77 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread

  1. Not That Mike The Other Mike March 25, 2017 / 9:00 am

    A few days ago, I noticed that my vehicle registration was expired, and I had been driving around with expired licence plate tags for months. Never got pulled over for it, but since I work from home I’m not on the road that often. I have an appointment to renew, but I’m a little spooked about driving between now and then. I’ll probably get pulled over on my way to the appointment.

    • allein ? March 25, 2017 / 11:27 am

      I got pulled over once because my inspection sticker was expired. My car only needed to be inspected every two years at the time, so the registration renewal was no longer a reliable reminder to get it inspected. Luckily my registration and license were current and I guess I looked sufficiently surprised when he told me why he pulled me over that he didn’t give me a ticket. And it was Friday so I promised to take it in the next day. Now it’s more like every four or five years for newer cars, and since my last car and current car have been leased, I haven’t had to worry about registration or inspection at all, since they juse register it for the full term of the lease.

    • jerzowa March 25, 2017 / 11:55 am

      What a coincidence. Only today morning I realized my yearly inspection had been expired for two months. I just know the police will check me on my way to the inspectors on Monday ?

    • N. Fritz March 25, 2017 / 12:15 pm

      I just got my inspection sticker renewed this week and on my way home from the appointment my right headlight went out! I figured if I got pulled over I could show the officer that it had been less than 24 hours since I got inspected. Went to the local version of AAA with a replacement bulb and they replaced it for free since I’m a member.

    • Laura March 25, 2017 / 12:22 pm

      Expired registration really isn’t a huge deal. It’s just legal administrivia. My husband got caught with expired registration a few years ago; as I recall, he didn’t even get a fine. And same with expired inspection; a cop was going to write us a ticket for finding one of our cars with an expired inspection sticker, but waived it since we were moving in a week.

      If you have a renewal appointment, you should be fine. It happens to everyone at some point, I think.

    • Blue Footed Booby March 27, 2017 / 7:15 am

      Traffic on my commute is so bad the cops just camp out on the side of the road and watch stickers go by. If they spot a car with an expired sticker they walk up and knock on its window.

  2. Allu March 25, 2017 / 9:26 am

    No Mike, you will be just fine. That happened to us one year and months later we just renewed it with some fine of course, because it was so late. So you will be just fine; I suspect that we live in the same town.

  3. Flowerfanatic March 25, 2017 / 10:11 am

    We get a yearly license plate renewal reminder in the mail. They don’t send reminders out where you live? I got the idea somewhere, Mike, that you live in Florida like we do.

    • Not That Mike The Other Mike March 25, 2017 / 10:24 am

      I guess not, or at least not reliably. I’ll have to add a reminder to my calendar from now on.

      • tara March 25, 2017 / 11:19 am

        Mike – I thought you were in PA so here’s my 2Β’. As of Dec. 31 – no more tags – saving the state $3M. So, no worries, I don’t think anyone is going to catch you as you are driving. I don’t know how they (the state) plan on enforcing registration, then again there’s a lot I don’t understand about bureaucracy these days. πŸ™‚ Hope it goes smoothly!

      • Murray C. March 26, 2017 / 11:04 am

        Will it be on Cutetropolis calendar????

  4. Ms Can Opener March 25, 2017 / 10:19 am

    I spy a little baby toof. Cute, but probably sharp like hooman baby teefs. I love this little one’s stripes.

    • allein ? March 25, 2017 / 11:58 am

      I’d still let him nom on me.

      • debg March 25, 2017 / 2:18 pm

        yep me too

  5. debg March 25, 2017 / 10:25 am

    Grocery shopping and house cleaning (the intense kind because company is coming and I’ve let things slide). Groan. Plus I’ve *got* to deal with the leak in my kitchen sink plumbing. I just want to go back to sleep.

    But on the positive side, Scorpius accepted a LONG cuddle session last evening. I’m pretty sure he was purring during some of it. Huge steps, people!

    And it *will* be nice to see my former students again, despite all the disruptions of house guests. Plus the fun of Yarn Fest next weekend!

    • Ricky's Mom March 25, 2017 / 1:04 pm

      Scorpius is responding to super-good Mommy-care!

