We have a dog. He is a super-special trained Hearing Dog. But he still stinks as much as other dogs. When I take him out for walks I let him play in the river and then when we get home my mum has to clean him because he is HER dog. And then I laugh.
Rue, I know what you mean about ladders and being on the roof. I can’t do it. It’s not a fear of heights - it’s a fear of unprotected heights. If I’ve got a railing or a wall or a safety harness, I can deal with high places. And I have no problem using a ladder in the house for painting and lightbulb replacing and stuff. But I can’t make myself climb a ladder and get on the roof. In fact, when my sweetie was installing the solar tube, I’d go up the ladder part of the way to hand him stuff, but when he invited me up to see his installaion, I passed. No thanks.
And I expect my dog is pretty stinky, too, but since she’s still living in Orlando, I can’t smell her. I need to make sure the kid gets her groomed before we claim her at Christmas.
That’s where our baseboards are, too! At least, a bunch of them are there. We installed the baseboards in the dining room and the family room. We need to install the frame around one door, and then we can do the baseboard in the kitchen. And as soon as I’m done touching up the new living room and hallway paint, the rest of the base will go down. By Friday, if we stick to schedule.
And that’s all I have to offer to all the MMP denizens. I don’t even have a joke to share. Alas…
PS to Kallessa - all kinds of good vibes headed your mom’s way~~~~~~~~~
Well, actually, we’re waitin’ for the stone tile guy to fit us in when he’s got a lull cause he’s givin’ us a special deal. We didn’t expect that the canes would cause him to be extra special busy this fall. Oh, well, at least I don’t have to mop. 
We did, however, get the tree cutters out finally. They cut down one tree in the front and ground the stumps and started storm trimming the oaks in the backyard but they didn’t finish. I don’t know when they’re coming back either. Now Mr. Anachi has a big brown oval in his beautiful lawn that looks like alien’s landed out there. No Yard o’ Month for him again for a while.
What’s a baseboard? Is that the same thing as a skirting board?
You guys are good! Mom came through surgery just fine; it took a bit longer only because they did not deflate her lung since she is so short (I don’t know why that makes sense, but to the doctor, it did). The surgeon took out a lobe, which is more effective than taking just a wedge and there is no evidence that the cancer metastasized.
Keep the good thoughts coming (thank you, thank you, thank you), with a focus on a quick recovery to get her out of the hospital.
Speaking of pets, you may want to include Molly in the good thoughts–she’s my Mom’s dog and she is a very special little lady. Soon after she went to live with Mom, she was diagnosed with a liver disease–unusual and nothing the breeder should have caught–and we were told to expect her to only live two or three years.
Now, we have a long line of family dogs, and Molly is the most loving, most sensitive and most intelligent of the lot. Other than being on a special diet, she has rarely seemed ill. She turned four in August, so she’d lived about a year longer than expected.
The day after Mom came home from the hospital after the first surgery, Molly collapsed–I really thought she was dying. This of course did my Mom no good–she blamed it (Molly’s collapse) on the stress of being separated from her. I rushed her to the vet, and he confirmed that she was a very sick doggie. She had an infection from a gum problem and he suspected her liver was giving out as well. Antibiotics cleared up the infection and we were told to encourage her to drink as much water as possible. The blood test showed liver function numbers far about normal (normal being around 20, Molly was at 92, up from 73 a year earlier). The vet indicated that anything above 100 was fatal, the body couldn’t adjust to the diminished functions, the liver would shut down and then it’s either slow dehydration/starvation or a more humane death.
The next week, although Molly was much better, if even more inclined to nap, the blood test number was 133–the vet literally told he he wasn’t sure why she wasn’t already dead, but said it would only be a few weeks, not even until Christmas. Knowing that Mom was facing another surgery, I wasn’t very happy–Molly is a great comfort to her, and recovery without her would be difficult.
Well, Molly is still kicking. A bit pickier with her food, but she’s still barking at the mailman and people that somehow seem suspicious to her, and she goes to get love and pats from everyone who comes to the house. She’s not going to a kennel this time, my aunt is taking care of her so she’ll get lots of attention and have a cat to play with. And be there for Mom when Mom comes home.
