Morning. Lucretia has decided to not give up hornking for Lent. I usually let the 3 a.m.ers run there course, except you jjumped into bed between sessions. Can you say cat-a-pult? Of to work, then Mass, then I’ll clean the litter box.
Today in the canteen it was kind of funny to see who was lining up in the usual spot and ladling up the meat, who was lining up, realizing there wasn’t any fish in sight, saying “fisch?” and moving to another spot where the fish was located.
Bye LiLi good luck with your Lenten sacrifice. I guess that’s the word. Ok, so we’re off and runnin’ on the no smokin’. So far no bloodshed. 
Taters I hope your son is feelin’ better. All you other sickies too. It sounds like they were talkin’ about you cause they recognize your good work. That’s a good thing.
Digital scrapbooking? That just sounds so weird!
Snakes March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day. Bein’ as I attend a church named for ol’ St. Pat, I’ll be up to my ears (what? I’m a messy cook!) in “Irish” stew makin’ that day. I have to be here for that cause, well, that’s what I do. The actual name is “It’s Irish Because We Said So” stew.
Ima go get “ashed” at a noon service today. My church has noon and seven p.m. services and I’ve always tended towards the noon service.
Freezing fog? What the heck is freezing fog?
GT
Ya know, the nice thing about being a Brewtheran is that we can eat whatever we want any time of the year… 
That happens whenever the ambient temperature hits the dewpoint, and is below 32F. The fog is ice crystals instead of vapor droplets, and you get a very kewl phenom known as hoarfrost.
ah, but it isn’t (and if SIL hadn’t left us, there’d probably be a 3rd and 4th edition of the book by now)
re: getting ashed - for years, when I first joined the workforce, I had to resist the temptation to hand my coworkers a napkin and tell them they had something on their forehead. I didn’t see that much of it in college, and certainly not growing up. We do not have any equivalent to that.
Oh that just sounds so wrong. I want to see this though, it sounds intriguing.
{{{taxi and KeithT}}} I hope Nikita is resting peacefully now. I don’t have much time right now, can’t stick around. In fact, I’ll throw a pun at you and then I have to go.
Later everyone.
Morning! Beautiful hump day out, even if the temps haven’t hit the 0°C mark yet. It’s nice 'n sunny though.
The spring season has officially hit at my work. I can tell this because things have gotten exponentially busier in the last few days. But that’s okay. Despite giving me less time to 'Dope, it still makes the day go quickly. Except when I get the idiots that make me want to reach through the phone and throttle them. But at least they break up the monotony. 
swampus - Digital scrapbooking? I’ve got a pretty creative bent, but I’ve never seen the attraction to scrapbooking – it reminds me too much of those cut 'n paste things I did in grade school with the Elmer’s glue and the safety scissors. I never cared much for that activity – especially those damned collages; I preferred to draw or make things out of Lego. I understand it has gained a lot of popularity in the last few years though, so I don’t suppose the bundling of scrapbooking software with a printer is too unusual.
LiLi - Good luck on the lent thing, we’ll miss you 'round here. I assume once lent is over however you’ll return to us and thank Og the Dope Withdrawal is over.
I feel like a Bad Catholic – no ashes for me today, but then again, it’s not a Holy Day so …
It’s very foggy here today, but warm, relatively. We have this clock that projects the time and temperature on the ceiling above our bed, and I lie there gazing at the ceiling, fretting about how cold it is. It’s nice to see “55” projected above my head, instead of “12.”
Thanks again for everyone’s thoughts. Nikita died on her own before KeithT got home so we didn’t have to take her to the vet, which is probably better. But it’s still sad to know she’s gone.
I had pancakes at church last night. They were good, but I’m spoiled in that I always have real maple syrup at home so the fake stuff just doesn’t taste as good. But at least I got to have pancakes.
Church also has soup suppers on Wednesdays during lent, starting tonight so I’m having dinner at church two nights in a row! Good deal.
We’ll miss you LiLi. Good luck to you and everyone else who’s giving up something for Lent.
Sorry to hear about Nikita, Taxi, but perhaps it’s better that she went peacefully at home in familiar surroundings. Cats are special creatures, maybe she wanted to spare all of you the hurt of a final visit to the vet. No doubt she’s already at the Bridge making new friends.
