Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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

Let there be snark.

T R E 4 5 O N

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

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

Second rate reporter says what?

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

Russian mouthpiece, go fuck yourself.

Proof that we need a blogger ethics panel.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Reality always lies in wait for … Democrats.

Today’s GOP: why go just far enough when too far is right there?

Do not shrug your shoulders and accept the normalization of untruths.

Hot air and ill-informed banter

In my day, never was longer.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

American History and Black History Cannot Be Separated

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires

This has so much WTF written all over it that it is hard to comprehend.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

Republicans in disarray!

Too often we confuse noise with substance. too often we confuse setbacks with defeat.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / Monday Morning Open Thread: Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

Monday Morning Open Thread: Happy Canadian Thanksgiving

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Speaking of things that don’t completely suck, this seems like a useful tradition, especially right now:

So… I don’t think Mr. H.W.’s readership and this blog’s overlap sufficiently that he’d mind my stealing his idea. I’m thinking I’ll plan a mid-morning? early evening? post every Wednesday (Friday being too busy a day around here), posting something good from my life and giving y’all a chance to add your own stories. Let me know if you have opinions about the timing, or any related suggestions…

Reader Interactions

138Comments

  2. 2.

    Immanentize

    Good morning All.

    (I suspect you are in the 4am thread). I have the day off, but the Immp does not. So I’m up.

    On the topic of the thread — I like it, but work might prevent me from participating…. Maybe a Saturday morning thread starter?

  3. 3.

    satby

    I dropped the threadroll of David Neiwart’s tweet storm about the right wing fascists in our midst in the Taylor Swift post, if anyone missed it.

  5. 5.

    satby

    Happy Thanksgiving to our northern neighbors. If I drive up for dinner, can I stay for a few years?

    Edit: I can be there in 4 hours with pie.

  6. 6.

    OzarkHillbilly

    Good idea. Wednesday would be good, it being hump day and all. A little extra push to get over the hump. Of course if it’s not an AM thread I’ll hardly ever participate but that’s OK. I’ll catch it Thursday AM and it will give me pause to think about my own week.

  9. 9.

    BC in Illinois

    One moment’s thought about something good that happened last week. I got my daughter a copy of “the Freedom Papers” from Scotland. Short essays from around the world. Essays not written in English have a translation following.

    She called over my 8-year-old granddaughter, who is going to a St. Louis Chinese Language Immersion School, and showed her an essay in Chinese. G’daughter was able to figure out / sound out part of the first line.

    I felt like I was watching magic.

  12. 12.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Immanentize: It sucks. Still not sleeping well because I can only sleep on my right side. Finally learned that if I put a pillow in front of me it will relieve the stress on my shoulder when my arm is curled in front of me. I am still making love to an ice pack 3 or 4 times a day, still avoiding the opiates. I get the stitches out today.

  14. 14.

    Princess

    A friend does this kind of weekly check-in on FB. It is a really good idea. HW is right that the act of identifying the best part of your week (which might be really humble some weeks) is very helpful when you are feeling down. Also, it gives other people a chance to praise and support you.

  15. 15.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @BC in Illinois: My niece goes to the same school. (she’s in the French program) My brother has talked of her switching to the Chinese at some point in time. She is wicked smart, very math and science inclined. Gonna change the world, that girl.

  16. 16.

    Rich Gardner

    Actually, I often use this blog for just that. I do a daily round-up of what happened the day before right in the morning. As that frequently involves a lot of terrible stuff, I like to end off with something cheerful and positive and frequently find something good on this very blog.

  17. 17.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @OzarkHillbilly: Funny moment post op: I’m having difficulty shaking the KO drug (I hate them) and every time I’d try to sit up I’d get a charley horse in my thigh. They brought me a couple ice packs and that helped. (they were very nervous and unusually attentive the whole time I was there, something to do with the fact that the last time they almost killed me I guess) So I finally manage to sit up and my wife pulls the sheet back. I look down at my socks and one of them has half a dozen or so beggar’s lice on it.

