Maybe it’s the heat, but I haven’t felt much like working this week, mostly just not in the mood. Yesterday afternoon I said fuck it, if I’m not going to get anything done I’m really gonna take the day off, got into my PJs, turned on the TV for the first time in 4 or 5 weeks, and snuggled with my guys on the daybed.
Unfortunately, “sorry, I just didn’t feel like working this week” would probably not go over well with my clients, so I need to get myself in gear and spend most of today working.
But I can share a couple of photos on an open thread, at least! You guys have mostly seen Tucker and Henry, so I’ll share these here before I get hit with some equal time lawsuit brought for the kitties by some low-life attorney whose standards won’t allow him to represent the former guy. Hey, even attorneys gotta eat, am I right?
For kitty siblings, the two of them look nothing alike!
This is Miss Willow in her serious pose. Maybe she was doing her best imitation of the bunny behind her on the table?
Here’s Mr. Bear on the porch.
The glass is supposed to be in the middle of the top of the cabinet. But on the last day before the heat wave started, I had a friend over for some porch time with sour cherry mojitos, so I added the place mat so it wouldn’t be a big deal if we spilled while mixing and pouring. Anyway, Mr. Bear has claimed that spot as his own, so of course the placemat stays. In this house, we know what’s important.
Mr. Bear looks kind of raggedy in this photo, but who wants to brush the cat you’re hot and sticky? I think we have one good day coming up this week, so I will brush him and then you can see how beautiful Mr. Bear really is.
Open thread.
Delk
And now, thunderstorms for the Pride Parade. Which religious asshole is going to claim their prayers made it happen?
HumboldtBlue
Also, and much more fun than reading about Alito, for those who enjoyed Cunk on Earth there is also Cunk on Britain
Omnes Omnibus
@Delk: Maybe it will rain men?
MattF
J. Michael Luttig, an iconic conservative judge, writes what he thinks about the Republican Party (gift link). The headline says it’s not too late, but the essay itself refutes that. Notable that there is not a hint of bothsides-ism. It’s the Republican Party that’s failed, period.
JoyceH
I saw on the news last night that the US intel community had information in MAY that the Wagner guy (too lazy to look up how to spell his name) was planning some sort of move against Moscow. And I wondered – if Trump were president, would he have warned Putin?
Yutsano
@Omnes Omnibus: Hallelujah!!!
Wait I’m not in Chicago.
Never mind…
Sister Golden Bear
Much as I wish I’d been able to attend SF Pride this weekend, I’m still not fully over the post-Covid symptoms, so I’m staying home and resting. <sad face>
Omnes Omnibus
@Yutsano: I really can’t stand that song.
TaMara
Those are two beautiful kittehs.
I’m with you on work. I’m going to put in several hours this week to make up for slacking the last couple of weeks. One of my clients is out of the country and his place was burglarized. So now I’m no only doing my own insurance claims, I’m working on his. Hopefully I don’t mix up any of the paperwork. I don’t think I need a heavy-duty safe in my office. LOL
Also, I may do an adoption post later on today – I know of two Great Dane brothers who are 1/2 siblings to Trixie that need to be rehomed because of a life change issue for their people. They are gorgeous.
trollhattan
We have a doggie house guest and her ID tag reads
“Oh shit…
“I’m lost!”
And the reverse says something about stopping mommy from ugly crying, and a phone #.
I cracked up.
Redshift
@JoyceH:
Absolutely. (Unless the intel analysts managed to file it under “not important enough for POTUS” until it was over.)
Redshift
Love the cats! I miss living with cats since the Ms is very allergic, but I do get to visit some.
bbleh
@Delk: God is just encouraging them to take their shirts off
Mel
Willow has such a serene expression! She’s beautiful! And, wow! what a gorgeous floofy coat Mr. Bear has. Snuggles and scritches to both of those sweet kitties’
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: LOL. really.
Maxim
@Sister Golden Bear: That sucks. I’m sorry.
WaterGirl
@MattF: Is he the conservative judge who testified before the Jan 6 committee?
WaterGirl
@JoyceH: You don’t have to wonder about that. Of course he would.
Delk
@bbleh: thankfully it only lasted 5-10 minutes. Hopefully it made for some great rainbows!
eclare
@Omnes Omnibus:
Hahaha…
eclare
Mr. Bear sure is floofy!
Also, recipe request for the mojitos?
eclare
@Sister Golden Bear:
I missed that you had covid! So sorry you’re missing out this weekend.
Scout211
I do feel for all of you who are suffering under sweltering temps. Not only is it miserable, but it’s expensive to run the A/C. I hope you all get a reprieve soon.
We have been having the coolest June weather that I can ever remember in my 40++++ years living here in NorCal. It’s been a nice mea culpa gift from Mother Nature, who was super mean to us this winter.
