I have been searching for some fun thing for an open thread for the past hour or more, and no luck.
Surely there are some fun things out there that you can all share?
In the meantime, I see that Henry’s special allergy dry food is now up to something like $140 a bag. Holy cow!
As long as he’s got his babies, he doesn’t care.
Open thread.
Update: Found my favorite kitty video.
.
Gloria DryGarden
I propose this fun topic: if you give yourself three treats a day, especially as a reward for doing the thing that’s a risk, or moves you forward toward your bigger vision,
what are the treats you give yourself?
My main treat is essential oil spray, either graperuit, or lime.
Then there’s the other treats: a call w a friend, some beloved music, a walk in nature, some desultory garden work, meandering around looking for spring bulbs popping up, or open tulips. Dark chocolate. Ginger barbecue sauce on whatever vegetable I’m having. Lentil pasta w spaghetti sauce, even though it’s carbs. Some lying down dance stretches and lolligagging. A good book.
Old School
It’s fun to watch Vance being incompetent:
WaterGirl
@Old School: Oh, I read about that. There’s video? Off to watch.
persistentillusion
@Old School:
You mis-spelled breaking. He’s a huffing oaf. (trying to clean up my fucking language).
bbleh
Pretty grim news day. But an actual Spring day for a change! Warm, lotsa flowers. Gave ten bucks to a street person because wtf. And yeah, got a major hoot out of Couch Boy’s fumble. Still hoping the Lord calls his Chosen One home in the next few years, just to see the frantic intraparty cannbalism that would follow.
zhena gogolia
@Gloria DryGarden: Crossword puzzles
Doing something nice for someone
Chocolate?
Paul in Jacksonville
https://www.onlinefreegames.com/play/bubble-fall.html
Parfigliano
@WaterGirl: ESPN site has video of Vance trophy fumble
Martin
@Gloria DryGarden: Gin and Dubonnet before lunch, dry martini after lunch, and champagne before bed. Learned that from a pro.
WaterGirl
@Old School:
WaterGirl
@bbleh: More grim than this?
WaterGirl
@Parfigliano: I googled, and even a bunch of FOX stations have the video.
Vance looks even dumber after he fumbles it and doesn’t know what to do while he’s holding it.
Gloria DryGarden
@bbleh: there are 3-5 layers deep of next-in-lines and puppet masters, that could all go home.
Like the nyc darkness photo of the neon sign, in the earlier thread. See comment #11. That’s the photo. Someone needs to post it every thread, to provide balance and balm to our furious souls.
@zhena gogolia: sudoku, worldle geography game, geography page on BlueSky, micro poetry page on blue sky, and riffing off other peoples poems. Electronic mahjong..
doing something nice for someone is such a rush, such a feeling of purpose. I got to be a resource for someone today: it was a bright cheerful conversation about how I got my a1c down from diabetes to prediabetic in one month, because she needed the info for her family. Yay.
Sending people good wishes..
eclare
@Old School:
That was fun! As an SEC grad, I heartily approve of JV breaking The Ohio State’s trophy.
HopefullyNotcassandra
Spring is springing forth everywhere. The birds are singing their hearts out. The sunlight, by itself, is just joyous this time of year.
Today is also John Gielgud’s birthday — way back in 1904. You can watch the Lion of the Desert, Falstaff (Chimes at Midnight) or even Arthur to celebrate his birth in fine style (and the last two with good humor).
Finally, there was an earthquake in Southern California today. The San Diego’s zoo’s elephants ran to protect their babies. Every elephant is alright. It is just a nice video to see.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=12F-ENxsw8k
Jeffro
Fun stuff: on Instagram, there are many folks who do “Song X in the style of Band (or Artist) Y” and it’s just a hoot…I think it’s 90% of what I look at and/or share there, these days!
“John Denver sings ‘War Pigs’ ”
“Smashing Pumpkins, but done as Surf guitar”
” ‘Hurt’, done by Alice In Chains”
This is in addition to all the cool bands and artists (A Short Walk to Pluto, Marc Scibilia, Klangphonics, etc) that have popped up
Plus the screamy, snarky chef stuff…aryahungry and others…
A real hoot if you use it right and just enjoy!
WaterGirl
Found my favorite kitty video:
Cat Drinking Water from kitchen sink faucet from chris l on GodTube.
HopefullyNotcassandra
@Old School: Wow. That is some truly terrible politicking.
NotMax
Howzabout a break for comedy?
