1/23/09

I watched the two-hour episode of Lost yesterday, and then I started watching the hour recap show that aired before that (then I stopped watching the recap show, because I had the latest Housewives of the OC show to watch), and may I just say – HOLY CRAP, I forgot how much hotter Sawyer was with short hair!

If Saturday Night Live does a parody of Lost, they should have the time-shift, then Sawyer and the gang wandering through an episode of My Three Sons, time-shift, then the gang wandering through an episode of The Brady Bunch, time-shift, wandering through an episode of CSI, and so forth.

No? Too obvious?

By the way, are Fred and I the only ones who see Sean Whalen (Neil, who existed in that episode of Lost only to pull off the “Fire!” line) and say “Hey, look! It’s the Aaron Burr guy!”?

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

I also went to see the movie Doubt. It was great-it totally captured the feel of a 1960’s parochial school/parish experience (minus any abuse in my case). I think it should have won some awards. Heavy subject matter but I like that. Meryl Streep was wonderful.

I really, REALLY want to see Doubt – Fred sent me the link to the trailer when it first came out, and it’s so rare to see Meryl Streep in the part of the “bad guy” that I’m looking forward to seeing it.

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

I actually like this cookie recipe. I do alter it a little. I use jumbo eggs (because that’s what we always buy), milk chocolate chips, and add a little extra bread flour to compensate for the larger eggs. Anyway, my family and friends really like them. Cookies are my thing, though. I can’t cook, but I can bake cookies. I’m going to try your frozen egg thing one of these days too!

I might have to try that recipe this weekend – it looks good, and you can never have too many chocolate chip cookie recipes!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

About the Kindle and other reading devices…they seem neat, but here’s my problem with them. You don’t go to bookstores to get your books anymore. BOOKSTORES! One of my all-time favorite places to be. Also, I like the feel of books, the paper kind.

That was my original thought about the Kindle – but then I thought about it some more, and you know, I think it wouldn’t actually completely replace real books for me. I’d probably use the Kindle to read the books that I know I want to read, the ones written by my favorite authors or that other people strongly recommend. But I’d still go to the book store and browse, and I’d definitely still visit the used book store. The Kindle would be more of a supplement to real books for me, not a replacement.

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

I realized at some point that there are lots of people who know their blood type. I didn’t know my blood type, and (apparently) that’s some really important information to know. So, just to find it out, I donated blood at the local red cross! Turns out I’m A+

A plus! Plus! Plus! Plus!

I feel it important for some reason to note that at one point I did know what my blood type was, but since it was nothing exciting, like the universal donor type or the universal recipient type, I promptly forgot what it was.

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

Just a thought… I wonder how many people looking for infertility treatments end up here this week b/c of all the frozen egg references?

I actually have a robots.txt file on my site to stop random people from Googling up things like frozen eggs and ending up here. If you search specifically on “Bitchypoo” or some other terms you’ll probably still end up here – but as often I use the many forms of “fuck”, I thought it best to try to slow down the flood of random surfers who were ending up here. So far, it seems to be working fairly well!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

The best recommendation I’ve heard for a stray cat ‘house’ is to take an old piece of carpet or an old stiff throw rug, roll it up and put it inside the pet carrier making a sort of tube. If you’re feeling particularly nice you can add a towel or old throw blanket as a liner. The carpet will insulate and cut down on cold wind. I used this a few years back when a friend bought a house that came with an outside cat – I gave him the insulated carrier to use on his back porch until there was enough room at the shelter where I volunteer to bring in the cat.

What a neat idea!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

We got a kitty-sized igloo (kittyloo?) for some ferals that live outside our front door and put some nice clean straw in it. The kitties seem to love it. We keep trying to coax them indoors but they always run away. We’d really like to get them to vet and have them fixed — any ideas?

It sounds like you’re going to need to trap them. If there’s a Friends of Ferals in your area, they might be willing to lend you a trap or two to get the task accomplished. In fact, you might check with any shelters in your area – they might be able to lend you a trap or tell you where to find one cheap!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

For the Cat Enabler: please give that kitty an option other than someone’s car engine to crawl up in. *SHUDDER* I remember a cold morning with a stray kitty next to a fan belt and parents going to work…. You are a kind, generous person ((hugs)) to you!

