And you had enough toilet paper to even do that? Umm hmmm… and we are to believe you weren’t partly responsible for the toilet paper shortage? Oh wait. You needed it for Monopoly.
@Kidsandliz This was back when everyone was buying any toilet paper one could get anywhere at any price. And after using it, believe me when I say its best use was in lieu of play money in Monopoly.
@eonfifty@mehcuda67@RiotDemon I am thinking it is maybe also coming out of the gap on the side of the mask rather than the top? I did read that the more dangerous place to be if both are wearing a mask is behind someone. Apparently that is one place where more of what is expelled when you breath goes because of the gaps. Of course this giphy doesn’t catch what is going behind.
@Kidsandliz@mehcuda67@RiotDemon
Even though covid breath does escape out the top and sides of the mask, consider how the mask contains the exhalation to the breather’s face as opposed to sending a steam of covid breath out all willy nilly.
/giphy better than nothing
My wife is In the thick of the response running a COVID telephone triage center in addition to her normal emergency medical call center duties. As a result we probably got a bit overcautious. Up until a couple of weeks ago we were self quarantined, working from home (yeah technology!) Instacart only. Big tips got us everything delivered within an hour or two. The unusual part? I had to wipe down every item with disinfectant on the porch before it was allowed in the house. Thank goodness she has finally relaxed a bit. Now we are just obsessed by when (not if) NY’s complete resurgence will arrive.
@Frcal I thought that was all the new normal!! I would have never in my life believed that I would wash down canned goods, boxes, etc. I swear my pantry is sterile lol
@tinamarie1974 canned goods I could deal with. Even boxes. But we eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. Use your imagination as to how those tasted after getting “the treatment.”
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom. Followed by Duo, WhatsApp, and even an occasional Facetime, Skype or Whatthehellisthatonmyscreen.
Lots of Not Doing Stuff. Most interestingly, not arguing.
I doubt that my spouse has -actually- been doing less things that are annoying, and I’m absolutely sure that I’m just as annoying as always (i.e. pretty freaking annoying). I also think that we haven’t found any fewer things to disagree about. But it seems like we have been drawing from a double or triple sized deck of “Cut Each Other Some Slack” cards. If that’s the New Normal, I’m OK with it.
Got chased off Cumberland Island where we were in the middle of a back-country backpacking trip with the grandkids. This was early in the process when they shut down the national park… where there is a daily use limit of a couple hundred people on a 16 mile long island…
Some people might argue that home projects would be considered usual but my norm is to avoid them at all costs…but now that we don’t go anwhere…we’re currently in the process of “cleaning” the garage (has been in the to do list for YEARS). Started Friday by emptying everything and power washing the floor. Then removed crap from walls and are currently fixing holes and replacing drywall as needed. Next step will be painting walls and ceiling.
Looking forward to minimal home projects(hopefully) next summer.
@j2 Now your water heater will quit, or the washer hose will burst, or your drains will work in reverse. There’s a lesson there somewhere. Let chaos reign!
@j2 What the hell did you do with the stuff IN the garage? Cleaning mine is like solving one of those puzzles where you can only move 1 tile at a time…
@tightwad TBH our garage wasn’t uber cluttered but I did get my husband to agree to store things in a more appropriate location (basement/shed/garbage can).
Right now the cars are out side and there’s piles of stuff in the middle of the garage floor.
We might have the tools to do it but I don’t know if our finished product is going to be considered indoor quality and neither of us are going to switch occupations…
My helpful advice is… be patient. Most of the areas went fairly smoothly but some were trying, to say the least. In our case since it’s only the garage we’re not too concerned with making it perfect.
@j2@sammydog01 Look up Paul Peck Drywall and Home Renovision on YT. Paul is obviously a more specialized pro, but the Renovision dude is all-around great for DIY homeowners. I like combining the guidance from both of them.
@Barney@sammydog01 I can’t believe this. Upstanding members of the citizenry and all.
My dad said he was ashamed for me. I could hear and see my mom shaking her head through text messages. She told my dad it would look better if it were blue.
@Barney@sammydog01 so a related story, I told my sister pretty quickly. She already has several tattoos and ran the gauntlet of parental disappointment years ago. She also lives near my aunt, so I asked her not to tell them so they didn’t get word back to my dad before I did, because I should tell him in person.
She then told my nephews and said not to mention it at our aunt’s house because I hadn’t told their grandparents yet. One of my nephews responded “huh, imagine being in your forties and still caring what your parents think”.
Virtually stopped driving. Since I started working from home in March, I have only driven a vehicle maybe a dozen times. This, after almost 22 years of commuting 75 miles/~2 hours a day round trip for work.
The most unusual for me is probably writing a letter to the governor.
Even stranger for me, it was to encourage her to extend an order she has in place that restricts personal liberties.
Five months into quarantine, and today I bought more milkweed for my Monarch caterpillars, plus a dozen break-it-yourself geodes. Do the cocoons hear when you tell them they’re so pretty?
During the most restrictive portions of the lockdown, drove extra fast on wide, completely empty backcountry roads (not a building or drive or intersection in site) for a mile or two here and there.
Reminded me of being a teenager. : )
Yeah, I had a good reason to be out and about and all. And I wore a mask when within hailing distance of another human.
But I did the way over 90 mph thing for fun. Dunno when I will again see roads that empty.
