Glory Road the other night, and the next morning I woke up with Marty Robbins bouncing around in my brain singing El Paso. Pretty easy to trace where that came from; most of the time when songs are bouncing around in my head, I can’t figure out why.
Glory Road, by the way, was a pretty good movie in the way all those underdog feel-good sports movies are. Emily Deschanel was completely and utterly wasted in the role of the Loving Supportive Wife Who Holds Down the Fort At Home While Dad Shows the Big Boys What’s What. I don’t know why they even bothered to give her character a name; Interchangeable Supportive Wife would have explained all you needed to know.
But that Josh Lucas; hubba hubba!
We refer to him as “The Poor Man’s Matthew McConaughey”, but the older he gets, the less he resembles MM and the more he grows into his own looks.
We watched Firewall Tuesday night, and it wasn’t bad – typical Harrison Ford fare – but has Harrison Ford gotten old all of a sudden, or what? I swear, he kept stumbling around like an old man and didn’t seem all that steady on his feet.
Maybe Calista Flockhart’s keeping him off-balance with the hot, hot sex.
* * *
Yesterday ended up being a busy, busy day for me. I got up at 6:30 (I’ve been getting up at 6:30 most mornings, god help me, because the earlier I go out and walk, the less hot it tends to be. That’ll hold true for another couple of weeks, and then it’ll probably be so unbearably hot outside at 6:30 that I’ll have to start either getting up at 3 am or exercising inside), went for my walk, came home, cleaned the bathroom (and it’s only been a WEEK since I cleaned the bathroom! Holy crap!), vacuumed the entire upstairs, talked to my mother for twenty minutes or so, and then headed out to do errands (after I got dressed, of course. My purple nightgown is cute, but not really the thing for errand running).
The first place I needed to stop was Target, so I did, and I bought two 35-pound boxes of Arm & Hammer litter (our litter of choice, because it clumps fast and hard and does the best job of reducing the litter box stank) and some bird seed. My main reason for stopping at Target was to get a big box to set the litter box inside of. See, we used to use a sweater box for a litter box, and then we’d put the litter box inside a bigger box, because Spanky – cute as he is – is a little bastard who adores peeing over the side of the litter box, and no matter what we’ve done we can’t get him to STOP FUCKING DOING THAT, and at some point if you can’t change a behavior and you don’t want to get rid of the cat, you’ve got to figure out how to deal with the behavior. So we dealt with it by putting the litter box inside a bigger box, then every time I’d clean out the litter box, I’d spray down the inside of the bigger box and wipe it down.
Good lord, I must really love my cats. Who else would put up with this sort of bullshit?
Anyway, one day I was in the pet store, and I stumbled across the covered litter boxes, and they have nice BIG covered litter boxes, and I thought “Self, what if I got a big covered litter box? That way, Spanky could still pee up the side to his heart’s content, and it would be less of a pain in the butt. Well. It turned out to be MORE of a pain in the butt, ’cause I’ve been having to take the cover off the litter box, spray down the inside of the cover, dump the litter into the other litter box (through the strainer), wipe down the inside of the cover, and put it all together. Plus, on the days when Spanky is particularly hydrated, he manages to pee up the side of the inside of the cover enough, that pee leaks out and makes a small puddle on the floor.
So we’re going back to the litter box inside of a bigger box, and I’m going to get rid of the covers to the litter boxes, which is why I was at Target looking for a big storage box that the litter box would fit inside. Luckily, I measured the litter box before I left the house, so I’d know what size would work, and so there I was in Target, looking at EVERY storage box, only to find that none of them were big enough. I convinced Fred to make a trip to Lowe’s tomorrow morning after he gets groceries, so hopefully he’ll find something that’ll be just right.
I left Target with my litter and bird seed and headed up University Drive to the Goodwill store, to see if I could find some jeans that I might fit into. The pants I’m wearing currently are too big for me, and I can’t find pants that I really like in a smaller size, so I thought I might go in the direction of jeans. And my brother told me that my sister-in-law bought jeans at thrift shops when she was losing weight, so I tried the thrift shops around here and found nothing, so I decided to check out the Goodwill store to see if I could find something.
