Not sure what this means, my MIL has been admitted to the hospital on the advice of her primary doc. FCD took her to the ER and they admitted her right away. That’s all I know for now - waiting to see if he needs me to come there. Not exactly a surprise…
FCM, I am sending my very best thoughts to your family.
Just back from a run to the hospital - FCD needed some paperwork from MIL’s apartment, and I took him lunch. While I was there, they wheeled MIL in from her CT scan - she looked like a wraith! Echocardiogram is next, and probably every other test in the book. She did have an IV, so she’s finally getting some fluids in her. But that’s all I know for now.
Trying to hold a good thought, but it’s difficult…
{{{FCM}}}. I know it is more stressful for FCD, but if not this time, I agree with you that it will probably be soon (that trip may have exhausted her reserves). Best wishes to all.
I’d bet your right, to some extent I am still that way in loving to watch trains. But the Museum is well worth a visit, too.
Taters, we have Siggi’s yogurt here in N. Ali-bama, but that would be quite a commute and not sure shipping you some is practical. And hubs, like the CPAP, needs to cool down…
Pilot, good news on the exercise routine. Mine for the last couple of years has been primarily directed towards overall conditioning and weight loss, but I’m closing in on my target weight and may start using the machines at the gym more to ‘reshape’ what I have. Never been big on calisthenics, but your routine sounds interesting. As does the Swamp Cabbage thing. Enjoy! Not a big baseball fan here, but spring training would be neat to see someday.
doggio, did Spot have any reaction to you smelling of vanilla? Or does he prefer strawberry?
Marvelous!!
talkie, hoping that the day improves.
Spicy, sounds like you had a good weekend. Keep it going. Your discussion of temperature made me go to Amazon and buy a couple of room thermometers, mostly since they were pretty cheap and I’m curious about temperatures too…
OK, the Jersey Mike’s #3 is residing in my belly and in about an hour or so I’ll head over to the gym to do some swimming and see if I finally can make that scale show less than 230lbs. Take care all.
Good moanin’, everyone!
With my usual great timing, I bought a mattress two weeks ago from a fundraiser for our local middle school band. It was the first one I’ve ever gotten shipped directly to my house, and it took me a while to convince myself they’d sent the right size, because it was squished flat, vacuum-sealed, folded in half, and rolled up. It took two of us to get the box upstairs. I’m glad there was only one!
Oof! At least once a tooth is out, that’s the last trouble it can give you. I sleep with a Kleenex tucked by my pillow for the inevitable drool, so you’re not alone.
This describes most of our rain “storms.” I suppose it beats hail.
I’m always surprised by the intense interest other places take in car and traffic safety. Around here, the only inspection is for emissions. Pieces of your car can be falling off, but as long as it’s not your catalytic converter, you’re good to go!
I’d forgotten all about President’s Day, so you’ve saved me the disappointment of checking the mail and finding nothing.
That’s how it is here, too. The SUVs seem more practical to me, but I’ll bet there are a fair number of disappointed young cops who wanted to drive the vroom vroom cars. Anything that cuts down on the temptation to get into high-speed chases sounds good to me.
I have this dilemma too. My plants are deciding that it’s spring, so there’s new green growth at their bases, and I fear for them in early March, when we’ll get the inevitable cold snap.
It’s great to share memories and family history with your grandchildren. I was just reminiscing with my daughter about her grandpa, and she told me a family story I didn’t remember hearing before!
Almost every time I get a photo of pets being adorable, it’s on a pile of unfolded laundry or an unvacuumed carpet or in front of a pile of newspapers. I’ve decided that’s just how pet photos are meant to look.
You’ve reminded me that I used to eat Siggi’s! Of course, I think I stopped because it became so hard to find…
Yikes! And here I was thinking I’d overpaid for mine at right around $1,000! (But I did; the factory invoice on the delivery box showed a wholesale price of $495.) It’s for a good cause, right??
Congratulations on picking up the exercise routine and on recognizing that you have to start more slowly as you get older! I’ve gotten pretty good at doing the physical therapy exercises for a wonky right hip. Maybe I can sneak in some regular exercises and fill myself into starting an actual fitness routine.
Now I have a Lemon Demon song going through my head! “Put a drop of vanilla behind each ear and you’ll smell like a cookie all day.”
Smell Like A Cookie All Day
So I did overpay for mine! And I had to arrange to get someone to pick up the old one myself. Luckily, there’s a charity that picks up old but still usable beds to give to children and young adults who don’t have one, and my old bed will be fine for someone with younger bones.