@f00l In TX I see people going at least 90mph each time I drive to and from Houston (via 10) and depending on the time or day (or evening) the roads can be pretty empty until except a couple of places and when I am finally on the outskirts of Houston.
I’m aware of how people drive in and around Houston. To me, it’s no big deal, unless they’re being idiotic, rude, or dangerous.
Was being “semi-discreet” and “suggestive” regarding my lockdown era speeding experiments.
During lockdown the roads were so very unusually empty that an extra measure of freedom was available without worrying about impact on others.
Also the interstates around Houston, even the empty portions have some possibility of the highway patrol or other LEO’s lurking.
I wanted to avoid that
Do I drive like a Houstonian when I am in Houston?
@f00l I didn’t say you weren’t aware. I was only stating my personal experience, which is different than yours, on a limited section of highway.
I only to go Houston once to four times a year and have almost never seen a cop on the 2 highways I drive on in TX (10 and 610) and have always seen people flying down the highway. Of course that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there at other times, just generally not at the times I am on the road.
Now on the west bound side of that 12 mile (20 miles?) bridge in Louisiana, where the speed drops to 55 well prior to the bridge and the sign indicating the new speed limit is behind tree branches (I’d suspect on purpose they aren’t cut), there is almost always a cop from that parish in the same spot, including at 2am. I am thinking tickets there must account for most of their budget or something.
From the local perspective, paying for county improvements thru traffic fees offered up by traveling strangers sure beats paying for stuff thru local taxes.
FWIW, I recommend to my our-of-state friends traveling in the great west: never speed within the city limits of small rural towns, unless the driver wishes to finance the local next constructive project.
@Kyeh Walter who is 24 BTW (got him when he was 10 weeks old) hasn’t been to the vet for a wing, beak and claw trim in a while. On arm you hardly notice if they are sharp or not-its when you are holding him on your hand that you really feel it.
@tinamarie1974 Well he does say some words and phrases but not nearly enough for a bird of his intelligence. His species is the smartest bird you can get-regardless of price, but Walter is either stubborn, lazy or has a learning disability-maybe all three. We have never kept him locked up in a cage (except when we go out or at night)-he is free to stay on top of the cage, go in and out to get food and walk around the house leaving his little presents as he does his walk about. For some reason he loves the bathrooms-always ends up in one of the three when we go looking for him.
@Felton10@tinamarie1974 I do hope you keep all your toilet seats down. I know African Grays are bigger than, say, a Sun Conure and the like, but I’d still worry they might try and investigate the bowl and have a hard time getting out. Some Conure-sized birds are known to get stuck and end up drowning. Again, I’m uncertain if the larger grays would be at risk, but I think I’d err on the side of caution. Beautiful bird, by the way.
@Felton10@tinamarie1974 At the animal shelter we used to have a parrot (don’t know which kind) that was incredibly talkative. Quite the NSFW vocabulary as well. He was about 10ish. Interesting little bugger and he clearly knew what some phrases meant as he’d ask for treats and do some serious name calling if treats were not produced. Fortunately he got adopted.
Don’t these guys live until something like 50 or 60? I know the bird at the shelter was supposed to.
@Doooood@tinamarie1974 Thanks for the advice-but he has never shown any interest in the toilets and in fact in our new house there is probably less water in the toilet bowl than there is in his water dish-some new fangled type of toilet, plus the toilets are an inch taller to make it easier for us old farts to get off it. We had a white eyed Conure before Walter and he is twice as big as that Conure was. Probably because he is a male (confirmed by a DNA test) and we feed him well-a fried egg and string beans in the morning with a slice of canteloupe to snack on and bird seed during the day with pizza and grilled cheese thrown in when we have that for lunch, and a grilled chicken leg for dinner although he loves lamp chops and throws the chicken out of his bowl when we give a lamp rib with BBQ sauce on it. And we split a banana at bed time. He’ll try anything we give him except we don’t given him the things that are bad for him.
@Kidsandliz@tinamarie1974 Yes they do live up to 50-60 years. You really don’t think about such things when you are 50 as were when we bought him. My wife swears she has heard him say FU-but I haven’t. Have probably said it many times while working on my clients but maybe like most males he only cusses around females. Tried to get him to help me do work, but he types awfully slow-the hunt and peck system.
@Felton10@tinamarie1974 This thing would swear and then say, “Bad bud. Bad bud” each and every time. Hmm learned that from a human yelling that at him after he used the swear words he learned from the same human I am sure LOL. That thing could make a serious din that rivaled barking dogs. You’d need ear plugs if he was on a roll.
He was interesting though. I’d go over to his cage and he’d come over to me (often the door was open and you’d have to watch out not to get pecked) and star at you tilting his little head back and forth and say things like, “Gimme treat” or “What are you doing?”. “That’s a no no”. “Hey you. Come here”. “Bud stupid”. “Fuck you Bud”. “Stupid”. And, of course the rest of the full range of swear words. Someone there had counted at least 35 or so phrases and maybe twice that many words. I think the previous owners spent some serious time teaching that bird to talk - or it was just a bright bird who picked it up. No idea.