    All i could think was, “If that ain’t country…”

  19. 19.

    Dorothy A. Winsor

    @Baud: Amen.

    I start week four of cardiac rehab today. They’re upping my speed on the treadmill to 3.2 mph this morning. I rejoice that I can do that.

    We saw an movie called “Molly’s Game” over the weekend. Based on the story of Molly Bloom (who I can only assume had literate parents) who ran poker games in LA and NY. It’s from her POV and I found myself cheering as she refused to name names, which is the opposite of how I feel in Mueller probe. Point of view is an amazingly powerful thing.

  21. 21.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Baud:

    This week’s good thing: Didn’t die.

    All depends on how you look at it. If you are into self flagellation that’s a good thing, otherwise….

  22. 22.

    MomSense

    Say a little prayer for my son’s guitar. They made him check it. He’ll be in la la land soon.

  23. 23.

    Emma

    I second (fifth?) the idea.

    The loud bat-deafening squeal you heard last night was me, watching Doctor Who. Jodie Whittaker was wonderful! The line-up of companions was up to par, as usual, but she took the role, shook it inside out, and made it her own. You go, Doctora!

  25. 25.

    Rusty

    Gratitude Wednesdays, I like it! I will throw out one now, out of the horribleness of the last several weeks, I found there is a depth of caring, thoughtfulness and love for those that suffered hurts even long ago. Not just women but men too stepped up for the personal stories of abuse.

  26. 26.

    cynthia ackerman

    Had the high point of the week yesterday, cheering on a group of volunteer canvassers for Jamie McLeod-Skinner.

  28. 28.

    Amir Khalid

    @MomSense:
    You said it was an electro-acoustic, and those are bulkier than electrics. Also more fragile, so sending good thought and prayers that it will encounter only baggage handlers in a good mood. Is it going in a flight case?

  31. 31.

    Betty Cracker

    I’m having a tough time thinking of something good. It has been a really shitty week, and the days ahead don’t look any better. I’m under a lot of stress because of a big decision I have to make. Plus, the first week of October always puts me in a mood because both of my parents’ birthdays are in the first part of the month. My mom’s birthday makes me miss her even more than usual, and my dad’s birthday reminds me that we will never understand each other and we’re running out of time to try. Add to that the ongoing horror of our political situation, and I’m about ready to dump a pint of bourbon into a half-eaten container of dulche de leche ice cream and call it breakfast. :(

  32. 32.

    satby

    @debbie: yeah. I used to read Neiwart when he wrote at the blog with the killer whales logo a long time ago. Lost track of him for a while so glad I can follow him on Twitter now.

  37. 37.

    Schlemazel

    In seriousness, I am very grateful that the pre-op PA gave me a script for antibiotics last week. I have multiple infections and one of them is multi-drug resistant. The Urologist refuses to prescribe anything currently at least until the first operation (which is the 10th). The Rx has been like heaven making a big change in my comfort level. I am as close to being happy as I am able to right now.

  39. 39.

    Schlemazel

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    Back in the Enron days there was a story in the local paper of a retired linesman in North Dakota. He had worked his whole life for a small company the got bought by Enron. He had a million dollars in his IRA and bought the company line and had it all in their shares. He was now 65 and broke with no idea what was next. Had that been me I would have had a date with Messrs Skilling and Lay and the government would have provided me food, clothing & shelter for the rest of my life.

  40. 40.

    What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?

    I have an extra day off this week thanks to Columbus Day. Not sure I approve of celebrating him per session but I’ll always take an extra holiday. Taking the pup for a hike in the Blue Ridge.

  42. 42.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Betty Cracker:

    my dad’s birthday reminds me that we will never understand each other

    Sometimes mere acceptance is the best one can do. My father and my oldest sis never understood each other. He was very stoic. Peggy was very demonstrative. Many’s the time she cried on my shoulder about Pop (I had a very difficult relationship with him too, one of the many commonalities she and I shared) And then she died.

