Weekend Open Thread

I’ll be in the bath all morning with my personal groomer, so feel free to talk about whatever you want. (I was never into the whole “licking myself” scene.)




Thanks to Tina M. for the good clean Caturday fun.

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76 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread

  1. Janice April 23, 2016 / 9:39 am

    You’ve got to be kidding! Who does that? And, how many cats would let them?

  2. Faye April 23, 2016 / 9:59 am

    I’ve had cats all my life. 13 by count. I. Have. Never. Had. To. Bathe. A. Cat. They all have kept themselves completely clean. I have brushed them and clipped nails. But never ever bathed one.

    • Gigi_the cat lady April 23, 2016 / 10:06 am

      Then you’re very lucky, I’ve had to wash long haired cat who had diariah on several occasions in my lifetime, most of them did NOT enjoy the process!!

      • Faye April 23, 2016 / 12:52 pm

        Ok. I concede. All my kitties we’re shorthairs. And I opted for short coat chihuahuas on purpose. Also. Plunk in kitchen sink. Wet. Soap. Rinse. Towel/blow dry. Done. Zoomies!!

        • allein April 23, 2016 / 6:53 pm

          I tried a blow dryer on Pablo once. It did not go over well.

      • Phred's Mom April 23, 2016 / 1:06 pm

        Me too, Gigi. White ill-tempered angora,
        Pretty much had to hose her down before
        tackling an actual bath, which resulted in
        blood (mine) being shed. Then had to
        deal with the environmental fallout
        thereof, fortunately a hallway, not an
        actual room. Ugly day all ’round.
        *gah*

    • Michelle P April 23, 2016 / 1:01 pm

      Our cat had a bubble bath twice in one week back in March. Mind you, they were directly correlated to two car trips involving her diarrhea and being ‘trapped’ in a cat crate. I need not point out the baths were taken rather unwillingly on her part. We, of course, rather insisted. While there was no human bloodshed (thank goodness!) her screams of protestation were enough to wake the dead.

  3. Gigi_the cat lady April 23, 2016 / 10:02 am

    I’m being vewy vewy quiet, my husband is hunting deductions on the income taxes.

    • Birdcage April 23, 2016 / 10:59 am

      LOL!!!!! I got my taxes done a few weeks ago.

    • Michelle P April 23, 2016 / 12:54 pm

      Between my hubster and I, we have five tax returns: we each own a business, we each have personal returns, and he’s also still required to file in the USA because he’s a dual citizen (we’re Canadians). Needless to say, we hire an Accountant.

      I’d put booku bucks into my retirement fund this year so I’d been counting on getting a return. Yep! — $600 bucks coming back to me. *starts to imagine new tiles in the bathroom*

      What I hadn’t counted on was hubster owing SEVEN THOUSAND DOLLARS because he made “too much” last year. O_o *watches upcoming bathroom renovation fly out the window*

      Oh well! Easy come, easy go.

      Hope your husband’s deductions work out well! πŸ™‚

  4. Flowerfanatic April 23, 2016 / 10:29 am

    As a former Persian cat exhibitor, I’ve had a lot of experience doing this but my poor kitties had to be content with NO bubble bath, NO shower cap, NO toys in the tubby!! Just nail clippings, shampoos, conditioner, and a blow dryer. Then a comb out and fluff. I’ve retired from that and have one domestic shorthair rescue kitty who will be 19 in 2 weeks who takes complete care of herself with a little brushing with a slicker brush to remove loose fur once in a while and the occasional nail clipping. I will say that I don’t recall one of my Persians being quite as patient as this beautiful Calico Persian kitten. Well behaved but willing to exit the tub if the occasion arose.

    • allein April 23, 2016 / 10:45 am

      This is why I like short haired animals. Used to just plunk Pablo in the sink every so often, clip his nails, and he was good to go (and by go I mean curl up in a towel to dry off, then maybe have a nap).

      On kitty… is the shower cap to keep the ears dry or just for the extra redonk? And where do you get a kitty size shower cap?

      • AJ April 23, 2016 / 10:55 am

        And if you look very very closely, I believe the cap is tied with a bow under kitty’s chin. I love it, this entire video is just redonkously cute.

        • allein April 23, 2016 / 6:55 pm

          Yes! I just noticed that upon re-watching.