@Kidsandliz@tinamarie1974 Our daughter when she lived at home made it her mission to teach Walter to cuss but with no success. He will only talk around us and at the pet motel where he has been over 30 times when we travel. Have to bring all his food over there and for two weeks and longer that is quite a process. They keep his cage in the office and a women there has taken a liking to Walter and keeps him out of the cage which he likes obviously.
Probably the most annoying sound he makes is snoring which he obviously picked up from me.
@Felton10@Kidsandliz@tinamarie1974 We had a lady move in next door, and our first impression was geez, what a chatterbox. Then we realized it was her parrot, who had picked up her exact tone of voice and manner of speaking - sounded exactly like her! She also had an amiable black dog named Max, and this parrot would say “C’mere, Max, here, Max” and you’d hear the dog padding over, and then the bird would say “Bad dog! Bad dog, Max!” Such a mean bird!
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@tinamarie1974 You never know what sounds the parrot is going to pick up-that is why you have to be very careful what you say around them. You don’t even have to be trying to teach it to them. All of a sudden they will come out with something they have heard and then you may not hear it again for long time. As I said our bird stays at a pet motel when we travel and every once and a while he starts barking like a dog for no reason at all. His most often repeated sound is the telephone ringing.
@Felton10@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@tinamarie1974 My brother has an african grey. It loves him, tolerates men, and hates women. It was a deep manly voice and will repeat the phone ringing, my brother answering it with his business name and a one sided conversation. That bird is amazing. Except it tries to bite me.
@Felton10@Kyeh@tinamarie1974 I guess you will need to change your ring tone on your phone. It would be interesting to be able to get inside their little heads to see what they are thinking - especially if they actually understand what they are saying or if they are only, for the most part mimicking. I do know that parrot I was talking about did actually understand how some phrases worked - like wanting a treat.
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@tinamarie1974 He does understand a few things-I say give me a kiss and he will move his beak close to mine and make a clicking sound or when I mention the word food he comes running. But his beak is really sharp and his bite is strong. He has drawn blood especially from my wife. One time he bit her on the finger and she was holding him yelling for me to get him off her as blood was dripping on the floor. Another time he bit her on the nose. His bite can either be hard or soft depending on whether he is saying get away from me or if he is really mad.
One time I was out shopping and got a call from my wife asking how long I would be. She said she was holding Walter and he wouldn’t get off her hand and she had to go to the bathroom. I said can you hold it and him for another half an hour. Here is a picture of Walter besides his play area in the wall unit and yes he did create the hole in the bankers box-he loves to knaw on cardboard.
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@sammydog01@tinamarie1974 Think birds have a sixth sense about how people feel about them. Walter has never had a bad experience with a human so he will get on anyone’s hand. He did try to bite our daughter one time, but believe me she deserved it and he did try to bite a client of mine one time.
@RiotDemon I kind of think the “bad dog” was left over from when Max was a puppy, because I never heard her saying it in person; he was a sweet mellow old dog by then. I think the parrot just took malicious glee in tormenting him, poor dog!
Are Parrots Smarter Than Dogs? Dogs can join the police force and monkeys are our fellow primates, but new research found that parrots might be the smartest animal of them all. A new study found that African Grey Parrots performed as well as three-year-old children on a mental test.
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@sammydog01@tinamarie1974 Actually the rib he was eating was a lamb rib-he had eaten prime rib and king crab legs. He actually also likes blue crab claws because he can hold the claw with one of his claws.
Still dogs have been trained for hundreds of years, but parrots have not-hence although they are still very unpredictable and should be treated as some what of a wild animal. Here is Walter eating a crab claw.
@Felton10@Kidsandliz@sammydog01@tinamarie1974 Boy, he leads a luxurious life!
I’ve always kind of thought that “trainability” is a pretty homo sapiens-centric way of looking at other animals - maybe the more intelligent ones train US instead! Looks like Walter’s done a pretty good job of that with you!
@Kidsandliz This is why I’ve always thought cats are actually smarter than dogs despite what they say - you tell a cat to go fetch a stick and it looks at you with utter disdain!
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@sammydog01@tinamarie1974 Evidently this bird likes to forage and he goes into the wall unit and boxes and shreds wooden and carboard toys etc I put in there.
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@sammydog01@tinamarie1974 Took Walter to the vet today for his yearly check up and wing and claw trim (Cost $128)-when taking his history over the phone while in my car (they came and got him in while I stayed in my car)-the nurse asked what I fed him. I went through the list of what I fed him and she said he eats better than I do.
When I moved to FL took Walter to the pet store for his nail and claw trim and when the store closed decided to take him to this vet to have it done. Walter had not been to a vet in 10 years. They required a wellness ck for new patients and after checking him over she told me he was in perfect health and I could bring him back in another 10 years. At that point decided he had earned a yearly check up and he has had one ever since.
@Felton10@Kyeh@sammydog01@tinamarie1974 So in other words, based on the picture, you’ll have a 5 year old the rest of your life. You’ll need to make sure you leave it something in your will along with a guardian. At least you won’t need to teach this kid how to drive and then pay the insurance bill.
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@sammydog01@tinamarie1974 I already joked to my children that I am going to put Walter in my will so anyone who takes care of him will get what I left to him. Was hoping he would leave for college-but so far no luck.
@Felton10@Kyeh@sammydog01@tinamarie1974 Well tell Walter since he isn’t planning on going to college yet he needs to get a job. Perhaps he can work as a carrier pigeon since discrimination isn’t allowed?
