Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

I was promised a recession.

And we’re all out of bubblegum.

Not all heroes wear capes.

Some judge needs to shut this circus down soon.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

Let there be snark.

The party of Reagan has become the party of Putin.

Yeah, with this crowd one never knows.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

This really is a full service blog.

You can’t love your country only when you win.

Putting aside our relentless self-interest because the moral imperative is crystal clear.

This fight is for everything.

We still have time to mess this up!

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

“woke” is the new caravan.

You don’t get rid of your umbrella while it’s still raining.

My years-long effort to drive family and friends away has really paid off this year.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Dog Blogging / Save an Animal and Have a Very Merry and/or Happy Christmakwanzakkah

Save an Animal and Have a Very Merry and/or Happy Christmakwanzakkah

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Mr. Kitten Mittens and me.1

Late last Sunday night, I saw a link on Facebook asking if anyone in the area (SoCal) could save a dog that was scheduled to be sent to the Great Farm in the Sky on Monday. He looked like a cocker spaniel and since Nate Dogg is a cocker spaniel, I figured it would be downright un-Christmas-like un-Holiday Season-like of me not to snag him. I haven’t fostered a dog in ages, and my dog is an old man who is content to lie around, fart, and feast on treats all day. I’m not sure my tired old ass can handle the energy of a younger dog. Still, I figured I could at least hang on to him for a few weeks; fatten him up; get his cherry eye removed (a common condition for cocker spaniels); and shine him up like a new penny, so the odds of him finding a permanent home would be better.


So, on Monday afternoon, I popped down to the shelter, had a brief chat with the dog, decided he’d do, paid for him to be neutered, and stayed his imminent execution.


Five days and one junk-removal surgery later, Foster the Dog aka Mr. Kitten Mittens and I were posing with Santy Clause:


Happy December 25th to all and to all a good night!


Every Saturday in December, OC Animal Care is offering free pictures with Santa. Click here for more info, and for the love of humanity, if you’re planning on getting a dog for yourself or for a loved one, ADOPT! ADOPT! ADOPT! There are so many adorable dogs that need homes. There are so many adorable dogs — like Mr. Kitten Mittens who is currently fast asleep in his crate after having been completely ignored by Nate Dogg — that are being killed because shelters and rescue groups can’t find good homes for them. Seriously. Don’t buy a dog. Don’t make me come over there. I will cut you. And then I’ll sing that “In the Arms of the Angels” song until you lose your mind.

Foster the Dog couldn't handle the convertible. He almost jumped out of the window out of excitement.
He's chillin' in his crate. We're listening to "Regulators." MOUNT UP!


If you or anyone you know is in the LA area and is interested adopting this kick ass dog, shoot me an email at [email protected].

1 I think Mr. Kitten Mittens is a hilarious name, but it’s a mouthful. I thought about naming him Agent Jack Bauer the Cat — “Jack” for short. Right now, I’m calling him Oliver/Ollie. I may tack an “Ali” on the end: “Oliver ‘Ollie’ Ali.” I know! I’m deranged. Do you have any suggestions for a name?


[cross-posted here at ABLC]

Reader Interactions

191Comments

  1. 1.

    Yutsano

    Obligatory PUPPEH!!

    And ABL, you and I and the FSM know that sweet boy ain’t going nowhere. I have a feeling he’s already charmed his way into your soul to the point you’re house hunting just to find a decent yard for him. It’s just what dogs do to us.

  3. 3.

    debit

    What a pretty boy! I hope someone takes him home. By the way, what kind of picture is that? You don’t look angry at all.

  4. 4.

    stuckinred

    You big softie! I’ve posted this already today but I’m interested if any night juicers have any info. Both my dogs are in the hospital because one of them (or both) ate a box of chocolate covered raisins. They are IV’d and have had charcoal treatment. Most people have reacted to the chocolate but the word is grapes and raisins are really dangerous.

  8. 8.

    debit

    @stuckinred: Ack!! I’ve never heard about grapes or raisins. In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve had dogs that have eaten grapes and never seemed to have any issues.

    Hope your pups are okay. They just can’t resist forbidden food, can they?

  10. 10.

    Yutsano

    @debit: Three big no-nos in people food for dogs: chocolate, grapes/raisins, and onions. There’s a couple more but those are the most common in most households.

    @Angry Black Lady: That name is all kinds of serious win.

  11. 11.

    stuckinred

    @debit:

    Clinical Signs

    At this time, the lowest documented toxic grape or raisin dose is 0.32 to 0.65 oz/kg.5 Without knowing the exact mechanism of action, all cases of grape or raisin ingestion should be considered potentially serious. Vomiting is one of the initial signs of grape or raisin toxicity and can occur within the first 2 hours. Other initial signs that can occur within the first 5 to 6 hours of exposure include diarrhea, lethargy, and polydipsia

  15. 15.

    Yutsano

    @stuckinred: That was actually something I had learned about fairly recently. And I’ve fed two of them to my dogs all my life (I knew about chocolate toxicity) so now I’m wondering if I’d been slowly poisoning them.

  17. 17.

    debit

    @Yutsano:
    @stuckinred:

    Thanks for the alert, guys. I really had no idea. Chloe was never in any danger. Although she continues to yearn for people food, its only protein-type stuff that she’ll actually eat if she can get it. And she can’t from me; I don’t allow dogs to eat table scraps.

  21. 21.

    S. cerevisiae

    Bless you ABL for saving him. If I could take him I would but right now with my situation it is impossible for any dog.

    I love spaniels.

  23. 23.

    soonergrunt

    Yeah, grapes are bad, raisins are worse because they are concentrated grapes. Grapes and raisins are renal toxins in canines. Grape skins can cause intestinal blockage in both dogs and cats, as can several different varieties of nuts. Chocolate can affect dogs in the same way that excess potassium can affect humans. Aspirin is extremely rapidly poisonous to cats.
    When we got our pup, we took her to a vet, and one of the first things they gave us was a flyer on common household threats.

