Another sleepy Caturday, but it’s time to roll out of that bowl and make the most of the weekend. Have a great day!
“She outgrew the bowl a long time ago but she refuses to sleep anywhere else…”
118 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread”
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We are going to a BBQ at a friends house later today, the wether isn’t great but the company will more than make up for it. A friend from Brazil will be making caipirinha in honour of the Olympics.
For now, time for breakfast, including for the birds in my backyard.
Wow! It’s a party!? I can’t tell–what kind of birds?
I’m not an expert in birds, I looked up black birds and think they are Common grackle and you can also see a Common sparrow in there. Usually I get more sparrows than anything else but I also have Blue Jays and Crows (that I all call Randolph) that come around to feed. But in August I get more black birds looking for food before they fly south I guess because I don’t see them in winter.
I thought the bigger ones were grackles, which are a bane around here cos they scare away all other birds–except Blue Jays. Nothing scares a Blue Jay!? Glad Penny and Boo are back to normal!
My college’s mascot is the blue jay. The student handbook describes them as “scrappy fighting birds.”
We have a similar feeding frenzy every morning in our garden – it’s so much fun, isn’t it? How is Boo, by the way and – is it Penny, your other cat? How are they doing?
Thanks for asking, Boo and Penny are both doing very well, almost back to normal in fact. ✌️
Hooray!
Weather is “dog’s mouth” around here in SE PA (thanks, Murray, perfect description)
No cooking today, no unnecessary trips outdoors. Stuck my head out at 5:30 this morn
and was hit with unbelievable wet hot blanket. A good day to converse with Cutetropolis
peeps while I sit around in next to nothing. Books and jigsaw puzzles plus a Phils
game will also fill the day nicely. Stay hydrated, guys!
My dear spouse is spending the day by the Schuylkill River announcing the Bayada Regatta, an event for adaptive rowers which covers many areas of disability. He was one of the founders of the disabled rowing program in Philly and has been announcing this event for 35 years. They love him partly because of his lovely English accent. Fortunately they have a misting tent. Then we have the banquet tonight. I, like you, Phred’s Mom, am staying close to the air conditioning. And tomorrow night a group of friends is going to see “Florence Foster Jenkins”. I’ve been aware of her for a long time and there was a lovely play written about her called “Souvenir” – funny and sweet.
“Florence F. J.” sounds like a winner. Meryl is SO good, and Florence is a
great subject. Was she serious, or putting everyone on?
She was in dead earnest – she fancied herself a great singer and she contributed much of her wealth to the arts. I just read that she had syphilis which she got from her first husband – I’m thinking that’s why her hair is so weird – she might’ve worn a wig. And maybe her ability to judge pitch was impaired as well because she was apparently a good pianist in her youth.
I googled her after reading your post and found the following quote: “People may say I can’t sing, but no one can ever say I didn’t sing!”
I just love that attitude! I learn so many fun things reading the comments here.
I just read a comment by a London reviewer that FFJ’s singing sounded “Like a cat fighting a duck in a wheelie bin” 😀
That’s a hoot. I read something today that said she was in on the joke – so who knows. I think that’s a little far-fetched – hard to keep the ruse up for very long. They compared her to Barry Humphreys as Dame Edna Everidge.
Can’t even get my name right!
I embroidered my name incorrectly on my high school gym uniform. Pretty bad.?
I just don’t get cats sometimes! How can that position possibly be comfortable? Do cats have no spine??
Remember Frieda in Peanuts? (the girl with naturally curly hair) She was always carrying around her cat and Charlie Brown blurted out something like “They’ve invented a spineless cat!” I tried to find this in the archives but couldn’t – I think you have to sign up which requires a password and I’ll be d****d if I’m coming up with yet ANOTHER PASSWORD!!!!
I think I found it!! And I think that’s about as active as I’m gonna be today. Just finished walking my dog and it’s supposed to hot as h e double hockey sticks here so all my plans went pfft. If we get up early enough tomorrow, we might take him to a dog park by the ocean and see his reaction. Otherwise, it probably will be movie day!