And I did not find a damn thing. I dug and dug and dug through the racks and racks of clothes, but didn’t find a thing in my size.
Here’s an example of how I cannot, for the life of me, look at a piece of clothing and know whether it’s my size or not: I walked through the door of the Goodwill, and I saw a pair of jeans hanging on the end of a rack, and I thought “Oh, those look like they might fit me…” and when I checked, they were a size FOUR. Um, yeah – not so much!
So I left Goodwill and went to Sam’s, where I stocked up on all the stuff we’ve been running out of lately – Tide, paper towels, shrimp, more bird seed (the stuff I bought at Target was Finch food), and bottled water – and once I loaded everything in my car, I called LoneStar to place an order for a Steakhouse salad (salad with bleu cheese crumbles, lettuce, tomato, red onions, and – surprisingly enough – steak). Then I headed over to TJ Maxx to look around for a few minutes, with the idea that I might find a comforter for the spud’s bed, but I decided pretty quickly that if I was going to get a comforter, I needed to have her with me to tell me what she did and didn’t like.
From TJ Maxx, I went over to LoneStar to pick up my lunch, and headed home. I got home around 2:00 – three hours after I’d left the house. The car was PACKED, and it took me a good ten minutes to unload it, but I’d say we’re all set on paper towels, shrimp, and gum (the only kind of gum I chew – and I chew a lot of gum – is Trident White Wintergreen, and for the longest time Sam’s had stopped carrying it. Yesterday, they had it again, so I stocked up in a big way, just in case they stop carrying it again) for a long, long time.
I put everything away, and then I sat down and ate my salad, and it was faaaaaaaaaaabulous. Well, at least while I was eating it, it was. A little later I turned into (sorry to be gross, but a reader over at
OFB suggested this term, and it makes me giggle every time I think of it) a salad shooter. To continue the grossness, it AMAZES me that you can eat something and then see it again (IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN, AND I THINK YOU DO) pretty much undigested 30 minutes later. Aren’t your intestines, like, long enough to reach to the moon and back? Are the raw veggies going through my intestines on the bullet train, or what?
Okay, I’m done with the grossness.
And that was my day!
* * *
Currently
reading:
Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity, by John Stossel. I generally like John Stossel, and I’m very much enjoying the book.
Finished late, late, late the other night:
Skinny Dip, by Carl Hiaasen. I just love Carl Hiaasen to death. I wish he’d stop putting out the damn kids’ books and write another one for adults, though! (Rumor has it he’ll have an adult book out early next year.)
* * *
Random pictures:
This is what I made for
Nance for her birthday. I loved making it – I love all the
Dolly Mamas pictures – and it was fun making the picture and sending it off to her.
The t-shirt I got in Maine ’cause I loved it so much, then couldn’t wear because it was too small for me. Now it fits! Whoo!
Trying to get a decent picture of myself, because the picture I’m using over at
MySpace is at least four years old, if not older.
* * *
And, cat pictures:
Suddenly, Sugarbutt adores the Sug Cave and spends almost every evening here.
SUCH a Tommy look he’s got on his face.
Preparing to jump.
All of today’s uploaded pictures are
hither.
* * *
Previously
2005: Teen labor: I highly recommend it.
2004: The quarry.
2003: You can’t tell I’m PMS-ing with a vengeance, can you, with all this talk of food?
2002: No entry.
2001: No entry.
2000: So, have I mentioned that I’m an idiot?]]>
Hang in there – the Advantage will do the trick. And it really does work pretty quickly. Just be sure to stay on top of the problem in the future. It’s way easier to get rid of the damn fleas before they multiply.
I like your hair color, Robyn. That’s a lot like what I’ve been aiming for lately – but missed by a mile the last time. Somehow, I paid $80 to end up with my natural color. Hmm.
Ummmmm – EEEEEEEEW on the mental visual that accompanied the thought of Flockhart-Ford monkey sex. Gag.
oohhh, something I can finally answer. When we got our kitten, he came complete with a horrid flea infestation. I’m freaked out by fleas (I keep both of my dogs on Frontline Plus) so I immediately took the kitty to the doctor. There is a pill called Capstar that kills fleas pretty immediately. It’s usually a one dose deal, and pretty cheap. So, if you are looking to kill them off and then treat with the Advantage to keep them at bay, I’d highly recommend the Capstar!!
