So, since y’all know a lot about a lot, tell me this: air purifiers. Are they worth it, or just a waste of money? The amount of dust that gets kicked up every time I scoop the litter boxes is appalling, and Fred’s convinced I’m going to die of lung cancer because of all the litter dust I inhale every day. If air purifiers do a decent job of, y’know, purifying the air, I’d put one in the laundry room and another one upstairs. But given that they’re pretty expensive, I’d rather hear what y’all have to say about them before I seriously consider bringing one or two of them home.
What I love about selling stuff on eBay (which I don’t do very often) is when you list something with a very reasonable “buy it now” price. And then someone thinks they can get it for less than the “buy it now”, so they start bidding at 99 cents. And then, in the end, the highest bid is invariably a buck or two more than the “buy it now” was. LOVE IT when that happens!
Over the weekend, we watched Top Gun, which was first released something like 24 years ago. If you were wondering, the movie doesn’t age all that well – the cocky pilots and navigators with their smart-ass comments comes across as incredibly cheesy these days. However, you get to see Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer, and many other young and hot Hollywood hunks running around without shirts on, and that’s always worth sitting through the cheesy dialogue and horrific 80s hair.
Speaking of hair, I do not believe that the Navy would have allowed one of their hotshot pilots to sport hair of this altitude. Seriously, how’d he get all that in the helmet? (But good GOD, wasn’t he young and pretty?)
The part of the movie I had forgotten about is after the accident, when Maverick is standing in the bathroom running his hand through the sink of water, and Viper comes in and is all “It happens. Get over it.” I was yelling “Yeah, Maverick, it’s been at LEAST a couple of hours! Stop wallowing in your grief! Get over it! Move on!” Jeez.
Also, I don’t get the Kelly McGillis appeal – but Meg Ryan, back before she got all that plastic surgery? ADORABLE.
Also also, I guess Hollywood actors went to veneers and super-brightening their teeth at some point AFTER Top Gun was released. Kelly McGillis’s teeth were kind of gray – and Tom Cruise had teeth that looked like teeth instead of big blocky square Chicklet teeth. Although, I don’t actually remember what Tom Cruise’s teeth look present day, at the moment – is he one of the few who hasn’t gone with veneers?
We also watched The Dark Half because Fred is rereading a lot of Stephen King lately, which makes him want to see movies that are based on the books. The Dark Half wasn’t bad. I’ve certainly seen worse – and of course I liked seeing Timothy Hutton and Amy Madigan looking 12 years old. (Fred dislikes Amy Madigan because he says she looks “mean.” ::rolling my eyes:: )
It’s only now, when the Brady Bunch kittens are constantly racing around like they’ve been slurping up those energy drinks instead of water, that I realize how poorly they must have been feeling last week and the week before. They’re actually playing, like the super-playful kittens they are, instead of wanting to just sit in my lap and be petted. Now, they make a petting pit stop for a few seconds before they’re off chasing each other around the room.
(Cindy, however, prefers to just sit in my lap and smack at the other cats as they race by. She cracks me UP.)
I was trying to get a shot of all six of them (except I don’t know where Bobby wandered off to). Left to right: Greg, Peter, Marcia, Cindy, Jan.)
Can’t tell that I was wildly waving a cat toy over my head so they’d look in my direction, can you?
The best thing about this room: when it’s sunny, the sun comes in through the windows from about mid-morning to mid-afternoon. Here, all six of them were piled up on the cat tree platform, asleep in the sun.
You can’t necessarily see all their little faces, but trust me – all six are there!
Trying to figure out what I’m doing.
Bobby haz a complaint. Now there’s a shocker!
Note that Cindy’s had quite enough of this, and escapes through the hole in the platform.
Enough cats, you think? On the steps, Joe Bob and Newt. Next to the steps, Jake. Further out in the yard, Sugarbutt and Elwood.
Previously
2009: No entry.
2008: No entry.
2007: I’m a Grinch, and not only a Grinch, but a LAZY Grinch who doesn’t want to have to pick shit up all the time.
2006: I need a vacation, is what I need.
2005: When and if – and I mostly mean “when” – these two break up, I hope there’s a lot of interesting drama.
2004: It’s now my goal to make him CRY when he tries the next batch of chick peas.
2003: “What the FUCK? That is my BUTT you’re sniffing. And it TICKLES.”
2002: $4.49 for a freakin’ book? What the hell are they wrapping it with, gold?
2001: Is that a sex thing?
2000: Damn, isn’t Christmas here yet?
1999: Someone shoot me and put me out of my fucking misery, won’t you?
Never, ever, ever enough cats. *hugs* to Corby and Rhyme – permanents in all but name.
IMO, air purifiers aren’t very effective, especially for situations where you’re stirring up a lot of dust in a short time. Those paper dust masks from Lowes, OTOH, work well, and are cheap to boot. Bonus – they cut down on the stinky!
Aww..there’s nothing cuter than a pile of kittens!
I have no personal air purifier experience. My uncle who has allergies and sinus problems has one in the master bedroom and claims it helps him sleep better.
I was thinking of Top Gun this weekend because Mike the bullet (he’d kill me for that) was watching Harold and Kumar (I think that’s the title) and “Highway To The Danger Zone” was playing in the backgound in the airplane scene. Tom Cruise was incredibly hot as a youngin’ but I feel he lost it with age. The jumping on the couch on Oprah pretty much killed it for me. Oh and the scientology too-he just got too weird for me. John Travolta is a scientologist too but he still comes across like a regular person. Val Kilmer did have one hell of a head of hair then. Not bad for a blonde (I’m a brunette and red head admirer).
Marcia is so darn pretty I can see why you gave her that name. I’ve never seen a calico with that much white. She is stunning and I love her little rainbow of a tail.
