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Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

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It’s time for the GOP to dust off that post-2012 autopsy, completely ignore it, and light the party on fire again.

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

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

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Battle won, war still ongoing.

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Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

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Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

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You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Cat Blogging / Afternoon Respite: Lunchin’ on the Grass

Afternoon Respite: Lunchin’ on the Grass

by Major Major Major Major|  March 5, 20214:20 pm| 116 Comments

This post is in: Cat Blogging, Nature & Respite, Open Threads, Pet Blogging, Something Good Open Thread

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Samwise just loves “cat grass” (wheatgrass), but I rarely get it for him. The ones they sell at the pet store are really easy to knock over, and he’s good at making a big dirty mess. So a friend of mine got him this handsome wheatgrass planter! It will be no surprise to anybody who remembers the first sentence of this post that Samwise loves it.

Shuts him right up between mealtimes. (Yes, I know that cats can get a little sick eating this stuff, which is why he always does so supervised.)

What non-political good things are going on in your neck of the woods? And does anybody have suggestions for cat-friendly indoor plants? Our windows face north. Respiteful open thread!

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Reader Interactions

116Comments

  1. 1.

    tom

    March 5, 2021 at 4:23 pm

    Getting my first shot in about 40 minutes!!

  2. 2.

    Albatrossity

    March 5, 2021 at 4:23 pm

    Our surprise lilies (Amaryllis) are poking little green shoots above ground here in Manhattan KS

  3. 3.

    Gravenstone

    March 5, 2021 at 4:23 pm

    Never had a response from cat grass or catnip, but my chunky orange boy will come running when he hears me open a bag of lettuce. If there’s not a large leaf forthcoming for him to gnaw on over the next day or two, I will hear no end of it. Unfortunately, that same desire is why I have to bury corn husks in the trash, because he will devour them. Then I’m left with bright green cat vomit in the near future.

  4. 4.

    cain

    March 5, 2021 at 4:24 pm

    @tom: ​
     
    first shot, frist post! Congratulations!

  5. 5.

    Evap

    March 5, 2021 at 4:25 pm

    @tom: congrats!!   Here’s hoping a slight sore arm is your only side effect as it was for me.

  6. 6.

    Major Major Major Major

    March 5, 2021 at 4:26 pm

    @tom: Woohoo! May your side effects be minimal ?

  7. 7.

    Brachiator

    March 5, 2021 at 4:29 pm

    I got my first Moderna jab yesterday. At a local pharmacy, and not a lot of other people waiting.

    Slightly sore arm persisting today, but so far no other issues.

    I am incredibly relieved to have finally got the shot.

    I feel as though I have been ducking and dodging the pandemic for a long, long time.

  8. 8.

    Mary G

    March 5, 2021 at 4:33 pm

    Here is a list of indoor plants that are both cat and dog friendly from Architectural Digest. I’ve owned most of these over the forty odd years I’ve had cats and never had a problem. One quibble – though, they say (certain succulents) and you need to check carefully if you’re considering one. Euphorbias can have hideously toxicity to cats, dogs, and people.

  9. 9.

    VOR

    March 5, 2021 at 4:35 pm

    My furry feline friend likes to eat corn silk when we shuck corn on the cob. He will go into the grocery bags after the corn cobs. Pretty sure that’s not a great idea for him. His late mother lost all her dignity when the catnip came out, rolling in it and getting it all over her fur.

  10. 10.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    March 5, 2021 at 4:37 pm

    I get my first covid vaccine on March 13 and the second on May 30. Looking forward to getting it over with.

  11. 11.

    Lyrebird

    March 5, 2021 at 4:48 pm

    @Brachiator: such good news!

    And even if you can’t brachiate as fully as you would like for a few days, so worth it.  I cried with relief when each of my parents got their first shots in Feb., and I bet I will cry when I get mine.

  12. 12.

    BruceFromOhio

    March 5, 2021 at 4:50 pm

    The blue jay posse that visits every morning have been noisier than ever with the clear, cold sunny days. They make such a racket, and are fun to watch as they chase each other around the back yard and then disappear for the rest of the day. It’s ironic that they are so obnoxious, as they are quite beautiful birds.

    MrsFromOhio and I have taken to mimicking blue jay calls when we start to disagree on something.

    We have a big potted schefflera that does pretty well with north light when it winters inside. In the summer it lives out on the patio in the shade. Unknown how well it does with cats.

  13. 13.

    Benw

    March 5, 2021 at 4:51 pm

    Going to take the kids out to pick out a piñata and candy for my oldest kid’s birthday (family only) party

  14. 14.

    mrmoshpotato

    March 5, 2021 at 4:56 pm

    Creepy? Oh yeah!

