the koi pond yarn is a bit different than the amazon link. here is a link to the store, it is unavailable now because it is mine. mine, mine, mine.
Fiberstory Fave Sock - koi pond - Loop Yarn
it is darker than the picture shows. it puts me in mind of a mosaic. i haven’t decided what to do with it. socks, hat, scarf thing. right now, i just look at it. soo pretty.
Morning all. My bladder let me sleep all the way to 7am, so it will hopefully be a good day micturation-wise. Have broken fast with Frosted Flakes and an apple, so that is done. Nothing much on the schedule, there is a 1-in-3 chance of a tunder-boomer this afternoon, but my lawn could use the watering. Otherwise nothing much planned. It’ll get to 91F but the heat index shows over 100F, so a good day not to be outside.
JtC, apparently it is a new policy this year, caught me by surprise, but I’m not one to turn down a gift $100 on my electric in the summer…reason is here from their website:
Sticky Buns, thanks and back at ya!
VanGo, I’ve been fairly lucky on my IV’s but I can remember (painfully) times it has failed and it is not a pleasant feeling. But glad the procedure went well and the news was good.
FCM, there is an old saying that Rugby is a ruffian game played by gentlemen while Soccer is a gentleman’s game played by ruffians… Enjoy the fancy dinner.
Sticky Buns, interesting story, I hope the kid got the help he needed (but even in this day and age, sadly, he probably didn’t). And giving stuff you no longer use to others for their benefit is one of the great things about being human, IMHO. Looking forward to you and canine pal.
And breakfast has been consumed and is being assimilated, so onward into the day. have a good one all.
Good morning.
It’s 59°F and mostly cloudy as I type. Morning clouds will give way to an afternoon of sunshine, with an expected high temperature of 83°F.
VanGo, so glad to hear there are no issues.
Sticky, although you may have only just broke even, it sounds like you had an enjoyable time. I’m glad.
Lily, I hope everything heals up quickly. Take care of yourself!
JtC, I am here to tell you that sunburn is possible in the woods. I used to hike a A LOT, and let me tell you, the sun will reach spots you didn’t know were exposed. Please wear sunscreen. PSA over.
Flyboy, I hope today’s drive is easy, although it seems like something like a brush fire or major accident is shutting down lanes or entire sections of the freeway on an almost daily basis now.
Yesterday I washed towels and bedding, so other than watering the plants in the back, I don’t have much on the agenda. Maybe I’ll run the rollsuck. I dunno.
I am annoyed at the lack of communication from the roofing company. I chose this company because all the reviews said communication was good. I plan to call them when they open today. I should have heard last week about what day to expect them this week. I heard nothing, and they didn’t call yesterday, either. I am unimpressed by the lack of communication. They were quick to charge my credit card, though.
My old boss is a finalist for a county Community Economic Development Director position, and I’ve been asked to provide a reference. He can’t sit still, although he did admit that the longer the leave/retirement went on, the less inclined he was to return to work. I look at positions here and there, but am also not super thrilled about returning to the grind.
At any rate, I’ll provide a glowing reference for him. He was a good boss, is a good person, and this job would be a good fit for him given what we previously did for our agency.
Welp, that’s all the news from these parts. Please take care of yourselves!
You, my darling, are a friggin’ genius.
I recognize those words, but put together like that … ?
I sometimes wonder the value of references provided by the applicant. Surely no one would list someone who would say “Don’t hire this jerk! He kicks puppies!” But what do I know - I never worked in HR.
Just saw the presentation on our final port calls. Tomorrow’s will be especially interesting - I booked a tour of the capitol of the Faroes and the bus ride there goes thru an underwater tunnel with a roundabout! I will have my camera ready!
The towel art display has been cleared away. The laundry folks will get several extra carts of towels to wash, dry, and fold. It took at least 45 minutes to disassemble all the critters.
And there was just an announcement that a dance class is about to begin, so I’m off to find a quiet spot…
You’re not joining in??
Taters, that is ridiculous that you haven’t heard back from them yet. I hope you get a satisfactory answer today.
shoe, you and I are in agreement about the cookies!
Well, I came back earlier than I expected because I was hungry. So Annie and I have just had a snack. She thought it was satisfactory. Now we’re going to sit here for a few to let it digest.
