# My Housepets Don't Speak the Same Language **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 22, 2004, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095 "2004-11-22T12:55:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/81 "2004-11-24T17:18:05Z")
> [@susan\_foster](#): > > Do databases know when holidays are coming? 'Cause the DB at work chose today to act up. I think it knew I was abandoning it - it’s worse than my cats. > > I’m right around the right weight for me - so I can have a good time at Thanksgiving without excessive guilt. I’m meeting my family for dinner tonight - and I have some Irish truffles that I may break out, since there are definitely not enough for everyone on Thursday. > > California, here I come…oh, wait, I forgot - I’m going to Boston. > > Susan Hey we’re warmer here in Boston today than some places in California. Enjoy your time in our little state. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/82 "2004-11-24T18:29:55Z")
Psst…hey, you guys. I have a little heads up for you… Tomorrow is Rue DeDay’s Birthday. Happy Birthday, Rue! Don’t say I didn’t warn ya. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/83 "2004-11-24T19:48:06Z")
That was very subtle, **scout**. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/84 "2004-11-24T20:21:12Z")
Believe it or not, I remember **Rue** ’s birthday every year. Because I’m an idiot. Really. See, there was a while there where I was ragging him for being a callow youth, even though we’re just about the same age. He mentioned that he was thirty-five or some such in August sometime, and since my birthday is in January, I just _assumed_. Like an idiot. The miserable bastard is forty days older than I am. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/85 "2004-11-24T20:30:25Z")
Oh **Ex** , you just called him a miserable bastard? My bottom lip is trembling. ---
**Author:** ![Rue\_DeDay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Rue\_DeDay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rue_DeDay)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/86 "2004-11-24T21:07:54Z")
What’s wrong with you **Ex**? I’m a happy-go-lucky bastard. Only my parents were married when I was born (still are) so technically I’m not even a “bastard”. Thanks for the Birthday Wish **Scout**. I’m just happy I had a chance to cruise in here and see it. Purple. Pretty. I had my Birthday Dinner today for lunch. It was General Tso’s Chicken. It was the first time I ever had that. I liked it very well. Do you have a “Birthday Dinner” for your birthday? Anything you want, just because it’s your birthday. Just something special. If more people at my house actually liked different kinds of food, I wouldn’t have an actual “Birthday Dinner” as per se such. It would just be a “dinner”. But between the seven year old, the four year old and the Little Woman anything I might mention gets a big “I don’t like thaaaaaaaat!” from at least one of them. So I have to save it up for my birthday. But since my birthday is always somewhere near Thanksgiving I usually have turkey unless I think ahead. In other news: There is no other news. ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/87 "2004-11-24T21:10:54Z")
Could you all please trot over to my GQ thread and give me good advice? Please? I love you! ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/88 "2004-11-24T21:25:29Z")
Meh, the “miserable bastard” thing was just sour grapes because I turned out to be an idiot over the whole deal. I don’t handle failure well, and I’m also a jerk. For a while when I was a kid, my birthday was always “go out for chinese food” day, because the rest of my immediate family didn’t like chinese (cantonese) but I did. They eventually came to like it though, so chinese lost it’s cache (I still don’t know how to do that slashmark-over-the-e thing, and don’t bother telling me how to do it because I’ll forget. Until it becomes important to me, and then I’ll learn.) and my birthday became plain old “going out to eat day,” which wasn’t all that special, 'cause we went out to eat every month or so anyway. That kind of sucked, because I didn’t get much in the way of presents since everybody was out of pocket from Christmas. I tried to start a mexican-food-on-my-birthday tradition, but it didn’t take. General Tso’s chicken is great, especially when it makes your eyes burn and your nose bleed big stringy ropes of snot. That’s when you can really taste it. Happy 37[sup]th[/sup], **Rue**. I’ll be joining you on the fourteenth day of '05. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/89 "2004-11-24T21:27:55Z")
I don’t know much about cat pee, so I’m not sure I can help out, **Lissla**. But I checked it out, honest! I’ve typically had “birthday dinners” in the sense that we’d go out for dinner on my birthday. But it’s never really been reserved for things that I either really want (but no one else does) or for things I specifically request. This year, though, I notice that “Meet the Fockers” comes out on my birthday. I’m pretty sure that even if I have to go by myself, I’m going to see it that day. Sounds like a good way to indulge on the ol’ natal day. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/90 "2004-11-24T21:29:29Z")
Since tomorrow is turkey day and what with a house full o’ company and all I might not have a chance to do this tomorrow so I’m doin’ it today: \Clearing Throat \ **HAAAAPYYYY BIIIIRTHDAAAAY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!! HAAAAPYYYY BIIIIRTHDAAAAY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!! HAAAAPYYYY BIIIIRTHDAAAAY DEEEEARRRR RUUUUUUE!!! HAAAAPYYYY BIIIIRTHDAAAAY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!** ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/91 "2004-11-24T21:42:24Z")
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RUE! Mine was yesterday. Isn’t it cool how our birthday sometimes falls on Thanksgiving? But not always. It’s mysterious. Well, okay, it’s every seven years, give or take, and every so often leap year screws it up, but I still think it’s neat. ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/92 "2004-11-24T21:44:19Z")
My birthday is next month. I expect to be lauded on my special day. Actually I hate my birthday but y’all are older than me so _nyah nyah._ My parents didn’t get married until just before my brother was born so I am indeed a bastard. I didn’t get any birthday dinners. I was always given cake they knew I didn’t like and then I was given hell if I complained. Meh. I also got a lot of the “here’s your birthday/christmas present” mumbo jumbo. Being born 8 days before Christmas isn’t fun but I think the hassle has more to do with me being born in a blizzard and them spending the rest of my life paying me back for the hassle. ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/93 "2004-11-24T21:45:38Z")
