On this day in the MMP

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
221

We had that happen when I was growing up. We had three litters of kittens at the same time (remember, this was the 70s. Spay/neuter wasn’t as much of a thing then). Mamas pooled the kitten care. Any mother would tend any kitten who got into her range, she didn’t care who’d given birth to which one.

We also had a case of a litter of kittens and a litter of puppies at the same time (Mama Dog was an Airedale). Mama Dog kept stealing the kittens, putting them in with her puppies, then taking care of all the babies. The humans found this a lot more amusing than Mama Cat did. :slight_smile:

We did have one queen who would continue to nurse kittens long after normal weaning age. Human intervention was necessary to get her kittens weaned so they could go to their new homes.

According to the fosterer who’s scheduled to collect the girls tomorrow, one of the complex staff had brought in some kittens recently (not sure of exact timeframe), and it’s possible they belong to Little Miss. Dunno about chance of reunions, but it’s not impossible. I had not seen any evidence that Little Miss was concerned about finding kittens, she didn’t even initially seem all that attentive to Tiny. I think that’s probably related to her likely age. She’s just too young to be raising kittens, IMO. At least she won’t be doing it again.

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Which is the biggest act of kindness that poor lil girl has ever or will ever receive.

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a friend of my moms found a newborn pitbull puppy all alone in a box… and her cat had planned on kittens so she just slid it in … and began a 15-year relationship in which said puppy thought he was just a weird cat and mama never realized he was like 60 pounds taller and could be eaten by him at any time…

there used to be a video of her teaching him about the litter box … she drug him to the box and showed him what one used it for and he did what she did… if he got out of her version of the line … paws of fury would follow and hed just lay down and whine until they rubbed noses to show he was forgiven

he did, however, get aggressive if he thought anyone was messing with his siblings and momma… bit if he barked hed genuinely get confused on why he didn’t meow like the others oh and when he was full grown he was trained to go outside in a dog-sized litter box, they used an old kids sandbox and filled it with gravel and scooped it once a week or so

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Good Mornin’ Y’all! Up and caffeinatin’. YAWN ‘Tis 39 Amurrkin out and partly cloudy (mostly moony?) with a predicted high of 59 and partly N.O.S. for the day. Not much doin’ around da cave today. We will probably go to the bar down the road for a sammich and a beer for the main feed of the day. Other than that sloth and general overall uselessness will rule the day.

Nettie hope it all goes well with the kitty handover today. I know you will be glad they are in good hands and Allie and Buddy will be glad to be rid of 'em.

shades funny story about the kitty/doggy.

Flyboy hope you’re feelin’ better today.

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

Happy Sattidy Y’all!

225

OMG, what an awful night. FCD got home just after 2, and I know that because I’d just gotten up to take a snort of Nyquil, since I was still wide awake and coughing my lungs out.

Anyway, the only details I got was that his dad smashed their TV, and he took the weights off the grandfather clock (not sure if the 2 were related.) FCD stayed there to “babysit” so his mom could get some sleep. I got up around 6:30 to tend to the critters and figure out my day. I’m kinda hoping my daughter didn’t mention the museum to Roxy - I’m not in the mood today. I can manage a basement day with Legos and stuff, but not a lot else. We’ll just see when I get a message back.

And I need to figure out what we’ll do for supper - I’m not ordering anything, but I do need to check out the freezer before setting a menu. Got a couple of ideas rattling around which gives me a start point. I think steamed rice will be involved, too.

For now, it’s caffeination and a little quiet surf time. Then I’ll get a fire going in the basement before I fetch the RoxStar.

Happy Saturday!

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Morning all. Indoor Soccer today so I’ll be in and out from 9-5 today, mostly in the afternoon. 37F heading for 45F and they are back working on the roof across the way, so I wouldn’t have gotten much more sleep anyway.

{{FCM}}, hang in there, apparently several generations depend on you and FCD now.

Shady, Nettle, JtC, interesting animal stories, little ones do tend to imprint on whoever takes care of them. I can remember my niece’s 200lb Mastiff trying to bay like the older Basset hounds he was raised with, never quite got it right…

OK, need to break my fast and get ready for the day. Take care all.

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It’s Saturday, and you’re recuperating from the plague. How is it you got stuck with kid duty again, rather than one of said child’s parents, other grandmother, … ?