Indeed!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

Here is another great website much like TasteSpotting.

Thanks for the link – I’ve added it to my Google Reader!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

You mentioned not too long ago that your cleaning rags had some sort of build-up on them and weren’t absorbing as they had before. You were going to try using some Tide (I think) to see if maybe the homemade laundry detergent was the source of the build-up. Did the Tide help any? I use some microfiber rags from Sam’s around my house, and now I, too, am finding they don’t absorb like they used to. Since I was a few months behind you in trying out the homemade soap, I’m wondering if it’s the cause.

I did try the Tide, and after a couple of washes, my cleaning rags have gone back to absorbing like they should. I’m going to use Tide for my towels and cleaning rags from here on out – because what good is a towel that won’t absorb, I ask you? NO GOOD AT ALL!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

My mom is about to become a 6 cat household. I blame you.

Oh, sure. Y’all alllllllllllways blame the pusher!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

oh my Tortie used to excessively groom. She was bare on her underside. Since she’s trimmed down almost 5 pounds in 2008 (she was 18 lbs and is now 13), she hasn’t done it. Today she broke in the new vet. She bit his tech and pooped on the doc. She HATES the vet’s office.

“She bit his tech and pooped on the doc” make me laugh out loud. HEE – I bet the vet didn’t know what s/he was in for!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

A+-the same as my Mom. Found out when I donated blood 30 years or so ago (God I’m getting old). Sweet that Fred’s Dad was so concerned. I am the oldest of five and we look somewhat different so we teased my Mom about the milkman, mailman, eggman , butcher etc. I am also one of the two planned kids. Did you know in 1970 a woman needed to have 5 children and her husband’s signature to get her tubes tied? My Mom’s last pregnancy almost killed her too. It’s a good thing times have changed. I wouldn’t trade my siblings for the world but those rules were rough on women.

Holy crap – five kids AND her husband’s signature? I had no idea! Hey – I don’t remember having to sign anything when Fred had his vasectomy. I wonder if I could sue!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

Can you guys maybe post a sign saying something to the effect of “Sorry–chickens are not for sale!”?

Probably we could, and if it keeps up, maybe we might! (But then, what would Fred over-explain to complete strangers?!) (I’m sure he’d find something! Heh.)

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

Last time I was over in Decatur, I saw a truck with some sort of poultry (guessing chickens). They were stacked in these tiny cages with no protection from the wind and noise and I felt so damn guilty for ever eating chicken in a commercial restaurant that probably buys them from a factory farm.

We see a lot of big trucks with stacks and stacks of cages stuffed with chickens when we’re driving into town. I hate seeing them, but what I hate even worse is when we see several dead chickens by the side of the road – occasionally, it appears, one of the cages comes open and the chickens fall out, and it’s just a very sad sight to see. Poor things.

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

I planted an ash tree in our previous backyard and my 2 dogs chewed it down to about 6 inches but it must’ve had a good root system–it started growing again the following spring! Maybe your weeping willow will do that too, I imagine that would make a great shade tree for them.

Neither of us thought of that – unfortunately, Fred pulled the resultant Weeping Willow stick up and let the dogs have it (they like to play rousing games of “I have the stick!”/ “Hey, that are mine!”). We’re going to the flea market again this weekend, maybe we’ll buy another Weeping Willow and give it a try!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

Maybe you’ve addressed this before, but … sheep? Have you considered adding sheep to Crooked Acres? You could grow your own lamb and … sweaters? Anyway, if you did, would George and Gracie also guard them or are they purely for the chickens and you’d need to add to your canine population as well? And this could get out of hand REAL quick.

I actually want sheep less than I want goats, and I want goats not at all.

I don’t think we really have enough land to put sheep back there – I don’t want our 4 1/2 acres to get crowded, and the back forty is really (as far as I’m concerned) for the dogs and the chickens. If we were, against my desires, to get sheep, I’m not sure how that would work – I’d imagine that George and Gracie would learn that the sheep are part of their flock and thus need to be protected as well.

