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

House Update

by John Cole|  February 23, 201710:02 pm| 185 Comments

This post is in: John Cole Presents "This Fucking Old House"

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Thought I would share some of the lovely pictures that the lady friend took of the dining room and kitchen after she spent a significant amount of time organizing and hanging pictures and forcing me to throw out and give away a lot of stuff. She’s got a lot of talent:

I’m picking up a corner cupboard off craiglist on the other side of Pittsburgh, and we picked out a 9’x 7′ rug.

For my part, I ordered this for her as a thank you:

Finally, as a bonus, here’s our boy Walter cleaning his bestest friend’s ears:

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Reader Interactions

185Comments

  1. 1.

    Olivia

    February 23, 2017 at 10:05 pm

    Just beautiful! And thanks so much for the bonus Walter video!

  2. 2.

    Major Major Major Major

    February 23, 2017 at 10:05 pm

    Wow!

    What a dorky shirt!

  3. 3.

    Gin & Tonic

    February 23, 2017 at 10:06 pm

    Looks like she’s a keeper, Cole. The house, too.

  4. 4.

    humboldtblue

    February 23, 2017 at 10:07 pm

    Only thing missing from the new digs is — Baud

    Cole got a girlfriend.

    Getthefuckouttahere.

  5. 5.

    BGinCHI

    February 23, 2017 at 10:07 pm

    Looks really good, John.

    Farmhouse sink looks fab. Hope it holds up.

    You getting some rugs?

  6. 6.

    debit

    February 23, 2017 at 10:07 pm

    Your house is beautiful, John.

  7. 7.

    Spanky

    February 23, 2017 at 10:08 pm

    Uh-ohhhhh. House becomes a home.

  8. 8.

    TriassicSands

    February 23, 2017 at 10:09 pm

    Walter is the noisiest ear licker I’ve ever heard.

    “And having had enough she leaves the room.” (With a quart of Walter saliva on her head.)

  9. 9.

    laura

    February 23, 2017 at 10:10 pm

    And that is how a house becomes a home.
    Well played good Sir, Well Played!

  10. 10.

    debbie

    February 23, 2017 at 10:11 pm

    Are the window shades inside the windows?

  11. 11.

    Jane2

    February 23, 2017 at 10:14 pm

    Looks fabulous — the floors are gorgeous!

  12. 12.

    rikyrah

    February 23, 2017 at 10:17 pm

    1. Your house is beautiful .
    2. Thanks for the Walter video??

  13. 13.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 23, 2017 at 10:18 pm

    Don’t anybody take this the wrong way, but John, I love you so hard. Your lady friend is delightful and has good taste. And your house is beautiful.

  14. 14.

    Gemina13

    February 23, 2017 at 10:19 pm

    Wow. Lady Friend has admirable taste, and your house looks beautiful. Thanks, also, for that video of Walter.

  15. 15.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 23, 2017 at 10:20 pm

    I don’t understand the shirt, but assume it has something to do with some gamer thing or something.

  16. 16.

    Feebog

    February 23, 2017 at 10:21 pm

    Nice house, nice pics, and great video of Walter. Thanks JC.

  17. 17.

    tofubo

    February 23, 2017 at 10:21 pm

    hella jealous on the unpainted wood (we have the same 9″ tall baseboard trim all around our house), that someone in their infinite wisdom thought it best to scour w/steel wool to allow the paint to better gain purchase way back when

    we tried to strip, then stopped, then decided to repaint, alas; at least the floors, stairs, and hand rail are original and unpainted, house is 101 years old this year

  18. 18.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 23, 2017 at 10:21 pm

    @John Cole:

    She’s got a lot of talent.

    And apparently she knows how to turn on a goddamn light. Great pictures!

  19. 19.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    February 23, 2017 at 10:24 pm

    “… and forcing me to throw out and give away a lot of stuff. She’s got a lot of talent”

    I assume that “talent” refers to the decorating and not to the “getting you to get rid of stuff” part. But I guess it could apply to either. Or both.

  20. 20.

    Major Major Major Major

    February 23, 2017 at 10:25 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne: it’s dungeons and dragons for “I’m with stupid.”

  21. 21.

    JSinLA

    February 23, 2017 at 10:26 pm

    I may be wrong, but that first sentence would very much seem to be from someone in love.

  22. 22.

    Anne Laurie

    February 23, 2017 at 10:28 pm

    Excellent choices, John. (Well, I’m not sure about the shirt, but as long as Ladyfriend likes it!)

  23. 23.

    MomSense

    February 23, 2017 at 10:29 pm

    Home looks wonderful and that you have found someone (a human!) to share it with makes it even better.

    Thanks for the Walter video. I love seeing him so happy in his home with his family.

  24. 24.

    karen marie

    February 23, 2017 at 10:31 pm

    Yay you! Gorgeous dining table. Love the long dropleaf too.

    Wonderful to see Walter is enjoying himself as much as you’re enjoying his rejuvenated former home.

