Weekend Open Thread

“Hello, the management regrets to tell you that the Conversation Room isn’t quite ready yet. There was a bachelor party here last night and it’s still a bit of a mess. Feel free to converse here while we put out the fires and figure out how to get the cow out of the chandelier.”

By the way, if anyone wants fresh milk, we’ve got plenty.

It’s Penny, from Muppet2171!

You already voted!

45 thoughts on “Weekend Open Thread

  1. AJ June 23, 2018 / 8:48 am

    Interesting party! And cows are notoriously difficult to remove from anywhere. And to paraphrase a Ray Stevens song, “Roy, Roy … Just how did you get that cow in your room??”

    And pretty Penny can guard any of my doors anytime.

    Well I’m surviving my family reunion, two more days to go. We said our final good bye to mom on Thursday and had a beautiful day up in the mountains for it. My mom’s brother and his wife flew out and made some nice remarks and told family stories. It’s been good to see everyone but could do without some of the family drama. I guess all families have that to some extent.

    Today we’re having a pool party at our hotel with the youngest grand nieces and nephews along with their grandma (my sister-in-law) and grandpa (my brother) and some other assorted relatives. Can’t wait to see if we’ll get my brother into a swimsuit, lol. Then tomorrow after dropping off one niece and her son at the airport, who ever is left will be heading to a renaissance fair. And Monday, time to go home.

    I may need a vacation after this vacation, lol. Happy weekend everyone!!

  2. Nancy June 23, 2018 / 9:20 am

    Mike, that was udderly ridiculous!
    (You may expel me now) ?

    • debg June 23, 2018 / 1:33 pm

      Expel!?!?!? Hardly–we encourage punnery around here!

  3. Faye June 23, 2018 / 9:55 am

    Don’t have a cow, man.

    Such a luscious kitty.

  4. Muppet2171 June 23, 2018 / 10:02 am

    I like to tell her she makes a better door than window. She looks up at me like, ‘and your point?’ Then I remember she’s much easier to snuggle than a door, so I win.

    No cows tho…or chandeliers either, if it comes to that.

    Meanwhile, getting up the energy to do nothing today.

    • debg June 23, 2018 / 1:34 pm

      I too say that door/window thing to my cats. My brother once had a dog named Fenster, and I took immense pleasure in saying it to him! (Fenster = window in German)

      Penny is incredibly lovely. I could stare at her all day.

    • fkaWaldenPond June 23, 2018 / 5:39 pm

      Penny always brings a smile to my face; thank you Muppet!

  5. Gigi The cat lady June 23, 2018 / 10:15 am

    Muppet2171 your Penny is beautiful, I hope she guards your door for a long time.

    Sorry to be a downer but I had the results from the X-rays for my Penny and the cancer has indeed spread to her lungs and since the surgery to remove the tumour would not change the outcome and could even trigger the cancer to grow faster and the fact that she is at least 13 or 14 (she was a stay so we don’t know for sure) , we decided to not to put her through it.

    For now she doesn’t seem to be in any pain, she eats and drinks normally, the vet said maybe weeks possibly months. For sure I will not let suffer but for now I’m taking it one day at a time.

    • Sowmya June 23, 2018 / 10:29 am

      So sorry to hear that! I hope she continues to be happy and loving right up to the moment she chooses to check out. She knows she is so loved.

    • Nancy June 23, 2018 / 10:34 am

      My heart is crying for you Gigi. I lost my little Honey in January. Hard knowing what to do but yes, just love her & hug her as much as you can when you can. And let her love you back in her own special ways. Hugs to you both.

    • Ricky's Mom June 23, 2018 / 10:57 am

      Gigi, you must know I sympathize with all my heart. This is devastating news, and I’m so sorry for you. I am glad that your Penny is in no pain, and eating and drinking normally. I know you will give her all your love and the best of care. I know, too, only too well, how it never *feels* like enough. But nobody can do better than their best, and you are already doing that. I’m sure Penny knows she is loved and cared for.

