There has been just way too much sorrow and grief this week-end, and I just can’t take it anymore. There are ups and downs, and we’ve lost a beloved pet and beloved commenter, but this life shit is still pretty fucking awesome. It took Lily sitting on my lap and suddenly sitting up, turning around, and licking me and then sitting right back down to snap back my senses, but for the most part, we have a pretty good thing going, you, me, and everyone else.
I want each and everyone of you to post something positive or good that has happened to you or that you witnessed this past week. I’ll start with a couple:
1.) I realized again how much I love my mom, dad, and brother and sisters. Sometimes I get annoyed with them, and I have been a supreme dick at one point to every one of them, but they are always there when I need them and our family, though we won’t admit it because stoicism=Cole, we are the kind of close family with no bullshit that everyone should have.
2.) I realized again how lucky I have been to have these awesome animals in my life. My love for Tunch need not be discussed additionally, but Rosie has just shocked me this week-end. She really knows something is wrong, and has been within two feet of me or on my lap since Tunch died. It kind of makes me think there is a plan, and that Rosie was meant to be dumped on that road and become part of the pack.
3.) My affirmation in humanity has once again been re-affirmed. I’m misanthropic by nature and love this website because it gives me a chance to reveal a part of myself that I wouldn’t in person, so the outpouring of support, in the comments, from my fellow bloggers, in emails and friendly tweets and comments on facebook, makes me think that maybe I’m much less of a misanthrope than I think I am, and thank goodness for that. My general inclination is to think the world is dominated by assholes, and that may be true, but at least my little world is dominated by wonderful, generous, sweet, and supportive people. Having said that, go fuck yourself, we are not putting the recent comments app back up, so stop fucking emailing me about it, you assholes. I’m seriously sick of your shit.
Post your happy thoughts, and let’s let this wake end. I hope when I wake up tomorrow, Mistermix and DougJ and the rest of the morning crew will have some posts up about politics.
And seriously, your support this past day and a half and willingness to listen to me babble was more important to me than you will ever know.
Also, too, eat a bag of salted dicks, because I know my noon tomorrow one of you will have pissed me off.
Redshirt
Let us all eat a bag of salted dicks, together. Shalom!
The prophet Nostradumbass
Something good from the last week? I’m going to be interviewed for a part-time job at the local public-access cable station where I have been volunteering the last year and a half or so.
Yatsuno
We did four toasts in memoriam last night. Tomorrow is another day. For tonight, we’ll just smile and remember.
BTW I’m kinda annoyed. The trailer for Ender’s Game looks kinda awesome.
Emerald
My kitteh, Emerald, had not been eating much at all and was losing weight rapidly. As I’m without an income right now I hesitated to take her to the very expensive vet, but I did it. The vet understood my finances and prescribed medicine that might solve the problem, without ordering expensive tests.
And it seems to have worked! Emerald started vacuuming up food at a rate that would have put Tunch to shame, and gained almost a pound in one week!
And, because she turned into a Tunch-like creature who would not take her meds, I had to cart her back to the very expensive vet for help getting the meds into her. They did that for me three times, and didn’t charge me a dime.
So that was a pretty good thing!
Higgs Boson's Mate
Every now and then hope kicks my ass.
Cathie from Canada
Lets see — how’s this? We now have two beautiful dogs, both labradors. My husband and I were in a bit of a bind, because he wanted a second lab while I wanted something smaller. Then we heard by the grapevine about a rescue lab who needed a home and we couldn’t say no — and it turned out she’s a much smaller lab, only about half the size of our big bruiser.
So now we’re both happy and the dogs like each other and us very much.
Bobby Thomson
This makes me really happy.
erlking
Fucking A. That’s the John Cole that keeps me coming around.
Today I took a hike along the Eno with a buddy–and he’s the kind of guy that can find a way to complain about finding a hundred dollar bill. A third of the way in, we startled a beautiful doe, she dashed off about 50 feet and then she stopped to watch us.
I felt like I was dragging my muddy shoes across someone’s living room. But I sure was glad to be there. And my friend was gobsmacked by the beauty.
Thanks and take care, John.
ErikaF
My diva long-haired fat kitty decided to start playing with a toy on the hall. She raced down and up the wood floor of the hall (and it really does feel like a herd of elephants), and on the return lap slipped. She skidded down the hall and bumped into the doorjamb, with a look of astonished disbelief on her face and a weird muffled MWRF as she impacted the doorjamb. My other cat then peeked out around the corner, eyes wide as she reached out a paw… towards the toy. Kitty compassion in action.
Maybe not quite as deep meaning as you requested…
Politically Lost
I have the best wife in the universe. It’s been a tough month for me, recovering from knee replacement surgery and I’ve been a pain in the ass to be around. But, twice in the last week two separate people used my wife and I as an example of how they wish thier relationships function.
At times we have been a bit smug about how well we’ve meshed over the last 17 years (of course, we’ve had some rough patches, mostly because I’m the fucked up one in this relationship) but we are truly grateful to be with each other.
We have a critter, a home, she has a job, I have a business that is slowly shaping into the career I’d always wished for. In short, I am extremely lucky. It’s always so hard to remember that I have it real good. Depression, alcoholism, health problems, are nothing compared to what others endure.
I love this blog and spend entirely too much time on it. Best wishes to everyone.
Royston Vasey
I have realised I am a sentimental type. I had a tear in eye over this weekend – and all due to a cat I have never met, owned by a man I am not likely to meet (I’m in New Zealand).
However, even though I am a major lurker, this blog is still part of my daily routine.
I was reminded off my own loss three years ago – Mandy the cat. I now have a wee, small dog – and I gave her extra treats last night.
I also realised how damn lucky I am, and told my fiance exactly that.
I pledge to donate $100 to the NZ SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) – which is where I got Mandy from 15 years ago.
They are building a new animal hospital right here in Wellington (not far from where Peter Jackson filmed some LOTR shots). I’m sure this will help towards that.
For all that this weekend has been a downer, I’m sure a lot of good will come of it.
July 13th – International Tunch Appreciation Day
Right, it”s almost 5pm on Monday, and I’m off for a drink with the only other person I know in Wellington who reads BJ. We’ll raise a toast to John and the unforgettable memory of Tunch.
All the best,
RV in NZ
John O
Atta boy!
My life with my dog and cat (who get along splendidly) is so damn good I couldn’t have come up with anything negative if you had asked. How’s that?
So consider the picture that Evelyn drew as a permanent addition to the front page, tell everyone to eat you about your sister and her decision(s)/dog, and be well, John Cole. I have every reason to believe you’ll come up with some of your own political gems soon.
Fred Fnord
Something good. Hmm. Good.
My digestive system seems to have stopped trying to turn itself inside out. That’s good.
Old Dan and Little Ann
I watched my niece shuck corn at the end of Yeller’s tethered chain in the backyard yesterday. Then my other niece went out to sit in the grass while she pet him and talked sweet to him. Two years ago Yeller was roaming around Skaneateles a feral, crazed dog. Now he’s just snoozing on the couch.
RinaX
And this weekend of depressing news ends with me coming here, reading back, and finding out that General Stuck has passed away. Kee-rist.
Yatsuno
@Old Dan and Little Ann: D’aww. Happy puppeh stories. :)
Gex
Well, I am having a rough year, what with losing Kate and my own health issues. But as bad as my year has been, there have definitely been counterbalancing high points.
Yes I lost Kate. But what I got along with that was the opportunity to see a huge community of people come together and be great and amazing to me and each other. I will definitely remember that with increasing fondness. And the support I got on this site was some of the most valued support I sought.