  25. 25.

    junebug

    Good on you ABL. I always knew that you were a dog after my own soul.

    I’ve got three rescues, one official, the other two from the park nearby that people seem to think is a good place to dump unwanted pups.

    Unlike someone upthread, I think that you will be able to let the pup go to a good home. That’s what a foster does. I also like the name Oliver. One of my ferals was named Oliver, but he left us, but I still like the name. Oliver looks like a sweet pup. I can’t help you with placing him, as I live in a distant state, but I’m pretty sure you or the agency you got him from will be able to find him a home — it might take a few Saturdays and Sundays at adoption day, but it will happen.

    @stuckinred:
    chocolate is the problem. I hope your pups make it.

    I’ve never fed my dogs people food — except when I cooked chicken, rice and veggies with cottage cheese when one had a tender stomach and when the Chinese poisoning of pet food happened.

    I never had chocolate in the house for them to get to either. Sorry that happened to you and hope your pups are ok.

  27. 27.

    bookcat

    Nice photo. Lovely dog, even lovelier lady. Good on you. Fostering is how I acquired Lupe, my Chihuahua mix. It was only supposed to be for a few days. Six years later…
    Do you think we could get Cole to pose with Lily? I’m dying to know what he looks like.

  28. 28.

    Jackie

    I had a basset who used to lie under the grape arbor and eat them off the vine. I have used them for years as a low cal treat for my dogs and they have all loved them and fortunately had no issue. My understanding is it’s an idiosyncratic thing and some dogs are fine and some aren’t and you never know. Thank all deities everywhere mine were OK and we have moved on to carrots.

  31. 31.

    bookcat

    @stuckinred:
    don’t beat yourself up. it’s obvious how much you care. we have all made mistakes with pets and children. it happens. they will likely pull through. i bet you won’t sleep much tonight, but try to rest. they’ll need you tomorrow for hugs and kisses. fingers crossed for you!

  35. 35.

    Johannes

    That’s wonderful, ABL. I have a scarily large group of once-feral kittehs, and they are a great source of joy to me and la Caterina. Many congrats to you both!

  36. 36.

    General Stuck

    @stuckinred:

    I have just recently given Charlie a very small piece of Milky Way bar, and did not know chocolate was bad for dogs. Now I do, some of us just don’t know as much as we should, I reckon. In my defense, I can be an expert idiot, when shove comes to push.

  38. 38.

    soonergrunt

    @stuckinred: And how is that the case?
    Did you know you weren’t supposed to give them that food, and then hand-fed it to them anyway?
    Or did you, like most people, not know that stuff can be bad for them, and so didn’t take any precautions that you didn’t know you needed to take?

    The dog I had as a kid, I gave him chocolate whenever I had any, I gave him cut up grapes whenever I had any. Hell, that dog probably cleaned my plate more often than I did growing up. He lasted 17 years, but when he did go, it was kidney failure that did him in, and he was in pain the last year. I don’t know that I contributed to that, or that he would’ve lasted longer–17 is a long time for any dog, but I never knew to wonder about it until the vet gave us that flier with this dog we have now.
    You make the best decision you can with the best information you’ve got and gut instinct you have. Just like raising kids. Normal people don’t set out to screw their kids up. It just happens. Same with dogs. Decent people don’t try to hurt their animals, but some dogs get sick from things other dogs would never notice.
    You noticed something was wrong and took them to the vet. Don’t beat yourself up.

  39. 39.

    MikeJ

    @General Stuck: I once left a pan of fudge up on my desk next to my computer where there was no way my dog Pablo could get to it. When my girlfriend, who made the fudge, and I came home and found no chocolate and a satisfied dog, Alison was piiiiiiiised, but I was just worried. I don’t think she ever forgave me. Of course she never forgave anything I ever did.

  40. 40.

    Ming

    Foster the Dog aka Mr. Kitten Mittens is adorable. And you are radiant! you’ve ruined my mental image of ABL!

  41. 41.

    stuckinred

    @soonergrunt: Well, I went to the store, bought the shit, went to the Y to workout and, instead of putting it in the cooler with all the other stuff I need to keep away from them, I put a fabric bag over the goods. I thought about it, went in to the Y. Thought that I should go back and didn’t. Thought about it the whole time I swam and didn’t. Then when I got back to the van I saw that they had gotten into it but it looked like nothing was opened so I just went on my merry way. Two hours later I started looking for the raisins and went back and found the empty container on the floor of the van. I realize that there is a bit of wiggle room here but not much. Chances are they are going to be ok but I have learned another valuable lesson.

  42. 42.

    junebug

    @stuckinred:

    Don’t feel badly. You got them there and I know you are searching the internets for answers. I’m pretty sure they will be ok. It’s going to cost you some coin, but that’s what we all bargain with when he take in these pups.

    I never thought that my Chow would get cancer and then go through some pretty expensive procedures and then have my vet say I didn’t have to give her heartworm treatment, and then have her live two years plus — still happy and vigorous and alive and spoiled.

    I think that BECAUSE I didn’t let them take off half of her jaw (where the tumor is) she is still with us.

    Hang tough.

  43. 43.

    wonkie

    Our dog spent some timeinthe doggie hospital when he ate all the Halloween candy.

    I hope your pups are OK. Please let us knjow!

  47. 47.

    Jman

    @stuckinred: We have grape vines in the back yard and our dogs are grass grazers. I have seen them go into the grape vines and snack on a few grapes. The vines don’t produce much because they are mostly in the shade. We also have rhododendrons that are also supposed to be poisonous but the dogs haven’t eated any that we know of.

    The young one has discovered groceries so now, after several brain fades, we only bring food into the car when the next stop is home or when one of us can guard the food. The little sh-t once got into the SU’s purse and ate two chocolate chip cookies from Subway. It didn’t appear to affect him but he is a very big high metabolism doodle dog.