I’ve been feeling kind of blah this morning and then suddenly I realized what tomorrow is. It will be 13 years since my boyfriend passed away. I’ve actually quit looking at FB’s memories because it’s been narrating the vacation that we took the weekend before he passed.
I guess now would be a good time for a picture of me and a super cute little dog (don’t tell Annie that I said that).
Ask and you shall recieve .
Awwwww…
Up, caffeinating, breakfasted, filled out my apartment app and fixing to do KP. I’ll talk to my current manager today, go pick up some prescriptions, pick up some produce at Fud Kitty and then pack a carton. After that, RDOS.
Stay safe and healthy y’all!
I had a lovely Blessed Day Off yesterday. First time in a long time that I’ve been able to simply enjoy myself, instead of stressing and frettin’ or even worse.
Oh, and I got to see my friend (the one with a zillion cats) which was marvelous. Because reasons, we haven’t seen each other in a long time.
Funny thing is, she gets off work right about the time I go in. So we hung out after she got off work, and I’d just had breakfast!
The weather was lovely, so … picture two grumpy old ladies sitting outside in the shade, smoking, and surrounded by cats.
Y’all, it was glorious.
Plus for some reason, when I left her place I was really hungry, so I treated myself to a hyoooooge TX Roadhouse dinner, and then slept like a log.
Yesterday was a Really Good Day, and as much as I try to stay relatively positive around here, I haven’t had one of those in a long damn time.
That face (!!) could literally bring the pizza kitchen where I work to a screeching halt, because everyone would drop what they’re doing to come to the drive-thru window and coooo.
fantastic picture! great specs! who’s a good puppers?!! who’s a good pup?!
Sometime check out Australian Football. It looks like a street rumble with no rules, just an oval shaped ball. It appears that it is not against what ever rule they have ro run up to the guy with the ball, kick him in the testicles and take the ball away from him
Ooh, pretty!
You’d be surprised. And if the applicant has to have a supervisor’s assessment, they don’t have much choice. It was infrequent, but sometimes I’d have to be the heavy. I wouldn’t say “don’t hire him!” but might say something like “Needs improvement on following instructions. For example, you’ll see that he didn’t sign his legal attestation. I pointed this out and he said that he was sure you’d know it was his since it was with his other documents and it was too complex to print it out, sign it, and re-scan it.” Or damning with faint praise: “This person worked here in this date span. Her responsibilities included x, y, z. She did not serve on any voluntary committees. Her peer evaluations meet the threshold established by the department.”
ETA on my own account:
Up early–the painters told us last night that they would be hre today. They arrived at 6:00 AM. We said that was fine as long as it was legal. Today they caulk and paint the front door. Tomorrow and Thursday they paint.
My lovely wife pulled out the rest of the wadding stuffed under my scalp. I feel much more comfortable. Got a message to schedule my follow-up. What follow up? “Oh, the doctor wrote she wanted to see you in a week.” My reply: “That’s news to me.” I’m anti-impressed with her. I’ll quietly see if I can switch to the other doc in that practice after my September skin check.
All of this makes me very happy for you. It’s tough to watch when a good person such as you has quite that much adversity & unhappiness in their life. it’s far worse to be that person, not merely an interested spectator.
@Sticks_and_Scones: Well, you certainly win the cute dog pic of the week so far. @Chefguy already nailed the award in the cat division.
Started Typing: 12:54 PM ET
Clicked Reply: 1:18 PM ET
I was, in fact, able to leave work early yesterday: on the way home I put gas in the car and also bought bananas (and a few other groceries), and still made it through my front door at around 5pm. That was nice. 
shoe inspired me, and I actually changed my sheets last night. I’m really bad about changing my sheets with any regularity (unless I’ve been sweaty); I do change my pillowcase every now and then, though. There’s enough room to walk around my bed, but I have to move the floor fan and my “headboard” (a big wedge pillow). My laziness is not to be underestimated. 
Almost as impressively, I put the dirty sheets in the wash this morning! Usually they hang out in the laundry room for a while. I’ll put them in the dryer when I get home.
Nice!
