And if One More Person says to me, "Hey, at least this winter has not been as bad as Last Year!" I will, with some Pleasantness, smack that Person right in the mouth.
Okay.
Onward, then! (She said brightly.)
This Week's Gallimaufry Of Miscellany
1. Shut Up Shut Up Shut Up. I would pay Actual Money if I could eliminate a Certain Name from all newscasting for the foreseeable future. Someone needs to invent this...this Thing wherein you could program your television and/or remote control to recognize words and immediately silence, bleep, or change them into a word you like better. Wouldn't that be so wonderful? I especially like that last option. I would change all mentions of a Certain Gameshow republican to Daniel Day-Lewis, a name I never tire of hearing. Or maybe something really cute, like Koala Ballerina. Can you imagine it? "In other news, Koala Ballerina, presumptive republican presidential nominee, has taken to Twitter to silence his critics." Or, "republican nominee Daniel Day-Lewis is hoping to meet with Pope Francis in order to put any perceived bitterness to rest."
2. Crazy Cat Lady. In my dining room right now are two boxes; I made a special trip to the warehouse club in order to procure them. They are tricked out, cut up, and otherwise Creatively Fashioned so that the cats will hopefully be interested in them and stop eating my iPhone and iPad charger cords. They are, basically, Busy Boxes For Cats. At any given moment, one of the cats is, instead, sleeping in them. Not sure if this is a Win.
3. Not In My House. We recently redid the home office. I opted for streamlined stuff, a camel/black/ivory colour scheme, and a mix of textures for the room. I did not, however, opt for this:
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| Someone get a pulse! |
Lee Eun Kyoung's Free Hug Sofa. Thanks, but No.
(Even though it sounds like I could use a hug.)
image
I wish I could send you a hug. We actually has a sunny half day yesterday after a week of dark, snowy, wet and dreary. The next sun is predicted this coming Saturday. SAD!
ReplyDeleteI want a gizmo that also removes the face, voice and attitude. Poof! You're gone. Nice thought.
Love the colour scheme. One of my favourites too.
The YD's cat (and dog) went home this morning and I have my lap back. Callie spent the whole week putting the poor dog off her bed so that she, Callie, could sleep on it. Since Callie weighs about ten pounds and the dog over sixty pounds, you can see that she is a Cat With Attitude. Maybe I should consider an activity box for her next visit, but maybe with a latchable door on it.
There's more light every day, even if it is pouring down freezing rain. I keep telling myself.
{{{ hug }}}
Mary G--Comments are like Hugs, so thank you.
DeleteI wish the Resident Cats here could be more brave in the presence of Zydrunas, but he is a boxer/bully mix and so exuberant and loud that even tightly On Leash, it is, in Jared's words, A Dumpster Fire. If Z is coming over, we just relocate Cat World to the upstairs of the house temporarily until he is gone.
The office used to be more ornate and full of gold and wrought iron and, well, I needed things to be quieter and more cozy. It's very natural-looking and calmer now. I have some chocolate brown in there as well.
You are so right about the days lengthening noticeably. That is a real benefit. Now if we could get all the Good Stuff to happen at once: Longer Days, Sunshine, Warmer Temps...!
We're about to get 20 cm of snow and Super Tuesday. Depending on the results, Canada may opt to build a wall and have the US of A pay for it. (Just kidding! If we had a wall, how could you lot escape?) However, where ever there was sun today, the ice was melting. And there was sun!
DeleteI so wish you could come to California now, because it's so warm and sunny here, it would cheer you greatly. It's hard, because we're in this horrible drought, and we so desperately need rain, but it is lovely out. I kind of figure since I can't fix it, I can't change it, I will at least try to enjoy it. I hope that doesn't earn me a smack in the mouth, because I could totally understand how hearing about someone's dismay at beautiful springtime weather in February might set me off if I were suffering from a NE Ohio winter.
