(Old, thankfully.) Just call it pee-pee ‘cause it’s all your’n MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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Thank you for the birthday wishes! And Happy Birthday, Butters, wherever you are!

Most of my day was consumed by traveling to get the anti-itch shots. I walked downtown to the bus station, and my knee was complaining even before I started. I discovered walking down a steep hill is a bit of a challenge. However, it’s a gorgeous day: mellow autumn sunshine and puffy clouds coasting over the cerulean sky. Yipes, that’s a bit much, but you get the idea. I’m now trying to ice the knee into oblivion.

Apparently today is International Crack Day, and we’re not talkin’ cocaine. At the infusion center, a stocky guy dropped some change and when he bent over, his pants did not. Then waiting for the return bus, I saw an older guy on a scooter with most of the Great Divide showing. How are people oblivious to a breeze on the southern slopes?

MetalMouse, do you have the Kroger app on your phone? If it works like Safeway, once you install the app, you can access all the digital coupons, no loading needed. But maybe it’s not like Safeway. And you need a Roomba! :slight_smile:

pilot, don’t blow my cover! I’ve got my siblings convinced my son was born on my brother’s birthday and my daughter on my sister’s because I’m all loyal and devoted like that. :wink

Oopsie, glad you’re back!

Shoe, kudos on mastering the art of the dead pizza crust! Not a d’oh in the dough!

Flyboy, I hope the sweet doggie is OK. Please let us know what you find out.

Doggio, you know that anytime you have redneck stir-fry, the rest of will be seeing it flyboy’s way. Also, I hope you get to meet the pupper soon!

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Powdering one’s nose was my grandmother’s expression. Dad used to say that he needed to talk to John.

No. My mom’s euphemism for that time of the month was Granny was visiting.

I feel your pain about the street work VanGo. They have my street torn up where it meets the main drag and that’s the only way out that doesn’t involvegoing 10 miles around.

I’d work for you nellie! Nelson could be part of the security team (he would work for Blue Bits). Happy birthday!

Glad you got your truck back metal mouse.

Good on you for doing what you could for the stray cat BooFae.

Happy birthday butters.

Irked, came home, walked Nelson, et and began assembly of my Thanksgiving cards. Right now, I’m in a three way message with two sisters about whether to go up to Dad’s for his October birthday or get together for Thanksgiving. I’m for whatever Dad wants.

Stay safe and healthy y’all!

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No, I just go to the webpage and pick out the ones I want and they are automatically transferred to my Kroger Card. And yeah, maybe I’ll tell my brother than a Roomba is a good idea for Xmas…

To relate back to the OP, I used to say 'I got to go to the John", later amended to “I gotta use the bathroom.” We were practical folks, no euphemisms required.

Dinner had been assimilated and is happily digesting. All y’all take care.

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Nellie and butters,

**:tada::partying_face::confetti_ball::piñata::notes::musical_note::clinking_glasses::champagne: happy :birthday: birthday :cupcake: to you, happy :cake: birthday to you :champagne::clinking_glasses::notes::musical_note::confetti_ball::partying_face::tada:

125

Yaay Nellie that sounds like an excellent day. Sorry the knee is hurting afterwards, but IMO moderate exercise in actual use is vastly more therapeutic than is bunches more physical therapy. As long as you can quit when it’s enough, but not too much.

The idea you’re missing is that “oblivious” is really “prideful”. It’s a bitch being genteel in the modern world.

At my end:
Her Ladyship finally launched off for the store for hostess gifts and a snack to share then on to her social dinner at the house of one of the Ladies Who Lunch. Which event triggered me at almost 4pm to finally get out of my chair, swap PJs for shevelment, finish haranguing some Dopers in other threads, and head out for early solo dinner.

Once purty I went to a local midrange eatery / drinkery that has a solid assortment of decent food, Good happy hour specials, and an unusually nice selection of wines by the glass. It’s a lovely evening w the sun in the west and the temps in the highish 80s & no nearby rain, so rather non-humid. Ideal. Fun to walk at my pace, not Her Ladyship’s. Between being quite small and liking tall shoes she is not a fast walker. The view from behind is to die for, so that’s a nice offset; at her pace I can watch that for quite awhile even if we’re not going far. Still, walking at my own pace is a fine relief.

On arrival I recognize the menu & my server by name; cute & perky if somewhat pudgy 25yo wrapping up college nearby. Order a very nice cab and some French Onion soup for course #1. Back she comes; They’ve discontinued that good stuff by the glass, would Sir prefer a glass of Chateaux De Gárbage? Not really, how about a glass of Chateaux Second-Runner-Up? Off she goes. Back she comes. We’re out of that; how about a glass of Chateeux De Gárbage; it’s on happy hour for a buck off? Oh, OK, just bring it; time’s a wastin’. Sigh.