This ought to work on him unless he claims clipped wings disability.
@Felton10@Kyeh@sammydog01@tinamarie1974 PS if he claims he can’t fly under ADA his employer would have to provide accommodations. Tell him to ask for a drone to ride to do his deliveries.
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@sammydog01@tinamarie1974 We have talked talked to Walter about becoming a productive member of this household but so far no luck. Can’t even take him out for a walk to meet other neighbors since most of the other neighbors have dogs to walk. Thinking of taking taking him out for a walk in cage in a lawn wagon we have. Bet that would get some attention-taking your bird for a walk.
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@sammydog01@tinamarie1974 I have had a PB postage machine for over 30 years so I am aware of what type of crappy co that is so wouldn’t want to get him hooked up with them
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@sammydog01@tinamarie1974 BTW-in the morning I take Walter out of his cage and put him on the perch in the great room and right after I put him on there he does his business and given the amount you know he has been holding it in all night. Since he waits for me to take him out and put him on the perch to do his business if I could only figure out take him out for a walk like people do for their dogs first thing in the morning, I would be in business . And yes-every once and a while when I am late getting up or take too long to carry him over to the purchase, he will poop in mid carry and the farther it has to fall before it hits the ground, the bigger the mess to clean up.
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@sammydog01@tinamarie1974 I think we have reached the limit of what he is going to offer us. He is getting more stubborn. When he wants to stay where he is-in his cage, at the top or in the great room or even on your hand, he will let you know. And when petting him (yes you can pet birds on their ear holes which are right behind their eyes), if I don’t pet him long enough he will bite me when I try to put him back.
@Felton10@Kyeh@tinamarie1974 That is too funny. The one at the no kill shelter had quite to vocab but there was only one of him. Too bad there wasn’t audio to go with the article.
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@tinamarie1974 Our son (who hopefully will take Walter when we can no longer care for him) sent me the same article. When our daughter lived at home she tried without success to teach Walter some four letter words. My wife claims that she has heard him say FU but I have never heard him say that. Maybe he only likes to cuss around females. I don’t doubt that he has heard that word as his cage is in my office and I have used that word many times when referring to some of my clients and/or their accounting skills.
@Felton10@Kidsandliz@tinamarie1974 It makes me wonder how aware the birds are that those words are “bad”? It really sounds like they know and are being deliberately mischievous!!! I wish there was some audio too, that would be hilarious.
@Kidsandliz@Kyeh@tinamarie1974 Its hard to know. Sometimes we think Walter is the stupidest African Grey parrot alive and other times we think he knows exactly what is going on and is playing us. That is what makes having a bird such fun and unpredictable even after 24 years.
And you had enough toilet paper to even do that? Umm hmmm… and we are to believe you weren’t partly responsible for the toilet paper shortage? Oh wait. You needed it for Monopoly.
@Kidsandliz This was back when everyone was buying any toilet paper one could get anywhere at any price. And after using it, believe me when I say its best use was in lieu of play money in Monopoly.
@Felton10 @Kidsandliz
I’m afraid to ask what you had used the original play money for…
@chienfou @Kidsandliz well we had run out of TP and it was the right size.
Depending on who you talk to, went to work every day, LOL.
I took some batteries out of the fridge and left them on the counter for a while.
.
@shahnm Did they wear themselves down partying?
@Kidsandliz Nah - they like to have a good time. They get a real charge out of partying…
@shahnm omg, you are living on the edge!
@shahnm @tinamarie1974 He was just protecting them from the Corona in the fridge.
@mehcuda67 @shahnm omg I just snorted!!!
Wearing a mask.
/giphy wearing a mask
@eonfifty great gif.
@RiotDemon
Thanks! I think I got it within three edits.
/giphy tangential gravity wells
@eonfifty @RiotDemon So my takeaway is that you should wear a hat to catch that jet squirting past the mask and shooting up your forehead.
Eww.
@eonfifty @mehcuda67 @RiotDemon I am thinking it is maybe also coming out of the gap on the side of the mask rather than the top? I did read that the more dangerous place to be if both are wearing a mask is behind someone. Apparently that is one place where more of what is expelled when you breath goes because of the gaps. Of course this giphy doesn’t catch what is going behind.
@Kidsandliz @mehcuda67 @RiotDemon
Even though covid breath does escape out the top and sides of the mask, consider how the mask contains the exhalation to the breather’s face as opposed to sending a steam of covid breath out all willy nilly.
/giphy better than nothing
My wife is In the thick of the response running a COVID telephone triage center in addition to her normal emergency medical call center duties. As a result we probably got a bit overcautious. Up until a couple of weeks ago we were self quarantined, working from home (yeah technology!) Instacart only. Big tips got us everything delivered within an hour or two. The unusual part? I had to wipe down every item with disinfectant on the porch before it was allowed in the house. Thank goodness she has finally relaxed a bit. Now we are just obsessed by when (not if) NY’s complete resurgence will arrive.
@Frcal I thought that was all the new normal!! I would have never in my life believed that I would wash down canned goods, boxes, etc. I swear my pantry is sterile lol
@tinamarie1974 canned goods I could deal with. Even boxes. But we eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables. Use your imagination as to how those tasted after getting “the treatment.”
