Monday, May 11, 2009

Mostly Regarding Pee...(Sadly, But Hey, It's Only Monday)

Long day this one, just finally home and settled down. Let's see, what do we have for highlights?

Only TWO of the animals had to have calls to the vet made about them. Cabal seems to have cut his foot, and it had been a rather long day at the point we noticed and called the vet, and I might have sounded a LITTLE incredulous answering the question "How did he cut it?"

He's a DOG!!!!!!! Who knows???? He can't come back and TELL me about it...At any rate, it's very small, but looked like the sort of thing that might get infected, so we just cleaned it up and picked up the 'ol Clavenox.

And Madame Mim, the little furbutt, has been peeing all over the place. In front of me. When I am not there. I don't know what sets it off. The first time we had re-arranged the living room, and she shot the chamber settee, well, I can understand THAT, I mean, it had MOVED, who wouldn't want to pee on it? Then it was on the counter wall while I was fixing her breakfast. OK, she might have been excited.

But this is getting too much, I don't want a cat pee smelling house. So, tonight she stays in the bathroom, with a box of Special Vet Litter, and tomorrow, I take this Special Litter to the vet, and we see if something is wrong. If not, we work from there. I know she wants OUT, so perhaps the new porch, which is coming, will help with that. And more evening walks.

And the STINK I could not find in Magic's seems to have come from him peeing UNDER his litter box. We shall draw a curtain over that hour with Anti-icky-poo.

Ah well, got a lot done. All the fruit trees are in bloom, and the bees are finding them, We'll have Bee Up dates in a couple of days. Boss is coming home tomorrow, no doubt a very tired one, I have a weird corporate gig tomorrow night with Paul (dress is "Business Casual" Anyone have a clue?) I have a fresh bed made up in the SunRoom (No One is getting any sleep tonight upstairs tonight with Mim locked in the bathroom, trust me!)

And I think I just fell asleep sitting up here on my Floor, in front of the computer,

So,

Love and Goodnight,
Lorraine

149 Comments:

At 22:46 Blogger AletaMay said...

Peeing under the litter box seems to be a rather complex skill!

At 22:48 Blogger AletaMay said...

And also...

The blooming trees are so wonderful. I got out of my car in front of the house this evening and the lilac smell just washed over me. Smells way better than cat pee! And looks better too!

At 23:01 Blogger vampi said...

mmm lilac is beautiful.

sorry about the pee. you seem to have a remarkable patience with it. i thin i might have lost it a little bit.

i'm off to finish making dinner and then to curl up in bed and hope my uterus dies.

At 23:10 Blogger Fluffy said...

Pets. Gotta love em. Well, it's not actually mandatory when they've been peeing (or worse) all over the place. I think you're allowed to be all "Mommy needs some quiet time" then. Like when you have a toddler. Or a teenager (or a really stroppy uterus.)

We have flowers and bees, too. I had lots of spirea bushes planted last summer and didn't realize until this week they're bee magnets. Cool. I scared a huge, shiny bumblebee today when I was weeding in the larkspur patch. He just hovered in front of me for the longest time like he was confused.

Had lots of hummingbird activity as well. I have four feeders up and they're all fought over. We planted lots more salvia gregii (autumn/cherry sage) last year and the hummers are definitely loving them. The nectar must taste better than the plants smell - kind of skunky. bleh.

Got to go to bed. Nights, all!

At 23:11 Blogger Maure said...

I think that "biz casz" doesn't apply to you, if you are The Band. I mean, you're meant to transport those poor corporate souls out of a sense of anything with the word "business" attached to it.

To be a little more helpful, though -- the bands I work with, when doing corporate stuff, generally tone things down (no leather pants, they actually wear shirts of some kind, etc.) a little bit. My jazz combo friends wear button-down shirts and jackets, but then, they're jazz nerds, they *like* wearing suits.

At 23:13 Blogger Unknown said...

So sorry about all the pee-ick! Business casual, do you have any khaki-like pants? Something like that, with a non t-shirt shirt that isn't masively low cut. Thinking of you and the fiends.
/relurk

At 23:14 Blogger Dragonsally said...

Oh noes. Cat pee is one awful smell, and I know from experience the fun it is cleaning it. Aleta is right, peeing under the litter box is a special talent.
Lilac! I love the smell.

At 23:15 Blogger Dragonsally said...

Oh drat. Ticky boxy

At 23:22 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Magic IS very talented. Just went in to give him a snack and he hadn't peed anywhere, in over an hour!

Vampi, been there...

Thanks Maure! No worries on the leather pants, few sizes to go. I think I'll do ME, but of the cleaner sort..

Khakki? No. Does it come in black?

Venus just came in to tell me OH NO MIM IS LOCKED IN THE BATHROOM!!!!!!!! Not sure if she is happy about this, or worried. COuld be a long night.

I am in that stage where I am in my bed thinking I'M IN BED I'M IN BED I'M IN BED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The BEST feeling this tired. With new sheets.

At 23:26 Blogger Dragonsally said...

I wonder should you use earplugs tonight Lorraine, so you can get some sleep.

At 23:29 Blogger Fluffy said...

Hurrah! Bed for me, too. And business casual - pants a bit nicer than jeans (black khakis!!) and a shirt nicer than a SplatterCon!!!!! t-shirt. Maybe a nice, dressy WalMart t-shirt in black! They're my favorites. All cotton, good knit.

If you really want to go all out, a button-up black shirt with a COLLAR. Woo!

And no flip-flops (unless you have a killer pedicure!)

At 23:38 Blogger Na said...

i don't think i know what lilac smells like. salvia greggi, i agree, skunky, but soooo pretty and hardy.

i am familiar with that kitty-pee-under-the-litter-box smell. argh. and poor Mim. hope she calms down and is well.