It sucketh greatly. Damn; the wine was by far the attractive feature of this place. Food just OK, wine great. In the immortal words of Chief Inspector Closeau: “Not anymore!!!11!”. Sigh.

Anyhow, I switch to a decent NZ sauv blanc for rounds 2 and three which accompany a decent Caesar salad and some rather blah shrimp fried rice. 2 hours later dinner is done. OK, not great. They’ve moved well down my personal pecking order.

Walk to the nearby bar / nightclub which has live entertainment most Thu-Sat and some Weds depending on time of year and week of month. But not tonight. Oh well.

Along the way my evening of “almost, but not quite right” turns around completely. I turn down a different alley of this rabbit warren of shops & eateries and stumble upon one whose name I vaguely think I recognize but know I’ve never seen open. They are now. 3 tables outside, 4 more inside and a total of 2 occupied. The owner is there, a 50-ish lady who’s been running her dream in this hidden location for a few years now. The menu and wine list is simply scrumptious looking and my 10+ minutes yakking with her was the high point of my day. If they can cook as well as her patter & menu & décor & presentation promises, this is a new favorite at least for me. Her Ladyship and I will be back soon. Yaay Rhonda!!

Now balconatin’ at 9pm, Her Ladyship has pinged to say she’s running late as the ladies yakkage is running amok. There is a fine sea breeze, the temp is an ideal 85F/29C, and the poor long-suffering fishies are getting zapped again, but not nearly so enthusiastically as yesterday. Just far enough away from here that it’s silent orange lightning from orange Chinese lantern clouds.

Time now for dessert. Her Ladyship has pinged that she’ll be home in another 30-ish minutes.

Cheers all!

126

Happy birthday, Nellie and Butters! I hope you both had a wonderful day!

Things here have just kinda of been. I got nothing much done beyond reading the graphic novels that I hadn’t read yet for tonight’s book club. The good thing about graphic novels is that they move quickly so it only took 2 hours to finish it.

I picked up a few new pieces of clothing and had a minor photo shoot with them today. I have absolutely no idea where I’m going to wear it but it made me feel good and that’s what really mattered.

Imgur

Today was kind of a good day for CtE. They were having problems with their anxiety in school and instead of trying to get me to let them come home, they went to their counselor’s office and called me from there to talk things through. They knew they weren’t going to come home, and they knew that they had therapy tonight. They were worried about getting past due school work done and when I suggested that they do a virtual session so they’d have more time at home, they said they’d considered it but got more in person. They had to wait for my book club to be done, but seemed to be in a good mood. They didn’t tell me what they talked about in therapy, but they did trust me with the news that they are in an online closed triad. Part of their depression was not being in a relationship when all their friends were. So I’m hoping this will help them in a lot of ways.

Tomorrow, they have an appointment with the nurse practitioner that prescribes their meds first thing in the morning. We did a gene study to see if we could figure out what med might work best for them and that is what tomorrow’s appointment is. I’m hoping that we can make it happen.

Saturday BtY turns 15. The only thing he’s told us he wants are a 10 pack of tacos. It’s his traditional birthday dinner. No idea what else we’ll do but I’m going to leave it to him.

Hope everyone is having a great night/day/whatever.

127

I just had a sad shock. I went on Facebook and a friend posted how this morning his partner died. I knew her, she and he were both my tenants for a while. We and a few others played trivia as The Loki Yokels at the Norseman brewery, and just over a week ago won third place. The death was not expected and according to my friend she passed in her sleep. It is strange when your memory of them is fresh.

Back in the eighties my mother and I, on a Thursday in July, went to eat at the annual Mexican fiesta here in town. Singing and strolling through the crowd were the members of an all female mariachi group. We saw them that day, and in a little over 24 hours four of them were dead. They were in Kansas City and died in the collapse of the walkways at the Hiatt Regency hotel.

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My family wasn’t that big on euphemisms, either. I jokingly refer to human bathroom trips as “using the litterbox”. :wink:

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Ouch! {{hugs}} to you and your surviving friend. Strange indeed. In a way it is good she had it together enough to play trivia that close to her end. It’s coming for all of us, but speaking just for me, I’d like Death to arrive with some warning, but not much. A couple weeks is about right.

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The thing is, she wasn’t ill as far as I know. She seemed to be perfectly normal.