    CREEPY: A New York woman was in for a spooky surprise when she went hunting for the cause of a draft in her apartment and found something behind her bathroom mirror.​ https://t.co/1pzyGICsU1— FOX 32 News (@fox32news) March 5, 2021

  15. 15.

    Keith P.

    March 5, 2021 at 4:56 pm

    A semi feral cat I help care for got killed by a car this morning. I drove past him on the way to the store and had to tell the other caregivers. Tough day

  16. 16.

    narya

    March 5, 2021 at 4:57 pm

    A number of years ago, I rescued (from an office, maybe?) this old neglected plant–a begonia, maybe? not even sure. It survived nicely, especially after repotting, but never grew or did much, for maybe a decade? Then I watered it a few times with rinse water from my farm share veggies, and it bloomed with a couple of flowers, much to my surprise. I’ve continued to water it, but not a lot else–and it currently has SEVEN  buds on it. It’s a little scraggly, but I cannot tell you how happy those flowers are going to make me. I will likely repot again, after it’s done blooming, because it really wants a bigger pot, but damn. FLOWERS!

  17. 17.

    narya

    March 5, 2021 at 4:58 pm

    @Keith P.: so sorry . . . thanks for the love and care you provided.

  18. 18.

    Major Major Major Major

    March 5, 2021 at 4:58 pm

    @mrmoshpotato: Ack!!

    @Keith P.: Aw, sorry to hear that.

  19. 19.

    debbie

    March 5, 2021 at 5:00 pm

    @BruceFromOhio:

    The blue jays around here even bully crows!

  20. 20.

    Major Major Major Major

    March 5, 2021 at 5:02 pm

    @debbie: corvids gonna corvid.

  21. 21.

    BC in Illinois

    March 5, 2021 at 5:03 pm

    Got the first (Pfizer) shot today.

    Two and a half hours notice. All went well.

    I did not, however, receive a lollipop.

  22. 22.

    pacem appellant

    March 5, 2021 at 5:05 pm

    Our cat just vomited cat grass this morning. She’s got to cut back. She loves the stuff. She’s a weird kitty. She’s the only cat I’ve ever known who prefers dry food to wet. She’d never touch wet food if we didn’t limit her calories and force her to eat it out of desperation.

  23. 23.

    Ohio Mom

    March 5, 2021 at 5:05 pm

    Our crocuses are out and Ohio Family is well on its way: Ohio Son is done with both shots, I get my second on Thursday, which is also the day Ohio Dad gets his first.

    By my calculations, our immune systems and the local weather should combine to make it possible for us to enjoy our first outdoor restaurant meal on or about April 15.

    In bird news, a woodpecker has moved into our neighborhood. His pecking is LOUD.

  24. 24.

    trollhattan

    March 5, 2021 at 5:05 pm

    Already bitched about Pfizer #2 day-after effects in the Covid thread with my consumer review, and will just note here that the day after day-after am back to normal, plus it’s Friday and sunny.

    Now the task is to get the family jabbed.

  25. 25.

    dmsilev

    March 5, 2021 at 5:06 pm

    @Evap: Most of the folks I’ve talked to have said that the first shot was no big deal. One of my minions reported today that the first basically had him flat on his back for a day and that “I’m really not looking forward to the second one”, but that seems to be pretty rare. I had a day of soreness in the upper arm, and that was about it.

  26. 26.

    Martin

    March 5, 2021 at 5:06 pm

    I missed this. Apparently we’re now 6 hours ahead of schedule for Covid relief bill because Chris Van Hollen got up at the end of the bill reading, proposed reducing the 20 hours of debate to 3 hours, and there were no Republicans in the chamber to object.

  27. 27.

    WaterGirl

    March 5, 2021 at 5:07 pm

    @narya:  Some plants bloom better when “their shoes are tight”.

  28. 28.

    WaterGirl

    March 5, 2021 at 5:07 pm

    @BC in Illinois: If you go to the I Got the Shot! thread in the sidebar you can get a sticker.  :-)

  29. 29.

    dmsilev

    March 5, 2021 at 5:08 pm

    @Ohio Mom:

    In bird news, a woodpecker has moved into our neighborhood. His pecking is LOUD.

    I have a flock of feral parrots living nearby. They’ve been described as “a city-wide dawn alarm clock”.

  30. 30.

    WaterGirl

    March 5, 2021 at 5:09 pm

    @Martin: I saw that this morning.  Made me happy then, and it’s a nice reminder now!