I do that kind of thing all the time. I’ve had some success with just laying it on the table and apologizing exactly in that way. I don’t know about you, but I hate being in the wrong, and when I admit I was, it takes the wind out of the offended party’s sails.
Have I mentioned to you before that I’m often in awe of your parenting skills? It’s a great feeling when you correctly identify what a preschooler needs and address it successfully!
Congratulations on creating a low-stress space for yourself during the weekends as well. I need to practice weaning myself from my phone.
I hope they can get that fixed soon - no water is a nightmare!
The compressed mattress thing is astonishing. I just stood and watched mine puff up when i cut it out of its plastic.
I haven’t actually slept on mine yet. Furniture in my house is a sliding puzzle, and the old one has to go out before I have space to put the new one into the bedroom, so that’ll happen tomorrow. I’ve heard all mattresses are essentially the same, but that may be overly simplified.
In the time it took to write this, I see the updates about your MIL, FCM. I hope things turn out well for you.
oh dear. my best wishes for the best outcome.
I’ve seen fundraisers around here selling mattresses and it just struck me as weird. It’s not the type of item one buys frequently so I don’t understand how they can make any money from it. Candy and pizza, sure, but mattresses? Obviously it works tho.
In the happier part of my world:
I’ve been told they’re going to see bugs next.
Started Typing: 12:52 PM ET
Clicked Reply: 1:31 PM ET
Helllloooo, Mumpers! Last week was weirdly busy: not exactly overloaded, but quite steady. I didn’t even have time to lurk in the previous MMP, which is unusual for me. So, I’m going into this week’s thread “cold.” 
This weekend’s local indoor jazz festival was great! I took Friday off work: the day started with dropping Bailey off at Dogtopia (for boarding), then going to the gym for a workout with my personal trainer. After showering and packing I headed over the river (literally: the festival was in Maryland, just across the Potomac), and checked in at right around 4pm. One old friend and I were “festival buddies” all weekend, but I also got to see several other wonderful friends and hear some really terrific music. And I sang at two jam sessions. I hadn’t sung in public since last summer: it was time, and felt good! My hotel reservation went until this morning, but I checked out last night. The last show started at a little after 10pm and featured Kurt Elling: he’s a big name but frankly does very little for me, and after about a half hour I was done (i.e., exhausted) and ready to go home. I pulled into my driveway at around 11:30pm, and was soooo glad to wake up at home this morning.
I took today off work, too (it’s one of the three federal holidays my company doesn’t observe). I spent the morning catching up on volunteer-related stuff: after I finish this post I’ll go to the grocery store, then I get to go pick Bailey up. I miss my girl. 
After the canine retrieval the only thing I’ll have left to do today is laundry, but I’ll be able to spend plenty of quality time getting reacquainted with my couch. I expect that Bailey will crawl into her dog bed – only choosing it vs the couch due to ease of access – and sleep for the rest of the day.
Just last week I bought the 4th? 5th? attempt at a ramp/some stairs to help Bailey get up on the couch. She barks – loudly, and for a long time – when she has trouble. I get a little closer with each try: this set of steps seemed like it would be a winner, but in actuality was a little too wobbly and a little too shallow for her to want to use. Ah well.
(I give the “losers” away on FB and/or donate them to the rescue I got her from.)
Woo hoo!! 
That’s so great to hear!
Ugh… 
Can’t say it better than that. Oh dear indeed. Good luck to FCD/FCM for the best outcome possible. Whatever Fate decrees that to be.
As to me, finally this morning my temporary housemate, the 20-something woman opened up a bit. She’s got a tough mess on her hands and feeling kinda overwhelmed.
She left her druggie husband a few months ago and moved across-state. He’d started out fine, then there was booze, then excessive booze, then drugs, then excessive drugs. Finally she’d had enough.
Part of why she was back here now this week was to file the divorce papers in this county where they used to reside together, where he still lives, and where the marriage got started. She found out early this week from hub’s Mom that last weekend he was found dead in the rehab center he’d been court-ordered into. No divorce necessary now, but it’s time to file an estate instead. Holy emotional whipsaw, Batman!
And she just inherited his dog, which fortunately is a very good-natured chocolate lab. Even I’m enjoying have Bo underfoot these last couple of days. I’d wondered how it was that I hadn’t seen him the first couple days I was back and she was here, then suddenly there he was, very much in evidence. Mystery solved: druggie’s Mom had had him temporarily while druggie was in the rehab. But Mom can’t keep him long term and DIL can. So they handed off the dog a couple days ago and the dog will go to its new home w her across state here in a couple days.