    One of the dogs ate a bar of soap once and the spousal unit called poison control in a panic. The poor guy had runny poop for a while. We also found a long lost rusty Birkenstock buckle in the poop one time. We knew he ate a sandal once but we forgot about the buckle until years later when it suddenly appeared in the pooper scooper.

    Good luck with your puppies, I’m sure they will be alright. Our retrievers are always going to the vet for some strange or chronic condition. It is expensive but they are part of our family and we are part of their pack. We take care of each other.

  49. 49.

    Jon Wiesman

    My wife had a cocker spaniel named Oliver when we got married. A very sweet dog, but stupider than… think of something really stupid and put it here.

    Anyway, you don’t look very angry in that photo.

  50. 50.

    Tim

    OMG, ABL, you annoy me, but you are beautiful and I don’t mind saying so.

    The dog’s not bad either.

    Merry whatever!

  52. 52.

    junebug

    @stuckinred:

    Live and learn. My pups are now sleepy poopies and guard doggies.

    I love them, as I know you love yours. It’s something that connects us.

    My best to you and your pups. I know you are worried. I hope that my comments have comforted you.

    I don’t know. Pups are great. They can be stupid sometimes, but mostly they are great. I couldn’t live life without them.

  54. 54.

    Wiesman

    My wife had a cocker spaniel named Oliver when we got married. A very sweet dog, but stupider than… think of something really stupid and put it here.

    Anyway, you don’t look very angry in that photo.

    Also: FYWP

  57. 57.

    asiangrrlMN

    ABL, Mittens is so damn cute (and you’re damn hot yourself). Thank you thank you thank you for saving him. I think he and Nate Dogg will get along just fine. Oh, and I iz all offended because you didn’t mention the winter solstice. That is all.

    @stuckinred: Massive positive vibes to Bohdi and Little Bit. Don’t beat yourself up. You couldn’t know. Please keep us updated.

    @Yutsano: Hey, you. Last dawn o’clock day for you. Woot! We got a foot of snow where I live. I love it. I would love it less if I actually had to shovel it and if I had to drive in it, but as it is, I’m loving it hard.

    I second the adopt a rescue/stray. I have two, and they are the best cats in the world.

  58. 58.

    stuckinred

    @bookcat: The cocker is Lil Bit and the mutt is the Bohdisattva. Both rescues. Lil Bit has every malady known to cockerdom, anemia, eye surgery in both eyes, bladder stones, a bulging disc and constant scratching. . .and she is sweet as she can be. The Bohdi is great dog, listens well and chases the ball like a champ.

    The vet, like any medical person was pretty guarded, they’ll call if things go south. You know how it is, they can’t be too positive because they’d look bad if something really bad happens. They are getting fluid and had this charcoal drink that is THE thing for poison.

  59. 59.

    Angry Black Lady

    @stuckinred: no worries! all the dog people will descend on this thread with their good vibes. :)

    i knew about chocolate, i think i may have known about grapes, but i didn’t know they were that toxic. i hope your pups will be ok.

    nate dogg is a rescue too. he once ate an entire bag of reese’s miniatures. i freaked out. by the time i realized it, the vet said if nate hadn’t had a bad reaction already, he’d be fine.

    his poop was very sparkly the next day. little pieces of aluminum foil made for a festive dump!

  64. 64.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Angry Black Lady: Sparkly poop! And, winter exists whether you believe in it or not, you know. You can keep your 85. I have 9.5 degrees with a -6 windchill and a foot of snow. I haz a BIG happy.

    @stuckinred: Hell yeah. Love it. I was going to do some nekkid dancing if we actually got a foot, but then my sanity returned when I thought about all the important bits I might freeze off.

    ETA: I never heard that Rawls’ song before. I like it! And, damn. Really? No Vikes tomorrow? Too bad.

  67. 67.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Signed,Happy White Lady at the moment

    Wait, so are you temporarily happy or temporarily white or temporarily a lady?

  69. 69.

    Earl

    Get pet insurance. Try trupanion — they were recommended by my vet, but more importantly, my vet strongly disrecommended VPI.

    And… I don’t think you should be so critical of people who chose to buy a dog, especially from small breeders.

    We didn’t — we have a rescue corgi. I have scars on both wrists from where he repeatedly bit me day 6 because he was terrified of his kennel. That cost $1500 worth of private trainers in our house to deal with, and a ton of our time. He’s had his nose broken and it took almost 6 months before we could touch a shoe where he could see it without him flipping over on his back and whimpering.

    He’s had 7 teeth removed because they rotted while he was living in a dumpster behind a grocery for a year or so. His teeth get brushed every night because he doesn’t have many left.

    Corgis are a food *motivated* breed. He’s extra motivated, and has eaten, in no particular order, pieces of a seat belt, cat shit, used tampons, saran wrap + styrofoam from raw chicken, a ball, a peach (including pit), etc. The only thing he’s learned not to eat is the hydrogen peroxide we give him to make him throw up, and even then, he licked the spoon clean the first time.

    In the last 7 weeks, he has cost $11K in vet bills. First was a torn ACL — almost certainly a genetic defect — from playing catch with a ball. Five weeks after $3K and change in torn ACL repair, he burst a disc in his spine, most likely from being carried up and down the stairs to our house during the recovery period for the ACL. Also due to a congenital defect. He went from slight limp — we thought we were just overdoing rehab a bit and were going to back off — to major limp, to right rear leg paralyzed, to paralyzed from the waist down in 12 hours. We were lucky enough to get him to our vet asap and then straight to a veterinary neurologist, where we were told $6.5K + or we should put him down since he had no bowel or bladder control. We paid.

    We both love him dearly, but in the 3 years we’ve had him, Linus has averaged $600+ a month in vet bills. We finally bought insurance, though who knows if it will pay — I’ve had bad experiences with human insurance.