Oops, it was Snoopy who made the remark! And I managed to screw it up!!!? Thanks so much, AJ – and someday you’ll tell me how you did it. It’s too hot today.
Oh, it was actually pretty simple but then again I’ve been called the Queen of the Internet/Google for my research skills. I just went to Google and typed in “spineless cat + Peanuts” and then clicked on the images tab. Scrolled through til I found this one. That being said, I tried googling again and now I can’t find it. So much for my research prowess, lol.
I did something similar but got on some official Charles Schulz site and in order to look through the archives you have to jump through some hoops I wasn’t in the mood to jump through. It is weird how you can get to something but minutes later, doing the same thing, you ca’t find it at all. Is a Puzzlement!
Snarky remarks are usually Snoopy–especially in the mid to late years. But I’m impressed you remembered it was Frieda!
Epic night last night, peeps. I was one of the lucky Canadians at the Air Canada Centre in downtown Toronto for The Tragically Hip concert. For those of you outside of Canada who don’t know, The Tragically Hip are a beloved rock band here – their songs really speak to the Canadian experience for a generation of people – and, sadly, the lead singer, Gord Downie, announced a couple of months ago that he has terminal brain cancer. They are playing a very small number of cross-Canada tour dates to say goodbye. Tickets were hard to come by. The concert was astounding, awesome, emotional, amazing. Imagine 20,000 fans, every one of whom know the words to all the songs, singing, dancing, cheering. The adoration for Gord when he was trying to say goodbye and walk off stage for the last time: deafening. Please, if you aren’t familiar with their music, go to iTunes and download songs like Bobcaygeon, Ahead By A Century, New Orleans is Sinking, Courage, Wheat Kings, Boots or Hearts – better yet, download the entire “Yer Favourites” album – because any fan of good rock will not regret it!!!!
Will check this out. What an emotional experience for the fans and Gord.
Lots of tears, I bet. Unforgettable for you.
I remember quite a few years ago, Canadian figure skater Kurt Browning skated at least one of his routines to their music. The music made such an impression on me, the Tragically Hip name has stuck in my head ever since….along with the exquisite skating of Mr. Browning, of course!
I’ll have to look them up. I’m not familiar with them. On the other hand, I am a *massive* Great Big Sea fan. I’m still broken-hearted that they broke up a couple years ago!
My favorite Kurt Browning routine was always his skating to Brick House. I’m not sure if it was the routine or the leather pants. It’s a tossup. 😀
I remember that routine..and the leather pants…too!?
Found that performance to Tragically Hip “Antares” on the Toobz:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h60XbbdmAJs
That was fantastic! He has such an incredible sense of the music — some skaters seem to just acknowledge the high points of the music, but he never loses the rhythm. Such a talented skater!
And the music was wonderful, too. I’ll definitely have to listen to more Tragically Hip. Such a shame about Gord Downie. 🙁
Unforgettable.
Spectacular – makes me long for the Winter Olympics
Not to mention long for winter if this heat doesn’t let up.
Great. Thanks. Now I’ve lost an entire morning watching Kurt Browning videos. 🙂
I’m also hooked on the song ‘Anteres’… does anyone know where I can get an mp3 of it? The group wrote it for him and never put it on an album that I can find.
Oh you lucky girl! I would of loved to be there!!!
Sounds fantastic Birdcage! I saw them out East in Halifax back in the late 90’s. I’m kinda partial to ‘Grace, Too.’
It is very, very sad about Gord Downie– he lived across the street in Toronto from my Dad for years and him and his wife were always very friendly– especially his wife. Down to earth and seemingly humble; rare these days.
Still in the North Woods and hoping today to score a tour on a tall ship (it’s first come, first served and we’re a little late getting out this morning because breakfast included… wait for it… maple bacon long johns!)
Heck maple bacon long johns would make me late for my own funeral, those things are beyond amazing. I’m drooling over here, time for some breakfast but mine won’t be as yummy, gluten free waffle with peanut butter, canned (or as my Canadian grandma would say tinned) pears and some coffee. Have fun on the tall ship, they’re so much fun to explore.