  5. Emmberrann April 23, 2016 / 11:06 am

    Never had to bathe my kitty, just clip his claws, and his nightly brushing (Also our bonding time). He would not, Not, have worn a shower cap-with bow or not. That would have been cause for a kerfuffle!

  6. Smartypants April 23, 2016 / 11:21 am

    How on earth is Tiny Kitten so tolerant – is the bath water infused with catnip? She seems to really enjoy the chin scratching too!

  7. dubravkamcvmd April 23, 2016 / 11:22 am

    I believe even an attempt to get any of my kittehs into water would have caused possibly irreparable damage to the relationship. At best it would have required years of assiduous sucking-up to get back in the good graces.

    • Lurkingduck April 23, 2016 / 11:49 am

      And possibly irreparable damage to you?

      • dubravkamcvmd April 23, 2016 / 1:28 pm

        Clawing scars for sure!

  8. Faye April 23, 2016 / 12:58 pm

    I’m writing down last night’s dream, casting a spell, housecleaning and reading a wonderful biography of Heinz Kohut a famous psychoanalyst. All good. Very relaxed. My housemate and her daughter are gone for the day and I can’t get the tv to switch from game input to cable. Very quiet.

    • Michelle P April 23, 2016 / 1:06 pm

      What wonderful weekend plans! I’ve done the grocery shopping and laundry’s on the go. Later today hubster and I will be playing tourists in our own town and going to the local botanical gardens. It’s supposed to rain but, meh, we’re in the pacific northwest. We’re used to it. I also bought enough fabric yesterday to make four summer dresses. Will probably start the first one tomorrow… πŸ™‚

      • Faye April 23, 2016 / 2:16 pm

        I’m short and fat right now. Wish I could make my own clothes. I need to have new slacks hemmed by tailor. Costly. But I know that I will ruin the pants if I attempt it myself. Plus size petite is a pain in the patootie.

        • Phred's Mom April 23, 2016 / 5:07 pm

          Yea, verily, Faye. I, too, am short and not so petite
          any longer. I’ll do hemming myself, except when
          the pants are lined. Too much trouble. My mom
          was a seamstress and taught me a lot. Also, I’m cheap.
          Being short is, indeed, a pain in the patootie, esp. when
          the patootie is no longer a size seven.

          • Murray C. April 24, 2016 / 12:30 pm

            I always wondered which part of the anatomy the Patootie was. ?
            (Oh, my heaven, who’s sorry they taught me how to use the emoji button????) – (?)

        • Gigi_the cat lady April 23, 2016 / 7:15 pm

          I also am a member of the verticaly challenged and roundish club.

        • Laura April 23, 2016 / 8:30 pm

          It’s not a lot of fun being tall, either. Since I don’t wear heels any more, tall sizes are too long, and regulars are too short. So hemming is required anyway. I have had many, many occasions, however, to bless my 7th grade home ec teacher, who believed that teaching us sewing meant everything from learning multiple ways to hand-stitch to not only how to operate a sewing machine, but how to properly finish garments so they don’t have that “homemade” look. Alas, her ilk are no longer teaching, I fear. She was at the end of her career 50 years ago, alas.

          Although I am still in awe of a friend’s mom I had when I was in high school, who was a college home ec graduate and tailored and sewed all her husband’s business suits! Now that is some *serious* skillz indeed.

          • dubravkamcvmd April 24, 2016 / 7:41 am

            My mother learned to sew in Italy after WWII. She was a refugee and thought she could get work that way. Cloth was hard to come by so they used paper – she sewed a suit in paper! When we were growing up she sewed our clothes, slip covers, curtains, coats, everything!

            • Phr d-s Mom April 24, 2016 / 9:11 am

              My mom, too! Everything but men’s suits.
              What I learned from her has made me too
              picky when shopping for clothes, etc. One
              sees the less than great work of mass pro-
              duction. I’m frequently clipping, mending,
              button-changing, whatever. Keeps me off
              the streets.

          • Murray C. April 24, 2016 / 12:33 pm

            I like being tall – it’s my super power – I use it for good. Like when I see some vertically challenged person at the grocery store standing on the bottom shelf trying to reach something way back on the top shelf. How many lives I’ve saved! Not to mention potential damage to the store infrastructure!