Meanwhile my housemate is freshly pregnant with twins by her sorta-new BF. The timeline on stopping that if she so desired is closing rapidly. Of course the longer they’re baking in there and her mind is being bathed in “babby wants to survive” hormones, the more she’s wanting to keep them over her initial intent to abort. BF is promising, but with his own set of warning signs as well.
She’s a smart enough person with a history of good jobs in offices. But hasn’t worked for awhile and now she’s crossing the line into “I’m too pregnant to get hired without screwing the employer”.
I filled her in on my own tumultuous tale a bit and we tried to compare and contrast and find lessons in the similarities and differences in each other’s lives. We shared some misery over our coffee and it was better.
In the big city there’s a story behind every face. Wow.
I’m even going to be able to do a Nats game since they’re here local. I’ve not scheduled it yet, but I will.
I made 3.01 mph today… including about 20 seconds to say hello to a Bernese mountain dog. Dishes are washed (they’re on the dry cycle). Next up: Shower and laundry, followed by errands.
Quick report in~visiting my beloved younger son and his equally lovely bride in Denver. It’s tricky work learning how to do supplemental oxygen in a much higher altitude/elevation but spending time with them has been marvelous. They’ve cooked fun meals for, he makes verrrryyyy good coffee for me, they’ve taken me out and about sightseeing in the urban Denver environs. I’ll be in a hurry to come back.
Last night Thomas provided me with a 5mg edible and we each curled up under an afghan and watched “Barbie”. Lots of fun. Boo is not in Kansas (really Nebraska) anymore.
Getting back on the train to go home at 7pm tonight, all too soon.
Hugs to all you Mumpers, keep hanging in there.
The Denver area is really nice! If you go back in summer, the mountains to the west have some really lovely sightseeing.
I managed to weed a strip of my back yard this morning. I’ve taken to leaving my hoop hoe (it’s officially called the “Action Hoe,” but that makes me giggle too much) by the back door so I’m more likely to grab it and do a little weeding every day instead of making it a huge project. I let some amaranth (aka pigweed) grow tall enough to go to seed last year because I didn’t recognize it in time, but I’m not making that mistake again. I spent hours digging in the hot sun last year to try to pull the bigger plants up, since they put down impressive roots.
On the bright side, I’ve finally gotten my yard to the point that things are growing pretty much where I want them and I’m no longer testing out which wild plants I’m willing to harbor, so I can go scorched earth in the places where the amaranth is springing up.
i did buy a new mattress, with all the sales going on it seemed the time. feb. has been the “help retail” month, with a new tv on super bowl sunday and a mattress on president day sale weekend. i got a notification from the building that i have a delivery.
luckily the building will take out the old mattress.
here is where i found my bargain: 33 best Presidents Day mattress sales 2024 | CNN Underscored
Despite feeling good most of the time, I am having major executive function issues, probably some post-COVID exacerbation of my existing ADHD. What used to work is not working to keep me on track. So I am going to have to take a break from the Straight Dope until I get it figured out. I might just brick my PC until around 3pm when the brain fog kicks in and check in with you guys in the afternoon instead of morning - or I might just stay away completely while I try to get my shit together.
I got absolutely nothing done today beyond 1 hour and 45 minutes spent on Substack. My kid even fell asleep and I had perfect quiet to do my work - I didn’t even touch it. I have been very emotionally impulsive and spent the morning posting about my mother. I am very stressed about work which is contributing to the problem. This executive function problem happened all last week too, and is a problem I need to address more than any other problem I currently have. I am in the middle of a brain fog episode right now. One thing I have learned about this is that technology makes it much worse.
Right now I am going to write down on paper a list of all my must-do morning routine activities and do everything in that order and don’t allow myself to do anything but what’s on that list until I start work in the morning. The last thing on my list will be writing down my two most important work tasks for the day, and then I will start work. And everything else is going to be inaccessible until the afternoon.
Wish me luck.
P.S. I love my mattress. It’s a Tempurpedic split King with an electronic adjustable frame. God I love my mattress. If I could live on my bed, I would. Some of the best money we ever spent.
You will be missed, but taking care of yourself is more important! Be well
FCM, I’m adding my voice to the “may it all work out for the best” chorus. Poor FCD, just because he’s expecting it doesn’t make it any easier.
I’m so glad you are enjoying yourself, I know you’ve been looking forward to this for a while. Have a safe and boring trip home!