@Frcal What do you do to them??? I am “bathing” mine in a vinegar water solution and then rinse. I do not notice a difference in taste
Spouse 1: baking bread. Every. Single. Day. Sometimes twice.
Spouse 2 (me): perfecting my chocolate chip cookie recipe and eating ridiculous quantities of raw dough with my daughter. Living on the wild side!
And there is the quarantine zone in the foyer where stuff gets sprayed or wiped down and held there several days.
Zoom, Zoom, Zoom. Followed by Duo, WhatsApp, and even an occasional Facetime, Skype or Whatthehellisthatonmyscreen.
Lots of Not Doing Stuff. Most interestingly, not arguing.
I doubt that my spouse has -actually- been doing less things that are annoying, and I’m absolutely sure that I’m just as annoying as always (i.e. pretty freaking annoying). I also think that we haven’t found any fewer things to disagree about. But it seems like we have been drawing from a double or triple sized deck of “Cut Each Other Some Slack” cards. If that’s the New Normal, I’m OK with it.
Got chased off Cumberland Island where we were in the middle of a back-country backpacking trip with the grandkids. This was early in the process when they shut down the national park… where there is a daily use limit of a couple hundred people on a 16 mile long island…
Home projects.
Some people might argue that home projects would be considered usual but my norm is to avoid them at all costs…but now that we don’t go anwhere…we’re currently in the process of “cleaning” the garage (has been in the to do list for YEARS). Started Friday by emptying everything and power washing the floor. Then removed crap from walls and are currently fixing holes and replacing drywall as needed. Next step will be painting walls and ceiling.
Looking forward to minimal home projects(hopefully) next summer.
@j2 Now your water heater will quit, or the washer hose will burst, or your drains will work in reverse. There’s a lesson there somewhere. Let chaos reign!
@j2 What the hell did you do with the stuff IN the garage? Cleaning mine is like solving one of those puzzles where you can only move 1 tile at a time…
@OldCatLady Nnnoooooooooo!
@tightwad TBH our garage wasn’t uber cluttered but I did get my husband to agree to store things in a more appropriate location (basement/shed/garbage can).
Right now the cars are out side and there’s piles of stuff in the middle of the garage floor.
@j2 I have to figure out how to skimcoat a wall this week. Let me know if you have any tips.
@sammydog01 Is don’t do it an option?
We might have the tools to do it but I don’t know if our finished product is going to be considered indoor quality and neither of us are going to switch occupations…
My helpful advice is… be patient. Most of the areas went fairly smoothly but some were trying, to say the least. In our case since it’s only the garage we’re not too concerned with making it perfect.
@j2 Maybe we just need a really big TV to cover the spot.
@j2 @sammydog01 Look up Paul Peck Drywall and Home Renovision on YT. Paul is obviously a more specialized pro, but the Renovision dude is all-around great for DIY homeowners. I like combining the guidance from both of them.
@j2 @jester747 I had already watched the Paul Peck one, I’ll sort through the renovision stuff. Thanks!
Tattoo
@sammydog01 That was a dumb thing to do.
@Barney @sammydog01 fucking idiots.
@sammydog01 POIDH.
@OldCatLady
https://meh.com/forum/topics/birthday-tattoos#5f10a86123296d11dc1cde2d
@Barney @sammydog01 I can’t believe this. Upstanding members of the citizenry and all.
My dad said he was ashamed for me. I could hear and see my mom shaking her head through text messages. She told my dad it would look better if it were blue.
@Barney @djslack I like your mom.
@djslack @sammydog01 My mom would have been so upset. What about you, @sammydog01, how will your mom take this?
@Barney @djslack I’ll never know.
@djslack @sammydog01 Coward.
@Barney @sammydog01 so a related story, I told my sister pretty quickly. She already has several tattoos and ran the gauntlet of parental disappointment years ago. She also lives near my aunt, so I asked her not to tell them so they didn’t get word back to my dad before I did, because I should tell him in person.
She then told my nephews and said not to mention it at our aunt’s house because I hadn’t told their grandparents yet. One of my nephews responded “huh, imagine being in your forties and still caring what your parents think”.
@Barney @djslack This is why mine is on my ass.
@djslack Yep, I can relate to that.
@Barney @djslack @sammydog01 wait, I was looking at your ASS?!?!?!?
@Barney @djslack @tinamarie1974 Ummm… lower back? Is that better?
@Barney @djslack @sammydog01
/giphy giggle
maintained calm and did not give into insanity. Unusual only because so many around me can’t seem to do so.
Grown artichokes
Virtually stopped driving. Since I started working from home in March, I have only driven a vehicle maybe a dozen times. This, after almost 22 years of commuting 75 miles/~2 hours a day round trip for work.
@macromeh What do you do with all the bottled-up rage that you used to mutter at the other drivers? Asking for a friend.
@macromeh I had been averaging 1200-1500 miles/week (yup, per 7 days). Now it’s more like 30/week. I do miss the driving.
At most, I’ve gotten carry-out. Haven’t eaten out, haven’t gotten together with friends, etc.
Y’know, the shit we should all be doing so that we don’t have to be doing it again in the future.
The most unusual for me is probably writing a letter to the governor.
Even stranger for me, it was to encourage her to extend an order she has in place that restricts personal liberties.