  31. 31.

    Alison Rose

    March 5, 2021 at 5:10 pm

    I adopted a new kitty a little over a month ago, and she’s got an appetite like a fucking linebacker. I tried keeping her on the same feeding schedule and amounts as they were doing at the shelter, which the vet concurred with at her initial exam last week, but anytime I go to the kitchen, even if it’s only like an hour after she ate, she runs in there and prowls around my feet, yowling at me. She’ll even lay down on the floor next to her empty bowl. I’ve caved and started giving her a little more, but as much as I love a chonky cat, I don’t want the vet to yell at me next year when it’s time for her next check-up and she’s gained 10 pounds or something. But I feel like a monster because she’s constantly crying for more food!

  32. 32.

    Jackie

    March 5, 2021 at 5:10 pm

    I got my 2nd Pfizer vaccination this morning! Surprisingly, so far I’m experiencing no side effects – as yet. First vaccination, I had low-grade headache for the day and low energy plus very achy arm for about three days.

  33. 33.

    StringOnAStick

    March 5, 2021 at 5:11 pm

    I keep two pots of cat grass in constant rotation, they mow it down pretty fast but rarely vomit from it.  One cat of the pair will eat any fabric within reach so all towel bars are hung extra high and a cover sheet over the bed is tucked in on all sides every morning.  We “solved” her chewing problem by making sure we never leave anything she might like unattended and after having to fix the hems and cuffs of several jackets, she’s not allowed in the closets anymore either!  I consulted with Wearbear about it, and though she might outgrow it (age 3.6 now), it’s more likely that as an orphan at 2 weeks old, she’s not quite right.  She’s such a lover though so we deal with it and love her as she is.

  34. 34.

    debbie

    March 5, 2021 at 5:11 pm

    @Major Major Major Major:

    The back of my NYC apartment looked out on all the courtyards on the block. There were many blue jays, and the feral cats were always harassing them and their nests. Some days, the battles and the squawking  were almost non-stop. Then, one of the neighbors got a Weimaraner puppy. The first time the puppy bounded out into his owner’s yard, the cats couldn’t get out of there fast enough and disappeared totally. The blue jays seemed very smug.

    P.S. Blue jays are beautiful against white snow.

  35. 35.

    Old School

    March 5, 2021 at 5:13 pm

    @BC in Illinois: Hopefully you still treated yourself to ice cream.

  36. 36.

    Ohio Mom

    March 5, 2021 at 5:13 pm

    mrmoshpotato:

    What kind of NYC landlord does not want to milk every penny out of their residential holdings? Why does that apartment remain unfinished and unoccupied?

  37. 37.

    debbie

    March 5, 2021 at 5:13 pm

    @Martin:

    Ha! That’ll learn ’em!

  38. 38.

    Major Major Major Major

    March 5, 2021 at 5:14 pm

    @Alison Rose:

    I’ve caved

    Ooooh never appease a cat. Kitty can not have a little Sudentenland as a treat.

  39. 39.

    narya

    March 5, 2021 at 5:15 pm

    @WaterGirl: definitely! What’s funny about this one is that it really didn’t do ANYTHING for years. When I moved it out of this old plastic pot it grew some more stems, but otherwise . . . nada. The dirt-water from the farm share, though? boom! It’s leggy, and not neat/tidy/pretty, but I’ve come to love it. it’s a survivor.

  40. 40.

    Major Major Major Major

    March 5, 2021 at 5:17 pm

    @Ohio Mom: Can’t speak to NYC in particular, but there are often tax reasons to hold an unfinished property (or even not lease a finished one).

  41. 41.

    Ninedragonspot

    March 5, 2021 at 5:17 pm

    Lunchin’ on the grass alas.
    Lunchin’ on the grass alas.
    Short longer grass short longer longer shorter yellow grass. Lunchin’
    large lunchin’ on the shorter longer yellow grass alas lunchin’ on the
    grass.
    If they were not luncheon what were they.

  42. 42.

    mrmoshpotato

    March 5, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    @Ohio Mom: Hell if I know. :)

    Damn thing is creepy as hell.

  43. 43.

    Albatrossity

    March 5, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    @dmsilev: There are credible reports that a vaccination shot will do that to folks who have already had COVID. The side effects of the first shot for a recoved COVID patient are as severe as the side effects from the second shot are for most of the rest of us. So maybe your friend was one of those lucky ones who had an asymptomatic case of COVID.

    The good news is that his immune system is now really fired up, and probably would kick COVID butt if he was exposed again.

  44. 44.