    I am quite certain that of all the illnesses he suffered from following her death, the main illness was guilt, something he was unconstitutionally capable of dealing with in a forthright manner.

  43. 43.

    A Ghost To Most

    This week’s really good thing: a good soak in hot springs. It sucked all the bad shit out on Friday.

  45. 45.

    Steeplejack

    @Dorothy A. Winsor:

    That was a good movie. I saw it in the theater and had completely forgotten it. (Not the movie’s fault.)

    Trailer here. Idris Elba alert! (Also Jessica Chastain and a good supporting cast, written and directed by Aaron Sorkin.)

  46. 46.

    Steeplejack

    @Steeplejack:

    Weird. Comment in moderation, I think because FYWP doesn’t like the YouTube gibberish link.

    Please to release, any front-pager.

  47. 47.

    OzarkHillbilly

    @Schlemazel: I have the recurring fantasy that if Republicans ever make their wet dream of healthcare for the few, bankruptcy for the rest, a reality, and I get cancer? I’m not going out alone.

  48. 48.

    anon

    query: i made an aggressive political banner on cafepress and it was blocked due to content. Anyone suggest another website that makes custom banner that isn’t a bunch of delicate snowflakes?

  51. 51.

    Schlemazel

    @What Have The Romans Ever Done for Us?:
    The local indigenous community here has events planned for today. Nothing overtly political but inviting people to experience the culture. I think that is a genius idea. We are going but I do not expect a big crowd of non-native folks.
    The Indian community here is working very hard to redefine who they are. Part of that is many people using the term “Indigenous Peoples” or “Native People” but also “Indian” and “Native American” It reminds me very much of the late 60s when African Americans started to reject “negro” and “colored” and there was a lot of churn with white folks flummoxed as to what not to say.

  55. 55.

    Schlemazel

    @OzarkHillbilly:
    There is one antibiotic that still works on it but it is only available through infusion at the hospital. Doc has never said I can have it once this first operation is done but has instead said he doesn’t want me to have it until after this work because the odds of reinfection are too high. A subtle but important difference if you know doctors as well as I do. I’ll find out Wed. what he means. I may just demand it if he is uncooperative. I have an alternative with a different doctor who would set me up. We’ll see.

  59. 59.

    Jeffro

    I think I will declare this to be “Beat On The Media” Week. After all

    – the president*s former lawyer, campaign manager, national security adviser, and others have all pled guilty and are talking with the Special Counsel
    – the president* has already been named as an unindicted co-conspirator in campaign fraud
    – the president* and his siblings have been outed as multi-decade tax cheats

    And so on. This is before we get to a deeper investigation of Kavanaugh’s/Kennedy Jr’s finances.

    And to say nothing of the revelations in The Apprentice ( The book, not the TV show )

    I wanna hear more about this, national media! And I ESPECIALLY wanna hear you questioning GOP candidates about why they haven’t done anything about it.

  60. 60.

    geg6

    @Schlemazel:

    The local community college here does a Native American weekend every year the weekend before Columbus Day. It’s in its 28th year. I remember when it first began that they called it a Pow Wow. I forget what the actual verbiage is that they use now, but it’s a very well-attended event that has become a tradition around here. I’ve been many times and it’s interesting and fun and informational. There’s a lot of rich Native American history in this area, even though most were killed or chased out hundreds of years ago. That’s how you get towns named Monaca and Aliquippa around here.

  61. 61.

    Obvious Russian Troll

    I’m originally American but have lived in Toronto for about ten years now. So what do I do? Schedule an appointment for tomorrow in the US, which requires me to fly out today. I guess it shouldn’t be too difficult to get to the airport, but I’m kind of concerned about getting out of the airport (the flights were pretty full when I booked). I desperately need to be in Raleigh by tomorrow morning. I’m kind of concerned that I should have flown out yesterday.