It sucks that not being married cost me the house, but I ended up with a dream apartment in Minneapolis. Right by the Stone Arch Bridge. It’s a first floor unit with a private entrance, a patio, and a direct view of the Mississippi with no buildings or roads between me and it. I’m within a block of a great park where they do movies in the park on Tuesdays. I can watch the 4th of July and Aquatennial fireworks shows from my patio. Everything went right for me when I had to find a place, and it continually proves to be even more awesome than I first realized.
And while the question of whether or not *I* have cancer has yet to be resolved, at least part of the stuff they sampled last time proved to be benign (the rest needs to be checked again in 6 months). And hey, any time a cancer test doesn’t come back positive, that’s good.
RobertDSC-PowerMac G5 Dual
@Yatsuno:
I can’t watch it. I loved all of the Ender books and don’t want to see film footage.
I know Card is a bigoted moron, but I like his work. Bleh.
By the way, is the Rainbow Bridge going to be needing some retrofitting after Tunch passes over?
I miss that cat so much. His infamous mug shot is the cover picture of my phone.
Jane2
@The prophet Nostradumbass: best of luck to you! Me, I had my first latte since early February as the awful hives from a virus finally disappeared. My advice from the ordeal: traditional medicine good and all the anti gluten/elimination diet is bs.
SuperHrefna
I had a great family reunion this week – my family is badly fractured, and used to be entirely dysfunctional but these days we manage to communicate better and seven of us managed to get together in the same place (Provincetown, and yes I did see Sully walking his beagles on the beach). We missed the other five living members of our gang, but the seven of us had a great time together, sometimes serious, sometimes silly, and all in all it was soul food.
Karen in GA (who really needs a better name)
Went to a local rescue and met a poodle today. She was, sadly, too frightened after five years in a puppy mill; I felt like my very presence was screwing her up even more. There’s no way I could take her home — my home is all wrong for the poor thing.
Across from her, however, was a happy Benji-looking mutt. The shelter volunteer took him outside to a fenced area in front of the building, where he acted friendly and sweet (and, just maybe, possibly housetrained). At one point, he sat at the chain link fence, watching a bunch of small dogs that were out getting exercise in their own area. A few of them came over, barking at the Benji mutt, and one actually poked its nose through and nipped Benji-mutt in the nose. Benji’s response was to take a quick step backwards, like, “Hey, what’d you go and do THAT for?” No bark, no growling, no attempt at biting back.
I hope I’m correct in taking this as an encouraging sign that Benji-mutt doesn’t go for aggression.
He also would leave whatever interesting thing he was sniffing at or watching and come over to me when I called him (of course, it was after patting my leg and saying “C’mere boy!” two or three times, but I’m guessing that’s not too bad, given he’s had no obedience training and I had no treats).
The rescue group decision-making person wasn’t there. I left contact info. Benji-mutt’s not fixed yet, so he’s not ready to be adopted — but I let them know in no uncertain terms that, assuming he’s reasonably young and healthy, I want to adopt that dog.
Besides, he’s a mix of blonde and grey. Just like me.
SIA
OK I feel better now.
Good news: MARC is super flush and many, many critters can be helped. I thought it was sweet when the lady wrote that they knew all the donations were from Tunch because they hadn’t had any in a couple of weeks.
GregB
I was doing a yard sale at my Aunt’s house in Keene, NH this weekend. Young guy, around 20 tools in, looks around for 15 minutes then comes walking over to me with a pair of handcuffs locked on his wrists and asks me for the key. I didn’t have one because the cuffs weren’t mine. I knew they were my cousins. He didn’t have a key. Took about ten minutes to get the knucklehead uncuffed with a bobby pin.
Second story. My cousin was trying to sell a rug to a very nice looking woman in yoga pants and a top with her bountiful breasts spilling out as she bent over to examine the rug. My cousin said he wanted to ogle her but my mother was sitting nearby and didn’t want to be seen obviously checking this woman out. When I later told this to my Mom she said that she had elbowed Dad and pointed out the good looking lady with the big boobs the moment she saw her.
Last week I pulled into a gas station and the young male attendant was wearing a Shakespeare shirt. Got a kick out of that.
JCT
My husband of 25 years has been away for the past month on business. He’s been battling cancer for the past 5 years and his remission is ending so another battle looms.
I picked him up at the airport and when I saw him I just struck by how much we loved each other after all of this time and all we have been through.
It just seems like a miraculous thing. And in the end, all that matters.
Constance
On Thursday I watched episode one of Newsroom and friends then loaned me the entire first season on DVD. On Friday I went to a fun, fun wedding with many Russians and Australians and met a young man who had cooked a kangaroo. We played a fun icebreaker called Human Bingo (that’s how I met the man who cooked the kangaroo), ate delicious food, danced and laughed. The bride’s simple, elegant, beautiful wedding dress had been her senior prom dress six or seven years before. When she bought it, she told her mother it would be her wedding dress.
Jewish Steel
My wife, the product of hearty farming stock going back centuries, has recovered nicely from the first flu she has ever her had, it would seem, in her entire life. This makes me both happy and furious at the same time.
Eljai
I’m going to the midwest to see my family and I know we’ll piss each other off, but I’m grateful for the opportunity because I love them anyway. Also, I saw a bumper sticker on a van the other day that so accurately captures my ongoing inner conflict that it made me laugh. It said: “Namaste, motherfuckers.”
Violet
Not earth shattering good news, but the compost I put on the front lawn in the spots that had problems is working. In one week I can see those spots are a much darker green. That’s good news, but the even better news is that it’s compost we made ourselves. Very exciting and good for the environment too.
Angela
Good news: I saw a new doc on Friday, who is the first one I’ve seen that listened to my concerns about my chronic illness and got why I want off the meds I’m on and onto something else. A few tests need to get done, but there’s hope I will get more of my life back and that will be a wondrous thing.
And my husband started crying when I told him, because he is a mensch and pure gold.
wmd
I spent 6+ hours in job interviews on Friday, I’d had 2 hours of phone technical screen prior to that. Company culture looks awesome.
Hiring manager responded to my thank you email saying “I enjoyed speaking with you and your experience could be very complementary to the team here.”
I’ve got a good feeling about the rest of the team as well. If all goes well I’ll have a good offer this week.
BAtFFP
I’m a GI clinic nurse and I’m grateful for that in and of itself, grateful that finally (after many dark months of looking for work) I can bring in enough money for my husband and myself to live on.
Being a GI nurse is a bit weird, because it’s nothing but colonoscopies all day long. Srsly it’s a hell of a lot of colon. But this week I got to care for a patient who spent the entire time on the verge of tears, and she eventually opened up to me that she was getting scoped at such a young age (42) because her older sister (45) had just been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. After we were done and she was waking up I got to be the one to tell her she was cancer free, and then she and I both cried together for a bit. It was a pretty redeeming moment.
gmann
I know from being a hospice volunteer that everyone handles death differently. . .I learned that handling death is something you did well and that Kubler-Ross would have been proud of you (as I am) . For this I am glad, because. . . because. . . you are embracing the positive.
Unlike the death of a pets, the death for a human involves, lots of paperwork. . . Living Wills (w/ Revocable Living Trust?), Last Will and Testament, Durable Power of Attorney (Medical & Legal), which should all be taken care of before FSM kicks you in the naughtier bits. Yesterdays events forced the bride and I to review our paperwork and my Dad’s. . . for whom everyday is a blessing. . . Good, because it needed to get done and it reaffirms that we are the luckiest people in the world. . .