  25. 25.

    mai naem mobile

    February 23, 2017 at 10:32 pm

    House looks awesome. Pics are awesome. Niagara lady is apparently awesome.

  26. 26.

    Aleta

    February 23, 2017 at 10:34 pm

    Wow.
    The transformative power of love.
    What a magical house it is now. Those windows.

  27. 27.

    Lizzy L

    February 23, 2017 at 10:35 pm

    Beautiful house, John.

  28. 28.

    greennotGreen

    February 23, 2017 at 10:38 pm

    @Steeplejack (tablet): Yes, these are the first pictures of the new house that don’t look like the entire house is in a cave. John, can you make her official BJ photographer?

  29. 29.

    whozit

    February 23, 2017 at 10:38 pm

    So very, very happy for you, John. And I truly hope that it is a “fucking house” even if it is old.

  30. 30.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 23, 2017 at 10:39 pm

    @mai naem mobile:

    Niagara lady is apparently awesome.

    Didn’t we all agree her name is “Twitter Lady”? But either way, yes she is awesome.

  31. 31.

    CaseyL

    February 23, 2017 at 10:42 pm

    I can’t get over the transformation of the house. It looks so “homey” now I could die. Those floors, so shiny, make me think of that old dish detergent ad: “I can see my face in it!” Your ladyfriend has an excellent eye: the rooms look elegant, yet still comfy.

    And bonus Walter video!!! He looks very good for an old guy with serious health problems. I think Ellie enjoyed the tongue bath. What an adorable pair. I’m not the praying type, but I can and do hope my little heart out that Walter beats the odds. Again, that is; he’s already beat the odds a multiplicity of times.

    …just re-read your post, and noticed that your lady took the photos, not you. Hmm. When does she start photographing the critters? It’d be terrific to see Lily, Rosie, Steve, and Thurston properly lit, and in full focus for once.

  32. 32.

    seaboogie

    February 23, 2017 at 10:42 pm

    Thank you John G and debit! I was just thinking about Walter on my way home a wee bit ago. He not only cleaned Ellie’s ears, but dealt with any eye-boogies too! Who’s a good boy? Who’s a good boy?

    John, clearly you needed a woman’s touch (ahem!) – in your home – it’s really gorgeous, and She is quite lovely too. If you don’t care to share your sweetie’s name just yet, perhaps you might upgrade her to “my” (meaning your) ladyfriend, v “the” ladyfriend. Clearly, she has earned that.

    I haz a happy for you and ladyfriend and Walter and debit! Good thing you cleaned out the inherited pr0n and box of dildoes before your new squeeze decided to tackle the basement.

  33. 33.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 23, 2017 at 10:43 pm

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    Int 3 = low-level, “human-like” intelligence in Dungeons & Dragons. “I’m with stupid,” as M^4 said.

  34. 34.

    The Fat Kate Middleton

    February 23, 2017 at 10:43 pm

    You’re home is just magic, John. I remember those first photos well – I never thought this could be accomplished in a matter of a few months!

  35. 35.

    jl

    February 23, 2017 at 10:44 pm

    I’m boycotting Cole house pics unless there’s pets or pretty ladies in them.

  36. 36.

    Major Major Major Major

    February 23, 2017 at 10:47 pm

    @Steeplejack (tablet): I think 3 is the minimum to have, like, a sense of self. 9 is average for human player characters.

    Or was when I was growing up, get off my lawn.

  37. 37.

    RandomMonster

    February 23, 2017 at 10:49 pm

    I’m liking Domesticated Cole.

    As much as we may all wish for a day when wild Coles can run free, sometimes you just have to accept that an aging Cole will be more happy living out his days in a safe, domesticated environment.

  38. 38.

    jl

    February 23, 2017 at 10:49 pm

    @Steeplejack (tablet): As long as Cole’s girlfriend gets to wear it, I guess Cole will be happy.

    Edit: I thought at first Cole got it for himself. Didn’t seem to fit.

  39. 39.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2017 at 10:49 pm

    House looks great. I do not understand the shirt.

  40. 40.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 23, 2017 at 10:51 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:
    @Steeplejack (tablet):

    Thanks to both. Figured it was something like that, and just confirmed with a young(ish) gamer(ish) friend.

  41. 41.

    geg6

    February 23, 2017 at 10:51 pm

    She did good. But it’s Walter and Ellie FTW.

  42. 42.

    jl

    February 23, 2017 at 10:51 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Not reading the comments before commenting is TREASON against BJ blog. TREASON, I say!

    Edit: Off with his head!

  43. 43.

    Lyrebird

    February 23, 2017 at 10:52 pm

    Hooray!

    Lighting upgrade, friend is still your friend after all of our silly remarks last night, and (from previous thread) lamh has a new job, YESSSS!!

  44. 44.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 23, 2017 at 10:53 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:

    “Human-like” <> “human.” Sort of implies a crude simulacrum.

  45. 45.

    Major Major Major Major

    February 23, 2017 at 10:57 pm

    @Steeplejack (tablet): I was adding information, not trying to contradict.