I truly believe that Molly knows Mom needs her now, and that she’s keeeping herself alive on sheer willpower alone. She’s an incredibly special animal, and though Mom will get another dog, there will never be another Molly.
Thanks for sharing the, eh, not quite joy actually, but the expectaion of joys to come.
Yay for Kalley’s mom and hugs for the pooch. This has got to be a tough time for you as well, Kalley, don’t forget to treat yourself well.
Swampbear, I deeply suspect the peppermint and white chocolate cookie is just a regular chocolate chip cookie that’s been messed about with. Good, but biscuit-worthy? Give me a couple dozen and I’ll study this issue, yes, study. Drool, drool…
Okay, does anybody else have a fear of heights like FairyChatMom? Because I thought maybe I was unique in not being afraid of heights unless I didn’t have something to hold onto. Because if I haven’t anything to hold, I don’t like being up on my tip toes, even. The internet is good, because now when people point and laugh at my height phobia I can say “Neeners, I’m not alone” and feel my oddness is legitimized. Like when people watch Jerry Springer and feel normal because the people on the show are all married to their cousins who are also their children, twice removed.
Our last family dog always smelled pretty darned good. She was partial to Suave lemon scented. Back when suave came in normal flavors and not freaky deaky stuff like guava papaya vanilla rain. Darn whippersnappers, changing things alla time. And why does this bother me? I never use suave anyway!
You’re right, I really don’t, but when I was typing the reply, that ‘Gay Pride’ picture I sent you flashed in my mind, making everything funnier than it ought to be.
Anyone else who wants to see what I’m talking about, e-mail me and I’ll send it to you. The pic is PG rated… I don’t have a way to post it like FCM’s Home Makeover photos.
For Kalley, another dog story.
When I was living in Indiana, VunderWife got involved in Boxer Rescue, and between our house and the home of the lady who ran the show, we had an extended dog pack. Sadie is our Alpha female, and Major was Eileen’s male. Between the two geezers, these two ran the show.
In May 2001, Major started showing some heavy neurological symptoms. Eileen and VW took Major over to Ohio State to participate in a study, and while he was there, the vets confirmed a suspected brain tumor. VW got home from the trip, and that night, a drunk driver parked his truck in our living room, nearly killing VW and Sadie the VunderDog.
We were out of the house all summer. Eileen had to go on a cruise, which she was really fretting because she didn’t want to leave Major, but she went anyway, and VW brought him to the apartment we were staying in for daytime companionship. Sadie and Major had a blast, but we could see the decline.
Eileen got home after 18 days cruising Russian ports, and on Labor Day weekend, we got our house back. Major came to visit us on moving day, and ran around our back yard with Sadie and our other dog Satin like he was puppy. Eileen took him home, and the next day, Major died in his sleep.
VW is convinced that he waited until real mom got home from Europe, and we were safe in our house. She won’t tell the tale any other way.
I do. I can’t even always deal with seeing someone looking down from an unprotected height in a movie.
Speaking of movies, am I the only one who always notices, in Fellowship of the Ring, that dwarf mining safety regulations must be nonexistent? They have narrow stone bridges with no handrails or safety nets :eek: I always think this, every time I see them on the bridge in Moria…
Baseboards are the piece of wood at the base of the wall which helps hide the seam between the flooring and the wall, plus protects our cheaply made American walls from getting destroyed by errant toes. Is that what a skirting board is?
Yes, that is what a skirting board is. The bit that covers up the frays at the ends of the wallpaper and the carpet. It skirts the wall.
So now we know.
Glad to see Kallessa’s mom came through alright - although I didn’t post this morning, I was thinking of her!