    What you get when you buy from a small breeder recommended by the breed association is: (1) a dog who was raised in a human family and who thinks all humans are awesome because every human he or she has met has been awesome; (2) genetic testing / examination for things like hip dysplacia and ivdd — and removal from breed lines if the animal is likely to have this; (3) health records and assurance that the animal received timely and appropriate health care throughout his or her life; (4) a lack of abuse and hence much lower likelihood of severe training issues.

    Like I said, we love our dog, but given our experience, I wouldn’t blame someone for going to a reputable breeder.

  72. 72.

    bookcat

    @stuckinred:
    I’m gonna paraphrase Junebug:
    Poopers, oh little poopers!

    I worked as a vet assistant years ago (Brutal job, but beautiful too.) I know what you mean about the vet being guarded. Being behind the scenes I became good and translating the Vet’s words and facial expressions. Vet’s are notoriously superstitious because animals will make fools of them one way or another. What amazed me the most was the resiliency of most animals.
    You would not believe what some animals survived. Seriously. One of the funnier ones was a dachshund who ate a whole package of dinner rolls larger than his body and was so overstuffed he was found burping, moaning, pooping and farting in a bloated heap on the floor. Oh wait, that was MY dachshund….heh.

  73. 73.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Hey, you. Last dawn o’clock day for you. Woot!

    Monday I am DONE with this early morning shite. I just need to readjust the commute (the buses run but not as often) then I’m pretty much set. That and I have the hotel for the holiday bought and paid for. Things are setting up semi-decently right now.

    We got a foot of snow where I live. I love it.

    ME WANT DAMMIT!! All we’ve had is the Thanksgiving storm that STILL didn’t cancel work. Awesome.

  74. 74.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Angry Black Lady: Yes, I am, indeed. And, I would still drive with the windows down (if I weren’t snowed in).

    @Yutsano: Woooooot wooooot! Yippee! And, do you have company for said paid hotel?

    Some cities actually got twenty inches of snow. Biggest snow storm since the Halloween blizzard of ’91. Only problem is, I’m running out of chocolate. Gasp!

  81. 81.

    WyldPirate

    @stuckinred:

    hope your dogs are ok, stuckinred.

    ABL, that was awfully nice of you to save the pup. He’s a handsome fellow. I hope he finds (or has already found) a good home.

  84. 84.

    Jman

    ABL: Still sounding for a name? We always try to think of a single syllable, something easy to say. How about Goldie? It is very creative, no?

  87. 87.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: It’s a king-sized bed and I shall haz my computer as well. Kitteh will mind the front at home, so I may turn on the fire for her unless the weather says it’ll stay fairly warm. So unless Santa brings me a Peyton or a Dawg for Christmas it’ll be me by my lonesome.

  89. 89.

    Kristine

    @Earl: I will say, though, that friends who are breeders and/or have bought from breeders have wound up with dogs that are just as much trouble in the medical department. One friend’s beagle turned out to be afflicted with allergies to just about everything. If friend wasn’t so conscientious, beagle wouldn’t have survived puppyhood.

    And back/shoulder issues with Corgis are common–they’re dwarf GSDs, essentially, hence structural problems–as are issues like Cushing’s disease. You take your chances with a shelter pet, but sometimes purebreds aren’t much better.

    ABL! Cute puppy!

  92. 92.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: Why you going to a hotel? And, if you get me Alan Rickman, I will get you Peyton Hillis.

    @Carnacki: I hear you. Seeing an animal that’s been rescued really cheers me up. There is just something so joyous about them.

  93. 93.

    Carnacki

    @Christin: I know. I love the pet stories. I was feeling down because of a purity troll at my site accusing me of being bought off despite the fact we’ve been pounding on Joe Manchin for ages. But a good pet story always cheers me back up.

  94. 94.

    Jman

    @stuckinred: I can’t even bear to think about anything bad happening to my dogs. I can imagine how anxious you must be having to wait until tomorrow. I never pass up the chance to give my dogs great big arms-around-the-neck hugs. Two dogs make for stereo hugs. I’ll bet your puppies get some big hugs tomorrow!

  95. 95.

    Earl

    @Kristine:
    Yeah, any dog is a crap shoot medical wise, but you can shift the probability if you go to a good breeder.

    Anyway, I hit enter too soon on my earlier post; this is Linus:
    I hit enter too soon:

    linus:
    http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad93/Danceswithcorgis/linuspro2.jpg
    http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad93/Danceswithcorgis/linus4.jpg

    chasing the dragon 12 hours post op
    http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad93/Danceswithcorgis/surg3.jpg

    incision:
    http://i925.photobucket.com/albums/ad93/Danceswithcorgis/surg7.jpg

    and happier times:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JRN57IsLDw&feature=player_embedded

  96. 96.

    burnspbesq

    @Angry Black Lady:

    Hey! I didn’t realize you were a homey. Somehow I got the impression you were from the 310.

    Good on ya for fostering. Tough gig; I couldn’t handle the emotional roller-coaster.

    All of our dogs have been rescues. The woman who runs the Pyr rescue up in Devore is a saint in my book. There’s also a very active Lab rescue in SoCal.

  97. 97.

    hamletta

    @asiangrrlMN: If you sang “O Holy Night,” you must be good. It’s the most beautiful Christmas song I know.

    Go sing somewhere! Don’t hide that light under a bushel!

  98. 98.

    asiangrrlMN

    @hamletta: Thanks, girl. I’m OK. I am a double alto, so my range is a bit low for soloing. But, people complimented me, so I must have done all right.

    OT: I wonder what game I’m going to get tomorrow since the Vikes have been postponed. And, I wonder if I can survive a day without chocolate?

  99. 99.

    Yutsano

    @Kristine: She was toast the instant she agreed to take the puppeh home. We’ll be hearing many more tales of Joe the Cocker in the future I expect.

    And yeah, that picture doesn’t strike me as angry. But I also know bettah than to question things like this.

    @asiangrrlMN: Making it easy on the housing front for everyone. My parents have three bedrooms, my grandfather occupies one, and the other will most likely be taken by my older brother. So I’ll just have my own little compartment in a hotel and snooze there.