            • Gigi_the cat lady April 24, 2016 / 1:41 pm

              As a vertically challenged person who as stood on many a bottom shelf I thank you in the name of my people. I wish more tall people would be so helpful.

              • Rachel April 24, 2016 / 6:09 pm

                Same here, except for one thing; every time I am grocery shopping and need to reach something way too high, invariably there is nobody around to assist me. Whereas if I am looking at a shelf I can reach easily but am, perhaps, deciding which of two items I want to buy, there is always somebody there who kindly offers assistance that I don’t need.

                I seriously need to find a tall person to shop with.

                • Phred's Mom April 25, 2016 / 8:22 am

                  Sounds like an entrepreneurial (sp?)
                  opportunity for tall, preferably cute
                  basketball player types to create an
                  Uber-like service for vertically-challenged
                  ladies while grocery-shopping. Too bad
                  the name “Uber” is already taken, it would
                  be literally pretty appropriate.

                • birdcage April 25, 2016 / 9:26 am

                  I’m super tall and love helping people at the grocery store. Definitely one of my super powers. I also see the dust on top of your fridge or bookshelves – you aren’t getting away with anything when you don’t dust there!!! What I don’t love are the looks and intrusive comments that I get from strangers on the street. I’m really conscious of the fact that I stand out and usually just want to creep around from place to place without being noticed. I get asked multiple times every day “How tall are you?” I’d love to have to hem pants.

                  • Murray C. April 25, 2016 / 10:12 am

                    I think you are way taller than I am! I never quite made it to 5’10” – nothing to cause comment. You just need to own your height – be proud!!! ?I’m around a lot of tall people, all rowers – they make one feel positively petite!

    • Faye April 23, 2016 / 2:04 pm

      Thank you for affirming comments. Sunday inhome spa day. Then slow two hour car ride to find a place I need to start attending a meetup on Tuesday mornings.

      I’m a pre-driver as I hate highways and have no sense of directions. I’m famous for driving past places I’ve gone to for years, getting completely twisted around on perfectly straight nsew roads and getting lost in buildings I’ve already been in.

      • AJ April 23, 2016 / 5:13 pm

        Oh you too are directionally disfunctional??? Welcome to the club. My mom used to tell me I could get lost in a paper bag with the corners cut off. My husband says I’m so bad it’s like kyrptonite to Superman or giving a math problem to a monkey. He was sooo thrilled when GPS systems came out and he didn’t have to rely on me reading a map.

        True story – when we moved cross country (pre-GPS), he had to highlight the map with the route we were taking and then when he made a turn I had to turn the map the same direction just so I could tell him correctly the next turn. And half the time I did my famous say one direction and point the exact opposite. Drove him crazy. And people wonder why I don’t drive???

        • Mc Can Opener April 23, 2016 / 9:24 pm

          My Mom was left-handed. She loved to travel and occupied the copilot’s seat with the maps. The family always blamed the left-handedness on her inability to comprehend directions from the maps she so lovingly collected. If we did just the opposite of what she claimed was called for on the map, 99% of the time it was the correct choice.

          I really miss her. MCO

          • Murray C. April 24, 2016 / 12:38 pm

            I can so relate! I’m directionally challenged -nay, completely useless. Once I was about 3 hours from home – had arrived fine, had map quest pus GPS, all was wonderful. But I didn’t print the directions in reverse and the GPS froze the minute I got out of the parking area of the place I was visiting. Got SO lost, 10PM. was on a road with nothing but trucks and not a street light. Black as pitch. Talk about white knuckling it. But I lived to tell the tale.

  9. Smartypants April 23, 2016 / 1:43 pm

    Mike, thanks for reviving the Open Thread – Faye and Michelle, sounds like cool weekend plans!

    This morning I went to the dump and gave away some houseplants (they have a sort of ‘swap area’ where you can give away things and take what you want). Picked up laundry at the Laundromat and zipped through the discount store.

    This weekend I’m a little limited in what I can do because I can’t refill my pain meds for a few days, but I hope to keep up with the small stuff – dishes, folding laundry, and weed a bunch of papers for Free Shredder Day at the bank.