We’re going to get pigs this weekend, and I’m curious to see how that’s going to go. The dogs can’t get into the pig-yard portion of the back forty, but they’ll obviously be able to see and smell the pigs, so we’ll see! Fingers crossed that the dogs don’t stand there and constantly bark at the pigs…

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

This is unrelated to today’s post, but I finally got around to looking up info on Tim Tams. They’re in Wikipedia, and I learned how to do a Tim Tam Slam; now I must get to Target.

I’ve never actually tried a Tim Tam Slam, since I’m not really one for hot beverages, but I hear it’s close to a religious experience!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

Real Housewives of the OC. Y’all said:

OMG! Lynne needs to shut her mouth. Gretchen needs to get the beneficary thing straightened out. Jesus, I never thought i would never agree with Vicki but damn, she is right!!!! Tamra is still a bitch. Etiquette demands that you treat your guests with respect.

and

Speaking of RH of OC, please tell me I am not the only one who has trouble looking at the train wreck that is Vicki? I cannot stand her to begin with but her face seems to be more hideous each time I see the show, which isn’t all that often. If she isn’t the biggest hypocrite in the world, I want to know who is. She clearly hates Gretchen and Lynne. Lynne seems to be a good person for the most part (she would be pure awesome if she wasn’t so vain) and I like how she is trying to protect Gretchen from the other evil blonde ones. Lynne is growing on me somewhat too. And Tamra. OMG! She seems to just be pure evil. How could she try to set Gretchen up for a fall with her own son??? Gross! I have never been in a fight, but I am sure if I ran into Tamra I would have no problem punching her in the throat. OKay… deep breath. Think happy thoughts. Back to our regularly scheduled program. *sigh*

and

I can’t wait to hear what you think about the RHoOC. My head exploded when Vicki was attacking Gretchen about how she needed to make sure she was taken care of in case whats his name dies. And then, when Lynne has the audacity to disagree with her, Vicki has a hissie fit and tells her *she* is being confrontational. Plus, does Gretchen really deserve to be “taken care of” because she is the last girl that whats his name has screwed? I don’t think so. It sounds like that guy has been married many times before and has several kids (who are almost her same age). The kids should get his money and Gretchen should be happy to have her ginormous ring and the money he has supported her with these last few months. Plus she is a total babe, she could find another sugar daddy in two seconds.

And I said:

1. Tamra seems REALLY determined to believe that Gretchen’s envious of her, isn’t she? I think Tamra is DREAMING. Also, I knew Gretchen wasn’t going to go off and make out (or sleep!) with that weasel Ryan. She might have been drunk, but she’s a good girl.

2. Jeanna really kind of does seem to like to make excuses for other people, doesn’t she? Vicki’s alcoholic ex-husband, now Jeff’s ex-wife showing up at the hospital? That – the ex-wife showing up at the hospital – seems kind of weird to me. If my ex-husband were dying in a hospital, it would never occur to me to show up to sit by his bed! Not that I wish him ill or anything, I would just consider it very much not my place.

3. Those bracelets that Lynne makes and that sell for $200 – $300? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Between that, and Lisa (Atlanta)’s jewelry (strung together at the kitchen table with a bunch of friends), I think that maybe I need to go into the jewelry business. I mean, given – I don’t know anything about jewelry, I don’t really wear much, but did those cuffs look all that super-fabulous to you? She puts fabric on them, then glues random stuff to the front! What a business woman!

4. The discussion at lunch, with Vicki and Jeanna on one side and Lynne on the other – I actually kind of see both sides. I understand that Vicki and Jeanna wanted Gretchen to make sure she was “taken care of” and I understand that Lynne was appalled, because she thought that it was morbid, like they were saying Jeff was GOING to die, instead of hoping for the best. BUT Lynne was being too idealistic (I think maybe she didn’t understand how sick Jeff was), and at that point, I don’t know that he was up for the “If you die, am I going to be okay?” discussion with Gretchen. If she was going to have that discussion with him (and she seemed pretty uncomfortable at the idea), she should have done it months ago.

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

I have the Bubba Keg!! The second bigger one, that is. Hubby picked it up for me over the road (truckdriver) to drink water out of and I love it. I can fill it up before bed and it will still be cold by noon the next day. The only complaint I have is I can’t get the damn lid off half the time. The seal must be good on it!