    Catherine D.

    March 5, 2021 at 5:19 pm

    Not a good cat week here. Mr Jeeves (16 and almost a half) came down with pancreatitis on Wednesday, probably triggered by his existing IBD. Pain and anti-nausea meds are wonderful – he’s doing much better – but my heart is breaking a little knowing that time is running out for my lovely lap lump.

  45. 45.

    Anotherlurker

    March 5, 2021 at 5:21 pm

    @dmsilev: Got my 2nd shot of Moderna on Wednesday.  On Thursday I was knackered, severe fatigue and serious joint pain. As an added bonus, I was rewarded with a pounding headache.

    Today, very tired but pain is receding.  This 2nd shot is mirroring the effects of the first shot, but only more intense.

    I know 2 people who died of COVID.

    All in all, I will gladly accept these side effects.

  46. 46.

    Chacal Charles Caltrop

    March 5, 2021 at 5:23 pm

    @Alison Rose: a lot of rescues had to go through a time when they had no idea where that next bowl of cat food was coming from, let alone when it would arrive. I feed one such cat now, and for the first few years I just gave her lots of little meals of high quality wet food on the grounds that it would be hard for her to overeat on that diet. Now she’s settled down and realized that her food is pretty secure, she’s a lot less anxious.
    I can still rouse her from the soundest sleep just by opening the crinkly treat bag, though.

  47. 47.

    zhena gogolia

    March 5, 2021 at 5:26 pm

    @Brachiator:

    First Pfizer today in a parking lot. Husband gets J&J on Monday. Things finally have started moving, after it seemed we would never get off hold.

    ETA: Samwise is so damn cute!

  48. 48.

    zhena gogolia

    March 5, 2021 at 5:27 pm

    @Keith P.:

    I’m so sorry.

  49. 49.

    Baud

    March 5, 2021 at 5:28 pm

    President Joe Biden was to fire Sharon Gustafson, the Trump-appointed general counsel of the EEOC, at 5 p.m. Friday, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.

  50. 50.

    jeffreyw

    March 5, 2021 at 5:29 pm

    Made the appointment for our 2nd Pfizer shot, will be the 15th.  Oh No!  Beware the Ides of March!

  51. 51.

    TomatoQueen

    March 5, 2021 at 5:29 pm

    Merlin does not shed. Merlin does not vomit. Merlin eats what is put in front of him. I refuse to disturb this equilibrium.

    Merlin the Naughty is given to Amazing Acrobatics at the top of the 6 foot bookcases (10 of them in a row): Up he runs, along all the obstacles, and ends up next to the 8-day wind-up clock, then runs back. I shout “Merlin!” and he looks at me to say “I’m extremely busy”, and only then does he work on figuring out his way down. Not introducing plants at this point.

    Two past cats, different eras, disliked African Violets, fuzzy texture seemed to disturb their whiskers.

  52. 52.

    BC in Illinois

    March 5, 2021 at 5:33 pm

    @Old School:

    Hopefully you still treated yourself to ice cream.

    Now that you mention it, I did. Choco-Taco and a Klondike Bar.

  53. 53.

    Martin

    March 5, 2021 at 5:35 pm

    @BC in Illinois: Nice, dinner and then dessert.

  54. 54.

    schrodingers_cat

    March 5, 2021 at 5:35 pm

    @TomatoQueen: I smell the makings of a viral video.

  55. 55.

    debbie

    March 5, 2021 at 5:38 pm

    @BC in Illinois:

    Ha! I had planned to celebrate with Graeter’s after the second shot, but I decided celebrations were needed after each shot.

  56. 56.

    mrmoshpotato

    March 5, 2021 at 5:41 pm

    @BC in Illinois: Mmmmmm Choco-Tacos.

  57. 57.

    Ruckus

    March 5, 2021 at 5:43 pm

    @Jackie:

    It would be nice if it stays that way.

    On my second Pfizer shot I had no reaction for about 12 hrs. Then it got a bit fun, hard to sleep, felt punk for the next full day a bit better the next and woke up the third day feeling great.

    Everyone is a bit different, both in timing and degree.

  58. 58.

    BC in Illinois

    March 5, 2021 at 5:46 pm

    @debbie:

    I decided celebrations were needed after each shot.

    Absolutely.

  59. 59.

    debbie

    March 5, 2021 at 5:48 pm

    @trollhattan:

    Would you remember which COVID thread? I’m trying to set expectations for my second shot on the 22nd. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

  60. 60.