Enough of that, now go fuck yourself
Sarah, Proud and Tall
I give it ten minutes.
ETA: Good stuff: Juicers are still calling each other “asshole”, pets still love you like their entire world, and alcohol still gets yer shizzled.
Ash
My sister got married Saturday. It was a day long event where everything went great. Plus I managed to give a speech during the reception that everyone enjoyed despite having had very little sleep the night before, a drink shortly before the speech, and only having finished it during the break in between the wedding and reception.
michelle
Waiting on the rain that will never come in this drought. Can’t grow anything. Love my poor old bird dog who has no foe anymore because she’s dead. Hoping no one really wants to kill my pit bull mix, who is the only thing now between me and a break in but could very well be shot by some of your commenters or my neighbors.
Living as an older female, I cherish my dogs and am saddened by the loss of my one deterrent — a Chow chow who only hurt me. I am less safe in this hood of mine. Neighbors think they have better stronger more evil dogs. It’s ok.
Gex
Also, a sea otter taunting a dog
Kristine
I’m retiring from the day job in 2.5 weeks. Planning to 1) write full-time and 2) work on the house in preparation for putting it on the market in the spring. Want to move out West. Looking forward to a new life.
burnspbesq
@Redshirt:
Make sure they’re halal, so that Amir can partake.
Violet
These are a good thing because they’re a sign John Cole is feeling a bit better. Love the cranky Cole.
Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn
@Politically Lost: Me, too. Mrs. Pantload, while not happening to me in the last week, but rather close to ten years ago, is my stoic, Nordic port in the storm.
Also, too, I’ve recently discovered that salted dicks by the bag aren’t half bad with some buffalo wing sauce.
And I love this blog, even if I’m but a light commenter. See, also, my comment above about salted dicks.
Violet
@Studly Pantload, the emotionally unavailable unicorn: See, I always thought honey mustard sauce worked a bit better. The sweet helps offset the salty.
Bucky Reynolds
1. Got my blood sugar average below 140 for the week. The first time in 9 months.
2. My sister loved the birthday presents I got her for her 66th birthday.
Kristine
@BAtFFP: After we were done and she was waking up I got to be the one to tell her she was cancer free, and then she and I both cried together for a bit. It was a pretty redeeming moment.
That’s a wonderful thing to be able to tell someone.
Angela
@BAtFFP: That’s beautiful.
LT
Dude, just bitch and grieve.
I don’t mean to piss on a very thoughtful, nice, and life-affirnming post. But there is nothing wrong with, nothing to explaiin about, pain and grief after you lose someone very close.
You’re a good man, Cole. Thanks for everything.
Suzanne
Something good: my Zellie cat is continuing to recover from her decision to drink water in which my husband was soaking his paint roller. I have no idea why she thought that would be delicious, and her clean water bowl was three feet away, but animals be animals. Anyway, we rushed her to the vet when we saw her drink it, and even though the vet said she only had a 20% chance of surviving, she is BACK. Climbing, eating, drinking, being annoying as all fuck.
I am, however, still waiting on my exam results. ARRRRRGH.
Cathie from Canada
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/magazine/12/22/vick.dogs/ This comment relates to your earlier post about your sister and brother and Kiwi. Here is an article about what happened with Michael Vick’s dogs — it might be useful background when you and your family are considering what can be done with Kiwi now.
trollhattan
We took/dragged our 11YO and a buddy of hers to the play in the park Friday night. She looked at the playbill and was incensed–nay, well put out! that it was to be set in the 1970s. “This is Shakespeare, they can’t do that!!”
Thus convinced she was going to have the suckiest three hours evah experienced by a girl of such advanced age, she surprised herself by LOVING it and a great time was had by all. Disco lives, people, which is the most mixed piece of news I could ever think to communicate.
handy
@LT:
Right? I think I would have Pretty Hate Machine and Downward Spiral on loop for a week straight and wouldn’t talk to a soul with less than four legs.
You’re a good guy, John Cole.
Suzanne
More good things: the dermatologist was able to clear up the horrible, burning rash on my face, and I am getting immunotherapy for my allergies after fifteen years of allergic misery.
Bob In Portland
Went to a wedding yesterday. It was very nice.
cdmarine
Friday was beautiful, and everything about the coming evening said “baseball weather,” so the mister and I dropped everything and went to our local minor league ball park (Florence Freedom of the Frontier League). We swung by Rally’s and got cheap chicken sandwiches and shoved them into our pie holes in the parking lot before we went in. Once in, we got enormous drinks and settled into our seats right behind the vistors’ dugout and hollered ourselves silly while the sun set all pink and orange. After the game, there were fireworks. Big, booming fireworks. The kind that rattle your entire ribcage. It was awesome.
CaseyL
Quick, somebody piss John off! :)
Weekend’s good news: Besides the Seattle BJ meetup, my interior house-painting continues. It’s great fun transforming my place from Generic White Walls Everywhere to The House of Many Colors.
I’m not doing the actual painting, mind: Steve The Contractor doing that, which means the job is done correctly, without smears or blobs or paint spattered all over the furniture and carpet and, possibly, the cats :)
The living room is a creamy mint green; bedroom is light purple; entry hall and dining room deep orange; and the kitchen a brighter-than-expected yellow. More rooms yet to go, with more colors to come!
thalarctos
We attended a lovely wedding for our friends yesterday, and because WA now has marriage equality, we will be attending another one in August for another couple of friends.
And another of my chosen family, whom we’ve been very concerned about, has started to sound very realistic about the need to dispose of a lot of things in his house, and to move into a retirement home. He’d been worrying us with his insistence that nothing ever needed to change, and his obvious inability to function on his own like he used to, so we’re very encouraged by this change on his part. Still a lot of work between now and getting him settled, but not having to fight him on it on top of everything is a very welcome development.
Gravie
Finding ourselves in a new home all the way across the country. Our new neighbors are awesomely kind, and welcoming. Our new home is in a garden spot with mountain views and the smell of pine needles and sage. Our kids are nearby. It really couldn’t be better than this.
burnspbesq
I honestly think that we’re going to be able to build something lasting and powerful out of what’s been happening in Texas and North Carolina. There seems to be a lot of the right kind of righteous indignation, and it feels like it has the kind of legs that can be turned into turnout at the next election. Even my previously apolitical 30-year-old nieces are pissed off, and that’s a really hopeful sign.
Cathie from Canada
@Suzanne: Our cat once jumped with all four feet into the paint tray just as my husband was finishing painting our white living room.
Then she reacted to his gasp by running across our brown carpet, through the living room, dining room, kitchen, and down the carpeted stairs to the basement.
I phoned home about four hours later, finding out about all this just as he had finished cleaning up all the little paint footprints off the carpet and the lino. My first thought was concern about her licking the paint off her toes so I asked him “How’s the cat?” and he all he could say to me was “How’s the cat? HOW’S THE CAT??? I DON’T CARE HOW THE CAT IS!”
[Actually, she was just fine, no ill effects — luckily for her through not for my husband, I think all of the paint had been wiped off during her scamper through the house…]
gmann
@Kristine: Arizona. Great weather, with the occasional Right Wingers . . .
John Harrold
I spent the weekend with my wife and it’s been pretty damn good. What can I say, I’m simple like that.
LT
@handy: Damn straight. Not a thing wrong with it.