    • 6puppers June 23, 2018 / 11:18 am

      I’m so sorry, we just got news that our dog Roo has mast cell cancer that has spread to the lymph nodes, so like Penny, there is no treatment. Also like Penny, she is acting pretty much normal so all we can do is love them as much as possible while they are still here. Hugs to you and Penny.

      • Patty June 23, 2018 / 11:41 am

        Hugs to you and Roo. Cancer sucks.

      • Murray C. June 23, 2018 / 1:20 pm

        Oh, no, I’m so saddened by this. It’s what we sign up for whenever we love a creature but it doesn’t make it any easier, does it.

      • debg June 23, 2018 / 1:37 pm

        6Puppers, hugs to you too. Roo is a lucky girl to have you for a hoomin.

      • Ricky's Mom June 23, 2018 / 2:37 pm

        Oh, no! Oh, 6Puppers, I’m so very, very sorry. Wishing you strength and comfort as you go through this. Roo is lucky to have you, I’m sure.

      • Faye June 23, 2018 / 4:38 pm

        ?

    • Patty June 23, 2018 / 11:31 am

      So sorry about this bad news. You are doing the best for Penny, loving her and getting her through this with the least suffering.

    • Maia June 23, 2018 / 12:41 pm

      Ditto what everyone else said, Gigi and 6Puppers. One of my cats had something similar, and all we can do is love them and keep them comfortable until the time comes. Which I know that you will. I am so sorry.
      Hugs to you.

    • Faye June 23, 2018 / 12:44 pm

      Soooo sorry. Never enough time.

    • debg June 23, 2018 / 1:36 pm

      Gigi, thanks for letting us know about your darling–I’m sure many of us were worried with you and now we share you grief. So very sorry about this news.

      FWIW, I think you’re doing the right thing. She’ll tell you when she’s no longer enjoying life. In the meantime, you get to shower her with all your love.

    • AB June 24, 2018 / 12:52 pm

      So sorry to hear about your tortie girl! I hope she has lots of good days and many naps in the sun left.

    • dubravkamcvmd June 24, 2018 / 1:07 pm

      GiGi and 6puppers, I’m so sorry. It seems like there’s a lot of heartbreak at Cutetropolis the last couple of weeks. Watching and waiting is very hard.

  6. Murray C. June 23, 2018 / 11:12 am

    Lovely Penny! And sad about your Penny, GiGi. Yet another heart break.

    I’m off to have a haircut – last time was just a trim and I NEED a major bit of work done. When my haircutter gave me the trim I was telling her about wombats and how they are getting mange and that Sleepy Burrows has a new medication that can cure it pretty quickly she told me no charge, just send it to Sleepy Burrows. So today I did just that along with a contribution of my own. I have Cutetropolis to thank for helping me learn about wombats and how special they are – and close to making the endangered list!

    Hoping to get some gardening done today despite a persistent drizzle – should be nice, actually.

    • debg June 23, 2018 / 1:39 pm

      Your hairdresser is a lovely person. Good on you for sharing the wombat love!

      Everybody who’s walked into my office this month has noticed my Cutetropolis calendar page and reacted with “awwww.”

  7. Patty June 23, 2018 / 12:08 pm

    I don’t have much planned this weekend. Last night was my oldest daughter’s birthday, so we went and had dinner with everyone. I am sure the restaurant was thrilled to hear “Table for 12, and a high chair, please” but they don’t take reservations.
    My husband’s friend and colleague passed away yesterday, not unexpectedly (from colon cancer), but he is still sad about it. I never met the man, but they had done a lot of work together the past few years, and he really liked the guy. Unfortunately, he has another friend and colleague that is going through pancreatic cancer right now, and his prognosis isn’t good.

    • Murray C. June 23, 2018 / 1:22 pm

      Oh, Patty, I’m so sorry for this! Hope Hubby is OK. Peers dying is tough.

    • debg June 23, 2018 / 1:42 pm

      So sorry for both of you–when we reach a certain age, we have to say goodbye to too many friends.

      How’s the weather been in Kansas? I miss many friends from my years there, but I do *not* miss the humidity!

      • Patty June 23, 2018 / 5:07 pm

        Last week was triple digit, high humidity, hot. This weekend it was in the high 70s and low 80s, thunderstormy. We need the rain, but the mud in my driveway, I could live without.