Five months into quarantine, and today I bought more milkweed for my Monarch caterpillars, plus a dozen break-it-yourself geodes. Do the cocoons hear when you tell them they’re so pretty?
@OldCatLady Ooo, they are pretty, like jade earrings with gold trim! Lucky you!
During the most restrictive portions of the lockdown, drove extra fast on wide, completely empty backcountry roads (not a building or drive or intersection in site) for a mile or two here and there.
Reminded me of being a teenager. : )
Yeah, I had a good reason to be out and about and all. And I wore a mask when within hailing distance of another human.
But I did the way over 90 mph thing for fun. Dunno when I will again see roads that empty.
@f00l In TX I see people going at least 90mph each time I drive to and from Houston (via 10) and depending on the time or day (or evening) the roads can be pretty empty until except a couple of places and when I am finally on the outskirts of Houston.
@Kidsandliz
I’m aware of how people drive in and around Houston. To me, it’s no big deal, unless they’re being idiotic, rude, or dangerous.
Was being “semi-discreet” and “suggestive” regarding my lockdown era speeding experiments.
During lockdown the roads were so very unusually empty that an extra measure of freedom was available without worrying about impact on others.
Also the interstates around Houston, even the empty portions have some possibility of the highway patrol or other LEO’s lurking.
I wanted to avoid that
Do I drive like a Houstonian when I am in Houston?
N/c
@f00l I didn’t say you weren’t aware. I was only stating my personal experience, which is different than yours, on a limited section of highway.
I only to go Houston once to four times a year and have almost never seen a cop on the 2 highways I drive on in TX (10 and 610) and have always seen people flying down the highway. Of course that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there at other times, just generally not at the times I am on the road.
Now on the west bound side of that 12 mile (20 miles?) bridge in Louisiana, where the speed drops to 55 well prior to the bridge and the sign indicating the new speed limit is behind tree branches (I’d suspect on purpose they aren’t cut), there is almost always a cop from that parish in the same spot, including at 2am. I am thinking tickets there must account for most of their budget or something.
@Kidsandliz
From the local perspective, paying for county improvements thru traffic fees offered up by traveling strangers sure beats paying for stuff thru local taxes.
FWIW, I recommend to my our-of-state friends traveling in the great west: never speed within the city limits of small rural towns, unless the driver wishes to finance the local next constructive project.
@f00l
Yes. See all the times Cannonball Run records were set this year. I haven’t been able to keep count of them.
@djslack
I did see that. It sounded like it must’ve been a lot of fun for the people who were able to do it
Fell asleep out on the lanai with my parrot on my arm-not as good as the toilet paper though
@Felton10 That talon looks sharp!
@Kyeh Walter who is 24 BTW (got him when he was 10 weeks old) hasn’t been to the vet for a wing, beak and claw trim in a while. On arm you hardly notice if they are sharp or not-its when you are holding him on your hand that you really feel it.
@Felton10 aawwww. So cute! Does Walter talk?
@tinamarie1974 Well he does say some words and phrases but not nearly enough for a bird of his intelligence. His species is the smartest bird you can get-regardless of price, but Walter is either stubborn, lazy or has a learning disability-maybe all three. We have never kept him locked up in a cage (except when we go out or at night)-he is free to stay on top of the cage, go in and out to get food and walk around the house leaving his little presents as he does his walk about. For some reason he loves the bathrooms-always ends up in one of the three when we go looking for him.
@Felton10 @tinamarie1974 I do hope you keep all your toilet seats down. I know African Grays are bigger than, say, a Sun Conure and the like, but I’d still worry they might try and investigate the bowl and have a hard time getting out. Some Conure-sized birds are known to get stuck and end up drowning. Again, I’m uncertain if the larger grays would be at risk, but I think I’d err on the side of caution. Beautiful bird, by the way.
@Felton10 @tinamarie1974 At the animal shelter we used to have a parrot (don’t know which kind) that was incredibly talkative. Quite the NSFW vocabulary as well. He was about 10ish. Interesting little bugger and he clearly knew what some phrases meant as he’d ask for treats and do some serious name calling if treats were not produced.
Fortunately he got adopted.
Don’t these guys live until something like 50 or 60? I know the bird at the shelter was supposed to.
@Doooood @tinamarie1974 Thanks for the advice-but he has never shown any interest in the toilets and in fact in our new house there is probably less water in the toilet bowl than there is in his water dish-some new fangled type of toilet, plus the toilets are an inch taller to make it easier for us old farts to get off it. We had a white eyed Conure before Walter and he is twice as big as that Conure was. Probably because he is a male (confirmed by a DNA test) and we feed him well-a fried egg and string beans in the morning with a slice of canteloupe to snack on and bird seed during the day with pizza and grilled cheese thrown in when we have that for lunch, and a grilled chicken leg for dinner although he loves lamp chops and throws the chicken out of his bowl when we give a lamp rib with BBQ sauce on it. And we split a banana at bed time. He’ll try anything we give him except we don’t given him the things that are bad for him.
@Doooood @Felton10 really, I didn’t know birds could eat people food!!
@Kidsandliz @tinamarie1974 Yes they do live up to 50-60 years. You really don’t think about such things when you are 50 as were when we bought him. My wife swears she has heard him say FU-but I haven’t. Have probably said it many times while working on my clients but maybe like most males he only cusses around females. Tried to get him to help me do work, but he types awfully slow-the hunt and peck system.
