# April showers may bring glowers (Mini rants) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [April 1, 2016, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817 "2016-04-01T08:42:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/81 "2016-04-11T11:20:16Z")
There’s a strain of pneumonia going around these parts. I found this out yesterday. I know one person is in the hospital because of it. I’m praying I don’t start coughing. I haven’t been feeling well the last few days. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/82 "2016-04-11T13:14:52Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Haha, know how we spot the college kids from out of town, who moved here and will be here for a few years? They’re the ones with little jackets on in the winter with no gloves, scarf or hat. > > They also stand huddled under the heat lamps waiting for a train whining about how cold it is. When it’s 50. My experience is almost but not quite the opposite. Several times when I’ve gone up north, people have commented on how warmly I’m dressed, either an overcoat in Virginia or an overcoat _and_ a winter jacket under it in New York. Then there’s a beat in the conversation and they proceed to complain about how cold it is, in their sweater and/or single winter jacket. The reason it’s not _quite_ the opposite is that I lived in NYS for my first 12 years so I know it can get cold so I prepare ahead of time. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/83 "2016-04-11T13:24:50Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > Hurray for **bobkitty’s** kitties. I sure hope that all continues to go well. > > We new neighbors who moved in about a month ago. They have a little barky dog. They let their barky dog out in their front yard. Their UNFENCED front yard. That untrained beast wants to own the entire street and has nipped at the hounds and me several times. Complaints to the dog owner resulted in dog owner refusing to believe that her precious puppy would ever act that way. > > Today, I filled a squirt gun with water and ammonia and sprayed the dog in the face when it came after us. Now I feel very badly about hurting the dog. It’s untrained and doesn’t know that what it did was wrong. Don’t feel bad, consider it a step towards saving his wee life. If not reprimanded & taught by someone, he may well charge across the street to go after a dog and get hit, or go after the wrong dog and end up mauled. You’ve given him something to think about AND protected your own dogs - that’s being a responsible dog owner and generally a good sort 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/84 "2016-04-11T14:57:03Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > I would hit the delete button the second I heard yelling. So if you’re lucky so will they. **If you’re not so lucky** , someone will record it and put it on the internet. Ahem. You misspelled “If _we’re_ lucky” ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2016, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/85 "2016-04-11T18:44:55Z")
Hi Crazy Lady, It probably should be obvious that you shouldn’t drive on the light rail tracks, but it clearly wasn’t for you. Nice of you to pull over (on to the sidewalk) to let one pass, btw. Hope you don’t die, or make someone else die. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/86 "2016-04-12T02:39:02Z")
On Twitter: now auto-blocking complete strangers who step into my conversations to give unsolicited, smug advice that assumes I’m a total fucking idiot. FUCK YOU. GO AWAY. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/87 "2016-04-12T03:02:02Z")
My daughter has been unhappy with her rental location (long story) and has been looking for a better place to live in. Last fall our research led us to the conclusion that she could probably buy a home for no more, and probably less than, she’s paying in rent. The search brought us to a cute little house that’s at least 150 years old but she likes it. We spent a not insignificant amount on inspections and legal fees, and a great deal of effort into providing relevant documentation to a mortgage company. The inspection revealed some structural issues, which the seller has now remedied. So – we’re all set to go and the title insurance company determines that the seller does not have a valid deed to the house! It has been handed down within the family for over 100 years and somewhere along the way somebody failed to properly convey the deed. The seller hired someone to research the genealogy but they were not able to get enough information to satisfy the title company. Our lawyer told us the next step would be for the seller to institute a “quiet title” proceeding, which could take a year or more. Just this evening he emailed us that the seller has decided not to do this. They are saying it would cost too much, and would require notifying over 100 potential other owners, descendants of the person with the last clear title. They’re asking if we’d be interested in buying the place anyway. Um, no, I don’t think so. Dam. Now we have to start looking all over again. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2016, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/88 "2016-04-12T23:04:03Z")
> [@bobkitty](#): > > And then we got to spend the morning at a new vet (we usually take them to the military vet, but they’re only for non-emergencies) because older kitty peed a little bit of blood. Diagnosis: bladder stone. Set for surgery Tuesday, new food purchased (that she promptly faceplanted into- she’s definitely a fan!), and antibiotics for ten days. > > Expensive two days in kitty-land, but at least we’ve still got two kitties! 🙂 Well, I spoke too soon. They were unable to remove the stone today because a pre-surgery EKG showed an enlarged heart and they were unwilling to risk anesthesia. Appointment with a kitty cardiologist for next week, and the heartbreaking decision to rehome TabbyCat. One potentially stress-related illness we could overlook; two, not so much. Older kitty is doing everything she can to tell us the current living conditions are untenable, short of learning English and delivering a soliloquy, and we have to listen. Of course it’s kitten season, so every rescue organization I contacted this afternoon- crying the whole time- is full up. I refuse to take her to a kill shelter, so it’s Facebook and Craigslist and word-of-mouth to try to find her a home ASAP before the older kitty drops dead from stress. Anyone in the NOVA area want a slightly evil but super-snuggly ginger kitty? ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/89 "2016-04-13T08:55:11Z")