Alas, the mild temps will come to an end next weekend when we finally will have several days of 100+ temps. But I will continue to enjoy the mild temps until then.
Alison Rose
Cats will often look nothing like their siblings or parents, which is super interesting to me. I got a kitten for my 5th birthday who was a tuxedo cat, and she had three kittens (because I guess back then they didn’t automatically spay cats before adopting them out, and my mom didn’t realize they could get pregnant super young): one was a regular tortoiseshell, one was a dilute tortoiseshell, and one was solid white.
zhena gogolia
The kitties are gorgeous!
Josie
@Scout211:
Our weather has been rather different this year in Houston. We had cooler temps much later than usual–through May and then were suddenly slammed with severe thunderstorms for a week or two followed by 100 degree temps much earlier than our usual August sauna. We are in the middle of a heat wave that they say will last into next week and possibly beyond. I just hope the grid can hold up.
Josie
@WaterGirl:
Yes, he is.
Omnes Omnibus
It is 15 degrees cooler in Madison than it was yesterday. I am going to go for a bike ride, and I think it will be far more pleasant than yesterday’s ride.
MattF
@WaterGirl: I have a vague recollection of that.
sab
In my house, none of my four cats would tolerate that bunny still lying on that table behind them. It would be on the floor.
WaterGirl
@eclare: This is a WaterGirl original recipe, I made it up on the fly in May of 2021 and it’s been our go-to drink ever since.
Ruckus
@MattF:
IANAL but to me Luttig is correct that this is not just a nudge too far. This is outright, what I call basic, prime, law breaking. By that I mean this is law that tells us the very basics, the foundation of our law and structure. And the conservative side is willing to shit all over it for power. Why is because they have gone very, very close to the edge of the cliff of constitutional destruction. And very possibly they are cartoonishly over that cliff, running in the air for all they are worth. They can’t stop now but they should have some time ago because there is an entire conservative ideal gamed towards a non constitutional, no holds barred takeover of the country. I’m pretty sure it is formed from a monitory desire but the power side of it seems appealing to them as well. The basic of our countries concept that we are all equal is in no way appealing to them because it costs them something. Something from the hate/bigotry side, that people of a darker shade of skin have the same rights as they do. Something from the monetary side that they have the right to be rich with as low as zero input into the cost of running the government. Something from the gender side, the statement that “All men are created equal,” seems to be a sore spot for the money grubbers. These 3 points give them the concept that they should be in charge and that how they get there is unimportant, regardless that all 3 of these concepts are bullshit and against the concepts this country was founded upon. I believe their ideals are founded in the Federalist Society.
eclare
@WaterGirl:
Thanks!
RandomMonster
Well, in this alternate reality second Trump term, he would would not have supported Ukraine and would at this moment be dismantling NATO. The war in Ukraine would already be over.
WaterGirl
@sab: That little bunny is one of my favorite things, so if they knock the bunny off, I will be exceedingly unhappy because it is exceedingly breakable.
It’s got some weight to it, so they couldn’t just swipe it off like they love to do with pens and other stuff. Fingers super crossed.
Jackie
@Alison Rose: Many litters have multiple “daddys” – especially as the in-heat female is fertile for five or six days. So unless momma cat has dominant genes…
WaterGirl
@eclare: I cheat on the 3/4 cup of cherries, which is why I added the plus sign – it’s really more like 1 even cup. But if I say 1 cup, I will cheat and make it heaping (which I did one time) and that was too much cherry. :-)
trollhattan
@Scout211: Just in time for July 4.
Sure has been nice; though, if it were really like this all the time then EVERYONE would move here. One solid heatwave snaps them back to reality. Some smoke too? We can do that.
Drought, drought, flood, drought, drought, drought, flood is testing my nerves TBH.
Bupalos
@JoyceH: it’s likely that putin did know. That situation is simply more complicated than our ideas about modern states alows us to process very well.
Glidwrith
My kids rescued a kitten this past Wednesday. Solid black, underweight (1.3 lbs at 6-7 weeks, 8 oz was food he ate in twelve hours), but healthily.
I wouldn’t have chosen to become a three beastie household, but the new addition is named Nox.
trollhattan
When the jerk from Jersey fillets the jerk from Queens then I’m objectively pro-Jersey jerk.
twitter.com/RonFilipkowski/status/1672986848140853254?cxt=HHwWjICw1ZWr0rcuAAAA
eclare
@Glidwrith:
Congratulations to you and Nox! Kittens are so fun. 😺
Bupalos
@RandomMonster: That’s one conjecture. I don’t think it’s particularly plausible that Trump could unilaterally shut off the U.S. tap. And near impossible that states like Poland wouldn’t provide enough assistance to keep Ukraine’s opposition to its own liquidation viable.