    But do I have some stories about < > vs !=…

  46. 46.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2017 at 10:57 pm

    @jl: How long are we going to go on with the treason thing? I have conceded on multiple threads. Legally, I was correct. Socially, not so much.

  47. 47.

    seaboogie

    February 23, 2017 at 10:59 pm

    John,

    Just a minor quibble, but if you you move the sideboard over to the right just a few inches so that it is centered on the wall, and move the picture so that it is centered on the sideboard and down just a couple of inches with the bottom of the pic at the same level as the bottom picture on the adjacent wall, it will look more centered, fully take it’s place in the room, and there will be more “context” with all of the elements.

    I used to be in the art business and have hung many, many pictures; I also do retail merchandising – often a slight tweak and a couple of inches one way or another can make a significant difference in something being “just right”, and gives a sense of harmony.

    That drop leaf table is so gorgeous, and perfect where you’ve placed it!

  48. 48.

    danielx

    February 23, 2017 at 11:01 pm

    House looks great; the significant other clearly has a better idea of staging and decor than Cole (or me). Seeing Walter did my heart more good though.

  49. 49.

    Singing Truth to Power

    February 23, 2017 at 11:01 pm

    Lovely and serene and balanced. Thinking back to the first photos, and the one of your poor scraped up leg – your hard work (and $$) revealed a gem. Live long and prosper!

  50. 50.

    PsiFighter37

    February 23, 2017 at 11:01 pm

    WAIT A SECOND. THERE’S A LADY FRIEND INVOLVED!!!!!!!

    When did this happen? I have been around the blog less recently, but seriously. Cole has a non-platonic relationship with someone besides his pets?

    PF37 +5

  51. 51.

    jl

    February 23, 2017 at 11:01 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Oh, Sorry. I missed the litigation in the comments. I been skipping whole threads of comments.
    I’m on your (former) side by the way. I don’t understand what is wrong with words like ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ or just ‘crimes’.

    So… I had some grilled Lake Whitefish yesterday. It was good.

  52. 52.

    Mobil RoonieRoo

    February 23, 2017 at 11:03 pm

    The lady friend is winning with every post. Thank you and debit for the Walter video. I can go to sleep with positive thoughts and images in my head.

  53. 53.

    Scamp Dog

    February 23, 2017 at 11:03 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: I thought it was 10.5, the average for the sum of 3 six-sided dice. Or am I mis-remembering the rules for rolling up characters?

  54. 54.

    different-church-lady

    February 23, 2017 at 11:03 pm

    I… uh…

    I’m speechless.

  55. 55.

    Larryb

    February 23, 2017 at 11:05 pm

    @Steeplejack (tablet): INT 3 is also a low-level interrupt in a code debugger: “I’m with absolutely non-functional?”. Guess I’m the wrong kind of nerd for this one.

  56. 56.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2017 at 11:06 pm

    @Larryb: It’s okay. I didn’t get that one either.

  57. 57.

    Kristine

    February 23, 2017 at 11:09 pm

    Gorgeous woodwork, and I’m a white kitchen fan. You have yourself a lovely place. Thumbs up for ladyfriend, too. She seems very cool.

    So glad to see happy Walter, too.

  58. 58.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2017 at 11:09 pm

    @jl: it was a thing earlier this week. I went full metal pedant.

  59. 59.

    Major Major Major Major

    February 23, 2017 at 11:10 pm

    @Scamp Dog: for a point buy you start at 9.

  60. 60.

    frosty

    February 23, 2017 at 11:10 pm

    @PsiFighter37: About 2 days ago in a post titled (IIRC) “On a Personal Note”

  61. 61.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2017 at 11:10 pm

    @Kristine:

    She seems very cool.

    We need to know about her taste in music and music-related art.

  62. 62.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 23, 2017 at 11:13 pm

    @seaboogie:

    Genius! Agreed.

  63. 63.

    Gin & Tonic

    February 23, 2017 at 11:15 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: Why no love for non-music-related art?

  64. 64.

    Scamp Dog

    February 23, 2017 at 11:17 pm

    @Major Major Major Major: Thanks!

  65. 65.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2017 at 11:17 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: I await her judgment on the troll-painted Dead portrait.

  66. 66.

    scott alloway

    February 23, 2017 at 11:19 pm

    It’s a beautiful home. Well done, sir.

  67. 67.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 23, 2017 at 11:19 pm

    @PsiFighter37:

    Try to keep up: “On a Personal Note,” “In Addition to the Number of Women in the Niagara Falls Area.”

  68. 68.

    Mnemosyne

    February 23, 2017 at 11:20 pm

    I am currently in a domestic spat with G. He keeps turning the heat off because our gas bill is high, and I keep turning it back on because 65 degrees indoors is too fucking cold for me.

    I’m fine with turning the heat off during the day since we’re in Southern California and not Minnesota, but FFS let me be warm at night!

    It didn’t help that something in the HVAC at work broke and the office was between 60 and 64 degrees for two days, which is technically illegal under CA labor law (I looked it up between shivers).