    Ruckus

    March 5, 2021 at 5:50 pm

    @debbie:

    A pint of Ben and Jerry’s non dairy ice cream substitute after each one. I don’t do milk, although it does me.

  61. 61.

    BruceFromOhio

    March 5, 2021 at 5:51 pm

    @Martin: ​ This was AWESOME. Qper Ronnie the J thought he was all that by imposing on the clerk. When it was done at 3am sometime in the wee hours, Van Hollen had the place to himself. No objections? Let’s get it done!
    I continue to be amazed how democracy can be derailed by people who are DUMB AS A FUCKING BOX OF ROCKS.​

  62. 62.

    trollhattan

    March 5, 2021 at 5:52 pm

    Your daily Ron Johnson report: Ron Johnson is still stupid.

    Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) told the Wisconsin State Journal that he hasn’t yet decided whether he’ll run for his seat in 2022, although he said keeping to his pledge to not seek a third term is “probably my preference now.”

    However, Johnson also said his pledge of serving just two terms is no longer operative: “I think that pledge was based on the assumption we wouldn’t have Democrats in total control of government and we’re seeing what I would consider the devastating and harmful effects of Democrats total control just ramming things through.”

    https://politicalwire.com/2021/03/05/ron-johnson-leaning-towards-not-running/

    After a month-and-a-half of Joe Biden crushing democracy, Ron Johnson has had about enough of You People.

  63. 63.

    BC in Illinois

    March 5, 2021 at 5:53 pm

    @debbie:

    Graeter’s hasn’t made it to the St Louis area, but — since the Pfizer vaccine, like Graeter’s, has a German background — maybe there are some other German-related refreshments.

    In St. Louis:

    Ted Drewes Terramizzou frozen custard.

    Schlaffley Hefeweisen or Kölsch. (I have a middle of the road taste.)

  64. 64.

    mrmoshpotato

    March 5, 2021 at 5:57 pm

    @BC in Illinois:

    Ted Drewes 

    Oh man.  I remember a few years ago when it was like 70 degrees in St Louis around Christmas.

    Christmas trees and a concrete from Ted Drewes!

  65. 65.

    Brachiator

    March 5, 2021 at 5:57 pm

    @trollhattan:

    However, Johnson also said his pledge of serving just two terms is no longer operative: “I think that pledge was based on the assumption we wouldn’t have Democrats in total control of government and we’re seeing what I would consider the devastating and harmful effects of Democrats total control just ramming things through.”

    Because Republicans just ramming things through is perfectly fine.

    After a month-and-a-half of Joe Biden crushing democracy, Ron Johnson has had about enough of You People.

    So funny

  66. 66.

    Princess Leia

    March 5, 2021 at 5:58 pm

    Many of my cats would go crazy (like nip crazy) over one of those orange plastic bags of carrots. I think it helps to have the green on them, but man, they would go insane!

  67. 67.

    trollhattan

    March 5, 2021 at 6:04 pm

    @debbie:

    Sure! I got the shot, Month 2

    Hasten to add that other than one shitty night, neither of the two Pfizer shots had long-lasting effects. I’ve had worse reactions to tetanus and especially, the older shingles shot, which felt like an armload of murder hornet venom and the pain WOULD NOT STOP.

  68. 68.

    BC in Illinois

    March 5, 2021 at 6:05 pm

    @mrmoshpotato:

    Ted Drewes

    I have a friend — now in her 80s and living in Arizona — who in her youth brought people their Ted Drewes frozen custard orders, as they sat in their cars.

    She was a Car Hop. On roller skates.

    I was impressed.

  69. 69.

    Catherine D.

    March 5, 2021 at 6:05 pm

    @Princess Leia: My cats have always loved the fronds of carrot and fennel tops.

  70. 70.

    Roger Moore

    March 5, 2021 at 6:13 pm

     And does anybody have suggestions for cat-friendly indoor plants?

    I think you can grow catnip inside.

  71. 71.

    Timurid

    March 5, 2021 at 6:17 pm

    I’m coming to a big fork in the road and may know which way it’s going as early as next week… either I’m vaccinated by the end of the month or I’m sitting in this apartment all spring as the big wave rolls in from Texas. University employees are part of the next tier to go live here, but if my state does what some other states did and adds an exclusion for people working remotely this semester, well…

  72. 72.

    Martin

    March 5, 2021 at 6:24 pm

    We have McConnells here in CA for our celebratory treats. Their coffee flavors are amazing.

  73. 73.

    CaseyL

    March 5, 2021 at 6:24 pm

    I’ve never had a veggie-loving cat, though most of them make an exception for ‘nip. One kitty – Jazz of beloved and blessed memory – was a catnip addict, and I had to stop buying the stuff because he would figure out where it was and tear into the bag (taught himself how to open cabinets so he could reach the bag!).

