Our dog died thursday morning, just before I left to work.
He was old (14 years) we've had him since he was 1 year old, his owner had left him on the street because he was epileptic and he did'nt want to spend any money on him.
He was such a good dog, our kids have played with him and even do they where annoying with him, he never ever hurt them.
He was sick for the last 2 years, the Vet did'nt understand what was his problem but he found out that if he took antibiotics he stopped vomiting and was living an almost normal life so we kept him on the antibiotics for the last 2 years.
Wednesday he was'nt feeling good, I had to take him in my arm to move him around the house, he was a fairly big dog (80 pounds)
The Vet could'nt see him on wednesday nite and my wife was supposed to go to the Vet on thursday morning. She slept beside him on the floor of the living room and at 5 in the morning he died in her arms.
The house is so empty without him around, we miss him so much.

Oh Bill, I am so sorry. At least he was with your wife when he died, safe at home and with familiar smells and sounds. Far better than a final trip to the vets.

Such small comfort though. You have my sympathy.

My sympathy Bill - and the same for all your family.
He lived a good life, and as Dana said, he died a good death.

Take your time to grieve, it's important.
Sorry for your loss.

(sad)

So sorry to hear of your loss, Bill. Take time to grieve, as SG said. The smiles at all the goods times you had together will come back with time.

Bummer, good friends are hard to part with. :(
Do you have a picture you could post, Bill?

I don't think SG posted anything stupid. I think her expectations are reasonable. She and everyone else should expect to be able to put things in places and expect parents to keep their children away from them if they're not for children to play with.

No one's children are perfect, and kids don't need to be beaten in order to learn that some things are not for them to play with. It's not about the children even. It's about the parents. If you don't control your child when you're in public, that's your problem, not the childs. Take them home and let them wreck your stuff.

That's all.

I'm really sorry about your puppy dog Bill. A pet that's been with you its whole life is irreplaceable. Again, I'm really sorry for your loss.

Absolutely. But if your competitor provides an environment that doesn't cause unecessary difficulties for parents with very small children, you may also expect to lose their business.

The whole issue of "control your child" ignores the very important fact that they are relatively new on the planet and have limited experience. They may not be malevolent harbingers of doom, they might be a little uncoordinated, or so interested in some fantastic shiny thing that they forget they need to pee until they no longer need to pee.

Yes, there are parents who are completely whipped by their kids, but it is important to remember that children are a force of nature and they have actual needs beyond food clothing shelter and love. They need stimulation, play, exploration, touch, etc. they need to explore the world through their five senses.

Obviously they can't go anywhere they like and that's where parenting comes in. Distract and deflect are two great techniques, but there are times when, because of circumstances, that won't work.

There are a lot of shitty parents out there. But if you have a business that isn't a singles bar, and it services mini vans, let's say, you can expect that a kid is going to come into your store at some point.

Where am I going?

You're right, that's why they should be muzzled, and leashed, in public. :vikingsmi

Who?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_Qh3tWImXM&NR=1

my car had a goddamn flat, and I was stranded in the Target parking lot in 100 degree heat. AAA said they'd come right out -- in 2 hours.

This, right after I took it in last week, and the tires were rotated. When I picked it up, the same tire was flat. They said, it was the valve, but they fixed it.

Apparently not.

Now it really does look I'll need all new tires. fuck.

Sounds like what you really need is a new mechanic. You've told more than a few stories about them that really don't add up.

different mechanics, though. The whole tire thing is really pissing me off.

and did I mention I HATE car trouble stuff?

What kind of rims? Aluminum ones can get bent slightly and tires develop slow leaks.

Steel rims on older cars can get rust which needs to be wire brushed off, sometimes they can get cracks. Could be bad valve or poor repair.

I've also had flat tire jags where I've had five or six in a row.

sucks. AAA are as useless as tits on a bull imho

I think aluminum rims. Maybe I should get all new wheels--if I size up isn't that supposed to improve handling? Don't wanna put silk purses on the sow, though.

Rims can be expensive. Larger tires, on the same rims, will improve handling, but I doubt you drive in a way that you'd notice any difference.
Larger tires will be heavier which will degrade the ride quality. They would likely offer more rolling resistance, which decreases mileage, also.

Maybe what you need is better (read, more expensive) tires. There's a reason $150 tires cost more than $60 tires, besides greed. Sometimes the more expensive tires are cheaper in the long run, also.
That said, price alone is not a guarantee of a better tire. Places like Consumer Reports, often available at the library, can tell you what to watch for.

Yeah, I think I got crappy tires because I tried to economize. I've already printed out the list of recommended tires from CR, and am going to try to shop around to see if I can get some for a good deal.

Ditto at our workshop.

