New Chuck tonight.
Also, BombIranforChrist passes along this pic of his dearly departed Lola, who had to be put down today:
That’s just something I am completely unprepared to deal with. I bet I spend several hours a day petting Tunch and Lily. I can’t imagine having one of them gone.
*** Update ***
Is it just me, or does Fred Willard make everything he is in better? He’s like the bacon of comedy shows/movies.
Tonal Crow
My sympathies. Mrrrrow.
JSD
I put Chuck S1 in my Netflix Q, on John’s recommendation. Not sure when I’ll get to it, though. There’s 60 things ahead of it!
jeffreyw
So sad. No one is ever really prepared. Sometimes we think we are, but the tears, they do come.
General Egali Tarian Stuck
Me neither, but growing up in the wilds of e. KY, my relatives did it themselves, mostly with dog pets getting snakebit, or too old to get up, and on their way out. Remember the heartache well though, from losing those beloved pooches.
RIP Lola
demo woman
Lola was quite the looker.
demo woman
The beginning of the new Chuck/Sarah show is fun.
chrome agnomen
i keep saying never again. too hard to put em down. republicans, on the other hand?
Linda Featheringill
Lola: What a pretty girl! And such mystery in her gaze!
Yes, you are going to miss her.
jeffreyw
Sun this morning, but showers this afternoon.
Elie
May she always be in the heaven of your memories —
I have an old guy just laying in my lap right now…I know what their friendship means and I know she is deep in your heart…
My best to you BombIran
Svensker
Awww, BombIran, so sorry. She was a beautiful kitty.
Alan
So sad …
RIP Lola.
The second guessing is the worst part. But having seen my own dear cat die naturally, it’s far better for the poor, dear, animal to be euthanized.
J. Michael Neal
Lola was very pretty. Not looking forward to that day.
I turned down a job offer today. It was with Wells Fargo, but they were working through Accountemps. They want someone with a four-year accounting degree and experience in the securities industry. It’s a single project position, so it’s not temp-to-hire. They want a full year commitment. For all of this, they are paying $14.00 an hour with no benefits at the start.
I told her I’d work for that wage, but not on anything more than a short-term commitment. Frankly, even in this market, I can’t imagine them getting someone for the position unless they relax either the pay or the qualifications significantly.
zhak
My condolences.
Losing a loved one like Lola is so very very hard…
BombIranForChrist
Thanks, John and everyone else. That’s really cool.
I have been dreading this day for a long time, but if I had to do it over again, I would probably spend a little less time dreading and a little more time enjoying.
So that’s the only real advice I have. In the meantime, I will probably start volunteering at the kitty shelter again. I stopped doing it when my two daughters were born, but I am not sure what will happen to my psyche when not under the influence of kitty litter and hair barf.
Peace out.
burnspbesq
Strange, sad story developing at the University of Virginia, where a member of the men’s lacrosse team has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a member of the women’s lacrosse team.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5158985
demkat620
What a beautiful kitty. My thoughts are with you Bombiran.
These things are so hard. When I had to put my beloved Golden Retriever, Sanda to sleep, I cried for months. I still miss her even though she has been gone four years and I have my Jack. She was my first doggie love and she was perfect.
stuckinred
It’s hard, really hard but it’s part of our responsibility when we accept what they give us. I let one doggie live too long because I couldn’t face it. From that time on I’ve worked with the vet to determine when it is time. It is the second greatest gift you can give an animal. Hang in there, you honor the creature with your care.
Chat Noir
What a beautiful lioness. So sorry for your loss, BombIran. I have a tortoiseshell lioness, a white/orange lion, and a little black lion; I try not to think of having to make that end-of-life decision so, instead, I enjoy them (and love them) every day. Going out of town tomorrow until Sunday and am just filled with guilt for leaving them (though my brother will be kitty/housesitting for us).
Bnut
Yes, love Fred Willard! Beyond the Christopher Guest stuff, he is always a great as a guest star. I love the show Modern Family and he was on last week as the grandfather. Priceless.
D-Chance.
The winds are a changin’ around here, literally.
Spring front is coming through. It went from mid-80s sun to
low-70supper-60s gray cloudy with a good NW wind. The coolness, and the nitrogen-rich smell to the air is so intoxicating…Just a gorgeous evening, although I am partial to slightly darkened conditions. Bright, HOT days are overrated.