      • debg March 25, 2017 / 2:21 pm

        Thanks, Ricky’s Mom! He’s responding to something. I’ve just finished Jackson Galaxy’s autobiography on audiobook (he reads it himself, so it’s hilarious and heart-breaking) and that spurred me to try some of Jackson’s best tricks.

        Folks, DO get Jackson’s book if you want a great read/listen. I got through it in two weekends, alternately sobbing and laughing my head off. Made housework much more pleasant today!

      • Dulcie March 25, 2017 / 3:43 pm

        Heartwarming to hear about Scorpius. ?
        I had an adopted adult cat that took almost a year to feel comfortable in my home. He was a young guy but probably spent a good part of his life on the street. We did certain things to encourage him but respected the “cat facts” of letting him make the first move! Turned out well in the end and he spent almost 20 cozy cuddly years with us.

    • Murray C. March 26, 2017 / 11:06 am

      Wonderful – about Scorpius, I mean – too bad about the plumbing leak – and in your new kitchen????

      And is yarn Fest for kittens????That little cutie above wants to go.

    • Emsthemonster March 26, 2017 / 1:17 pm

      Yay for Scorpius cuddle session, you deserve those purrs, Debg.

  6. Jan March 25, 2017 / 10:31 am

    The sunshine in these parts is of the “liquid” variety! I’m at my parents’ house, and they had an inch of rain yesterday, with more forecast for today.

    There was sun early in the week and I caught a great picture of Lily, my favorite one yet! I’m not at my home computer so I can’t upload it here, but you can see it at this link:

    http://cascadeexposures.com/2017/03/21/lily-and-the-hellebore/

    • EAG46 March 25, 2017 / 10:36 am

      Lily’s eyes GLOW in the sunlight! She’s growing into such a pretty cat.

    • Smartypants March 25, 2017 / 10:46 am

      Lovely pic! Also the droplet of water on the plant is a nice accent.

    • Ricky's Mom March 25, 2017 / 12:59 pm

      Gorgeous!

    • dubravkamcvmd March 25, 2017 / 1:09 pm

      A kitteh of mystery and romance!

    • Murray C. March 26, 2017 / 11:07 am

      The little vixen! How adorable.

  7. allein ? March 25, 2017 / 11:12 am

    Mornin’

    This afternoon I’m going down to a friend’s about an hour away. Haven’t seen her since January. And I get to meet her Smidgen pup finally! A couple other friends will be there as well; we’re getting Chinese food and playing some games.

    Found a pillow for y’all…

    http://www.currentcatalog.com/product/my-spot-cat-pillow-15965.do

  8. Patty March 25, 2017 / 11:23 am

    Yesterday the weather was warm, and the sun was shining. Today it is chilly and rainy.
    I have not mentioned this, because of guilt, I think, but Grace got outside somehow. She was in heat (working on saving up funds for spaying her) and likely dashed out the door. The front door doesn’t latch properly, and unless it is locked the wind will blow it open. It has been windy, and my husband forgets the door will blow open. I searched for her, but gave up after a week. I live on a busy street and that worried me.
    Yesterday I went to tend to my daughter’s cats, and when I came home, there was Grace in the backyard, meowing. She was hungry, and so happy to be home. I cried, she ate, demanded pettings, and then took a nap.

    • debg March 25, 2017 / 11:26 am

      Patty, I’m so glad she made it home! Give her all the pettings she wants.

    • fkaWaldenPond March 25, 2017 / 12:30 pm

      Oh good to read she made it home! Mind you, you will probably have some kittens around the house in a couple of months!

      • Patty March 25, 2017 / 4:34 pm

        Yes, that thought has occurred to me. Fortunately our local shelter is no-kill, and they will make sure kittens go to good homes, healthy and neutered. I will enjoy kittens until they are old enough to leave, if that happens.

    • Ricky's Mom March 25, 2017 / 1:05 pm

      So glad she’s home!

      • Dulcie March 25, 2017 / 4:14 pm

        Can’t wait to see the kitty pictures! And get a glimpse of what her “friend” might have looked like!

        • Patty March 25, 2017 / 4:59 pm

          I suspect her “friend” is either a black and white tuxedo cat or an orange tabby, both which tend to hang out in my garage. Maybe both, I have heard it’s possible for a litter to have more than one father. It’s a deep lot, and the house is at the front, the garage at the back. We don’t use the garage because my husband is a junk collector (hoarder-ish), and it’s full of junk.

