Love the cat stories and pics. I adore cats but have always been severely allergic so can’t have one.
Hope to participate more once my life settles down a bit. 
Once again the Slide got slammed by delayed delivery stuff being routed to the 100 Slide instead of Purple 49. And we couldn’t re scan it because it would then default to going out today. Cleanup wasn’t too bad. I stopped at Teeter for bread and beer. There was a lady on the beer aisle with 2 honeydews in her cart. It was all I could do to not yell “HEY, NICE MELONS!” at her. I stopped at the pet store for Spot chow. They had a cat rescue there. The little black kitten was very mouthy at me. That one should be named Stella.
< comes home, showers, turns on N.C. State game >
< watches Clemson hang 28 on them in the 1st Quarter >
< considers reducing hangegg watching to hate watching of Incarnate Word >
It was all those Pina Coladas last night. 
HAPPYBELATED BIRTHDAY nellie!!!
So are you staying 1 day, buying stuff there, or are you asking for the most down wind seat on the return flight?
Spot, in the world’s worst hot tub:
@dogbutler
Spot is adorable in porcelain!
Re: packing - will have enough for daily underclothing changes but the outerwear will need to be limited … ugh.
But I can’t schlep a huge suitcase and a carry on on all the trains which we will be traveling on frequently. Maybe we will run into a laundromat somewhere. 
Happy birthday, I’m so glad it was wonderful.
I’m glad you and daughter enjoyed imagining the delayed falls, we both laugh a lot watching them. How’s your daughter’s gormless one? Not so smart cats are so entertaining.
Smart cats are a PITA. This morning Hubs found water on the kitchen floor again. Jolene likes to play with ice cubes and has figured out how to jump up and hit the ice cube dispenser and then jump again to slap the cube off the shelf and onto the floor. All of that would be fine, but she refuses to wipe the mess up when she’s done.
At least I know she’s recovering nicely from her surgery, she couldn’t have done that last week.
I would have adored that house, it sounds so much fun!
We didn’t know how old ours were, but assumed it was time so it was a good reminder. Or it would have been if it wasn’t in the middle of the night. The new ones come with a 10 year battery to force you to change them on a timely basis.
I’ve ordered a super loud strobe light alarm and the plan is for me to set it off when I wake up in the middle of the night to pee. If it wakes him up I’ll put it over the bed. While I’m sure our home won’t burn down, it will make me happier to know that he would wake up just in case.
Don’t they look all sweet and innocent? HAHAHAHAHA!!!
Sometimes not thinking about something really helps your mind settle and figure it out. Be sure to double check that you aren’t accidently packing guns, ammo or THC, I understand that is frowned on. Have a great trip!
Went to a chili cook off.
Free samples of 18.
Some were too hot, some too sweet.
Found a good one and voted for it.
Cake making scheduled today.
Hair washing later ( its 23 inches long).
Ralphie is a true mechanic lol! Cute pic.
Good advice. Mind settling can be very productive.
I don’t know why I am particularly anxious this time…I’ve traveled quite a bit. Including going to Belgium all by myself several years ago.
I think I just really hate to pack. Yeah that’s probably it.
All I need to worry about is no THC lol.
I bartered my gun and ammo to the guy who came to replace the CPU on my desktop a few years ago. It was a fair trade.
Awww, how helpful is Ralphie!!!
When we went on our last cruise, I packed minimal underpants, to be supplemented with panty liners. So instead of doing laundry, I could just toss the pads. Just a suggestion…
Home, exhausted, enjoying the quiet. We looked at animals, smelled animals, petted animals, watched a parade, then FCD and MIL left, and I helped Daughter corral the kids. They had unicorn (pony) rides, then one more midway ride each, then a “game” where everyone wins (they chose giant inflatable bananas, which made the ride home interesting.) Afterwards, we went to Salsa’s for lunch, then she dropped me off.