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Garbage and recyclables are out to the curb and flu shot is scheduled for Friday at 11am, so I have done well for post-dinner. Now some reading and heading off to bed. Down to 68F already, so off with the AC and someone open up a window…

Cupcakes, sorry to hear about your friend; had it happen to a friend of mine at work, she had to go to the hospital and I visited her there, she was alert and feisty and ready to go home…and three days later she was dead. Life is a crap-shoot and no one knows when their number is up.

Real Fish, glad CtE was able to handle things; hope the appointment goes well.

Pilot, you should get a temp job with the newspaper as food and wine critic; you’d be great at it. And looking forward to your report on Rhonda’s place.

Ok, finish up here and head off to bed. Take care all.

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ETA: @Baker 2 above.

Wow. I read your first post as “the death was not unexpected.” That’s totally backwards; you wrote “the death was not expected.”

I apologize for that dumb mistake. The bolt-from-the-blue loss of a non-elderly person is an utterly different feeling. I imagine her partner is devastated. I know I’d have been.

133

Up from naptime. There was a brief nap break where Spot decided that my toes were The Invisible Mole People, and assaulted them. Now I’m having a martini and making chicken and egg noodles.

You are sick and twisted. you’re my kind of people!

I hope so.

Working on it, just answering Foster mom’s questions.

{{{{Baker}}}} I’m sorry about your friend.

Fishy, glad CtE was able to cope with things. And nifty outfit.

134

Happy Hump Day!

Happy Birthday Butters!

Happy Birthday Nellie!

Another morning in the 50s.
We got Echo and Rayleigh off to daycare.

Misiu was bummed all day.
I thought he might enjoy a day of having me all to himself, but he wasn’t.
It will be his turn at daycare net week, so Rayleigh will be the unhappy one. Or maybe not.

Rayleigh is so much like Ripple sometimes. When we picked them up he ran across the seat to get in my lap like Ripple used to do. He also grabs my arm when he is happy to see me, just like Ripple used to do. Except Rayleigh is a lot gentler.

Ripple would bite me hard when he was a puppy. He’d get the zoomies and run past me and grab my arm hard enough to draw blood. Ripple was a bad puppy, there were many a time I thought of sending him back to the breeder.
He was also a very smart puppy.
One night he ran past me several times and blood was flowing down my arms.
I held out my bloody arm to him and said, look what you did.
He sat down in front of my and looked at my arm and looked at my face. He got a concerned look on his face as he looked back at my arm and then my face again. Then he tasted the blood and looked at my face.
Later that night he got up on the couch next to me and took my arm in his mouth and bit it gently. Then he bit a little harder, then a little harder until I said OUCH! and he let go. He repeated that several times, and he never bit me hard again.
He was so bad as a puppy and so sweet as an adult.
I still miss him every day.

Last night was a little scary for me.
My son got off irk at 1230, so I called a cab for him. The cab drvier said she’d get him in about 20 minutes since she had to pick up somebody else first. I let him and know and fell back asleep. I got a phone call sometime later and didn’t get up, I was so tired. Then I woke up in a panic thinking it was my son and there was a problem. It was around 2 and I didn’t recognize the number that called. I start called my son’s phone and he didn’t answer, so I called again. Now I’m worried because he isn’t answering and I he should be home and I have no idea what is up.
Then I heard him call up the stairs, and so I now he’s home.
He had been home for almost an hour.
I never heard him come in, I didn’t hear the dogs go down to greet him, I didn’t hear the bells on the back door when he put them outside. I didn’t hear the dogs come back upstairs.
It scares me that all that could go on and I never woke up.

No idea who called. I’ll assume it was a wrong number.

I slept most of today again.
I think the pain pills are part of it, but I think it’s mostly because I have gone so long under a lot of stress and so much going on, that now that most of the crap is over, my stress is gone and I can finally really sleep.

Moving is not stressing me too much, because there is no hurry.
I wanted to be done by this coming weekend, but I know that isn’t going to happen.
I need a plan and I don’t have one yet. There are so many decisions to make, but it’s slowly coming together.
I refuse to let this get to me.

135

Thanks. That post really made me feel good. Sometimes, the job feels thankless.

Also, THANKS for the reminder of a TV show I enjoyed! Gotta find some free reruns.

136

So, this morning I went to get surplus produce but the truck was late so I came home and took VBC to the vet.

The physical exam really set my mind at ease. While the weight loss is significant, she doesn’t have bad teeth (the vet didn’t even recommend cleaning) and no lump in her belly due to having the biggest hairball in the world. We will get the results of the bloodwork tomorrow and if nothing shows there, we will just go with the good ol’ “cats is weird” answer.

