Done on a cellphone and very noisy!

[wilnil]

A sad announcement I should make here as probably the most appropriate place (if there's anyplace appropriate for something like this): My mother, a dedicated TAR fan who posted on Previously as Sayla Vee and on other forums over the years as MaddieG, died a couple weeks ago at age 80 of respiratory complications. She was really looking forward to the TAR season premiering tonight -- and would've been happy that CBS is kicking it off in the Survivor time slot (she always insisted the network should've dedicated the same hour of its schedule for alternating seasons of the two shows).

[Lantern7]

I'm sorry for your loss, @wilnil.

[Netfoot]

My condolences, @wilnil.  

Edited January 4, 2018 by Netfoot

[AZChristian]

Thank you for posting, @wilnil. We are sorry for your loss.

[Lamb18]

I remember reading her posts. I'm very sorry for your loss.

[Netfoot]

Just unearthed a poor video of Foxy & Bud playing together.  Found it on my phone -- didn't realize it was there.

Just about to watch S30E01.  SO excited!

[Lantern7]

There was a request to put up a forum for The Mole, but it turns out that a thread to the forum dedicated to the original (Dutch) version will suffice. I could use the company there. I think there's about ten people I haven't told about my encounter and subsequent interview with the second season winner. It beats realizing that the celebrity winners are a social pariah and an unofficial ambassador to North Korea.

In case you didn't read it in the 30-01 thread, I popped up twice in the episode. Has anybody here spotted themselves? I'm kinda mortified because I do not have confidence in my overall appearance.

[Honeycocoa]

WILNIL I think I remember MaddieG, I'm very sorry for your loss, It's so tough to lose someone at the holidays. Take good care.

I'm relieved to see you back here NetFoot, I check regularly for a couple months.  and then ya know, Holidays happened and everything gets busy. I was so hoping Foxy would turn up.  I'm sorry. Love the sandman, we had a very dry warm December, I could have gone down to the beach and made something similar.  Now the rains are finally back, which is good.

So glad our show is back! Yea!

[jhlipton]

17 hours ago, amazingracefan said:

And I really don't think there is another actual race show out there.  The Amazing Race feels unique in that respect.  There were some attempts at race shows back when more ideas were being tried out in reality tv (most over 10 years ago), but none of that from what I've either seen or just read (it's hard to see older reality shows) lasted much more than a season.

Mark Burnett (of Survivor) produced a race show called Eco-Challenge (which lasted 9 seasons) and the single season of Expedition: Impossible, in which there were no tasks, just getting from Point A to Point B (both points in extreme landscape, like the side of a mountain, or along a rapids).

Video of Eco-Challenge:

 

Video of Expedition: Impossible:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OPBQl660PI   (I can't embed this video)

[chaifan]

While not a reality tv show, there's a documentary coming out that follows a competitive travel race called Competitours.  Teams of 2 travel through 4-5 countries and complete tasks.  Some are judged via video by remote judges.  The documentary is called Tripped Up, which is just about to hit some of the regional film festivals.  One of the "hippies" from TAR (I think it was Tyler) competed one year.  https://www.facebook.com/trippedupmovie/

[biakbiak]

I miss Eco Challenge so much!

[jhlipton]

2 hours ago, biakbiak said:

I miss Eco Challenge so much!

It was cool!

[ProfCrash]

Eco Challenge was awesome. It was one of my favorite shows.

[Netfoot]

Oh, no!  Not again!

Heard a bit of a fracas taking place out in the garage, and rushed out just in time to see Budweiser exiting the van with a pigeon (or possible a large dove) in his mouth.  He ran out onto the lawn, and I ran after him... to see him standing on the grass, surrounded by a ring of feathers, staring angrily into the sky!

So, Mr. Dove got away today, unlike the last time.  Now I have a mess in the car to clean up.  But why do birds want to go into the van?  It's a big mistake, because Buddy is quite positive the van is his!  If I went out there now, he'd almost certainly be snoozing in there somewhere.

[amazingracefan]

On 2/5/2018 at 3:35 PM, jhlipton said:

Mark Burnett (of Survivor) produced a race show called Eco-Challenge (which lasted 9 seasons) and the single season of Expedition: Impossible, in which there were no tasks, just getting from Point A to Point B (both points in extreme landscape, like the side of a mountain, or along a rapids).

Video of Eco-Challenge:

 

 

Video of Expedition: Impossible:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OPBQl660PI   (I can't embed this video)

I think I looked at Expedition Impossible, also Treasure Hunters.  Eco-Challenge I had a look at but it was more old style documentary like presentation, with a voice-over narrator I think.  One I was never able to see any of was Lost back in 2001, where people had to find there way to some specific location within a country somewhere and the first to get there won.  I saw the British version but the US version I've never been able to see unfortunately.

