Kitty on the left looks like our Goo.
Can you feel the difference in his fur now that he’s been living the good life for a while? He didn’t have that shine in his first pics, but baby, just look at him now!
I sure hope your Goo is better behaved than her, before we bought her a kitten she was a constant source of trouble. Now she actually remembers to not let her slaves see her when she’s on the table. She just leaves George gormlessly laying there for us to scold.
And insurance!!!
Oh good, cause I’m gonna want pics of your LEGO work in progress!
Well, it looks like my issues are our connection which is odd, we finally have a good server that provides rock solid internet. I can hear hubs bitching because his game keeps locking up and his avatar is getting damage.
Today was surplus day and we got two blocks of mild cheddar, LOL!!! They went into the cave for smoking if it ever snows again cause that getting up before dawn thing is for the birds.
We also got some interesting corn.
That was the only triple ear, but we got a couple of doubles as well. The little ones did have fully formed small, white kernels and looked like the baby corn you see in some Asian food.
There was a large bag of frozen baby shrimp which reminded me again of why I love getting these boxes. We used to eat baby shrimp every week and sometimes a couple of times a week but then we got out of the habit and kinda forgot about it until today. Now we’ll be eating shrimp cocktails, salads and quiches for months or even years until something happens and our supply is interrupted and we forget again.
Among the other random stuff was a box of Entenmann’s Pumpkin Spice donut holes. 
I offered them to TC friend while she was picking up her four cases of orange Gatorade and she turned them down because they were so unhealthy. 
I offered them to NF and got radio silence.
I offered them to chicken guy when he stopped by to pick up his share of the food and he didn’t think he wanted to feed them to his chickens because too much sugar, so I suggested he take them to work and leave them in the break room for the mechanics. We could tell that he only took them because he didn’t want to hurt my feelings.
One of the very few good things about this situation, Allie seems to be more tolerant of Buddy.
I still desperately want to GO HOME! Repairs turned out to be more extensive than originally projected. Aside from financial impact, I am so sick of most fast food even thinking about McDonald’s or Jack in the Box makes me wince.
We did do Golden Corral last night, since I had a huge craving for produce and protein. Lots of steamed broccoli, plus some shredded carrots and some melon. Chicken, pot roast, and baked fish were biggies, too (couldn’t face anything fried). I really didn’t want much in the way of carbs, but found they have acceptable pizza. The mac&cheese seemed a bit on the flavorless side, though. The soft-serve quasi-ice cream was adequate.
Tonight was Taco Bell, where one can at least obtain non-fried food. I even had Instacart bring me sandwich makings, fruit cups, baby carrots, and jicama sticks for work lunches.
I am SO sorry you are still going through this. Can you maybe get an ice chest to use for deli food? It is still pricey, but slightly healthier.
When I was working, I bought some little refillable condiment containers and then brought bread and sandwich makings in separate containers. This let me quickly make a “fresh” sandwich when I got my lunch break and was so much better than back when I’d assemble the sandwich in the morning.
Hopefully, things will be over soon and your feline overlady and lord will continue to be able to be in butt contact without having words.
Our room does have a small refrigerator, but no microwave.
At least the kitchen at work has a full-size fridge and a microwave. I’m not the only one who’s recently decided to bring sandwich stuff.
Thrift stores will let you plug in one of their microwaves to test, and they tend to be very inexpensive.
I have never used one of these, but a friend takes one with her when traveling.
We’re also rather limited on space. Motel 6 does not offer loads of room.
Shit.
And sorry. Of course you have already thought about that sort of thing. How much longer do you think it’s going to be?
And is it too late in the year for you to cook pizza on your dashboard? I could still do it if I was so inspired.
Dunno how much longer, and it’s now getting into fall weather. I don’t think using the car as an oven would work.
They sell tuna- or chicken-salad lunch kit thingies at every Wal-Mart, by the canned tuna. (Crackers, protein salad - some have mayo and relish on the side to mix in as you like - with no microwave or fridge needed.) I’ve seen fancier things like quinoa bowl kits, too.
They always come with a spork, at minimum (some even include a napkin!) so no extra utensils needed.
(You have been getting an extra fork every time, at those fast food places, haven’t you?)
Matter of fact, nearly every big-box supermarket has “fresh” chilled stuff, usually near their doors: premade green salads, hard boiled eggs, wraps/tortilla rolls, pasta salads, etc.
Could those help mix up your diet a bit?
That’s pretty close. The final word is pronounced more like “mawpeh” though.
The letter after the “a” is an “l” with a diagonal mark, which is pronounced like “w” to us. But without that diagonal whats-it-called, most Westerners understandably assume an “l” sound.
Cuz it, yanno, looks like an “L.”
Not even to pee or take a nap?
Sorry. Couldn’t help myself. 
I’ve had this challenge. Do you get 30 minutes + two 15s? And do you have access to a microwave?
{ cracks knuckles } I can help brainstorm.