Or…perhaps she was up to 17 lbs because she DID have the world’s largest hairball and the hairball treats really do work like advertised, so that’s why she lost all that weight so fast. Who knows?

I got a bit fluffy at hubs today. I came in from porchinating cause I needed another beer and found him with the metal tape measure draped over his back and shoulders. Why was he doing such a thing? Well his back has been hurting and he thinks it is because of his belt and he wants to buy some suspenders. (I think it is because he spends his days sitting on his ass in front of his computer screen, but what do I know.)

So…perhaps he could get a better measurement if we did it with the fabric tape measure I just happen to have handy right there in my top desk drawer. As it happens, I have had this tape measure since before I got hubs and the end had stretched and bent about 20 years ago (cat related I am sure) so I made a new end 2 inches in. All that meant was I had to remember to add 2 inches to whatever I was measuring.

So, I held the end behind hub’s back and handed him the end of the tap so he could measure the front part and told him to add two inches.

He started to mansplain that he didn’t need to do that because he isn’t using the holder to measure and I told him that it didn’t matter and to not try to tell me how to use MY tools and he started mansplaining again. I showed him the end and why he needed to add two inches and he said that was stupid and why didn’t I just buy a new tape measure so I left him to deal with it himself.

I spent some time pouting and then went to the bike barn and randomized his sockets. Don’t diss my tools!

Thank you so much for caring for the poor lil guy. At least he will go with a full belly. (The Best Cat in The World came to us preloaded with FIV and other horrible shit but after not a whole lot of vet bills was able to give us four good years before he crashed and died. There is always hope.)

Kids remember that sort of shit. I have words that will stay unsaid.

I hope you had a great birthday nellie! Of course I know your son’s early visit was the best present ever, but Happy Birthday from an internet stranger :slight_smile:

Happy Birthday Butters! I hope your day was great!

Oh, you betcha I’d be all in. I binge watch cooking shows, I imagine swampy cooking like the Galloping Gourmet. Graham Kerr also cooked with booze and often used some in the food.

I can still remember Mom covering my ears while laughing her ass off the episode where he cooked with a whole lot of wine and started talking about how chicken breasts were always different sizes just like other breasts with hand motions. She never let me watch him again and would send me outside to play in the yard when his show as on. I didn’t think it would be any fun to watch him cook through the window without hearing his words so I just went next door and watched it with Mrs. Weber.

Go YOU!

One of the big things I learned from my dad is that just because someone makes something look easy doesn’t mean it is easy. It means they have practiced it 97 thousand times so that now it looks easy.

Also, good for you for wanting to keep learning, it will keep you young.

I am SO happy that you are finally able to let yourself sleep. You are going to start feeling so much better in a week so so, please allow yourself to keep it up.

Yes, you need to move away from the stairs, but it won’t cost you that much to do it at your own pace instead of rushing to meet some arbitrary deadline. You own both places and nobody is waiting for you to be out before they can me in. Take your time.

They sure wasted their sterilizing drugs on me, I’m already fixed! Or are contrails giving us 5G this month? I get so confused, LOL!

I used to feed oil sunflower seeds before Putin started that stoopid war and sunflower seeds doubled in cost. I went back today and bought sunflower seeds at less than half what I was paying tow years ago. The cardinals are going to be thrilled this winter!

I really thought you were smarter than this. Don’t you know that now that you have said things are going well, your pipes are going to break again? Dude!

137

Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off to heave.

:notes:You don’t pull on Superman’s cape
You don’t spit into the wind
You don’t pull the mask off the ol’ Lone Ranger
And you don’t mess around with Jane… :notes:

Harvey’s apprarently a bit of a mess, but hopefuly I’ll make him a happy mess for the rest of his days.

Yay for rest, and no stress moving!

138

Sadly, due to all the time I spend with a toddler, I’m stuck with “going to the potty.” Classy, huh? :rofl:

Not to minimize your feelings, but I expect most folks experience that one time or another. Especially when you can make something look easy because you’re good at what you do - no one has any idea how that sausage is made… Sometimes all you’ve got is personal satisfaction - unless you have some cheerleaders. :clap:

This stopped me for a second. On the kids’ cartoon Bluey, they refer to the expulsion of intestinal gas as a “fluffy” and the mental image of you was, well… :rofl:

[nitpick] tug, not pull [/nitpick]
:wink:

Today is opening day of the county fair and we’re all going, minus SIL because he has to work. FCD will pick up his mom and meet Daughter, her brood, and me at Salsa’s. We’ll have an early supper, then go see all the animals and assorted displays. Tomorrow, Daughter, SIL, and the kids will go for the midway - school is closed in the county for the fair and they have a ride-all-day-wristband deal.