[Netfoot]

Duncs season is almost over, but the last fruit are sweet and juicy and big!  Look at the size of these!

Some people like to wait until the fruit turn reddish brown, but I find they begin to taste gamey.  I don't like the gamey taste, but when they are yellow they have a sweet, sharp taste that I enjoy!

[Spunkygal]

@Netfoot, those are so cool. I have never seen them before so googled them. Apparently the leaves are edible too. Does anyone make jams out of them?

[Netfoot]

3 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Apparently the leaves are edible too.

I never knew that.  Frankly, the tree is exceedingly protective of it's fruit, with a last vast number of small, but very sharp thorns.  If you just walk past the tree, it will reach out and grab you!  Getting the leaves off in any number must be a painful exercise.  

3 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Does anyone make jams out of them?

Possibly, but I can't remember trying it.  

Some people will tell you that when they look like the ones in my photo they still aren't ripe.  These people prefer a rusty red colour, but by that time the fruit have developed a gamey (or, as I like to put it, rotten) flavour.  I don't know what the jam might taste like, but if it tastes like the dark red/brown fruit, I wouldn't like it.  I prefer the fruit before they reach that stage, when they still have a sharp edge to their taste.  

We have a tree up at the clubhouse.  It always grabs at whoever passes by, and there is always talk of cutting it back.  But the general consensus is usually to leave it until the season comes to an end.  The season was late this year, but it's coming to an end now.  So maybe they will cut it back.  Just so long as it grows out again in time for next season...  :)  It's one of the best Dunc trees I know.  It's prolific, the fruit are large, and they are very tasty!  

Just the photo makes my mouth water!

ETA:  Mothers hate duncs.  They stain clothes terribly!  And every small boy who loves duncs doesn't give a moment's thought about laundry!  

Edited March 5, 2018 by Netfoot

[Netfoot]

I dreamed of my old, sweet boy Dotty, last night.

http://www.anjo.com/dotcom/index.php

https://photos.app.goo.gl/HqQIJY3fZ6gxgUUp1

[Netfoot]

2 minutes ago, Jean-Beth said:

Lucky for you that your niece was not home on the day he found you.

You have no idea how many times I have thought exactly this.

It's nearly five years he's been gone, and his memory can still bring moisture to my eyes.  Thank goodness, a few months later I met another wonderful boy, who agreed to come and look after me in my declining years!

[Netfoot]

Well done, Mia!

[Lantern7]

Are there any fans of Big Brother reading this? Or at least anyone who watches and tolerates it? Given the rumors regarding TAR31, I want to know the appeal of CBS’ summer standout. I want to see if there’s any overlap. Oh, and I will not judge anyone who cops to watching BB.

[Lamb18]

I guess I'm a fan, although seeing Paul twice in a row and all his loathsome talking heads were getting to be too much for me. The only upside was seeing him come in second place twice and Cody cast the deciding vote (ha)!  I'll watch it this season but if it gets too nasty then I think I'll drop it.

[Lantern7]

@Lamb18 . . . I’m trying not to make generalizations about folks that watch Big Brother. I watch The Challenge, so I shouldn’t talk that much smack.

In my head, that series and TAR are too far removed from each other to successfully bring a significant chunk of audience from one series to another. Adding Survivor folks doesn’t make things much better, even if women are brought in that Probst never gave proper due.

New question: is there such a thing as a housemate that doesn’t more or less beg to be choked out?

[Lamb18]

On ‎5‎/‎30‎/‎2018 at 11:49 AM, Lantern7 said:

New question: is there such a thing as a housemate that doesn’t more or less beg to be choked out?

What do you mean by this? Anyhow, no offense taken from your post @Lantern7. One thing about TAR, its rigors tend to strip away any personas crafted on Big Brother or other shows and you end up with the real person and seeing how that person performs under stress. I'm really curious to see how the Big Brother people will do when they're doing a rigorous needle in the haystack challenge.

[Lantern7]

From what little I’ve seen, @Lamb18, the typical houseguest is messed up. Like, worse than anyone from The Challenge, and those people have problems.

[Lantern7]

Moving away from the potential horror that is TAR31 . . . has anybody here gone through surgery to fix a deviated septum? I went through that on Thursday. I don't know wen I should go back to work. Right now, I'm wearing gauze over my nostrils, and some nasty stuff is coming from one of those. All I know is that I'm supposed to have the "packing" removed next week, and i don't know if I should wait until then to go back to doing more than sleeping and passing time at home.

[Netfoot]

13 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

has anybody here gone through surgery to fix a deviated septum?

I've never dealt with a deviated septum, but I've had surgery more than once, and my hard-and-fast rule is to convalesce at home until the last chance of blood / goo / etc leaking, has completely passed.  It makes others uncomfortable when that happens in public.  But to hell with them -- it makes me uncomfortable when that happens.  So, I won't let that happen.