Restrung
Lola is beautiful. It freakin’ hurts, I know. Had to do the deed with a six-year-old tortie a few months ago. I still feel some guilt about it, but I know we have to do it for them. Mostly over it. (sob)
Polish the Guillotines
RIP, Lola.
My condolences, BIfC. It’s always heartbreaking, even when it’s the right thing to do.
If so, I hope you find a new pal.
Lisa K.
My deepest sympathies, and like others here I know from whence I speak. I have lost several well-loved pets over the years, and currently preside over a menagerie of four cats and a dog-all of whom I am likely to outlive. It sucks losing them but it saucks more not having them in your life.
RIP, Lola.
freelancer
Christ on a crutch. I make more than that, I don’t have a degree, and the work I do, while crucial to the area I’m in, is monkey cubicle Data Entry. I commonly refer to it as Adult Day Care. But Wells Fargo is ridiculous.
pika
I am so very sorry, BombIran. Having made a similar decision last week, I know something–though never the same thing–of this. ITA with the commenters who know from experience how much of a painful art this part is. Knowing that signing on for love means the inevitability of loss has become my mantra–but as John points out, imagination fails until you get there. So many kind people narrated their stories–and each and every one helped. I know that I and this entire community wish you peace. She was a beautiful cat and remains a beautiful spirit.
kdaug
Was just going through photos of the old dog with my wife. Had to put him down – tumors.
It’s been years, but it never gets easy.
stuckinred
@J. Michael Neal: So make the commitment till something better comes along.
Restrung
@J. Michael Neal:
I’ve taken on some crappy offers, but that sounds even shittier. ..the hell is wrong with people?
abo gato
Lola is a very handsome kitty…..we know you loved her…..after all, she was a pretty old girl, so you took very good care of her, and she of you.
Get back out there and get another. Hearts are big enough to hold lots of kitties and pups.
It hurts, but a new friend helps heal the hurt.
stuckinred
@pika: I built a monument for raven the cocker in the garden a lit candles every day for a year.
Anne Laurie
My condolences, BombIranforChrist. Lola was beautiful, and obviously very much loved & well cared for.
Glad you can think about volunteering again, and when the time is right, I hope you can find a new friend who will curl up next to the place Lola will always have in your heart.
Steeplejack
@J. Michael Neal:
Man, that is unbelievable–effectively $28,000 a year with no benefits for the skill set they want?!
Put this down as Exhibit No. 1,000,000 for the gutting of the middle class, I guess.
kdaug
As re: “…does Fred Willard make everything he is in better?”.
No. That’s Wilford Brimley. Behold:
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/pictures/view/51393/
Curt
Is that Udo Kier on Chuck tonight?
Mnemosyne
Aww, pretty kitteh. I’ve become very fond of tuxedo cats ever since Keaton picked us to go home with.
No need to rush into a new relationship — the next one will find you when the time is right. I was in Petco to buy food for Boris when Keaton reached out of his cage and grabbed my arm as I passed by. Annie was an internet date from the same rescue organization that we got Keaton from. Charlotte dropped down out of the engine block of a car in the parking lot at G’s office and demanded that we take her home. (Well, her and her sister, but we found another
suckerpet parent to take her sister.)J. Michael Neal
@stuckinred: I won’t do that. If I make a commitment, I mean it.
stuckinred
@J. Michael Neal: Yea, they did too when the fucked us out of about 100k of Wachovia. 13cents on a dollar.
Fuck them.
MikeJ
@D-Chance.
I’ve just been out in the back garden with the sawzall. A branch 14″around, 20′ long came down in the wind storm today. Had to cut it into 6′ lengths to disentangle it from the rhodie.
I salute the brave women of kink.com. That thing scares the shit out of me with my clothes on.
Restrung
I don’t have permission to edit my comment?
There is no crying in baseball and there is NO ONE YEAR COMMITMENT when you’re hiring a temp for a shit wage unless you’re really expecting someone to lie about it. What are the repercussions? take away your….. what?
and, ..the hell is wrong with people.
ajr22
I was at a bar in Chi the other day and they had this drink on the menu
Yoino Buta “Drunken Pig”
Yamazaki 12yr Japanese Whiskey, bacon bitters,
lemon and bacon-brown sugar syrup.