    And don’t give me any of that haw haw that’s shorts weather where I live! BS. Next time it’s 60 degrees in the winter, go sit at a picnic table in the shade for 8 hours and tell me you were perfectly warm the whole time.

    /Mnemo gets cranky when she’s cold, which is why she lives in fucking Southern California to begin with

  69. 69.

    Gin & Tonic

    February 23, 2017 at 11:21 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus: With any luck, that didn’t make the move. Or else it’s in a box in the basement.

  70. 70.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2017 at 11:23 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: That was really my point. Fucking awful.

  71. 71.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2017 at 11:24 pm

    @Mnemosyne: I leave windows open at night until temps are below 40 or so.

  72. 72.

    Davebo

    February 23, 2017 at 11:27 pm

    Still lot’s of wall space! Just an idea, you can find some incredible prints on Amazon.

  73. 73.

    seaboogie

    February 23, 2017 at 11:28 pm

    @Gin & Tonic:

    With any luck, that didn’t make the move. Or else it’s in a box in the basement.

    In a box labelled “Dildoes”, perhaps?

  74. 74.

    Lyrebird

    February 23, 2017 at 11:28 pm

    @Mnemosyne: I hope you get to be warm and cozy soon, truly!

    I do think people vary on this… I have numerous family members that like setting their house thermostats at 57, and at 60-63, my kid won’t wear a shirt inside. I just buy base-layer clothes meant for base-camp adventures in Kathmandu and wear them to walk three blocks. Or to keep the house at 60.

  75. 75.

    Gin & Tonic

    February 23, 2017 at 11:29 pm

    @seaboogie: Does it take an “e” for the plural?

  76. 76.

    Villago Delenda Est

    February 23, 2017 at 11:30 pm

    The woman can take photographs. GREAT photographs. With proper exposure so that they’re clear and bright!

    Don’t let her get away, John!

  77. 77.

    Lyrebird

    February 23, 2017 at 11:31 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: I don’t think so, but we should definitely ask Mike Pence!

    Good grief, the day has come when I look back fondly on having Dan Quayle represent our nation.

  78. 78.

    Gin & Tonic

    February 23, 2017 at 11:31 pm

    @Lyrebird: I had a friend in NH who built his own house. Heated with wood, natch, but the master bedroom was upstairs, kind of a loft space. Sometimes in winter, when he woke up in the morning the glass of water he’d left on the night table had a skin of ice on it.

  79. 79.

    Villago Delenda Est

    February 23, 2017 at 11:31 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    How long are we going to go on with the treason thing?

    Until the end of time.

    It’s an internet thing, ya know.

  80. 80.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2017 at 11:32 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est: Leg.

  81. 81.

    satby

    February 23, 2017 at 11:33 pm

    The house is lovely John, and you and Walter are happy. This is good.

  82. 82.

    Lyrebird

    February 23, 2017 at 11:34 pm

    @Gin & Tonic: If he’d been a Mainer he’d break that ice layer and swim in the basin, right? (yes joking… but when I taught in New England, it was mostly the Maine students who’d be in shorts when daytime temps went above 40.)

  83. 83.

    Villago Delenda Est

    February 23, 2017 at 11:34 pm

    I might add that your house reminds me of this Fleetwood Mac video

  84. 84.

    Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA

    February 23, 2017 at 11:35 pm

    This makes me happy. The house, Twitter Lady, Walter, all of it.

  85. 85.

    danielx

    February 23, 2017 at 11:39 pm

    It’s all good, but soon I will become reminiscent for one rousing “I hate you all” post.

  86. 86.

    Villago Delenda Est

    February 23, 2017 at 11:41 pm

    @danielx: I have just the thing to tide you over.

  87. 87.

    efgoldman

    February 23, 2017 at 11:44 pm

    @Mnemosyne:

    Next time it’s 60 degrees in the winter, go sit at a picnic table

    It was 70 in our back yard (North of Providence) today, 75 in DC, but warming is a hoax, so I guess it was a mass hallucination.

  88. 88.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2017 at 11:49 pm

    @efgoldman: Right, it really isn’t a CA and FL vs the north thing. 69 degrees in WI in February is fucked up. The fact that blizzard may occur overnight and tomorrow ain’t normal.

  89. 89.

    Steve in the ATL

    February 23, 2017 at 11:49 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    House looks great. I do not understand the shirt.

    Same. And having read the explanation of the shirt, I feel pretty good about not getting the joke.

  90. 90.

    Mnemosyne

    February 23, 2017 at 11:49 pm

    @efgoldman:

    I can live with 70, even at the office. The legal workplace minimum in CA is 68 degrees. Even if you work someplace that needs to be colder (like a meat locker or an artwork vault), the employer has to provide a place to warm up that is at least 68 degrees. The bathrooms have to be kept at a minimum of 68 as well.

    61 degrees while sitting at a desk is … not fun.

  91. 91.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2017 at 11:51 pm

    @Steve in the ATL: So do I.

  92. 92.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2017 at 11:52 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Have you heard of a sweater?

