Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let’s finish the job.

The words do not have to be perfect.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Come on, media. you have one job. start doing it.

Damn right I heard that as a threat.

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Not so fun when the rabbit gets the gun, is it?

The arc of history bends toward the same old fuckery.

Battle won, war still ongoing.

I’m pretty sure there’s only one Jack Smith.

The poor and middle-class pay taxes, the rich pay accountants, the wealthy pay politicians.

Despite his magical powers, I don’t think Trump is thinking this through, to be honest.

Too often we hand the biggest microphones to the cynics and the critics who delight in declaring failure.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

Happy indictment week to all who celebrate!

Wow, I can’t imagine what it was like to comment in morse code.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

When I decide to be condescending, you won’t have to dream up a fantasy about it.

Wow, you are pre-disappointed. How surprising.

Sitting here in limbo waiting for the dice to roll

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

You are here: Home / John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House" / Busy Busy Busy

Busy Busy Busy

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As I noted elsewhere, I spent much of the day walking around my house unpacking boxes while yelling “WHO BOUGHT ALL THIS SHIT,” but that didn’t stop me from picking up a couple more things when I went out for coffee, to check the mail, and hit the bank. Stopped at a little flea market and picked up a bench and basket for the bathroom:

Also picked up this lamp because it was frivolous and fun and only 20 bucks, and I am going to put in the lavender room where anything goes BECAUSE IT IS MY FUCKING HOUSE AND MY RULES:

IN other news, the animals all have their own breakfast nook now that Steve’s climber is in place:

Here’s a bonus picture of Rosie, who is in good spirits like her dad because the weather is cold but dry and our shoulders and hips are not hurting. We like it when it is dry and sunny, us old folks do:

What is going down this Saturday evening?

Reader Interactions

67Comments

  2. 2.

    Big R

    Dissertation prospectus: in adviser’s hands.
    NSF proposal: submitted.
    Committee: convened.

    Next steps are out of my hands.

  4. 4.

    Mnemosyne

    I know we all tease you about your love of pink but, seriously, it’s a sign that you’re very secure with your masculinity and don’t give a shit what people think about your image, which are two very good traits for an adult man to have.

  5. 5.

    Yarrow

    Rosie! Who’s a good girl? Rosie is! (Post needs more Lily, though. She’s my favorite. Shhh…don’t tell Rosie.)

    I love lamp!

  8. 8.

    debit

    Rosie!! I love her so much. Back when you were having trouble with her and kicked her out of bed and into a kennel I was unreasonably upset on her behalf. But you sorted everything out and it’s obvious that she knows you love her. Give her a scritch from me.

  11. 11.

    mai naem mobile

    I usually don’t like fru fru stuff like that lamp but that’s a kool looking lamp. Is Alec Baldwin doing SNL tonight or is it next week?

  12. 12.

    Yarrow

    Out of curiosity, do the pets have any problems with the stairs? You mentioned Rosie’s shoulders and hips. Is she okay to go upstairs?

  13. 13.

    MelissaM

    Is Rosie healthy? Just askin’ cause she looks lumpy in that pic, tho those could be fatty tumors. The hips, I mean. Yer a good animal man, Cole!

  17. 17.

    Honus

    I like the cold weather too. Hell, I like the snow. I’m old but I like the change of seasons. I have no desire to go to Florida to escape the winter. It will get warm in a few months and in the meantime, even at my age there are still few things more magical than waking up to a blanket of snow, or going outside in a blizzard.

  18. 18.

    Kristine

    I like that lamp.

    Just got back from an all-day Sierra Club post-election meeting. Brad Schneider (D), my new US Rep, stopped by for a quick Q&A. I will be getting involved in state-level lobbying over the next few months.

    I learned that Bruce Rauner, our billionaire Republican governor, used to donate generously to the Sierra Club until he became involved in politics. I guess not giving a shit about the environment really is an entry-level requirement even if you can afford to finance your own campaign.

  19. 19.

    khead

    That thing….that thing hanging from the door. It has levels.

    The levels. They hold Steve? And the bowl? Without collapsing or swaying so Steve doesn’t freak out and the bowl doesn’t spill?

    Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

  21. 21.