::waves at Li LI::
I took a couple pictures of frozen fog on the chain link fence here today. If they come out like I wanted them to, I’ll post them here later.
Odd news for today - some of you may remember a long, rambling post I started a thread with about a year or so back, about a long, long lost old girlfriend named Susan. I dated her right before I met the Gonna Be Wife. Susan was, at the time, married, but we had it really bad for each other. She was the Almost Wife, no doubt about it. Anyway, the thread I started was about that she had moved here, into my town, and we got together for coffee and a chat.
Nothing came of it (really), and we’ve only run into each other twice since, at stores.
I saw her at Panera this morning, and guess what???
She’s getting re-married.
I’m happy for her. I’m also a bit relieved because when we met, she made it very clear that if I was interested at all, she was there for the taking. I don’t do well with temptation, I’m damn glad there’s one less out there for me.
taxi, that’s a blessing really. It is very heart-wrenching to put an friend to sleep, no matter how bad off.
No pancakes or ashes for the Anichis. In fact, we heathens have decided on lucious hamburgers with Swiss on Sourdough bread for din-din on Friday. No discourtesy to any of you Catlicks, Whiskeypaliens, or Brewtherans.
We are warming up! Yay! That is all I have to say.
Tupug
taxi - I just saw that for some reason. Big Hug.
I’ve had two cats die on their own at home, one - Ernie the Greatest Cat Ever - I brought home from the vet so that he could say goodbye, and he ended up dying there, looking out his favorite window.
I always read this when I think of someone losing a cat. Hope it helps.
When we lost Nuke a couple of years ago, the vet arranged for his cremation and returned his ashes to us in a little pine casket along with a pack of Forget-Me-Not seeds and this little poem:
"To Love Me Is To Know Me
I’d play in the garden where I was free and you were always there to take care of me;
I’d stay out late with lots to do and when you called I’d come running to you;
I was there when you needed a friend but sadly now we’ve come to the end.
You gave me your home and you gave me your love and now I’m with my friends above;
So now, my friend, I know we’re apart, but your memories of me please keep in your heart;
I’ll never forget the love that you gave but through this time you must be brave;
I know it’s hard but you must let me go;
I’ll be ok and you must be too, and never forget I’ll always love you."
Morning, all. Caffeination is in process, and work is, as always, piled high. The temperature, however, is well above freezing, so it looks like the bitter cold spell is at an end and, knock wood, we won’t have any more this winter.
Otherwise, I got nuttin’ this morning. I’m still tired, but Palebunny pointed out, and probably rightly so, that donating two pints of blood in six days will probably do that to you. Makes sense to me. So I’ll take it easy today. Breaks my little heart.
Bus Guy, I remember your thread about Susan!
I had a weird experience yesterday morning – a girl having Road Rage. I think she was a college student; at any rate very young with a UK hanging tag in her car. She was behind me, and I saw her in the rear-view mirror, looking like she was yelling. I thought she was singing with the radio or something, so I was mildly amused and kept an eye on her as we drove along. Then I noticed her banging her fists on the steering wheel, and the facial contortions got worse and worse. It started getting scary. When we got off the side street and onto the main road she started whipping in and out of lanes. I hung WAY back, sure there was going to be a hideous accident. I can only think that she was late; it was almost exactly 9 am and she probably had to be on campus at 9.
Taxi so sorry about Nikita. I think it’s good she died at home in a place she felt loved and cared for. She’s at peace now. Still doesn’t make it any easier though.
MBG I remember your thread about Susan too. May she be happy in her new marriage.
Bobbio, technically, we Whiskypalians don’t have to do any of this stuff. However, our three pronged theology of Scripture, Wisdom and Tradition strongly says we should do certain obligations. Ash Wednesday being one of 'em. So I’ll go get ashed. I actually like the idea being called to a season of Holy Lent, which is what Ash Wednesday does. Plus making a sacrifice or offering during this time just feels good. If I can do the give up smoking thing I will have done sump’n good for myself. I think that’s worth it. So far so good. Still no dead bodies or blood.
Tigs, palebunny is right. That’s a fair amount of blood over a short period of time so you should rest up. Chocolate and ice cream are known for their healing and restorative properties. Just sayin’.
Ah, excellent, oh Ursine Swampus! Chocolate and ice cream it is! (I always love having a good excuse.)