  93. 93.

    Sab

    February 23, 2017 at 11:54 pm

    @Mnemosyne: Wuss. I’m in Ohio and we keep it at 55 so the dogs have thick fur for outside. Not working too well this week with outside temp nearly 70.

  94. 94.

    Mnemosyne

    February 23, 2017 at 11:55 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Do you do it while sitting at a desk in work clothes, or do you have some nice cozy blankets and comforters covering you?

    @Lyrebird:

    I was keeping it together until the HVAC breaking at work thing. Then I had to be cold at home AND at work with no relief. It sucked.

    He is at work right now and I cranked the thermostat to 72. Ha!

  95. 95.

    danielx

    February 23, 2017 at 11:56 pm

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

  96. 96.

    Mnemosyne

    February 23, 2017 at 11:57 pm

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    I was wearing long underwear at work, and I was STILL cold.

    (BTW, the Champion duo-layer thermal shirts are quite cozy. Wool blend on the outside, cotton lining on the inside so they’re not itchy.)

  97. 97.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 23, 2017 at 11:59 pm

    @Mnemosyne: You read what I wrote. Did I say that I advocate Scroogely cold offices? No. I expressed a personal choice. It merely differed from yours. I have no interest in moving to CA.

  98. 98.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 24, 2017 at 12:00 am

    @jl:

    I don’t understand what is wrong with words like ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ or just ‘crimes’.

    Mainly because “None Dare Call It High Crimes and Misdemeanors” fails to speak the speech trippingly on the tongue.

  99. 99.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2017 at 12:01 am

    @SiubhanDuinne: Let it be.

  100. 100.

    mr. whipple

    February 24, 2017 at 12:02 am

    Granite countertops! Alert Malkin!

  101. 101.

    efgoldman

    February 24, 2017 at 12:03 am

    @Mnemosyne:

    61 degrees while sitting at a desk is … not fun.

    At least you can wear extra garments.
    Sitting in the can? Not so much.

  102. 102.

    danielx

    February 24, 2017 at 12:03 am

    @Mnemosyne:

    My brother works at a place where, during part of his day, he wears three pairs of socks plus insulated boots…regular warmups are a necessity. He says it’s worth it.

    Stagberry Salame….mmmmmm.

  103. 103.

    Mnemosyne

    February 24, 2017 at 12:05 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    It’s all about the context. Being under cozy blankets at home is different than trying to type while at the office. At least they finally managed to get back up to the legal minimum temperature this morning.

    @efgoldman:

    Hence the legal minimum temperature requirements for employee restrooms in California.

  104. 104.

    Sab

    February 24, 2017 at 12:07 am

    @Sab: OK . I relent. My office is business casual. I can wear wool socks, wool slacks and a wool jacket to work. REI sells some great warm lightweight wool socks you can wear with street shoes. I do remember (not fondly) my working youth when I had to wear short skirts , panty hose and little leather pumps in underheated offices when it was below zero outside and pretty damn cold inside.And the men were all trotting around in worsted wool suits while we froze.

  105. 105.

    tobie

    February 24, 2017 at 12:08 am

    Beautiful house. Love the exposed woodwork in the doors and windows! Thanks to all who provided explanations of the t-shirt. I would never have guessed what the slogan means.

  106. 106.

    seaboogie

    February 24, 2017 at 12:09 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): Yep. Hey Steep – you got some tunes for us tonight? Maybe Aleta is lurking…it’s not late night, but we could all use something wonderful this eve…

    Actually been a pretty great day for me, but a little cherry on this Thursdae would be lovely…

  107. 107.

    trollhattan

    February 24, 2017 at 12:09 am

    O/T but holee fuck.

    Kim Jong-nam, the half-brother of North Korea’s leader, was killed by a highly toxic nerve agent, says Malaysia.Mr Kim died last week after two women accosted him briefly in a check-in hall at a Kuala Lumpur airport.Malaysian toxicology reports indicate he was attacked using “VX nerve agent”, which is classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the United Nations.

    VX is the stuff of nightmares (recall Saddam’s?).

    p.s. Nice house, good bones.

  108. 108.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2017 at 12:10 am

    @Mnemosyne: Okay. But my original comment was about your home temp.

  109. 109.

    SiubhanDuinne

    February 24, 2017 at 12:11 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Noted.

  110. 110.

    Aleta

    February 24, 2017 at 12:11 am

    @Gin & Tonic: Used to have to choose: get up in the middle of the night to add wood, or wake up to a freezing house and a nearly dead stove. It was better to get up.

  111. 111.

    seaboogie

    February 24, 2017 at 12:13 am

    @Mnemosyne: @Steeplejack (tablet):

    Okay – I’ll start – let’s heat things up a bit....

  112. 112.

    Mnemosyne

    February 24, 2017 at 12:14 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Like I said, I was holding it together about the home temperature until the office temperature went kablooey and suddenly I had to be cold all frickin’ day long.