    Marge

    I’ve been lurking here for years. Started back when you were a republican. It was a good place to get links to both sides. Was so happy when you saw the light (no not that lamp, although i do like it). I remember when you got Rosie. As a dog lover that made me very happy. I am considerably older than you and almost feel like you are one of my kids. Even tho we’ve never met we are good friends. Love what you did with the house, the dogs, and Steve. If i were a younger woman i think i’d come looking for you.

  26. 26.

    opiejeanne

    Cute lampshade. I have its cousin in teal, in my purple guest bedroom, because it’s my house and my rules.

    I’m so happy for you. I really am.
    The first picture is when we had just moved a bed and a card table and two chairs into this house, in 2010. We had painted every room and the floors were in, but there were no moldings around the doors or windows.
    Our Maine coon, Tommy is in the first. We lost him a few months later.
    Purple guest room
    Purple guest room now

  29. 29.

    Patricia Kayden

    @Aleta: Just noticed the power tool in the background of Rosie’s photo and am now laughing hard. Who is trying to kill John Cole?

    @Roger Moore: Ha! That’s a neat way to put things.

  31. 31.

    mkd

    Love the purple lamp shade. OT, my English Nana was a lovely, little (4 foot 8 inches in all directions) box of sweetness, who, once told she looked good in purple, wore it EVERY DAY OF HER LONG LIFE. I keep the color always somewhere in my life in honor of her.

  33. 33.

    laura

    What a happy Lil Doggie that Rosie is!
    Your stuff looks good and you’ll never regret getting that bathroom bench!
    I’m walking the picket line in Gustine from noon to six and listening to In The Garden of Beasts on recommendation of one of the jackals. It chronicles the rise of Hitler and the family of the U.S. Ambassador.
    Past is prologue.
    That and the Professional Left podcast with Drift glass and Blue Gal makes this monotonous work bearable.

    So how do.the creatures like the new digs?

  34. 34.

    Ian

    Lavender room! Lavender! That room is pink good sir! I take my glove off and slap you with it, you colour blind newt!

  35. 35.

    SiubhanDuinne

    Love the lamp, love Steve’s climbing shelves, love Rosie. You are making a terrific house, John — scratch that, you are making a HOME.

    And you’re goddamn right. Your house, your rules, and don’t let anybody tell you different.

  36. 36.

    Jim, Foolish Literalist

    “WHO BOUGHT ALL THIS SHIT,”

    Heh. I’ve been trying to de-clutter and throw shit away, and I ask/shout that to myself quite frequently.

    I’m not having a lot of success because 1) it’s really fucking boring and 2) apparently I have a hoarder’s instinct, I can convince myself “I might need that someday” with just about anything

  37. 37.

    ruemara

    I really enjoy your nest building posts. I’m applying now for an affordable housing lottery and it’s fun to consider myself in your position.

  40. 40.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    Is it Cole’s comments about getting old that is causing the ad software to show me “Prostate Early Warning Signs”?

    Pages with a lot of Tr**p seem to get Russian-bride ads. Been that way since the primaries.

  41. 41.

    Yarrow

    @John Cole: Glad all the critters are okay with stairs. Was picturing one of those stair-lift things for old people, but for pets.

    Speaking of which, I knew someone who had an elevator put in her townhouse so her elderly dog could go up and down between floors. Really. Her husband was a plastic surgeon, so they had plenty of money.

  42. 42.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    We’ve been having a de-cluttering weekend. My wife is a lot more ruthless with her stuff than I am. And now she’s become enamored of a book called “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”. The author’s ideal sounds like one of those rooms that has one chair and nothing else.

    Our piles for charity giveaway are several huge boxes of stuff from her and one shirt and a paperback from me.

  44. 44.

    Ruckus

    @Roger Moore:

    It’s not the years; it’s the miles.

    Either way he hasn’t gone all that far. I’ve gone farther and for longer and my mileage isn’t all that. Others here put me to shame.
    Now he does seem to fall down a lot more than I have, I’ll give you that.

  45. 45.

    Iowa Old Lady

    Glad to see the pets are settling in.

    Mr IOL just came in here with a cruise ad and read the title to me: “Gems of the Danube.” What I heard was “Gyms of the Danube.” Worst cruise ever.

