This thread should take us through Halloween.. I'm trying to be good and not buy any candy till the 31st.. and I will give out normal sized candy..not them wimpie fun size bars...no, I'm new in the neighborhood and must bribe kids to make friends...

I'm with you on not buying until Oct. 31, (I will just eat it...yum) but I don't think the kiddies need full-sized bars. They are going to get a ton of junk.

I wanted to be that house that gave out raisins or toothbrushes. It would be healthy, not to mention HILARIOUS to watch the kids' faces as I place dental floss in their baskets.

My husband gave that a thumbs down....Jeez....no sense of humor

Hey y'all. Have candy. Will eat.

Chicccckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkeeeeeeeeeeeeennnnnn bones. All mine.

Jeepers I hope DS will not have to go through too much to get this taken care of -- I read the description of pneumothorax and it didn't sound like much fun. I had a friend in college who got a collapsed lung and I took him to the hospital. They didn't seem to consider it all that much of an emergency either. It was verrry painful though. He got to take muscle relaxants.

Yes, indeed they do shake afterwards!! 'swhy it was such a mess! At least in the bathroom, you can wipe it all up with a towel. Here's why I don't wash the dog outdoors:
1) I tried it the first time I bathed Jet: Please try to picture the logistics. It started out very nicely; I half filled a big plastic tub with warm water, put her in it and got her nice and wet. I should have realized that the fact that the water didn't reach the top of her back was going to be a problem. She would not sit down in the water. But anyway I took her out of the tub and rubbed shampoo on her, lathered up, so far so good. See, I figured I'd just put her back in the tub and rinse her off in that nice warm non-soapy water. Problem was it was very soon full of suds and she wasn't rinsed off (and she wouldn't sit in the water either). So I turned on the hose and tried to use that. Please now picture the water temperature of ice water. That is what our well water is like. Jet was not impressed. It was an ordeal. And I don't think I got all the soap out of her fur.
2) Outside: cold water. Inside: warm water.
3) Outside: mud and leaves and gravel to roll in. Inside: vinyl flooring
4) Outside: run away. Inside: shut the door
5) Outside: 45 degrees. Inside: 68 degrees

Bathing a cat is even more fun, cuz of all the scratching! See, dogs get all hang-dog about it, while cats get very indignant and try to kill you.
Aw, that's so cute -- you've become a Southerner! 60's are Indian Summer around here! And we did have one of those days on Saturday. It was lovely. Today it was 36.
Aww, that's adawwwwwwable. He's so sweet!

Gosh, Sugar, do Germans do an especially lot of killing themselves? That's disturbing. You don't hear a lot about people throwing themselves in front of trains in the US, although it must happen often enough...

Love the smilies.

It smells like an orange around here right now. DH must be peeling one in the other room. Mmmmm.

Jet was a little monster today. I took her with me to get my car fixed (45 miles away) because DH was busy (and/or unwilling) and I could not find anywhere to hang out except for the very wet park. Not much fun really, her dragging me all over the town and then she couldn't even really play at the park because I had to keep her on the leash. I was very glad to get back in the car. She's very good in the car. DH found a swell plastic ball for her to play with in the yard (huge: about 18" dia.), and I kicked that around the (very wet) lawn for quite a while, after we got home. She had a great time with it, so I thought she would be pretty tired after that. Nawwwwwww. Full of spit and vinegar, won't stop biting and chewing everything in sight. Rainy days are tough with leetle puppies.

DD is going as Thing 1 or Thing 2 for Halloween.

I have all the state quarters up through 2003.

I made homemade corned beef hash for lunch today. Then I made homemade chicken salad for dinner. DD however ate soup.

Hope DS is all better by tomorrow this time. Does he have asthma?

Kiwi

Yep, he has asthma. He says he still feels the thing but it's not so painful. Maybe a dose of antibiotics will take care of it ??? We'll soon find out.

DS took ME out to dinner. Working kids are a good thing.