    Got some great books from Amazon (through NTMTOM’s portal, of course) to keep me occupied – Frankenstein, the Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Great Gatsby and Robinson Crusoe. And did you know Mark Twain wrote 2 sequels to Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn? Got those too.

    Have a great weekend, NTMTOMmers!

    • Faye April 23, 2016 / 2:10 pm

      Great reading choices. Dr. Jeckle is one of my favorites. Have reread Great Gatsby twice as it takes place on Long Island. Didn’t fully understand it until I saw the movie with Leonardo. Also did a bit of research on symbolism. Great story.

      • Murray C. April 23, 2016 / 2:16 pm

        Thank you Tina M. for posting this because I had seen it and couldn’t figure out how to email it to NTMTOM. Can’t remember what the difficulty was, maybe because I only saw it on Facebook. Anyway, I think this little creature is so adorable, so patient and sweet!

        • Sixkatlady April 23, 2016 / 9:08 pm

          You are welcome! Sixkatlady = Tina M

      • Murray C. April 23, 2016 / 2:18 pm

        I’m re-reading The Pickwick Papers. I love Dickens and had a friend who was his great grandson.

        • dubravkamcvmd April 23, 2016 / 3:33 pm

          The Pickwick Papers is one of the very few books I’ve read twice. I love Dickens too.

          • amyliz April 23, 2016 / 4:29 pm

            Random thoughts: these comments about Dickens reminds me of how, every Christmas Eve day, my state public radio station plays a recording of one of their now-deceased hosts reading “A Christmas Carol.” For many years he had a program where he would read, sort of like a live book on tape! He read old classics and newer stuff, both fiction and nonfiction. One of the last books I remember him reading was “Son of the Morning Star” nonfiction about Custer and the battle of Little Bighorn. Fascinating, almost reads like a novel. I recommend it!

            • amyliz April 23, 2016 / 4:30 pm

              Oh and btw, what a redonkulously adorable kitty and video!

              • Murray C. April 24, 2016 / 12:48 pm

                I’ll look forward to listening to this when I have more time. I read the Carol every year – just to myself. But I collect children’s books and I choose a different version each year. I’m very jealous, I have a brother-in-law who has a first edition hand colored copy – I think it’s a pre-publication copy- of the Carol. I covet it.?

                • allein April 24, 2016 / 3:31 pm

                  Gaiman reads from one of Dickens’s own copies that he used for similar live readings.

                  • Murray C. April 24, 2016 / 9:19 pm

                    Nice!

  10. Patty April 23, 2016 / 1:46 pm

    It’s my youngest grandson’s 1st birthday, they just moved into a new big house. Next week my other daughter closes on her 1st house. Then my good friends are moving the 10th of next month. I am expecting to gain some muscles after all this moving. I have lived in this house since 1981, and I am definitely never moving, I’m getting too old for all this manual labor.

    • Faye April 23, 2016 / 2:12 pm

      Moving is the worst. I’m down to a bare minimum at this stage in my life. Planning to stay where I am as well.

      • Murray C. April 23, 2016 / 2:21 pm

        Good for you, I’m envious. We have a large house that we got to allow us to have my mom move in with us. She’s been gone just about 10 years to the day and now we have to downsize over the next few years. Needless to say, having combined households, we have WAY too much stuff and I have a tendency to want to see that everything has a good home. No worries, the rabbits and cat are safe!

        • Faye April 23, 2016 / 3:14 pm

          Hurricane Sandy helped me realize I didn’t need 90% of what I owned and brought about an unintended but very fortuitous downsize. Never bemoan your fate. Turned out to be in the top five best things that ever happened to me.

          • Faye April 23, 2016 / 3:16 pm

            Ps. Only the “alive” things and photos are important. I moved on with my two chihuahuas and family photos.

            • Phred's Mom April 23, 2016 / 5:16 pm

              Downsizing (the patootie, too?) can be very liberating.
              Recently inherited my mom’s house in Bucks County,
              half the size of my previous house in North Jersey.
              MOving in has forced us to ditch a lot, even though
              we are pretty good about not amassing much. The
              thrift shops made out.

      • Laura April 23, 2016 / 2:45 pm

        We’ve moved far too many times since we got married, so when hubs decided to retire and we moved here, I told him, this is it! I’m not going anywhere else till the kids drag me off to The Home! We downsized on stuff, not space, which is nice; we each have space to do what we want, hobbies & such (and in my case, in my home office, work since I haven’t retired yet), without tripping over each other.