HopefullyNotcassandra
@Gloria DryGarden: May I add octordle at Britannica?
p.a.
@Jeffro: Can’t remember their name, but a bluegrass band does AC/DC covers.
WaterGirl
Am I allowed to say how much I love Henry’s little pink tummy?
eclare
Oh no! Henry’s ears are expensive! Seriously, why is the dog food so expensive? How many pounds in a bag?
I am not doubting that Henry needs it, I’m curious what makes it so spendy.
Jeffro
@p.a.: YES…those are awesome!
the one I found first was called Steve n’ Seagulls but there are (it’s a big world!) others =)
Joy in FL
@Old School: Thank you for that video (comment 2).
Also WaterGirl, not far behind.
Also, WaterGirl, I love the video of the cat drinking water and more. That’s so adorable.
Jay
3rd Anniversary of the sinking of the Moskva, by a country with no Navy.
“ruZZian warship, go fuck yourself”.
TheOtherHank
Somebody I follow online who is an actual bird scientist started a Bluesky hashtag #TenMinMerlin where you let the Bird ID app Merlin (put out by the bird folks at Cornell) listen to the outdoors for 10 minutes and see what birds it hears at your location. And then you post the results on Bluesky. I have 37 consecutive days of observations and it has identified 64 different species. It makes me happy and now I pay much more attention to the ambient bird sounds when I’m out and about.
#TenMinMerlin
Gloria DryGarden
@HopefullyNotcassandra: that sounds hard. What is it? Sounds all intriguing..tell us more of your fun things, I imagine you have several more cool delicious activities.
coin operated
Watching the WNBA draft…every last one of these athletes look absolutely stunning tonight. Paige Bueckers was damn near unrecognizable…so used to seeing her in a UConn uniform.
I say this while knowing full well I couldn’t score a single bucket against any one of them. Even if I started in the paint and they had to catch me from half court.
WaterGirl
@eclare: 25 pound bag.
I thought about getting the smaller bag because it lasts a really long time, but the 18.5 lb bag is $99!
It’s Purina hydrolyzed food, special for allergies. It cost about $100 in 2022.
NeenerNeener
My bluebird house has tree swallows nesting in it. There’s a little door on the side that you can open to take a quick peek. My brother said there’s nest material in there finally! Woo hoo!
And somebody on Next Door said the hummingbirds have finally arrived here, so it’s time to take the seed feeders down and put the nectar feeders up.
Watergirl: both of my female Aussies had food allergy issues. When I had to buy the Purina HD food 7 years ago it was $105 for 25 lbs and I thought that was steep. I can’t imagine having to shell out $140 for designer dog food now.
narya
I made a batch of soft pretzels (test batch); pic at @gingerchef on bluesky. I refrigerated the dough overnight so I didn’t have to stay up too late and so I could watch F1 and IndyCar, and I think I’m gonna do that every time.
Lapassionara
@WaterGirl: Yes. Yes you are.
eclare
@WaterGirl:
You are encouraged to say that!
The Audacity of Krope
@WaterGirl: Out of bounds. Ten yard penalty. Or something…
WaterGirl
@NeenerNeener: Henry is my million dollar baby. The pill he takes for his allergies every day is $3 a pill.
But totally worth it because he was a total mess before they got everything figured out.
TheOtherHank
Youtube decided, correctly, that I like to cook and has been showing me bread baking videos put out by the King Arthur Flour folks. It turns out I am very suggestible and have made several things I have seen on their channel. Yesterday’s adventure was the Chocolate Babka Buns. So yummy.
WaterGirl
@Joy in FL: So charming when he sticks his head under the water!
If someone finds a YouTube version of that, let me know. I would prefer that to the link to GodTube.
When I saw it years ago it was on YouTube. I do not have good Google Fu.
Joy in FL
@WaterGirl: I’ll say it with you.
Henry’s little pink tummy is perfect.
(all of him is perfect)
Gloria DryGarden
Yesterday I liked some poems over on micropoetry, and a few people checked me out, liked my pinned poem. Most elating of all, one poet wrote a spin off from my poem about writing to call in the highest good.
It was a delicious poem with compost and consequences, fungal roots in nourishing soil, and tending. They took my poem and made something deeper, and richer. I felt so seen. It was like having a dance partner.
That was fun.
Joy in FL
@HopefullyNotcassandra: I love the elephant video (comment 15). Thank you so much for sharing that. I sent myself the link so I can watch it again and again.