  113. 113.

    efgoldman

    February 24, 2017 at 12:14 am

    @Sab:

    I do remember (not fondly) my working youth when I had to wear short skirts , panty hose and little leather pumps in underheated offices when it was below zero outside

    It’s 40+ years since mrs efg graduated high school, and she still complains about having to wait for the bus, before the sun came up, in winter weather, in a short skirt.

  114. 114.

    Aleta

    February 24, 2017 at 12:15 am

    @seaboogie: Very nice of you to include me, but S’jack is the maestro at finding the best stuff at the right time for each person. I think of him as the BJ DJ.

  115. 115.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2017 at 12:16 am

    @Aleta: My grandfather always got up and started the wood stove so that the cabin was warm when we woke up,

  116. 116.

    ? Martin

    February 24, 2017 at 12:18 am

    Gotta credit Bannon with trying the anti-Semitism dogwhistle at CPAC in Trump’s name. He knows Trump is too fucking stupid to hear it, even when it’s explained to him. Reince probably too. But the room heard it just fine.

  117. 117.

    efgoldman

    February 24, 2017 at 12:21 am

    @Mnemosyne:

    I was holding it together about the home temperature until the office temperature went kablooey and suddenly I had to be cold all frickin’ day long.

    Seriously, I give you crap because you rise to the bait (I never had a little sister to tease).
    When I was younger, I was one of those guys who enjoyed walking to school with no outerwear as long as it was above 40 or so. Now that I’m old and decrepit, my failing kidneys cause pretty sever anemia, which means I’m always cold and tired. I keep the house a good three to five degrees warmer than I used to, and wear heavy, insulated flannel shirts. I really do sympathize.

    Won’t the mouse issue you company blankets with his picture on them?

  118. 118.

    seaboogie

    February 24, 2017 at 12:22 am

    @Aleta: Me too – SJ as the BJ DJ…My musical knowledge started with the Partridge Family, and now David Cassidy has dementia…we (and especially me) can all use all the help we can get.

    Good to find you here, Sister…

  119. 119.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 24, 2017 at 12:23 am

    @seaboogie:

    Theme for our evolving Trump judicial system: Leslie Dudek, “Old Judge Jones.”

  120. 120.

    Mnemosyne

    February 24, 2017 at 12:23 am

    G just got home and admitted that it got a little too cold last night without the heat on.

    HA! I WIN!!

    ETA: Fixed, because of FY autocorrect.

  121. 121.

    stinger

    February 24, 2017 at 12:23 am

    @Gin & Tonic: He says she made him throw some stuff out. Fingers crossed!

  122. 122.

    seaboogie

    February 24, 2017 at 12:24 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: That is a really nice memory – thank you for sharing it.

  123. 123.

    Sab

    February 24, 2017 at 12:25 am

    I had no idea Lily was so large. She’s a medium sized dog! I thought she was slightly larger than a chihuahua (Sic? I have no idea how to spell that. Awkward, since it’s the name of a state in a countrybon our southern border.)

  124. 124.

    Aleta

    February 24, 2017 at 12:26 am

    @seaboogie: likewise

  125. 125.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2017 at 12:28 am

    @seaboogie: He also made breakfast. It was the only time he ever did it. He was born in 1903.

  126. 126.

    seaboogie

    February 24, 2017 at 12:29 am

    @Mnemosyne: How did I miss the obvious…?

  127. 127.

    Calming Influence

    February 24, 2017 at 12:30 am

    She took the “house” pictures. And yet, with so many animals in the house, there no animals in the “house” pictures. Why are the animals scared of her, John? Maybe they know something!

    She is not your friend, John. We are your friends.

  128. 128.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 24, 2017 at 12:31 am

    Nice remake of a classic: Paul Carrack and Eric Clapton, “How Long.”

  129. 129.

    seaboogie

    February 24, 2017 at 12:32 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: What did he make for breakfast?

  130. 130.

    Sab

    February 24, 2017 at 12:32 am

    @efgoldman: Wow . No thanks for the reminder. I was thinking about life in an office. I had completely forgotten about waiting for a bus in a miniskirt and rubber gogo boots. I would get to school with my feet blue. I grew up in Florida and did not know this was not normal. But you guys were in RI so maybe it was normal in the north.

  131. 131.

    stinger

    February 24, 2017 at 12:33 am

    Love all that dark wood — tables, chairs, storage pieces, doors, window frames — against the light-colored walls. And the lamps! Did your friend make those? Really nice, and they make the place sparkle. I’d like to see a close-up of the lamps.

  132. 132.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2017 at 12:34 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): I am off Clapton.

  133. 133.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2017 at 12:36 am

    @seaboogie: Fried eggs, fish, and potatoes.

  134. 134.

    seaboogie

    February 24, 2017 at 12:36 am

    @Calming Influence: Nah – Lily is totally on board with ladyfriend, and that’s the only thing that counts. Happily, John has more than one armpit to share. And that’s one of the things that I love about this quality Top 10,000 blog – that we can discuss Walter’s poop, and who nestles in Coles armpits. We are a class act – all the way, baby….