ReplyDeleteIf I were to win the lottery, I would 1. Buy the $52 duck breasts I wanted for a recipe the other day, because I wanted to try a recipe, but when I saw that they were $52, I opted for a simple roast chicken instead. 2. Buy you that couch. I think you're probably glad that I don't play often.
I'm sorry that cats chew your charger cords. Those suckers are expensive, and I worry the cats will electocute themselves. Would it be possible to put your chargers in a room where the cats are not allowed? We don't have such a place in our house, though I guess if it came down to it, we could make Maya's room that room if we had to.
J@jj--No smack from me for having the nerve to live in CA where you enjoy good weather in spite of it all. Buying me that hideous godawful couch would earn one, for certain.
DeleteThere is not a single place in the house where the cats are not allowed, which is the nature of Cat Ownership. I have rubbed that Bitter Apple stuff on cords (sold at pet stores, to discourage nibbly pups, primarily, but it works for any gnawing pets) to no avail. Marlowe, the female, is the Primary Chewer, and she eschews 99% of all rules as a rule. She is also the one who becomes bored and snitty.
When I want duck, I go out to Nemo's, our favourite local restaurant, and let the chef cook it. Much safer, much cheaper in the long run, and they have a great winelist and make the best creme brulee if I want dessert (which is rare).
And, hey--nothing is ever wrong with a roast chicken. SO MANY ways to change it up, just with herbs and a few different things: olives, citrus, tomato paste,grapes, minced mushrooms...the list truly is endless.
Again, you could come to California and avoid some of the SADness. Just book a flight. It really is that easy.
ReplyDelete- Mikey G.
Mikey--Oh! Are flights free now? Especially when one wants to leave immediately? How wonderful!
DeleteBut thank you for what I assume is an invitation to come and visit and possibly sleep on your floor. It is also lovely to know that you are still out there and reading.
There are flights for under $300 round trip in April, which will probably still be cold in NEO and warm in SF. So it might still help. And having something to look forward to is always nice.
DeleteThis March is more expensive because it's shorter notice at this point. But you could remember the effects of SAD and book a bit further in advance next year, for a long weekend in February or March.
We have a couch and a futon, so it wouldn't be the floor. Or I could share my bed with you if you promise not to hog all the blankets.
"Koala Ballerina" is brilliant. I want that feature on my TVs and, if possible, online when I read the news. I'm right there with you about the cheery Charlies who keep telling me how dandy and short this winter has been. Whatever, dude-- I want spring.
ReplyDeleteAlly Bean--Thank you. I heartily wish that the Media--all forms of it--would agree to a 24-48 hour Moratorium where his name/antics is/are concerned. What a welcome respite that would be.
DeleteYesterday it was supposedly 62, but the windspeeds were in the 40s and brisk from the West. Sunny, but it was impossible to do much of anything. Took a brief walk (eating my hair and other detritus I couldn't dodge), then tried sitting on the porch, then the deck, but it was a very cold 62 due to the horrid wind.
Two days of snow forecast SO FAR this week. Sigh. SIGH.
Would love to see your cat boxes, by which I mean the busy part of them. So sorry about your blues; February kicked my ass this year too, so I'm no help. Although I think the trip to CA is a brilliant solution! As for the Presidential race, I am appalled that he is still in the running. And mortified for our country. We are officially laughingstocks on the world stage.
ReplyDeleteRose--It *is* mortifying to think that there are so many people in our country who think he is Presidential Material. That he should be our leader and standard-bearer. Who do not see that he is a big, overgrown Child, period. How much lower can we sink?
DeleteWell, it isn't Koala Ballerina, but there is an app called the Drumpfinator which has a slogan that states that you add this app to your Chrome browser and replace all instances of "Trump" with "Drumpf."
ReplyDeleteDiabetes...Family--Nice to see you again! Thanks for dropping in. Not sure why the app developers chose such a goofy word like "Drumpf" which is still alarmingly close to the actual name. I will hold out for the app which allows me to customize it to what *I* want it to be. Koala Ballerina is still the winner. LOL. (With Fluffy Bunny running right there next to it.) Good find, though!