Sally, i read that article. you are going to be the expert on so many names o' things! great fods.

quick, where's ariandalen? there's a Nadine in here and she's getting away. ;)

At 23:48 Blogger Na said...

hmmm, business casual. i think it can be loosely interpreted as neat and clean, more or less covered up. plenty of room for creative thinking.

hope you get a good night's rest, Q, and all.

the guy is watching "Mantracker". it's making me tense.

At 23:50 Blogger Ticia said...

((Sally)) I'm sorry. Why can't they ever tell you you can't eat the disgusting stuff?

I'm off to bed now. Sweet dreams to everyone.

At 23:51 Blogger Ticia said...

d'oh.

At 00:02 Blogger ariandalen said...

{{{{Gayle}}}} Things will work out.

Go, Beez. Good thing you left before things got worse.

So sorry about the urine. :(
Cabals. You just can't let them out of your sight.
::sigh::

Hi, Maure and Nadine! Glad you could join us! Don't be shy about commenting. Be sure and choose a nice jacket with buckles up the back. We have lots of things you can use to personalize your jacket. :)

::sniff::
::sniff Sniff SNIFF::
Mmmmmmmm.
SPICY!


MWAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!

At 00:06 Blogger Dragonsally said...

There you are ariandalen!

At 00:08 Blogger Bridget said...

Good luck with that sleep thing, what with Mim in the bathroom. Ford was in "Holy Terror" mode earlier, but has been pacified by some light jazz and is now napping with his head resting on a stack of DVDs.

I'm also extremely impressed by the peeing under the litter box. That's... special.

It reminds me of when Tiger used to poop on the bathroom floor, pull down a towel off the towel rack (?), carefully wrap it around the poop (!), and then pull a bit of the towel over top of it to cover it, like a little nest (!!). It was all very deliberate, but we never did figure out what it really meant. He hasn't done it since we moved.

I love cat communication. Not a bit subtle, and yet still often indecipherable.

At 00:15 Anonymous kali_licious said...

Yikes that's a lot of peeing going on! I wonder how he got it under the box??

(((Gayle)))

Beez, I was right there with you before I got laid off. I think it was for the best, burnout like that is a bad thing.

And Sally, I'm SO sorry..I second what Ticia said.

At 00:17 Blogger Dragonsally said...

Don't be sorry everyone...hopefully this will see a huge improvement in my health. Not hopefully, it WILL.

At 00:17 Blogger vampi said...

oh beez *hugs*

night fiends sweet dreams to all

At 00:19 Blogger ariandalen said...

Yep. There I am, but here I go


to bed as I'm falling asleep at the keyboard.

Unfortunately, Michigan isn't the only state with. . .lazy animal owners. Seventy-eight Great Pyrenees, King Charles Cavalier Spaniels, and rat terriers were confiscated last Friday. There were also goats, and at least one pony at the same property that were not confiscated. It gets worse, but I'll spare you. Most, if not all, of the dogs are going to a rescue group in Houston. None of the 78 had to be euthanized, though for some it will be a long road to trusting humans.

::SIGH::

Night, Fiends.

At 00:30 Blogger spacedlaw said...

Sounds like Mimsy could be having a urinary infection. No good.

I was so sorry to read so many bad news this morning. Mistreated kitties. Gayle getting the lodging boot, Beez quitting just before murder was committed (well that is a good news but not having a job in this period really sucks) and Sally being fructose intolerant.
Round of hugs to everyone (a special one for Gayle).

I hope you are getting big money from the corporate gig, Lorraine. It should be slightly better than the country club one but you'd have to work hard to get the public interested.

At 01:19 Blogger spacedlaw said...

The perfect Monday picture (even if it is Tuesday already and it doesn't feel like it's going to be a good one)

At 03:06 Blogger Marjorie said...

{{{Gayle}}} just saw the comments on the last thread. Made be wish I was closer so I could offer to come help you move your stuff. I agreee with what Phiala (I think) said - your landlord has shot himself in the foot by not being willing to work with you, and I am sure you will be able to get another lease. You said you do have somewhere to stay meanwhile?

{{Beez}} {{Sally}} So glad murder was averted,that's always so messy. I didn't know people could even be fructose intolerant; the checking eveything (and no hony) will be a bind, but at elast you should feel much better, so ther's some win in there.

I don't now what to say about cat-pee, except that peeing under the box is quite a talent! Does Magic still have plastic covering his floor?

Scritches and petting to all ouchy pets.

Busines Casual. . I agree, wouldn't think the dress code appies to the band, but if it did, I would guess it means don't have to wear a suit, but do wear something smart - e.g. (plainish)skirt or trousers and shirt or blouse.

At 06:01 Blogger Phiala said...

Good morning! I'm sure today will be superior to yesterday, no matter what Nathalie thinks!

Morgan used to pee under his litterbox. Makes quite a stinky mess. In his case, it was accident rather than intent, and switching to a box with higher sides took care of the problem. He likes to stand up tall when peeing, so it would go over the top edge of the box, down the wall, and puddle underneath. The current box is one of those high-sided plastic storage containers, with one end cut out for easy entry. (No lid!)

At 06:22 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Was all this a rather sinister Mother's Day gift from your kitties?

At 06:40 Blogger spacedlaw said...

'tis a most painful day.
I even managed to write creepy mermaid poetry.
Never mind me while I crawl back under my rock...