    • Haha March 25, 2017 / 5:11 pm

      So happy Grace is back! These things happen, best intentions and all. I know the fixing will come when you are able. Also glad to know you have a plan for if Grace was less than modest. Merow.

    • Murray C. March 26, 2017 / 11:11 am

      What a relief! I remember our cat in her younger days would stay out just ’til 3am or so and I’d be getting out of bed and walking the neighborhood looking for her so I know how you feel. Good for her and you that she came back – can you have her spayed? Or was she on the cusp of being old enough?

      • Patty March 26, 2017 / 6:08 pm

        Saving money to have all of them (Grace, Callie, and Sophie) spayed. Grace is the first on the list, then probably Callie. My vet prefers to chip them while they are under anesthetic, so she isn’t even chipped yet. Husband will have to be more careful from now on. I even lock the front door when I go to take Sophie out, even if I know it will only be a few minutes.

        • Murray C. March 26, 2017 / 7:45 pm

          Have you looked for an organization that will help you get them neutered? Sometimes there are groups that might be able to help you defray some cost – maybe get in touch with a local cat rescue group. So many people are on board with making sure there are fewer unwanted animals that reduced spay/neuter fees are more common these days.

    • Emsthemonster March 26, 2017 / 1:24 pm

      Nice to hear Grace returned. She would have been stupid not to go back to such a loving home.

  9. tara March 25, 2017 / 11:30 am

    Happy Saturday everyone! Little kitty made me smile. πŸ™‚ Been loving all of the posts in the last few weeks Mike, even though I haven’t commented much. I’m especially growing fond of the Fiona updates. She might be edging out Wombat Wednesdays for my favorite posts. Who’d a thought a hippo, of all creatures, would steal my heart!?
    I’ve got lots to take care of this weekend, bike ride, knitting, cleaning, studio work, teaching prep – the usual.
    We got a nice surprise from a wonderful local nursery. Greensgrow Farms offers small grants for improving urban public spaces, as in – plant them full of flowers and make things pretty. My neighbors and I applied because they have two of those square sidewalk plots that have been empty for years and we wanted to spruce them up a bit. They are on fixed income and I’m not exactly flush, so we thought it couldn’t hurt to send an application in. While we didn’t get the entire amount we asked for ($212), they did give us a $100 gift certificate to apply toward purchases for the plots!! We pick it up tomorrow and I for one am thrilled. πŸ™‚ The $100 will still cover plenty for us to make something really nice.

    • Laura March 25, 2017 / 12:42 pm

      That’s terrific, Tara! I’m sure you’ll be able to do a lot with the $100.

      Things have been quiet here, as usual. The one really fun thing was the guy who came to fix some broken part in the pool pumping system. We’ve had 4 or 5 guys out at different times from the pool company, but this was the first guy to really meet the definition of a “pool boy.” I wish I could think of some excuse to have him out every week, he was so good-looking! Yes, I know that’s shallow of me. ?

      I hope everyone has a good week!

      • debg March 25, 2017 / 1:54 pm

        Laura, maybe you could get him to pose with a kitten? Then send in the picture here? Hmmmmm? Please?

        • Laura March 25, 2017 / 4:05 pm

          I wish I could! Unfortunately, I (a) don’t have a kitten and (b) would have to pay $95 for the privilege of him coming out again. Yeah, they don’t make house calls (pool calls?) for free. πŸ™ Plus who knows if we’d be lucky enough to get him back?

          But trust me, I spent most of his visit trying not to stare at him *too* obviously. He was tall, trim, lightly tanned but not overly cooked (obviously a fan of sunscreen, which for a guy who works outside is an excellent choice), nice trim beard, *gorgeous* smile…yeah, he really was the classic pool boy. I just wish I could have come up with a reason for him to take his shirt off! πŸ˜€

          • Dulcie March 25, 2017 / 4:17 pm

            You need to stuff some kind of junk into the pool motor or filter or some other mechanical pool thingy…

          • Rachel March 26, 2017 / 8:05 pm

            This. THIS is what happens, after my parents buy a house with a pool like I’d have killed for as a kid…when I’m pushing middle age and 2000 miles away. *jealous*

    • debg March 25, 2017 / 1:53 pm

      What a lovely story about your nursery! I’m sure you and neighbors will make the space beautiful.