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JtC, Nelson is OK meeting big dogs one-on-one and usually winds up as a friend, but the big dog side at our dog park gets rough at times and some of those guys wouldn’t be so gentle with his 17# butt.

seanette, Nelson was the only pup who survived in his litter of two. Two weeks later, his mother’s littermate whelped a litter of six (same sire as Nelson). Once his mama weaned him, he would sneak in with his auntie’s bunch to nurse.

shady, your story reminds me of my Aunt Faye’s cat and dog. She had a large, butterscotch tiger cat when she came home with a chihuahua puppy. Tigger trained Termite to use the cat box like a mama cat would her kittens. Since he never outgrew the box, he used it for the rest of his life. That was also a good idea to make an outdoor litter box. Saves on scouring the yard to pick up poo or following them around with a bag.

Up, caffeinating, breakfasted and fixing to put the doggy coats / leashes / harnesses in the dryer. One little reddish dog, who shall remain nameless decided to roll in something stinky yesterday, on leash and everything. I had planned to launder them anyway this weekend, given that he gets a bath today.

Yesterday, when I went to walk Charlie and Della, Miss Ann wanted to try her hand at walking one at a time. She took Della (the more submissive of the two) and I took Charlie. It worked well. Today, I’ll try to take Charlie and Nelson at the same time.

Stay safe and healthy y’all!

229

Good morning everyone.

It’s currently 31 degrees, dark and cloudy outside. The expected high is 39, with rain showers expected late in the afternoon and possibly a snow flurry or two.

Other than some general tidying, yesterday was a day of sloth, Netflix, Prime, and Acorn.
I checked my work email to see if the contracting officer had responded to my plea. She had not, and I quit checking around noon. I’m not being compensated for that time, it was my day off, and I need to quit giving away my time so freely.

FCM, I am so sorry you and FCD can’t catch a break. All I can do is send internet hugs and good thoughts to you. I wish I could do more. Things are critical, and I hope the services you’ve reached out to are apprised of this in hopes they act a little more quickly to find help. Your FiL needs professional care.

Speaking of being unable to catch a break, it seems my daughter and son-in-law have had a bad week too. Monday, their van was totaled; Tuesday, they bought a new to them crew-cab truck. They bought the truck because his current truck was failing, and they couldn’t find the van they want/need. Also, dealers are not haggling at all. Wednesday, the SiL’s costly and high-end computer bit the dust, and yesterday the dryer failed.

On top of that, earlier this year, they spent an ungodly sum of money reroofing and replumbing my mother’s house. I only recently found out how much it cost them, and I was aghast. I think they were expecting half that. Unfortunately, my husband and I could not help much and weren’t even asked. We could have taken out a loan to help, and I had a bit tucked away, but again, we weren’t asked. Finally, they had to replace all the appliances at their farmhouse in Missouri. The financial hits keep coming for them, and while the SiL makes good money, the supply of it isn’t endless.

Today is my son-in-law’s birthday. My daughter, SiL, grandkids, and son will all come to my house tomorrow to celebrate. This unexpected gathering kind of puts a kink in my weekend plans, but I’m always happy to see the kids. I’ll have to get some shopping in today for Christmas presents and a birthday gift for the son-in-law. I also need to purchase the fixings for tomorrow’s birthday dinner. I haven’t quite decided what I’ll make. I made a big pasta dish for my son’s birthday last weekend, so I don’t want to do pasta again. Since I’m doing a prime rib roast on Christmas Day (only a week away!), and don’t want to do a roast. Maybe I’ll roast a couple of chickens…

Well, I suppose I better get on with the day. I have a lot to do.

I hope you all stay healthy and have a good day.

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Morning, everyone. I get to pick up my sister today, and she’s staying home for a whole month!

I get winter break after this coming Tuesday. I get about 2 weeks of it before exams, etc.

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The pain was waking me up every two hours or so. I alternated Percocet and acetaminophen so that I could get some sleep. This morning, I still can’t feel my chin or lip.

I had scrambled eggs for dinner last night (Wifey wanted some, so I had some more). I was wondering what the ‘gristle’ was in my eggs. When I’d try to pick it out, I couldn’t grab it. Turns out I’d bitten my lip and was trying to eat myself.

ETA: I’ve just left a message with the doctor on his ‘emergency’ VM.

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I hate to be the picker of nits but this did not happen. In 1901 Newfoundland was not yet part of Canada.