  8. Maia June 23, 2018 / 12:50 pm

    Mike, you made my day! thank you for the smile! Penny is a wonderful door-warden.

    I am continuing to settle in to my apartment, getting used to where the silverware drawer is now ( I still have “muscle memory” from the house) and organizing the closets. There are still some things that I haven’t quite figured out what to do with, but I’m getting there.

    Kitty will come over for another visit today- she is starting to come out from under the bed without howling as much. It’s progress!

    Tomorrow we will bring flower boxes from the house and I will plant flowers on the patio, so little by little, it is becoming “my space”.

    Happy weekend, all, and hugs to those who are heart-heavy. We are here for you.

    • Murray C. June 23, 2018 / 1:24 pm

      That’s all good news, Maia – good progress in making your new place a home.

    • debg June 23, 2018 / 1:40 pm

      Maia, I know what you mean about muscle memory! I once moved from an apartment into a different apartment in the same complex, and it was the mirror image of the first. The whole time I lived there, I kept reaching for things on the wrong side of the kitchen.

      Goood news about your kitkat. I’m sure things will feel more like home when you can have her there full time.

  9. debg June 23, 2018 / 1:46 pm

    Hi everybody! Hugs to those of you mourning–it’s been a rough week for Cutetropolitans.

    I’m taking a quick break from my repairs to sit down, gulp some water, and connect with the cute. I’ve been patching walls on the stairwell that got damaged when I replaced the risers and treads. Cutting plaster has left me coated in white dust. I look like somebody’s getting ready to deep-fry me–there’s good eatin’ on those Debgs!

    Things with my house situation should get settled within the next few weeks (I keep saying that, don’t I?). Can I beg everybody’s good vibes? Hopefully by next weekend, I can apply for a mortgage, and that’s when stuff will get really nerve-wracking.

  10. allein ? June 23, 2018 / 2:00 pm

    Hi, all. Big hugs to everyone and their fur babies.

    New vocabulary word (courtesy of someone in my work’s employee facebook group):

    incapussitated – when you are unable to get up because of a purring kitty in your lap

    —–

    On Wednesday, I went to test drive a new Hyundai, intending to get the pricing and then go home and discuss with my dad and maybe check other dealers’ prices and then make a decision. After I drove it, I was sitting with the sales guy and one of the finance guys came over and we were all chatting and he asked where I work…when I told him he jumped up and said “hang on, you might be eligible for something!” and came back with a new number that was even lower than the low end of Kelly Blue Book’s range of estimated prices I could expect to pay in my area this week. So I came home with a new toy.

    • Gigi The cat lady June 23, 2018 / 2:31 pm

      ???

    • Faye June 23, 2018 / 4:37 pm

      Oooo. Love the color! Big fan of Hyundai and Kia. My Kia Soul is the best car I have owned.

      Have fun.

    • debg June 23, 2018 / 4:42 pm

      Is that the Elantra? In Marine Blue? Same as my car! (though mine is now 2.5 years old)

      Congrats! I know you’ve been stressed about the car buying thing.

      • allein ? June 23, 2018 / 5:25 pm

        It is! It’s called Lakeside Blue. My previous one was a 2016 (which I got in July 2015) in Windy Sea Blue (according to the tag that was still on the spare set of keys). This one’s a little darker, which I like better. The interior is gray.

        It was easier than I thought it’d be once I got there (especially after I found out there was a discount from my workplace; took away my worry that I was spending more than I should).

        I laughed this morning when I saw the email from Discover telling me my balance was over the limit I set (I have it set to send me an email when it goes over $500, which most months happens a week or less before the statement closes on the 6th, if at all) because I put the down payment on my credit card. I still have about 1500 left before I hit my limit. I transferred money from my online savings account which takes a few days to complete (I checked yesterday but it wasn’t there yet), so once it’s in my checking account I can pay the bill. Also it added a whopping $21 to my insurance bill for this year, which I should be getting a renewal packet for soon, anyway.