By the way, this has been death week for me. Good friend I made here in Oz – one of the very few in my 2.5 yrs here – died on Wednesday just 9 weeks or so after being diagnosed with liver cancer. 56 years old. His service is tomorrow. A Texas acquaintance/friend, and a member of a larger circle of friends that made him feel much closer, died on Saturday, after several months watching hopeful FaceBook reports to us all from his wife. He had the very same brain cancer that took my sister, me knowing the whole time from a distance the poor guy never had a chance. Then I come here and see the Tunch news. Fuck.
Fuck. Now it’s all back again. O yay.
alicia-logic
This morning I helped my 5-month old Dobe pup learn to swim at the lake during a play date with a friend’s dogs. She had a wonderful adventure that tired her out enough to require almost an entire afternoon to sleep it off, which was a nice break since she’s a moderately high-drive puppy.
She is crashing about and scattering her toys all over the huge vacancy left in my heart when The Best Horse in the World, and then The Best Dog in the World departed for greener pastures last year.
Sarah, Proud and Tall
@trollhattan:
Disco never died.
Spaghetti Lee
Good news? Um…I have a new favorite pizza place. Does that count?
kdaug
Got your fat ass on the horn, and you remembered my name.
handy
@Sarah, Proud and Tall:
Apparently not.
John Cole
@Gex: That is fucking AWESOME.
Have I ever mentioned that otters are my favorite animals in the world. I could watch them at the zoo for hours and hours if it didn’t make me sad they are locked up.
My favorite part of that is the otter totally fronting the dog and then floating away rubbing its belly.
I also love seals and walruses. When I was a kid, I had a stuffed seal I named Sammy the Seal and I had a stuffed walrus named Wally the Walrus. Devon got an almost identical seal, but female (anthropomorphized to be “female,” of course), and she named hers Cecilia, which I always thought was really super clever and still do. And boy howdy, we loved those stuffed animals. This was before Seth and Anne were really old enough to do anything but drool.
kdaug
Too soon for hearty fuck-you’s all around?
If so, it’s cool. Just let me know when.
gwangung
@CaseyL:
Hah. I may have to ask for that name…
Sorry I missed the get together, but…the show must go on. The local steampunk community is coming in on this Friday, so we need to get ready.
Playwright talked to the director about cutting DOWN on the incidental boobage. As the only male on the producers’ team….I’m not sure how to feel about that….
Gex
@John Cole: My favorite too. It’s the playfulness, I think. And I had a Sammy the Seal too! One of my favorite stuffed animals.
And I am so pleased to have found something that provided a flash of happy for you.
ETA: I once saw a seal in the waters off of Penzance. I spent as much time just watching him playing in the ocean as I could.
RandomMonster
I’m thankful that even though I got laid off recently, I was given 6 months of severance. Hopefully that’s enough time to find a new gig.
LT
@John Cole: I felt like the luckiest human in the world about five years back when my incessant forays into the woods and marshes off the freeway inSouthern Oregon took me to a apond – where I watched three river otters for hours. And it being just five minute drive from my house – and literally right next to the freeway – I could go whenever I wanted, and saw them several times. Fucking otters! (And I will one day see their weird not-cousins here – platypuses! I will!
? Martin
@John Cole: My daughter loves sea lions as well. Last year she got to do a sleep over in the sea lion exhibit at Sea World with the girl scouts. I don’t think she slept at all.
JR
I spent the last three days in Montreal with friends from high school, discussing our lives, enjoying massive quantities of alcohol, playing frisbee, hitting the night clubs, and lamenting our rapid aging (except for the one of us who hadn’t aged a day, and the one who looks like a young Richard Branson). We rented a townhouse and made that city our bitch.
And then tonight I tried that no-drain spaghetti recipe that’s been all over Facebook, and it was wicked delicious.
Life is good.
Comrade Mary
Well, let’s all just watch these two otters hold hands.
I saw these guys at the aquarium years ago, and I swear, I could not drag myself away for a good hour.
Wag
This blog is a community that means quite a lot to me. So many great people, and I enjoy all the front pagers. Each FPer has their own idiosyncrasies and that’s what makes this place fun
I’m pretty damn lucky with my wife and kids. Wife number one was a cold aloof bitch, so number two has been a refreshing change. We are now on a family trip, reconnecting with a dear friend in Finland. What an amazing country, and such open and welcoming people.
We are very lucky.
max
And seriously, your support this past day and a half and willingness to listen to me babble was more important to me than you will ever know. Also, too, eat a bag of salted dicks, because I know my noon tomorrow one of you will have pissed me off.
Ya know, Cole, they have medications to help with the mood swings. Just sayin’.
So poor little Zoe, unwanted runt (along with her sister) of the puppy mill litter passed away. So that’s bad. But I might have a line on an all-black 1/2 dachshund 1/2 something boy puppy, which would be awesome to keep my 10-year-old black & tan boy occupied. (With the barking and the charging and the making of the ugly face and the tug of war.) So that’s good.
max
[‘He needs the exercise. Especially since the big rotty next door moved away and there’s no one to face off with through the fence.’]
LesGS
My good thing? John Cole has given me a bag of salty dicks to eat! I like ’em extra crispy!
Also too, I have 2 (two) bottles of Stone Arrogant Bastard IPA in my fridge. Soon to be inside me. They’ll go great with the dicks.
taylormattd
@Comrade Mary: Awesome
Ted & Hellen
My beloved doggie/daughter/sister/wife/friend/buddy/angel Hellen, who is very affectionate and loving but also very, very stingy with licks/kisses, gave me one on the cheek last evening. :)
CaseyL
@Cathie from Canada: For such fastidious creatures, cats do seem to get their feet dirty, don’t they?
About 7 years ago, my (now late) grey tabby Ariel, Queen of the Universe, ran across the porch just after it had been covered in some kind of rubbery-cement sealant – this, instead of walking on the wooden plank set across the porch. She panicked, ran into the house, across tile floor and carpet, leaving cementy pawprints the whole way. I grabbed her and tried to wipe the stuff off her feet. Didn’t make much headway; she wound up spending a good few days grooming it off herself, toe by toe.
Ariel has gone to Kitty Heaven, but those pawprints are still on the carpet. The whole house is way overdue to get re-carpeted, but it is hard to contemplate doing so, and losing the Ariel Pawprint Promenade.
LesGS
@Yatsuno: Sucks, right? But I’ll be damned if Card gets any of my money.
Jane2
@burnspbesq: I hope you’re right. I feel like its 1968 all over again.
Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason
Best thing that happened in the last week was working on driving with my younger son. Seems like he’s finally got the ambition to focus on improving so he can pass the driver’s test at the end of the month. We’re going out daily now. And I’ve found that with both him and my older son that the car time is kind of special. We actually talk to each other!
max
@Karen in GA (who really needs a better name): The rescue group decision-making person wasn’t there. I left contact info. Benji-mutt’s not fixed yet, so he’s not ready to be adopted — but I let them know in no uncertain terms that, assuming he’s reasonably young and healthy, I want to adopt that dog.
If they’re going to fix him immediately and they have a policy of fixing before adopting that makes sense. Some places will let you take a younger dog if you contract to fix them later.
@michelle: Waiting on the rain that will never come in this drought. Can’t grow anything.
Nothin’ but fucking rain here for six weeks. Take my rain, please
Hoping no one really wants to kill my pit bull mix, who is the only thing now between me and a break in but could very well be shot by some of your commenters or my neighbors.
