My spark plugs have been fixed. My car runs smoothly again.
My seat was not fixed. This apparently is something that only the dealership can handle. I will have to set up a complex arrangement of pillows so I will be able to sit forward enough to reach the pedals until I can get to the dealership.
Oh, that’s what that sound was!
Seriously, that sucks about the seat. The seats in my '97 are manual, but I would swear the driver’s seat doesn’t move quite as far back as it used to…and it can be moved so close to the steering wheel that no adult could possibly sit.
Probably just some debris in the track the seat slides on. Also probably not worth the effort to clean it out unless the seat doesn’t move back far enough to accommodate one of the drivers.
Would like to congratulate the person on NextDoor who whined and got my post promoting my latest Substack removed, thereby proving my position on the fragility of white people.
As I understand it, the problem is that the seat doesn’t slide forward far enough to accommodate the owner/driver, which is a problem because she can’t drive it safely.
Who decides how much of each veggie goes into a frozen “Asian Stir-Fry” package. I just bought a store brand, and it contains at least 80% chopped carrots.
I’m guessing it’s influenced by what’s cheapest (or lately, what’s actually obtainable) for the manufacturer at the time.
Around here, there’s always way too much broccoli, and in giant pieces too. Also, a whole lot of frozen dinners and vegetable mixes seem to contain bell peppers. Personally I don’t care for them, but I’m told those tend to be expensive when buying them fresh. So if they’re actually an expensive ingredient, why are they so frequently in frozen products?
Still…won’t…lose…
I tried to cast some Olympic highlights from my computer to my TV tonight, only to find out that Google’s Chromecast no longer supports that (our TV is too old to have the software that allows Windows to cast to TV). You have to use your phone. Thanks guys.
One of my feral cats is going tomorrow to be put to sleep. I’m at peace with the fact that it’s happening. What bothers me is that it’s not 1,000% obvious that it’s time.
He went to the vet about six weeks or so ago because he hadn’t been looking or acting well and the vet said, in short, that his organs were all messed up, his muscles were wasting away, and he probably had about a week left.
And he’s done okay since then. He comes to greet me when I go out to take care of the cats, but is very clear on not wanting to be touched. He eats. He moves slowly, but he seemed happy enough.
Today, he came right up to me. I reached to pet him and expected that, as always, he would scurry off as soon as I touched him. He didn’t. He leaned his head into my hand. He’s long-haired, so it’s hard to tell just by looking at him, but I could feel how skeletal he is. When I turned to continue with cat care, he followed me instead of going for the food, and laid down in the middle of the floor. I pet him again before going back in and making the decision.
I just wish I could know if it was right. I wish I could discuss it with him and get his thoughts on the matter. On one hand, I did get him to eat a little by putting some warmed wet food right in front of him and I really have no idea how long he could still go if I let him. And “he wanted me to pet him” isn’t really a CLASSIC sign that it’s the end. On the other, as thin as he is, there’s no way he’s feeling well day-to-day. And this is a big behavioral change. I don’t believe that he understands what’s happening and is telling me it’s time, but I do think maybe he knows he can trust me to take care of him and is telling me he needs care. It’s so hard to know with slow declines like this when the perfect moment is, such that you’re not allowing them to suffer and also not taking away any good time they might have left.
Anyway, it’s set up for tomorrow. I’ll be there with him, which I hope gives him some comfort.
You are a good person and doing the right thing.
In my experience, a vet won’t euthanize an animal unless s/he thinks it is appropriate, so your vet must think it is the right time.
Again, you’re a good person and the universe thanks you.
I’ve been there, and fourteen years later my heart occasionally breaks thinking that I waited too long and she suffered. I don’t know you or the cat, but I would absolutely be inclined to read the change in behaviour as a sign. It’s superstition rather than science, I suppose, but there you are. It’s impossible to know, but between you and the vet doing your best, I have confidence that you’ll make the right decision.
Always, always ALWAYS best to end on good day, before the real illness and fear set in, in my book. People say, “Better a day too early than too late.” Actually, better a week, a month, 6 months, even a year too early than a day too late.
It sucks, even when it’s right. I’m so very glad he has you to look out for him 
Yeah, I know lots of folks who regret waiting too long. From everything you’ve written, it sounds like now is a good time. If he’s spent his life living rough, a gentle walk into that good night with someone who cares about him is the best thing you can do for him now.
The real blessing is that your cat doesn’t understand his own mortality. That’s where you have to step in and make the tough decision that he can’t make for himself. It sounds like you’re doing the right thing in that respect. He’s lucky to have you.
That’s what our vet believed. As well as pointing out that Quality Of Life is really the pinnacle of an animal’s life… “A comfortable life is really all they want.” When they lose that, it’s better to end it. Especially because they can’t tell us how they’re suffering.
No doubt they’re full of debris at this point. I recently had to perform a temporary repair on the little rubber boot that’s supposed to keep foreign objects out of the recess for the handbrake lever, and I was truly surprised at how much stuff had accumulated under the trim. (It was mostly dog fur; the last time a dog was in that vehicle was 2002.)
SurrenderDorothy, you’re being a good person to that kitty. It’s hard to tell how much an animal is suffering, because some hide it so well. My dog never knew anything but a quiet, comfortable life, yet she effectively hid symptoms that anything was very wrong with her until a day or so before she was put to sleep. Her behavioral and physical changes – loss of interest in dog kibble, difficulty using her hind legs, weight gain – were seemingly normal for a dog her age, but in hindsight she was likely feeling the effects of her illness months (or maybe even a year) before she acted like she was suffering. As far as we could tell though, she seemed content, particularly when she realized that Mom or Dad would fix her some nice grilled chicken and plain veggies – or maybe even scrambled eggs! – when she snubbed her dog food.
Man, I came in here to whine about a stoopit zit on my cheek that just won’t quit, and now I’m openly weeping about my own past cats.
… and my current elderly cat who’s gonna make me make ^^ decision soon, too, I suspect. Hopefully not too soon, but she’s getting crankier every day.
I haven’t sold a boat in years, but yesterday I placed ads for our pontoon boat (we want to get something smaller). I’d forgotten all the pain in the ass things about selling on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.
I already have someone yelling that they will pay me $1000 over asking price, but they want to pick it up NOW. Dozens of “how low will you go?” emails. A dozen “send me your phone number so I can explain” emails. And a few requests to trade; no, I don’t want your quad.