ETA: see above, I did try to help another Mumper with similar constraints.
Huh. I kinda did, too. Recall vaguely wondering if a bullet hole was involved.
Every very great once in a while, I encounter one of these people while also having both the time & energy to debate.
Considering I was born in Brazil, and English is my third language (although it is my primary language … there’s a difference) these debates are hilarious to me. Especially when I magically switch off the lazy Southern drawl.
Far more often, though, I merely cock one eyebrow with the slightest of smiles, and think - but not say - “Aw. Bless your heart.”
Considering I’m planning a couple hours’ drive tomorrow to buy fresh ~livestock~ ah, no ~vermin~ sorry, meant fresh lines of African soft-furred rats (that I basically raise as tiny livestock) this was … interesting.
(See lengthy tale o’woe and stuff, below.)
WAG: since retirement = less human interaction (you’re not talking to your FAs, co-pilots, the clerk at each hotel you hafta check into, etc. anymore) your brain is “filling in” some of that pleasant, if sometimes mundane, chatter.
As for the age thing, that’s easy. Many people are “stuck” deep within their subconscious at an earlier, happy age.
Me? I’m 27, maybe 28.
I don’t know who that 40-something year old bitch is who keeps showing up in my mirror, but she needs to start coughing up some rent money or at least maybe clean the floors once in a while.
Which is the cause, and which is the effect?
I genuinely hope they help you quickly.
I can see them both just fine! (He’s HYUUUGE!)
I had two Maine Coon males; I know how big they get. But after living with regular sized cats for a while (plus sweet Nikki, who was chunk-o but on a small frame) ya kinda forget how friggin’ big those boys get.
So a while ago I was frettin’ over something critter related … I did promise to clarify eventually.
It’s taken me this long to calm down enough to talk/write about it without wanting to hide.
Ugh. This is gonna be kinda stream-of-consciousness. And lengthy.
Skip unless you need something for your insomnia. Or if you’re uncomfortable with the details of serpents & rodents.
I’m not kidding. 
But this stuff up next … yeah, this is my actual mundane daily life. It’s different from most. (But not entirely alien to every human alive. Believe it or not, what follows is an actual problem, for some unknown-to-me number of people. But definitely not any other Dopers.)
So here’s yet another example of how life is different for us all.
Background: I moved across the country with several lines of African soft-furred rats (ASFs) and kept them going for another, I dunno, year anna half, two years. I’d been breeding them for about four-five years at that point.
But smaller house + much less local demand meant they quickly got overwhelming. I decided to downsize, found a few bulk buyers, and … over sold.
Basically, the last few adults were too old to breed, and I didn’t keep enough juveniles to recuperate my population. (ASFs can Xerox themselves like you wouldn’t believe, but there are variables. I’ll skip the details.)
Several months ago, I realized I was in “uh-oh” territory. Pretzel got to eat the remaining couple of adults, but then … that was it.
Thought I could try to switch her from live preferred species, to frozen/thawed different species (“regular” rats) and that was a solid “Aww, hellllz naw.”
Imagine your whole life you eat nothing but a combination of Grandma’s home cookin’ combined with Michelin 4-star … and you’re suddenly presented with a microwaved frozen burrito.
I even dragged one of those ^^ rat attempts through some old, used ASF bedding, that I specifically kept for this purpose, hoping it would impart enough scent.
Nope.
She went for my hand instead. Badly.
First time in my - and her - life that she, very briefly, attacked my hand like it was prey. She backed off (“ptttooey!”) but it was plainly obvious that she is desperate for food.
That was when I kinda freaked out over the whole thing, posted cryptic things here about problems bothering me but not wanting to talk about it, etc.
I felt horrible. I still do. This creature is essentially my prisoner. All she can access in her entire world - food, water, warmth, enrichment like exploring or climbing - is what I provide. I am her prison warden.
And I have failed to feed her. She’s hangry and I am uncomfortable handling her now - okay, I’m flat-out fucking scared to open her enclosure - when before, she was basically a puppy with scales.
So tomorrow - armed with my temporary license - imma drive to the nearest ASF breeder I could find.
And start all over.
Mostly now I’m pissed at myself - I really put work into breeding for better temperament (ASF are notoriously unfriendly to humans - they are not rats, which when raised & handled nicely can rival dogs for sweetness & trainability) and dammit, I was getting some interesting colors. Some of them even accepted gentle petting!
All that’s gone, and it’s my own damn dumb fault.
I have no idea what temperament or color(s) imma get tomorrow, and that’s even assuming I make it home safely and with live healthy ASF that can & will breed. (I am a pessimist, and don’t count chickens - or rodents - before they hatch. Or the chance of encounters with LEO during the drive.)
My plan is to get at least four big ol’ adults (she’ll wanna eat at least two off the bat) and a dozen smaller juveniles, and hopefully keep the littles going strong until they can start doing their groovy Xerox thang next spring. Two good meals in Pretzel between now & then should hold her for a while.