Whenever I move, I always like to overlap the final month: it ain’t cheap, but I’d rather have the extra time in the place I’m leaving to get a final cleaning done, maybe make some small repairs (which will always cost less than I’d be charged for them), etc. I factor it in to the cost of the move. Breaks in that regard are uncommon, but always appreciated!
Google sez they can swim:
“Small orange crabs on seaweed are likely Sargassum swimming crabs or Columbus crabs, which are known for their ability to blend in with the floating seaweed they inhabit. Sargassum swimming crabs, with their orange-brown coloration, are found in floating seaweed masses, while Columbus crabs, which can be orange, brown, or pale, are often found on sea turtles and floating debris, according to the Inwater Research Group.”
Sounds like a mixed review…sorry there weren’t more people!
You’re both super cute! 
I’m so glad you finally got another one.
Evening, mumpers! It’s currently 18c/64f with a predicted high of 20c/68f and mostly cloudy. Weather app says “This weather is like a fucking green Datsun 310 from 1981 with a rusted hole in the floor. I know, because I fucking had one.”
Belated Happy Doperversary, hippie and kayT
My cat sitting service charges the equivalent of 45 per day (based on todays GBP/ exchange rate) which covers two visits and includes a small charge for travel. In that time, she cleans up to four litter trays, refreshes three water bowls, tops up four bowls of different biscuits, and fills three bowls with different kinds of foods. She gives them treats, plays with them (but not Muffin 'cos she’s still hiding most of the time), and will also pick up the mail, water plants and put the bins out if that’s required.
VanGo I’m glad the procedure went well and you have good results!
Me, too! I find NFL very annoying, largely because there’s a minute’s play for every 10 minutes of faffing about. But also, as an ex-rugby player, I’m bound to be biased!
Lily sounds like you’ve been in the wars there, hope you are soon healing well.
Taters I hope you get some sense out of the roofing people.
Sticky Buns what a lovely pic, I am sure Annie won’t begrudge a few cuddles with another cutie. I’m sorry that you’re feeling bleh, totally understandable though.
Organised brawling!
Yesterday was pretty tiring, the drive home from our friends’ house took 4.5hrs after we encountered the usual delays on the M25 around the exits for Heathrow. We had been warned about an accident on the QE2 Bridge (Dartford Crossing) where three out of four lanes were closed and they expected to close the other one too, so we took a slightly different route which was a bit longer but actually worked better for us. My petrol warning light was flashing for a while at the end of the M5 but I knew there would be a petrol station pretty much as soon as we came off there, so I stopped and put enough in to get home and also to cover my local trips this week.
Once home, we unpacked and I did laundry, and 'im indoors packed his stuff for work this week. I normally take him to the station for his train but couldn’t do that this morning as I’d got to be on campus (on a non-campus day!!) for some bullshit corporate event. I did remember to haul the biiiig recycling bin out to the kerb so that got emptied this morning and since it was back in the usual place when I got home tonight, I assume he wheeled it back in before he left.
I got to the office a bit early, sorted out a couple of things, then went to the BS event which was as pointless and boring as expected. Even lunch was nothing special. Anyway, the good part was that we finished earlier than advertised, and I was home about 20 minutes before my usual time. So far, I’ve tended to the mogs and had a bath. Next up will be dinner and then a bit of sofa time before bed.
I had a sneaky look at the office rota for the week and have allowed myself Wednesday and Thursday working at home, and back in the office on Friday. Then I am off to Germany on Saturday afternoon, but at least our flight isn’t until later so I have time to nip to the gym in the morning. I’m not sure if I’ll book on a class or not, I might just have a lie-in and go up there when I’m ready. We’ll see…
Me three. Raisins ruin a good cookie….or cake……or cinnamon roll… or bagel, but I have no opinion about it.
Very cute you and little dog!!
Now would also be a very good time for wafting some extra {{{{{{{{
}}}}}}}} to you. Those come with unlimited refills as needed.
Cool! Thanks.
Our local weed is a type of Sargassum so those are almost certainly Sargassum crabs. And yeah, they blended into their rafts really well. First one startled the heck out of me as I pushed a big weed blob away and he took off scuttling across his raft to get away from my arm.
Once I knew to look for them they were more visible. But still far short of obvious. Nature!
I’m glad they were small enough to not be hazardous. Being surprised by a well-camouflaged crab the size of a salad plate, or worse yet a garbage can lid, would be bad.