    • fkaWaldenPond June 23, 2018 / 5:38 pm

      Cool!! New wheels really like the blue colour! Well done, Allein. 🙂

  11. Alice Shortcake June 24, 2018 / 4:31 am

    Last Thursday I undertook a task I’ve never performed before. I live on a street in which the front doors open directly onto the pavement, and thanks to the recent almost tropical weather the weeds growing inthe cracks between the wall and pavement edge have reached monstrous proportions. Since it’s obvious that many of my neighbours are quite happy to walk past weeds two feet tall growing within inches of their front doors and the street was beginning to look like a slum, I spent over an hour pulling every weed from my side of the street – the other side, which isn’t quite as bad, will have to wait until tomorrow.

    On a less back-breaking note, I’ve just got the results of my Ancestry.com DNA test:
    39% Great Britain (specifically Northern England/Midlands)
    33% Western Europe
    14% Scotland/Wales/Ireland
    10% Scandinavia
    2% Iberian Peninsula, 2% Finland/Northwest Russia (these are described as “Low Confidence Regions”).

    Oh, and being an Oscar Wilde fan I went to see “The Happy Prince”, written, directed by and starring Rupert Everett. It’s fairly harrowing stuff but by far the best of the four films based on Wilde’s life. I have to say, though, that whilst Lord Alfred Douglas had many faults, sporting a hairstyle that made him look like a spaniel wasn’t one of them!

    • Benvolio June 24, 2018 / 5:37 am

      I had my DNA tested years ago, and the results were nothing like what I expected! Were you surprised too?

      Now I’ll have to watch “The Happy Prince,” just to see Mr. Spaniel Hair.

      • Alice Shortcake June 24, 2018 / 7:01 am

        I didn’t really know what to expect from the DNA test. I can trace two branches of my family tree as far back as the 16th century, and as far as I know only one member of my family was born outside England – in Paisley, Scotland, to be precise. Inevitably quite a few lines couldn’t be traced beyond the 1840 census, but there were many German immigrants in 19th century Bradford and Leeds, which could account for the high percentage of Western European DNA. I differ quite significantly from the average tested UK resident (36.94% British, 21.59% Irish and 19.91% Western European, 9.20% Scandinavian, 3.05% Iberian Peninsula, and 1.98% Italy and Greece. So I’m slightly more British, much more Western European, much less Celtic and slightly more Scandinavian than average. I’ll bet quite a few people got the surprise of their lives when their results came in, though!

        Mr Spaniel Hair is played by Colin Morgan of “Merlin” fame. Seeing “The Happy Prince” filled me with a desire to visit France – one of my ambitions is to stay in the Paris hotel room in which Oscar died in 1900 – and avoid Clapham Junction Station at all costs…

        • dubravkamcvmd June 24, 2018 / 7:08 am

          Please explain the Clapham Junction Station reference.

          • Alice Shortcake June 24, 2018 / 7:23 am

            Your wish is my command! Wilde was transferred from the prison at Wandsworth to Reading Gaol, wearing prison uniform and handcuffed to a warder. From “De Profundis”:

            “Everything about my tragedy has been hideous, mean, repellent, lacking in style; our very dress makes us grotesque. We are the zanies of sorrow. We are clowns whose hearts are broken. We are specially designed to appeal to the sense of humour. On November 13th, 1895, I was brought down here from London. From two o’clock till half-past two on that day I had to stand on the centre platform of Clapham Junction in convict dress, and handcuffed, for the world to look at. I had been taken out of the hospital ward without a moment’s notice being given to me. Of all possible objects I was the most grotesque. When people saw me they laughed. Each train as it came up swelled the audience. Nothing could exceed their amusement. That was, of course, before they knew who I was. As soon as they had been informed they laughed still more. For half an hour I stood there in the grey November rain surrounded by a jeering mob…Well, now I am really beginning to feel more regret for the people who laughed than for myself. Of course when they saw me I was not on my pedestal, I was in the pillory. But it is a very unimaginative nature that only cares for people on their pedestals. A pedestal may be a very unreal thing. A pillory is a terrific reality.”

            • dubravkamcvmd June 24, 2018 / 11:21 am

              Thank you, and uh! It doesn’t seem like we’ve made much progress since.

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