**Bobkitty** , what about waiting until after you see the cardiologist to do your re-homing? I hope SeaDragonTattoo will see this and weigh in, but I have a little experience with kitties and enlarged hearts and having heart issues incorrectly diagnosed. It could be that the bladder stone is causing stress for the heart and once it’s resolved the heart may be fine. I don’t trust anyone to diagnose heart issues except for a board-certified cardiologist or internist. If your kitty does indeed have heart problems, once you get down a routine, it’s not a big deal at all. Usually a pill or two a day and monitoring with the cardiologist every six months. I’d much rather deal with the heart than the kidneys, that’s for sure. Could you maybe board the other kitty until you know for sure? ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/90 "2016-04-13T09:31:48Z")
Let me remind that the quoted temperatures are Celsius, not Fahrenheit. 🙂 :eek: > [@septimus](#): > > What about the present April? Today was the eighth 40+° day in a row; the seven-day forecast is for all 40+° days. We may be on track to have at least 21 such days, beating the record set in 1992. (The average high for the 30 days in April 1992 was 40.5° — will we beat that record also?) > > _ **Hot!** _ Yesterday’s high of 43.2°C appears to be the highest temperature ever recorded at the Nakhon Sawan Airport Weather Station. Today may also be 43°, although the official stats are not yet posted. This makes eleven consecutive days of 40+° and five consecutive days of 42+°. The seven-day forecast is for all 42+°. We’re in the middle of a severe drought but my wife doesn’t want to water her garden during the day — the tap water is so hot she’s afraid it will do her plants more harm than good. Most of the people in our area do _not_ have air-conditioning; I’m afraid there will be a death toll. ---
**Author:** ![Wednesday\_Evening](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Wednesday\_Evening](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wednesday_Evening)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/91 "2016-04-13T16:35:00Z")
I pit school projects that require parent help. The one or two costumes for each year are bad enough, but now we are in the throes of the 4th grade California Mission project. It is not reasonable to expect a 9-year-old to be able to build a scale model of an entire mission **from scratch**. Not even close. And of course kits are not allowed. So either I let my 4th-grader crash and burn or I expend considerable effort to help her. NOT HAPPY. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/92 "2016-04-13T19:50:50Z")
I pit banks – and other companies – that insist you provide them with your cell number. Every damn time I sign in to my bank’s website it throws up a huge popup telling me that my registration is incomplete and thus my account is at risk. Why? Because I haven’t provided my cell phone number, and thus they might not be able to reach me… Guess what? I’m NOT going to give it to you. As for reaching me, feel free to use the landline I’ve given you, or any of the THREE email addresses I’ve provide or even my work phone. And if all of those fail? Mail me a letter or something. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/93 "2016-04-13T20:50:57Z")
> [@Wednesday\_Evening](#): > > I pit school projects that require parent help. The one or two costumes for each year are bad enough, but now we are in the throes of the 4th grade California Mission project. It is not reasonable to expect a 9-year-old to be able to build a scale model of an entire mission **from scratch**. Not even close. And of course kits are not allowed. So either I let my 4th-grader crash and burn or I expend considerable effort to help her. NOT HAPPY. I would suggest having a word with the school and/or the teacher. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/94 "2016-04-13T20:59:05Z")
> [@Wednesday\_Evening](#): > > I pit school projects that require parent help. The one or two costumes for each year are bad enough, but now we are in the throes of the 4th grade California Mission project. It is not reasonable to expect a 9-year-old to be able to build a scale model of an entire mission **from scratch**. Not even close. And of course kits are not allowed. So either I let my 4th-grader crash and burn or I expend considerable effort to help her. NOT HAPPY. Our school made this into a class project, by teams, and invited parents to come in and participate. I spent a morning shaping spackle patch over cardboard with my son and had a blast. The older son and I did the home project - and it was a terrible experience. Interesting enough - some schools have walked from the project due to the requirement that it necessitates the purchase of outside materials - which is a potential violation of the law per an ACLU lawsuit a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Wednesday\_Evening](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Wednesday\_Evening](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wednesday_Evening)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/95 "2016-04-13T21:25:46Z")