Alas, the Coast Guard nixed the ship to ship transfer, so we got a trip out to and around the Mists of Avalon and one of the crew was on board to answer questions. Still a nice ride on Gitchee Gumee (Gitchi Gami in Ojibwe)!
Maple bacon I get, but long johns? Kindly elucidate for us poor deprived ‘murricans.
Send some south, please. Whatever they are, they sound yummy.
I, too, am ignorant of this culinary delight. Please enlighten????
Don’t blame this one on us Canadian, it’s an American invention ?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maple_bacon_donut
Eeeeek! Must be about a thousand calories!
I bought one to enjoy over the entire weekend, 1/3 Fri, Sat and Sun. Now that’s self-control, my friends!
Being it on! ?
*urp*
Know what a long john is, but the maple bacon version hasn’t hit my area, that I’m aware, which surprises me! Regular long johns have chocolate frosting on top and custard inside and are a staple at anyplace selling donuts in the the midwest.
I’m going to a bridal shower which I hope to hell will be indoors (it’s at my cousin’s house so that is doable even if she was planning to have it outside). 89 degrees and I already have a headache. If I have time I want to stop at the library and pick up the book I put on hold. They said I have until Monday but they close at 5 on Saturdays and are closed Sundays during the summer, and I’m sure I won’t want to go after work on Monday. But I am moving slower than planned this morning.
Excdrin and cold water. Go and enjoy, in or out.
Right now I have to settle for Advil and Coke. And Sudafed.
I plan to drink plenty of water once I get there. Afterward I’m going to stop in my old bookstore (since my cousin lives only a few minutes away) and hopefully there will be people I know there to say hi, then a Target and/or Wegmans run. Tomorrow is for chores.
Sounds like what my daughter and I call a Coke and pretzel day.
Should ease at sundown. Let’s hope.
So I had 4 or 5 cups of liquid (mostly iced tea, some lemonade and water) and only had to go to the bathroom twice while I was there. It’s hot outside. (Right now weather.com says 92, feels like 106. My car claimed it was 96.) They moved it inside for the most part, but it was still pretty warm, then she opened the gifts outside. I managed to stay out until after she opened mine and my mom’s, and then I went back inside. On the up side, I had to park in the sun but the shade moved over my car by the time I left so at least the steering wheel wasn’t too hot to touch when I got in the car.
After I left I was going to go to the bookstore (though I texted my friend and he had opened so he wouldn’t be there, anyway) but the road was closed and the detour put me a bit south and on the wrong side of the highway, so I just stopped at Target, then went to Wegmans and just got home. I replenished my lost fudge bars and fruit bars, and managed to get them home without melting.
Now I’m cooling down on the couch with my party favor, these little cookies my cousin makes. They’re shortbread with chocolate chips, shaped into about a two-inch log, then one end is dipped in chocolate and sprinkles. They’re all broken because I had to carry them around in my bag since they would have melted in the car.
And I finally got to meet my cousin’s latest addition to the family, a 6-month-old Havanese named Gracie, who has a perfect chocolate-kiss nose and takes only blurry pictures.
And my power just came back on after being out for about 25 minutes.
Also, it looks to me like kitty fits just fine in her bowl.
I just noticed it’s a cat-eared bowl, too – very cool!
I didn’t see that, either. I just saw the still pic on my tablet and didn’t realize it was a video. Now I looked again on my computer where they play automatically.
Very cute!
And I’m off. Later, all!
Roofless – I didn’t know about the video -will look now.
I wonder what auto correct meant by that one?
I think we all often wonder that!
Grace went to the vet again, to get started on her shots. She weighs 3 lbs., which means she gained a pound in 2 wks. All of her tests came back negative, feline leukemia, FIV, and heartworms. I was worried about those, since she was born outdoors to a stray cat.
My husband and I went and picked pears at a friend’s house, had to fight the hornets, flies and mosquitoes off to get them. I see pear crisp in my future.
It’s my sister’s birthday, so I guess I’ll bake a cake for her, since her sons are too busy to spend the day with her.