MomSense
I do not understand people who set off fireworks. I was walking my grand dog in the park and some jerk started setting off fireworks. At that point the dog decided to turn and go home as fast as possible. Poor thing was so scared. He really needs to go out and pee but he is refusing.
Jackie
Cue Twilight Zone music…
“Last night in my DC residence, the television turned on by itself and the screen showed someone’s laptop trying to connect to the TV.”
twitter.com/mtgreenee/status/1672968710141747202
sab
@WaterGirl: Jeez. I hope I didn’t jinx it.
eclare
@MomSense:
I don’t get it either, but unfortunately people here in Memphis love them. Not as much as in my former neighborhood, thank goodness. I still remember being shocked at how blackened my street was after some holiday, Halloween?
Poor granddog!
mrmoshpotato
Mr. Bear doesn’t look like he has a care in the world.
Elizabelle
@MattF: Reading that now, thanks. Of course, the FTF NY Times has not opened it up for reader comments, and I would value those as well. I think Judge Luttig is well respected, particularly after testifying before the Mueller (??) investigation. (Maybe it was J6. Anyway, he showed courage.)
Amusing to me that the FTF NY Times has changed its online logo, which shows on open tabs. It is yellow. Apropos, I think.
(It now resembles Kitchn’s logo. Was wondering, why do I have all these recipes up on the screen??)
eclare
@Jackie:
WTF? I’ll have whatever she’s been smoking.
sab
@MomSense: My GSD used to be oblivious to firecrackers and such sounds until some turd tossed a firecracker right at her ear. We hoped that we could find him later in a dark alley so that she could eat him but it never happened. She was always a bit gunshy after that.
mrmoshpotato
@Delk: Did it literally rain on your parade? Did the storms move through quickly? I’m seeing orange over southwestern Michigan right now.
ETA – question answered.
mrmoshpotato
@Sister Golden Bear: Hope things are steadily improving.
James E Powell
@Elizabelle:
Judge Luttig apparently didn’t get the memo from Erick Erickson that it is up to “the left” to keep Republicans from nominating Trump. And Erickson’s not the only one who believes that. Somebody said we Democrats ought to vote for DeSantis in Republican primaries.
raven
@James E Powell: Somebody said this is the land of the free and home of the brave too.
SWMBO
@MomSense:
My father-in-law was murdered at his business. His dog was there through the entire thing. The rest of her life she was terrified of fireworks and thunderstorms. I was walking the dogs one night (I thought before they would start) and someone set off some firecrackers. I had my cell on me and called my husband to come get her. He brought a towel and wrapped her in it so she couldn’t see/hear as much and got her home. Every holiday with fireworks after that, she stayed home while the rest of the pack walked.
theoatmeal.com/comics/4th_of_july_dog
Jackie
@eclare: Not me! Sounds like a bad acid trip!
Manyakitty
@SWMBO: oh my god, that poor baby 💔
StringOnAStick
@Sister Golden Bear: It took me a solid two months after Covid until my energy returned and I wasn’t constantly hacking when exerting myself on a bike. It takes some time and pushing it seems to make it take longer, so you are wise to take it easy.
Dan B
Your kitties are gorgeous. Thanks for the pictures!
WaterGirl
@sab: Me, too! :-)
raven
@SWMBO: It’s so weird that, after how Artie was tortured and shot, she’s oblivious to gunfire and fireworks but the slightest noise behind her terrifies her. We are considering a university vet school behavioral medicine visit but it is $630 for a one to two hour session and $300 for two zoom follow-ups.
Kirk
@Josie: We up here in Dallas hear and agree. Not fun on the warehouse floor.
WaterGirl
@mrmoshpotato: You are right about that! And he seems to want be out on the porch in the heat. It seems crazy to me! Miss Willow only wants to be out on the porch after dark if it cools off.
No accounting for tastes!
mrmoshpotato
@eclare:
Not sure that’s a good idea. :)
Whatever she’s on is really really stupid.
WaterGirl
@SWMBO: That’s so awful, all the way around. I’m so sorry.
Dan B
@SWMBO: Terrible for your FIL and his dog. We used to have terrible fireworks around here – lots of Asian and Latine families but the kids have grown so it’s much quieter. Thankfully.
WaterGirl
@raven: May the people who did that to her reap what they sow. $1k is a lot of money, but if you can afford it, I’m sure you’ll do it in a heartbeat.
If you guys can’t afford it, you know where we are. :-)
Hungry Joe
Yesterday: Angels 25, Rockies 1. The box score is a jaw-dropper. Just try to look at the Rockies’ pitcher stats without wincing.
”We were aggressive.” — Angels manager Phil Nevin.