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My brother has Covid. He’s fully vaxxed because Mama didn’t raise no morons. He thought he had a cold, but now he’s so sick, my SIL had to take him to the ER with a high fever. They decided not to admit him because his lungs sound OK but dosed him up with steroids and painkillers. So I plan to worry all day.

Seanette, you win the Very Good Human Award. Bon Voyage to the kitties!

Mama always liked you best. :slight_smile:
(For you spring chickens , that’s a line from a comedy duo, the Smothers Brothers.)

FCM, I just don’t understand how MIL can’t see what she’s doing to her son.

shady and red I love those stories of kiggies (kitties/puppies)!

Taters, hope the financial hits stop hitting your daughter and son-in-law. As my beloved mother used to say, too much is enough! Maybe the birthday party will turned n their luck around.

GodBod, yay on sister’s arrival and only having two more class days to get through! My school had exams before Christmas so kids could really relax over winter break, but we were on a block schedule, so the tests were final exams. Semester tests wouldn’t be so bad, I’m thinking. Have fun with your sister!

Nitpick of the nitpick: Of course it happened. It just didn’t happen in Canada. :slight_smile:

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I didn’t get stuck - I offered to give her mom a break for a few hours.

We were at the museum less than an hour. Roxy picked out a book for her brother, then got pouty when I wouldn’t buy her anything. (This was her gift to her bro.) We’re at home now having lunch. Next stop, the basement.

I think she’s so exhausted and overwhelmed that she’s not thinking straight. It’s so unlike her.

Ok, time to pay attention to the kid!

235

The ^^ statement can be terrifyingly true.

I did things and made decisions that shocked & horrified peeps in my life, towards the end of Other Shoe’s life and then especially during the aftermath.

In my defense, I’d been in “one foot in front of the other” mode for over a solid year. Self-care wasn’t even a concept on my radar.

In their defense … woof. No, I was not myself.

ETA: among the “horrifying” things were, I got my first snake, and a small, well-hidden tattoo. I regret neither of those, though some of the other things were … well, yikes.

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And the girls are off to their foster. Bit of a rodeo getting Little Miss into a carrier (she apparently strongly objects to them).

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Doc called back. He said that some nerve damage on difficult extractions happens. I may start getting feeling back in up to six weeks. By nine months it should be as good as it’s going to get.

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I lost the bubble on the MMP somewhere around post #75 last week…there’s no way I’m catching up now! :wink: Y’all know that I prefer being interactive here even though I know it isn’t required, so if you’ve posted about a significant issue/event in the past couple of weeks please accept my apology for not acknowledging it.

I used to sometimes post in the evenings, from the couch via my iPad, but since my tailbone started bothering me I haven’t found a comfortable position that also allows me to type easily. So while I still use the iPad fairly constantly while I’m watching TV (for Facebook, looking things up on IMDb, playing the NY Times Spelling Bee, etc.), I don’t compose emails or posts from the couch anymore. And, work has been just busy enough that I haven’t had enough downtime during the day to both read the thread and post – or, if I’ve taken any kind of decent lunch break I’ve preferred to step away from my desk and read a book while I eat. I also had a couple of appointments/meetings last week, and this past week involved a trip to DC to get a new customer laptop and a bunch of issues with one of my direct reports. *sigh* BUT, I’m taking the week between Christmas and New Year’s off: one more week of work this year! :tada:

I just finished a Zoom meeting of my volunteer committee. On top of this committee, which I’ve been a member of for 2.5 years, I’m also now officially an elected member-at-large of my branch’s executive committee: my two-year term starts in a couple of weeks (on 1/1)! I only have a teeny tiny feeling of “what have I gotten myself into”: mostly, I’m looking forward to the increased involvement. :slight_smile:

Happily, I have no other plans/nothing else to do today – and, at this moment, the house, the dog, and I are all in good shape. The house got cleaned (and the cleaners got tipped) on Wednesday, the dishwasher was also run that day, the lawn guys finally took care of the leaves yesterday, laundry got done yesterday, bills got paid last night, and Bailey is still looking good after her PetSmart grooming two weeks ago. I sent out all of my holiday cards a week ago, and I finished all of my holiday shopping the other day. And, I approved my employees’ timesheets this morning. I think I can legitimately just be a couch potato for the rest of the day! I recently started re-watching The Good Wife, and am surprised by how sucked in I am this second (third?) time around: I’m looking forward to an afternoon of doing nothing much besides binge-watching the rest of S1 and starting S2.

