Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The current Supreme Court is a rogue court. Very dangerous.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Never entrust democracy to any process that requires republicans to act in good faith.

After dobbs, women are no longer free.

Thanks to your bullshit, we are now under siege.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

So many bastards, so little time.

He imagines himself as The Big Bad, Who Is Universally Feared… instead of The Big Jagoff, Who Is Universally Mocked.

We will not go quietly into the night; we will not vanish without a fight.

A lot of Dems talk about what the media tells them to talk about. Not helpful.

The fight for our country is always worth it. ~Kamala Harris

🎶 Those boots were made for mockin’ 🎵

Well, whatever it is, it’s better than being a Republican.

“Jesus paying for the sins of everyone is an insult to those who paid for their own sins.”

Republicans don’t trust women.

If you still can’t see these things even now, maybe politics isn’t your forte and you should stop writing about it.

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

Ron DeSantis, the grand wizard, oops, governor of FL.

“woke” is the new caravan.

Following reporting rules is only for the little people, apparently.

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

Books are my comfort food!

White supremacy is terrorism.

You are here: Home / Balloon Juice / Make The World A Better Place / Much Needed Respite

Much Needed Respite

by | 97 Comments

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Just a few kindness items and pet pictures to give us a break. Everyone could use some breathing room.

May 23, 2020  #NowThis #TonyHawk #News

Tony Hawk pulled off the sweetest skateboard exchange with a young fan, thanks to this FedEx driver.

***

I follow this guy on FB, every photo is adorable. and the videos of the fox and other larger critters visiting at night just start my day off on the right note.

***

A coffee shop doing more than serving coffee:

Aug 15, 2024  Daniel Klehm spent years in prison before reaching great heights in the corporate restaurant world.

***

Now for some fun fur baby photos:

HumboldtBlue sends me photos of Noodles, which is fun, since we are both managing a couple of Tuxedo younguns.

I was out running errands today and I brought Noodles with me because one stop was the pet store and just down the road is the spay and neuter place I adopted him from. So I went there first and dropped Noodles off, and the staff went crazy for him.

 

This was Noodles this morning in the Japanese maple. We got in three walks before the heavy rain began.

***

Noodles is wearing a harness, and HumboldtBlue is leash-training him, which inspired me. I’ve been working with both Willow and Reggie. So far, they both tolerate the harness easily, we did a few days before I left and now I feel like we are starting over before I add the leash. But I think I’ll try them outside this week.

Here is Reggie looking super handsome in his harness

And now it’s “Where is my treat? I was promised treats if I put this stupid thing on.”

***

Willow, looking stunning, as always. Being away has the benefit that when I return, the cats, once they are over their snit, hang with me more, until they realize I’m not going away again, and then they return to their normal routine of mostly ignoring me.

Sully, who has no interest in the outdoors, does not get a harness – I’d have to order at least a size larger for him, while Willow and Reggie share one. He is 18 lbs of pure House Panther.

***

Finally, yes, the ducks do notice when I’m away, seem glad I returned, and then go about their lives. Cats with feathers.

Ducks at dawn’s light

***

Here is where I spent my last week..grateful for the quiet before this week’s storm.

 

I promised you the punch line to my dog attack – turns out that we were attacked by a cranky, old, TOOTHLESS JRT. He refused to back down, which made it critical for me to restrain Scout – but that means the nasty bite on my hand is from Scout. I am lucky with her bite strength she didn’t break my hand. It is super bruised though.

The owner and I had a bit of a chuckle later that day when she came over to check on us. We couldn’t figure out why the JRT would break out of the house and come for a dog as big as Scout. It does explain why, even after I saw that JRT practically hanging from Scout’s neck, she had no bite marks.

I’m hoping to get her out for a walk soon, so she can  have a good experience, but it may be a few days before I’ll be sure I can physically handle her if she is edgy. Wait for my hand to heal.  Day at a time.

This is a respite thread. NO POLITICS! But share your good news or happy video links, etc.

Everyone BREATHE. We have got each other to hang with during these weird times.

 

 

Reader Interactions

97Comments

  3. 3.

    HumboldtBlue

    That harness looks great on Reggie. And getting outside is the key.