I didn’t get it, but all that bacon in a drink was tempting.
arguingwithsignposts
@J. Michael Neal:
That’s some serious shitty dealing from Wells Fargo for something that’s a pretty specialized skill. Hope something better comes up.
stuckinred
@MikeJ: Have you seen the Black and Decker Alligator? It’s a chain saw lopper that really works well, I was able to cut 4×4 posts with it. Very safe.
Adam Collyer
Let’s talk about how major corporations are ruining America…
The University of Louisville basketball teams will now play in a new arena named The KFC Yum! Center
I can’t even begin to described how disheartened I am. This ranks right up there with changing the name of the Peach Bowl to the Chik-fil-a Bowl.
Mnemosyne
@J. Michael Neal:
I make more than that per hour and my title is Senior Secretary. Don’t do it.
stuckinred
@Adam Collyer: They release thousands of little cows on parachutes at halftime (as the Hokies kicked the Vols asses)!
demo woman
John, Fred’s great and I really enjoy Swoosie Kurtz playing his wife. It’s a fun episode especially since I needed a spiritual lift tonight.
schrodinger's cat
Sorry BombIran, RIP Lola, I don’t even know how hard it must be for you. I have two kittehs and can’t begin to imagine life without them.
BTW Lola is a very pretty kitty!
John Cole
Doctor Super Fantastic White Person for the win.
MikeJ
@stuckinred: Pretty neat, but only handles up to 4″ radius. And I’m cheap, which is why I don’t have a proper chainsaw and make do with the sawzall.
WereBear
I remind myself that as much as it hurts; it is still less than the joy.
schrodinger's cat
BTW is it just me or does anyone else find Sullivan’s posts about the elections in Britain, mainly trashing Gordon Brown and praising Cameron a bit repetitive and tiresome? BTW I have no opinion about either of them.
Also his posts about Palin, OMG she is scary, hide under the bed. She is scary, but I find Sullivan’s posts about her highly alarmist.
stuckinred
@MikeJ: Yea, it wouldn’t do for the big stuff.
PurpleGirl
Condolences BIfC. Hope that your memories of Lola will lighten your sadness.
I had to tell my friend — the owner of the Doberman pinscher I’ve written about — that is was time for him to consider Hugo’s multiple health problems and discuss a plan with Hugo’s vet. It was hard for me to consider having Hugo put down and harder to tell my friend but Hugo was getting sicker and had so many problems and was in pain. Hugo was like my own pet.
EdTheRed
Willard’s genius is the ability to play ignorant or just plain not smart characters without playing them as intentionally stupid, if that makes sense. Basically, the hardest thing to do in improv is to play an ignorant character without just playing intentionally stupid for laughs. Willard is soooooo good at being naturally genuine, and not stupid, just…not the sharpest tool in the shed.
It’s really, really hard to pull that off.
Skepticat
Bomb, I’m so sorry. It’s been only three weeks since I went through the same misery and so can empathize. Lola was a lovely animal. The kitty shelter will be lucky to have you.
Restrung
@WereBear:
Yup, the joy. The sadness was pretty deep and touching, too; and the comments I got here at B-J and from friends of friends on FB and emails from… fucking cats. Got two left, and they kinda scare me now. this comment needs a smiley– :)
frankdawg
She was a beautiful kitty I hope you can find joy in all the good times you guys had.
demo woman
So what’s going to happen next week on Chuck? How many more episodes, does anyone know?
robertdsc
RIP Lola.
Violet
So sorry about Lola. She was a gorgeous kitty.
frankdawg
This really should be a thread of its own, contract work sucks. Yes they treat you like shit & in this environment even find new ways, shorter contracts, lower pay, shittier assignments as well as other interesting ways to degrade you.
My current client gives contractors easily identifiable user IDs different from its “team members”. They love to send around emails touting the next “fun event” and inviting everyone to attend. Then at the end of the email there is always this”
“Due to the expected attendance this event is limited to team members only.”
Its like Jr. High mean girls: “We’re having a party and you can’t come.”
Petty but its just one more insult.
JGabriel
JSD:
Season 1 is good, and provides necessary setup, but it’s in Season 2 that Chuck really takes off.