    When I was a teenager, we had a cat who adored those soft salty olives that I can’t find anymore (we called them Misslinis; imagine a kalamata but wrinkly and squishy). She didn’t eat them, though: she mouthed them until they were covered in drool, then rolled and rubbed on them until they were also covered in cat hair, and then left them in the middle of the living room floor where they could easily be mistaken for a dead baby mouse. And often were.

  74. 74.

    debbie

    March 5, 2021 at 6:26 pm

    @trollhattan:

    Hope someone lets him know Democrats still don’t have total control of the government.

  75. 75.

    Jay

    March 5, 2021 at 6:27 pm

    “Perseverance rover performed its first drive on Mars March 4, covering 21.3 feet (6.5 meters) across the Martian landscape.” https://t.co/sc9Th6NlIx— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) March 5, 2021

  76. 76.

    debbie

    March 5, 2021 at 6:30 pm

    @trollhattan:

    Thanks. I had that same issue with sleeping when I got the second pneumonia vaccine. Glad it wasn’t more than one night.

  77. 77.

    Ohio Mom

    March 5, 2021 at 6:30 pm

    Okay, I googled the abandoned apartment behind the mirror story.

    The young woman who contorted her way through the hole in her bathroom wall will one day be boring her grandchildren with her 100th rendition of “When I went viral.”

    The apartment is on Roosevelt Island, so a huge housing development where the office and maintenance staffs probably don’t interact much and probably aren’t particularly invested in doing their jobs well eithet

    The shocking part was how shoddily constructed the place is. I am an amateur at these things but looked like a place a fire would have a good time spreading.

    We tried a new-to-us Mexican place for our traditional Covid Friday night take-out. It was okay, but restaurant food tastes better in the restaurant.

  78. 78.

    JMG

    March 5, 2021 at 6:31 pm

    This is totally nonpolitical good news, but it’s good news hereabouts anyway, so I’ll post it. Today Biden lifted the 25 percent tariff on French wines. Since my daughter’s job is to sell French wines (Bordeauxs) to US wholesalers, she was real happy. She got the news on her phone via NYT text alert, and immediately emailed and phoned all her US customers. This was at like 7-10 p.m. Bordeaux time, so she was also happy she’d stolen a march on her competitors, who were doubtless already deep into le weekend.

  79. 79.

    Jay

    March 5, 2021 at 6:33 pm

    Popo (Pablo) loved pansies and lettuce, to the point of leaping from our 3rd floor balcony, 6 feet across to our neighbors to eat her pansies, so, I had to grow him his own. Capra didn’t care about food, but loved his ball of aluminum foil.

    Bitsie ( Lil’Bit) loves fruit, salad, peas,  carbs, catnip. Jelly Man, ( Mellow), catnip and grass, but he always pukes it up.

  80. 80.

    HinTN

    March 5, 2021 at 6:35 pm

    @trollhattan: Had both versions if the shingles shot and never had any reaction like that. The first one, single dose sub-cu, was a funny experience. Had a blonde female pharmacist I’d never seen at the local Kroger. We got to talking while she was prepping it. Next thing I knew she had that needle run in there and then got a really shamefaced look and told me she’d forgotten to load the stuff in the syringe. Had to start over. We laughed about it being the perfect blonde moment.

  81. 81.

    MomSense

    March 5, 2021 at 6:35 pm

    @CaseyL:

    Those are oil cured olives.  The ones from Kalamata are so tasty.  Your cat had excellent taste!

  82. 82.

    Old Dan and Little Ann

    March 5, 2021 at 6:35 pm

    I’m getting my 2nd shot in minutes.  Wife had hers last night and is doing pretty good today after being wiped out by the 1st one.  I just had a sore arm.  We shall see what tomorrow brings.  My co-worker had Covid and said her 2nd shot made her feel worse than Covid did.  Ugh.

  83. 83.

    mali muso

    March 5, 2021 at 6:36 pm

    Good things going on locally…first round of J&J single dose vaccines were administered today at our local mass vaccination clinic!

  84. 84.

    JMG

    March 5, 2021 at 6:38 pm

    @Ohio Mom: Some restaurants here on the Cape do takeout very well, others not so well. Let’s face it. Fried seafood doesn’t travel, because it has to be hot. But for me, what I miss most is the whole experience. Ordering a margarita (if in Mexican restaurant), looking at the menu, talking about the menu with the waiter, etc. Takeout you have to eat as soon as you get home. It’s rushed.