@Doooood @tinamarie1974 Yeh-the vet said he was one of types of parrots that had no problem with people food.
@Felton10 @tinamarie1974 This thing would swear and then say, “Bad bud. Bad bud” each and every time. Hmm learned that from a human yelling that at him after he used the swear words he learned from the same human I am sure LOL. That thing could make a serious din that rivaled barking dogs. You’d need ear plugs if he was on a roll.
He was interesting though. I’d go over to his cage and he’d come over to me (often the door was open and you’d have to watch out not to get pecked) and star at you tilting his little head back and forth and say things like, “Gimme treat” or “What are you doing?”. “That’s a no no”. “Hey you. Come here”. “Bud stupid”. “Fuck you Bud”. “Stupid”. And, of course the rest of the full range of swear words. Someone there had counted at least 35 or so phrases and maybe twice that many words. I think the previous owners spent some serious time teaching that bird to talk - or it was just a bright bird who picked it up. No idea.
@Kidsandliz @tinamarie1974 Our daughter when she lived at home made it her mission to teach Walter to cuss but with no success. He will only talk around us and at the pet motel where he has been over 30 times when we travel. Have to bring all his food over there and for two weeks and longer that is quite a process. They keep his cage in the office and a women there has taken a liking to Walter and keeps him out of the cage which he likes obviously.
Probably the most annoying sound he makes is snoring which he obviously picked up from me.
@Felton10 @Kidsandliz @tinamarie1974 We had a lady move in next door, and our first impression was geez, what a chatterbox. Then we realized it was her parrot, who had picked up her exact tone of voice and manner of speaking - sounded exactly like her! She also had an amiable black dog named Max, and this parrot would say “C’mere, Max, here, Max” and you’d hear the dog padding over, and then the bird would say “Bad dog! Bad dog, Max!” Such a mean bird!
@Kyeh that makes you wonder how often she told the dog it was bad for the parrot to pick up on it.
Poor dog.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @tinamarie1974 You never know what sounds the parrot is going to pick up-that is why you have to be very careful what you say around them. You don’t even have to be trying to teach it to them. All of a sudden they will come out with something they have heard and then you may not hear it again for long time. As I said our bird stays at a pet motel when we travel and every once and a while he starts barking like a dog for no reason at all. His most often repeated sound is the telephone ringing.
@Felton10 @Kidsandliz @Kyeh @tinamarie1974 My brother has an african grey. It loves him, tolerates men, and hates women. It was a deep manly voice and will repeat the phone ringing, my brother answering it with his business name and a one sided conversation. That bird is amazing. Except it tries to bite me.
@Felton10 @Kyeh @tinamarie1974 I guess you will need to change your ring tone on your phone.
It would be interesting to be able to get inside their little heads to see what they are thinking - especially if they actually understand what they are saying or if they are only, for the most part mimicking. I do know that parrot I was talking about did actually understand how some phrases worked - like wanting a treat.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @tinamarie1974 He does understand a few things-I say give me a kiss and he will move his beak close to mine and make a clicking sound or when I mention the word food he comes running. But his beak is really sharp and his bite is strong. He has drawn blood especially from my wife. One time he bit her on the finger and she was holding him yelling for me to get him off her as blood was dripping on the floor. Another time he bit her on the nose. His bite can either be hard or soft depending on whether he is saying get away from me or if he is really mad.
One time I was out shopping and got a call from my wife asking how long I would be. She said she was holding Walter and he wouldn’t get off her hand and she had to go to the bathroom. I said can you hold it and him for another half an hour. Here is a picture of Walter besides his play area in the wall unit and yes he did create the hole in the bankers box-he loves to knaw on cardboard.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 Think birds have a sixth sense about how people feel about them. Walter has never had a bad experience with a human so he will get on anyone’s hand. He did try to bite our daughter one time, but believe me she deserved it and he did try to bite a client of mine one time.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @tinamarie1974 For those of you who question that he eats regular food-his favorite
@RiotDemon I kind of think the “bad dog” was left over from when Max was a puppy, because I never heard her saying it in person; he was a sweet mellow old dog by then. I think the parrot just took malicious glee in tormenting him, poor dog!
@Felton10 @Kidsandliz @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 I saw this on Yahoo:
Are Parrots Smarter Than Dogs? Dogs can join the police force and monkeys are our fellow primates, but new research found that parrots might be the smartest animal of them all. A new study found that African Grey Parrots performed as well as three-year-old children on a mental test.
Walter is a lucky guy - BBQ ribs, what a treat!
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 Actually the rib he was eating was a lamb rib-he had eaten prime rib and king crab legs. He actually also likes blue crab claws because he can hold the claw with one of his claws.
Still dogs have been trained for hundreds of years, but parrots have not-hence although they are still very unpredictable and should be treated as some what of a wild animal. Here is Walter eating a crab claw.
@Felton10 @Kidsandliz @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 Boy, he leads a luxurious life!
I’ve always kind of thought that “trainability” is a pretty homo sapiens-centric way of looking at other animals - maybe the more intelligent ones train US instead! Looks like Walter’s done a pretty good job of that with you!
@Felton10 @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 I am SURE we are trained by our pets.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 Told you he was spoiled. Now if I could only train him not to make on the floor when he does one of his walkabouts.