I’m also looking forward to tomorrow, when a friend and I will be going to lunch (Thai restaurant! yum!) and a professional production of The Nutcracker. I’m not much of a ballet person and have never seen it, but this friend and I have been “theater buddies” for 20 years and it’s her favorite show: I figure it’s about time I go see it with her! We also already have tickets to go see Wicked (again) in a month.

Next weekend will be pretty low-key. I’ll see my best friends on Christmas Eve, and I won’t see my dad and brother until Boxing Day. My dad has been a church organist since he was in high school, and my brother sings in his (own) church’s choir, and they will both be busy with/tired from Christmas services on the day itself: the day after is much better for them, so that’s when I’ll drive up to Baltimore. On the 25th it’ll be just me and the doggy, which will honestly be just fine: getting to see friends and family matters way more than when. :slight_smile:

I might try to hit a couple of DC museums while I’m off work. Yesterday I texted my 21-year-old “nephew” about maybe taking him and his girlfriend – who is staying with him and his folks (my BFFs) for the winter break – to the new Museum of Illusions one afternoon. I think they’d both love it (and so would I!). His gf is kind of shy and has only met me once or twice before, so I told him that if she isn’t up for spending that much time with me I’d be happy to get tickets for just the two of them as a Christmas gift. He’ll let me know in a couple of days. Depending on what happens with them, I might see if my dad – who is retired – is up for coming down here and going to Planet Word. I get my love of language and etymology from him, and it could be a fun thing to do together. He’s also kind of a pain in the ass, though, so we’ll see. :wink:

239

Afternoon, all.

TL;DR - I be sick.

Longer version - Felt a little tickle in my throat Thursday, but not much. By 7pm I had a fever that was not dangerous but not fun, either. Spent the entire night curled up in a ball under every fleece in the house trying to “get warm.” TMI warning: Said fever was accompanied by absolutely explosive flatulence. I mean Tchaikovsky could have used me to score the Overture. T. J. Lambert would have been impressed. The only thing I had to eat that day was a couple of Wienerschnitzel Texas dogs, which have never produced such a reaction before. Whatever it was, my biota were having a field day on it. Fever finally broke on Friday, when it was replaced by sinus congestion. Today is an endlessly runny nose. Oh, well. Better now than next weekend.

I’m going to blame the fever for my “Are you really that stupid?” moment this morning. Felt I was well enough to make a quick run to the grocery store for some not-really-needed-that-badly supplies. Start the car, hit the garage door opener - nothing. Totally dead battery. Didn’t want to disconnect the door from the opener, so I texted a buddy to grab a couple of appropriate batteries if he was out and about. Just as I was about to hit Send, it occurred to me that I could just hit the hard-wired button by the door into the house and exit through the front door!

Laugh, but don’t point.

Hope everybody is having a less humbling day than I’m having.

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Howdy Y’all! Been a day of high sloth, although we did go down to the bar for a sammich and beer. I had a chikin sammich with their oh so good homemade N.O.T. chips, and OYKW had a bacon/cheese burger with their oh so good fries. I snatched a few of his fries and he snatched a few of my chips. Nappage and day drinkin’ were also accomplished. Well, day drinkin’, duh, bein’ as we both had a beer at the bar. Chillage now ensues. It keeps tryin’ to be rainy out, so glad to be inside and dry.

Flyboy hope today has been a little better.

Quietly hope you’re feelin’ better today. I can key in a code to open/close the garage door. I’ve had a door opener to quit on me and had a panic for a couple of minutes before I remembered the key pad, so you are not alone.

Oopsie pop in when you can. Sounds like you got some fun times planned for your week off. Enjoy!

Taters here’s hopin’ daughter and SIL have exhausted all the bad luck. Roasted chikin is always good.

Nettie glad the kitties are off on their new adventure.

MOOOOOOM here’s hopin FCD and you can catch a break soonest. Looks like FCD could especially use one.

GodBod yay for havin’ sis home for a while and yay for almost break time from skool. I have vague and ancient memories of those times.

Nellie hope your brother is over the plague soonest.

red sounds like Nelson has some chee-hoo-ah-hoo-ah ancestry. Those little boogers want to fight everything!