In other words, you’ll probably like the first season – a lot. But you might not get why people love it until the second season.
.
Restrung
and watch out for agencies that make you sign away rights to UI, because they will fuck you over if you get laid off from another agency later.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Un-Chuck comment: Did anyone else see the look of suppressed contempt on Rachel Maddow’s face as Brian Williams explained that Republicans appoint industry insiders because they know the “secrets” so solving problems like the oil spill? O, how I wish she had asked Little Lord Fuckpants if there was a secret solution that he thought oil execs weren’t telling us, the necessary implication of what he said.
RedKitten
@John Cole: Indeed. I thought that was quite nicely done.
And I loved the Hart to Hart shoutout — it’s sort of a “chill the fuck out, we’ve got this” to everybody who thinks that a show is only good if there is unresolved sexual tension between the male and female leads.
Steeplejack
@frankdawg:
Man, that really is petty. The last time I did heavy-duty software contracting was about 2001-02, and it wasn’t nearly that bad then. If you were working there, you were part of the “team,” regardless of your exact employment status. Good to know they’re pushing the envelope in H.R. douchebaggery.
trollhattan
Very sorry about Lola. I shall hum Kinks the rest of the evening in her honor.
re. Fred Willard–completely agree. You have to be really smart to play the ultimate half-wit sidekick. I first got to know him on “Fernwood Tonight”, which maintained a string of wacky brilliance for a long time in an era of horrible television.
For comparison purposes only: “CHiPS” and “The Love Boat” premiered in 1977. The defense rests.
JCT
Strong thoughts your way, BombIran — she was a beautiful kitty.
Been through this many times, never gets any easier. But a few years ago I did discover something even harder. Having to tell my 15-year-old daughter that we had to put down her beloved kitty that she had slept with every night since she was 2. Her sobs nearly tore my heart out- even years later I still feel sick thinking about it.
But the joy they bring outweighs it all.
jeffreyw
The left is best.
ellaesther
Apparently I’m the only person in Western Christendom who doesn’t like Fred Willard. Like: At all. One always knows where he’s going about 10 feet before he gets there.
But I do join with the rest of Balloon Juice in mourning Lola. What a lovely girl she was! I’m so sorry for your loss, BombIran.
Restrung
Little Lord Fuckpants
tower of intellect, he. hee. hee. I gotta go find this. mhmhmh
cleek
i actually refer to him as The Kiss Of Death, because shows usually bring him around when they’ve run out of steam.
ditto
Will
Wha’ happened?!
Anne Laurie
@schrodinger’s cat:
Yeah, well, then you aren’t as terrified of vaginas in general as Our Andy. Anything involving a double-X-chromosome carrier brings out the worst in him — he’s got a worse case of the madonna/whore syndrome than even Chris Matthews. I think Sullivan considers Palin the anti-Thatcher… a disgusting toothy monster of a politician who is sullying the precious, sacred role of conservative women in conservative politics.
Upper West
Agreed about Fred Willard — but don’t forget his real first triumph — as Jerry Hubbard in Fernwood 2 Night — the all time greatest TV show in history — as sidekick to Barth Gimble (Martin Mull).
Nothing will ever top the “guest” who proved that leisure suits cause cancer by doing a study in which rats wore leisure suits for a year.
Mike in NC
@J. Michael Neal:
Down here the typical shit job — provided you can even find one! — pays minimum wage ($7 or 8 per hour) with zero benefits. Go for it.
cleek
@frankdawg:
after losing my last job due to outsourcing, i’m kindof liking the contract life. i put in my 8 hours (to the second) and don’t have to go to any meetings, and don’t have to pretend i give a fuck about The Team. i don’t have to pretend i care about a company that would trade me off for some cheap-ass Indian fuckups at the drop of a dime, and they don’t have to pretend i’m a valuable member of their diverse and vibrant corporate ecology. i get my pay and punch the clock and if they like what i’m doing, we’ll talk about it in September when my contract is up. if not, hey, thanks for the resume point and thanks for the cash.
of course, i did once have a mug with the third panel from this comic on it. so it’s not like i’ve ever been a big Team Spirit guy.
sputnikgayle
Before my husband’s illness, we used to raise goats. The nannies would often ignore their newborns and we’d have to quickly step in to foster them. (And our nannies seemed to always choose the coldest and wettest weather for the birthing.) Anyway, we’d bring the precious rejected babies in our house to take care of them. We’d have to milk the mom immediately after birth and force feed the baby that vital first milking. I can’t tell you how often I’ve slept beside the fireplace, on the floor, with a newborn snuggled beside me. And when we failed and lost one, it was the most awful and powerless feeling ever. It’s never easy losing something that relies on you.