    Speaking of moving to Canada, we were doing AirBNB with our spare bedroom last year after my wife quit her job. We had a fair number of people who were immigrating stay with us. This includes one couple who had green cards; the male half lived in my home town and the female half lived in the Twin Cities. Obviously they felt they weren’t going to get their fair shake from the US. Very pleasant couple–Canada will be lucky to have them.

    Off to the airport!

  62. 62.

    donnah

    @Betty Cracker:

    Hear ya. I am avoiding TV and news in general today as McConnell and the Republicans take their obnoxious victory lap. Heaven forbid they would be gracious in their terrible win, ha, of course they wouldn’t. And what they’re doing now is doubling down on the unbelievability of abused women. Because these people are monsters, and they will never change.

    We lost a member of our extended family and his funeral was yesterday. He was 66, a good guy and devoted Beatlemaniac. He went for a lung biopsy, started bleeding during the procedure, and died on the table. His wife is devastated and we’re all still in shock. Not a good weekend across the board.

    So this is where we all start to regroup, embrace the anger, and get back to business. And here’s hoping we can actually generate a blue wave next month.

  63. 63.

    jacy

    My positive news for today: I’ve decided to write a short story for an anthology that’s coming out at next year’s Necronomicon in Providence. It’ll be the first short story I’ve written since my divorce. Instead of listening to the news between now and the midterms, I’m just going to write.

  64. 64.

    Schlemazel

    @geg6:
    I posted pictures of the Shakopee Madawakaton Sioux pow-wow (Wacipi in their language) last year on the morning photo thread. It is huge but I doubt 2000 no-natives attend over the weekend. We go every year because it is a real spectacle, the regalia is incredible. Really gorgeous stuff.

    I have not sent in pictures for this years but I might

  66. 66.

    Immanentize

    @Schlemazel: I still wonder if Lay actually died. Murdered? Suicide? Living in Panama? His family got to keep all his wealth because if you die after conviction, but before your appeal is complete, the conviction is nullified. Plenty of reasons (millions!) To say bye-bye to the old man at the secluded family reunion.

    Well, it would make a good thriller!

  69. 69.

    lee

    This is a great idea. I can really use this.

    Got a lot of shit going down at once and the news is not helping.

  72. 72.

    Schlemazel

    @satby:
    Thanks. I try not to whine too much here because nobody really wants to hear that – I am already cranky enough. In Jr High a friend nicknamed me Eeyore. Never having heard of Pooh or Milne I had no idea what he was thinking. Years later I came across the book . . . he is not wrong.

    What I don’t know is how much of that is who I am and how much of it is what life has taught me to expect

  75. 75.

    villiageidiocy

    My family of origin were grace-sayers at dinner, my spouses’s too. Neither of us is religious but we have started a tradition of pausing before we eat, and saying one thing we are grateful for that day. It doesn’t have to be new, it doesn’t have to be big. But it’s a recognition that everything doesn’t suck and provides an opening to a conversation about the day, or concerns, or happiness.

    I rarely post but I’ve been reading almost daily for, I dunno, 10 years? During the first Obama term, at least. I feel less alone in this world knowing folks who don’t think I’m crazy for my political opinions.

    Today I am grateful I can talk to ya’ll.

  77. 77.

    zhena gogolia

    @NotMax:

    I got a lovely silver heart pendant with a diamond in the middle. “Square-cut or pear-shaped, these rocks don’t lose their shape”

    Thanks for the congratulations, everyone.

  81. 81.

    Ohio Mom

    For me and my life, right now, things are going well, and the weather has been fabulous. It is very discombobulating, to be experiencing lovely days when I know my country is crumbling.

    Always lurking is the thought that Ohio Son (who, as most of you already know, is on the autism spectrum) will always need supports, will never be able to completely function on his own.

    The social service safety net is not an abstraction to me. I know it is horribly endangered. It will be a slow slide into nonfunction just as my family needs it more and more.

    But — it is another sunny day. I’m looking forward to what’s on the calendar to do today. It’s so confusing.