I don’t have to go on my roof - because I am in an apartment on the second floor, there are other people to deal with that kind of thing. luvs being an apartment dwellor
I actually have matching cats - didn’t mean it to end up that way, and I got them several years apart, so it’s not like they’re related. They’re just generic gray tabbies - and at a quick glance it’s hard to tell which is which. On longer looks it’s easy - I’ve got a fat & a skinny one - Jack Sprat & his wife, basically. I think sometimes about the theory that over time our pets begin to look like us - thin me & fat me? Except that doesn’t work, 'cause I got chubby cat after I got thin. The fun thing for me is when the cats curl up together - I have a great picture of the amazing two headed cat!
I also know the thrill of cat hair on clothes. I had to stop letting my cats into my closets after I wore a pair of black pants for the first time, and realized that there were snags all over them. Bad cats! Bad me for not training them better!
Oh, and Lissla - I finally got to read that bad Laurell Hamilton book - Incubus Dreams. And boy, was it bad! I used to love the series - but seriously, this book was 600 pages long - of which 10 pages of it were plot, and the rest was a variety of sex scenes.
Incubus Dreams:
Sex
Fights that stop Sex
Sex
Fights that lead to Sex
Sex with different partners
Sex with people we were just introduced to 1 paragraph ago
Trauma that can only be solved by Sex
Plot
Sex
Sex
Sex
On preview, I almost forgot - Power of the week that necessitates Sex
And, of course - I will re-read certain passages before I return it. But it’s a bad book. Bad, bad book.
And the obligatory cooking - made a batch of cranberry apricot muffins yesterday (yummy!), as well as Hot Italian Turkey Sausage with Three Peppers (red, yellow & green). Tonight is a butternut squash soup with pears & apples, and a new homemade salad dressing. I watched the Food Network Thanksgiving special last night - and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Susan
Everybody should see the “Gay Pride” pitcher. Y’all tell vunderbob to send it. You’ll love it.
Kalley I’m glad your mom came through the surgery ok. Lots of prayers, thoughts and good vibes are coming still, now for both Kalleymom and Molly.
Ashes[sup]2[/sup] should I be suspect of this trade? :dubious: BTW did you ever figure how to do the “sup” thing?
Howdy Anne Neville welcome to the MMP. Have a cookie or a biscuit, or both.
S_F I’m picturing you reading that book and doing what a friend of mine does whenever she reads something real trashy. She reads it all the way through, then throws the book across the room and screams, “Why did I read this trash?!” I have witnessed this personally.
Francesca LTNS. How are ya? Just so you won’t be confused, when I say biscuit, I mean what Amurrkins say when we say biscuit, which ain’t what you call a cookie, like when you say skirting board and we say base board and stuff like that.
-swampbear (bridging the language barrier)
There’s a shepherd’s pie in the oven. Yes, yes, made out of real sheepherders and everything. No sheep, though.
Is it just me, or did the earlier Anita Blake books actually contain some plot, rather than Sex, More Superpowers, Sex with lots of people and animals, More Superpower Sex, etc? It was laughably bad plot, but at least it was an attempt.
Now they’re like bad porn. I haven’t read Incubus Dreams yet. Haven’t been to Driving Husband’s house in a couple of weeks. His Mom has the whole series. She reads romance novels, too. She really is intelligent. And nice. Her whole family refers to her book collection as “Mom’s Smut”.
Dwarves have really good balance, because they’re short. Low to the ground and all that. If I’d built Khazad-Dum, I’d have put guard rails everywhere. And stopped up any holes that looked likely to contain orcs and Balrogs. Or dragons.
Just because vunderbob doesn’t want to know doesn’t mean I don’t want to know… Bears, leather and human dog biscuits… oh my!
So what’s with all the dog washing lately? Just yesterday, on the way to dropping me off at the airport, we were at the doggy wash trying to wash the fleas out of our mutt. These fleas deserve their own Pit thread - she was fine two weeks ago, now she’s covered in them. At least we’re not having the experience of a few years ago, where a different dog was dropped off at the groomer’s for grooming and a flea dip. That shop must have dipped the poor dog in fleas as what was a basically flea-free dog that morning was a flea-covered dog in the afternoon.
