Well, here I am, 1230 local. I was asleep. Woke up by the sound of rain/sleet just coming down like crazy. Was having the weirdest dream about work, and the noise of the precip featured as the sound of one of our work trucks slowly backing down a street at just above idle speed.
And I found that Vaderling had taken his phone and school issued computer into his room and was playing games and listening to music and NOT sleeping. Good thing I was still feeling good about my children from earlier…
Interestingly, I recently received an e-mail from my undergrad university about the weird dreams we’ve all been having during the Covid pandemic. It’s an interesting item. Have a look:
Bio break. I kinda wanna stay up reading some more (and having another smoke) but both cats are curled up by my pillow, waiting for me. I feel like a celebrity with an entourage!
Spice_Weasel you are most definitely not a monster.
For one thing, the “all rehoming = monster!!1!” stoopit rule is way, way too broad. Shit happens, and there’s a lotta gray areas in life.
For another, you know what horrible monsters never do? Second guess themselves. They just keep bumbling around being thoughtlessly horrible.
You have a sweet and caring heart, and I’m sorry your warm memories of Merlin are tarnished like this. Think more on the happy stuff, okay? Those memories are equally valid, so enjoy 'em.
(I can’t be the only one who suspects that a new, furry addition to the household might be good for you, and is not so secretly rooting for you to consider eventually finding a new feline overlord.)
+1 {{{ }}}
You did the best you could. You were trying to help, not trying to harm.
I think you need to do it now.
And one day, there may be an unexpected cat at your door; literally at your door or otherwise. When it happens, let that cat in. It’ll be safe with you.
Crikey, I should be abed! Early yet, but today was a hard day, a long day. Did a job, yesterday and today, that was seriously underbid and under estimated. Should have been a 3 day job, got it done in 2.
My body hurts.
So work ends, I head over to Ma n Pa Vader’s to pick up Vaderling. Walk in the door, draggin’ butt, dead dog tired, and Vaderling comes bouncing over and pounces with a full body-check hug.
“Guess what guess what guess what!!” he says, rather enthusiasticly trying to compress my ribs all the while.
“Bub,” I wheeze, “I can barely barely stand right now and your trying to put me in a chair for the rest of my life. Why don’t you let me sit for a minute and rest, and then you can just tell me.”
Man, I tell you, that boy was just a jigglin’ and a twitchin’! Thought he was about to vibrate out of his own skin, he was so effervescent with excitement! So, anyway, I sent him off to run a lap or twenty around the block whilst I eased my knees and spine and recharged a bit with a warm cup o’ joe.
A few minutes later he comes bounding in the door, all red faced and sweaty and not the least bit of that excited energy drained.
“I got a C. Brought that D up today.” Now, Vaderling isn’t dumb, or slow, or anything like that. He just doesn’t see the point of school beyond the social aspect. Takes after his mom that way. He’d rather be out doing things, meeting people, learning the hard way, and getting OJT than sitting down and doing book learning. I admire that. There’s nothing inherently bad about it and he has the strength of will and intelligence to achieve what he puts himself to do. Luckily he’s a very social creature, or I think school would be much more of a trial for all. So, I’ve managed to convince him of the legal necessity of schooling, at the least, and, provisionally, the practical necessity also.
Anyway, yesterday he asked if he could have his xbox back if he brought that D up to a C.
I said sure, that would satisfy my criteria for him to get it back(maybe that story another time). So he went to his teacher, explained the situation to her. She had him come in at lunch and for his 6th period study hall and do some work and lo and behold brought that grade up.
Now he’s sitting here, right next to me being insufferably and infectiously joyful as he updates and plays on his xbox.
Proud of the boy, showed initiative from proposal to delivery.
And last night I was ready to … do something, I don’t know what, but I was sure angry with him, that much is sure.
Kids, just when you start wishing child labor was still legal, they whip it around and make ya proud.
This statement still bothers me, probably as I never had pets, except fish, due to allergies.
Just want to speak up on behalf of those of us who are pet-less. In the course of my life, I have been the loving caregiver of 4 dogs, one cat, a parakeet, a hamster, 3 frogs, two turtles, and innumerable fish. I have loved them all dearly and grieved deeply at their timely demises (though the bird’s wasn’t timely due to said cat, who literally scared it to death.) I miss having a dog. (My complex allows dogs and cats only.) I don’t have one because:
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I’m in my early sixties with lupus and a history of cancer. I don’t want a dog to outlive me and face an uncertain future. My son and his wife adopt older dogs. I considered doing that, but the high vet and medication bills would do me in.
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The pet deposit in my complex is insanely high, and the additional rent is beyond my budget.
I try not to feel sorry for myself. I have two big barrels of treats on my fridge for the dogs in the dog park, who love me, and even if it’s only because I come with snacks, I don’t mind. Love is love. Before COVID, I also dog-sat for son and wife’s dogs, whom I love dearly and miss greatly.
I like to think I’m a pet lover emeritus.
There is nothing wrong with being pet-less. They’re just not for some people, for various reasons, and that’s fine.
Me, I love cats, and will likely own at least one for the rest of my life. Should I pass away while I still have cats living, they will go to my sister. Who will reluctantly receive them, but who also knows the fate of older cats who go to the pound. So she will keep them.
Again, nothing wrong with being pet-less.
Oh, my, I worded that carelessly. My statement was directed at people who deliberately shun non-human life in their home: no fish, no plants, no nuthin’.