I used to wash Fred’s coffee cup on the weekends, but I had such a hard time getting the lid off that I stopped – I figure, if he’s that bothered by how dirty it is, he can wash it himself. There are limits!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

“Matrix move!” Bwah! I’m stealing that. Simon does that as part of his victory lap after a successful trip to the pan. Weirdo.

So many people have mentioned that their cats do the “victory lap” (ha!) after a trip to the litter box that I’m wondering if that’s when Sugarbutt gets ass-on-fire-itis. Next time he’s racing around like a lunatic, I’ll have to peek at the litter box and see if that’s what got him going!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

Are the doohickeys on some of the cats’ collars invisible fence thingies or something else?

Yeah, those collars – as seen here:

are electric fence collars. We have an electric fence around the back yard, and the collars prevent them from leaving the back yard and wandering off to get mauled by coyotes or whatever. Right now, only four cats – Tommy, Sugarbutt, Mister Boogers, and Kara – wear collars, because they’re the only ones who regularly attempt to get out of the back yard. The rest of the cats are good kitties.

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

But you DO have chicken cancer. Sort of.

Cancer is when cells suddenly begin to experience uncontrolled/unchecked growth and multiplication, creating a tumor which consumes resources that would otherwise nourish the rest of the body, right?

And y’all started out with one or two or four or eight little baby chicks, and are now experiencing (almost) uncontrolled/unchecked growth and multiplication of them (not those precise chicks, but you’re gonna be up to, what, 120 after the next batch hatches?). This has created a “chicken yard” which requires new henhouses, and rearranging the garage for the incubator, and buying/training guard dogs, and fending off eager would-be chicken purchasers, and…

I wonder if your subconscious is telling you to lay off of the chickens for a bit. (“LAY” off, get it, chickens, “LAY” off, see what I did there..? …? anyone?)

I saw what you did there, smartass.

Yeah, depending on how many chicks we get from the batch currently in the incubator, our chicken population will number in the low 100s. And I wouldn’t be surprised if my subconscious is all “Okay, NOW we have enough chickens?”

This chicken cancer is OUTTA CONTROL, though! Nothing can stop the growth!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

I took my cat Elphaba to the vet yesterday for a checkup and shots. She is perfectly healthy but at 17 mo old is 14 lbs. She is not a big cat she’s kind of small. I have cut back on her dry food. She gets half a can at night. The vet recommended light cat food. I’ve never seen it but I’m sure it exists. Anyone have any suggestions? She’s not a fussy eater so far (obviously she loves her food just like her owner). I wonder if she’ll hate the diet food.

I know at one point in the past we were feeding our cats “light” food – I think it might have been when Tubby was still alive – and I recall our cats liking it. I’ll be damned if I can remember what it was, though. Aren’t I helpful?

Readers? Got a diet cat food suggestion?

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

Grey’s Anatomy

Hey, I haven’t watched Grey’s for a couple of seasons now so help a girl out- didn’t Denny DIE? If he is the one I’m thinking about he is delicious!

and

I can’t stand the Denny story-line. I hope they’re going somewhere with that, otherwise I will be bothered. Yes, Izzy is crazy. We all know it. Fine. Be done. At least Mer & Der don’t break up every other episode. That was getting tiresome. Have they drawn up the plans for their house?

Yeah, you’re remembering Delicious Denny correctly – and yes, he did die. But Shonda Rimes apparently has the Denny love going on, and thus spawned this ridiculous story line wherein he’s DEAD, but Izzie can still SEE him and TOUCH him and HAVE SEX with him. It’s pretty idiotic.

And of course Meredith and Derek haven’t drawn up plans for their house – if they do that, then how will they have every intern and resident in the hospital living with them?

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

Robyn will you please give us a review of those damn ShamWows? I have wavered back and forth over ordering those things for months, so please let us know if they work as well as Vince (are you following me camera guy) claims. : )

and

I echo the request for a ShamWOW! review. I keep having this feeling that they are really ShamWhatevers.

and

ShamWow was the subject of my 13 yr. olds science project titled: “ShamWow or ScamWow?”. My husband saw the ads and thought “Vince” the spokesman was a riot and proclaimed all he wanted for Christmas was ShamWows.