    I have to see who the Browns are playing tomorrow.

    EDIT: Beefalo. This could get interesting, especially since Peyton had an off week last week.

  100. 100.

    WyldPirate

    @Angry Black Lady:

    I’ll take the pipe if it has some of the good Cali ooey-gooey green in it! Tobacky, not so much…puff-puff pass…

    Puppies and kindness are good love-fest generators, I think. good karma. ;)

  101. 101.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: Oh, I got it. You’re going home for the hollies. Of course. By the way if SOMEONE would get on Facebook, then SOMEONE ELSE would really appreciate it. Harrumph.

    So, the Browns are now your team, eh? You are fickle (like I’m one to talk. The Steelers are my second fave team because of Troy Polamalu and the black unis).

    @hamletta: You’re a tenor? That’s awesome. And, yeah, I agree that it’s probably the hardest section to staff. How kind of you to help out the section leader (section).

  102. 102.

    hamletta

    @asiangrrlMN: I sing tenor. It’s hard to find tenors, even in a Lutheran church, despite the fact that everybody belts out the hymns.

    I joined the choir because the section leader was the section and he looked kinda lonely.

    It makes me really happy to make music with other people.

  103. 103.

    Chuck Butcher

    You people quit wishing for snow, if it misses you and hits me again before I get this damn roof done I’m gonna … shit I don’t know, cry.

    ABL, lovely lady and good dog, cool. My Gus won’t fit on anybody’s lap, ever.

  105. 105.

    Mnemosyne

    @asiangrrlMN:

    You forgot the Eric Cartman version. ;-)

    My cat Keaton has seriously endangered his kidneys more than once (lilies are VERY dangerous to cats!) but he’s come through with flying colors each time, so I’m pretty optimistic about stuckinred’s puppehs. Prompt treatment is key and it sounds like they got it, so they’re ahead of the game. Now it’s just waiting, unfortunately.

  106. 106.

    Yutsano

    @asiangrrlMN: Yeah yeah yeah I didn’t do jack today and I know it. I’ll just have to do a shit ton of stuff tomorrow, including roasting a bumch of garlic (not hard) and making a salmon spread (pretty simple) and maybe snag some Thai food along the way.

    I will always and forever love the Seachickens. So it’s similar to you and the Stillers.

  108. 108.

    Dee Loralei

    ABL, congrats on Joe the Cocker. Well, at least for rescuing the poor guy. I had a cocker when I was in college. His name was Scooter. He had all of the common illnesses associated with the breed, even his own opthamologist. ( Luckily my parents kept him after we moved back home one summer, I could never have afforded his 4 inch thick medical file.) He was a sweet boy and a good dog who was a wee bit insane also. And just about the dumbest thing to ever breathe on its own. His head was often in danger of implosion. But he was cute as anything and amusing as hell. And like many a youngster roaming a University town, he did love the booze.

    So good on you for saving him! And lady, you are gawjuss. And you don’t look angry at all.

    StuckinRed, I hope your dear doggies are ok.

  110. 110.

    Darkrose

    Yeah, okay, the dog’s cute and all, but I’ll just be over here thinking, “DAMN, ABL IS HOT!” Just saying.

  111. 111.

    Chuck Butcher

    @asiangrrlMN: Don’t get me wrong, I live on the 45th parallel at 3500 ft elv so being allergic to snow would be bad. I just want to get this thing done and go home and more snow will slow things to a crawl again.

    I’ve worked outdoors most of my life and other than a couple years in N CA in places well north and snowy. WI west of Milwaukee is one cold SOB and snowy for outdoor work. Ah well, I could’a wound up a mechanical engineer…

  114. 114.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Chuck Butcher: Yeah, I hear you. If you get snow like we got snow before you get your roof done…NOT GOOD.

    @ruemara: You just cracked me up hard. I think it should be HallowThanksHanukKwanChrisTiceNewYeValen’s Day!

    @Darkrose: Woot woot! And we both think ABL is hawt. And, the dog is cute. Are you me? And, second alto, not double alto. Duh!

    ETA: Me, too–on the missing singing thing.

  115. 115.

    burnspbesq

    I’m reallllllllllllllly looking forward to the Airing of Grievances on this blog. That should be epic.

    My only major grievances right now are: Guantanamo is still open, and there are only seven more episodes before Friday Night Lights goes away for good. I’m sure I’ll think of others between now and the 23rd.

  116. 116.

    Yutsano

    @ruemara:

    ChrisHanaRamaKwanzStice

    I dare you to say that ten times fast. On egg nog. The good old fashioned spiked kind.

    @asiangrrlMN: The roasted garlic and salmon thingie is for work. There shall also be crostini, I’m aiming for ease of portability. That and I’m cleaning out the fridge tomorrow.

  117. 117.

    burnspbesq

    One more grievance: the manual for the radio in my new car is longer than the Internal Revenue Code and harder to understand.

  119. 119.

    Restrung

    quickie chiming in on this massive MN snow dump- Drifts in my back yard are up to my chest. (fence) Today was the first day since February that I haven’t driven my car. Tomorrow will be the second. I might be riding the bus for a week, but I’ll be able to walk to it. Is it true that people get nicer when this shit happens? Seems to be.

  121. 121.

    Yutsano

    @burnspbesq: You’re only in trouble if the manual contradicts itself in the same paragraph. Then you’re really ungestuppt.

    @asiangrrlMN: Treble on the missing singing. I’m a little afraid of finding a choir around here and being accused of being a ringer. There is the Seattle Gay Men’s Chorus, but there’s really only so many show tunes I can sing before my brain will kill itself in protest.

  125. 125.

    Triassic Sands

    Daniel Nathaniel Spaniel.

    O Danny Boy. Or Natty Dread (almost dead — lucky you).

    ABL that can’t be a photo of you — where the hell’s the Angry?

  128. 128.