1- Go to Google (http://www.google.com )
2- Type in the word "Failure"
3- Instead of clicking "Google Search," click "I'm Feeling Lucky."
4- Spread the word before the people at Google "fix" it.

Kiwi, your narrative on Jett's bathing adventures are hysterical! sOOOOO TRUE about the perils of outside bathing.. 36 GADZOOKS!!!!! I'm hoping that will be the winter temps around here... so nice to wake up to crispy chilliness.. I refuse to put the heat on, as I can now wear my sweaters...and socks.
Cowie: glad DS is getting better...and that he took you out for dinner...what a loving thing to do... and at least you are eating something more nutritious then them chicken bones....oh, they are all probably gone by now..

Where or where are those other leetle cowlettes???

HereIyam, Schatzi!

We have do it yourself dog washes here. It still costs $16 to wash my big doggies, but at least our plumbing doesn't get all clogged up w/ fur. They have special dog wash tubs that my dogs can walk into, w/ all the shampoo, cream rinse, ear cleaner, brushes, hair dryers, etc. that you need.

Isn't it a treat to be taken out by your DS, Peach? I also love it when I get invited to DS's or DD's house for dinner. Fun to eat, and leave them w/ the dishes.

It's billing day - gotta go pump out some invoices.

Greetinks, y'all.
Was just skimming from last week since I've been OP and AWOL.
Kiwi: I am so glad little Jet is OK. What a trauma. And she must have a heart of steel to also survive bath so soon after. I agree that indoors is more under control, assuming the dog is small enough. I have NEVER even tried to wash a cat. but maybe I should try... do you think DH would be less allergic to Clairol on a Cat than cat spit?
I think Google probably STARTED the failure search! Or it's just what happens when that sort of thing gets hit on frequently!!
I apologize on behalf of the profession to you and the others who've had lousy counselors. I've been lousy to a few people, I'm sure... It's worth making sure you have a good rapport.... Most counselors don't admit to being unable to do THEIR half of the work..... I've done it a couple of times... if client reminded me too much of someone, or my own issues were, ahem, in the way. but I've just crossed my fingers and hoped once or twice... I confess.

Peachy-- Sorry you had a similar experience. Too bad we can't all visit in the agora with Socrates... Know Thyself and all that. If the counselor is saying things that resonate, (even if you don't like them) you are getting your money's worth. (Your next question to the Counselor could be... Well!! Since I don't especially like that fact, how do you suggest I forgive myself, and learn to do something different/better/more constructive??
Do let us know when DS is re-inflated... or whatever they are going to do with his lung.
Did you hear the discussion of a book on NPR called Bait and Switch? By B. Ehrenrich... about how hard it is for white collar workers to get jobs... I don't know that it would HELP, but at least you wouldn't feel alone.

Wabby: Congratulations on the anniversary. And roses. Something must be workikng right.

Shatz: Glad you recuperated from the grippe in time to be delayed by suicidal train passengers... And that you had the tenacity to get home.

Sug... Glad we like the same movies. I thought Wallace and Gromit was better than painkillers... We laughed a lot. I was disappointed that Shaun and Wendy didn't make any appearances, tho. Did Gromit even knit?

TaTa for now, y'all. I'm going to go glow in the dark.

I have a sore throat.

Painter Hood, I would summarize my feelings about the counselor as saying she pointed out something authentic but so far down on the list of problems I must deal with that it was of no consequence.

Kiwi, the wizard of all thing puter, my cheap Lexmark printer won't work. It works in neither b/w nor color and it doesn't complain it's out of ink. I don't want to buy a cartridge if it still won't print. What would you do?

Sugar, we have not heard stories of the English speakers yet. And where's Bagzzzie!!!!

Shots, that is so classy of you to give out full sized candy bars. How many kids do you expect?

Are you all cold? It's cold here!! 40s I think. Wabby, why don't you knit??? You could wear sweaters.