DeleteSo sorry SAD is kicking your butt. Mike is similarly slogging through February (well, right now he's taking a nap because it's just Too Much). I don't feel smug that I don't have the disorder - I feel intensely grateful & wish I could do something concrete about it (that's the nature of my personality - We Shall Fix All The Wrong Things - or we shall just put our heads down & crochet).
ReplyDeleteA friend posted on Facebook that there's some sort of app or something for Facebook where you can filter things. She was specifically recommending it for friends who are tired of His Hairness, or who are tired of her ranting about how Kasich is a terrible choice too. Surely, if there's something for Facebook, there will be something for real life soon too?
Bug--Rick is similar to you in that he asks, "What can I do for you?" when I get dark and desperate like this, but similar to The Professor in that he can nap (immediately and anywhere).
DeleteWinter is such an Endurance Test for me. (And so many others similarly afflicted, I know.) It always has been.
Have you noticed the distinct lack of political ads thus far in our state? Isn't it BLISSFUL?
Yes it is! Although, truthfully, we don't watch too much regular TV.
DeleteI meant to share this yesterday, but forgot. I know you've probably seen it because it's a couple of years old, but it bears viewing again :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyU213nhrh0
Bug--You're the second person in as many days to send this link to me. Why is it suddenly News? Thank you for thinking of me. I love the President in this and remember chuckling the first time I saw it when it first came out. (And I absolutely think DD-L could do Obama in a heartbeat.)
DeleteWe got rid of cable years ago, so we only get regular TV. I am heartened by our decision every time I look at the TV guide page in the newspaper and see what's on all those channels. NOTHING WE WOULD HAVE WATCHED, EVER. For us, a good move.
Come over here and let me give you a great big hug...Now, don't we both feel better? It will soon be Cinnamon Lake time, so looking forward to that should cheer you a little. If not, come back and I'll give you another hug...
ReplyDeleteNow a word to J@jj about wanting a duck. J, I can get you one real cheap. They are loose on my road a lot and If I should happen to "Accidently" run over one of them I will ship it to you in Cali. Only one thing;it may have some marks on it after coming in contact with my car's grill. So if I send it to you and it has a Blue oval on it's chest and the letters F O R D engraved on its skin, just remember that the price was right.
Nancy--Spoken like someone who escaped a good chunk of Winter by hanging out in Florida. Either that, or we have radically different ideas of what "Soon" means. Sigh. Our forecast is calling for 2 more inches of snow tomorrow. Oh. Joy.
DeleteLake season just got much further away.
But thank you. And it is always so nice to see you here.
Good Morning Nance!
ReplyDeleteThe reason "Drumpf" came up is that it is evidently the Trump family's ancestral name before changing. For a hilarious antidote to SAD, watch John Oliver's piece from last weekend, who did all the heavy lifting in digging up the dirt on Drumpf:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2016/02/29/john_oliver_shredded_donald_trump_for_20_straight_minutes_on_last_week_tonight.html
-Dean
Dean--Hello! How nice to see you once again in Comments. Thank you for the link to John Oliver and more of his excellent work. I will watch it while I FINALLY FINISH a longstanding knitting project today (I hope!). But first, I am off to Early Vote, then spend some time with a grand-niece and grand-nephew to reclaim some joy among the cuddles.
Delete1. So, so with you on overload of That Person. I have to be content to change channels if I am watching the news. It’s so much channel-changing, though, that I basically just don’t don’t watch the news so much anymore. Especially now that it has degenerated to the point of schoolyard taunts. Have you had a chance to watch the John Oliver rant? I am using Chrome these days, so I installed the ‘Drumpfinator’ app. It is so funny to look at news headlines on the net and see the ‘Drumpf’ substitution.