I’m not a pit fan, but I don’t see any reason to hunt down and kill all the pits unless they’re let loose and roaming too and fro. It is unfortunate that assholes with tiny dicks want big dogs to show off and turn them mean to prove something, but there it is.
max
[‘I haven’t seen anybody suggest putting down all the cats because they will hunt birds, but I have encountered few cats that wouldn’t kill anything they didn’t like that got in range.’]
Gex
@CaseyL: I bet you could preserve a spot of carpet and frame it. It would be hard to let go of those little prints.
Yatsuno
@gwangung: Maybe it’s a matter of crossed verbiage. This is incidental boobage.
NotMax
No can do. Truth be told, your request is flat-out impossible for this commenter.
Larime the Gimp
I got my comic book series picked up by Top Cow/Image. I’m now a pro comics creator!
YellowJournalism
Well, for starters, this:
But for things that happened directly to me in my hum-drum life, I scored some sweet deals at a garage sale yesterday. My oldest son made me proud by trying new foods tonight and for saying, “That’s not how you treat women!” (He was watching a dance show and thought the male dancer was hurting the girl he was flinging around. We explained how that was different than someone tugging a girl’s arm to hurt her.)
I got a smile on my face while watching my youngest love all over on the dog.
The boys are going to see my family in WA, and I don’t know if the adults are more excited or the kids are in this situation.
CaseyL
@gwangung: I’d be delighted! Steve’s great and very reasonably priced; and he’d love the referral. I’m not sure of the propriety of putting his contact info on a blog, but if you don’t mind posting your email addy (or giving it to Annie Laurie, who can then send it to me), I’ll send you his contact info.
BillinGlendaleCA
A nice sunset in LA tonight, I noticed the potential while walking the girls. Got my camera and took pics. I was not alone. One guy pulled over, took some pics and remarked to me “great sunset, make you feel good to be alive.”
@burnspbesq: Lets hope so.
Fort Geek
It’s an every-day thing for me. July 12th marked the 3rd anniversary of me surviving a Type-B aortic dissection caused by insanely high blood pressure, which was caused by a golf-ball sized malignant tumor growing in my right kidney. (the story of that day is at the link; apologies for blog-whoring, but the story’s long and there are updates to it)
Other than aortic replacement surgery, the only thing I can do about the dissection is take medication for the rest of my life: my body can no longer regulate its blood pressure.
I had the kidney taken out 2 years ago. The cancer was confirmed malignant, but fully encapsulated. They got it before it could spread.
At last check from my vascular surgeon, the tear in my aorta has stabilized. But it’ll never heal. Still, the odds were about 40% that I’d make it 10 years. Seven more to go to see if I can beat those odds.
MattR
Not very exciting for the rest of you, but I got to visit my 6 week old niece again this weekend. I got my first “You’ve gotten so big” out of the way. More importantly, we have started to get the house and yard in a condition where I can bring Ellie with me instead of having to find a dog sitter. (My sister and her husband moved into their new house three days before my niece decided enough was enough and joined them three weeks ahead of schedule)
way2blue
Okay. I’ll play. A bit randomly though. My son who has been trying hard to land a biotech job before grad school, just started interning at the local VA health center. And has been buzzing with excitement all week. His twin brother showed up this weekend in honor of my birthday, and we headed up to grandma’s house where they played piano for her (Take Five, Whiter Shade of Pale, Ava Maria, Dona Nobis Pacem, Amazing Grace — random I know). I planted some indigo selva to contrast with the foxglove, and the hummingbirds love them. First time I’ve seen them in our yard. Also I finished the back path and planting area… And so it goes.
BillinGlendaleCA
@Sarah, Proud and Tall: I’m not convinced disco ever lived.
Yatsuno
@Gex: @Comrade Mary: OTTERZ!!!
CaseyL
@Gex: I thought about that, but the carpet is pretty awful (aside from the prints) and really not frame-and-hang worthy. Maybe I’d keep a bit as a memento.
Yatsuno
@Larime the Gimp: :)
Llelldorin
Had lunch with my brother in Sacramento, and both families went to the Railroad Museum. We don’t see each other that much—he lives up in Vancouver, and we live down in the Bay Area. Suddenly we were sharing a crab steam pot like old times, and taking our four kids (two of his, two of mine) out for ice cream. Awesome day.
The prophet Nostradumbass
Here’s some more otter videos, from the Monterey Bay Aquarium:
River otter plays the keyboard
Kit the Sea Otter pup: Conquering the Crab
mdblanche
Hope for the future
normal liberal
Let’s see, as I mentioned at the end of the last thread, I witnessed John Cole be a complete mensch to his brother and sister.
I have Monday off, as I have to steer clear of my office to avoid encountering candidates coming in for interviews for a job for which I am also a candidate. I interview on Wednesday, mostly with people I’ve known for a decade. It’s all a little weird.
Plus, Indian restaurant leftovers in the fridge. What more could one ask?
JustRuss
I coach Special Olympics, and last night was the opening ceremony for the Oregon games. One of the athletes sang the national anthem, and I can’t say I’ve ever been more moved by the song. And I’ve been doing SO for 20 years. Somehow he really put heart into the song.
Also too, after being stormed on two years ago and broiled last year, the weather was damn near perfect.
Johnny Coelacanth
Today I got to work at my job, which I mostly like and pays me enough to cover the bills and have a little left over each month. When that was done, I saw some old friends who were travelling through town, and we all went out for dinner. Life is good. Most days I feel pretty lucky. I hope the same applies to the Balloon Juice commentariat.
kdaug
Oh, and the high here tomorrow is supposed to be 87. With rain.
Underwhelmed? This is mid-July & central Texas. (Habeneros to cool down. Shorts in December. Snow-shovels vaguely recalled from cave etchings.)
<100 around here now is stupid silly. Rain is just crazy talk.
So that's good news.
Suzanne
@CaseyL: Dawwww. That’s charming.
I still haven’t figured out why mine drank the paint water. She’s not a cat who, as a rule, eats weird things or tries to steal people food (that’s the other one). This was a toal shock. I’m just glad we caught it in time.
B Lehmann
A couple of years ago, I wrote a bit about my old dogs and it was on the Balloon Juice Monday Morning open thread. All of those lovely old pets have since passed but I have my puppy–who is now 2 and a half–and the random pit that showed up a year ago. My very fancy German Shepherd (the former puppy) and the ill-bred pit are actual friends who really seem to enjoy each other.
George Carlin said that “Life is a series of dogs”, I think that he meant pets in general. The other saying that gives me some comfort is “The best thing is having them, the second best is having had them.”
dance around in your bones
Well, last week I traveled with my sister and mom to go see my dad who had a stroke last year which took his speech away. My sister and I sang karaoke with him while he stuck the microphone in his ear and smiled and tried to sing along. My dad always loved to sing. It was kinda wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time.
Later, we were on a wharf watching two approx 10 yr old boys with small fishing poles trying to catch a fairly large crab – and they got it! We cheered, along with the Japanese tourists who were hanging over the railing with us watching as well.
And I gave away all my spare change to street people who asked nicely. Got into a few interesting conversations with them. I don’t care what they spend it on.
katie5
It was really hot today so we went to see Pacific Rim. Lovely cool theatre, not many people (matinee), huge bag of popcorn. It was a crazy good movie with lots of people of colour, awesome soundtrack, and robots punching monsters.
Genine
After a number of years I have full-time permanent employment. I have a good place to live and my writing is going well.
Steeplejack
@Redshirt:
Are you sure they’re kosher? I’d like to get a ruling.
snarkyspice
It’s been a tough week what with Tunch and also finding out that a friend has cancer, but thanks for reminding me to count my blessings. Good things this week?