WaterGirl
@Lapassionara: @eclare: @Joy in FL: Oh, good!
eclare
@WaterGirl:
At least that’s a decent size bag. I just ordered a six month supply of Nexgard, $240.
Jay
@WaterGirl: Do you know exactly, what foods Henry is allergic to?
With Digger and Casey we learned what was good, what was bad, and we found alternatives that did not use them as ingredients.
$35 for a 50lb sack of dry food.
Suzanne
I was at Costco yesterday and I noticed that every one of the whole coffee bean options was a couple of dollars more than it was last time. I bought the French roast instead of the Colombian!
WaterGirl
@Jay: The dermatologist at the vet school did all the tests. It would be faster to list the things he’s not allergic to.
I am really hesitant to rock the boat since we finally got him stable a couple of years ago.
WaterGirl
@Suzanne: What do you have against the Columbians? :-)
Gloria DryGarden
@WaterGirl: you made me laugh hard with delight.
laughter, and delight are what might carry us through ..
Jay
@Suzanne:
Kicking Horse Coffee has gone from $15 a bag, (regular, at times on sale for $9) to $21 a bag.
Tariff’s, can’t spell tariff’s with out the FFS.
Citizen Dave
Queen’s “We Are the Champions” loses A LOT being played half-heartedly by a military band (I assume) rather than hearing Freddy’s lead vocal and Brian May’s lead guitar. Very appropriate call by the Orange Man’s Team of Bivalves.
eclare
@Suzanne:
So glad I don’t drink coffee, I get my caffeine from tea. I switched years ago as the caffeine in coffee was too much for me and my nerves.
Gloria DryGarden
@TheOtherHank: oh gosh. I’m in. I’ll have to try it…is the app built into the blue sky page?
Jay
@WaterGirl:
Yeah, it’s tricky. Sugar, (rotX/lab/ shepard/??) was allergic to grass.
Timill
@p.a.:
Hayseed Dixie ?
eclare
@Citizen Dave:
Seriously that was the saddest version that I have ever heard.
Quiltingfool
@Jay: I made this appliqué cat block to commemorate this event!
https://pin.it/3Ax8uF0jQ
Gloria DryGarden
@TheOtherHank: YouTube and Facebook totally know what to show me. I get so many incredible dance and ice skating videos,
in with recipe reels, and philosophy/ psychology/geography stuff and occasional languages and archeology stuff.
even if it is an algorithm, and they know too much, it’s pleasing to get a buffet of visual treats to enjoy.
Suzanne
@Jay: Coffee and biscotti are essential purchases around this house!
I am pretty frugal….. dinner is often soup, or an apple with peanut butter, or pasta. But no one fucks with my coffee, man.
TheOtherHank
@Gloria DryGarden:
No it’s an iPhone and Android app: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/
I take screenshots of the birds it’s heard add them to a Bluesky skeet
Jay
@Quiltingfool:
Noice!!!!!! Pretty too.
eclare
@Quiltingfool:
Your quilts are works of art.
eclare
@Suzanne:
Did you get your coffee maker fixed?
Sister Golden Bear
Fun stuff = Murderbot trailer!
Come for the snark, stay for the Security Unit who’d rather be binge watching soap operas.
bbleh
@WaterGirl: @eclare: @Jay: good question re allergies! I was surprised to learn that many dogs are allergic to chicken, which causes chronic itching , hair loss and other skin problems in them, and removing chicken from their diets (not particularly expensive) takes care of it.
Suzanne
@bbleh: When I was a kid/teen, we had a dog who was allergic to chicken. SuzMom ended up cooking her dinner…. a combo of ground beef and rice.
Dearie Pupper was also allergic to grass. But she knew she was supposed to pee on it. So she’d stick her front paws in the grass and squat, with her back end still over the sidewalk.
Suzanne
@eclare: No, but Mr. Suzanne is on spring break this week and is going to try to fix it! It will still brew 2/3 of the pot!
TheOtherHank
I read that sentence with an extra word “SuzMom ended up cooking her for dinner.” Re-reading eased my mind a great deal
@Suzanne:
HopefullyNotcassandra
@Gloria DryGarden: it depends on how you play. It is just wordle 8 times in one game. If you play relaxed, you keep going until you get them all. If you don’t, you get 14 tries.
We are getting close to my favorite time to hike out in this wide world. I don’t have any big plan with it. I just take one step at a time and avoid dangerous looking spots by turning around sharpish.