FCD has gone to get the license tags for our new vehicle as they just came in at the dealer’s. MIL is napping. I just started up the ice machine. The thrills never end here.
Know me for the non-farmgirl that I am - I laid hands on a sheep that was some weeks past shearing, so the wool was growing out again. OMG - how thick is their coat!!! You miss out on stuff when you grow up in suburbia.
I hear my recliner calling…
Common trick, although the liners take up a non-zero amount of space, too, and dunno what you’re wearing down there but my panties take up rather minimal room already.
It’s bulky things like sweaters and rigid bottles/tubs of cosmetics that really take up space.
Oh, and another trick is to simply discard socks & undies along the way, rather than bothering with washing. Makes space available for souvenirs on the way home.
Someone parked the cab of a damn 18-wheeler in front of the house next door for hours, so I was treated to the incessant yet intermittent “hisss” sound big trucks make.
Just enough interval for me to drift back off to sleep, only to be jerked awake again.
I am underslept as a result and feelin’ blurfy, but off to work in half an hour. Yay.
It spared me doing laundry on the trip, plus tossing the liners left me some room for small trinkets to take home for the grands. But the big thing was not having to wash a bunch of unders. Especially since we were in Antarctica, so it’s not like our clothes got sweaty or anything.
I know my mom has packed old/tatty unders and tossed them along the way to make room for souvenirs. I’m not sure if that’s what she did when she went to Poland, but she managed to pack a buttload of ceramic plates and stuff for her return trip. My challenge will be in 2026, assuming we’ll be able to make the trip - a 35 day cruise. We’ll have to do laundry somewhere along the way. But I’ll deal with that when the time comes.
I know the feeling - in fact, I’m feeling it right now. I think I may sleep with Mel tonight.
52-7 in the 3rd Qtr
Also I just heard a hic hic hic noise in my room, but Spot is in the living room with me. Apparently one of the ghost cats just hornked on my bed.
Reminds me of my maternal grandma’s house. There was the basement. Then there was a door to the root cellar. then there was a door to the coal bunker.
“I can fix this. I got a PhD. in String Theory in college.” - Ralphie
Good idea about the liners/underwear.
I have kept a series of underwear/jeans only for travel but they have been in use since 2013 and can possibly be dispensed with along the way.
I’ll probably put a pair of underwear in my raincoat pocket lol. And maybe a thin pair of pajama bottoms.
Oh the creative packing juices are flowing…
I have been wearing/taking throw away clothing for some time now. It’s so freeing to just toss and go. I’m looking for a shirt I can ditch upon arrival along with a set of depleted underclothing lol.
Oh wow - a 35 day cruise would be a nightmare to pack for. There has to be somewhere to do laundry one would hope.
Did the shopping trip this morning. Went a little crazy on the Halloween shopping.
We have trick or treat in the lobby of the building. I got a variety of snack and non food items.
I also went a bit wild at spirit of Halloween. Some stuff can be used year around!
Ah, the lobby… there was nearly a derailment of the lobby chair thing. I rolled out the sample chair and the 2, just 2! sample fabrics for the committee meeting.
There were 2 chairs with both fabrics quoted. Basically now or nearly never to buy chairs.
Can we get a sample of the other chair? No.
Any other fabrics? No.
There was dithering, and hemming, a bit of hawing. But finally we are at 8 votes for blue, 1 vote for brown. With one person wanting to see the fabrics in daylight.
Hoping for 10 new chairs, settling for 8 if necessary.
Whew!
Howdy Y’all! Outside of makin’ a very nummy sup with leftovers for tomorrow, today has been very much a RDOS day. Been watchin’ kolledge football off and on, but not real innerested in any one game. We et an early sup and now I see Netflix, chill, and popcorn in my future.
Nettie Indeed I did mean Nellie. I blame it on not enough caffeine yet and the fact that I have the short term memory of a lobotomized deranged moth.
WetOne I will not judge you for sto’ bought pimento cheese. However, a mumper from the southern U.S.ofA. I would Judge Judy judge for doin’ the same thing. I know their mama taught 'em better!