  85. 85.

    trollhattan

    March 5, 2021 at 6:39 pm

    @JMG:

    Ooh-la-la! à votre santé

    Didn’t they knock off the tariffs on Scotch and other Brit whiskey just yesterday?

    Par-tay in the You-Ess-Aye.

  86. 86.

    tom

    March 5, 2021 at 6:40 pm

    @tom: so my arm is a little sore, but no other side effects so far. Thanks to all for your good wishes. May all of us get vaxed soon!

  87. 87.

    Major Major Major Major

    March 5, 2021 at 6:44 pm

    @tom: I got my first Moderna yesterday and got a sore arm and some brain fog and a little sleepy but it cleared up in a couple hours.

  88. 88.

    narya

    March 5, 2021 at 6:48 pm

    Incidentally, for those getting the Moderna shot: a full WEEK after the first dose my arm got swollen, hot, & red at the injection site–it looked like I’d been doing VERY specific weightlifting. By the next day it was a lot better, though the rash persisted a little for a couple of days.  It seemed odd for it to be so long after the shot, but yesterday I saw that, while not common, the long-delayed reaction has been happening to others as well. Shot #2 did not have that reaction, just the fatigue & fever for a single day, the day after the shot.

  89. 89.

    debbie

    March 5, 2021 at 6:51 pm

    NPR reported that the Detroit mayor has refused a shipment of the J&J vaccine. He wants the good stuff. I couldn’t tell if he’d consulted the citizenry about this. ??‍♀️

  90. 90.

    CaseyL

    March 5, 2021 at 6:52 pm

    @MomSense: I’m not sure they were – I’ve had oil cured olives, and it wasn’t the same.  Yummy, but not the same. Muskier flavor, and harder fruit.

  91. 91.

    LesGS

    March 5, 2021 at 6:53 pm

    @Martin: Chris Van Hollen and I were buddies when we were around 9 when our dads were stationed at the embassy in Ankara, Turkey. It’s been fun watching his career, and I was really tickled to see this maneuver from him. I’ll have to call my dad and see if he’s heard about it. He would approve.

  92. 92.

    Gvg

    March 5, 2021 at 6:55 pm

    I just caught the mama kitty of the area cat colony. Traps haven’t worked, she is too smart. she is very preggers and I am afraid will give birth before the next available slot in the local feral cat org that does trap, fix and release, but it is a light at the end of the tunnel as my neighbor says. This would be her 3rd litter in the 2 years since I moved in. My neighbor organized another attempt this week and caught the oldest daughter other unspayed but we couldn’t get her before this mornings appointment at catnip. Anyway she was hanging around hungry on my front porch not running off like usual, so I put down canned food inside my door and hid behind it till she came in and I shut it. I didn’t think this would work, but it did. We haven’t put food down except in traps all week.

    I herded her into the bedroom with her 2nd litter I have been taming the last 3 months. One is ready for a home, 3 are still shy. I will have to listen to see if she will get along with them, I may have to separate them but it would be easier if I don’t have to.

    An animal got several of the first litter. It really was discouraging. We were waiting till they were old enough 8 weeks and they didn’t make it. So this will make a big difference.

    I will start seeking homes soon

  93. 93.

    dexwood

    March 5, 2021 at 6:55 pm

    My parakeets love wheat grass. They get really excited when I put it in the cage. Makes me wonder if i should toke some.

    My wife’s 93 year old parents got their second shots today. What fucking relief!

  94. 94.

    trollhattan

    March 5, 2021 at 6:55 pm

    @debbie:

    Ho-lee-shit. Talk about cutting your constituents off at the knees. Damn, that’s either stupid or…nah, stupid.

  95. 95.

    japa21

    March 5, 2021 at 6:56 pm

    @debbie: ​
      Actually, the shot is not in the forearm.

  96. 96.

    zhena gogolia

    March 5, 2021 at 6:56 pm

    @CaseyL:

    One evening my former husband was amazed to see our cat Pookie lapping up the dregs of his martini. We thought it was the gin but it was the olive juice she craved. So after that he always gave her a little spoonful when he made his martini.

  97. 97.

    Faithful Lurker

    March 5, 2021 at 6:56 pm

    @narya: I’ve grown begonias for more years than I care to think about. Begonias are greedy feeders. It loved the veggie water because there was a little nitrogen in it. Get a liquid fertilizer, a balanced one is good. Better is one heavy in nitrogen and give it a diluted fertilizer watering every 2 weeks. You’ll be amazed at it’s response.