At 07:02 Blogger ivenotime said...

hmm, perhaps our pets are communicating telepathically via pee. Our cat peed the bathroom mat (why THAT i ask, its bulky and hard to wash), Rocket peed the carpet while looking at me last night, and Buster decided to decorate the dining room, living room and hallway with the longest train of pee i have ever seen yesterday afternoon. yuch. hope cabals foot is better, out of curiosity, how much does he weigh? buster is 92 lbs, and simply huge, wonder how he compares to a german shephard.

on a different note- saw star trek!!! great fun and a great film, really enjoyed it!! fun time, and now the family is split- hub left this a.m., one twin leaves wed. so fun when we are all together. hope all have a great tues!

At 07:49 Blogger Erin Underwood said...

Yeah for creepy mermaid poetry!

At 07:52 Blogger Erin Underwood said...

Q, I have no idea how to help with P issues. It sounds like a nightmare. I hope it all gets sorted soon. Miss Mim must be upset about something or not feeling well.

As for biz caz, go black. That's what I do. Black pants and a dress shirt of some kind. Just no jeans and no t-shirt and no sneakers.

At 08:11 Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wear whatever you want, but if you are playing to biz casual then just think about how you'd like to dress to play for a room of Dilberts. Bet you one cat pee that I've forecast the look of that room right.

At 08:16 Blogger spacedlaw said...

That's probably a good guess...

At 08:35 Blogger One Sock Short said...

Cabal seems mighty eager to keep going back to the vet. Are they giving him even better treats than you and Boss give him? Or maybe post-hypnotic suggestions to visit the vet early and often? Hope he learns to resit these temptations soon ;) Hope the other (stinky) pet problems work out well for all concerned too.

Hugs to Gayle. To reinforce what others have said - this is not a personal failure. I'm inclined to think it won't follow you for long either, with so many in similar boats right now. If people didn't know before, they surely know now - it could happen to anyone, no matter how hard they have worked to avoid it. Glad you have a place to go for now to collect yourself.

Hugs to Beez. I have been there. Sounds like you made the right decision.

Hugs to Sally. I have no idea how I would deal with those restrictions, but I hope you feel better soon. And discover many new favorite things you can eat.

My memory fails me now, so hugs all around...

At 08:41 Blogger gaypet said...

Morning fiendom! Thank you all so much for the encouragement! I feel better today. Learning to deal with the task at hand. Hard lesson for the likes of me.

Business casual in all black is a great idea. This article has a definition from the NY Times that tells what is expected:

Business CasualIn other words; exactly the kind of clothes I don't have.

I hope you all are having a great morning.

Now, more coffee!

At 08:49 Blogger Jane said...

Sally - so sorry to hear about your fructose intolerance. Hope feeling better will make up for the restricted diet.

We invented business casual in the South (we think). Khakis and a polo shirt are it. Not in my closet, either :-) But surely that doesn't mean the band?

Cat pee - always a problem if it's not in the box. Calvin pees in the bathtub on occasion, usually right before the litter box is cleaned...

At 09:05 Blogger Na said...

I know it's not the biggest compliment to a band, but I'd guess you'll have a more appreciative audience at a corporate gig vs country club; my experience is that the entertainment at those things is fod-awful, so they may be extra-appreciative to hear something enjoyable for a change. You may transform a captive audience into a captivated audience.

On with the Tuesday. Today I enter single-parent mode for the rest of the week. Bleh.

At 09:07 Blogger gaypet said...

Sally, I am glad that you have such a positive attitude about the new diet! I wish you good luck and good health!

Beez, whatever will you do if not working 24/7? ;) Sleep or something? I hope you enjoy the new schedule.

It is no fun when you walk into your house and think, "OK. NOW what! Where are peeing this time?" But when they stop and look at you and pee? The good thing is that when dogs do that they respond well to "AHHHH STOP!" Cats, in my experience, just keep peeing. And giving a disdainful look.

A live in housekeeper. That's what we need. Tough to write the job description: Are you a self motivated pee cleaner? Then this job is for you!

At 09:08 Blogger Dan Guy said...

There are still not enough hours in the day. I thought I'd found enough, but then Olga spun a three design job into a twelve design job. It huuuuuuuurts..... But the new NeverWear site is going to be amazing. *sigh*

At 09:09 Blogger dabbler said...

Dearest fiends...thank you! I have been stuck thoroughly in cranky pants mode for the last couple of days. Really stuck. Every first reaction negative, even to nice things.

BUT you have made me feel so much better. No one is peeing on my floor. I'm not being evicted, haven't lost/quit my job (tho there have been some moments...)can eat fructose and honey, even if not wheat, and don't have to dress in business casual.

Much better now, so you can all stop suffering to make me feel better! ((It's ALL about me, isn't it? :-) ))

And DS is safely on the ground in Turkey after three flights and about 24 hours, so I can stop being anxious about plane crashes...

Hugs to all.

At 09:11 Blogger dabbler said...

And Fablo, did you ever get paid for that dreadful country club gig?

At 09:21 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Mistress, that may be the answer, maybee he wants higher sides. He has the tub, two in fact, but they are short. I will try that one, cutting out a biggie.

Merry Housekeeper has been a self motivated Pee Cleaner for years, kind of her personal vendetta. But you can't have her.

Well, Dan, just perfect that stretchy time.

The gig IS at the Water Street Inn, in the Pub, pays big $$ and the person who hired us, did so as she had seen us, and it is just a cocktail party, so I am not too worried.

Got woke up pretty early by the Venus Breakfast Patrol, and the Re-cycling Olympics. Just when I thought all was calm for my morning e-mail, a CEMENT MIXER pulls up and starts, well, backing up and mixing. Not tranquil.

Have not visited poor Mim yet, waiting for a good chance off pee and poo in the Special Litter.

After I have another cup of tea, I shall no doubt ponder WHY there is a cement mixer outside my house.

At 09:22 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Oh, my Yes, we did get paid for that. I guess I'd do it again, the $$ were so good, but I would know what it was this time.

At 09:23 Blogger One Sock Short said...