All of this talk of pet steps inspired me to think harder about VBC. She can still get up on the beds and nightstand but I can tell that it is getting to be a challenge. The poor girl has been overweight since she arrived at our doorstep which is hard on their joints. I pulled a bin out from under the bed and put where she could use it to get on the nightstand or bed and she went up it first try. Now to see if she continues to use it.
I hope you find good steps for Bailey, I know you want her up there as much as she wants up!
I’m doing a lot of fretting about this as well. Besides the signs of new growth, the White Wing Doves are mating. While doves aren’t much smarter than quail, I’m afraid other birds are being tricked as well.
So, the cottage cheese did come out good, so we will be having lasagna tonight. I bought some nice Roma tomatoes at the farmers market Saturday and they are currently cooking down into sauce. The ricotta has been made, the leftover whey and ricotta will go to CG. I just grated a pound of mozzarella and a cup of parmesan, so that’s done. I’ll start putting everything together around 1600. I’m making a full batch with plans to freeze at least half.
It comes out really good, but is such a PITA that I look at it like some folks do chili rellenos…better left to the experts!
ChiBro raved about our memory foam guest mattress after he stayed with us Friday. Yeah, it was one of those rolled-up-in-a-box ones. Sorry, doggio. You and your colleagues have heaved a lot of stuff for us in the past year since we moved.
Then we all met with the nieces Saturday on the strip. They were happy to have dinner and drinks with their old uncles and aunt. I mean, they’re in their late twenties and thirties, so it’s not like they’re kids anymore, but still. Glad they made time for us. They are all great young ladies.
The U2 show at the Sphere last night was awesome; we all raved about it. A great time was had by all. NCBro and SIL were definitely missed - and the other niece still hasn’t popped that kid out, so they’d be on their way home today without having missed a thing. SIL would have been a nervous wreck the whole time though.
Back home now and doing laundry. Woo-hoo!
And a good afternoon to all. The scale at the gym showed 229.8lbs today, the first time I’ve been below 230lbs in…well, a long time. So proud of myself I posted a picture of the scale reading on my Facebook page, that’s how rare an occurrence this is. Of course, I’ll overeat this week and be back at 234lbs next week, but now that the barrier has been cracked, I can keep moving toward my goal of 220lbs. So this has been a good Moanday for me.
BBBoo, so happy you’re having a good time out West. Denver is one of my favorite “big” cities to visit, you need to come back late summer when it’s still nice and see the sights. And according to Amtrak your train is about 35 minutes late at the moment but due to reach Denver on-time.
FCM, that is a great picture at a marvelous museum. Might have to figure in a DC trip this year since I don’t have any major treks planned.
Oopsie, so glad you got to sing, bet you wowed the crowd! Good luck with the Bailey step hunt.
Pilot, sounds like your temporary housemate is dealing with a lot of stuff, but seems to have a good head on her shoulders, I wish her the best.
flyboy, I would have spent much longer than 20 seconds with a friendly Bernese dog. But that’s just me.
rocky, happy sleeping on the new mattress once installed.
Spicy, we will miss you on your hiatus. Take care, keep making those lists, and check in now and then with us when you can.
JtC, VBC impresses me as a pretty smart feline, I expect he’ll use the assistance as required. GG however… 
Enjoy dinner.
Wheelie, so glad you were able to get with family and see the U2 show.
OK, need to do a few house things and then celebrate my weight loss breakthought by having a Double Whataburger with cheese for Dinner (like I said, heading to 234lbs for next week). Take care all.
All the comments about mattresses reminded me that I would love to try an Avocado or Purple mattress. We have a Tempurpedic. I love it, the husband unit hates it, so we really ought to find something that works well for both of us. What’s really odd is that my husband finds the Tempurpedics to be too hard, yet in India, when we visit family our bed is literally a wooden platform with a thing cushion, and he finds those beds to be downright luxuriously comfortable. I guess it’s what you grew up with.
FWIW, we still haven’t talked today beyond, “I’m going for a walk,” “I set your gel on the bathroom counter,” or just waving at each other right after he woke up. It’s gonna be a rough few days. I’ll be glad to be in the office tomorrow - it’ll be good to get the physical space.
Anyway, back to work. Getting close to done and logging off.
Updated to add, Congratulations, ratty! Enjoy your burger!
My new walking shoes arrive whilst I was out walking.
The shoe on the left is brand new and unworn. The shoe on the right is nine months old and has 300 to 350 miles on it.
Dishes are done. I had to hand-wash the baking dish and a bowl. Laundry is in the dryer. Errands accomplished. I had a late lunch of a hot pulled pork-and-Swiss sandwich with mayo and mustard.