”It’s one game.” — Rockies manager Bud Black
Elizabelle
@James E Powell: Good lord.
It’s never their fault, and they have no agency.
raven
@WaterGirl: We started with a trainer and she is so impressed with how smart and affectionate Artie is. She knows a local vet who is very good with behavioral issues so we’re probably going to pursue that. She recommended a different brand of CBD treats and they seem to make her more mellow at the dog park. I pulled up this morning and there was a couple with two unfamiliar dogs and an infant and I just took Artie to the other end of the park.
Elizabelle
@Hungry Joe: That’s almost unsporting.
gene108
@JoyceH:
If Trump were president, we would not have provided any aid to Ukraine. Even when Congress authorized sending Javelin anti-tank missiles, Trump refused to comply, as long as possible.
There’d have been no need for Wagner to March on Moscow, because Ukraine would not have been supplied with enough weapons, ammunition, etc. to hold Russia off as long as they have.
WaterGirl
@raven: Artie is a special girl. Amazing that she’s as good as she is. You guys are good for her.
trollhattan
@Hungry Joe: 25-1?!? Was one side playing football?
raven
@WaterGirl: She gets constant goo-goo!
MomSense
@SWMBO:
Oh my god that is horrific. I’m so sorry.
mrmoshpotato
@Hungry Joe: I watched the replay on the MLB app – well, only half the game. Insane 3rd and 4th innings for the Halos.
narya
@Omnes Omnibus: Do you have any interest in tickets to the Great Taste of the Midwest? I keep forgetting you’re in Madison.
mrmoshpotato
@trollhattan: 30-3
Calouste
@Jackie: Talk about putting up the bat-signal to hackers that you haven’t got the slightest clue about security….
trollhattan
@mrmoshpotato: Yikes. Were those the Cheatin’ Rangers?
Scout211
@gene108: Fixed it for you
mrmoshpotato
@trollhattan: Cheatin’ Rangers?
Ruckus
@sab:
Could be something like what happened to me. Was standing near a loud noise, a nitromethane explosion. Had my head turned 90 degrees to this and now I have single frequency tinnitus on that side 24/7/365. It doesn’t keep me awake but it is always there, same volume. It’s only been about 20 or so years now and no I’m still not used to it. Not that I have any choice mind you.
My point is that I know what it is, and I know why it’s there, your dog would only know that something like this is happening to them, something that made their life different than it was, seconds ago.
raven
@Ruckus: Was it gunfire, the Grateful Dead or both?? I dunno but the hearing aids help!
NotMax
@WaterGirl
Easy to transmute table sugar into caster (superfine/baker’s/bar) sugar at home. Put regular granulated sugar into a food processor, blender or coffee grinder and process quickly into a finer granulated state.
mrmoshpotato
I hear Russia’s nice, Tonka DeLorean.
ETA – not reading more, but it’s funny that her bigoted ass forgot Chicago. BOOGA BOOGA CHICAGO!
Betsy
@eclare: yes!!! Recipe for sour cherry mojitos, please!!!
ETA: seen above. Thank you!!!!
trollhattan
A PSA: It is now six shopping months until Christmas.
You are very welcome.
Baud
Baud
Baud
Jackie
@trollhattan: You obviously left Baud speechless 😶
Another Scott
Meanwhile, …
Just amazing. Carrier pigeons are probably next.
Cheers,
Scott.
Princess
@WaterGirl: Our sour cherry tree is going nuts this year, so I made it with fresh cherries this evening and it was deeeeeelicious! Thank you!!!
WaterGirl
@Betsy: They are very good, if I do say so myself! :-)
WaterGirl
@Princess: I no longer have my sour cherry tree, but I bet the mojitos are even better with fresh cherries! yay!
Manyakitty
@Princess: you have a sour cherry tree? Soooo jealous!
Ruckus
@raven:
It was a nitro powered motorcycle engine. I was standing on the right side, the throttle man was kneeling between me and the bike and the starter had the car starter that plugged in the crank by the handle with the switch to start it. The fuel return line was down in the fuel, it was supposed to be at the top of the tank but because it wasn’t and this bike used nitromethane as it’s fuel, and it had filled cylinder #4 full of nitro, the second the starter button was pressed the cylinder compressed the nitro and it blew up rather spectacularly. No shrapnel, everything was contained but every piece of engine was broken/bent/useless and the blast went right over the head of the guy I was standing behind and right into my ear. I’ve had hearing tests and my hearing is fine except at 3k hertz, which is where it drops to zero and I have an unchanging tinnitus. Every damn second of every damn minute of every damn hour, of every damn day. For over 2 decades now. And yes it is still annoying, every damn second of every damn minute of every damn hour, of every damn day.