Yellow...

At 09:45 Blogger DataGoddess said...

Hmmm, why would there be a cement mixer in front of your house? Did the bengals order it to hide the body??

Okay, I'm in a silly mood today. What can I say?

At 09:46 Blogger One Sock Short said...

Do you have your towel?

At 10:04 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Forget the cement mixers. (Yes, plural now) They can wait.

MADAME MIM has locked herself in the bathroom.

Not kidding. No safety catch in the knob, no hinges on the outside. I didn't even know it HAD a lock!!!!!!

Hans and Merry Housekeeper on the way.

At 10:07 Blogger Bridget said...

*sigh*

Cats.

At 10:09 Blogger One Sock Short said...

Oh noes!!!

Is it the kind of bathroom lock with the small hole in the middle of the outside knob? Those are usually easy to pick with an unbent paperclip.

At 10:11 Blogger vampi said...

i imagine she is sayng "haha that'll learn you not to lock ME in the bathrool, muhahahahaha!"


ha.

At 10:17 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Not CATS Bridget. BENGALS. Fairly typical really.

Door solid. No small handy hole in lock. Nothing. Tried breaking it down.

At 10:20 Blogger Jess said...

Free Mim! Free Mim! Free Mim!

*protest marches*

Sock, I thought Towel Day was May 25th.

Oh, Gayle, that's rotten. :( But what everyone else said: it's unlikely to mean you're blacklisted. Look ahead, and keep a paper trail so you can defend your side of things if need be. Most important thinng is that you have a place to go already lined up, which is good.

Biz Casual is easy: Dockers, polo shirt, boat shoes. And a badge reading "Hi! My Name is Lorraine (Entertainment Div.)!"

But I cannot fathom the mystery of the cement mixer, Q. If you're very lucky, maybe a secret admirer went and bought you a new driveway! As everyone knows, there's no way to say I Love You like freshly poured concrete.

At 10:22 Blogger Jess said...

What sort of doorknob is it, Q? Is it an older one? My bathroom doorknob sticks like that occasionally, and refuses to turn when it gets humid-- usually it just takes some wiggling to get it going again. Which may or may not be helpful.

At 10:24 Blogger spacedlaw said...

Now that is one clever (and most likely pissed-off) kitty!
Good for you that you have more than one bathroom in your house though...

At 10:24 Blogger Jess said...

box of ticks

At 10:28 Blogger xxxxx said...

Business casual means that every guy in your audience will be wearing a polo shirt and "not jeans".

At 11:03 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Mim is Out!!!!!!!!! Butterknife. Merryhousekeeper rules.

She has to stay there tho. She peed in the plant, not special litter. Took the plants out, feeling stupid, OF COURSE she would do it in the plants.

Sigh.

Hi XXXX welcome, and thank you! Solved that problem. Turns out my dress pants and nice shirt now fit. 5 weeks of the new Plan (Eat less, move more) seems to be WORKING!!!!!!!!

Who knew??????

At 11:07 Blogger One Sock Short said...

Woot! Hooray for unlocked doors! Hooray for FIT!

At 11:16 Blogger Bridget said...

Ah, yes, the butterknife thing. Go, Merry Housekeeper!

*sigh*

Bengals.

;)

At 11:20 Blogger Marjorie said...

Huzzah again for Merry.

Dabler - where in Turkey has DS gone? (My sister & BoL are living out there at present) Lovely country in so many ways

At 11:20 Blogger Marjorie said...

Going home to watch Blue Peter, now.

At 11:26 Blogger hope said...

Lorraine, HURRAY for clothes fitting! I have been on the Anxiety Regimen, which involves sentient glass shards in my gut which only want me to eat a little bit, in the company of other people. And walking and walking to get calm enough to sleep at night. And yet, it's fun to put on clothes that didn't fit in February and are now a little loose.

Gayle, so very sorry about the Stupid Landlord. We hates them, we do.

Beez, you are so wise to know when you have hit the wall! I did not know that I had hit the wall on volunteering at the front desk of my local no-kill shelter until I vaulted over the counter at a guy who was notorious for re-selling pets to testing labs. Going for somebody's throat, even if it is an evil person's throat, is bad for business.

dragonsally, I hope your health gets better quickly! I know someone with celiac disease who was overjoyed when she was finally diagnosed and could LIVE again.

ivenotime--Yikes! Peefest 09!

At 11:31 Anonymous Fast351sgrl said...

Nature's Miracle - that's what you need for cleaning up pet pee. It was recommended to us when we got a puppy, and it really seemed to work well.

You can get it at most pet stores, and I think they make a special formual just for cats.

At 12:03 Blogger AletaMay said...

Wow! Sounds like an exciting morning at the Spooky House! Very glad to hear that the door got opened without major destruction!

Sally, glad to hear that you are feeling good about knowing what the problem is and being able to move forward. Still sorry the problem is there at all. Silly bodies.

At 13:30 Blogger spacedlaw said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

At 13:34 Blogger spacedlaw said...

Once more, with vigour (and no typos).
All together now:
"Thank heavens, for butter knives...
For butter knives, do their job everyday...
Thank heavens, for butter knives...
They will free cats, in the most delightful way..."
(sang with Maurice Chevalier's accent)

(And thanks Fod for Merryhousekeeper, the wondrous)

At 15:19 Blogger Ani said...

:(( I have to do the pee-check every morning in the living room, thanks to my dog. Occasionally it's a UTI, other times, it is just old age & me not getting up at 4am to let her out.

This would be why I no longer have carpet.

I have practically invested in the enzymatic cleaner stuff by now, like Nature's Miracle. It does work!

At 15:30 Blogger ariandalen said...