  135. 135.

    Aleta

    February 24, 2017 at 12:39 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: Where was the cabin?

  136. 136.

    seaboogie

    February 24, 2017 at 12:39 am

    @Omnes Omnibus: Scandanoovian? Fish is the Nordic bacon.

  137. 137.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 24, 2017 at 12:40 am

    @seaboogie:

    Bad link fixed: “Popsicle Toes.”

  138. 138.

    Aleta

    February 24, 2017 at 12:42 am

    @seaboogie: @Omnes Omnibus: Did you ever read the Steinbeck story Breakfast ?

  139. 139.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 24, 2017 at 12:42 am

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Is he a Trumpnik?

  140. 140.

    Sab

    February 24, 2017 at 12:43 am

    @stinger: I agree

  141. 141.

    seaboogie

    February 24, 2017 at 12:44 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): Thank ye, kindly….

  142. 142.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 24, 2017 at 12:46 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet):

    Yardbirds (sans Clapton), “Heart Full of Soul.”

  143. 143.

    Omnes Omnibus

    February 24, 2017 at 12:48 am

    @Aleta: Northern WI..

  144. 144.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 24, 2017 at 12:49 am

    People, “I Love You.”

  145. 145.

    Aleta

    February 24, 2017 at 12:50 am

    @Calming Influence: She is not your friend, John. We are your friends.
    HAL?

  146. 146.

    Mnemosyne

    February 24, 2017 at 12:50 am

    Also, too, I’ve been married long enough to know that I can only take a victory lap here, because spiking the ball in front of one’s spouse is not a recipe for a happy relationship.

  147. 147.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 24, 2017 at 12:50 am

    @Aleta:

    No. Will check the PDF later.

  148. 148.

    PIGL

    February 24, 2017 at 12:50 am

    Sure is strange how things can turn themselves around.

    Very happy for you , John.

  149. 149.

    Calming Influence

    February 24, 2017 at 12:53 am

    @seaboogie:
    Oh sure, everything’s just peachy right now! But just wait until SHE decides us older commenters are a drag on this TOP 10,000 blog, and John should really get newer shinier commenters! You’ll be singin a different tune,so don’t come whinin’ to me then…

  150. 150.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 24, 2017 at 12:54 am

    For Omnes in an alternate time stream: the Troggs, “Love Is All Around.”

  151. 151.

    seaboogie

    February 24, 2017 at 12:54 am

    @Aleta: @Omnes Omnibus:

    Did you ever read the Steinbeck story Breakfast ?

    Aleta, that is so beautiful, and thank you for sharing it.

    Omnes, I imagine how wonderful it felt as a lad to have your grandad lighting the fire and making the breakfast in that cabin in such a care-taking way. Thank you both.

  152. 152.

    Aleta

    February 24, 2017 at 12:56 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): It’s pure pleasure to listen to all of these. Thanks.

    Must try for sleep soon.

  153. 153.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 24, 2017 at 1:03 am

    For Cole and his special lady: Robert Palmer, “You Overwhelm Me.”

  154. 154.

    Calming Influence

    February 24, 2017 at 1:05 am

    @Aleta: No, IBM.

  155. 155.

    Mnemosyne

    February 24, 2017 at 1:06 am

    @Calming Influence:

    You can’t fool us. We all know how this ends, you big lug.

  156. 156.

    Aleta

    February 24, 2017 at 1:10 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): Wow, perfect. I love the openings on these songs tonight.

  157. 157.

    Calming Influence

    February 24, 2017 at 1:13 am

    @Mnemosyne: I bet you say that to all the psychotic AIs.

  158. 158.

    efgoldman

    February 24, 2017 at 1:15 am

    @Sab:

    But you guys were in RI so maybe it was normal in the north.

    Actually it was a Southern exurb of Boston (for her, not me). We moved to RI 15 years ago, when my job moved out of Boston.

  159. 159.

    seaboogie

    February 24, 2017 at 1:16 am

    @Mnemosyne: Way to bring The Mouse, Mnem….!

  160. 160.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 24, 2017 at 1:16 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet):

    Or maybe Todd Rundgren, “I Saw the Light.”

  161. 161.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 24, 2017 at 1:19 am

    @Aleta:

    Then you’ll like this: “Give Me an Inch.”

  162. 162.

    Mnemosyne

    February 24, 2017 at 1:20 am

    @seaboogie:

    Hey, I’ve gotta do something to make up for all the time I waste at work. ?

  163. 163.

    seaboogie

    February 24, 2017 at 1:21 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): Can’t hear this – especially in this season – without channeling “Love Actually”. But fun to hear the original.

  164. 164.

    Steeplejack (tablet)

    February 24, 2017 at 1:25 am

    @Aleta:

    One last one: Nicky Holland, “Lady Killer.”

  165. 165.

    Calming Influence

    February 24, 2017 at 1:56 am

    Aw, fuck it…I suppose SHE’s here to stay..

    “Never Can Say Goodbye”

  166. 166.