    • Haha March 25, 2017 / 5:14 pm

      Yay for excitement over beautifying a space! Take before and after pics and after-after pics when it has had a chance to grow and fill in! Good on you!

    • Murray C. March 26, 2017 / 11:13 am

      That’s terrific, Tara. I have often thought that a lot of the world’s troubles could be mitigated if everyone gardened.

      • Mich Patt March 26, 2017 / 11:21 am

        Hear, hear!

  10. N. Fritz March 25, 2017 / 12:17 pm

    Beautiful spring weather here! Had friends over for brunch this morning, then went for a long walk, then coffee and cake, then another long walk, now trying to decide what to do for dinner…

  11. Ricky's Mom March 25, 2017 / 1:06 pm

    Taking Ricky to the vet shortly. He still has laryngitis, and for some reason he is barking more than usualβ€”with his scratchy voice. Such a bossy-boots!

    • Ricky's Mom March 25, 2017 / 2:49 pm

      It turns out that laryngitis is a serious condition in dogs, and that’s probably not what Ricky has. He does have a raspier, higher-pitched bark lately, though. So it sounds like laryngitis does in people, but it isn’t canine laryngitis. Which is good news as far as it goes. Waiting to learn more. Ricky is in with vet now.

      • dubravkamcvmd March 25, 2017 / 3:46 pm

        Good luck!

        • Ricky's Mom March 26, 2017 / 1:33 pm

          Well, actually he *does* have laryngitis, but it’s a mild case and does not seem to be symptomatic of anything worse. I have an anti-inflammatory to give him with the rest of his meds for a few days. He still sounds funny, but it should clear up in a few days.

          • Murray C. March 26, 2017 / 2:40 pm

            Oh, that’s a relief! Poor little pup. Poor little YOU! So much anxiety when the fur babies aren’t up to snuff.

  12. Mich Patt March 25, 2017 / 7:07 pm

    Hi All! Dropped off the face of the planet several weeks ago as I’ve been busy with getting my weekends&holidays-only pet photo business going. Finally launched just in time for gum graft surgery in early April. Ugh. Weather’s improved here enough I’ve gotten out to tidy up the winter damage (so many broken branches on the rhododendrons!). Other than the biz stuff, all’s been quiet. Looking forward to getting back to the Weekend Open Threads. πŸ™‚ If anyone wants a gander, I’ve added my web link to my name.

    • debg March 25, 2017 / 7:50 pm

      Welcome back, Mich Patt! Your photos are fantastic. I especially love the hedgie in the feathers.

      • Mich Patt March 26, 2017 / 11:23 am

        Thanks! The hedgie, Rustle, moved surprisingly quickly. For a nocturnal animal, she was quite wide awake and wired. Red Bull on the way over to the studio perhaps? We’ll never know… πŸ˜‰

    • Dubravkamcvmd March 26, 2017 / 4:17 am

      Pictures are terrific

      • Mich Patt March 26, 2017 / 11:24 am

        Thanks! I’m looking forward to getting more variety on the site to add to the qte quotient in the world. πŸ™‚

    • Murray C. March 26, 2017 / 2:41 pm

      Yes, the photos are great – and I love your logo!

    • Julie March 26, 2017 / 4:04 pm

      Love the photos! Especially that tan/brown scruffy little dog!

  13. allein ? March 25, 2017 / 9:59 pm

    Just got home from my friend’s a bit ago. We won our game (it’s a cooperative game called Mysterium, sort of a supernatural Clue, where one person is the ghost and gives the other players clues via cards and you have to figure out who killed him, where, and with what).

    And I got to meet Smidgen finally. She’s an 8 pound Doxie mix with Flying Nun ears and teeny eyebrow dots! My friend said I could send Mike pictures so I will try to do that tomorrow. I got nommed a bit from playing; she’s good at not actually biting but I do have a small scratch on my arm from her teeth (mostly just a red line; she didnt break the skin…totally worth it). She got the zoomies after dinner and oh man can she fly! They need a longer hallway! πŸ˜›

    • Murray C. March 26, 2017 / 11:14 am

      Can’t wait to see those pics.

      • allein ? March 26, 2017 / 1:38 pm

        I pulled a few from her Facebook page; the ones I took on my phone are too dark and blurry and she’s a really good photographer. Having troubles with Internet on my computer but eventually I will send them to Mike. Apparently Smidgen whined at the window when we left last night.