Well. . . at least you didn't have to use an axe on the door. ::sigh::

Tangwyn doesn't pee all over the place when he's upset. He pukes all over the place, including eating things, like lint, so that he'll throw up. He's twelve. Always nice to find with bare feet. At least the carpet is limited to the upstairs bedroom, office, and stairs.

Hi, xxxx and Fast351sgrl! Anonymous, tell us who you are! :)
You all know you want to personalize your lovely jackets. :)

::SSSSSSNNNNNNIIIIIIFFFFFFFFFFFF::
Ahhhhhhhh
SPICY!


MWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAHA!

At 15:35 Blogger Na said...

i am amused by a pizza commercial showing these days; a dad & teen daughter. he asks if she's going out with "that vampire" again. "Dad, he's not a vampire. He's Goth. There's a difference."
(The pizza is heavy with garlic, you can probably guess the rest.)

At 15:47 Blogger EmilyLady said...

Tsk, tsk. Good luck with the urinary issue. Are you feeling well today?

At 16:46 Blogger gaypet said...

My goodness! Door locking excitement. Glad it has been resolved.

Oh, hope. I like you. :) I mean, I'm sure going for his throat was wrong and all but...

At 16:48 Blogger gaypet said...

Nice rendition Nathalie! And of course I did hear it with the accent.

At 17:04 Blogger Dragonsally said...

Ah Fiends, you make my morning so light with drama and humour and poetry and tales of clever Bengal locking skills.
Thank you all for words of support, I love this place (and FB)

At 17:09 Blogger Siri said...

Ok - just finished reading the pose and comments, and for some strange reason I have to go to the bathroom....

Not in the plant

At 17:28 Blogger Dragonsally said...

well, if the pot contained a lemon tree, it would't be too bad Siri

At 17:31 Blogger Fluffy said...

1.Nothing says I love you like freshly poured concrete!
2.Going for somebody's throat, even if it's an evil person's throat, is bad for business.
3.Room full of Dilberts.
4.Breaking and entering with a butter knife.
5.It huuuurts.

I lurve you guys. I'm leaving some out, I know, because I read more than five out loud to the offspring, who was good-natured about pausing NCIS to listen. She says good for you, Hope, going for that guy's throat!

Oh, and 'stuck in cranky pants mode.' You fiends rock.

At 17:44 Blogger gaypet said...

I have cranky pants AND fussy britches. 'Cause you can only do laundry so often.

At 18:22 Blogger vampi said...

Gayle, that made me laugh i almost peed my pants and britches. (bringing it all together with that one)

I can't wait to see the "he's not a vampire, he's a goth"" pizza commercial. sounds funny.

At 18:43 Blogger EmilyLady said...

Fluffy, did you get the e-mail I sent you a while ago?

At 18:57 Blogger Na said...

Gayle -- *snort*

Vampi, I'll pay attention to the brand next time. :)

At 19:46 Blogger Chantrelle said...

I haven't had any time to catch up on comments here!

Pee, cats locking doors, merries unlocking them, craziness!

I've been able to keep up a little more with twitter since I can do that on my phone.

Finally got the Tori summer tour dates. I was hoping to do a hop to see her in Chicago and Minneapolis but the Mpls show is on Ben's bday. :( I'll do the local Oakland show and then probably Phoenix. The last time I saw her was 2 wks after we lost the baby and it was an incredibly cathartic, healing tour for me. (4 shows, bawled through all of them). This time I hope it's much happier!!

Looks like boss is on his way home, twittering away in the car.

I'm off to figure out dinner and then practice hula hooping! Trying to learn fancy tricks so I can help my sister sell them (she makes custom hoops) :D

At 21:13 Blogger dabbler said...

Marjorie, Zach is in Turkey for three weeks on a course looking at the geology and cultural influences of the country. 15 students and two profs from Allegheny College in PA. I'm so envious...sounds like a great trip. How come I paid for it and he's going and not me... (There's those cranky pants again) I remembered that some fiend had family there, but not who.

At 22:32 Anonymous Kate said...

Did I miss the explanation for the multiple cement mixers? So curious...

I too had stock in Nature's Miracle when the cats still stalked the house and before they left us for the eternal cat scratching post. Good stuff, Maynard.

Daughters are in high homework anxiety. Freshman has finally hit the wall of all honors classes and two shows (one at school, one at a small non-Equity theatre). One of the twins is the Princess of Impatience and the Marchioness of Attentional Challenges - she's not digging the current project, first installment due tomorrow - with pieces in many different places (thumb drives, school computers, the Mac in the kitchen). It's a major tear-fest. Must go calm the waters in the kitchen, but thought I'd say goodnight to all, hoping for a lovely (if less adventurous) day tomorrow for the FabLo. Now that the Boss is home there is so much that has happened... bees, the organ, Cabal and his penchant for the vet's. And cement mixers?

At 00:47 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kate, there were four outside my house at 9 this morning. Fod help them if they come back, Mim is out, and will go for their throats!!!!!!!!

See? Justified...Save it for the big things tho, no point in it for love, plenty of that around. (Hang with us, Hope, ok?)

Home, peace and quite, now that five Bengals have been fed, and Mim let out. No Pee. Sigh. She can't spend another night there tho, not fair.

I suppose I ought do an entire post, but after this day, and gig, and visiting Boss and tending cretters, the words aren't here. Tomorrow, perhaps in the morning.

WHo can say what will happen?

Oh, ggod gig. Got paid. Nice enough people, not there for a show, so we just played. Until the last song, then we PLAYED.

A little U2. Works every time.

At 00:50 Blogger Ticia said...

Welcome home Q.

At 00:52 Blogger Dragonsally said...

And Boss has told everyone that you've lost weight!

Very glad there was no cat pee waiting for your attention when you got home.