  83. 83.

    schrodingers_cat

    OT:
    Fellow New England and other cold climate dwelling peeps. I have a question.
    It will be almost two years since we bought this house. How often does one need to service the oil furnace and the pellet stove. We didn’t do it last year, both seem to be running well. All the user manuals say you need to do it every year. Is that a hard and fast rule.
    Thank You.

  86. 86.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    @Schlemazel: I like the solution we ended up coming with in Canada: First Nations. As in, they were the nations here first before the rest of us showed up.

  88. 88.

    Ohio Mom

    @schrodingers_cat: I can’t say for sure because my only experience is with a heat pump.

    But a service call is relatively cheap and it is an easy way of making sure you like the service company. One day, something is sure to break, and then you will know who to call.

  91. 91.

    Barbara

    @Schlemazel: I worked on a matter related to the fallout of the Enron debacle. If you want to elicit feelings of rage read the report of the Trustee in Bankruptcy of Enron. I am pretty jaded when it comes to our financial institutions, but even I was shocked by it. If you read it, you will never wonder again whether “Den of Thieves” is an accurate way to describe them. Also, I put the election date on both the front and back and reminded those in Virginia that early absentee ballots are available now. Does New Mexico have early voting?

    Also, I wrote my first 25 GOTV postcards. I am going to aim for 10 a day, because my arm nearly fell off with 25. I couldn’t find suitable designs, so I just bought a bunch of blank perforated sheets of card stock and wrote personal messages in colored metallic inks and found some nice special edition stamps (Janis Jopin and Jimi Hendrix — fun!). So I think it will be eye catching. The recipients are in districts where Abigail Spanberger and Xochitl Small are running for Congress.

    I included the date on both the front and back, and reminded those in Virginia that it might be possible to vote early absentee right now. Does New Mexico have early voting?

  94. 94.

    Elizabelle

    @Barbara: Yea! Thank you for the cards! Ten a day is a lot. That’s seventy a week, and we’ve got more than four weeks left. Yea you!

  95. 95.

    Schlemazel

    @polyorchnid octopunch:
    I like that also & it is one I have not seen used around here.

    I dislike “Native American” because they immigrated here too and “native” denotes primitive to many people and they were no more primitive than the Europeans that came here in the beginning.

  97. 97.

    Elizabelle

    @villiageidiocy: What a great tradition, genuine gratitude. There is always something to be grateful for, and most days, a lot.

    I like Anne Laurie’s thread idea. I think we might need it more than once a week, especially on really disturbing days.

  103. 103.

    Barbara

    @Schlemazel: I get into discussions with my daughter over terminology for Native Americans. Everyone knows what that means, but as I point out to her, she and I are also native Americans. “First Nations” is the term used for indigenous tribes in Western Canada, at least. That’s what she uses, because it implies continuity. “Indigenous People of the Pre-Colombian Western Hemisphere” definitely does not roll off the tongue.

    @polyorchnid octopunch: You beat me to it!

  105. 105.

    Schlemazel

    @schrodingers_cat:
    Sorry, no clue about oil burners, out on the tundra we are all natural gas. But I would suggest you have the stove at least checked out & the chimney. You probably have no idea when the last one was & a chimney fire is more dangerous than it sounds.

    If it lets you sleep better at night get them done & require a full report on each so you know what is happening.

  106. 106.

    Schlemazel

    @Barbara:
    I am normally a ball of rage so I will skip that report! Thanks for the suggestion though. My favorite bit is that they had Enron folks on tape joking about fucking over California in order to jack up electric rates. They laughed at screwing grandma. They deserved to all rot in prison forever

  107. 107.

    WereBear

    @Barbara: I was told “Indigenous” in whatever form is probably the best choice.

    Mr WereBear has grandmother raised in Catholic orphanage because of her heritage: and that is all we know.

  108. 108.

    Elizabelle

    Taking a newsbreak today. No NPR minimizing. Might scan some headlines. But mostly, no news.

