I am remotely excited we’ve got visitors from over the Pond. Maybe next year we could work out a West Coast Mumper hang out.
In sadder news, Pixel (Chihuahua) passed. We were all there. I don’t know if that helped him, but I hope so. Shortly afterwards, we were outside the house and my daughter pointed out a rainbow. I choose to interpret that as a sign.
{{{Sunny}}} I’m sure you being there for Pixel helped. And the rainbow does seem like a sign.
Y’all with the hummies, how cold is it getting where you are? It gets up to a high of like 35 these parts these days and I’ve never seen a h-bird after like september. I thought they went elsewhere for the winter.
{{{sunny}}} Pixel went knowing he was loved. That’s the best we mere humans can do.
Glad your belly woes have calmed down Mooooooom.
I got home ~1600 this afternoon. It should have been a couple of hours earlier, but I got a slightly late start and then got hung up between Jackson and Nashville for an hour behind a bad wreck on I40. There were no exits between the slow down and the accident (and none for 12 miles after), so by the time that I got to a Love’s travel plaza, the line was out the door for the ladies’ necessary. It took another 15 minutes to get out of the drive thru, then I let Nelson loose in the mini dog park there.
It’s good to be home. Sis’ house tends to be the center of her social group (all vaxxed and boosted except the two under the age of five who wore masks) and I got a bit of people fatigue. 
BIL’s sister (a sweet abuelita) made tamales and BIL grilled and smoked the main course.
Nelson learned a lot about being a part of a pack. By the time we left, he was beginning to be a bit more brave in going out to the gardens.
I’m practicing sloth for the evening and will do laundry and buy groceries tomorrow.
Stay safe and healthy y’all!
I’m glad you made it home safely Red. It sounds like good times were had by all.
I was just talking to my daughter about a family friend trying to get back to Lake Tahoe where they live. It’s not happening. It’s been a few days since it started snowing, and it looks like it will keep going for a few more days. The Highway Patrol is asking people to stay where they are instead of trying to sneak around road blocks and getting stuck.
One quick Pixel photo 
sunny, I posted in the other thread, but may I say that photo of Pixel brought tears to my eyes? I can see what you mean about him being a cuddlesome boy. And the rainbow was DEFINITELY a sign.
The trip to and from the store was…interesting. It was a slow plod through snow-over ice to the big intersection. The Walk signal to cross Road B didn’t work, so I had to cross Road A, then cross Road B at the other end. The walk signal across A again also didn’t work, so I had to go back, and…well, long story. Anyway, I finally got there.
The pharmacy tech said to me, “Yes, may I help you?” and a woman at the drop-off end of the counter yelled, “I am NOT going to wait while you help EVERY CUSTOMER who walks into this store before me!” I thought, “Wow, OK, Karen,” but I didn’t let it show on my face in case she was one scowl away from pulling the trigger. She caught my eye and explained that she’d been waiting a long time to drop off her mom’s Rx, and when she tried to get the tech’s attention, he told her to wait. After the tech helped her, I told her, “Take care. I hope the rest of your day is better.” Then I told the tech I hoped he had no more difficult customers. Karens aren’t happy, and they take others down with them.
OK, the trip home: awful. I tried to summon an Uber: no go. I couldn’t get the Walk signal to work at all for either direction, so I took a longer route home. It took forever, largely because I was being so careful. The only bright spot was a young woman who rolled down her window and called “Merry Christmas!” I don’t know what she was smoking, and I don’t care. She was a bright spot.
I have to get an MRI on Thursday. I hope to heaven I can get to the place.
{{{{{Sunny}}}}} It’s so heartbreaking to lose one of our furry friends.
Some do, some don’t. It’s getting down into the teens here and we have a few of the green ones, I think they’re called Annas. And I think I’ve seen a couple of Rufus (red heads).