  98. 98.

    Martin

    March 5, 2021 at 6:58 pm

    @trollhattan: We can party just fine without France.

    CA produces about half the volume of wine as France does, and thanks to our public education system, it’s pretty good stuff.

  99. 99.

    zhena gogolia

    March 5, 2021 at 6:58 pm

    @JMG:

    Yeah. Sigh.

  100. 100.

    trollhattan

    March 5, 2021 at 6:59 pm

    @HinTN: ​
    Heh, that is funny.

    When I first got mine it was no big deal. Left, walked to the car then WHAM–searing venom-like pain that kept increasing. A good fifteen minutes before it tapered to where I felt like I could drive, which was probably dumb.

    IIUC I should get the new, two-shot type and am pondering that option a good long while before opting in.

  101. 101.

    zhena gogolia

    March 5, 2021 at 6:59 pm

    @CaseyL:

    Hmm. The oil-cured olives I’ve had are pretty soft.

  102. 102.

    trollhattan

    March 5, 2021 at 7:04 pm

    @Martin: ​
    Heck yes, we do, and Oregon and Washington are no slouches either. I’m a two-hour drive from probably a thousand wineries. Winemakers will tell you, more supply is better for everybody, one reason being it ultimately helps sales as a whole and another that it further challenges newer aficionados to try more new and different things, e.g., a pinot noir tasting representing four continents.

  103. 103.

    debbie

    March 5, 2021 at 7:05 pm

    @japa21:

    ??‍♀️

  104. 104.

    Freemark

    March 5, 2021 at 7:11 pm

    @Martin: The movie about that with the wonderful Alan Rickman was excellent.
    Bottle Sock

  105. 105.

    Amir Khalid

    March 5, 2021 at 7:13 pm

    @Keith P.:
    That’s very sad to hear. RIP semi-feral kitty. ​

  106. 106.

    Freemark

    March 5, 2021 at 7:14 pm

    What the hell is up with Manchin? Why is he so interested in making his party look like idiots and take money from the people who need it?

  107. 107.

    MomSense

    March 5, 2021 at 7:17 pm

    @Freemark:

    I loved that movie.

  108. 108.

    Mary G

    March 5, 2021 at 7:18 pm

    @Martin: I’ve lived here since 1959 and have never heard of McConnell’s. The stores down here that carry it are the expensive ones I don’t go to. May have to make a special trip to check it out. I was ready to order some of those flavors online.

  109. 109.

    NotMax

    March 5, 2021 at 7:21 pm

    @zhena gogolia

    Was pleased as punch to find my favorite martini garnish on Amazon earlier this year (had never before occurred to look for them there), as the last local shop that carried them closed up like 15 years ago. Opted for the jumbo jar over the more familiar slim ones.

  110. 110.

    Lyrebird

    March 5, 2021 at 8:14 pm

    @Keith P.:

    :-(

    Sorry for the kitty and for you & your crew

  111. 111.

    Yutsano

    March 5, 2021 at 8:25 pm

    Is it a happy thing that I might be working from home until September?

  112. 112.

    xephyr

    March 5, 2021 at 8:28 pm

    Not familiar with wheat grass, but I have catnip that’s been coming up around the house for over 30 years and was here before I bought the place. It reseeds itself and must be a hardy strain because it often continues to grow under the snow (MI). The cats love it, but are so used to it they never seem to overindulge.

  113. 113.

    Madeleine

    March 5, 2021 at 11:09 pm

    @CaseyL: In stores we’ve asked for them as salt cured olives, but at home we call them shriveled olives. (And at our neighborhood deli once the counter guy agreed, “yeah, they shriveled.” He made us very happy.)

    Oh,dear. Dead thread.

  114. 114.

    Enhanced Voting Techniques

    March 6, 2021 at 1:41 am

    So at work today, the manager come storming out to me visibly upset, demands what I am working on, then demands I stop on the “top priority” task he personally assigned me, inspect some new product that came because “Uncertainty is frightening” That dumbfounded me because that is the first time in my career I can remember a manager talking like this.

    So after a year of a killer disease, near civil war, gun battles in the city we work in, uncertain product is what terrifies these guys.

  115. 115.

    Mart

    March 6, 2021 at 2:24 pm

    Looking at a shop window on the coast of a small English town I was amused by a box of Pussy Grass with the picture on it looking a lot like in this post. Probably the Beavis and Butthead in me latched on the name, but I asked my wife what the he’ll is that for? And now I know. Thanks.

  116. 116.

    jame

    March 7, 2021 at 3:27 pm

    Catmint

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