Mike in NC
He’s an asshole. When they make a movie about the GWB regime, he should be cast as the Chief of Staff, always bowing and scraping to Darth Cheney.
IndyLib
Does anybody have a good make ahead breakfast recipe that can feed 12 people?
debg
So sorry about Lola. It’s never easy to lose a beautiful anipal.
IndyLib, how about quiches? You can cook them ahead of time and just reheat, or prep ahead of time and cook the day of the meal.
Bad Horse's Filly
BombIranforChrist – my condolences. All my kitties send you warm kitty thoughts, too.
J. Michael Neal
@Bad Horse’s Filly: Oh, come on. We all know that they’re just asking if they can have Lola’s food, now that she won’t need it. They’re cats.
Fern
I’m going to have to put my kitties down next week – all three of them – because I have to move and wasn’t able to find an apartment where I could keep the girls. They are too old to be adoptable and I know they will be miserable in a shelter setting, and two of them would not adapt well to a new home either.
Vacancy rate here is 0.2% so it is hard to find anything suitable, let alone someplace I can take the cats.
Ruckus
I turned down a job offer today. It was with Wells Fargo, but they were working through Accountemps. They want someone with a four-year accounting degree and experience in the securities industry. It’s a single project position, so it’s not temp-to-hire. They want a full year commitment. For all of this, they are paying $14.00 an hour with no benefits at the start.
John Stumpf, CEO of Wells made just a bit more than that last year. With pay and of course the bonus he made over 667 times that. Or if you want to see it as an hourly amount, for 2000 hours he made $9341. That’s per hour. Now of course you know that he put in a shit ton of hrs so the hourly should come down somewhat. His bonus was over 2 1/2 times his salary. And I imagine it’s a pretty safe bet he got benefits.
Gotta love modern rape and pillage, it pays so well. Always figured it’s better to be in the stands than in the arena with the lions.
limniade
Back in 4Q 2003, at the tail end of the last recession, I took a 6-week contract at Wells Fargo for web design and they paid me $29 an hour. (To do one day’s worth of work and then sit there for 5 weeks and 4 days.) I have plenty of experience in my field but no degree. I don’t know WTF is behind the cheap-assery but for a commitment of that length, I would suggest that you counter with a rate much more reasonable for your skills set and decline if they don’t come up with the dough. You have nothing to lose by negotiating, to my mind.
Poor kitty and poor kitty owner. I’ve had a sick cat for a year (pancreatitis) who is finally showing signs of real improvement, and the day I have to put him down will be the worst day of my life, bar none. There are few more gut-wrenching decisions than to make an end-of-life decision for the companion of your heart, no matter how clear and for the best it is. All the years you share are never enough at that moment. My wholehearted sympathies.
sputnikgayle
IndyLib, a fruit tray is easy to prepare ahead of time and looks very nice with minimal time invested. I often serve croissants and muffins with a variety of preserves and jellies. I second
debg’s idea for quiches. Mini-quiches are fun for large groups too and are easy to individualize. And I’ve always had tremendous success and happy guests when I prepare breakfast taco ingredients (eggs should be stored in plastic to minimize the “sulfur” smell) and set them out as a self-serve buffet affair.
Now I’m hungry.
Seanly
@Alan:
My condolences to Bombiran.
No kidding on the second guessing, Alan. Been going through that for the last few days.
My wife & I put down our beloved dog Ginnie last week. We just got her ashes back today. She had arthritis, then IMHA for the past 9 months and then when the meds for that were reduced, she developed pemphigus vulgaris and lost all her fur on her teddy bear ears. She died in our arms. She was the sweetest dog and taught my wife and me so much in the last 8 years about how to trust and love. She’ll be missed. We still have her son Duncan – we think they said their goodbyes in some dog way as he hasn’t seemed too depressed.