I scored tickets to see Kenneth Branagh play Macbeth in a tiny old church in Manchester (still can’t believe I’m going!). Then yesterday morning I went for a long walk up onto the moors near my house and almost just stayed up there for good it was so beautiful. Just me and the rabbits and the curlews and a gentle breeze (because for some reason we’re actually having a summer in the UK for once). Also, Andy Murray is still Wimbledon champ (yay!) and there’s a new season of Newsroom to look forward to once I can find a download.
So yes, not all bad.
Lots of love for this week John xx
Ms.B
Well, I’m mostly a lurker and could read but not comment easily until now when home from travel. I’ve seen the best of the intertubes with this–the transformation of grief into help for the critters in Tunch’s name for MARC, all the support. And the fact that even lurkers can cry and share in the grief for the big guy and his big guy who grieves and doesn’r hold back.
But instead of a big happy story, a little one? My 2-1/2 year-old granddaughter getting very much into a minor league summer baseball game this week when I was visiting, yelling at the top of her lungs, “Way to do [sic] (go)!” repeatedly and “You are here playing baseball and I am watching you!” (Also, “Hit the ball! Run, run, run!”) So much simple joy.
cckids
The best news from Vegas is that the fire that’s been consuming our mountain (Mt.Charleston, 30ish miles away) is getting under control; we’ve had 2 days now of under 95 temps to help out.
That mountain, with its cool temps & the trails & campgrounds help me keep my sanity during the 5+ months here we spend at temps up to or over 100 degrees. And 35,000 square acres of it just burned.
BUT, to stay on the good news side, the fire stayed away from most of the trails and the 3000 year old bristlecone pines. So there is that.
Steeplejack
Something good that happened this last week?
I had my first eye exam in eight years (no money for a long time), and I had good results: my prescription hasn’t changed and my vision is still correctable to 20/20. The problems I’ve been having with dry eyes and trouble sometimes reading small print are probably the result of my (eight-year-old) glasses being played out. So new specs for me!
James E. Powell
@burnspbesq:
I honestly think that we’re going to be able to build something lasting and powerful out of what’s been happening in Texas and North Carolina.
That’s something, considering that you ain’t exactly one to blow a lot of sunshine around here. No disrespect.
I suppose there’s always hope, but I cannot share your optimism. The combination of an economic crisis with prolonged unemployment and a black president has revealed just how big and strong the ugly and mean part of our country is. And how skilled our corporate masters are at exploiting it for their benefit.
Mnemosyne (iPad Mini)
Got much planning done for my dad’s memorial — it’s starting to come together. Our anniversary is tomorrow, so we wandered over to Huntington Library in the afternoon and then went to the Langham and had drinks and very expensive appetizers. Soon I will go to bed and Charlotte will sleep on my legs with her chin propped up on my butt.
MaryRC
My brother called me, just to talk. When I call my SIL to catch up he’ll come on the line to say Hi, but he’s not much of a talker and he rarely calls me. It was just nice. And the plumbers that I called did a great job, after I’d been feeling a bit sore at being ripped off several times lately by tradespeople. The plumbers were a young married couple who are just starting out in their own business. So that was nice too.
Red Apple Smokes
I met my/the fiancee’s extended family for the first time and it went really well. I also got to spend a weekend with an incredibly endearing Shar-Pei named Wrinkles. I’m hoping that the family dog taking a shine to me buys me a brownie point or two, or at least a minute or two out of purgatory (hat tip to Bill Watterson for the purgatory reference).
Yatsuno
@Steeplejack: I’ll call a rabbi friend. We’ll see if we can’t get a favourable opinion.
Tim (The Other One)
We just finished the weekend celebration of my wife’s moms’ 100th birthday. It was a wonderful party surrounded by other breakfasts and lunches full of extended multi generational visits. Some drinking and love was involved. It was a blast, Life is huge kids. Enjoy it.
karen
My Contessakitty is a silly kitty because when she eats, she always pushes her food to the other side of the dish so she thinks she has no food yet and howl meows. She won’t eat the rest and it just sits there so I took some Purina FortiFlora that I used to use with my other cat that passed on 5 years ago and sprinkled it on to the food and she gobbled everything down and now loves the FortiFlora so much she meows for it constantly. They should call it kitty crack!
Something good that’s happened this week is that I’ve finally finished my editing and rewriting with the changes the editor suggested and I will finally hand in my manuscript after procrastinating with it.
I love my new apartment and I got another box unpacked!
karen
@Redshirt:
Are salted dicks kosher?
Steeplejack
@Yatsuno:
I’ll hold off, then.
Yatsuno
I suppose this is a positive, depending upon your perspective: I’ve been watching Colin Baker’s Doctor all weekend more or less.
@Steeplejack: Of course he’s from the most liberal tradition out there so my guess is he’ll most likely give a positive ruling. He’s also 5’6″ 190 and solid muscle.
TheMightyTrowel
I went on the radio last night and actually did a pretty good job. First time ever live on air and I only made one big flub (called the presenter the wrong name). I made a joke that got a laugh and afterwards they asked if I’d be happy to come back if they get more archaeology questions. That was pretty cool. If anyone’s interested, the show puts up podcasts and I can track down a link (i was only on for like 5 min).
Anne Laurie
@Ted & Hellen: Sighthounds were the first dogs I fell in love with — you have to earn their respect / attention / love.
(They’re also way too fast & agile for a couple of old fat urban people who love cats to live with safely, which is why we have papillons instead.)
Anne Laurie
@Larime the Gimp: Wow! Congrats! Give us a link, okay?
Steeplejack (tablet)
@TheMightyTrowel:
Put up a link. But OMG you could out yourself in real life. Eek!
TheOtherWa
I haven’t seen anything new about your dad’s finger, so I’m assuming his injury wasn’t too severe. That’s a good thing.
Went to see “Way Way Back” and it’s wonderful. A well made, sweet movie. I recommend it.
opie_jeanne
Something postive? Yes.
I love my husband and my three adult kids, I’m very glad to be back home after a very strange two week vacation that was mostly fun, and my cat still loves us despite having a house sitter who she says played with her all wrong and didn’t feed her enough (these really are her comments).
Fred
SOMETHING GOOD!: Visiting beloved sister-in-law, the ladies wanted to go watch a dressage show up the road. My oppinion of watching dressage is that it is slightly more exciting than watching paint dry, but being an artist I do get a kick out of a good session of solvent evaporation from time to time. Anyhow Susie (sister-in-law) said I should go see the graphics museum. She never steers me wrong so I did.
There in said museum they had a grand multi purpose print making shop with every know printing making device known to man run by Lars the first guy I’ve met in sweden who understands screen printing as an art form. The man not only knows how to print, where to get real supplies and is happy to share all of his knowledge. Lars is plugged into an international network of printmakers who share informatin about where to get bits and useful tools seemingly peculiar to their part of the world. Besides all that Lars turns out to be a damn nice guy. I left with a handshake and orders to call any time. A brother in arms.
All that and just a great week on holiday in stockholm with the grandest of swedish summer weather. Stockholm in summer is a treat. Water busses, great buildings, cafes in parks and pretty women who smile all the while. Even the old duffers are less stoic under the beautiful july skies.
@John: Being on the road this is the first I’ve read of your lost friend. Blessings and peace to you and your crew.