    Yutsano

    @burnspbesq: The 30th? Okay…but at least it’s not very far from my house. A bit of a strange venue if the church is where I think it is.

    @asiangrrlMN: It’s a been there done that sort of thing for me. Plus I freely admit I like singing some of the more classical stuff.

  133. 133.

    MTiffany

    Seriously. Don’t buy a dog. Don’t make me come over there. I will cut you. And then I’ll sing that “In the Arms of the Angels” song until you lose your mind.

    Seriously, I think I’m in love.

  136. 136.

    Steeplejack

    Night shift (sort of) checking in. I left it all on the field this week, dealing Christmakwanzakkah retail therapy to my fellow Americans. Got home a couple of hours ago; catching up on Balloon Juice threads and starting my much deserved weekend with a heavy dose of alcohol therapy. Didn’t see an open thread, so I thought I would crash in here. Carry on.

    Steep +3

  137. 137.

    burnspbesq

    Over 113,000 people showed up for a college hockey game on Saturday. No, not the whole schedule. One game. Michigan vs. Michigan State at the Big House. Wow.

  138. 138.

    Anne Laurie

    @Earl: __

    Like I said, we love our dog, but given our experience, I wouldn’t blame someone for going to a reputable breeder.

    I will second this. Our three current dogs are all rescues, and none of them have been less expensive than the “pet quality” and retired-from-the-showring pedigreed dogs we’ve owned. There is NO shame in wanting a dog that fits one’s particular needs, and sometimes that means wanting not just a certain breed but a certain genetic background.

    I would refine ABL’s slogan to “Don’t buy from a pet store (or Craigslist, or an internet site that advertises ‘dozens of breeds’ or worst still, ‘designer mixes’).” If you have educated yourself, or have the experience, to know that your perfect life companion matches the checklist for a specific breed, you know enough to find a reputable breeder and wait patiently for “your” dog.

    Of course, bless the internetz, there are now regional and national groups for almost every breed of dog or cat imaginable. Two of our current three came to us from Papillon breed rescue groups, the third via Petfinder. All three of them have “issues”, most of which we knew about in advance & decided we could cope with. If you just want a nice companion animal, it’s more than possible to find The Perfect Dog among the hundreds of thousands of “discards” in shelters and rescues — look at John Cole and his Lily.

    P.S. Earl, next time you need to get the hydrogen peroxide into your voracious darling, friends of mine with ‘indescriminate eaters’ have had good success soaking a bagel or hunk of bread & letting them gulp it down.

  141. 141.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Angry Black Lady: I hate you. I am not clicking on that link again. Kiss kiss! (And, had I done nekkid outdoor in the snow dancing, I would be frozen to something).

    ETA: Pepcid AC just sounds so…wrong.

    @Steeplejack: I was wondering where you were. Glad to see you alive if not completely well. Carry on!

    @Anne Laurie: I stand firm behind rescue/shelter animals. Although, to be fair, my boys were not ferals or strays. They were born in captivity to a stray pregnant cat. They are perfect for me, though, and I can’t imagine life without them.

  142. 142.

    burnspbesq

    @Angry Black Lady:

    i’m not really that angry.

    I was thinking about you today while watching the Duke game. The dumbest State Farm car insurance commercial in the history of the universe was shown repeatedly. Every stupid stereotype known to white folks in the advertising industry about relationships between black men and black women, all in 30 seconds. I was visualizing the top blowing off your head after you watched it.

    http://www.wisdomismisery.com/?p=1889

  143. 143.

    Yutsano

    @Angry Black Lady: They sell it like that in the store. Well, a pale imitation of the real thing anyway. If you make a batch of the old timey Merry Olde England nog though it better have rum in it. And nutmeg. Freshly grated nutmeg.

    And contraltos rule the universe. That is all.

    @asiangrrlMN: I have two kinds of mustard in my fridge, one is indeed Dijon. And I won’t go out of my way to buy arugula, but if I’m getting lettuce almost always it’s romaine.

    @Anne Laurie: Minor minor bone to pick with you: thanks to your influence I’ve been addicted to watching Twin Spica. Damn good story I must say.

  144. 144.

    Mnemosyne

    We finally put up our plastic Christmas tree (we were afraid to do it last year with so many young cats in the house) and all three of them have spent the night competing over who gets to sit under it. Charlotte and Annie just spent a few minutes swatting at each other, but Annie stood her ground.

    Tomorrow, we may try to put lights on it! And if that goes well, possibly some unbreakable ornaments! Right now, it’s just sitting there nekkid.

  145. 145.

    Mnemosyne

    @Angry Black Lady:

    My dad will sit at the kitchen table and drink eggnog by the tumblerful, unspiked. 16 or 24 ounces at a time, like it was Four Loko or something. G was grossed out when he first saw it and is still a little horrified every year.

  146. 146.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Mnemosyne: Pictures, please.

    @Yutsano: I have Dijon as well (also a horse radish mustard). I eat spinach more so than lettuce, so I guess that makes me reeeeeally elitist.

    And, my fave Joe Cocker song in honor of ABL’s new puppeh.

    ETA: Four Loko now cracks me up every time I just see that name.

  147. 147.

    Yutsano

    @Mnemosyne: That sounds exactly like my mom. As soon as we see it in the store we let her know so she can go and buy a carton of it. It will stay in the house until the store’s supply is exhausted. And yeah you can have some, but if the carton empties and you don’t get more…duck.

    @asiangrrlMN: Spinach is rather European, so I think you’re right there. Although a Thai place up here makes a dish of chicken and vegetables sitting on a bed of sauteed spinach. Nom.

  149. 149.

    Anne Laurie

    @stuckinred: A positive thought to hang onto: Mammals (humans & cats as well as dogs) can survive for quite a long time with as little as 10%-15% kidney function. Especially since the “prescription” kidney pet diets available have improved enormously in the last decade or so. Even if Bohdi and/or Lil-Bit have reduced renal function (and here’s hoping you caught the problem early enough that they don’t) it’s not necessarily a death sentence.