Not folks with allergies or other medical conditions, or who are blocked by the landlord, etc. If you keep a tub of treats for your critter friends, those count as honorary pets.
I like this!
Pet lover illustrious emeritus you are
Boo, your KC Chiefs pulled off a nice victory yesterday, over the Raiders. Nice record at 9-1. I’ll never give up my Niners, but I’m going to watch the Chiefs with interest for the rest of the season.
Thanks, Spoons. I always check on your 49ers too, look for YouTube highlights, follow their box scores during Chiefs halftimes and commercial breaks. I’ve even been known to have two iPads open on my lap desk to do both at the same time. I like having another team to follow and cheer for (until they play each other-eek!).
My three year granddaughter likes Patrick Mahomes. I think it is they are both sunny natured kids.
Although waiting til the last 30 seconds of a game to put it away isn’t doing anything for my silver hair!
I understand. That was a nail-biter, and I was on the edge of my chair.
Thankfully, the males in my family tend to keep their brown hair well into senior-citizenship (I remember my grandfather never went totally grey, and neither did my Dad, though each did have a few greys, usually on the sideburns). But I noticed a few more grey hairs on my sideburns Monday morning. Thanks, KC! 
Should be in bed. Stayed up late working on my book. It’s so close to being finished, after six years of effort, that I must not lose this forward momentum. It’s the most writing I’ve done in 18 months. My estimated time to completion, at this rate, is two weeks.
Other than that, just gearing up for turkey day. We’re looking forward to the day off. Sr. Weasel works so hard and rarely gets time off. It’s even harder with the baby. I mean in that sense, we never get time off. We work in shifts.
Went down a rabbit hole this evening, playing with my new browser(installed edge, wow, it’s really nice having a full and fully functioning mobile browser on my phone).
Anyway, the warren lead me to exploring the small town my Aunt and Uncle lived in and my cousins grew up in, and I have many fond memories of visiting, via google maps. I sorta wish I hadn’t, even though I enjoyed the trip down memory lane.
The cute little red split-level house was painted ugly white at some point before it burned down in this year’s fires. The overhead “satellite” view gives a much different view of how densely forested the mountain side behind the house isn’t, which doesn’t match my dim and distant childhood memories at all. The street view has a bunch of maple and other hardwood trees that I would have sworn in a statement, didn’t exist there. Lots of change over the 40 years since I was there last.
The memories are sweet and joyful, but now tinged with a hint of bitter.
Perhaps that’s as should be, perhaps that’s proper.
A childhood of innocence, reflected upon in the mirror of adult experience and sensibilities. It heightens the innocence, make the memories sweeter, all the more cherished even as it induces that mild melancholic nostalgia for those times that can never be again.
I know that not everyone has such memories. Not everyone had a great childhood, loved, protected, secure in the knowledge (however unconscious that knowing was) that they’d always have a home with family that truly loved and cared for them, no matter what. I know that not everyone has that, and … three christmas trees on a hilltop, I’ve led a charmed life.
I’m going to stop, this went someplace I didn’t expect for me.
Follow-up on my cats. As you recall, I lost my Tigger a few weeks ago.
Hope and Tigger were great friends, as are Fiona and Shiloh. All are/were roughly the same age, about 17 or so, so I’m not thinking of introducing a tiny kitten or a mature cat into the house. But Hope is lonely.
She wanders around the house, meowing at nothing, and checking Tig’s favourite sleeping spots to see if he is there. Of course, he is not. To distract her, I play with her–she loves her trackball, and a bird toy that she will bat if I dangle it. She likes such activity, but it is apparent that she misses playing with Tigger. They used to love to wrestle, although Hope usually lost. But they were great friends.
Hope often saw Tigger on the right arm of my easy chair in front of the TV, and she will join me, but not on the right arm–Tig’s arm, I guess she recalls. She chooses the left arm of my chair. I think she is trying to keep me company the way Tig did, and she’s doing a good job. But it is apparent that she is lonely for cat company. She has tried to make friends with Fiona and Shiloh, but the former mostly disregards her, and the latter is afraid of her.
I know that cats can adapt to nearly any situation, and I’m thinking that Hope will too, regardless of whether Fiona and Shiloh will welcome her into their friendship. But I’d like them all to get along. Has anybody any suggestions on how I can get Fiona and Shiloh to be friends with Hope?
I’d start a separate thread @Spoons there’s a ton of cat people on the 'Dope but not necessarily in this thread.
But … three’s a crowd. Fiona nor Shiloh might never accept Hope as their 3rd wheel.
Try giving all three treats or catnip at the same time, so they associate “good times” with Hope’s presence. They sell squeeze tubes of tuna goo, for example, that you can pass among the 3 mouths. (I call the stuff “squeeeezy crack” and Nikki comes hustlin’ if she hears me say it.)
spoons she may cleave close to you for a while, sensing your grief for Tigger and wanting to do her grieving journey alongside of you.
shoe’s ideas are great, well worth trying. There’s pheromone product called Feliway that you might want to try. It’s an aerosolized feline calming and mellowing presence, kind of like the 3 kitties sharing a big fat joint around a campfire every night.
:skritches and nose boops: to all four of you
Thanks, folks. We had some great results with Feliway many years ago, so I’ll give that a shot.
Hope is typically a happy and playful and fun cat, and I’m kind of missing that.