Reading and lounging about around sunset with loved ones after some seriously splendid outdoor time are my two most favorite things. I do love a second (or a third) breakfast, too
WTFGhost
@narya: Do you boil your pretzels? Baking soda? (I’ve heard using Sodium Carbonate (aka baked baking soda) might be better and give a chewier crust, which is why I ask.)
(Grew up in Philly – I have to learn to bake pretzels, someday.)
Gloria DryGarden
@TheOtherHank: cool, thanks
NotMax
@Suzanne
Ever tried making mandelbrot, richer and softer than biscotti? Sample recipes – in text, in video.
Quiltingfool
@eclare: Thank you! I just love making quilts. Honestly, it’s my addiction!
Say, do you recognize this handsome pair of pups? I made a dog appliqué block! No cats!
https://pin.it/4qbxjEalg
prostratedragon
@WaterGirl: So glad UMich got Biden last year.
And thanks for the kitty video, both relaxing and plain fun.
Suzanne
@TheOtherHank: LOL! No, she was a much-doted-on lovey doggo. Just like all of ours.
Current pupper is still in her velociraptor phase and yet….. cuddles.
Suzanne
@NotMax: I have not, it maybe I will try! Imma big fan of cookies with coffee.
WaterGirl
@Quiltingfool: Wowser! Amazing!
Redshift
@Sister Golden Bear: I am such a huge Murderbot fan! Every time I finish one of the books/novellas, I am a little sad because I have to wait a year for another one.
I hope the series lives up to expectations. I can see some changes but I am generally forgiving of changing stuff that really wouldn’t translate well from print to video, so I think it’ll be good, but I want it to be awesome!
WaterGirl
Big thanks to muddy for sending me the YouTube video of the kitty at the sink. Replaced the one up top. Can’t edit a comment with an embed in it, so that one will have to stay.
So nice to hear from you, muddy!
Kristine
@TheOtherHank: I love the Merlin app, including sound ID. I need to do this.
narya
@WTFGhost: yes, with baking soda. I don’t want to deal with lye, which is the usual way to get that crust on pretzels and bagels. The KAF book of bread recipe is what I used—the version with sourdough starter.
Kristine
@Sister Golden Bear: I am really looking forward to that.
eclare
@Quiltingfool:
How cute! I recognize those fellas.
Trivia Man
@Jeffro: those are fun, i just watched boomauer from king of tge hill do Rap God
Trivia Man
@p.a.: there us a series if 100+ albums… Picking on xyz. AC DC, nirvana, dylan, smashing pumpkins and many more
frosty
@Gloria DryGarden:
I’ve never even thought of giving myself a treat or reward for doing something well. I’ll have to cogitate on this concept for awhile.
Jay
@frosty:
Cheesecake and coffee, just for getting out of bed?
Or pie?
Breakfast of Champions.
Jackie
@WaterGirl: I had a cat who actually resembled that cat and loved the full water faucet drink and head wash. He’s been gone twenty years, but I still miss him dearly. He was special in sooo many ways!
WaterGirl
@Jackie: so much character! Of of course you would’ve adored him
Jackie
@Jay:
Still makes me smile!
Gloria DryGarden
@frosty: i didn’t use to reward myself for doing a thing. Martha beck suggests it in the Joy Diet, one of her self coaching books.
i don’t always go with rewards, like dog training. But other coaches do say the celebration step after an achievement of any size, helps keep motivation up. That it’s important to celebrate, even just shouting woo hoo.
But I like the just-because treats morning and evening. Esp morning. Goddess knows, in the morning I need All manner of treats, because do i have to get up and face things, handle things..I probably need to create a 10 treat regimen, chocolate, stretching, grapefruit spray, a phone call, a song, a prayer, some calming inner practice, music, a small dance…
the only time mornings are easy for me is when I’m out camping, and the first thing that happens is a stretch and a walk, with sunshine, scenery and bird song.
Jay
@Gloria DryGarden:
burning your enemies in effigie?
NotMax
@Gloria DryGarden:
…a little seltzer down your pants.
– Chuckles the clown
:)
Jackie
@Quiltingfool: That’s awesome!!! I love that you have to look closely AND know what you’re looking at!!! Well done!
Miss Bianca
@p.a.:
could you be thinking of “Hayseed Dixie”? :)
EthylEster
@eclare: I went with half-caf beans about 10 years ago. Works for me.