Guys, I’m aware that Bloglines isn’t showing my latest entries, but I have no clue on earth how to fix that. I can tell you that Google Reader is showing my entries just fine. I updated to the latest WordPress, thinking that perhaps that was the issue, but Bloglines still doesn’t seem to be working with my RSS feed.
The only other thing I can think of is that since my template is elderly, perhaps Bloglines doesn’t like the RSS feed… but I don’t know that that makes sense. I’ll try switching to the newer template (the one I used last month and then discarded because I couldn’t figure out how to force it to show my banner at the top) this weekend and testing it. If that’s the issue, then I’ll look for a newer template instead of sticking with this old one. It could take time, though, so be patient!
(Or switch to Google Reader? 🙂 )
Boy, Michael Jackson – what a shock, huh? I just happened to glance at my updated stuff in Google Reader yesterday afternoon, and saw the dlisted headline.
Farrah Fawcett did not come as a huge shock, she’s been so sick. Ed McMahon did not come as a shock, he’d hit the “He’s lived a good long life” stage of his life. But Michael Jackson? Wasn’t expecting that!
(When I announced to Fred that Michael Jackson had died and he said “No way!” (which was also the reaction of my sister and Liz), I said “I wonder who the third will be?” and he said “Ed McMahon was the first, Michael Jackson was the third!” Oh, right. Forgot about Ed! He lived a good long life.)
I texted the news to my sister and Liz, and as I sent the text – Did you hear that Michael Jackson is dead? – I thought “This sounds like the beginning to a bad joke.” Sure enough, my sister said “I thought at first it was a joke, but wasn’t sure what the punch line was going to be!”
No way of taking a train instead? Even driving a car across the entire country only takes four or five days. Just thinking here…
I don’t know that it’s possible to take a train from here to Maine – that’d be something worth checking into, for sure! I think I mentioned that if I had to do it again, and if I’d realized when my flight was first delayed that I was going to end up spending the night in the airport, I would have rented a car and driven from DC. Now I’m wondering if there’s a train from DC to Boston (surely there is?) – I could have taken that and then the train from Boston to Portland. Hmm… I’m not going to say I’ll keep those ideas in mind for next time ’cause there ain’t GONNA be a next time. I’m only flying early morning flights from here on out!
I was stuck at Narita International Airport in Japan for 24 whole hours and on top of my deafness and ASL, I couldn’t find anyone who understood English. Based on my harrowing experience (mostly due to exhaustion and sleep deprivation from flying for 24 hours and no “American” food to be found), better at LaGuardia than Narita!
Oh lord, what a nightmare!!!
My worst delay was coming home from Las Vegas- two hours on a Sunday night. Our flight didn’t land until after 2am in Edmonton. Did you know that everything except Burger King shuts down at 5 or 6pm in the International Terminal at McCarren? No, I didn’t either. You would think that a place that is as 24/7 as Vegas you could get something other than a Whopper on Sunday evening, but not so much.
This reminds me of years and years ago, when I had to spend the night at the Newark airport (that’s right, I slept in Newark!). It was to my utter amazement that all the stores and restaurants closed down early in the evening. I’d always thought that airports were up and running 24/7, including the stores and restaurants! Who knew?
But my question is, would it have been faster for you in the end, to have just driven the distance?
and
Next time DRIVE trust me it will be faster. I avoid flying at all costs.
It would have taken me two entire days to drive from here to Maine – I actually did it back in… oh, I don’t remember. 2000, or thereabouts. It wasn’t a bad drive, but it also wasn’t a fun drive, especially by myself! And I’ve driven through Pennsylvania three or four times, and every single time I drove through the state of Pennsylvania, it was to the tune of horrific torrential rains. Pennsylvania doesn’t think I should be driving in their state, obviously.
You really ought to put out a bulletin before you fly anywhere to see which readers are in the area. Then heck, take them up on the offer of staying with them! A good way to see the USA?
I always say (or at least I’ve said once or twice in the past) that I’d love to drive across the country, stopping regularly to have mini-Bitchypoo conventions! Good way to see the country, good way to meet y’all. 🙂
I guess only you were allowed to drive and if not if you dared to pull over to switch drivers you’d NEVER get someone to let you back into traffic.
Yeah, I was the only driver on the rental agreement, so I didn’t dare to let anyone else drive – but I also didn’t want to chance getting off the road, switching seats, and then not being able to pull back into traffic. And since I was mostly dry-heaving AND we were moving along at a crawl, I was okay with continuing to drive.
