* * *
Also cracking me up is this bit I read in Reader’s Digest last night:
Some young Calabasas, California children are complaining that a “weird man” keeps popping up at their school and singing “scary songs” to them. Are their parents concerned? Not really, said the New York Post. The man is Bob Dylan, who likes to visit his grandson at school. “The kids don’t appreciate that they’re in the presence of a musical legend,” said one parent. “They just think of him as the weird guitar guy.”
I do an excellent Bob Dylan imitation. Just ask Nance!
* * *
Comment-Answering Extravaganza!
Ever since Fred educated me about eggs from the grocery store we’ve been buying ours from our local Farmer’s market. Would you believe that the “egg man” also sells Jalapeno/Strawberry jam? Any farmer’s markets in your area where you might consider selling in the future?
That doesn’t surprise me at all, actually. There’s a flea market where we might consider selling in the future, but I don’t know how much we’re into the idea of that – sitting at a table all weekend long when I can be home doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun. Yes, I AM a spoiled brat, thank you.
* * *
Have you made an outdoor litter box/sandbox for the kids yet? Just in one corner, dig a bit of a hole or ditch, fill it with sand and some litter and Viola! Outdoor facilities! Some cats go outdoors by preference, and it makes the litter boxes indoors have less traffic.
Every morning when I open the back door, Mister “Douchebag” Boogers and Tommy run over to the big hole that the chickens dug out for their dust baths, and they take turns using it. I should mention here that the big hole is located in such a place that I can see clearly the nastiness going on out there. The chickens have abandoned that hole, by the way, and are in the process of digging holes in various places throughout the back yard. I am doing my best to convince Fred to expand the chicken yard outward, so they’ll have room to roam that doesn’t include our back yard, but I’m not having a lot of luck with that.
* * *
When I was a kid, one Halloween someone adopted all the black cats/kitties from the animal shelter for horrible, sinister purposes that made the paper when the remains were found. Just a warning, but your beautiful kitties out for adoption and several cat head stories from yours/Freds blogs made me think about it. I have the shivers just thinking about it…
Most of the shelters in this area stop adopting out black cats for just such a reason.
* * *
Are [Wickles] sweet pickles? or sour? I can’t eat sweet pickles. EWW.
They taste to me like bread and butter pickles with a spicy kick, so I guess you’d call them sweet. Not gherkin sweet, though, if that helps any. These pickles are AWESOME.
* * *
I kept reading to see if Mister Boogers did get thwarted???? When’s your birthday? I found a perfect card for him to send.
Operation: Thwart Mister “Douchebag” Boogers is still in progress. Once it’s completed and that fucker is thwarted for good, I’m sure Fred will write about it – he had about 5,000 pictures on the memory stick documenting the process, and I’m sure he’ll take another 5,000 before the job is done.
My birthday’s January 9th, and I will be (drumroll) FORTY this year. If that whole “life begins at forty” thing is true, I’m not sure I can take it.
* * *
So how do you legs and arms look these days with all those kitten crawling over you? My legs look like someone slashed me repeatedly with only one such kitten. My foot doctor wasn’t pleased at all. I have to keep the Soft Klaws on him or else it to the doctor we go per the doctor.
I’ve been lucky with the last few litters – the KATG bunch was pretty good about keeping their claws to themselves, and the five sisters before them weren’t scratchers either (also, they were a little older). The current bunch is way more skittish, so I haven’t had to deal with scratches. Last year when I had Maddy, my hands were constantly covered with scratches because she was a scratchy little bitch and I had to resort to wearing gloves when I bottle fed her, at least at first. I try not to put up with much scratching or biting from the kittens – if I can train them not to do either, I figure I’m doing their future parents a favor.
* * *
You haven’t said a word about “Survivor China”. Are you watching it? I am enjoying it even a little better than the last one.
I’m enjoying it, but I think I’m about Survivor’d out. At this point we watch up to the end of the immunity challenge, and then we fast-forward through all the negotiating bullshit that goes on back at camp. I tend to read during most of the show, just glancing up every few minutes to keep track of what’s going on. I don’t hate it, but I don’t look forward to Thursday nights the way I used to, either.