Son did the Soda-on-the-Carpet experiment ~ too bad it was a “StainMaster” square of carpet and WOULD NOT absorb much soda (next year’s experiment, maybe?). The claim of “Absorbs 20 Times Its Own Weight!!!!” was proven false. It does, however, hold as much water as 18 paper towels.

I find ShamWows to be kinda stiff and unwieldy, but THEY ARE MADE IN GERMANY, as proclaimed right under the name on every towel several times, like they are cloth BMW’s or something. Come to think of it, that may be the reason why they are stiff and unwieldy. (Hey, I’m German so I can say that.)

I hope I get an “A” on it.

I’ll see if I can’t work up a few simple experiments this weekend and report back. I have to admit that this was a total stupid-ass impulse purchase on my part, and I’m rolling my eyes at myself, because I strongly suspect it’s going to be a waste of money!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

You can get a driver’s license at a grocery store? How awesome.

Yeah, there’s this section off to the side of the Bruno’s (it used to be Bruno’s, I think it might be Southern Family Markets now, I don’t remember) where they do tags and driver’s licenses (just renewals, not the testing) and taxes. It’s pretty convenient!

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

How is Joe Bob? You have not mentioned him since your sister was down.

In his cat bed, atop the bookcase in the kitchen, Joe Bob says “How YOU doin’?”

Joe Bob is doing just fine. It’s coming up on a year since we adopted him, and I feel it’s really been in the last few weeks that he’s truly completely integrated into the “pack.” There are less incidences of the other cats picking on him, he seems really happy, and he’s carved out his “spot” in the house (atop the bookcase in the kitchen, usually). He and Stinkerbelle still go at it sometimes, but I think it’s sort of a case where they are secretly in love, but fighting their feelings.

That Stinkerbelle, she’s a hussy.

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

Do you read Living the Country Life magazine? Subscription is free. This month’s cover story is on Great Pyrenees!

The funny thing is that not only do we get that magazine at home, Fred gets it at work too, and he brings it home every month, even though I’ve told him we already get it at home.

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

i hate the bubba keg with the small bottom. i’m sure they serve ice water in hell with it, but it keeps falling over, spilling, and the sinners never get any ice water.

I share your hatred. I don’t know what Fred did with his Bubba Keg with the small bottom, but I’m kinda hoping he brings it home, so I can beat the shit out of it with a hammer. Fucking thing.

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

I saw this and thought of you.

“Thawed in the refrigerator, whole eggs and egg yolks can theoretically be used as normal. We’ve found that we don’t get quite the same leavening in baked goods with previously frozen eggs, so we tend to use them in recipes where this isn’t an issue”

Very interesting – I hadn’t heard that you should add salt to the eggs before freezing, but maybe I’ll give that a try and see how it goes! Thanks for the link.

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

They’re coming around, these two kittens. Rumba allows petting more than Samba does – though I can’t blame Samba, really. Twice a day we pick her up and shoot medicine down her throat, who can blame her for being a bit skittish? She’s still an angel about it. She sounds better, but still congested. I think I might put a humidifier in the room with them, I think it would help with the congestion.

They are super-playful little girls. It always amazes me how hard kittens play, kicking and biting and leaping on each other, and no one gets hurt. It’s just part of the day, jumping on their sister and biting her neck, then racing around the room, running up the cat tree, leaping off, and racing in to use the litter box.

More pictures over at Love & Hisses.

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

Note that while Spanky’s looking at the camera saying “Wha?” and Tommy’s giving the camera his sexy gaze, Newt is looking at Tommy and going “Nyah!”

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

Previously
2008: Since it’s getting late and I need to scoot out of here, how ’bout some links to check out, some pictures to admire, and a promise to see you tomorrow?
2007: Questions answered.
2006: You can’t ride two horses with one ass.
2005: No entry.
2004: Damn Home Depot.
2003: Yep. READY FOR SPRING!
2002: Sam’s rocks. Just so you know.
2001: I don’t know how on earth I missed it the first time around. But I’m sure it was Fred’s fault.
2000: “Fred, is F-A-G a bad word?”