You are so right about Josh Lucas! He is hubba-hubba squared! HBO put out a movie last year called Empire Falls, and Paul Newman was in it. His character was sometimes shown in flashbacks of younger days, and Josh played that role. He was amazingly reminiscent of the hot Paul Newman back in the day!
Yeah, hubba hubba on Josh Lucas! And I loved him in Empire Falls–he looked exactly how Newman looked in his younger days. Ooops – hot flash coming on!
We had a major flea infestion a few years ago.
After we began treating the cats with Frontline we still had to deal with the fleas in the house. Did you know that they can live in your carpet and furniture for a year without feeding? Anyway, we vacuumed EVERY INCH of our house EVERY DAY! Can’t begin to tell you what a pain in the ass that was!! After vacuuming we would take out the vacuum bag, spray it with insecticide, wrap it in plastic, and then throw it in the outside garbage. We did this every day for a week. We also got some stuff at the pet store, made esoecially for fleas. And sprayed every inch of carpeting and furniture. Non toxic to cats. We were diligent and worked hard and pretty much wiped them out in a week. We did a maintenance vacuum and spray two weeks later, and haven’t seen a flea since. Oh and don’t forget to have the vet check the cats for tapeworms. They get them from fleas. Good luck.
Have you thought about one of those trays that you put your washing machine on top of, so it doesn’t ruin the house if there’s a leak? I can’t imagine a litterbox so big it wouldn’t fit in one of those.
We use Advantage to keep the fleas away, but when we had a flea infestation before we sprinkled 20 Mule Team Borax on the floor, worked it in with a broom and then vacuumed. The Borax kills the eggs by drying them up. It’s a MAJOR pain in the ass, but once they’re gone keep up monthly with Advantage and that should do the trick.
Also- Robyn, I love your hair so much.
We had a flea problem several years ago. I used a server called Fleabsters. http://www.fleabuster.com/
I never had a problem after that. Good luck!
Your hair is getting so red Robyn! Looks great on you! Is it the sun from your walks?
I thought after weight loss surgery gum chewing was a no-no because of the risk of swallowing it? Maybe?
B.J: I think the sun from walking, and maybe the fact that I wash my hair every day, too. My hair actually isn’t nearly as faded as it’s been in the past, because I usually wear a hat while walking.
Mary: Yeah, my surgeon says it’s a no-no, but I have never in my entire life accidentally swallowed gum (though I’ve certainly done it on purpose!), so I’m ignoring that rule. I figure, I’m obeying his rule about no Diet Coke (at least for the first year I’m obeying it!), so to give up gum too – considering that I probably chew 5 or 6 pieces on a heavy-chewing day – is really too much to ask of me! 🙂 If I one day accidentally swallow a piece and they have to open me up to get it out, I’ll be kicking myself. But I don’t see that happening; I’m very careful! 🙂
Ummm we all apparently learn something new every day, and I am over three years Post Op and SWEAR I have never heard we are not supposed to chew gum. Why? I know we aren’t supposed to eat celery due to the intestinal blockage issues from the strings, but gum?
I chuckled when I read where you had stocked up like mad on your gum. I eat one kind of candy… Chewy Runts. And I cannot find them anywhere near us. I had been without for almost a year when I walked into Big Lots and they had cases of them for $5. SCORE. I bought six cases. I notice now that I have so many around, I don’t eat them that much. I’ll prob have to be burried with some of them at this rate.
My two cents: I chew gum all the time. I also eat celery, drink soda (albeit not much)etc., and have never had a problem.
And I love my Dolly Mama. I love it so much that I ordered 4 more kits off of ebay AND I went out and bought another kit at Michael’s tonight. I’m going to cross-stitch – OH, MY SHIT!
In regards to this statement: “Good lord, I must really love my cats. Who else would put up with this sort of bullshit?”
::::raises hand sheepishly:::::
I can relate. Seriously. Totally. Relate.