Survivor spoilers in the rest of this section.
I’m sorry, but those two idiots who threw the challenge and then voted off Aaron tonight are about the dumbest cunts Survivor’s had on in recent memory. They THREW the goddamn challenge because they knew that no matter what, the other team would have the numbers at the merge? Are you fucking KIDDING me? IDIOTS. And it never occurred to them, after they chose two members from the other team to come to their tribe that the other tribe would be getting two of THEIR members? Um, what? JESUS GOD IN HEAVEN, PLEASE SMITE THEM NOW TO REMOVE THAT KIND OF FLUFF-BUNNY AIR-HEADED IDIOCY FROM THIS EARTH.
Fred pointed out, when they were going to the immunity challenge, that it would be a good twist to have the two members switched back. It would have, but alas. That Mark Burnett is not as good at show planning as we are, clearly. HA.
* * *
I read something awhile back (I think it was in the archives, but I really can’t remember) about cat beds, and you mentioned that one had a removable pad that could be warmed. Is that warmed from the cat’s body as they sleep, or pop-in-the-microwave warmed? I have an old and creaky cat that in previous winters has come upstairs and snuggled under the covers, however he no longer seems to want to do stairs. I’m thinking I might to have to carry him upstairs every night once it gets cold, but if I could get a bed that I could preheat then he might be just as comfortable. And he wouldn’t have to deal with my tossing and turning that always seems to annoy him so very much.
The ones that I bought are small ones meant for kittens (they’re actually even too small for the 3 month-old kittens I have right now), and they can be popped in the microwave, according to the package they came in. I’ve never actually microwaved them, though, so I don’t know how warm they get.
I did a little looking around and found
this microwavable pet bed warmer you might want to try. What you might try before that, if you have even the slightest bit of sewing skills, is
making your own microwavable heating bag. Also, if the bed is near a plug, you could try one of those beds you can plug in (I think I’ve seen them at PetSmart). Readers? Suggestions?
* * *
My Friday question is what’s your take on the Ellen Degeneres dog situation?
For those of you who haven’t heard about it or seen the video, watch it
here. I think it’s pretty sad, actually. I would have thought that the agency would warn her not to let it happen again (or fine her, even) and make the new family fill out paperwork, but going and seizing the dog from a family it’s bonded to seems overzealous.
* * *
You know who I hate on Kid Nation? The one from Boston with the scabby lips. I can’t even look at the screen when they interview her. It’s too much.
Laurel! Oh, I like Laurel, but yeah – the scabby lips are pretty bad. And every now and then her accent seems really, really strong, and I don’t know why it is, but it’s odd to hear a kid with a strong Boston accent, I don’t know why.
Sophia’s another one I like – she’s like 14 going on 40, she sounds like such an adult. Some of these kids kill me with how intelligent and adult they sound.
* * *
Now that you are so thin, what kind of differences has it made in your day to day life? I know just getting dressed in the morning and having clothes fit is a huge relief, even after losing 10 or 20 pounds. So I wonder if the change is more dramatic, the greater the weight lost.
The number one difference it’s made in my daily life is that it doesn’t hold me back. Before I lost weight, if I needed to go upstairs for something, I’d put it off as long as I had to. Now, I run up those stairs without thinking twice about it. I mean, I’m not running up and down the stairs all day long – I’m still essentially a lazy person – but if I need to take something up or get the vacuum cleaner or whatever, it’s not a big deal. I can also stand for hours and hours without having feet that ache at the end of the day.
Also, if I need to get down on the floor to play with the kittens or look under the bed or whatever, it’s not a drawn-out process to get back to my feet. Before, it was painful and awkward and slow to get to my feet. Now, I put my hands on the floor, push myself to my feet, and I’m up. No big deal!
* * *
Gentlemen, you may be excused from this section.