    When I first put the harness on Noodles, it was far too big, but I let him run around the house. I waited about two more weeks, I think he was 14–15 weeks old when I decided to try and take him outside. It was a learning experience for both of us. I put the harness on incorrectly, and he just flipped and flopped when we got outside, but after a minute or two he realized he WAS outside, and it was awesome. From then on, I have made it a point to associate the harness with going outside, and now he regularly begs my for another chance to get back out there.

    Particularly if Miss Persephone, the neighbor’s cat, is in the front yard. Noodles starts wheedling and whining and pacing and racing around and jumping onto the front window sill, vehemently demanding we go outside so he can get swatted five or six times by Persephone.

  6. 6.

    HumboldtBlue

    @Van Buren: ​ 

    My sister just texted from West Virginia that it’s 65 degrees and the folks in the fields across the road are mowing and raking in hay.

    It’s Nov. 3.

  8. 8.

    Spanky

    As luck* would have it, my tuxedo just sauntered onto my chest like he owns it. He does.

    *Not necessarily good luck, as I gotta get rolling here.

  9. 9.

    TaMara

    @Van Buren: Crazy. My roses are blooming like crazy and we are expecting a big snow storm this week, so I hope they’ll be okay. The local experts say to just leave them..don’t trim or anything..and they should be fine. ETA: But I’m still tempted to make a vase of the blooms today.

    I finally just put my veggie garden to bed, because I knew I wouldn’t have time after I got back from my trip. But tomatoes were till blooming and new babies on the vine.

  11. 11.

    Spanky

    Roses still blooming here in the Maryland hellscape. Supposed to be 82 on Wednesday with most temps this week in the upper 60s, about 10 degrees above normal.

  12. 12.

    Doc H

    A diner in the next town over is doing good things.

    Fold’d Community Diner is a social enterprise project of SOS Recovery Community Organization. SOS is a 501c3 non profit peer-based recovery community organization providing workforce opportunities for individuals in recovery and criminal justice involvement. *

    I haven’t been in yet, but I’m planning on making it stop no. 7 to complete my Coffeeneuring Challenge 2024!

  14. 14.

    CaseyL

    Here is some of what I think/hope is good news:

    My 16-year old kitty, Oscar, had to go get his thyroid irradiated in early October for hyperthyroidism.  He came back safe and sound, the lump in his throat gone.

    But his voice had changed: it was higher-pitched, and thinner.  The change shocked me and I think it shocked him.  He had been a very chatty little guy, asking for things, demanding attention, scolding me for staying up too late or not getting up soon enough, demanding doors be opened and treats be dispensed, and often just sounding off for no apparent reason.

    When he came back from the clinic, he hardly spoke.  He seemed happy enough, but had simply stopped being a chatterbox.  I couldn’t figure out if it was a consequence of a suddenly much slower metabolism/energy level, or his throat hurt, or what.  I missed the chatter, though, and told him so.

    This morning he let me know it was time to stop reading in bed, give him some attention, and then get up and give him breakfast.  I don’t know if Chatty Oscar is back, but it was so good to hear him talking again!  I hope it does persist.

  15. 15.

    HumboldtBlue

    @TaMara: ​ 

    Noodles is the first kitten I have had. Midnight and Salad moved in with me as adults, and I knew when I got a kitten I didn’t want them to be an outside cat.

    And while my apartment is perfect for me and him, it is small, so with some strenuous urging from the lady friend — who is in command when it comes to all things animals and pets — on the way home from adoption I picked up the harness determined to give him controlled outside adventures.

    It’s worked and our “walks” are a daily occurrence, even in the rain. Although how heavy the rain is does matter, yesterday we were out, and it began to lightly drizzle, but as it got harder he raced off with me running behind him on his way to the front door and back inside.

    I put walks in quotes because a lot of the outdoor time is him sitting and staring at the huge rhody bush in which Persephone hides in and that is also home to a lot of little birds, which is not walking at all.

  21. 21.

    JoeyJoeJoe

    Just discovered a new TV show to watch; Killing Eve.  The Jodie Comer character is one of the most interesting characters I’ve seen in a while

  22. 22.