Good. Now explain to us why boots and bonnets are parts of cars, and not things various people might wear… 
I’m glad Kalley’s mom came through alright. I, too, was thinking of her this morning, although I didn’t get a chance to post. Here’s to a speedy and good recovery. That dog sounds darn special; they all are though, in their own right.
My dog needs a bath and nail clipping too. I’m going to take him to the groomers though. He’s just to darn big to bathe in my tub. My back gets all achy when I try that. Besides, I just get the heeby-jeebies when I try to trim his nails. I’m so afraid I’m going to cut too much off and then he’ll bleed.
I spent all weekend looking at furniture; again. I think I’ve found some for sure; but I’m still trying to work a chair and a half into the deal. They are just so hard to find. Looks like I’ll end up going custom for that.
We had shepherd’s pie for din-din last night. However, it was the Costco kind, and it most definitely is NOT made with sheep innards (blech!). This one has beef, mushrooms, peas, corn (um, probably some other veggies, but I’m not sure) with a nice smashed 'tater top that gets a nice little crust when you bake it. It sure is good.
Tonight we’re having shrimp scampi with…hmm…maybe some kind of rice.
I don’t like “unprotected” heights either. I get just a little nervous when climbing a ladder. Now that my house is so darn tall I’m not in a very big hurry to get up on the roof. I think I’ll leave that to the professionals.
Well, nothing else to add here. Guess I’ll just mosey on out now…
I have no fear of heights, with or without some sort of safety precautions, but I have of fear of climbing anything (except maybe a tree, I haven’t tried in a while). Ladders, stairs, a rope, a steep path–I’m not happy until either gotten up to the height or all the way down. I could stand in the middle of the bridge in Moria and be just fine–I could look down, I could look up, side-to-side, no problem. But once I had to move–bad, bad, bad. Even if the bridge was as wide as the Golden Gate but ten times as high, I could stand on the edge and spit in the ocean, but I’d get nervous walking back to the end.
Okay, so baseboards get dusty. Sure. Next you’re gonna tell me that the top of doors get dusty, or under the bed. Really, how gullible do you think we are? Bookshelves, tables and fireplace mantles get dusty. Baseboards, doors and under furniture only gets dusty if you look for it. There’s no dust if you don’t look. The act of looking changes everything and then there may be dust.
But the cat is always alive.
Man, I just typed a whole big long post reassuring Swampy that my hand was now permanently off the the Decision Switch, and that he need no longer fear any natural calamities, and it just disappeared. I’ll repeat the most important part.
I’m so very glad that Kallessa’s mom did well, and if she’s anything like my late grandmother she had more to do with her success than her doctors did.
It better not dissappear this time.
I forgot to address the whole baseboard issue. I vaccuum mine when I go around the edges of carpeting (i.e., against the walls) with my hose attachment. Voila! No more dust. Every few months I actually wash and polish them. However, like a few here have stated, who is actually looking at your baseboards?
Now, walls…those are entirely a different story. Why does it seem like everytime I get them cleaned up, I notice even more smudges or handprints? I hate wiping down walls! That is one of my least favorite chores, EVER. In fact, I have to do it again and I keep procrastinating just because I hate doing walls.
***** But, not very, Swampy.
I’m afraid of unprotected heights for my Fireman. Yes, he’s a ladder-climbing professional, but he tends to fall off them when no one’s looking. (sigh)
I have climbed no ladders, bathed no dogs or cats (as if they don’t stink!), because I’ve been doing very important stuff. I’ve learned to record vinyl to CD. Yes, me of the computer challenged short-bus crowd. It will, however take the rest of my life, and part of someone else’s. The bright side is I’ll never again have to do house work. I’ll just say, “Honey, do you mind doing the {Insert task here (dishes, laundry, shopping vacuuming, dusting, cat bathing, bed making, etc)} I’m recording and can’t leave.” That’s sure to work…
I already have a stack of CDs that are good only for making yard art. I figure, between the number of albums I have to record and the number of CDs I ruin, by the time I’m done, the preferred media for music will have moved on and This will all be obsolete once again.
Kallessa Good thoughts still going out to Mom and pooch.
Hope you all had a happy Monday.
M