I’ve got a question about the Diva cup: I’m eager to try it, but concerned about one, teensy little issue. Y’see, I tried the Instead thingies, and found that, when I sneezed… well… there was spillage (I suppose all those Kegels I’ve been doing haven’t been quite as effective as I would’ve hoped). So, here’s my question: does the Diva cup stay where you put it, or am I likely to sneeze and launch a projectile of silicone and goo from my cha-cha (props to Cartman’s mom)?
As long as you have the Diva cup inserted properly – VERY important – I haven’t noticed any leakage at all. The only issue I’ve had thus far with the cup is getting it inserted so that it “seals” right. When you’re inserting it, you have to hold it folded shut. Once you get it in there, you let it go so that it can “pop” (figuratively, not literally on that one) into place, and sometimes I have an issue getting it to pop all the way out. The things I’ve found that help are to have it warm before you insert it – I run it under very warm water – and if I’m having an issue after that, pulling the cup out a little, then pushing it back up while kind of bearing down will help it pop into place.
I’m the one who wouldn’t answer the sex question last week, aren’t I?
There might be a little residual blood that comes out during the removal-washing-reinsertion process, but you can generally handle that with some wiping, and if it’s a heavy flow day, a panty liner wouldn’t hurt.
Those of you who use the Diva cup, feel free to leave suggestions or anything about your experience with the Diva Cup in the comments.
* * *
My little darlings knocked over their litterbox and decided that the best thing to do would be to use it regardless. This has left me with a patch of carpet that is stiff as a board of cat pee mixed with litter. I can’t even begin to budge it. I’ve tried our normal pet stain stuff, but this is proving far beyond my limited expertise. What do you suggest?
Have you tried a steam cleaner? That’s really the only thing that comes to mind. If you don’t own one, I think you can rent one from WalMart or a lot of grocery stores rent them out, too. Other than that, the only suggestion I have is to replace the carpet. Someone else might have a better suggestion, though. Readers?
* * *
So, we have new fosters. This bunch came – I think – from the same woman who had the last bunch, and the bunch before, even. She lives in the country and there’s been a real problem with people dropping cats off in her area.
Unlike the last bunch, this litter – there are six of them, four boys and two girls – aren’t terribly friendly. It’s only been a few days, though, so hopefully they’ll warm up. None of them are snugglers, and two of them are scaredy-cat hiders, so we may have to get drastic (ie, separating them from the others) if they don’t chill out in the next few days.
I tried the thing Miss Pink told me about, rubbing their little faces with a piece of flannel around my finger like I’m their momma, and they put up with it, so we’ll see how they act when I go up there again.
Anyway, they’re cute, there are six of them, and since two of them looked so much like Keith and Brolo from the last litter, I stuck with the
Keith and the Girl naming theme, even grabbing a couple of names of regular posters in their forum.
Malley.
Spooky.
Deuce.
Rhian.
Jesikat.
Peyton.
The first night we got them, these scaredy cats hid behind the door. That’s Jesikat, Deuce, and Malley.
Peyton puts his paws in the air like he just don’t care.
Rhian in the cat tree.
Peyton’s all “Hellew.”
Fred and I had a confused conversation where I kept referring to Deuce as “he” (which he is), but Fred thought I’d named the cat “
Dooce” (which I hadn’t) and wanted to know why I’d name a boy cat “Dooce.” Which I hadn’t. It took a distressingly long amount of time to get the point across that the cat’s name was not “Dooce” but rather “Deuce.”
*****************************************
Whenever I step one foot outside the house – especially if I leave by the side door – Spanky sits at the door and watches every move I make. If I’m doing something like filling bird feeders, he sits and watches until I turn and look at him, and then he meows at me, like “Enough of the outside stuff! You’re making me nervous! Get back in here!” Between this and his job as Bathroom Ambassador, I don’t know how on earth he squeezes all 23 1/2 of those vital naptime hours into his day. He manages, though – our Spanky is King of time management.
Previously
2006: I know. I’m going to hell. At least I know I’ll have good company!
2005: I WILL BE THE VICTOR, DAMNIT!
2004: More Myrtle Beach.
2003: No entry.
2002: No entry.