    Tragic thing, that extended “limousine” crash in upstate NY. 20 dead in one incident. That vehicle sounded like the duck boat of the roads.

  110. 110.

    Schlemazel

    @WereBear:
    I am finding that personal preference ranges as it seems to for all PoC. But “indigenous” is the majority choice currently.

    I wonder if you could ask the church for records (assuming this is not too painful – we were never allowed to ask about my maternal grandfather’s youth up to and including his participation in the AEF while he was alive) I bet they might have something. I would find it personally satisfying to identify my nation

  115. 115.

    joel hanes

    There was once a blog named “Bouphonia” that had a Friday feature, “Hope blogging”,
    with links to positive developments and reasons for hope.

    As with so many fine blogs, updates ceased in 2012, but it’s still up:
    http://bouphonia.blogspot.com/

    Perhaps it will provide some ideas about what to look for and where to look.

  116. 116.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    @Schlemazel: The reason I like First Nations is because unlike Indigenous, it acknowledges that there were many peoples here before the Europeans arrived; it doesn’t cast all of them as a monolith, like “indian”, “indigenous”, and “native americans” do.

  117. 117.

    Martin

    I would ask not early morning. Us west coasters have trouble engaging in threads that happen at 4AM, and let’s be honest here, there ain’t a lot of good shit happening in EST, but there’s a bunch of good stuff going on in PST. Here’s a few:

    1) A new CA law requires the state to have accurate, up to date information on what state parks and areas of state parks you’re allowed to bring your dog into.

    2) Cities in CA are no longer allowed to ban street food vendors. Cities have to set up licensing arrangements to regulate the activity and can only levy fines for noncompliance, not criminal charges. Because many street food vendors are undocumented, this eliminates a police interaction and a call to ICE.

    3) In light of this article where young absentee voters say they don’t send their ballot in because they don’t know how to buy stamps, CA has mandated that all ballots be postage paid. Just mail it back, no stamp needed.

  119. 119.

    Tenar Arha

    @Betty Cracker: Do you get to go to the movies? Particularly is there a indie/art house/big downtown theater where you could go see Colette, bc my last minute decision to go last Tuesday was a glowing spot of brightness.

    Seriously Keira Knightly was just luminous & wonderful. Of course I thought of her performance in Pride & Prejudice from the aughts, & it made me even happier to see how she’s grown as an actress. And the story of how Colette became a powerful writer in her own right as Colette was empowering. Highly recommend as a something good.

    Addendum another good: I’m going to see A Star Is Born today with a friend. I’ll let you all know if it measures up to the hype.

  120. 120.

    trollhattan

    @Schlemazel:
    Whoa. “Turn around and drive like you mean it!” is what I just told that last little black car. Next thing you know, houses are coming up the road.

  121. 121.

    Just One More Canuck

    @satby: pumpkin, apple, pecan? I can even provide a nice plum cake (mother in law specialty) and some apple cake my wife is making – see you soon

  123. 123.

    Gravenstone

    @Emma: I appreciated the rapid fire character development and the fact it was all presented without assuming any prior familiarity with the series, but without being preachy or reliant on excessive exposition. I thought it was a delicate balance well done. And Yas’ first scene reminded me of Hill Street Blues, which is a good thing.

  124. 124.

    Miss Bianca

    Hi, I’m back from a mini-vacay in New Mexico, where for two whole days I had nothing on my mind but the challenge and thrill of galloping wonderful horses thru’ the desert back country, and meeting some splendid horse people from the Santa Fe and Los Alamos regions. No internet, spotty cell service, so no news till late Sunday night, which is probably just as well for my sanity’s sake. I’m broke for the rest of the month, but I’ll be smiling. Vive la resistance!

  127. 127.

    Schlemazel

    @trollhattan:
    It was a scary bit, wasn’t it? One thing the universal access to video has done is change the image of what a Tsunami looks like. It is not a giant wave crashing on the beach, it like a giant plopped himself down in a bathtub and the overflow rises to washout everything.