The first year we took Roxy to the fair, she was just a tad younger than Tobias is. She talked to the animals. Daughter made a video when they were in the sheep barn - Roxy would baaaaaah back at them - it was hilarious. We’re wondering if Tobias will do the same today.

My job will be to tire him out this morning, then take him home and get him to nap. Otherwise he’ll be a crabby little monster at the fair. I need to charge up my tablet and I can read while he sleeps. Theoretically.

Thus beginneth my day. Happy Thursday!!

139

Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ;Tis 64 Amurrkin out and clear with a predicted high of 84 and mostly cloudy for the day. The pollen count is also very high. Dang ragweed! I’m feelin’ it this mornin’. ICK! Mowage needs to be accomplished, but not sure if’n I can handle it right now. I may just suck it up and do it anyhow. I also need to print out the sermon I picked out for Sunday so I can practice readin’ it out loud. On the plus side it is short and sweet, so not too much of a problem. Sup shall be grilled brats (the sausage kind; the other kind gives me indigestion) on some good hotdawg buns we bought yestiddy, and who knows what. Maybe just oven fries or chips. Not feelin’ motivated in the area of cookage right now.

MOOOOOOM have fun at the county fair. Haven’t been to one of those since probably the early eighties. Haven’t been to the state fair since around the mid nineties. Jawja calls its state fair the “Jawja National Fair” for reasons I do not know or care to bother to find out why.

sari yay for gettin’ some much needed rest. Good that you can take your time movin’. It’ll all get there eventually.

And now this…

< AHEM > CLEARIN’ THROAT < AHEM >

HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY DEEEAAARRR OOOPPPSSSIIIEEE!!!
HAAAPPPYYY BIIIRRRTTTHHHDDDAAAYYY TOOOOOO YOUUUUUU!!!

Now I need more caffeine and to feed rumbly tummy. Then, onward into the day!

Happy Thursday Y’all!

140

Mornin’ everyone.

It is 44F, dark, and mostly clear outside. The expected high is 74F, and we’ll have sunny skies. Tomorrow is the last sunny day for several days, and rain is expected to move in over the weekend. We also had a dusting of snow at Sunrise on Mt Rainier, so fall and winter approacheth.

Happy Birthday, oopsie!

sari, I’m glad you’re getting some rest!

The state fair is right down the hill from me, and I haven’t been in years. It’s just way too peopley and way overpriced. I think the last time I went to the fair is when the kids were in elementary school, so that was many years ago. That being said, I know many people enjoy fairs and I’m not knocking it, it’s just not my thing.

nellie, hikers use walking sticks or poles to help with downhill walking because it is rough on the knees and ankles. I have collapsible hiking poles, and they work a treat.

shoe, yay for learning a new skill! It’s so nice when things click!

JtC, I’m glad the exam set your mind at ease. I hope the bloodwork results turn out well.

It’s my Friday, thank goodness. Most of my accomplishments were written up, but now I need to edit. I think I’ll get those done this morning, and then I can send them to my boss.

Other than that, I will probably spend the day putting out small fires and writing some instructional policies for the state staff. They’ll probably ignore those, too, and I’ll still spend far too much time cleaning up their messes. :roll_eyes: I now call people out when I have to clean up something because they didn’t read my instructional email or a previous policy or newsbox. I haven’t done that in the past, but they need to learn to respect my time as much as I try to respect theirs. I also don’t make cleaning their messes such a huge priority anymore. I let them wallow a bit so they can remember the pain their inaction caused them. Some of them are finally learning; some never will. I still help them out, but I’m not dropping everything to do it right then and there anymore. I’m sick of being the easy button.

On Monday, I’m back out on the road for an executive leadership team office tour and visiting various sites or agencies that have received help from my agency. Wednesday is going to be a very long day. Oh, who am I kidding? All the days will be long because I’ll be logged onto my computer each day before hitting the road to take care of work and logging in each night in the hotel room to finish more work. I am hopeful the temps don’t drop too much with the onslaught of rain in the lower elevations because I have to travel over two mountain passes that week. I return home on Thursday and work Friday.

I don’t know if I’ll be working the following Monday because, once again, Congress is threatening to shut everything down. Idiots. That’s all I’m saying about it here.

Welp, I need to finish loading the dishwasher, and I think I’ll give the floor a quick Swiffer mop job, too. Then I’ll log into my work laptop. Stay safe, sane, and peaceful!