Good for Grace! And Happy Birthday to your sister! Too bad her sons can’t be with her.
Pear crisp yum!!
Happy birthday to your sis, sad but true, kids can be thoughtless sometimes ?
Happy Grace is doing well ?
Sounds like everybody is having a good Saturday. It’s hot hot hot here, too, so I’m going to stay indoors with the idiot dogs. The good news is they’ve finally started playing together! They run around the house together like a pair of brainless maniacs, it’s adorable. Unfortunately, they’ve also started wrestling on the only carpet in the house, which is an 8×10 handmade wool carpet from India at the foot of our bed that slides on the tile with sufficient provocation, even with one of those “stay-put” liners, and they had that thing so bunched up the other night I nearly broke my neck going in there in the dark! But we’re so glad they’re having fun together that, if need be, we’ll take up the carpet so it doesn’t get ruined. Happy doggies come first!
Otherwise, I’m sitting here drooling over maple bacon long johns. Good grief those sound wonderful! We may invent the unhealthiest food in the world in the U.S. (although I’d suggest that poutine is in definite competition), but by golly it’s delicious!
Otherwise, I’m just folding cranes and watching the Olympics. I’ve nearly filled a photo storage box (the kind you get at Michaels) with cranes, and I think probably have close to 400. But there’s still a long way to go to get to 1000! It’s actually quite relaxing when you get into it. Kind of a folding meditation, if that makes sense….
Have a great day and weekend, everybody!
I was always fascinated by origami, maybe I’ll put learning it on my list of to do for when I retire in the fall.
I learned some simple stuff when I was a kid, and the hardest one I learned was the crane. I’ve recently seen videos of some origami masterworks like dragons that require 16″x16″ sheets of paper and about 150 folds that only THE most expert artists could fold. Do a Google search for “difficult origami” some time if you want to see the amazing thing people are coming up with these days!
There’s also the soft form of origami, where the paper is crumpled a lot and thereby allowing for curved lines – there are very extreme forms, seemingly executed by math geniuses – fun to look at, sets my brain on tilt.
You’d have to have incredibly thin paper to do 150 folds!
I used to be into origami, never made 1,000 cranes on my own, but contributed to a class that was making 1,000 for a classmate with cancer. The smallest crane I ever made was with 1″ square foil paper. Still have it somewhere. I like to make the jumping frogs or rabbits with my students. Since you use index cards they are durable and you can have jumping contests (good for measurement practice and graphing–sneaky I am!)?
On the dragon, it looked like some of the folds were just guidelines for later, different folds — he’d make folds and then open the paper out again. I don’t know, the video of the guy making it was speeded up to about triple speed, I couldn’t really figure out what was going on. Except that the end product was terrifyingly complex!
I haven’t tried a teensy, teensy crane yet, but I just got a senbazuru pack of 1000 sheets (plus a few extra) from Amazon, and then discovered that, the Japanese being who they are, I could also buy a cute little clear plastic box that holds all 1000 sheets. The sheets are 7 cm/2.75 inches square, so they’re still pretty small. But they make the cutest little cranes!
I’ve never tried the jumping frogs or rabbits. Those sound fun!
Been a productive morning so far here! I got my hike on pretty early this morning so I already hit my 10,000 steps for the day – now I can lollygag around the rest of the day with a clean conscience. Then I hit the farmer’s market to get some nice veggies for lunch. Later this evening there’s an outdoor art event down by the Yellowstone River and the edge of the Rims (local sandstone cliffs) that I’ll head over to. No other plans for the day really, except trying to finish the last 400 pages of the most depressing book I’ve ever read (Atlas Shrugged). 😛 Happy Saturday ya’ll!
Where are you located, Puddleglum? It sounds beautiful!
And Atlas Shrugged is a ridiculous book. I think a lot of us read it as teenagers and think it makes sense; as we age, it becomes more and more ridiculous to believe that all the people who become so successful are of COURSE kind and benevolent towards the little people. But hey, it’s worth reading if for no other reason than to be able to say you’ve read it and reject its philosophy!
I’m in Billings, Montana and it is beautiful around here for sure! It’s been a beautiful summer since the forest fires haven’t been too terrible this year.