@Felton10 @Kidsandliz @Kyeh @sammydog01 he his so cute and the fact that he took over your bankers box to make a club house cracks me up!
@Kidsandliz This is why I’ve always thought cats are actually smarter than dogs despite what they say - you tell a cat to go fetch a stick and it looks at you with utter disdain!
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 Evidently this bird likes to forage and he goes into the wall unit and boxes and shreds wooden and carboard toys etc I put in there.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 Took Walter to the vet today for his yearly check up and wing and claw trim (Cost $128)-when taking his history over the phone while in my car (they came and got him in while I stayed in my car)-the nurse asked what I fed him. I went through the list of what I fed him and she said he eats better than I do.
When I moved to FL took Walter to the pet store for his nail and claw trim and when the store closed decided to take him to this vet to have it done. Walter had not been to a vet in 10 years. They required a wellness ck for new patients and after checking him over she told me he was in perfect health and I could bring him back in another 10 years. At that point decided he had earned a yearly check up and he has had one ever since.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974
@Felton10 I can’t see the photo you posted here as my computer can’t open webp format. Could you maybe take a screenshot of the photo and upload that?
@Felton10 @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 So in other words, based on the picture, you’ll have a 5 year old the rest of your life. You’ll need to make sure you leave it something in your will along with a guardian. At least you won’t need to teach this kid how to drive and then pay the insurance bill.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 I already joked to my children that I am going to put Walter in my will so anyone who takes care of him will get what I left to him. Was hoping he would leave for college-but so far no luck.
@Felton10 @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 Well tell Walter since he isn’t planning on going to college yet he needs to get a job. Perhaps he can work as a carrier pigeon since discrimination isn’t allowed?
This ought to work on him unless he claims
clipped wingsdisability.@Felton10 @Kidsandliz @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 Pitney Bowes might hire him.
@Felton10 @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 If PB hired him he wouldn’t have to work for a living either except to clock in and clock out.
@Felton10 @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 PS if he claims he can’t fly under ADA his employer would have to provide accommodations. Tell him to ask for a drone to ride to do his deliveries.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 We have talked talked to Walter about becoming a productive member of this household but so far no luck. Can’t even take him out for a walk to meet other neighbors since most of the other neighbors have dogs to walk. Thinking of taking taking him out for a walk in cage in a lawn wagon we have. Bet that would get some attention-taking your bird for a walk.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 I have had a PB postage machine for over 30 years so I am aware of what type of crappy co that is so wouldn’t want to get him hooked up with them
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 BTW-in the morning I take Walter out of his cage and put him on the perch in the great room and right after I put him on there he does his business and given the amount you know he has been holding it in all night. Since he waits for me to take him out and put him on the perch to do his business if I could only figure out take him out for a walk like people do for their dogs first thing in the morning, I would be in business . And yes-every once and a while when I am late getting up or take too long to carry him over to the purchase, he will poop in mid carry and the farther it has to fall before it hits the ground, the bigger the mess to clean up.
@Felton10 @Kidsandliz @Kyeh @sammydog01 but maybe his five year old brain could offer improvement ideas
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @sammydog01 @tinamarie1974 I think we have reached the limit of what he is going to offer us. He is getting more stubborn. When he wants to stay where he is-in his cage, at the top or in the great room or even on your hand, he will let you know. And when petting him (yes you can pet birds on their ear holes which are right behind their eyes), if I don’t pet him long enough he will bite me when I try to put him back.
@Felton10 @Kidsandliz @tinamarie1974 Did you hear about this? 🦜
Zoo Separates 5 Parrots After the Birds Were Caught Encouraging Each Other to Swear At Guests.
https://apple.news/AQ4T6E-efTtuPRRI9OaTY8Q
https://apple.news/AukbGPodkQw6ycOIiKDP2tQ
@Felton10 @Kyeh @tinamarie1974 That is too funny. The one at the no kill shelter had quite to vocab but there was only one of him. Too bad there wasn’t audio to go with the article.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @tinamarie1974 Our son (who hopefully will take Walter when we can no longer care for him) sent me the same article. When our daughter lived at home she tried without success to teach Walter some four letter words. My wife claims that she has heard him say FU but I have never heard him say that. Maybe he only likes to cuss around females. I don’t doubt that he has heard that word as his cage is in my office and I have used that word many times when referring to some of my clients and/or their accounting skills.
@Felton10 @Kidsandliz @Kyeh I love this. Birdie peer pressure!!!
@Felton10 @Kidsandliz @tinamarie1974 It makes me wonder how aware the birds are that those words are “bad”? It really sounds like they know and are being deliberately mischievous!!! I wish there was some audio too, that would be hilarious.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @tinamarie1974 Its hard to know. Sometimes we think Walter is the stupidest African Grey parrot alive and other times we think he knows exactly what is going on and is playing us. That is what makes having a bird such fun and unpredictable even after 24 years.
Gone without pants for over three weeks!
@tstew777 Glad you weren’t more specific on which pants you have gone without. Assume you must live alone.
@Felton10 @tstew777 Those are rookie numbers
@tstew777
i have gone years without pants
now, skirts, dresses, those i wear
Got a pacemaker
Drove from Texas to California and back to deliver a puppy because you couldn’t fly them
Wander about with a third world rag over my nose and mouth.