  150. 150.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Yutsano: I love spinach. Not as much as I love Valencia oranges, though.

    @freelancer: GAH! Nightmare-inducing! By the way, I watched one quarter of the Duke game. BORING. I do not like to see a team winning by twenty at the half.

    Tea also rocks my world.

    Update Eleven-Billionty and One: Alan Rickman. Also.

    Update Infinity and Beyond: I might have to give up chocolate because of my migraines. If this is the case, I will have to poke somebody with my rusty pitchfork. It’s inevitable.

  151. 151.

    Steeplejack

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Fucked-up schedule this week. Been lurking some, never in the right groove to comment.

    Back to straight late shift next week: 3:00 p.m.-close (11:00 to 11:30) Tuesday-Saturday. Haven’t had that in a while. May be back in full night-owl mode with you and Yutsy.

  152. 152.

    Mike Kay (Team America)

    Palin is running for president.

    Up to this moment I never thought palin would run simply because she’s incredibly lazy, because she was so stressed out during the 08 campaign that her hair fell out, and because it would mean giving up her lucrative wingnut welfare gigs (after all she’s so greedy, she looted Neiman Marcus during the campaign).

    But today she went to Haiti for a big photo op, towing a Fixxed News film crew. Laughingly, she billed the stunt as a “humanitarian visit”, but unlike Mother Teresa she dragged along a make-up artist and hair stylist.

    In political terms, she’s box office poison, so much so that Nancy Pelosi will likely return to the Speaker’s chair in two years. But she’s so grating in so many ways it just hard to put up with her, even if there is a payoff.

    It’s like when your girlfriend drags you to a horrid julia roberts chick flick – sure ya gonna get laid at the end of the night, but it’s such an unbearable experience that you just want to hang yourself.

  153. 153.

    Anne Laurie

    @Angry Black Lady: __

    are you implying there are people who drink the nog sans spike? why? why would someone do that!?

    Some of us just like milk fats combined with sugar. Heck, I’d probably drink less of the spiked variety, since I’ve been careful not to cultivate a taste for alcohol.

  154. 154.

    Mnemosyne

    @asiangrrlMN:

    No pictures yet, but I will post on an evening open thread when I have some. I think I have some old ones of Keaton when he was a kitten, but they’re on my other computer. He used to like to run full-tilt into the tree and ride it down to the ground. This is why the tree is now lashed to a table that’s held down with weights.

    (The tree’s only 3 or 4 feet tall, so knocking it over isn’t as impressive as it first sounds.)

  155. 155.

    Steeplejack

    I’m out. Have apparently lost my late-night mojo. Hopefully only temporarily. See y’all on the flip.

  156. 156.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Steeplejack: Ah, yes. The fucked-up schedule leading to the fucked-up sleeping. Well, I’ve missed you, so I hope you can join Yutsy and me soon.

    @Mike Kay (Team America): Except for your last paragraph, I agree completely with you (it’s never worth it to see a chick flick). I don’t want Palin running. I don’t care how good she is for the Democrats. She is just wrong for the country. However, I do think she’ll quit sometime during the campaign–it’s actual work, and she won’t be coddled and shielded the way she was during the 2008 campaign. She won’t be able to handle it.

    @Mnemosyne: Aw, I would like to see that. Don’t tell your other kitties, but I’ve taken quite a shine to Keaton.

  158. 158.

    Mnemosyne

    @asiangrrlMN:

    Everyone loves Keaton best, including the other two cats, because he is teh awesome. People at G’s office are constantly asking for the new Keaton stories. We were very lucky the day he decided to reach out of his cage at the pet rescue event and go, “Hey, hey you! C’mere. I wanna talk to you.”

    Though I could do without his pounding on the bedroom door at 5 am demanding that we play with him.

  159. 159.

    asiangrrlMN

    @Mnemosyne: Ha! My boys yowl outside my bedroom door, but it’s OK because I sleep with a white noise machine and ear plugs. Trick is on them!

    @Catsy: Take a number and get in line!

    All right. I’m outie. See y’all on the flip side.

  161. 161.

    Mrs. Polly

    Things Mr. Dog ate:

    *Bag of birdseed (went through, looked like Lebanese pastries)
    *Concert pianist’s lucky silk socks (no ill effects, except on the socks)
    *1 pound bag of M&Ms left in my mother’s camera case (she’s That Way about chocolate)–discovered at end of weekend, no discernible ill effects
    *12 Combat baits, bought under the misimpression that they would be safer than other forms of eternal NYC bug-war (oral hydrogen peroxide on advice of vet, regurgitation of most baits, trip to Animal Medical Center with unhappy cabbie, 400 dollars in the 90’s.)
    *2 pound canister Sunkist raisins, not discovered until appalling thing with rug, and sleuthing, both inductive and deductive. No other discernible ill-effects.

    Mr. Dog was a 75 lb Shepherd-Husky, and anyone who is considering living with a smart dog should buy the child-safe locks now. No, combo Master locks. And don’t let him see you opening them. And check the paws, because I think they have a retractable opposable thumb.

    stuckinred, I’m sure they’ll do OK! We humans let down our guard, despite our best efforts. Dogs NEVER let up on the grand pursuit for food. NEVER.

    @ABL: your Joe the Cocker and the impossibility of trolling someone who can type so Angry and photograph so Not is turning your trolls to smurfs. A triumph.

  162. 162.

    Angry Black Lady

    @Anne Laurie: i cosign that refinement!

    that’s actually what i meant — puppy mills and the like are the debil. also, if you look around, you can often find a certain breed in the shelters. nate dogg is full cocker (he’s an awesome black cock!) with his full tail. apparently that’s rare. i didn’t know anything about all of that. all i knew is that he was packed into a cage with a bunch of other dogs, and when the other ones settled down, nate walked up slowly and licked my hand. that’s all it took!

    this dog is already following me around and has made himself right at home. he even bogarted nate dogg’s bed, and nate is ok with it. guh, so cute!