My family has always sworn by Brewer’s Yeast for flea issues. Sprinkle it on the carpet, the furniture and the cat itself. Make sure it sits on the cats skin, (just rub it on your cat against the hair growth) or else it’ll just shake off. Leave the yeast on the carpet for a day or so before you vacuum it up, it’ll kill the fleas in the bag as well. It’s fine for the cat to eat, mine loves the taste and it makes your home smell like a bakery. Yum. It’s got to be Brewer’s Yeast, no other types of yeast work. Good luck.
Robyn, try some men’s jeans on. I cannot find women’s jeans that fit to my liking, but men’s jeans never fail me. (It must be that my hips are smaller than my waist and I have NO ASS!) LOL
~~Kath~~
http://www.biospot.com/
My parents have used this for years on their dogs and cats. They are flea and tick free all the time. All you do is put a small line of dots down their neck and back.
The only thing that really worked for the house for us before when we had a dog, was to vaccum everything daily. The sprays and things don’t get rid of the eggs in the carpeting, only vaccumming seemed to get them out once the dog was rid of them.
The cut and color looks great on you!
We use Frontline on our cats and store-bought stuff for our dogs.
I dispise putting the stuff on our cats. Our cat that is declawed in the front (I didn’t want to do it, a whole nother story!), isn’t so bad. Our other one’s claws turn into miniture blender blades. Ouch.
Hahahhahahhaa..OMG….I would LOVE to have a copy of that pattern (put your big girl panties on)for X-stitching you made!! That or could you tell me where you bought it from? I NEED to make it for my niece!! Enjoy your site (still lurking) and congrats on the loss…you go girl!!
You can trap adult fleas by placing a pan of soapy water under a nightlight near areas where your pet hangs out. They are attracted to the heat and warmth of the light bulb, jump into the soapy water and drown. You still need to treat your pet and vacuum, etc., but this will help cut down the adult fleas that can lay 60 eggs a day.
Advantage. And the taken once pill from the vet that kills them all on the body within an hour. I swear by it! Robyn you are looking fantastic, go girl!
Regarding the cats. Advantage is great, but I’ve had more luck with Frontline. But, if you have put them on Advantage, it will start working. You may have to flea bomb the house, though, if it is a really bad infestation as the fleas will continue to try to bite any warm blooded animal (like your family). Good luck! The other thing to do is to talk to your vet to see if they have any other ideas.
The foggers actually DO work. THe problem is that they kill the grown fleas, and there are heaven only knows how many eggs still in the carpet, waiting to hatch. Ergo, you have to do a second fogging 7 days later. THAT will get rid of what’s in your house. I have a dog, and I use Revolution on her and have been THRILLED with it. If there’s a cat version, I’d highly recommend it.
OH! And what everyone said about the vacuuming is critical. As soon as you can go back into the rooms you fogged, vacuum, then get rid of the vacuum bag, or clean out the canister thoroughly.
Hi,
I’ve been plagued with the flea problem for several summers in a row. Not sure why, because my cats are house cats, but I think it’s the area (no fleas until I moved into my new condo but there is a small wooden area behind my unit).
I use Frontline, but Advantage is probably just as good. I ALSO (important) get a spray from my VET – anyone works – for the carpets and furniture. It works unlike the crap you can get over-the-counter at the discount/pet store. You must get the carpets because Advantage and Frontline only kill the ones on the body when you treat them and then the ones that bite them later get sterile. It takes forever to wait for the Advantage to get them all – it sounds like you have them bad. The spray costs me about $20, but it’s worth it. I only use one can for 1,000 sq. ft. and only did the open areas although if you have them bad, I’d get more. It works for upto 3 to 6 months.
All I’m going to say is that I, too, often recognize my food the second time I see it. My name is Laura, and I am a salad shooter.
Adams (Blue bottles with Red and White labels) makes, in my opinion the BEST flea and tick shampoo. I’ll also look for this powder I had to use on the carpets when I was in college, you literally have to brush it in with a broom. But my apartment at the time was infested with fleas from the previous owners and this powder worked.
My vet told me that fleas and their eggs can lay dormant and just the vibration of you, pets, etc walking on the floor, hatches the eggs. How gross is that.
Good luck