I know this has been discussed, but I haven’t paid attention because I don’t currently have a cat. Anyway, a friend of mine has a problem with her cat peeing all over the house (yes, it’s a clean litterbox). The vet says it isn’t a physical problem and her solution is to make her an outside cat. My friend would like that to be a last resort (lots of reasons). Any thoughts or helpful hints? Her other friends have told her to have the cat put to sleep.
I would suggest Feliway, but to be honest, I don’t think it really makes a difference. I wish it did, but it just doesn’t seem to, at least in our house.
Would your friend’s vet be open to prescribing kitty Valium for your friend’s cat? Maybe if the pattern of spraying could be broken, it would help stop the spraying.
Another idea (I don’t remember where I read this, and I haven’t tried it myself, so take it with a grain of salt) is to put the litterbox where the cat tends to pee (I know you said it’s peeing all over the house, but perhaps it has a particular favorite spot?), then when the cat starts using the litter box, move it slowly toward the preferred location. I don’t know, though – if your friend has kids, that might not be a feasible solution.
Readers? Suggestions?
Off topic, but have you had a problem with older cats pooping on the carpet. My older cat Angel has done this 3 times. If you have had this problem, what did you use to clean it up?
Mr. Fancypants (god rest his soul, I assume) expressed his displeasure by pooping on the rug near the litter box. And many things displeased him.
(Just thinking about it REALLY pisses me off. That fucking bastard. He sure was a character, though.)
We’d remove what we could of the waste, dab at the spot with a warm damp cloth, and then we used Resolve Spot & Stain Carpet cleaner. We used Oxi-Clean from time to time, but I really think the Resolve did a better job, and it was what we always reached for first.
Another off topic, but I thought you might enjoy this story about a chicken surviving a tornado.
Awww, good for Momma hen! They need to name that hen Lucky!
One morning I woke up with a creepy feeling that I ignored. Finally opened my eyes to see a spider hot-footing it down my arm. I jumped out of bed and issued loud, guttural sounds while doing the panic dance. I looked all through the bed clothes with Robert helping, but nothing. I went to the bathroom and on the way back to bed, looked down to see the spider beat-feeting it up my pajamas leg. Again, loud guttural (what happens to language? why does it go away?) sounds and the panic dance. This time, I ripped the PJs off and Robert corralled the spider in a drinking glass and took it outside. It took him a full day to admit it was a brown recluse.
I hope it has gone back to its reclusive ways. Or I’ll be shooting a spider in my pajamas!
(That last sentence reminds of the Groucho Marx joke, “Yesterday I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know.”)
It is to my utter horror that I went to look at pictures of Brown Recluses, and I’m 99.3% sure I’ve seen those fucking things around here, and further that I think I saw one in the garden yesterday.
Pardon me while I shudder and run around in circles.
The problem is that they’re pretty generic-looking spiders, and I don’t know that I’d really be able to tell them apart from an ordinary garden spider without getting close up and personal. I prefer not to do that, thank you.
I just finished, a couple of days ago, the Lisa Gardner book Say Goodbye. It told me far more about spiders in the south than I ever wanted to know.
If you want some creepy reading, go ahead and Google up “Black widows as pets” (PEOPLE KEEP BLACK WIDOWS AS PETS I SHIT YOU NOT) and if you have a strong stomach, check out “Brown recluse bites.”
The lack of photos of the gigantic twirly-eyed spider was noted and very much appreciated!!
Only ’cause I didn’t have the camera with me, I assure you. I’ve been pretty lax with the bug pictures this year, haven’t I?
What was UP with Jacqueline’s lips?! When she had them plumped up during the show they looked ok. Last night her top lip was so puffy I thought it might be hives or something.
I actually didn’t notice her lips, I’ll have to look closer when I watch the second part of the reunion later today!
The foster kittens are doing well. Phyllis the cranky (it’s really too bad the name “Angela” was taken, because it would have been perfect for her, she’s TOTALLY Angela from The Office!) is still cranky if you pick her up or pet her for too long or look at her the wrong way, but she’s also got snugglebug tendencies. I took a nap yesterday afternoon, and she climbed up on me (I barely felt her laying on me, she’s such a tiny thing!) and napped as well. All three kittens are inordinately interested in sticking their heads in our mouths, I don’t know if they’re trying to figure out what we’ve been eating or just wondering if they could fit in our mouths (I bet Phyllis could come close) or what.
They’re all three such sweet things (Dwight LOVES Fred, climbs up into his lap every evening when we’re watching TV), and so laid-back that I know they’ll get adopted quickly.
Newt has apparently located the coolest spot in the house. Most days he can be found in this corner of the kitchen, snuggled up behind the mixer.