And yeah…I’m making myself finish the darn book just so I can say I read the whole thing (albeit skipping the preachy). It’s against my principles not to finish a book. I read the Fountainhead in seventh grade and liked it at the time. I kind of doubt I’d like it these days though.
Ooh, Billings is gorgeous! We had family friends who moved there, so we visited them several times. Actually, all of Montana is gorgeous. A trifle remote for my tastes, but really, really pretty!
Lily has spent the week bird watching from her kitty-castle so now I think she needs something to get up on by the sliding glass door too. It just never ends, does it 🙂
Like Gracie (yay Gracie!), Lily has tested negative for FIV/FeLV/heartworm and she’s all the way up to 3.4lbs! I’m beginning to think that she won’t end up being a tiny cat after all!
I have no weekend plans beyond staying off my knee even though we’re finally getting some nice warm weather. It’ll be bright enough today that maybe I can get some better quality photos of the Lilymonster in action…
CUTE! I’d like to snuggle that dear little nape.
Yes, the back would be better… then the teeth and claws can’t get you!
I’d chance it, Jan! She’s just so darn cute I wouldn’t be able to help myself! *smooch* on da leetle hed ?
She is SO adorable!
The eyes have it!
That little smudge on her nose is beyond cute!
BOOP! <3
I still can’t figure out what the smudge is. I showed up two weeks ago. It doesn’t wash off, so it isn’t dirt or oil or anything. If it’s something like a burn (it doesn’t feel like a scab), I have no idea where she could have gotten it, plus I would have expected it to be healed by now. I guess I’ll have to ask at the vet’s next time I get her nails trimmed.
Maybe she sneaks out at night and dances with the Chimney Sweeps? I wonder if it might just be delayed coloration as she matures. Maybe some more smudges will occur.
That’s what I was thinking. I know some animals develop spots later (Dalmatians come to mind). When I first met Stars at 2 weeks old, I thought she was solid gray. By the time she came home at 7 weeks, her tabby stripes were visible.
Hmm, Lily is now 13 weeks, and it didn’t show up until about 11-12 weeks.
hmm..
Yay for happy, healthy kittens! Glad Lily is doing great, she’s adorable!
And doesn’t she just know it!
Her lovely eyes! Her lovely eyes! 🙂
They say that by 3 months (which she is) their eyes should have stabilized, so I sure hope that they stay amber. They coordinate quite well with her calico patches! And for someone who’s faaabulouuuuusssss (Jim Carey Voice) coordination is essential!
Congrats to Lily and Grace on their clean bills of health.
I am still working on the kitchen. Countertops and sink went in yesterday and look fabulous. Still wrestling with dishwasher install–seriously, Frigidaire? You couldn’t make it any MORE difficult? All the hookups are done but I can’t get the stupid leveling feet to unscrew and do their jobs. Also have to do the sink plumbing. Maybe a nap first will improve my ability to follow directions.
Hang in there DEBG, you can do it, but a nap is maybe a good idea ?
Hotter than the hinges of h*ll here today. Even running simple errands is a chore. Blerg.
Last night watched Katie Ledecky SMOKING the competition in the 800m. Amazing!!
My achievement this morning was to realize that when you are trying to use the power drill as a screw driver you need to put it on the screwdriver setting. Otherwise it turns counterclockwise and just bounces the screw out of the wall. It took me roughly 45 minutes to figure that out. Good times.
Omg I feel your frustration cos that would totally be me!?
Saffron, I LOVE that expression! “Hotter than the hinges of hell”, wow, that’s excellent. I love folklore of all kinds, especially family or regional expressions like that. I guess it could be a quote as well – any idea where it comes from?
And, yes, Katie Ledecky was gobsmackingly fantastic.
Katy Ledecky was in her own race! 😀
Perseverance re drills; I know I am still getting to know my my drill….
and it is like a tropical rain forest up here, humidity wise in southern Ontario but ‘cold’ front (which cracks me up as it will just drop down to daytime 29 celsius…:D ) is moving in. Was watching the rain sheets and thunderstorms move through today; I am on the 17th floor facing north and watching close-by thunderstorms roll through is awe-inspiring, magical and yet compellingly calming.