At 01:11 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Yes, he did mention that. Mentioned it to me in fact. Many times. KNEW this foolproof plan was the magic answer!

I didn't mention it yet as having announced my intentions I thought I should back it up with with something, and was waiting for 20 pounds.

I'm at 18 lost now.

Full story tomorrow.

At 01:17 Blogger Dragonsally said...

Holy Fods, Q that is fantastic!

At 04:21 Blogger Marjorie said...

Most impressive, Q. Glad the gig was a success as well, and looking forward to th post when you have time for it.

At 08:00 Blogger ivenotime said...

Yey Q congrats! glad your gig went well! hope mim behaved herself!

At 08:21 Anonymous Kate said...

So glad the gig went well. Many major kudos on the loss of a stone and a bit!

Cement trucks, beware! Hope your day is Fabulous.

At 08:31 Blogger One Sock Short said...

Congrats on the FIT, Lorraine!

Missed our on a lot of fiend chatter last night, I see. But I had a great visit with nearest and dearest friend. One evening is too short, but it was a good one, full of talking about real things.

She did not think my plans to join the Fiend Fest were crazy. That's a bit alarming. If I'm to do something out-of-character before I turn 40, how can I possibly top coming to Fiend Fest? ;-) But she, of all people, can understand my reasoning. The whole "I was born middle-aged. When will I ever do something fun and impulsive?"

Best of days/nights everyone!

At 09:32 Blogger Jane said...

18 pounds! Marvelous! Losing weight is so much harder than gaining, but is so rewarding when you get there. And in the process, you prove to yourself that yes, you can do what you set out to do.

At 10:28 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Morning Fiends,

well no cement mixers. Chainsaw. What the heck is UP with this neighborhood and why aren't I in on it???

But it's good as it is late, and Boss of course is up, and YE FODS the e-mail! I wonder if people know he is back???????

Could have slept longer, I am sure of it.

But I will do a new post today. And never eat turnips again. Or Something.

At 11:04 Blogger Jess said...

Woot! Well done on the fit, Q! \o/ Glad you rocked the suits last night as well.

There's all kinds of whacko noise around here this morning, too. I keep hearing chainsaws, rumblings, bangings. And there was a five-second power cut for no reason which made me lose something I'd just started working on. Grr.

But now there's a question: what on earth are turnips for? I've got three turnips from November in the bottom of my fridge (which are absolutely fine, a little dehydrated, maybe, but perfectly Turnipy apart from that), and still don't know what to do with them. Everything I read about turnips says they've a million-and-one uses, before going on to give me another mashed-turnip recipe. I don't want mashed turnips. It's May, for heaven's sake! You don't mash turnips in May. Everyone knows that.

The point being, People, if you were going to eat a turnip, what would you do with it? (And don't say mash.)

At 11:08 Blogger hope said...

EIGHTEEN POUNDS!!!!!!! Yay, hurray, and happy dance (fast Charleston and a few lindy hop basics) to you, Lorraine!!!!!

Kate, hope the daughters are doing ok and managing the homework. I'm impressed with them being able to budget their time. I couldn't do it in high school, or college, and am not so great at it now, 30 years later.

House sale is hung up at the loan peoples--their queue is suddenly longer than they had anticipated, aaarrgh. This has been the slowest month of my living life.

At 11:09 Blogger Phiala said...

MMMmmmm... turnips!

Slice them, toss in olive oil. Add lots of garlic. Add sliced carrots if you have any. Put in the oven for a while, until tender (30-45 min). (Do remember to turn the oven on. 350F would be good.)

Or how about the yummy and excellently-named Armored Turnips??

Okay, lunchtime. I'm hungry now! And leftover Singapore noodles- yum.

At 11:24 Blogger Jess said...

Mmm. Medieval Cheesy Turnips.

At 11:26 Blogger Hellie said...

That's excellent FIT progress! Mine has all gone pear shaped(!), horrible PMT has made me go to bed with headache and then bake saffron bread. It is good though :o)

No idea about turnip, I do only ever mash it!! Too hard to hollow out and bake other veg and rice inside, like you can with squash?

Well the same spot of pavement just outside our flat is being dug up for the third time in as many months. Another road related mystery!

At 11:38 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

Turnips are like beets, aubergine, and zuccini. If you don't get them SMALL they are horrid.

At 11:43 Blogger Jess said...

Crap. The ones I've got are big. This may call for extra cheese. Guess I can forget about fit.

At 11:43 Blogger spacedlaw said...

You could do this with turnips. No mashing involved.

At 11:45 Blogger Hellie said...

They have to be in season too, otherwise they are rock solid as well!

Have asparagus for my tea - it's the English season, it tastes so much better than any imported stuff we get. It's my favourite veg so trying to eat is as much as possible as the season is only 8 weeks long!!

At 11:50 Blogger Phiala said...

Jess, they'll be fine. Just cook thoroughly so they aren't tough. Not a problem at all.

At 11:56 Blogger Jess said...

Nathalie, cor. Blimey. Phoowar.

Who knew there were Turnip Options? Yay. You guys rock.

At 12:01 Blogger vampi said...

i am unfamiliar with turnips and parsnips. they are things i read about, but have never seen or tried. i believe they live on my mothers list of things she didn't like as a child and wouldn't touch as an adult. eggplant was on that list. i had tried eggplant as a child and hated it. i tried it as a young adult and hated it, tried it about 2 years ago, loved it.

At 12:31 Blogger One Sock Short said...

I second (third?) the roasting suggestion. That works great for just about any root vegetable. Also fantastic for cauliflower. For turnips, just a little drizzle of maple syrup would help counteract any bitterness they might have from being over-large.