Previously
2008: I am fully aware that y’all are going to tell me that the shirt is too big, but what you need to keep in mind is SHUT UP.
2007: I figure it’s the goddamn circle of life and all that.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
2004: No entry.
2003: I know I did the same lazy-ass, stupid-ass shit, and in retrospect she didn’t beat me nearly enough.
2002: Fred: Hey. You’re married to an old white man.
2001: No entry.
2000: I’m having a klutzy day.
The airport service shutdowns are annoying. I was once stuck in Cleveland at around 9:00 p.m., and as I watched in horror, a little man came around and pulled gates down in front of ALL THE VENDING MACHINES. I couldn’t even buy a bag of potato chips.
There is great Amtrak service between DC and Boston. In fact, one of the superfast Acela trains runs on just that route, and they are awesome to ride on. A little pricey, but they are soooo nice and fast.
For cat pee on your rugs try this solution…
4 cups 3% hydrogen peroxide mixed with 1/4 cup baking soda and 1 tsp lemon dish soap. Mix well and put in spray bottles.
This makes alot so you can cut the recipie in half.
Spray/soak the spot on your rug till it gets to the underpad…let dry thoroughly and vaccum up when dry. (it’s not strong enough to remove color from your carpet)
It works really well and is much cheaper than the pet store solutions.
When I was a kid, probably about 9 or so, I spent the night across the street with a girlfriend. We slept in the same bed (in those days, most 8 year old girls didn’t have a queen size bed!) and went home bone tired from talking and playing all night. Later that day, her parents called and asked if I was okay. She had apparently been bitten by a brown recluse and had been seen in the ER for the beginning of the necrotic decay. It left a big hole in her leg near her knee. Poor girl, but lucky me.
BTW, I’m a HUGE Groucho fan. Thanks for noticing!
Michael Jackson feels sureal-doesn’t it? What really disturbed me were the kids in front of the Apollo dancing and playing to the cameras. I guess I’m getting old-the tears and candles for Elvis and John Lennon seemed more appropriate. They didn’t have nearly the controversy in their lives so I guess it’s expected for it to be a circus. Sad for his family though. Hope the autopsy and toxicology reports don’t show it’s drug related.That deaths in threes thing does really seem to be true-doesn’t it? I was sad for Farrah that her only child couldn’t be with her at the end.
Nancy V. thanks for posting that-anything that works for cat pee should tackle dog pee as well-right? Tired of spending a small fortune on commercial products.
the punchline is that the government won’t let MJ be cremated. It violates their green policy. Since he’s 80% plastic, he has to be recycled instead.
On the issue of cats peeing all over the house, I have some advice from (unfortunately) years of experience. Don’t put the litter box there. Putting the litter box there says “Yes! Pee here!” Instead, put their food there. Cats won’t eliminate where their food is. Then put the litter box some distance away. Have multiple litter boxes, of course. When this was an issue for our cat, due to stress caused by strange cats outside our apartment, we tried everything but it wasn’t until we used the food solution that we made any progress (still wasn’t perfect, but it really helped — fortunately our cat was obsessed with peeing in corners only). We had about ten food dishes around at one point, but he got the idea after awhile. Also having a little dish of vinegar in the spot will stop them. As long as you have made sure it’s not a medical issue, it’s just a long process of behavior modification. Our ultimate solution was moving to a new house 😉 Once the stress was gone, his behavior was perfect. (I like the Valium suggestion too. For both cat and owner.)
If you include David Carradine, Michael Jackson starts a new set of three!
Train service from DC to Boston, both the Northeast Regional and the Acela super-fasty, departs several times a day.
The only twist in the line is that the DC train comes into South Station in Boston, and then the Downeaster (the train that goes from Boston to Portland) leaves from North Station in Boston – which means that you have to take the T or a taxi between the two train stations.
Sure as hell beats staying overnight at Dulles, though.
(I almost wrote ‘Metro’ in place of ‘T’, god, I’m losing New England cred)
I love Newt. And yes, that was really all I had to contribute. but I love him. You are more than welcome to stay at my house when you’re in California but you have to bring him. I want to snuggle him up. 🙂
It will be interesting to see how the world really responds to MJ’s death, once the shock wears off. Pedophile is a hard label to shake off, even when you’re dead.
The one chemical that seems to work for all our pest problems is Raid Max. It’s nasty, nasty stuff. And we get all kinds of bugs and spiders out here in the desert. Trouble is, every so often I have a dream (nightmare) that the Raid Max makes the spiders grow huge and monster-like and they take over the planet, killing and eating all the humans. Ick.