    Salty Sam

    Not politics, but Kamala related:

    My younger son is an improv comic, worked at 2nd City in Chicago a few years back- he has several friends who are at SNL, both in the writer’s room, and in front of the camera.  He flew to NYC on Friday for a project he’s involved with, and texted me last night from backstage at SNL (there on an invite from one of his friends).

    I texted back “Did you get to meet Kamala!?!”

    ”Ha ha, hell no! The security was turned up to 11. Everyone was frisked multiple times, secret service was poised and ready, ton of weaponry. It was crazy. But I met Adam Sandler’s kids at the afterparty ! “

    Multiple degrees of separation, but fun nonetheless!

  23. 23.

    indycat32

    My sister lives in northern Kentucky.  Her lilac bush is blooming .   Also, Noodles is adorable and for some reason a cat named Noodles cracks me up.

  28. 28.

    scav

    @Baud: What do you people need respite from?

    Can’t speak for many but a) shotweed and b) TGNFYFT^F being a viable concern spring to mind.  c) thistles would be gravy, icing if nit downright nirvana.

  30. 30.

    Doc H

    @TaMara: She’s a v good girl. Her great-aunt, Lotte, was the first small dog I’d ever owned (mainly GSPs before that) – dachshunds are ridiculous, excellent characters.

  44. 44.

    Chet Murthy

    @rikyrah: Huh …. so TPAction is a right-wing shop.  Wouldn’t it be awful if Dem voters used their $$ to get to the polls?  I wonder if the voucher is for a one-way ride ?  How do people get back home?  Or don’t they care ?  I guess it would be on-brand for them to not care.

  45. 45.

    rikyrah

    Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) posted at 8:30 AM on Sun, Nov 03, 2024:
    The @KamalaHarris campaign needs Spanish speakers to phone bank and help get Spanish-speaking voters out to vote! If you speak Spanish, come by anytime from 1 PM – 9 PM (if you speak English, come by anytime from 9 AM – 9 PM)! HELP US WIN!
    Sign up here: https://t.co/DiC3e8wS89 https://t.co/mmZPSLRg8I
    (https://x.com/LinaHidalgoTX/status/1853082202558382199?t=rfPvuJoHSOB6upBLXCvYAQ&s=03)

  46. 46.

    rikyrah

    Jake Lahut (@JakeLahut) posted at 9:57 AM on Sun, Nov 03, 2024:
    NEW — Another scoop and an interesting update on the Elon Musk’s voter turnout operation in Michigan.

    The entire group of Black, mostly out-of-state door knockers got fired with hours of the @WIRED U-Haul article dropping on Wednesday. New story includes:

    – One of the door knockers from Florida going on the record about her experience
    – A harrowing escape
    – The first on-the-record acknowledgement of the seatless vans from the subcontractor
    – Door knockers left stranded in Michigan & without pay, until… (read all the way to the end, trust me)
    wired.com/story/canvasse…

    https://t.co/xLOJZlGuzN
    (https://x.com/JakeLahut/status/1853104217159786850?t=lXPjtXWNe63lgtQn9h4avQ&s=03)

  47. 47.

    rikyrah

    Mrs. Butters 🥧 (@MrsButters) posted at 10:56 PM on Sat, Nov 02, 2024:
    Kamala, take my palmala.

    The American people want to stop the chaos and end the dramala.

    With a cool new step-mamala.

    Get back in our pajamalas and watch a rom-comala.

    Like Legally Blondela.

    And start decorating for Christmas, fa la la lala.

    Because what do we always say?

    Keep Kalmala and carry onala.

    Well done, SNL 👏
    (https://x.com/MrsButters/status/1852922733568344143?t=Y8cesz1BfC8nvzZ0We4cDA&s=03)

  48. 48.

    Juju

    If I could have a cat, I would choose a tuxedo cat. They are so cute and the ones I’ve met had nice personalities.

    The video of Daisy playing with toys is adorable. I have a golden retriever rescue who was a former breeder dog,  who after a little over two years is getting better about things a non abused dog would love, is still terrified of toys.  My other dog is a mature girl who likes to roll around and do the zoomies and knock pillows off of beds and couches, but doesn’t care much for toys, and I have two baskets full of toys that are mostly unused. Makes me a bit sad.