At 12:43 Blogger Kitty Cat said...

this post is particularly painful to read,
knowing how hard you already tackle your day without extra bonus problems...
LOVE the Cabal comeback.
your vet is nice enough to let the zingers roll off...ha
meanwhile Kylie is learning how to do kitty high-fives. SHe stretches up to gently whack my hand with her open paw.
usually at feeding time, but sometimes just...for...
she says she misses you.
ps "DOZENS OF POUNDS"!!??according to Boss' twitter. Fantastic, lady 18# is great!

At 12:47 Anonymous Kate said...

I vote for a Scarlett O'Hara- and as God as my witness never eat a turnip again...

But, I did have an amazing dish once called Himmel und Erde (Heaven and Earth) that was made with mashed potatoes, turnips, and rutabaga - yum.

Chainsaws? Oy!

(Daughters much happier today after a night's sleep - still no fun talking everyone off the ledge last night)

At 13:32 Blogger vampi said...

what is a rutabaga? another thing i've read about but never seen/tasted. wow i've lived a sheltered life.

and i kep forgetting to give my congrats on weightloss. that's awesome. i'm going this weekend to get a larger ball to sit on, as mine is way to small to use to sit at a desk. i will use the smaller one at home when i sit and watch tv, i mean excersize. lol.

At 14:05 Blogger Marjorie said...

I'm not familiar with rutabaga, either (isn't it a dark leafy green stuff) Parnips are yummy, however. And I can see that roasted turnips could be good, too. I have a butternut squash I keep forgetting to cook - maybe I should roast that and do rasted vegetables with feta cheese, some day soon.

PS-Jess, as twitter is currently down, I will only say, no, I had never come across that before. I am not sure how long it will take me to get over it..

At 14:16 Blogger AletaMay said...

I knew the fact that I grew up in a town then known as the "rutabaga capitol of the world" would come in handy some day. It's true! In fact at our town fair we crowned a "Rutabaga Queen". Yup. All my sibs and my mom worked in the "roots" as we called them. My brothers made up a song with the chorus "root-a-beg-y".

Ok. A rutabaga is a root vegitable, like a turnip -- in that family. It is not shaped like a carrot -- it is almost round or sort of heart shaped. The top can be sort of purple and the bottom is more orange/yellow sort of color. They are rather bitter but very nice when mashed with butter, salt, pepper and a bit of sugar or roasted like any other root veggie. When I was a kid we also ate them raw -- cut into sticks kinda like carrot sticks.

I HATED rutabagas when I was a kid. I like them now.

I LOVE parsnips stir fried or roasted.

I love autumn stews and roasts made with big mixtures of root veggies.

OK. Back to work for me.

At 14:20 Blogger Na said...

I've heard large turnips predate pumpkins as jack o'lanterns for that special day at the end of October. Harder to carve than pumpkins o' course. A quick google search threw up these tips.

At 14:20 Blogger AletaMay said...

An image of a rutabaga.

At 14:21 Blogger Ticia said...

Yay for weight-loss and roasted root vegetables!

At 14:24 Blogger Na said...

And Q! You go, getting FIT! That's all kinds of awesome.

At 14:28 Blogger Na said...

Ha! Aleta, that rutabaga picture would make a great "poster" in my kitchen.

At 15:21 Blogger ariandalen said...

Congratulations on the FIT, Ms. Fabulous! Keep up the good work! :)


Rutabagas are also known as swedes. I find them sweeter than turnips. Roasting turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips in the oven with honey is really good. The medieval equivalent of the potato, because they didn't have potatoes outside of the Americas.

Turnips were carved as jack o'lanterns in the British Isles because pumpkins are a New World squash, too. There was a series that aired on either PBS or The History Channel fifteen or so years ago called "The Celts." There was also a companion book, btw. Anyway, the author came out carrying a carved turnip on one of the episodes, holding it by the greens, and it was HUGE. It was close to the size of a human head. Turnips aren't that hard to carve, though it does take a bit of work to carve out the back into the center for a place to put a candle. They make really cool skulls, especially rutabagas.

Why, yes, I have carved turnips and rutabagas for Halloween.

At 15:34 Blogger Jess said...

From Na's link:

Please try to aim the knife away from you, so that you don't inadvertently kill yourself.This seems excellent advice to me. In fact I shall forego carving my turnips altogether.

What, Marjorie? You mean this thing here? No, there's no getting over that. ;P

At 16:12 Blogger dabbler said...

Mo-in-law insists on mashed rutabagas for Thanksgiving, AND Christmas dinner, to the point of bringing them herself if someone else is cooking. And then insisting the hostess keep the leftovers....usually abundant.

i love roasted root veggies, especially carrots, turnips, beets, add garlic, onion, mushrooms, even Brussels sprouts.... YUM. And leftovers over salad, with a bit of feta.

Darn. Now I'm hungry.

And congrats on the FIT Q. You're an inspiration!
My pants from last fall are too large. This is exciting.

At 16:21 Blogger Marjorie said...

Ah swedes. Don't like 'em. Although that is probably because of having them as part part of school dinners, dived, and boiled until they surrendered. Probably should try them again some time.

Jess, I'm not falling for that one again. (not today, any way)

At 16:34 Blogger Jess said...

There's always tomorrow, Marjorie. I am patient.

At 16:54 Blogger Dragonsally said...

I really shouldn't catch up on comments before breakfast.

Mmmmm, roast root vegies.

We were woken far too early this morning by noisy machine outside window. Not cement trucks, but council workers cutting concrete.

Ai Ai Ai.

Still wondering around with the top of my head in the clouds.

At 17:17 Blogger gaypet said...