2001: I’ve turned into a crazy cat lady for real, haven’t I?
2000: The spud turns 12 next week, can you believe it?
1999: I’ve been out of sorts all day.]]>
Hey Robyn, if you *do* decide to do the Farmers Market thing, there is one in “downtown” Madison that only runs on Saturdays from 8-12. That wouldn’t require an all day commitment and you’re right next to a pretty good Mexican restaurant. You can check it out at madisoncityfarmersmarket dot com.
I just love the name Deuce! Though your Deuce looks nothing like my Deuce… lol
Spooky actually LOOKS spooky as well!
Yes, I could not believe that the Zhan Hu tribe didn’t even realize that they would be sending two of theirs too. However, I feel like the two girls have pretty sound thinking. They knew that if the merge comes at 10 people left and if Fei Long voted the two former Zhan Hu people off they would be the only three left and the first three to go following the merge. If their thinking winds up being correct the merge will have five from each tribe and a lot more even chance. I loved James reaction too. I really thought they were going to vote him off!
Oh I was just about to forward you that clip! Too funny!!!
Petsmart also sells heating pads for animals like this one: http://tinyurl.com/2bm8br
We have one for our outside cat house that we leave on starting about this time of year. We just cover it with some towels and sheets. This way, the older cat can have heat all time time, instead of just night time.
That video is absolutely perfect!! Survivor China is sort of sucky this year. My problem with the Diva Cup is not the insertion as much, though I do wish there was some sort of sign (a pop, a ding, a button that turns purple, something!) to let me know it was properly in place. My problem is more in the dumping, cleaning, reinserting of it. I find it to be quite a pain to yank it out, dump it, put it on a piece of tp, then either waddle to the sink with my pants around my ankles or have to yank up my pants with the one hand that isn’t gooey from the yanking, then go to the sink to rinse me & the cup off, then back to the toilet for reinsertion. It’s such a process. I’m such a whiner, aren’t I?
Heated cat bed: I put a heating pad wrapped in a terrycloth towel in the bottom of my cat-bed for baby kittens when we rescue. They all LOOOOVE it, so I’m guessing it would work for the arthritis kitty above.
Also, you know this, but beef baby food (or chicken or whatever, but only the all-meat ones) works magic for taming feral kittens. They can’t resist it, in my experience.
Spanky! He’s so cute!
I tried the Diva Cup after you wrote about it and it is the best thing! I’m lucky that my sink is right next to the toilet so rinsing isn’t an issue. My only problem was finding an antibacterial soap that was unscented, since whatever scent is in your soap will be absorbed in the cup. I do use rubbing alcohol a couple of times on the cup during my cycle to keep things extra clean. Before I started using this I had to wear the big overnight pads and even with frequent changes I would still leak occasionally. With the cup I go to work for 9 hours and don’t have to mess with it at all until I get home. No leaks and no tell tale pad bulge! The absolute best was this summer and being able to go swimming without worrying about a tampon string hanging out or tampon getting soaked with water. I for one think this was the best thing, Robyn that you have passed along. I don’t dread my period anymore. I have told several people about the cup and reactions are mixed. You can see in some people’s face that the idea of the cup icks them out, but others have approached me later to tell me they got one and love it.
for the bed warmer lady… what I’ve done in the past is get a plastic bottle filled with hot water, and wrap it in a towel. it will get hot, but not as hot to burn the kitty
I think I just fell in love with Jesikat. I think my husband just had a sigh of relief that we live far far away from Alabama.
I do an excellent Bob Dylan imitation. Just ask Nance!
You are scary with that crazy shit, but at least you’re truthful – it is excellent. And really, who actually “learns” to imitate Bob Dylan? Did you practice or is it just like magic?
Oh, I’m such a Nervous Wreck that my cat-taming face-washing trick isn’t going to work! I hope it does, just keep it up but if it doesn’t, I’m going to up and R-U-N-N-O-F-T from the shame.