    Gretchen

    February 24, 2017 at 2:13 am

    The house pictures make we want to just come in and sit down. The dogs are just the cherry on top of the sundae.

  167. 167.

    Gretchen

    February 24, 2017 at 2:15 am

    Pictures of the ladyfriend made her look so nice and interesting that it made it even more appealing to come in and sit down and chat.

  168. 168.

    J R in WV

    February 24, 2017 at 2:16 am

    Nice post, John.

    I was all, what shirt? and finally figured it out.

    Twitter might be worthwhile, a little bit, somehow, if it brought you a friend.

    Best wishes!

  169. 169.

    Msb

    February 24, 2017 at 2:46 am

    What a lovely and elegant home. Well done, John and ladyfriend! Nice to see Walter, too! Get a load of all that shiny fur!

  170. 170.

    J R in WV

    February 24, 2017 at 3:12 am

    @Msb:

    Yeah, Walter is doing well up there in Minnesota land. So glad he’s having a happy, calm, family life after that dirtbag abandoned him for John to rescue. John is such a mensch!

    John, did the dirtbag who locked Walter into an abandoned house ever get disciplined by the law? I know you were working on that. I also know it’s hard to get justice in that kind of thing… oh, well, it was just an old dog.

  171. 171.

    mohagan

    February 24, 2017 at 3:49 am

    @Major Major Major Major: Thank you! I was wondering too :-)

  172. 172.

    Gretchen

    February 24, 2017 at 3:51 am

    I’m kind of hoping that we never learn the real name of the Lady Friend. She sounds so wonderful and mysterious. But I guess we have to accept that All Will Be Revealed. We love you, Lady Friend!

  173. 173.

    snarkyspice

    February 24, 2017 at 4:37 am

    It’s amazing what we women can do with a house. If it wasn’t for me, I’m sure our home would look like student digs. I know, because hubby’s office looks like that and it’s the only room he’s allowed free reign in! So glad you’re happy. Looks like you found that house for a reason :)

  174. 174.

    NotMax

    February 24, 2017 at 5:37 am

    There must be some place out of the traffic flow for that trash can.

  175. 175.

    zhena gogolia

    February 24, 2017 at 6:49 am

    @Spanky:

    Right on!

    I’ve never been that kind of woman — couldn’t hang a picture if my life depended on it — but I see the attraction!

  176. 176.

    Elizabelle

    February 24, 2017 at 7:05 am

    House looks great. “If you build it, she will come.”

    Walter! Looks glossy and happy.

  177. 177.

    HeartlandLiberal

    February 24, 2017 at 7:42 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): Thanks for the explanation. I was frantically googling trying to figure out what the tee shirt meant.

  178. 178.

    Jim

    February 24, 2017 at 8:29 am

    I’m sorry. Whatever happened to John Cole, whose blog this used to be? Now I see pictures of a neat house. Things in order. No screaming. Has Mr Rogers come back from the dead, and is inhabiting John’s body? :-)

  179. 179.

    Aardvark Cheeselog

    February 24, 2017 at 9:56 am

    @Steeplejack (tablet): This makes a lot more sense than “I’m with $(DEBUGGER_TRAP_INSTRUCTION)” which was all I could think of. Probably comes from spending too much time as an INT 18 magic user… or an MS-DOS programmer.

  180. 180.

    The Moar You Know

    February 24, 2017 at 10:07 am

    debit: holy wow. Walter. You’re a saint is what you (and John) are. He’s a happy lab.

    You bastards made me cry on a Friday morning.

  181. 181.

    low-tech cyclist

    February 24, 2017 at 11:00 am

    @Gemina13:

    Lady Friend has admirable taste

    Clearly so! Fortunately, she had a brief lapse when she decided she liked John, but we’re OK with that. :)

    The house looks beautiful! The one thing that looks awkward to me, though, is that it appears there’s no countertop next to the stove. I’d find that awfully inconvenient: you always need a place right next to the stove to set down a hot dish when you take it out of the oven or off the burner.

  182. 182.

    MoxieM

    February 24, 2017 at 12:00 pm

    That house looks fantastic! and seeing Walter’s glossy fur, well… it just about did me in. I’ve lurked here for the longest time. And rescued my share of dogs. (My good boy! Jack went fast from osteosarcoma.) But Walter is in such a lovely, loving place. I am so happy for him, and so vicariously proud that he’s got his waning time there.

  183. 183.

    No One You Know

    February 24, 2017 at 12:23 pm

    The house is breathtaking, the video heartwarming, and it’s cheering to look at domestic joys from the comfort of a few warm wool layers in a cold room with a cup of tea and a black cat…getting her own ears washed by another black cat. I love the places we make, and I love that we share them!

  184. 184.

    sharl

    February 24, 2017 at 12:50 pm

    What a lovely update! I hope things continue to work out between you guys, and that Walter keeps on keepin’ on.

  185. 185.

    Trinity

    February 24, 2017 at 1:09 pm

    Yay Walter! And the house is gorgeous John. Stunning transformation. Bravo.

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