Sometimes I read the comments from the last to the first. I know it's odd but it can make for interesting reading. Like this little gem:

Ah swedes. Don't like 'em. Although that is probably because of having them as part of school dinners, dived, and boiled until they surrendered. Probably should try them again some time.I did not know that "swede" was another name for rutabagas until a few posts up. My last name being Peterson I was a bit concerned about the dislike of Swedes because they are not so tasty. :)Hee hee.

Congrats on the Fit, Q! You continue to inspire (as I sit here eating corn salsa hand over fist).

At 17:21 Blogger gaypet said...

Hm. It's strange the way that posted. I'm sure you can see where the quote ends. But there should have been a break between. Blogger is being tricksy!

At 17:30 Blogger ariandalen said...

Blogger does that sometimes, Gayle. I had a line break that it ate the other day. ::shrug::

At 17:32 Blogger gaypet said...

Shrug, indeed. :)

At 17:33 Blogger gaypet said...

You know that feeling when you have to actually wash dishes so you can make more food? No? Just me? Where is that number for pizza...

At 17:46 Blogger One Sock Short said...

Totally know that post-dishes feeling.

Twitter acting up for me, so saying thanks here for Hot Tamale. Hit a wall mood-wise, so that was a great diversion. Should maybe seek out Llama song for good measure.

At 18:54 Blogger ariandalen said...

Hot Llamale?

At 19:00 Blogger One Sock Short said...

Good thing I wasn't drinking anything when I read that!

At 19:06 Blogger ariandalen said...

::snort::

Darn!

Oh, well, maybe someone else will decorate their screen. ;)

At 19:12 Blogger Na said...

Pants fitting. I'm not getting that. All my, erm, more recently purchased ones, seem to be a size that falls off, and my older ones still squeeze the breath outta me.

Got all my dishes clean and my kitchen very clean. But I don't want to cook tonight, so the kids and I are eating out. Silly silly.

At 19:26 Blogger Siri said...

Jess - I heart you

At 20:50 Blogger Siri said...

I feel so badly
each time I kill the thread, dead.
The Fiends have real lives.

At 20:52 Blogger Phiala said...

Siri, not dead, not even sleeping!

I'm just trying to write 100-word class proposals that sound interesting. So much harder than writing longer ones.

At 20:52 Blogger Phiala said...

Siri, not dead, not even sleeping!

I'm just trying to write 100-word class proposals that sound interesting. So much harder than writing longer ones.

At 20:54 Blogger Siri said...

String classes, or writing classes?

At 20:59 Blogger Phiala said...

String classes. Nobody's likely to pay me to teach writing classes, at least not until I get more experience.

At 21:02 Blogger Siri said...

I learned writing stuff from you.

I'm not asking, but if I were to ask, I'd inquire if you've heard anything from the unicorn you sent out into the world.

But, I'm not asking you understand. I wouldn't pry or anything.

At 21:04 Blogger Phiala said...

Siri, the Fiends will be among the first to know when I hear anything about unicorns.

And thank you for the compliment, but really, people like some proven experience before paying for learning. I'm working on it, though.

At 21:33 Blogger One Sock Short said...

Siri - Nothing even close to a real life. Just enjoying brushing some of the rust off my Latin. Have been reminded that I keep these books out for a reason. Need to add studying them into my evening activities before it all leaves my head ;-)

At 21:44 Blogger Siri said...

I remember smatterings of Latin.

amo, amas, amat
amamus, amatis, amant

hic, haec, hoc
huius, huius, huius
huic, huic, huic
hunc, hanc, hoc

Ta Da.

At 21:59 Blogger One Sock Short said...

Siri - head of the class!

Vale amicae et amici!

At 22:27 Blogger Lysandwr said...

Since my Latin isn't even latent....I will stick w/the root vegetables as opposed to roots of words.

Jess--I love turnips, no, I LOVELOVELOVE turnips. And have SO many recipes. If you seriously are interested, zap me on Facebook and I'll send some on over.

But for large, overwintered such as you describe, especially as the season heads into warmer weather, I recommend the following (it has the added bonus of rehydrating the turnip somewhat):

Grate or other wise very very thinly slice said turnip (NOT mash). Thinly slice cucumber, perhaps radishes if you like (hotter radishes not recommended.)
Place in glass or ceramic dish, cover liberally w/rice vinegar and a few dashes of olive oil. At this point, favoured herbs such as lavender and/or thyme (even dill) can be added dependent upon personal taste.

Cover well, and leave in fridge a good 24 hours. You can do 48 if you prefer; might want to taste after 24. Scoop w/slotted spoon (leave marinade in dish, to add later to taste) into serving bowl, toss w/baby spinach or other robust yet tasty little green. Sometimes I sear some kale, either on the iron griddle or outside grill.

Serve.

Shrimp or other seafood can be added to the marinading part if you like, it is all about personal taste.

But it doesn't work w/rutabagas, at least not for me. Don't like them, I don't.

Okay, off to bed again cause work will be .... energetic (two people for the work of four. SO what else is new! Can't complain, it beats the alternative {{hugs Gayle}})

At 22:28 Blogger Lysandwr said...

Hey, look! I'm BLUE!!

how the heck did *that* happen?

At 22:34 Blogger Chantrelle said...

I, for once, have no recipe advice. I don't do much with root vegetables. Lys's idea sounds great!

Tonight was my usual Wednesday night ahi tartare. Ben said "awww, mom! I don't want tartare again!" Reminiscent of Coraline's "recipe" line. Loved it even though I was a bit annoyed at the same time ;-)

Busy day tomorrow, not sure how much I"ll be online. Hopefully the ant situation is under control.

At 23:06 Blogger Chantrelle said...

I hope they weren't Zombie Ants

At 23:18 Blogger FabulousLorraine said...

New post, but I warn you, it's pretty angry. I say FUCK YOU three times and FUCKING once.

Not kidding at all.

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