Howdy Y’all! Twuck got his oil changed and sup got cooked and et and the kitchen got cleanded up. That was the extent of productivity today. Also, I have had an on-going strange “conversation” via email. EYP emailed the Senior Warden and me about a set of car keys that may have been left at the church on Firday. He let us know he was just informed of this today. Ummm… it took from Firday until today for this person to realize his car keys are missin’? For reals! Anywho, I have emailed all parties back to say that I would be over there tomorrow and would look for the keys then. The loser of the keys kinda whined back at me (yes I could tell it was a whiny email) about my not goin’ to look today. OK I could have but did not want to, especially after bein’ whined at. Da Bear does not respond well to whines. Besides, it took him four days to realize his keys were missin’ so what’s one more. Oh well, I suppose I do need occasional aggravation in my life.
{{{Sunny}}} I am so sorry for your loss. Pixel had a wonderful life and was surrounded by those he loved. Also, yes, the rainbow was definitely a sign.
MOOOOOOM glad the tummy woes are better. Cheesey garlic bread is cheese (whatever suits your fancy), garlic powder, and bread all toasted up. Don’t burn the bread. I use Texas toast, or some kind of crusty bread. OYKW does not make it cause he will burn the bread. Toasted bread is not one of his skillsets.
I’m sure it is. Pixel saying “thanks for being beside me this far”. He knew how loved he was.
Adorable boy!
The vet says Goo has soft fur. That makes it official. 
{{Sunny}}. Pixel was a cutie and I sorrow for the hole in your heart. Be well.
FCM, glad you got their car worked on, sounds like that was a disaster waiting to happen. If you could only…but that’s beating a dead horse, I know. Take care.
nellie, glad you made it back home OK. And sound like “Karen” may have had a legit beef…we’ll never know.
red, I shared a space for 3 days with 5 other adults, three bassets, two bloodhounds and a French Bulldog. All other them much louder than I am. A quiet home is rather nice.
Still haven’t got any mail Monday or Tuesday, don’t know if it’s due to the holidays or just nobody writing. Did get gifts exchanged with the neighbors (got a Hickory Farms set, PJ bottoms, and a T-shirt, they got Amazon Cards). Rain started about 7pm and looks to be sticking around until early Wednesday. Still 66F at 10pm, which is much hotter than our normal December here–not that I’m complaining.
Catch you all on Hump Day.
Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off to heave.
{{{{Sunny}}}}
And I’m always happy to give them.
Awake at 4 yet again. I miss my bed.
Last night, we witnessed one of FIL’s “episodes” - we thought he was having a stroke. And this was after FCD explained our worries and asked him to use his walker all the time; he didn’t… I don’t know what MIL does when he blacks out while she’s alone with him. It’s scarier than I had imagined. This will not end well.
I think my stomach has settled at last. So that’s something. I need to go to the branch of our credit union here and deposit a check. And I want to try to clean the inside of the windshield. Those are my big plans.
Happy Wednesday!
And I’m up for reals. I’ve tended to Higgs, emptied the dishwasher and put away most of it, and now I’m caffeinating and settled in to read till the rest of the household wakes.
My back aches - I miss my bed. And I miss my fenced yard - having to walk the dog so she can pee and poo, especially in the dewy dark, is not fun. Plus once it’s light, I need to go out there and play “Bag the Turds” before someone steps in the piles. Good times…
I’ve decided to read The Great Gatsby because I never have. We’ll see how much I get thru before everyone wanders out.
Good morning everyone.
It’s a very brisk, white, and cold 24 degrees outside. It snowed here most of the day yesterday resulting in even more accumulation. It’s supposed to be dry until the overnight hours when more snow is supposedly moving in.
I am so sorry about, Pixel, Sunny. It sounds like he had quite the personality!
FCM, I hope your back feels better soon. I’m sorry your FiL had another episode.
I had quit the case of the donwannas yesterday, but I did manage to get something done for work. Today is my Friday since I have to take tomorrow as my RDO. Friday is a holiday, and whenever that occurs on my RDO, I have to back up the RDO one day. I’m not complaining in the least. However, starting next week, I need to get used to five-day work weeks every other week again, lol! I’ve been off every Friday since some time in October and it’s going to be an adjustment!