Afternoon all. The possible rain has apparently decided to be slothful, so I’ll probably head over to the gym for a bit, the Women’s European Soccer Championships are on and I like to watch them while walking or pedaling…semi-final today, England vs Italy so should be a good one.
Hippie. I’ve watched Australian Rules Football several times and cannot make heads or tails out of what is going on out there. Think I’ll just stick to soccer.
Sticky Buns, thanks for the picture, gave me a big grin. Even if it is a somewhat melancholy day.
Taters, good luck to your old boss and get after that roofer; you can always cancel if they don’t show…
FCM, went through a lot of underwater tunnels in Norway, but none with a roundabout! Enjoy.
red, loved Nelson in his rain gear.
shoe, may you have many more Really Good Days in the near future, you’ve earned them. And Texas Roadhouse is a good place to get stuffed without murdering the budget.
rose, yeah, the old ‘meets expectations, but doesn’t exceed them’. And 6am for the painters…that really early.
Oopsie, like you I can be bad about changing sheets, I did change mine yesterday but I’m never on a regualr schedule.
boo fae, sounds like an easy week followed by an International trip; have a good one.
Hmmmm…sure looks like an opinion to me… 
But I do agree with you on cookies and cake, but I like a good cinnamon raisin roll, and can tolerate a raisin bagel.
And it’s time to don my gym shorts and shirt, pack my bag, and head off for some exercise time. Catch up with you later.
Well, we passed on the Asian restaurant tonight. I read the menu and virtually everything had chili sauce or chili glaze or curry. I don’t like any of that and I saw no sense in going for a meal and wasting most of it. Plus neither of us really wanted supper - we had a couple of rolls in the buffet, he had a lemonade and I had some darjeeling tea. We’re now back in our room for the evening.
The fog cleared for a bit - we actually saw the horizon and some sun in the distance, then it rolled back in again. Tomorrow’s forecast is clouds and 60% chance of rain. But we’ll mostly be in a bus, so there’s that. I’ve forgotten what the big ball of fire in sky looks like. Even at home, it’s been very rainy. Oh well…
My hatred of the ship’s app continues to grow and fester. I got kicked off at least 4 times today, and it took for-freekin’-ever to log back in. I wish I’d kept track of all the blips and blorps so I could write a detailed email to Holland America. Honestly, they seem to be way behind the power curve when it comes to technology. Princess had medallions that we wore - they’d unlock our door as we walked up to it. They’d allow us to track each other’s location on the ship. They made getting on and off the ship really easy. Meanwhile this silly app we’re using now will inform us of excursions 3 days after the fact. That’s helpful.
I should save that bile for feedback.
All the personnel we’ve deal with have been helpful and amiable. The lecturers they booked were great. About half of the performers were entertaining (to us) - I know that’s purely a matter of taste. The facilities are really nice. The shower stall is exceptional compared to other ships. The towels are amazing!! For the most part, the food is pretty good - certainly there’s a huge variety. Oddly enough, even tho it’s an older crowd in general, they don’t offer BINGO!! Or karaoke. But they do have an art auction (something I’ve never understood about cruises.)
I’ve started packing, including counting out enough clothes to get us to Heathrow - 4 changes of clothes. I counted FCD’s side of the closet - he has ELEVEN shirts!!! That’s not counting the dirties I’ve packed and the one he’s wearing. So much for the stereotype of women who overpack. I suggested to him how much to pack. He went somewhat over. And at this point, I don’t know what’s clean and what’s not (so much black clothing!!!) so it’ll all have to be laundered. rah.
We need to get to bed early tonight since we have to get up around 6 to get dressed, fed, and to the bus at 7:30. If we ever cruise again, I’ll do my best to avoid these early morning excursions. I don’t have problems with them myself, but then I don’t stay up till stoopit o’clock in the morning watching TV. Anyway, the likelihood of future cruises is pretty small. His physical condition won’t improve, whether he sees a doctor or not. All he can hope for is pain relief. And he’s so self-conscious about using a cane, he hates it. Nothing I can say makes any difference. For whatever reason, it matters how total strangers perceive him. I can’t fight that mindset.
End of whine. For now. I’ll try to surf my crabbiness away.