  14. Dubravkamcvmd March 26, 2017 / 4:32 am

    Working on my 50th high school reunion dinner subcommittee. This is the first, and last, time working on a committee for me.

    • Mich Patt March 26, 2017 / 11:25 am

      Gulp, yes. Group projects always remind me why I prefer to work alone. Good luck!

  15. Murray C. March 26, 2017 / 11:25 am

    I was out all day yesterday so am just catching up on everyone’s comings and goings.

    I have to tell you a story. Yesterday I was at the memorial for a friend – a singing partner of mine. It’s amazing how something like a memorial can fill you in on things you never knew or peripherally knew about someone you only know in one context. My friend was at the American Boys Choir School in Princeton. He was a solo soprano and they played a recording of him singing the Lord’s Prayer and I was so astonished, so overwhelmed by the beauty of his voice. I had never heard a boy soprano with such a clear, natural voice. His range was stratospheric – think Katherine Grayson. They read a short story he’d written called “The Secret Marrano”, about Christmas Caroling in Princeton at various professors houses. At one of the houses a substantial woman came out of the door as they began to sing “O, Holy Night” and beckoned out an old man, hair all akimbo, and it was Albert Einstein! My friend, who was Jewish at an all Christian school and had kept the fact a secret, was so overwhelmed and had such a sense of connection to a fellow Jew that it was overwhelming. What the story didn’t tell was if he then let it be known that he was Jewish. I love that he got to sing for Einstein.

    • Mich Patt March 26, 2017 / 11:28 am

      Sorry to hear about your friend. Sounds like a loss of a beautiful voice and soul. But, wow, what a great story to share at the memorial. I like it when memorials become, as intended I think, more about a person’s life than their death.

    • fkaWaldenPond March 26, 2017 / 1:24 pm

      What a fantastic story Murray C.!

    • dubravkamcvmd March 26, 2017 / 2:07 pm

      Really great story!

    • Emsthemonster March 26, 2017 / 3:06 pm

      Awesome story – wow singing for Einstein

      • Dulcie March 26, 2017 / 5:54 pm

        Truly an amazing story. How interesting and yes, isn’t it odd that we may know someone for many years but only in a single scope sometime. Sorry for your loss.

  16. Emsthemonster March 26, 2017 / 2:22 pm

    This is a strange weekend for me.
    I went out to an alternative rock concert with my friends on Saturday. They have been neglecting me for some years now, so it was really a pleasant surprise that I was also invited to join them this time.

    One day I hope to be able to buy a desert island with cold climate and internet connection.
    Even if spring is here, I cannot be outside because one of our neighbours annoys me so much. He watches my every step with secret, unspoken admiration desperately trying to find an excuse for talking to me. When I go to work in the morning, he deliberately gets up earlier than normal to be able to stand in front of my gate to offer me a ride to work. (he works for the next company so we basically drive on the same route every day) I was stupid enough to accept it a few times in winter when I was afraid to drive in freezing rain, big snow etc. I had no idea it would lead to this. But now I haven’t accepted his help for 2 months but he is still there every single day hoping. He is just there looking at me with puppy eyes as if there was a daily Ems exhibition in my yard. I think I will get up even earlier and offer a ride to his wife in return πŸ™‚ as she goes to work by bus.

    • Murray C. March 26, 2017 / 2:44 pm

      Eeeeew, that sounds nasty! I hope he gets the message soon that his attention is unwelcome. I have a feeling that actually saying anything to him would only increase his ardor, no matter how negatively you put it. “She’s saying ‘no’ but her eyes say ‘yes, yes'” That sort of thing. Yuck.

      • Emsthemonster March 26, 2017 / 3:05 pm

        Yes, I agree there is no point in saying anything. Especially because he does not “court” me, does not flirt with me, he is just always there for me should I need any help. He has a brilliant wife, bright, tall, beautiful, intelligent and he keeps watching the greymouse next door….

        • Dulcie March 26, 2017 / 5:59 pm

          I agree that it may not be useful to talk to the fellow…but on the other hand he is significantly impacting your life. I don’t think I could handle it! Would it help to suggest to either him or his wife that this is uncomfortable for you?? My god you could certainly even say his behavior is unnatural.

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