Regarding heated cat beds, we got one of these last year for our old and creaky cat:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3261+1883+17738&pcatid=17738
(We bought ours a bit cheaper on ebay.) The best thing I’ve ever purchased for any of our cats, you can really tell it makes a difference to her on chilly days and nights – she sprawls in the bed comfortably, instead of curling up in the tightest possible ball in an attempt to generate more warmth. I HIGHLY recommend it. Seems pricey, but I think it’s absolutely worth every penny. A regular heating pad isn’t as safe, since it can easily overheat the cat, or overheat the surrounding bed/blankets and be a fire hazard.
I was screaming and yelling at the damn bitches last night on Survivor. I was hoping the members were switched back too. I hope the merge comes this Thursday instead of at 10 surviors left.
Spooky is the sweetest looking kitty ever!! I would so adopt him (or her?) if I lived closer. 🙂
We had a cat named Spooky for 17 years when I was growing up. My parents actually found him on Halloween when he was a teeny little thing. He was solid black with a white tip on his tail. He was the most wonderful cat, ever. The whole family sobbed like crazy when we had him put to sleep.
ooooo! I also think Aaron was just as scuzzy as the girls. When James was told that he could stay if he wanted to and he said no because he felt Aaron desrved to stay… That’s what you call class… then that scuzz, Aaron, voted against James so he could be in good with the other 3 in the attempt to save his sorry ass. KARMA! WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND! WOOOOHOOOO As you can tell… I don’t have a life 🙂
A question for next week if I may? Anyone know how to get the stink of cat spray off of something? I took my Jeep hard top off this summer and left it in the garage. Seems a cat sprayed it. Bleh. I HATE that smell.
Thanks, Amy
instead of paying big bucks for a warming pad or even making one which requires the use of sewing skills, just fill an old CLEAN sock with about a cup or so of rice, then tie a knot in it. you can microwave it for a minute- test your microwave out to get the proper amount of nuke time needed to get it the heat level you desire. it will cool off, so you don’t have to worry so much about burns (just watch the inital temperature) and it will not set the house on fire. it’s reuseable, just be sure to hang it upside down from the ceiling or in a tin, so the mice won’t eat it. it will smell like cooked rice, so don’t worry you are really cooking it.
did you get the wickles recipe i emailed you?
I know I missed the friday questions, but…I just had an idea and I wanted to know what you think of it. I have recently started to volunteer at a food pantry and I was wondering if you guys thought about planting more veggies next year (or just using the excess that you have.. either way) and donating it to a local food pantry in your area.
When I started working at this pantry I was completely shocked that most of the food was in cans or boxes, nothing healthy and fresh… a lot of the people that come in really need fresh veggies, but there just arent any.
Even a little would be great.
Just thought it was a suggestion!
I think I’d pay to see your Bob Dylan impression. Bwah! Reminds me of the Simpsons episode when Christopher Walken was reading fairy tales to kids at a book fair, and all the kids were trying to scoot away because they were terrified. Walken: “Stop the scooching away. Stop it, I said.” 🙂
Hi, does anyone know if you can get the Diva cup in Australia ?
I had my ingers crossed hoping that the switchees would have been given secret imunity for that vote — making the tribe scrable to figure out who to vote from their own without the finagling process. Although it pretty much would have meant Jon-Robert, which would have been A-OK with me… Ah well. I’m glad James got to see another round. I hope he carries the next challenge by himself (on his big ol’ sexy shoulders!). Those are some silly cunts.
No Cups in Australia – I purchased the Moon Cup from the UK. Awesome, and I’ll never buy another tampon again. I don’t have any issues with the ick factor though; I’m not squeamish like that.
Zero leakage if inserted correctly, and I completely trimmed the little hanging “handle” that hangs off the end, as it was a little irritating.
I have a very heavy cycle, and what was an endless panic every month, and hourly changes, has gone to once or twice a day, and no panics.
Bless you bless you Robyn. Seriously – you mentioning this on your journal has changed a very regular part of my life. All the way from the USA to little old Grafton, NSW.
Thanks for that Zehava, having the same issues as you, i’m very interested in the cup. Could you tell me how much it cost please? & maybe a website??? Sorry Robin.