Trying to decide which is cuter: a young Val Kilmer or a pile of Brady kitties!
I wear dust masks too. Scooping 7 litter pans twice a day (our vet said, ‘you really ought to have one litter pan for each cat PLUS ONE because it cuts down on territorial issues’) and I’ve been prone to bronchitis all my life.
The only thing I don’t like about really cheapo masks is they often don’t fit well (like, the metal nose piece is off center, and then the elastic will roll as you’re moving and the mask shifts suddenly so the edge goes in your eye). I try for something midway between dirt cheap and Full Catastrophe Respirator.
It’s amazing how the “99% dust free” litter always makes so much dust.
Simpler, and cheaper, than an air purifier is wearing a mask over your nose and mouth while you scoop the litter. I’m a nurse in an operating room-type setting and I will sometimes bring home a couple of masks to wear when I deal with the litter box.
Air purifier is great for allergies in a closed room when you are sleeping. Has allowed my daughter to eliminate one of her allergy meds. Not sure the scooping is the right use for one. (If you do get a purifier, read up as they are not all created equal. We love ours.)
I asked my doctor about air purifiers. He said that he didn’t think that they worked, but sometimes the placebo effect made people feel better.
I tend to hold my breath, scoop scoop scoop, take a few steps toward the door, BREEEEATHE, repeat. My litter boxes are in my office – and I work from home all day. I don’t know whether to be more worried about the effect of the dust on my lungs or on my computer’s fans and innards.
I bought masks, but they seem to soak up the smell and… well, dustiness of the litter box dust, so that after one use – or sometimes just after opening the package! – the mask itself makes me choke worse than the dust. I bought these, which are supposedly heavier duty than the little one-use throwaways – could that be the problem? Are the disposables better?
Also I have to say, I think these kittens are quite possibly the cutest batch ever. You’ve had some individual kittens that were cuter than any of these if you compare one-on-one, but comparing litter-to-litter, I’m pretty sure these guys win it. (And I am generally not too partial to mostly-white or tabby kittehs, so that’s saying a lot from me.) Between the side-heart, the rainbow tail, the splotches on Jan, even Bobby’s complaints – as an aggregate, oomph.
I have never seen the Tom Cruise attraction, even in the early days. I’ve seen one (ONE) picture of him where I was like, “Wow, who’s that?!” (it was an ultra-close-up with stubble and scrapes and dirt and stuff, so it was hard to recognize as him) but other than that, he’s always left me cold as a frozen snake. It always surprises me when I see him in something and realize that he’s a pretty decent actor – I loathe him so much personally that I expect to loathe any of his performances. (His role in Tropic Thunder blew my mind – I had no idea it was him, and would probably not have been able to stand watching it if I’d known.)
Ok, I have one “air purifier” located next to one of the two litter boxes we have for 5 cats.
I only put the air purifier on when I go to scoop because I just cannot believe how dusty ‘99% dust free’ litter really is!!
I clean the machine every week and really do notice how much litter dust is being collected on just the charcoal filter, which sits on the grill. Supposedly the main filter is a permalife…you only have to vacuum it for the rest of your life…right ; (
I ordered a cheaper filter off the web to replace the last one…a pretty good savings over the manufacturers filter. In two years, I have had two filters. I do vacuum all the filters and the entire machine once a week. And for only using it when I sift…I consider it a success.
Mine is a Hunter Permalife from HSN…they sell a 2 pack for around $200/$220 and sometimes you can get free shipping (I do have a 15% off coupon, if interested : )) The killer is the replacement filters…but you can find sufficient substitutes on the web.
Don’t know if that helps…
ok, so now you know about the face masks!
i think amy madigan looks mean too, like she would pinch you hard and she probably sucks on sweet pickles! if you ever get a chance, watch love child with a very young amy madigan and a FAT mackenzie phillips as a lesbian prisoner.
My husband and I caught Top Gun on TV recently, and yes, it does not age well. We said the same thing, Kelly McGillis is NOT attractive! Lol
IMO, Meg Ryan, before the terrible plastic surgery, was barely cute. Since the botched work, she’s just plain ghoulish. I can’t stand her voice, either. Way, WAY too shrill and screechy.
Good GRIEF those Brady kittens are cute. Wouldn’t it be great if someone with a huge heart adopted them all together? And kept their Brady names?
Robyn, can you wear a dust mask when you scoop? Can you use a neti pot? It can really clean out the sinuses, especially after any dusty work.
Thanks, you guys, for your take on air purifiers. I think I’ll buy some cheap masks at Lowe’s and see how that works for me!
Funny that you mention the top gun movie, because I had lunch at the restaurant/bar where they filmed a scene this weekend (San Diego – Kansas City BBQ!
Ain’t nothin’ cuter than a pile of kittens!
In that first picture, Marcia Brady looks like she has all her color in her tail!!
She does! Well, in her tail and on her head. There’s no color on her body, though, which is kind of neat.
I would just simply buy some masks to use while scooping – cheaper and effective (my parents are allergic to everything and my mom uses those while vaccumming to avoid feeling crappy and they work well).
BTW – Got your card in the mail today and absolutely loved it! It is on the board in my room.
Anna
We have two Oreck air purifiers – purchased by my in laws because they are not animal people and don’t believe animals should be kept inside…especially around someone like myself who is allergic to all things dust/pet related. We have three indoor cats and a big lab mix dog, and they swear these animals will be the death of me. ha!
I will say that having one in our bedroom at night has helped alot, but we have to keep them REALLY clean or they will make a snapping sound and the dog will have a heart attack.
The other one we use from time to time in the living room and again, seems to help…if I remember to turn it on.
I agree with all those who suggest wearing a mask though for the cat litter – the air purifiers probably won’t do much in regards to that dust.
Good luck to ya!