  54. 54.

    beckya57

    @TaMara: Willow is beautiful and looks a lot like my half Maine Coon Rocky, who is also beautiful (as he is very well aware).  Rocky in particular is a velcro cat when I return from a trip.

    (no politics here!  Cats rule!!)

  56. 56.

    Jackie

    @TaMara: FYI, Those links don’t work for me; “my browser does not support…” I don’t subscribe to any social media apps – and don’t plan to or want to. At least I can – so far – open X posts. Just can’t scroll down, but I’m fine with that 😊

  57. 57.

    mali muso

    Lazy Sunday afternoon here with the 7 year old widget. I taught her how to knit last year and she asked if we could get our knitting out this weekend to start making Christmas gifts. I am trying to lean into time spent with her, just being together and enjoying each other’s company. These are the moments that I know I will look back on in years to come with nostalgia.

  58. 58.

    rikyrah

    Machine Pun Kelly 

    @KellyScaletta

    You can tell what kind of President they would be by how they run their campaigns. Harris is running a perfect campaign since day one that includes everyone from Bernie Sanders to Liz Cheney and everyone in between. Trump outsourced his campaign to an idiot billionaire. That’s how they’re going to run the country.

    3:17 AM · Nov 3, 2024

  59. 59.

    RaflW

    Got all the patio furniture in yesterday, and ‘organized’ in the basement today. All 4 kayaks are in their upright and stored position in the garage for winter. I had hoped to go boating this past week, but we had 30-40 mph winds for days, then rain.

    I switch to snowboarding on Nov 10th :)  Gotta keep doing outdoor stuff year ’round.

  62. 62.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    Sitting in BWI waiting for flight back to Denver after spending 3 days in Lancaster PA pushing toy soldiers around tables and drinking.  Met fellow BJer JAFD who, it turns out, I’ve known for 20 years thru these historical miniatures wargaming shows.  Wonderful-looking armies (including the two I brought, Seleucids and Samnites), plenty of space, good lighting and people I’ve known for 35 years all made for a great time.

    Now let’s hope my approach of not booking the last Southworst flight to Denver from BWI pays off in that the accumulated screw ups during the day will have missed or at least be minimal on a mid-afternoon flight.

  63. 63.

    Ruckus

    I started out working in my dad’s machine shop and ended up with owning it longer than he did. But I worked, starting as a hobby, in motorcycle racing and left that to build bicycles and own a bicycle shop for almost 8 yrs. It’s fun working in a business that basically supports people’s hobbies. They would walk in the door with a big smile because you were there to make their life a bit happier, rather than just sell them something they needed. Basically you end up with customers from all walks of life and a wide range of ages. And stories to tell when you retire.

  64. 64.

    catclub

    @rikyrah: yeah, when Obama was tagged as having no executive experience, look at the campaign he ran and the people he hired.

     

    I am pretty sure that Harris quietly made some substantial changes to the Biden campaign she inherited.

  67. 67.

    narya

    Lots of little respites today: just sent mom the link to the SNL clip (she was feeling poorly yesterday from the RSV vax she got Friday); had a long, lovely video chat with two of my oldest friends; and, in a chat with Nephew the Younger, offered him the crewel work piece (from a kit) that I’m doing. I explained its provenance (my grandmother purchased it but never did it, and I started doing it partly as an homage to her and partly to get back to doing my own fancy needlework) and told him he absolutely should say no if it’s not something he’d want, but he jumped all over it and eagerly claimed it. Did not particularly think a 25 y/o young man would want it but he loved the history of it; go figure.

  71. 71.

    sab

    @CaseyL: You are lucky he was bad enough to irradiate. We did that for our Max and he lived another 5 years. My StarScream wasn’t severe enough for irradiation, and he was excellent at hiding his spit out thyroid pills, so he basically burned up and died in a couple of years. Zipped around the house, always hungry, always thirsty, always hyper, always losing weight, then gradual systems failure and he wasted away.

  72. 72.

    rikyrah

    @mali muso:

    Lazy Sunday afternoon here with the 7 year old widget. I taught her how to knit last year and she asked if we could get our knitting out this weekend to start making Christmas gifts.