  48. 48.

    Jude

    John, I love your home and I love your damn lamp and I love that you had a little fun because all our shoulders are heavy with what we know we need to shove away from shitting on our Constitution, not only T but afterwords his creepster VP. Don’t be mad at me for being sweet to you. Today’s my day for adding something nice to the world so ya just gotta fucking deal. :-p

  51. 51.

    Anne Laurie

    @Yarrow:

    Speaking of which, I knew someone who had an elevator put in her townhouse so her elderly dog could go up and down between floors. Really. Her husband was a plastic surgeon, so they had plenty of money.

    One reason we stick to small dogs is because we live in a multiple-split, and we’re too old to carry a dog larger than 20lbs up & down stairs all day.

    Our 15-year-old Zevon is now on Metacam for his hips — we can tell it’s working, because if we don’t refill his prescription in time he has trouble standing up — so the day is approaching when the bend/hoist/climb will once again be part of my regular workout…

  53. 53.

    Pogonip

    @efgoldman: During the blizzard of ’78, only the bars were open. I remember walking to one of same on snow as high as the tops of evergreen bushes in the yards we passed.

    Nothing stops bars from opening. During the invasion of Rome in WW II, everything was closed up and silent in the van of the invading soldiers–except le taverne.

  54. 54.

    middlelee

    I LOVE the lamp and can’t wait to see it in the lavender room.

    Actually, I can’t wait to see the whole house after you get truly moved in and have your boxes unpacked. You are such a nester and that is so great.

  55. 55.

    Mnemosyne

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym:

    Okay, but I can tell you from experience that the KonMari way of folding shirts to put them in a drawer in nothing short of fucking magical. If you take nothing else away from that book, do that and your life will be infinitely easier.

    @schrodingers_cat:

    I always assume the weird eeeewwww, pink! reflex is not just an American thing, but a white American thing. I bet that Things White People Like blog has a post on it.

  56. 56.

    Mnemosyne

    @Pogonip:

    It’s not blocking the door, it’s attached to the door. I’m surprised it supports Steve’s weight, frankly — that type always seemed to wobbly for our cats.

  58. 58.

    Honus

    @efgoldman: I forget, where are you ef? Or more pertinently, where were you in ’78? I was in Virginia, and the winters of 76-77 and 77-78 were legendary. In West Virginia, the Ohio river froze from bank to bank for the first time in decades in 77. Heating oil had gone to something like 1.75 a gallon, and the oil companies wouldn’t come out unless you bought like 200 gallons, and since I made $5/hr as a carpenter in DC (take home was 160 a week, if you got 40 hours in, which wasn’t often because the weather was so bad we seldom got in a whole week) I didn’t have three or four hundred dollars for oil. I’d buy a five gallon can of diesel on the way home from work and pour it in the tank, which would run the furnace overnight. Those were the days.

  60. 60.

    Juju

    I miss having a dog.

    Also, I don’t know if it’s the angle the picture was taken, but that shade looks too big for the lamp.

    Are you letting your inner seven year old girl out? If you are that’s kind of cute.

  66. 66.

    J R in WV

    @Honus:

    We lived in Charleston for the 77-78 blizzard, had a Toyota FJ40 and could actually drive around. The snow was so deep that the parking meters just did emerge from the snow on the city streets. They had to use front-end loaders and dump trucks to (very slowly) clear the streets, a regular snow plow couldn’t push the snow at all, much less throw it out of the street.

    Then the winter of 78-79 we were out in the country, in a house with no insulation and no central heat, just little gas fires in each room. Our boots would be frozen to the floor in the mornings. I got a wood stove, ran the pipe out the window and up the side of the house, that was so much better!!

    Then in the mid 90s, we got a good snow, not a blizzard, but arctic air, it was around -30F and the gas froze off, but we were in the new house, and by evening, when the gas company guys got gas running again, it had only cooled down to about 55 inside, so, sweet! I do like a snow storm, when I’m in a snug, well-insulated house, with a wood stove and a big pile of cured firewood!

  67. 67.

    Snarkworth, short-fingered Bulgarian

    Where’s the stepladder? The stepladder was in so many of the earlier pictures I thought you’d married it.

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