I totally agree with devil. The reaction in my house was more along the line of “oh well – one less child-molester on the streets.” Not that we wished him ill, or took any pleasure in his death, but the guy molested young boys. I’m 39, so right in the demographic that is hit pretty hard by this, I just can’t see the outpouring of love for this guy. I won’t mourn when R Kelly dies either!
Aww, Newtie. Love how he has gone from stray to completely owning the house. In what, 3 short years? Love the kitties they make life good don’t they.
You know we have a bed for you in Indy iffin’ you come this way. We won’t make you cook for us or nuthin’
Here is a tasteless punchline for did you hear Michael Jackson died – apparently his haert could no longer beat it.
We have been having a problem with our cat pooping outside of the litter box. We took him to the vet and same thing, no physical problem. Eliminating outside of the litter box can be a reaction to stress and anxiety and that could be from just about anything. Anyway the vet recommended that we have 2 litter boxes (you are supposed to have 1 more than the number of cats you have so I guess Robyn and Fred have about 20 boxes:)), change the litter to plain non-scented clay and also we confined him to a small area 24/7 for 2 weeks. In our case he had the run of the laundry area so that it had his food, his litter boxes and his cushion. Be prepared for a lot of meowing and carrying on. Just don’t have his food all that close to the litter boxes. During this 2 weeks your cat is getting retrained to use the litter boxes. Also if you have the kind of box that has a hood on it take it off and watch to see if he is having trouble getting into the boxes, maybe the sides are too high. Meanwhile make sure you are thoroughly cleaning the areas where he has peed with enzyme cleaner, make sure it soaks right into the carpet and underpad. Then after the 2 weeks let him have the run of part of the house, block off the stairs if you can and only let him out when you are home to observe. When you have to go out put him back into his confined space. After 2 weeks of this and no accidents let him have the run of the house and keep your fingers crossed. Right now our kitty is on an anti-anxiety plus we are using the Feliway plus he is confined when we are not home. I hate to do it but it is that or put him down.
Since everyone else chimed in with travel terror stories about delays I have to tell you mine. Last year my son, then 8, ran for student council and wrote a great speech and won. The speech was funny so we filmed it for family and friends out of town and uploaded it on youtube. 24 hours later the Wall Street Journal called. They wanted to interview him. Which they did several times. Then the ran the article the week before the election. He was on the front page. A couple days later ABC News called and wanted him on Good Morning America. At first they were going to do it at our house but instead decided to fly him (as well as his father and I) to NYC. We packed and bought a suit in a hurry (we are a casual bunch and they wanted him in a suit) and got to the airport where we had a direct flight from Memphis to Laguardia. Except (and this is important) the weather was bad in NYC. They flew us anyhow, thinking it would clear by the time we got there. It did not. We circled for an hour before we were diverted to Pittsburgh (I think?…maybe Philly, my hazieness is understandable in a moment) We landed at 7 PM in the P city in Penn. Every single place was closed. They intended to refuel and us to take off again, but instead our pilot and all the crew timed out. They had some seats available on another plane so i called ABC and they pulled strings and we were priority on that plane…except, their crew timed out.
At this point it is 9 PM. We have an 8 year old who has not eaten since lunch, is super excited about being in TV and we are stranded 6 hours away. I call ABC. They start calling limo companies and get us a limo to take to NYC. But it couldn’t get us until 11 PM. We call a cab and go to a Taco Bell because nothing is open and the limo, which was really a town car picks us up.
My 8 year old and I sat in the back. his feet on my so he could lay down and sleep (yes the safety thing made me crazy). Our driver was awesome and got us to our hotel at Time Sqr at 4 AM. We had to be ready for makeup at 5 AM.
It sucked and I cried. But he was freaking adorable on TV. You can see him and all his coverage here — theredheadboy.com
I was sad to hear about Michael Jackson dying. Totally shocked me 2. I won’t admit that I used to have a glitter glove and a fake microphone when I was younger.
Narita airport in Japan is one of the best airports I’ve ever had to spend a prolonged period of time in!!!
They have day rooms where you can sleep, have a shower, and basically feel “alive” again during a long trip!
Totally agree that La Guardia is a nightmare, only behind LAX!!!!
I can’t see J. getting lip injections when she’s preggers.
I know she was a little SLOW about figuring ut Danielle,but I don’t think she is that slow about injecting chemicals at this important time.
J is up probably fifty pounds and when “I” am heavy, my lips get the ol’Angie Jolie effect.
Her whole face was quite puffy…
While Danielle’s childhood history is horrible,it doesn’t excuse her behavior as an adult these many years later. It explains it,but doesn’t excuse it.