[Lantern7]

@Netfoot . .   good rule of thumb, so to speak. All I’ve been doing is wasting time and napping a lot. I want to go back to work (missed two days so far), but I don’t want to bleed and gross people out.

[Netfoot]

17 minutes ago, Lantern7 said:

I want to go back to work (missed two days so far), but

I know how you feel.  I was six weeks in hospital once, and was given 3 months at home to convalesce.  I found it hard to bear, and eventually went back to work six weeks early.  But I waited until the bandages stopped turning pink before I left home.

Hey, go order a bunch of books from Amazon.  Just read and nap and nap and read until you are good to go!

[Netfoot]

Hard to believe, but some people actually prefer cats!

[Netfoot]

Mars dominates the sky tonight!

[Spunkygal]

59 minutes ago, Netfoot said:

Mars dominates the sky tonight!

Fireworks dominate our sky! We saw some incredible displays set to music. And the temp was better than last night when it was 103! It was a very nice 4th of July. I love your pic of Buddy, so sweet! We are getting ready to go to London for a week and it is killing me to leave my furry BFF. She's been getting extra loving so she doesn't forget about me! Ha! ?

[Netfoot]

8 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

Fireworks dominate our sky!

Of course!  Your independence.  Congratulations!  That explains why nobody got back to me yesterday...

Quote

We are getting ready to go to London for a week and it is killing me to leave my furry BFF.

I know, believe me I know.  When I go somewhere Buddy is always perfectly, heart breakingly happy to be handed over at the kennel.  And overwhelmingly happy when I come back to collect him.  Last year when I went to the UK he didn't even glance back, when the kennelman took him away.  But when I went to pick him up he barked himself hoarse when he saw me, and I had to kneel down and hug him for five minutes before he calmed down.

What part of London are you going to?  I don't know London terribly well.  I lived for years less than 50 miles from The Smoke but visited it rarely.  Spent a day on a hop-on/hop-off bus tour last year to see the sights, and that's about it.  It's a living city, with the very new, juxtaposed with the very old.  A day wasn't enough time for such a city, obviously.  You couldn't scratch the surface in less than a year!  

Hope you have fun!  Send us a selfie!

[Spunkygal]

We are crossing off a bucket list item and going to the men's final at Wimbledon on the 15th! And then a full week of the usual London sites. It's been many years since I was there and love all the history, taking tea, the museums! I think I was a Brit in a previous life! If you watch the match, I'll be the one in a bright yellow top and white jeans! Ha! That narrows it down!

My furry baby will be staying home but I have a wonderful woman who lives two streets over who will be coming to walk her, feed her, etc., so she will be in her own bed at her own home. She is 12 and is pretty low-key these days and I just thought she'd be happier here. I know I'm happier with her here! 

I remember your great photo album from your trip. I am relying on my cell phone for pics. I've been reading about the heat wave London is having with highs maybe up to 90 F. That will be a welcome change for us! 

[Netfoot]

My doctor literally prescribed tea with clotted cream and strawberry preserves.  I love that woman!  (But don't mention it to her husband and eight kids...)

39 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

I'll be the one in a bright yellow top and white jeans! Ha!

I'll be watching!

My six year old cell phone takes a pretty good picture, so I'm sure you will be all right.

Are you going out of town at all?

[Spunkygal]

No, not enough time this trip. My dream would be to go to the men's final and then pop over to the British Open since it's at the end of the week, but no one else in my group likes golf. We are going to Kew Gardens and I'm surprised how many people aren't familiar with it!

Looking forward to a Pimm's and to strawberries and cream!

[Netfoot]

5 hours ago, Spunkygal said:

No, not enough time this trip.

Too bad!  You might enjoy Pontcysyllte Aqueduct!  :)  

Edited July 5, 2018 by Netfoot

[Spunkygal]

4 hours ago, Netfoot said:

Too bad!  You might enjoy Pontcysyllte Aqueduct!  :)  

That's easy for you to say! Ha! Seriously, that is fascinating and is being added to the future bucket list! Thanks!

[Netfoot]

14 minutes ago, Spunkygal said:

that is fascinating and is being added to the future bucket list!

Britain is liberally sprinkled with places which are not only interesting historically, but also great from a simple sightseeing perspective. During my trip last year, I wanted to cram in as many as I could manage.  I don't think I did too badly, considering.  But naturally, there are  a vast number of interesting places I never got to see.

Obviously, what is interesting depends upon the perspective of the individual.   I was happy to visit the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel-le_Ferne -- and later that day, stupidly spent half an hour strolling around within 400 yards of the Blériot Memorial without, alas, ever knowing it was even there -- but I doubt the majority of people would be interested to visit either site.