**tanookie** , I feel your pain. I shall endeavor to remember to wish you a Happy Birthday on the 17th. ---
**Author:** ![Bumbazine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bumbazine/32/362_2.png) [@Bumbazine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbazine)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/94 "2004-11-24T22:06:48Z")
Happy Birthday to Rue, Happy Birthday to Rue, Happy Birthday dear friendwhostartstheMMpeveryMondayandgivesusa placetohangoutwithfriendsandastartingpointforour hijaaaaaaaacks, Happy Birthday tooooooooooo Ruuuuuuuuuuuuue, I’m glad you’re an experienced turkey frier **Swampy** , that’s pretty dangerous stuff, frying turkeys. We had T-day at my BILs place a couple of years ago and he fried a couple of turkeys in the driveway and almost set fire to _me_, and I was just watching. 'Course he didn’t really like me very much at that time, but still… In other news, Number 1 grandaughter, who just started her first year of College (Nursing school), at considerable expense to her family I might add, just announced that she was engaged! :eek: To which my first reply was; _“In what?”_ The Missus did _not_ think that was funny. Neither do I actually. We are both firmly of the belief that chillins should finish their educations and spend _at least_ a couple of years on their own learning to be adults before entering into any kind of cohabitational relationship. This is an all to frequent pattern in my opinion. Both of my nieces, who loudly avowed their intentions to become a professional photographer and a doctor, respectively, went to college, at considerable expense…yadda…yadda, and then opted for their MRS degrees instead and setled down to become smug little baby-making machines. Arrrggggh! We hope for better for the youngens over which we have a little more influence. Oh well, c’est le vie. I don’t mean to sound sexist, but it’s been my experience that young women don’t have a lick of sense when it comes to young men. Or vise versa. Geez! A bunch of people posted while I was typing out this magnum opus. Lessee… I love you too **Lissla** , but the only real way to solve your problem is to get rid of the cat. Sorry. **Ex** umm…yeah. **Swampy** iffen you had waited we coulda done a duet. Happy Birthday to you too, **BiblioCat**. I ain’t singing again though 'cause yours was yesterday and I’m all out of breath. And the neighbors might call the police, again. > [@tanookie](#): > > Actually I hate my birthday but y’all are older than me so _nyah nyah._ Let’s see your ID card young lady. Are you old enough to be in this thread? :dubious: I cleaverly had my birthday in June, away from all those other holidays. 'Course I still mostly got underwear when I was a kid, but at least I had it to myself. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/95 "2004-11-24T22:26:31Z")
Uh … what is MMP? :o ---
**Author:** ![tanookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/48db29/32.png) [@tanookie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tanookie)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/96 "2004-11-24T22:39:50Z")
> [@Bumbazine](#): > > Let’s see your ID card young lady. Are you old enough to be in this thread? :dubious: Oooh - Carded in the MMP! (Monday Morning Post for the newbies) I haven’t been carded in a few years ☹ Oh and I ended up as one of those smug baby making machines! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Taters](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/taters/32/2845_2.png) [@Taters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taters)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/97 "2004-11-24T23:16:39Z")
Happy, happy Birthday **Rue!** A belated happy birthday to **Bibliocat** too! WOO-HOO seven minutes and then I can go home. Well, not really, I have to stop at the store and pick up the fixin’s for Green Bean Casserole, and some cold medication called Airborne for the hubby. I’ve never heard of this medication, so I hope I can find it. My birthday is in May, so I get to have a “birthday”, not a slash anything. My son’s birthday is coming up on Pearl Harbor Day and my daughter’s birthday is January 4th. December and January are very expensive months. We do the right thing however, there are no birthday/Christmas gifts in the **Taters** household. The kiddos get real birthdays that are special days just for them. Here’s hoping you all have a wonderful Thanksgving (or regular Thursday for those don’t celebrate this day). I get Friday off too, so I get a nice long weekend! ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/98 "2004-11-24T23:49:57Z")
> [@Stainz](#): > > Uh … what is MMP? > > :o You, ya’ big goof. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/99 "2004-11-25T00:04:19Z")
Thanks for the belated Birthday wishes, **Bumbazine** and **Taters.** And since everyone is making big Birthday wishes for **Rue** , I will, too. (Hey, that rhymes!) My little purple one seems rather pathetic by comparison. So here goes: **Happy Birthday, Rue!** ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095/100 "2004-11-25T00:04:27Z")
Happy B-day, {{{{{ **Rue** }}}}}, my #1 Special Friend! 37 was a traumatic age for me, I’m not sure why, but it suddenly occurred to me that year that I was, in fact, and adult. But I got over it. Hope you do, too! Would you be embarrassed if I gave you a birthday smooch? On the homefront, my daughter is here, my inlaws are here, my house looks like a house and not a construction zone - photos will be posted after the holidays - and I’m about to go prep the turkey. That way when I drag myself out of bed at 6:30 tomorrow, all I have to do is pop it into the oven, then go back to bed for a while. Today was a good baking/cooking day. We’ve got 3 punkin pies, an apple pie, a peach cobbler, and a pistachio dessert, plus the broccoli-rice casserole is in the fridge waiting to be popped into the oven. Tomorrow, we’ll make the taters and the sweet taters and the veggies, and my MIL will make the dressing and the gravy. The house will smell yummerrific. Wish you could all be here to share! Happy Turkey Hugs all around!! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-housepets-dont-speak-the-same-language/276095.md?page=6)