I’m watching “The Olympic Zone” or whatever it is, and they were just talking about Phelps. Someone asked him who would win if he raced Ledecky, and he said he thinks he could take her in the 400 but she would probably “smoke” him in the 800. 🙂
Good honest man, as she could probably smoke him. I truly respect him and his new humbler post last 4 year self. He is getting more likable– and he is awe-inspiring in his swimming talents; fantastic and deserves all the glory.
I laugh every time they show his kid in the stands during the races. Phelps is always wearing those big headphones in between races, and the baby is always wearing his big ear covers to protect him from all the noise. Looks just like daddy! 🙂
I think we all need one of those today. 10:30 at night and it still “feels like” 93 (actual temp is 84).
I need one too, believe it or not… It was 88° this afternoon and is still 81° in my house at the moment (7:45pm), which is way too hot for me, I think I’d be melted in in a puddle on the floor if I had to cope with the kind of heat everyone else is having!
I don’t do well with extreme heat. My power went out for almost half an hour earlier and I had visions of me melting into my sheets trying to sleep if it didn’t come back on. (And of my fudge bars melting all over my freezer again.)
I don’t do well with it either. Luckily I’m halfway between a hospital and a prison (less than a mile as the sparrow flies from each) and my power never goes out for more than a couple of seconds!
That’s handy!
Very convenient!
When we lived in New Orleans, our next-door neighbor worked in the dispatch office for the power company. So even though other areas might be out for 2 or 3 days after a storm, we’d always have our power come back on within a few hours. Amazing, that. 😀
Very comfortable temps here today after several days of oppressive heat and humidity. I just signed up online for a beaded bracelet making class at the local community college. The class is in October. I don’t know…just sounded like a good fall activity and maybe I will make a new friend or two, in addition to the bracelets! The college usually offers some cooking classes in the winter so maybe I will take advantage of one of those; otherwise, I tend to become a hermit in the winter (outside of work)!
Melted mind wandering.
I keep cotton bags of whole oats in the deep freeze (like Magic Bags). In weather that causes me to wilt, I take one or two to bed with me. They tend to keep me cool enough to fall asleep. And if I wake up during the night, I can switch them for others.
Watching my favourite love bird again. He has started to rub his head against my fingers. Bird website says he is saying ‘I love you’. I was getting a drink of water later, and he hopped off my shoulder into the sink and started splashing under the running tap. We both got soaked, and loved it. Then he decided my shoulder was a good place to dry off.
Long Island, NY feels like temperature 102 F. I woke up at 10. Ate breakfast at 12. Now it is 2. I. Am. Going. Back. To. Sleep. With the ac and! The fan on.
Feels like 101 here. I do not plan to leave the house.
It is similar here near Philly. I sat down for a snooze and “Singin’ In The Rain” was just starting. I adore this move, especially the “Make ‘Em Laugh” number (which, sadly landed Donald O’Connor in the hospital suffering from exhaustion). And the woman who played Lena LaMont – whose name I can never keep in my head – is brilliant and from what I’ve read this was her only comic role – she was a serious stage actress.
How to make “Sugar Bombs”!
Yikes!
I’m making banana bread tonight. It’s either that or the ‘naners go in the trash…
I might add a little Special Dark cocoa powder…
Almost forgot…
Hey I’m talkin’ to you here!
As I understand it, cats only meow to people, they don’t use it to communicate to one another.
I’ve read that, too. Apparently they’re just manipulating us.
“Kittens meow to let their mother know they’re cold or hungry, but once they get a bit older, cats no longer meow to other cats. But they continue to meow to people throughout their lives, probably because meowing gets people to do what they want. ”
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/common-cat-behavior-issues/meowing-and-yowling
Lily doesn’t just meow to get me to do things, she uses super-duper mind control rays! (It’s the only explanation I can think of…)
Well, that, too.
Oh, man, I just love the expression on the right! And that’s one very cute cat!