     

    that is so sweet :)

  73. 73.

    sab

    Husband has his klatch buddies over for football today. Three cats upstairs hiding under various beds. Four cats in the basement sleeping on their furniture and cat trees.  Cats hate football.

    Pitbull is sitting on an armchair and watching tv with the guys.

  77. 77.

    Trivia Man

    @rikyrah: I saw the NAACP is offering Lyft vouchers – up to $20 each way, round trip. I don’t think it had any state restrictions.

  79. 79.

    dkinPa

    TaMara, thanks for the super nice videos and the cat and duck photos!  I’m very glad to hear that you’re suffering no bad aftereffects from Scout’s bite.  What a dummy JRT!  Some of them get old and cranky, just like people, don’t they?

    Lovely, sunny fall day here in western PA.

  80. 80.

    Trivia Man

    @RaflW: I helped someone stash a couple kayaks last week – they had rope cradles in the garage. Horizontal storage – is vertical better?

  81. 81.

    NotMax

    Arrgh! Wrong linky in #78. Sorry ’bout that. Fix.

    Mouth music for respite.

    (For the young’uns, a carton retailed for about $2.50 back then. less at the PX.)
    ;)

  82. 82.

    kindness

    Yea, no. I had one tomato plant (Black Cherokee) still producing but over the last month when ever a tomato is remotely near ripe mice get it over night.  I kept thinking I would get one more home grown blt for this year but nope.  I’ll take that plant down next week preping for winter.

  83. 83.

    zhena gogolia

    So at OO’s suggestion, I tried reading the Wikipedia recap of season 1 of The Diplomat to see if it would help me understand season 2 any better. Although I watched all of season 1 when it appeared, and have now read the Wikipedia summary, I can honestly say that I’m even more lost than I was before. Oh well. Rufus Sewell is my kind of eye candy.

  85. 85.

    Mousebumples

    @Trivia Man: thanks for the recommendation. Might need to check that out next time I’m down in the Milwaukee area… Though might need to wait until spring, at this rate.

  88. 88.

    sab

    My late very lamented German Shepherd lo9ked at every walk as a recruiting opportunity. She was a born organizer and she wanted ro rule the biggest dog pack ever.

    She failed on recruiting, but it made almost every dog walk loads of fun. Except she had two breeds she hated. Greyhounds, because they were taller than she was and also too they stared at her ( serious disrespecting amongst dogs.) But they were sight hounds. That’s what they do. With greyhounds that was just mutual misunderstanding.

    Her other breed predjudice was JRTs. I love Patron the Ukrainian sapper, but otherwise I agree with my GSD. Snappy bitey little guys.

  89. 89.

    Layer8Problem

    So today’s the day I find out the blog has a “I Will Cut You If You Muddy This Thread” category, and has for years, and the posts are all or at least mostly TaMara posts. Ma’am, I shall put on my civility cap in your posts henceforth. 😁

  90. 90.

    CaseyL

    @sab: Oh, no!  So very sorry to hear about StarScream.  Though I have to say, I thought long and hard about the treatment, knowing Oscar would lose quite a lot of his “oomph.”  Wondering if he would prefer to live longer at half-speed, or burn out faster but be happier.  Thank you for letting me know what would have happened if I had gone that other route.

    FYI, if ever you’re in that situation with another kitty – not bad enough for the radiation treatment, but still hyperthyroid – the medication now comes in a dermal cream you can rub on inside the ear.  Much easier than pills!  In Oscar’s case, the medication wasn’t bringing down his thyroid levels enough, so we had to go with the I-131.

  92. 92.

    sab

    @CaseyL: I desperately wanted StarScream to get irradiated but he just didn’t reach the right levels.

    Best cat ever, but he didn’t like pills. He dutifully took them but I knew we had issues and that he was a sneaky guy.

    He never could be trusted with pills.

  97. 97.

    janesays

    There is a recently born child in this world whose name is Ronin who will eventually get to tell all of his classmates that his biological grandfathers are Tony Hawk and Kurt Cobain, and my Gen X ass couldn’t be more jealous.

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