TheMightyTrowel
@Steeplejack (tablet): To the three people who might one day be interested to listen to a random person talk archaeology on an australian radio show. Honestly, I’ve basically given anyone who cares enough information to find me over the years – a four word search strand made up of the word archaeologist, my undergrad university, the country i last lived in and the city i live in now brings my name up on the first page.
No clue if they’ve put up this week’s show, but here’s the link, i was on air ca. 8.45pm
Yatsuno
@Fred:
Nigella Lawson made a comment on one of her shows about how Northern Europeans greatly appreciate the summer because it is so short there. Living in Seattle (where our official summer weather has finally settled in) I can understand the sentiment of the Scandinavians. Of course winter here is nowhere near as severe here as there.
Batocchio
#3 is one of my favorite paragraphs ever on this blog.
Pete Mack
Well, Blue was a dog, but I figure it applies to top-notch cats, too:
When old Tunch died he died so hard
He shook the ground in my back yard
So I dug his grave with a silver spade
and lowered him down with a golden chain
And every link I did call his name
I said “Yeah Tunch, you’re a good cat you
Hey Tunch, I’m a-coming there too”
Pete Mack
Also, too: refrain.
Well I had a cat and his name was Tunch;
I had a cat and his name was Tunch.
I had a cat and his name was Tunch,
And I’ll bet you five dollars I loved him too much.
David Koch
rough
SiubhanDuinne
@TheMightyTrowel: I would love a podcast link, please!
I already posted on Wednesday about my own something good: at age almost 70, I was able to face and undergo a blood test without my needle phobia running me. I finally feel like a grown-up!
Amir Khalid
II got a good feeling watching this video, which I found on YouTube.
Tetsuo G. Edwards
As of this weekend, “solo a Jaeger” is the new “choke the chicken.” Remember this whenever someone asks you to explain what the hell John Boehner is doing on MTP again.
Also, see Pacific Rim if that made no sense, because that movie was just fun.
Mary G
One Friday in the middle of September 2010, my mother’s doctor told me that he had tried the “Hail Mary” treatment, there was maybe a 10% chance it would work over the weekend. If not, she would die. My honorary niece Emily showed up unexpectedly and I went to pieces all over her. She and her boyfriend canceled their plans and put me back together and got me through that awful weekend. She brought Mom a big bunch of cut flowers and a little potted ladyslipper orchid from Trader Joe’s. It was still blooming on October 22 when my mom died. It bloomed again at the same time in 2011 & 2012.This week I saw a tiny bud coming up again. It made me think of both of them and smile.
cmm
No salted dicks for me, thanks, I’m a vagitarian.
Positive things, lessee…
An officer at my department was murdered last week…not the positive thing…but her killer was arrested in less than 24 hours. Community members were moved enough by the situation to start a fundraiser that brought in enough money to buy a wreath for the funeral, provide a lovely catered meal for the family and officers after the funeral, and make a pretty large donation in her name to a charity of the family’s choosing. Most of all, though I dreaded the funeral, it was overall very positive and during the time for people to speak about the officer, learned even more about what a good hearted person she was. Several citizens who knew her from encounters with her on the job spoke, including one who said that the officer literally saved her life by intervening when she was suicidal, a and that without the officers actions, neither her or the child she since had would be here. Glad I got to learn these things. Though it has been a week full of horror and grieving, the fact that these folks who hadn’t known the officer personally thought enough of her work to dress up on a hot July Saturday and come out to tell these great sstories of her that made us smile thru tears meant so much.
TheMightyTrowel
@SiubhanDuinne:
No clue if they’ve put up this week’s show, but here’s the link to the program, i was on air ca. 8.45pm
COngrats on defeating needle phobia (I still fail this).
Wrye
I became a dad this past year, and it has been pretty damn awesome. Money troubles, landlord troubles, a screwy workplace, it all just fades away when I leave work and see him and his mom waiting in the car, laughing and smiling. This past week he’s just been getting over a cold, and it’s been good to see him getting back to normal, even if he does insist on falling asleep on top of me. It’s all good. So so good. So much stress on the horizon, but here, now, I am happy. So happy. May you all know such joy.
Central Planning
My 7 year old has been bugging me for an email account so he can email siblings and his grandmother.
His first email to me: “I love you so much”
Ben Cisco
My grandniece is headed off to school in the fall. She’s full of the excitement that one would expect, and yet is ridiculously more mature than I was at that age. I am hopeful that she stays that way.
Mike E
@Ben Cisco: My niece has a now 15-month old daughter, whom I call my baby niece. None of that grandniece stuff, plz! ;-)
Ramalama
My grandmother, on special occasions only, referred to some people as being “uglier than a bag full of assholes”. She was from middle Pennsylvania.
Do people in this region of the US brown bag it or is it just coincidence?
SixStringFanatic
I was astonished by the outpouring of generosity towards MARC and it really warmed my heart to see that, in this misbegotten world, there are so many people who care so deeply for the beasties.
On a personal note: I quit smoking on New Year’s Day 2008 after a couple decades of slow-motion suicide. Unfortunately, I started up again about a year and half ago (stupid management job!) and never felt good about myself over it and never smoked inside my apartment because I always knew at some point that I would want to quit again and not, eventually, smell the traces of that stench in my place.
Seeing how absolutely gutted John was over Tunch’s demise reminded me of how heartbroken I was when my 19-year-old cat, Damien, passed on a few years ago and I thought of John’s dogs comforting him and how your pets know when you’re troubled and how they grieve, too, when one of the other pets in the house dies. And I thought of how much my Fuzzy Boyz, Oscar and Hunter (my favorite pic of them, btw, is displayed on the lower left corner of the February page in this year’s Balloon Juice Pets calendar), missed me when I went on vacation for just five days last summer. And it suddenly occurred to me how sad and upsetting it would be to them to have to watch me suffer through a terminal disease and how big a hole it would leave in their lives if I were gone, especially Hunter, my very first Lap Cat ever. So that does it: I’m Quitsville with the cancer sticks.
This is a long and wordy way, John, of saying you can add me to the growing list of critters whose lives have been extended thanks to you and His Floofiness.
Thank you.
anubis bard
Peaches are in season, the raspberries are ripe, and the blackcurrant bush finally has enough fruit to try making Crème de cassis. My three cats survive coyotes, foxes and fisher cats every night, so the weekend reminded me to be glad to see them every morning.
scuffletuffle
Got word today that I will have the two dogs I am adopting within the next 10 days!…I can’t wait!
tinare
Hey John,
I was disconnected all weekend, so I just read about Tunch. My heart goes out to you.
Something positive — had dinner on Sunday with my 90 year-old mother who is still as sharp as a box of tacks. (And an old white lady who can’t understand how George Zimmerman could get away with killing a kid.)
brendancalling
My 9 year old son is here til August 18. Nuff said.
Crashman
My six week old son smiled at me a bunch of times this week. That was pretty great.
gogol's wife
I hope it’s not too late to add something positive. I have the greatest husband in the world. We love our kittehs together, and when one of them dies we sit together and cry our eyes out. We pet and pamper them while they’re here. We have two right now, Louis and Sasha, and I’m rubbing Sasha’s silky belly right now. I also have other beloved relatives whom I won’t say any more in detail about because they read this blog! And the whole family has been mourning Tunch and feeling deep sympathy for John.
clone12
I rescued a concussed juvenile Cooper’s hawk who was completely out of it and hopped up and down the sidewalk. The person at the animal rescue looked at him and pronouced him healthy otherwise.