Boo so sorry about your Huskers. Oh well, they did take it to OT. I sometimes buy frozen and even whomp bizkits. That ought to cause some pearl clutchin’!
And now this…
< AHEM > CLEARIN’ THROAT < AHEM >
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY DEEEAAARRR OOOOOOPPPSSSIIIEEE!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
Afternoon all. Coached my two teams (without success, we lost 1-3 and 1-2) and then refereed two in the 91F heat, but this time I took an hour between refereeing, most spent in my car with the AC on high and plenty of hydration, so got through it without too much trouble. Am now in permanent resting position and except for sticking the Fettuccine in the microwave in a bit, no other activity is planned. Feel pretty good, but my feet and ankles disagree with that diagnosis so sitting will be good enough.
doggio, also saw the James Madison-North Carolina score; not a good day for college tackleball there.
Six, I can’t go somewhere for 3 days without a full suitcase, envy you and others who can manage with a backpack. Enjoy Ireland.
Flyboy, we have Hardee’s at this end of the continent, same basic menu but the one nearest me seems to open and close on a whim, so haven’t visited it in some time.
shoe, hope the ratties enjoyed the feast.
nellie, sounds like a wonderful day spent with daughter.
FCM, well, I guess it’s nice she worries about you…And sounds like you and the family had a great day at the fair. Ever heard this song before?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeK45FAAOac
Mea Culpa, nettie. too early for typing this morning, I guess…
Taters, interesting about the Tide Pods, they are right out on the shelves here in Ali-bama.
Well played.
wet one, had to look up sundowners syndrome, sorry to hear that but concur staying at an AirB&B is the better option.
Oopsie, I remember John Wood as the evil Bishop, not a major role but he was good in it. Happy eating and Lego-ing.
Yep.
Cookie, hope the re-opened pizza place is as good as you remember.
Sticky Buns, glad the hospice visit went better than expected.
Hippie, wonder what he charges per hour? 
Coppertone, glad you enjoyed the Chili and as for the hair washing, mine is more like 2.3 inches long.
rocky, good luck on getting agreement for the chairs/fabrics. Will you try herding cats next?
And Hippo Birdie to Oopsie!!!
Whew, that took me nearly to dinner time. Apologies if I missed anything, you folks can write a lot. Take care all.
Glad yall enjoyed the fair FCM
Tho you and the sheep remind me of the old commercials for the LA County fair … they show a classroom full of grade school big city kids doing reports on farm animals spouting hilarious “facts” while the teacher sat there with an amazed look on her face then an announcer says something close to "and now you know why we need the la county fair "
The ship for the 35 day cruise doesn’t have self-serve laundry. I’ll investigate the cost of having it done as the time gets closer. Last ship (Princess line) had some laundry rooms, so I was able to do a load one day. Unders can be rinsed in the sink and dried on the balcony. We’ll figger it out.
I made a quick run to Food Lion and now it’s full chillage mode.
For those of us with the little guys, that’s usually the case. Nelson knows that he has to stay in his bed on the passenger seat until we’re in a drive thru line, the radio is muted and the window down.
Ralphie is one talented puddy tat!
Took Nelson to the dog park, then on to get gas, mail a couple of cards and pick up a gyro from the San Marcos food truck (middle eastern and Greek food, decent quality and budget friendly). I made a salad when I got home and that was supper.
I turned on YT for some background while I ate / surfed. It’s a sort of archeological dig on a 19th century farm. He’s finding a lot of intact liquor, beer and pharmaceutical bottles, along with a few granite ware items. It kind of reminds me of the stuff that would surface in our kitchen garden when I was growing up. The house was built in 1860 and apparently, where we planted a garden was what the early occupants used as a dump. I know that we used to find a lot of whiskey bottles and Evening of Paris bottles that didn’t have screw caps.
Think Spot needs an apprentice? 