> [@Wednesday\_Evening](#): > > I pit school projects that require parent help. The one or two costumes for each year are bad enough, but now we are in the throes of the 4th grade California Mission project. It is not reasonable to expect a 9-year-old to be able to build a scale model of an entire mission **from scratch**. Not even close. And of course kits are not allowed. So either I let my 4th-grader crash and burn or I expend considerable effort to help her. NOT HAPPY. > [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > I would suggest having a word with the school and/or the teacher. That’s a great idea - her teacher seems reasonable and he _should_ have some ideas on how to minimize parent involvement. > [@Algher](#): > > Our school made this into a class project, by teams, and invited parents to come in and participate. I spent a morning shaping spackle patch over cardboard with my son and had a blast. > > The older son and I did the home project - and it was a terrible experience. > > Interesting enough - some schools have walked from the project due to the requirement that it necessitates the purchase of outside materials - which is a potential violation of the law per an ACLU lawsuit a few years ago. I love the idea of a class project. Interesting about the potential violation of the law. I can totally see that. I dodged the bullet with Kid 1.0 as he chose a video/website project and did it completely on his own. Kid 2.0 likes crafts though and chose the model. D’Oh! ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/96 "2016-04-14T00:29:13Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > As for reaching me, feel free to use the landline I’ve given you, or any of the THREE email addresses I’ve provide or even my work phone. And if all of those fail? Mail me a letter or something. My mother’s oldest credit card has multiple contacts – my email address, my mobile number, the landline, and her mobile number (texts only). It was a really fun experience the day they decided Mom was taking too long to activate her new card, and sent out simultaneous notifications to all available contacts… ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/97 "2016-04-14T00:35:50Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > **Bobkitty** , what about waiting until after you see the cardiologist to do your re-homing? I hope SeaDragonTattoo will see this and weigh in, but I have a little experience with kitties and enlarged hearts and having heart issues incorrectly diagnosed. It could be that the bladder stone is causing stress for the heart and once it’s resolved the heart may be fine. I don’t trust anyone to diagnose heart issues except for a board-certified cardiologist or internist. > > If your kitty does indeed have heart problems, once you get down a routine, it’s not a big deal at all. Usually a pill or two a day and monitoring with the cardiologist every six months. I’d much rather deal with the heart than the kidneys, that’s for sure. > > Could you maybe board the other kitty until you know for sure? The appointment is Wednesday; we’re at a dead end for rescue agencies and the better half agrees with not bringing her to the shelter. It’s _possible_ that we can hang in there until the appointment- I’m certainly willing, because it’s breaking my heart to even think about giving up my kitty. Maybe you’re right and the cardiologist will have good news, or will tell us that we can move forward with keeping both. Last night I went to bed early; my fuzzy little snugglebutt ran into the room, jumped on the bed, laid full length on top of me, thumped her head down right next to my ear and fell asleep purring. ☹ It’s not fair. ---
**Author:** ![Lowdown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Lowdown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lowdown)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/98 "2016-04-14T20:09:35Z")
Jesus Christ, people. Don’t state your cooking ability level is “advanced”, and then give (pricey) stainless steel cookware a two star rating because it’s “hard to cook on” or “everything sticks”. I assure you the cookware is not the problem here. AND! AND! Don’t rate it poorly because it’s “too heavy”. Fuck you. Lastly, assholes, don’t give one star reviews to products because you bought the wrong fucking item. What is wrong with you? ---
**Author:** ![Lacunae\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lacunae\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lacunae_Matata)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/99 "2016-04-14T21:25:27Z")
Tomorrow’s showers are bringing glowers at my house. I had a play date scheduled with 2 of my favorite cousins to go to my hometown and raid my late grandmother’s garden for nice shrubberies. And now we can’t go, and I’ll be stuck inside with a 4-year-old and a fussy husband. And I really wanted to go! Waaah! ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817/100 "2016-04-14T23:56:29Z")
Gas pumps that don’t work right are bad enough. Idiot employees at the gas station are worse. I’ve lived in California for over 20 years and have had my current car, which has a 14-gallon tank, for ca. 5 years. I AM capable of reading the gas gauge (on a 1997 Contour, it’s not hard). Noticed this morning that I was below 1/4 tank. OK, at that reading, I’m probably going to need at least 10 gallons to fill it. While running errands between work and school, pull into the gas station. The pump refuses to dispense after hitting 0.56 gallons. Go into attached mini-mart, talk to idiot behind counter. He insists the car must be full. He did decline to actually LOOK at my gas gauge, even when standing right next to my car. Dude, you really do want to treat your customers like they’re at least a little brighter than the average houseplant. I’m doing my best to not assume that your “oh, you must be misreading your gas gauge” attitude had anything to do with my being female, but given the Middle Eastern accent, I’m finding that a challenge. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/april-showers-may-bring-glowers-mini-rants/750817.md?page=6)