Peachez, I never learned to knit. Maybe I should take it up. I used to crochet back in the days of endless gymnastics and swim classes. We still use one of the afghans I made during that time for our favorite tv blankie. That would make it about 20 years old. An antique. Right now I'm working on a baby quilt for the little one. Made just like the ones I made for both my babies back in the day. I need to dig out the baby blankets crocheted by DH's grandma for our kids. Seems like just yesterday I was bringing a baby home.

DH bought the big bag of Halloween candy a week ago. We haven't had more than 5 trick or treaters in the 15 years we've lived here, but he always buys candy "just in case".

Painty, I wouldn't feel responsible for the failings of the counseling profession in general. You've always given me good advice.

Sug, we're still waiting....

hello darlings---been away for a while as one of the children is experiencing depression and all the parents and step-parents are on alert with a search for dealing with it---from the sounds of it,it is clinical so meds are being ordered---this is a bit unnerving as i have no personal experience with these types of drugs so i would appreciate anecdotes to quell my fears---there is no personal reason for the feelings and there is family history so the family doc {who knows us all well} feels this is the route to take {counselling doesn't seem to have helped} ANYway---as you can imagine {as per Peachie's current worry} this type of thing keeps you totally distracted,worried and nervous----{peach ---hope ds is feeling better soon,------thank God they found the problem} xoxo-love you guys---talk later!

Hmmm... Wabby. thanks for YOUR vote! Pretty grandiose of me to apologize for ALL counselors. Don't we ALL have issues of one sort or another.

Peaches--- Hope you find somebody more helpful. Texas has a "rehabilitation commission" that's part of the Employment/Unemployment agency. They mostly help with people who have been disabled on the job... but my friend who worked there was always helping people find jobs that they didn't know existed that were better suited for their circumstances. It wasn't considered "therapy" either. She is tough as nails and told people what they could/should. Very directive, not "therapeutic", but effective. I hope somebody like that shows up for you... knowledgeable and willing to go do bat for you.

I have no idea why I am sleepy today. Am seriously considering a brief nap... so i can wake up and see my late afternoon apppointments. Oh. And HOCKEY tonight on TV! Best to all.

Painty, they have something like that in Florida but HAVE STOPPED FUNDING IT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I worried about her having some lingering fears, but she seemed to bounce back very quickly. Actually I don't think the bath was all that bad for her; it was over fast and she got to shake water all over the bathroom! What does seem to have lingered from the trap incident may be a fear of walking on the highway. I haven't repeated even part of that walk yet, but we do go up the driveway to get the paper every morning, and she is increasing reluctant as we near the highway. I think I'll let it be for a couple of weeks and then try a short walk down the highway again. They say that pups have distinct fear periods when they can be traumatized for life if something bad happens during that time, but I don't believe she was in that time period. Hope not anyway. I haven't told her breeder about it yet; she's going to freak out. She is one of these so-soft hearted people that she got choked up every time she talked about her puppies going to their new homes.

That's distinctly possible -- and not all cats hate baths. I have a friend who bathes his cats regularly. Can't imagine it myself.
There I go again painting everyone with the same brush, huh? I do that a lot. Since I've only had one real therapy experience, I certainly shouldn't be making generalizations. Lingering resentments, y'know. Caused by a psychiatrist with decades of experience who ought to have been more professional than to sit there and yammer away about his family while he took my money. I tried to talk about the beginnings of problems I had with my stepfather and he tried to turn them into a sexual abuse case, which was just patently ridiculous, but you could see he was all over the idea. Sheesh, if I'd been the type who liked that kind of sensationalism and attention, can you imagine the damage we could have done? So I suppose I've just had bad luck with counseling.
I love Barbara Ehrenriech. She wrote a fabulous book called Nickel and Dimed. I'll bet this one is good too. Of course, she doesn't pull any punches about where she sits on issues, but she does her research.

Gotta go rescue puppy from outside leash. She's been a handful since we've had so much rain -- and snow last night. Too much pent-up energy. So since it's not raining right now, she's outside chewing sticks.

Kiwi