        This weekend our only plan is to attend a picnic tomorrow for dogs that have come out of our greyhound’s trainer’s kennels. The rescue has twice-yearly picnics so she can see how all “her” dogs are doing, which I think is a lovely idea.

        And speaking of our lovely Melody, she went on her first official Therapy Dog visit yesterday! She was a huge success; she was described as “so quiet and peaceful” by the staff at the old folks’ home she visited. She loves everybody, and everybody loves her, so being a therapy dog might have been designed with her in mind. This will keep hubs and her busy and happy while I’m working, which is an added benefit. πŸ™‚

        • Faye April 23, 2016 / 3:10 pm

          How wonderful. Dog therapy visits do make a big difference in institutional settings. And a stately Greyhound must be an extra special treat.

          • Laura April 23, 2016 / 3:24 pm

            I’m not sure you could describe her as “stately.” Friendly, yes; she’s the friendliest greyhound most people have ever seen. She loves *everybody.* But yes, there’s nothing like a soft, furry friend to greet you when you need it, is there? They actually have a couple of small dogs that live in this home, but Melody was still a huge hit. The activities lady tried to schedule hubs and her to come in every weekend! It’s her calmness that they so enjoy. And yet, by all accounts, she’s actually as close to hyper as you’ll find in a greyhound — they are a *seriously* laid-back breed. Perfect for folks like us who are also seriously laid back. πŸ™‚

        • Smartypants April 23, 2016 / 4:14 pm

          That’s great – therapy dogs are wonderful! And the reunion/picnic tomorrow sounds like a great time.

        • Patty April 23, 2016 / 4:15 pm

          If I could only downsize. Unfortunately, I live with a semi-hoarder. It’s all I can do to keep him from adding to the stuff we already have. A flooded basement allowed me to get rid of some stuff, but it has to be when he isn’t looking, or he’ll drag it back into the house.

          • Gigi_the cat lady April 23, 2016 / 7:29 pm

            I live with a full hoarder, the basement looked like a warehouse then we too had a food in the basement 3 years ago and kept almost nothing but now it’s started to fill up again. πŸ™

            • Laura April 23, 2016 / 8:35 pm

              Sounds like it’s time for you ladies to “accidentally” leave a faucet running in the basement for a week or so. πŸ™‚

              • Lurkingduck April 23, 2016 / 9:00 pm

                Oh, is that how it’s done?

    • allein April 23, 2016 / 7:03 pm

      I just got home from my cousin’s son’s first birthday party! (His birthday was Thursday.) And they are moving to a new house in a month. πŸ™‚

  11. Lurkingduck April 23, 2016 / 3:44 pm

    You’ll be in the bath all morning with your personal groomer, Mike?

      • Faye April 23, 2016 / 3:49 pm

        I’m sorry. I have to say it. THAT doesn’t sound PG either. ROFLOL.

        • Lurkingduck April 23, 2016 / 5:05 pm

          ?

      • Phred's Mom April 23, 2016 / 5:22 pm

        ???

      • Murray C. April 24, 2016 / 12:42 pm

        Do you wear a little shower cap? ?

  12. Sixkatlady April 23, 2016 / 9:18 pm

    Went to see the musical called Once today – all I can say is WOW. I really enjoyed the movie and worried how it would translate as a musical. I am in awe of folks who can sing, act and play musical instruments. I can play clarinet, but my singing is best limited to when I am alone in the car!!

    • Murray C. April 24, 2016 / 12:43 pm

      It’s so difficult to sing and play the clarinet anyway.

      What is “Once” about?

      • Sixkatlady April 24, 2016 / 9:01 pm

        From the Playbill: ONCE tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who’s about to give up on his dream when a beautiful young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. As the chemistry between them grows, his music soars to powerful new heights… but their unlikely connection turns out to be deeper and more complex than your everyday romance.

        • Murray C. April 24, 2016 / 9:16 pm

          I do remember seeing trailers for the movie now. sounds wonderful.

          • Mariana Paes April 26, 2016 / 10:26 am

            the movie is great! did anyone see The Little Prince? I quite liked it..

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