Ideally, she can later eat any excess males while the females re-establish a colony for me.
Ye gods, I hope I get a bunch of females.
So that’s my weird tale of woe. Hopefully by this time tomorrow night, I will have one more problem crossed off my constant List O’Shit To Worry About.
… to be replaced by something new, no doubt.
It doesn’t sound like a ‘w’ in the pronunciations I’ve heard. It sounds like a mixture of ‘w’ and ‘l’. But then, Wifey thinks I’m going deaf.
Yeah, I wasn’t gonna try for that level of detail. The Polish language involves a lot of sounds that simply don’t exist in English.
Don’t get upset - the reverse is also true.
“Butter” is my favorite shibboleth. For Poles, the initial “b” is the only familiar sound. The subsequent vowel, the “t that isn’t said like t” and the whatever-it’s-called at the end (IIRC linguists write it as an upside-down “e”) just does not exist for them.
Same as a rolled “R” doesn’t exist for us.
Living with one makes you forget as well. VBC is the Large and In Charge cat, so we don’t really see that GG is bigger than her.
Reply to shoe, involving sniks and squeekers.
I am so sorry. No wonder you were having such a hard time. She is your pet, you have her because you love her, knowing that she was so hungry must have been horrible. I hope your plan works.
I’ve never been interested in owning snakes, but I do understand love.
One of those little mysteries in life: why do cats get so stubbornly “helpful” during bed making? (I didn’t like how the housekeeper had done it.) I had to move Buddy at least 3 times per layer.
And further progress in feline relations: Buddy cruised over to Allie and licked her ear, and she didn’t make rude comments to him about it or pull away. She didn’t seem enthused, but she also didn’t seem motivated to take action about it.
What good kitties! They both are trying really hard to make this work.
oh just for reference since this hit when I was a teen and it seems some of all missed it
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=baby+got+back&docid=603485240620226821&mid=2B54248A45A3858982E82B54248A45A3858982E8&view=detail&FORM=VRAASM&ru=%2Fvideos%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dbaby%2520got%2520back%2520video%26FORM%3DVDRE
it shows the previously mentioned video
Spot: < likes ice water >
Me: < changes cat water, adds regular ice cubes >
Cubes: < crack in water >
Spot: < stares in horror > “Why is my drink going ‘Snap, crackle, pop’?!?”
Up, caffeinated, and sheveled. Off to heave.
I can feel the extra insulation the good life has given him(the giant neck is all muscle, though) 
Sorry Pretzel got hangry with you, shoe. At least you’re doing a personal Doordash to fix the situation.
Is there a Portuguese version of “Bless your heart”?
Morning, mumpers! It’s currently 10c/51f with a predicted high of 14c/57f, and cloudy. Weather app is not concerned, and just says “Don’t like this fucking weather? Wait a minute. It’ll fucking change.” Also tells me there’s a moderate rain warning, which actually means heavy and persistent rain with flooding likely. Oh joy.
shoe I’m sorry Pretzel was hangry, but it’s good that you are able to find something she will eat.
doggio every time I see a pic of Spot, I think you’ve sneaked into my house and snaffled Cherry!
Seanette lovely pic of the cats snuggling!
nellie I hope your knee is a little better and you’re getting some sleep too.
Boo sorry to hear about the hernia thing, can that get fixed too?
I’ve read much and retained little today, and even missed posting here yesterday because irk’s been a bit crazy. I hoped it would calm down a bit once teaching started and things settled down a bit but the new timetabling system is giving me 'mares!
Went out last night which was a nice relief from the tedium. My friend’s mum passed away last week so I wasn’t sure if she’d want to come out but she said she did. Her parents moved to Cyprus many years ago so there’s the added complication of distance, her stepdad is having to deal with things by himself although she and her brother are planning to go over for the funeral. It was a pleasant night out, and hopefully she’s feeling a bit brighter today.
Oh well, better go and see what fresh hell awaits!
Just talked to FCD - he left around the time he’d hoped and he was “somewhere in Ohio” - honestly, I don’t understand how he travels so obliviously. I may not know every little town along the way, but in general, I have an idea of where I am. Not him. Weird…
Anyway, I’ve been up since a nightmare around 3:30. I have tended the critters and I’m having breakfast. Before Tobias gets here, I’m going to gather the household trash - the cans are getting full. We’ve got Wiggle Giggle this morning, but nothing else planned. My sweetie should be home for supper - guess I should plan some sort of feed.
It’s looking like the fundraiser this weekend has to be rescheduled due to the deluge in the forecast. Unfortunately, the rain date is in 2 weeks - when we’ll be driving back to Indiana to fetch MIL. So I’ll just price all my items and let them sell it all. Dunno why I said “unfortunately” - I really don’t much enjoy being a vendor at such events.
Anyway, I’m up, showered, and dressed. Onward!
Happy Thursday!!