ReplyDeleteBut, yeah... it is all getting to be too much. I don’t know if I can hold out until November. If only we could have a two-month election cycle like sane countries. If Koala Ballerina wins it will really be too much to bear.
2. Oh, dear. Maybe dip your charger cords in cinnamon? Messy, but it would blend in with the color scheme. lol.
3. That sofa looks lethal. Here’s a hug: ((( )))
Ortizzle--Still have not watched it yet. I did, however, watch the new Ghostbusters movie trailer. Do you think I can hack the code of the Drumpfinator app and insert Koala Ballerina instead? Drumpf is still too close to the original word.
DeleteThanks for the hug. Now go and megadose some Vitamin C and use your neti pot or sinus wash bottle because RICK IS SICK AND HE MAY HAVE **UNWISELY** SHARED.
We got two inches of snow last night. I am completely desperate and wholly wrecked. A hug is nice, but is little help. I may have to look into being placed into a coma until May.
I would love to know how to get to the html in that Drumpfinator app because... just think... this could be the mother of all internet reading apps: you could replicate it and use the formula for replacing all of your unfavorite people with names they really deserve.
DeleteLet me just say that MrL and I are getting tired of: a) telling people we don't know what the Hell is going on anymore in USA, and: b) we aren't voting for him. Having a North American accent in the UK just seems to immediately introduce the topic: we went to Edinburgh for a 3-day weekend and got quizzed about him over breakfast at our B&B during a conversation with our landlady and the other guests. A further example of the way he is permeating every aspect of our lives: we were at a neighbo(u)rhood planning meeting (for our street party this summer in honor of the 90th birthday of HRH, the Queen, run by my neighbo(u)r (a secondary school English teacher.) She had (of course) set up a white board for us to brainstorm planning ideas, with different categories: Opening, Timetable, Games, Food, etc. The last category was 'Banned' - this was for things that we couldn't do due to Health and Safety Regs. Only 2 things were on the list: Chinese Lanterns (due to fire hazard) and Donald Trump (she said she wrote that in solidarity with us...kind woman.) Also, I do not have a cat, but enjoy those belonging to other people, and here is what one of my friends just made for her own cat. Maybe it is a Crafty Thing for you to do whilst awaiting the arrival of spring https://kr.pinterest.com/pin/382383824590629844/
ReplyDeleteMs. Caroline--Sigh. I know. First we had to Disavow #43 TWICE, and then Caribou Barbie, and now THIS. It is too much. I spend enough time trying to forget about all of THEM (and the airheaded KSisters, famous for Doing Nothing), without having the rest of America's Celebrity Obsession and Flat-Out Ignorance smashed into my face continually. The idea that DTrump was categorized along with tacky Chinese Lanterns due to being Unsafe, Unhealthy, and Potentially Flammable is somehow completely Perfect. Thank you so much for sharing. At the next meeting, please commandeer her white board, and place a small XO on it from me.
DeleteAnd the URL of this blog. LOL.
I have no Pinterest account (I know; you are shocked!) so I could do very little looking before THE BLACK SCREEN OF DEATH/CENSORSHIP blocked my view. But I have seen the Cat Tents many times. Thank you for thinking of Piper, Marlowe, and me. Currently, they are fighting over what I have deemed The Chicken House, the cube-shaped box which once housed a case of Tyson's Chicken Strips. They somehow curl their immense shapes into it and nap there. Piper will suddenly decide he NEEDS to be in there, and merely walks over top of Marlowe (all 23 pounds of him); they holler, swat, and bite, and new tenancy is established.
We all really need Spring.
Are you sure this isn't the REAL name of the box: http://imgur.com/gallery/PLhpiCO
ReplyDeleteLaFF--In a Newly Created Commenter Point System, you are hereby awarded 500 points for making me truly Laugh Out Loud. On a day when we got YET MORE EFFING SNOW IN NEO, that laugh was sorely needed.
DeleteSee your points in the new Sidebar Feature.