Bnad
Took a chance driving 2 hours to our favorite wild blueberry patch this weekend and found lots of big, dark, perfectly ripe berries.
canuckistani
I took my telescope out to a public star party this weekend at our local science museum, and spent a couple of hours letting a long line of kids have their first look at Saturn. There is a real joy hearing that first reaction. Cool, sick and wicked are the words I heard the most.
Seanly
John – you probably won’t see this, but my condolences on the loss of Tunch. My wife & I put down a very sick & very beloved dog over 2 years. The pain lessens, but just thinking about my sweet girl still brings tears to my eyes. But the happy memories now outweigh the sadness of her being gone from my life.
On the happy news, we still have one of her pups, Duncan. He’s over 11 which is great for a dog of his sixe (max weight of 105 lb, down now to 90 lbs). We just got a lump removed from his elbow. We forgot that he’s just a dog and did lick the sutures away requiring another trip to the vet. Now he’s got to wear a very floppy e-collar (more like the Taco of Shame). He’s about the sweetest thing on 4 legs – or was. Now he’s kind of a grumpy old guy, but he still comes to both of us when we yell at the fickle computers & wi-fi streaming.
Since we’d had good luck taking in Ginnie & then raising her pups (she was preggers when we rescued her), we decided to get another dog back in September. She’s a lab with maybe some pit (hard to tell as her mouth was very messed up by teeth/jaw troubles before we got her). She’s dumb as a pile of rocks, but is a sweet, ball-chasing fool.
Original Lee
Original Spouse and I taught the kids how to play euchre. It’s so nice that they’re old enough to play partner card games and do reasonably well at it, plus they really like it. We popped some popcorn and watched “It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad World” together, and the kids just about laughed themselves sick. (I might have gotten the number of Mads wrong, but I guess that’s part of the appeal of the movie.)
Ted & Hellen
@Anne Laurie:
I had to look up “Sighthounds.” :)
Hellen is a Heinz 97 rescue.
muddy
My puppy learned today to wash off her very muddy feet in the kiddie pool before coming indoors. Voluntarily. For a long while we had been stuck at the point where the older dog does it, then puppy watches from next to the pool and has to be made to step in. Of course stepping in voluntarily to play is a different matter.
She did it twice today and is very proud. I can’t overstate the amount of dog bathing, laundry, and cleaning this will save me.
karen
@SiubhanDuinne:
Mazel Tov! I have to get blood tests all the time and a trick I learned is to look when that needle is about to go into my skin and take a breath and sort of disconnect myself so I don’t feel the needle. Maybe that’ll work for you also. :)
mr_gravity
I’m getting a rescue pup this week in no small part because of the many stories I’ve read on this very blog. We always had dogs (and cats) when I was growing up but this will be the first animal that will be entirely dependent on me for everything. It might not seem like a big deal to those of you with families but for a single guy who lives alone this is huge. My heart goes out to you, John.
ellie
This had been bothering me since I read about it. The dog that killed Tunch should not be allowed around other animals. What if it is Lily the next time? I want to post more but I don’t want to get into a flame war with some pitbull advocate.
elis
@Gex: Thank you, that’s the best laugh I’ve had n days.
West of the Rockies
Probably no one will read this, but I just want to say to the cosmos that I have always detested that Walsh song: “Life’s been good to me so far…” I know it was making fun of the self-satisfied rock stars of the day. It’s still annoying…. I think it was a bit like Beavis and Butthead in that some people didn’t get the show was mocking those two morons; instead, they thought that Beavis & Butthead were some sort of counter-culture heroes. Anyway, them’s my thoughts….
John Cole
@ellie:
No one in the family trusts Kiwi except Devon for some fucking reason. We’ve always not liked the damned dog- my dad has hated her from the time he met her. She’s just too fucking stupid and because of the stupidity and strength and prey drive, she is a danger to everyone. Devon has been told, quite forcefully, by me, my brother, and my parents that Kiwi is no longer wanted anywhere near our homes.
My sister has a really tough choice to make. Kiwi can get the needle, Kiwi can be re-homed to some asshole who likes having loaded guns around, or Devon can choose to never see her family again or spent thousands boarding this fucking murderer before she comes to see us.
Personally, I will have a very hard time talking to her ever again if she keeps Kiwi. The idea of my cat rotting in a grave in the back yard while she is at home lavishing love on that fucking dog will make it very hard for me to look her in the eye or talk to her ever again. I probably will never be able to eat Kiwi fruit again.
There are millions of good dogs like Lily out there wanting to be rescued, but self-absorbed assholes keep getting these fighting dogs and telling us breeds are no more dangerous than any other animal. But oddly enough, every time a kid is killed or a cat is killed, it’s a fucking pit bull or rottie or pit bull mix or something.
Ask my friend Harry, who is also all my animals vets, who was near tears when he found Tunch had been killed. Harry spent lots of nights sitting on my couch eating and drinking with Tunch on his lap. He witnesses distraught people bringing in mangled cats and dogs all year long, and it is ALWAYS a fucking pit bull or pit bull mix that does it.
So for you fuckers that want to lecture me about the safety of pit bulls and how they are just misunderstood, come on over and misunderstand me as I break in to tears every 20 minutes because I saw Tunch’s food bowl or thought I saw him wanting to come in off the back porch or woke up because I though Tunch had jumped up in bed and I reached out to pet him and he wasn’t there and I immediately had to relive the memory of me sitting in the grass cradling his lifeless bloody body while his empty eyes were open and his neck swiveled like a merry go round because a “misunderstood” fucking killing machine snapped the life out of him in an instant as he was sunning himself in his own fucking backyard.
So fuck off with your hubristic bullshit, pit bull owners and fighting dog owners. If I left a loaded handgun around your niece or nephew you would go ballistic, but we all just have to put up with you and your menace of a dog because they are so poor and misunderstood.
If I had my way, right now there would be a fucking pit bull holocaust.
Nathanael
Misanthropes are good people, generally.
FWIW, I’ve known some real sweetness-and-light pit bulls, but their owners simply did not permit them to be around other small animals because they were too strong.
Actually, you shouldn’t let a German Shepherd play with a chihuahua either; the chihuahua will most likely get killed.
Frankly your sister should blame herself. It’s not that it’s wrong to have Kiwi, it’s that it’s wrong to have Kiwi around any animal which isn’t about twice as large. And she should have known that. There is such a thing as a “dog we keep indoors / fenced at home”.
It’s equally wrong to let pet cats outdoors unsupervised — they are pure, unadaulterated killing machines which will murder every small animal they can get their claws on, much more efficiently than a pit bull. They’ve actually *screwed up the entire ecology* in a lot of suburbs by killing all the birds and most of the small mammals. They don’t even eat them, they just kill them for fun. And yet people let cats run loose all the time and don’t even feel bad about it, and frequently won’t even listen if you point this out to them. Most people are goddamn barbarians, wastes of breath. Even the nice ones.
Misanthropes tend to be better people, I find. This is because most people suck, so decent people are forced by facts to become misanthropes.
StringOnAStick
@John Cole: John, I gave up a friendship with a woman who had one stupid pit, and the scary killing machine pit that her daughter dropped on her. You couldn’t go to their house without warning them you were coming, and they had to lock the scary dog up. The whole time you were there, you could hear it growling and banging into the door trying to get out to kill you, and the excuse was always “oh, she’s fine with us!”. Yeah, just wait until it gets out of the yard or some unfortunate creature stumbles into it. I walked away and ended the friendship. Keeping a dog that dangerous around, much less letting it out into their fenced back yard without being on a chain was too much for me to tolerate. In other words, I hear you loud and clear and you have my support.