    +seventy-eleven = Agreeable Black Lady

  163. 163.

    freelancer

    @Angry Black Lady:

    +seventy-eleven = Agreeable Black Lady

    Just don’t visit Arizona anytime soon. They’d never approve the appropriate organ transplants to treat that. Fucking Death Panels, how do they work?!

    ETA: This White guy who resembles Rachel Maddow also concludes that you’re so totally hawt.

  166. 166.

    WereBear (itouch)

    @stuckinred: So glad to hear!

    In mid Sep a friend found a three week old kitten in a field, we fostered him until last week when he turned three months old and could go to another home.

    Only we adore him and will be keeping him. The risk you run…

  167. 167.

    Carol

    @Angry Black Lady: I do, no longer allowed alcohol anyway. But I used to put whipped cream in mine for a richer taste, plus marischino cherries.

    No snow around here yet, but the “Great White Death” is expected later today. Just 1-3, but with winds gusting at 35 mph, it will feel like zero. I’m putting plastic up to my windows for the first time, because the insulated windows aren’t all that they are cracked up to be, and I don’t want to plug in my little space heater if I can help it. For once, December is actually living up to the hype. Round here, snow comes 2 days after Christmas-usually. I don’t know why.

    Up doing two Christmas tree skirts. This year I have a longing for homemade elements to my holiday instead of all commercial. I plan to make old fashioned paper chains with glitter to go with the garlands as well, and yarn garlands as well.

  168. 168.

    R-Jud

    My house smells like burned cat hair.
    This is because Quinn, the cat of very little brain, decided to park her chilly rump in front of the space heater I use in our unfinished extension. I’m sitting there writing my sister a letter, and suddenly notice smoke.

    Quinn, who’s smouldering, looks at me: what? What’s wrong?

    On the plus side, she doesn’t appear to be actually burned, although her coat is well-singed all along one side.

  169. 169.

    JPL

    @Carol: I volunteer at a community charity. They have a clothes closet and food bank. The other day a gal purchased a few wedding gowns to use the trains for tree skirts. I imagine that they’d be beautiful but it seemed like such a waste of a beautiful dress.

    R-Jud, Your story made me laugh when the appropriate response should have been poor kitty. I’m glad Quinn is okay.

  172. 172.

    Luci

    This is a wonderful post and the comments are wonderful too! Pet rescue stories always get me teared up!

    @ABL… you do NOT look old or tired at all, and in fact, you and the dog both look great!

    @R-Jud My Mom has had cats who like to sit on her stove and warm themselves in the morning while she cooks coffee there. Many of them have spent whole winters with singed fur when they get too close to a burner, and they never seem to be harmed, and they do not stop getting up their either. We learned to love the smell of singed cat hair in the morning. ;)

  173. 173.

    Josie

    @ABL – Bless you for taking in the beautiful Joe the Cocker. You and he both look so pretty in the picture. Santa not so much.

    @stuckinred: I will think good thoughts for Little Bit and Bohdi today. I know how difficult the waiting for the phone call can be.

  175. 175.

    Odie Hugh Manatee

    You ever think of changing your nym to ABBL?

    That’s Angry Beautiful Black Lady if you are wondering… :)

    That’s a darn nice lookin’ doggie there but Santa looks like he’s just doin’ his job…lol! If they paid him better he’d probably look happier.

    Like the rest of us…lol!

  176. 176.

    Maody

    @stuckinred: also late, and hoping pups are okie dokie. No news is good news we hope.

    This old white gal also notices ABL’s total beauty.

    Good morning all. My ma’s dog ate a whole box of chocolate candy one time [never stole food before] and could have died had it not been for massive chocolate projectile vomiting off the side of her bed in the middle of the night followed by 24 hours of diarrhea. Sorry to all of you eating breakfast while indulging in BJ.

    The WORST thing for cats are onions, they say… My cat Mao Mao eats garlic chives that are in my garden all the time sans bad effect. Go figure.

    I can’t wait for Festivus. Airing Of Grievances around here will be fun to read.

  177. 177.

    Brian S (formerly Incertus)

    The longer the name the better. One of our cats is named Romanadvoratrelundar, Companion to the Doctor, Lord President of Gallifrey. Romana for short. Moh-mee for shorter.

    And before you give me shit for that name, realize that my mother named the miniature schnauzer we had as kids Baron von Spears. I think I did pretty well.

  179. 179.

    Maody

    @arguingwithsignposts: true dat. i’ve read BJ ever since my sister phoebesmother turned me on to y’all and just starting posting from my easy chair not so long ago because y’all were so snarky and SMART too. who doesn’t want to be part of smart?

    Festivus has got to be one of the best ideas ever hatched on Seinfeld. I heart George.

  182. 182.

    Rekster

    Don’t make me come over there. I will cut you. And then I’ll sing that “In the Arms of the Angels” song until you lose your mind.

    Please, anything but that. That song and those pictures and this time of the year and I will be standing on the ledge ready to jump.

  183. 183.

    Lily the Pink

    I like just “Joe Cocker,” because he truly did get by with a little help from his friends.

  184. 184.

    gogol's wife

    @stuckinred:

    I’m really late to this thread, but good luck with the dogs, and don’t blame yourself. We all have things like this happen no matter how much we love them and care for them.

    Congratulations, ABL! You and the dog are a beautiful sight.

  187. 187.

    W. Kiernan

    You are not going to be able to carry off this “angry” business of yours when you go around publishing pictures of your face with that totally charming smile on it. Everybody will be all “LBL” (“lovely”) instead. Grit your teeth. Frown!

  188. 188.

    Darkrose

    @Angry Black Lady: My dad and godfather used to make something based on a recipe from Esquire, called “Blend and Bend”. By the 1990’s, my mom and her best friend had to ask my godfather to cut back on the “Bending” part, because they were all on so much medication that they couldn’t handle all the booze.

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