There isn’t much else going on in my little corner of the world and I don’t have any grand plans for the upcoming long weekend other than to make prime rib soup and put away Christmas.
Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 68 Amurrkin and clear with a predicted high of 81 with rain this afternoon/evenin’. I was a slugabed until almost seven-thirty. Imagine! We shall procure comestibles today and I shall take care of church janitor JW duties as well as hunt for keys. Sup shall be cheese burgers 'n fixin’s and oven fries.
Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, alas, alack, and bother, I suppose I must needs purtify and don acceptable bein’ about the public attire. Life is just so difficult!
Happy Hump Day Y’all!
nellie, when you write of your treks to the grocery store, pharmacy, etc, it makes me wish you were my neighbor so’s I could at least give you a ride (you would rock as a neighbor who would likely spoil Nelson to the nines!).
That’s scary about your FIL, Moooooooom. At some point the inlaws will have to cave and either move closer to you or get live in help.
Up, caffeinating, breakfasted and trying to get up the ambition to hit the grocery store. After review, I have clothes to wear to irk tomorrow, so I’m putting laundry off until Friday (regular laundry day). Groceries, however, won’t wait that long. I do plan to do the regular Friday shopping whilst I’m there though. Lunch and breakfast prep will be done ahead as well, so I’ll have a fairly lazy weekend at home. I also plan to purchase some books for the Kindle with a gift card from da Jungle this afternoon.
Should it dry off a bit, I’ll take Nelson to the dog park this afternoon. It’s supposed to go back to the regularly scheduled winter weather this weekend, so I want the little booger to burn off some energy. It was 83F on Christmas day in Houston, which is the warmest Christmas since one spent in Florida forty some odd years ago.
Stay safe and healthy y’all!
Morning all. Seem to have developed a pattern of waking up at 7am…we’ll see if that holds. Rained much of the night and is supposed to rain today and tonight, with some heavy storms included. So inside is where I’ll be most of the day.
FCM, I hate to say it, but is there any legal remedy you guys can take to get them into a better/safer situation? It would probably poison the relationship, but it might get them a little more time and a lot more safety.
At least my heating bill is getting a holiday, today and tomorrow are supposed to get to 70F, which is just fine with me.
OK, pills have been taken and paper retrieved from outside. Now to fix some instant breakfast and be about the day.
There’s been some enormous drama at work that’s sapping my mental energy completely. So I’m sorry for not being around here much lately.
This B.S. doesn’t even involve me directly (thank gawd) but the fallout has the potential to make life at work sucketh quite mightily. Frankly, I’m tired of the waiting game - let’s get this $hit over with already.
The worst part is, ohmygawd you guys, there’s a very good chance we’ll lose Inappropriate Crushy-Poo in the process. Which would hurt on a personal level, of course, but also professionally in a real way - half the reason I fell for the guy is how smart & capable he is, and his absence would genuinely cause chaos.
Institutional knowledge and all that …
I feel so brittle, like I might shatter. Plus, like I said, I’m just a peripheral observer to all this crap, so I can only imagine how the actual players in the drama must feel.
I’m sorry to be cryptic; I just don’t wanna go into details.
Thanks for giving me a space to vent.
Morning, mumpers!
(((((Sunny))))) so sorry to hear about Pixel but it was good that you were there for him.
Moooom the episode with FIL sounds awful, let’s hope this pushes them more towards finally considering some kind of help.
We went on a trip to the Valley of Fire yesterday to look at rocks, good place to go and we were early enough to avoid the crowds. As we were leaving around midday, there was a line of cars about two miles long waiting to get into the park. Today we are considering the cinema for a change.
Sunny, we have been to the Grand Canyon three times already, time to give somewhere a chance 
. We had hoped to go to Monument Valley but the car hire would have been astronomical. We have another trip planned for Easter going via Dublin to San Francisco and up the coast but we may have to rethink our driving plans if the cost is still so high.
FCD won’t even consider such a move. There’s no easy answer. We just stand by.
He’s actually using his walker today. Maybe he listened last night…
We’re heading back to Lumberton tomorrow morning and home on Fri morning. So ready!