    I should have added inks to donation sites. Those folks are going to need a lot of help
    UNICEF
    OXFAM

  129. 129.

    MoxieM

    @schrodingers_cat: I always buy/bought the service contract from my oil company–it has included an annual cleaning & tune up, in addition to being able to call them on the inevitable cold nights when the damn thing croaks. Those guys are miracle workers, in my estimation. (I have electric heat here, which would be brilliant if we could put solar panels on the roof, but: trees + getting 3 condo owners to agree, well… ). So, annual cleaning at a minimum. If you don’t, at least change the filter (if you have forced air). You can get one at a local hardware store–check the measurements before buying!

    No idea about pellet stoves, but I would guess the chimneys gunk up.

  130. 130.

    J R in WV

    @OzarkHillbilly:

    When I got my shoulder replacement surgeries, the doctor used something called “Durabond” to glue me shut, with a strip of clear plastic from top to bottom of the wound.

    The first couple of weeks I was to keep a bandage over each end of the strip of plastic to keep it from being peeled off prematurely. But you could see through it, and see that things were doing OK. Same for wife’s knee replacements, Durabond surgical glue and plastic strip to cover the glued wound. No stiches at all.

  133. 133.

    J R in WV

    @schrodingers_cat:

    Cleaning a stove is one thing, and does need to be done regularly. The chimney it feeds into, on the other hand, can soot up and be blocked, causing stove fumes to enter the living space, or the accumulated stuff inside the chimney can catch fire, and set the house on fire.

    This is a little tricky, and this is why people called chimney sweeps specialize in cleaning out chimneys. My grandma struggled to escape her house after her furnace chimney’s soot collapsed, blocking off the furnace and causing the house to fill with CO and CO2, which would have killed her had she not awakened in a timely manner.

    So get that looked after. An honest chimney sweep will tell you if it doesn’t need much work, and how often to get it looked after. Hot burning wood fires don’t leave much in the chimney, but with the draft shut to slow down the burn, lots of fumes are available to condense inside the chimney.

    We’ve burned wood off and on all my life. Open fireplaces don’t need cleaning very often in my experience, but wood stoves that get damped at bedtime to hold the fire overnight are very different. Out big woodstove is old enough that the gaskets aren’t very tight, so it burns hot no matter how you set the dampers. This is both good and bad, it doesn’t tend to build up deposits in the chimney, but it needs stoked with wood in the middle of the night. But I’m an old now, so I get up every 3 or 4 hours most nights.

    Have never had a pellet stove, as they need electric to run, which makes them useless as a backup for power outages. So I have no experience with how they affect the chimney.

    ETA: Call your service contract provider and schedule an appointment!! Thanks for edit!!!

  134. 134.

    satby

    @schrodingers_cat: you really need to have both serviced yearly. Not just the risk of chimney fires, but also the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning from a blocked or clogged flue. And because if you don’t not only do they cost more to burn as they become less efficient, but when they fail it’s always during sub-zero weather and the service guys have a million calls to get to.

  136. 136.

    Miss Bianca

    @Elizabelle: I was too busy riding to take any photos, sadly – save for one of the darling horse I rode on Saturday, Pepita, all tacked up and ready to go. ; )

    I really wish I were more of a photographer, I’ve been riding thru’ such glorious country both here in CO and down in New Mexico.

  137. 137.

    Ruckus

    @Schlemazel:
    Best of luck with your health. Hope they can fix everything.
    I had two massive infections, one from each biopsy for my cancer. ER visits in both cases. They had to use the stuff they do not like to pull out except in a last resort. Infections are not fun.

  138. 138.

    Ruckus

    @Schlemazel:

    What I don’t know is how much of that is who I am and how much of it is what life has taught me to expect

    If life taught you to expect it, isn’t that who you are?
    BTW the road life has taught me to expect nothing. Nothing good, but no steamrollers either. Sun comes up, sun goes down. One day it doesn’t.

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