Tomorrow my wife & I find out about her stage and the treatment for her Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
AnneS
@BombIranForChrist:
Love and prayers to you and your family.
frankdawg
@cleek:
I should have mentioned that part of my job here is to train the folks in India that are doing the job. To quote jackoff Smirnoff “What a country!”
frankdawg
@IndyLib:
This is really tasty, and really really easy,
for 12
2 cups steel cut oats
2 cups dried cranberries
2 cups dried figs
2 cups course chopped pecans or walnuts
8 cups water
You can substitute any dried fruit for the figs and raisins for the cranberries. Toss this all into a slow cooker and let it go over night. Scoop it into bowls and add half and half. I made this once using milk instead of water, it was creamy but a bit too much.
frankdawg
I screwed up in the above – don’t put the nuts in until close to the end so they stay crunchy,
Corner Stone
@frankdawg:
If that isn’t a life directive, then I just don’t know what is.
cleek
@frankdawg:
i had the honor of training my replacements before they let me go. i did a good job of it, too. cause that’s how i roll.
J. Michael Neal
@Fern: Jesus. That’s unimaginably horrible. I couldn’t do it.
I own my house, so the only reason I’d have to move is if I got a new job somewhere else. (My parents will make sure I don’t become delinquent on the mortgage.) If I couldn’t find a place that would allow me to keep them, I wouldn’t take the job. End of story.
I feel for you.
Steeplejack
@Will:
He was on Chuck tonight.
IndyLib
Thanks for all the suggestions. I really like the ideas of mini-quiches because I can do different add-ins.
Darkrose
I’m so sorry, BombIranForChrist. She was a lovely lady.
Shell Goddamnit
@Mnemosyne:
I make more than that and my title is “Education Associate” which no one knows what that even means.
J. Michael: Don’t do it. Hell, you’d do better vending beer at yr local sports emporium.
Edit: even if it is called the YUM! stadium or something just as bad
Shell Goddamnit
@jeffreyw:
Jeffrey these are some wonderful shots you are getting of these hummingbirds. Very happy-making.
Shell Goddamnit
@IndyLib:
Quiche. Quiche Lorraine.
Also, latke.
J. Michael Neal
@Shell Goddamnit: Once upon a time, Hubert Humphrey’s name was plastered on everything in sight. Over the last couple of decades, it’s all been changed to Target.
Delia
I’m so sorry, BombIran. Some years back I had to put down a beautiful eight year old cat who developed liver failure and could barely walk within a week of the diagnosis. It was just before Thanksgiving. The vet said she was probably experiencing a lot of nausea. You always feel so bad, though, and miss them so much.
hamletta
@IndyLib: You might try Spinach and Cheese Strata. You make it the night before, then put in in the oven.
IndyLib
@hamletta:
OMG Thank you for that recipe, it looks and sounds soooo good.
asiangrrlMN
BombIran, I am so sorry for the loss of your beautiful friend, Lola. My sympathies to you and yours. May she run swiftly to the other side.
@Fern: That’s horrible, Fern. I’m so sorry you have to go through that. My heart aches for you.
@J. Michael Neal: ‘Cept the Dome which is now the Mall of America Metrodome. Sigh.
J. Michael Neal
@asiangrrlMN:
Fixt.
Anne Laurie
@Fern: My condolences. Horrible as it is, from your description, you are making the best choice for them under the circumstances. And, again, you have provided each of those old girls with a decade or more of a Good Life that they would never have had as “alley cats”.
asiangrrlMN
@J. Michael Neal: Ha! So true. Except, it’ll be filled for the Vikes, especially if the drama queen decides to retire and then unretire in time to start the preseason.
J. Michael Neal
@asiangrrlMN: I heard he was going to have surgery on his ankle. I was hoping it was an egoectomy.
frankdawg
@cleek:
Yeah, me too – are we terminally stupid? Companies know most people will assist in their own execution & take advantage of it.
tesslibrarian
Oh, Lola has the most beautiful, wise eyes!
Chuck
I always forget Fred Willard’s name. I keep calling him “the “whah happen?” guy” (from his part on A Mighty Wind).
Actually I’ll be damned if I can remember half the actors’ names on any given show or movie beyond the actual stars. If even those.