Toys, LCD TV with built in DVD player, with an assortment of kid friendly DVDS, trashy girlie magazines, Tea/Coffee facilities, as well as everything for the men folk.

http://www.tirerack.com/

ships directly to your mechanic

I scoped that site out already. But I'm a little concerned--one, won't my local tire places be pissed that I bought tires someplace else, and two--if something happens to a tire (like what happened this weekend); it's not as if I can just roll in there and ask for help or replacement.

lol! That happened to me the other day Cloud! My car stopped in the left hand lane of a busy intersection. That was fantastic. I also forgot my cell phone that day. I ran to a pay phone that did not work, with my car still in the middle of the street. I ran some more and found some kids in a parking lot holding cell phones and paid them 50 cents to make a call to my husband. So the car sat there for about 30 minutes and then it luckily started and I was able to drive it out of the intersection. It was the fuel pump that went out.....

I got that fixed but then was stranded in my work parking lot because of the transmission. I have been lucky to figure out that it is just the dipstick that needs replacing because the car won't go anywhere or hesitates with air in the line. So now I get stuck and have to adjust the dipstick when it gets out of whack while driving. A new one has to be ordered from alb. I am hoping it is just the dipstick. It seems to be so, because every time I adjust it, the car works perfectly again. Maybe there is a sensor? Dunno.

About your tire, yes I would go local and get the warranty in case they fix it and it needs to be repaired quickly on their dime.

http://www.nokiantires.com/en/DEFAULT.ASPX

Worth every penny. Get dedicated snows and summer tires.

I went to visit Rhoda's grave this morning. First, they had the plot under her mother's name...her mother is very much alive. Apparently, that was a clerical error. Then I found the site...an unmarked plot in the middle of calf-high grass.

She deserves better than that.

I'm sorry to hear that, Syc. I hope you straightened them out.

Sorry that it was a more difficult experience for you than it should have been.
How long has it been now - perhaps the family are saving for a stone?

Rhoda died 18 months ago...Christmastime 2006.

I'm not sure what the situation is. Her family did pretty well financially, though they didn't have money out the wazoo. And I only know a little of what happened in the last year of her life: a mini-stroke, a leg amputation and the death of her dad three weeks before her own...he's buried in a Vets' Cemetery about 10 miles away from her.

I am almost certain that no malicious intent is involved. But it just killed me to see the grave in that state. If you put someone in the ground like that, they deserve to be noted. To see her grave like that made it seem like she was alone and forgotten. I believe that she's in Heaven, but her physical remains are still here on Earth...and they deserve to be respected.

The situation ate at me until about mid-afternoon...then I decided to go back out there.

I went over to a Wal-Mart near the cemetery and bought some fake Black-Eyed Susans and a vase. She liked the flowers because they reminded her of home...they're the state flower of Maryland. I then attached a few small momentos that I brought with me from St. Louis.

Before:

http://thebosque.us/images/06092008.jpg

After:

http://thebosque.us/images/060922008.jpg

http://thebosque.us/images/060932008.jpg

That's better.

I'm not sure who Rhoda is, and I'm sorry for your grief, but . . . I wouldn't mind being buried in that field. Even without a marker.

Cemetery mixups are more common than you might think. My mom was buried in the wrong grave, and we eventually dug her up, cremated her, and moved her remains.

Rhoda is my ex-fiance who passed away in December 2006. We split up in March 2005.

She used to post as LadySycamore.

Syc I see you point having seen the photos.
I was imagining an English cemetary, where the dead are laid out in individual plots and the grounds are maintained. I just pictured grass on her individual grave.

I agree it seems a shame to decide on a burial and then just leave the body with no marker.

Good for you for marking her passing, and her resting place.

In some ways it seems a shame....but in another way it seems a little poetic. Like she's truly gone back to nature. She is the field now.

You've done right by her Syc. You're a good man.

Thanks, ladies.

I just want to stress though...I was very self-conscious about putting this stuff up (both here and at The Bosque). I hope it doesn't come across as me trying to be some over-the-top do-gooder..."Look at what I did! Aren't I awesome?!"

Rhoda and I weren't on bad terms per se when she died, though we hadn't spoken in almost a year. I had no ill will towards her. And though it was painfully obvious that we weren't meant to be together, I still love her a great deal...I mean, shit, we spent 6 years together and lived together for most of that time.

Paying my respects was one of the main things I wanted to do on this trip. I didn't go to her funeral because 1) I broke my ankle the day after she died and 2) I wasn't sure that my presence would be welcomed, and I didn't want to fuck up her special day. When I saw that grave, I felt like it wasn't right and that it needed to be "fixed." So I did both...and now I'm at peace.

Not even for a for a moment m'dear.

You did the right thing, syc. :)

Well done syc.

Crap. I didn't know ladysycamore died.

This job. Specifically how we have back-pedaled to jumping through hoops for people who have waited until the last minute, which flies in the face of regs saying we can treat no student differently than any other, imho. I feel like a trained bear riding a tricycle and ringing the bell. Also, everything gets out of whack and I get behind on people who have been waiting patiently, and make mistakes because in this job consistency is SO important, and then my boss will email me and ask where I am in processing because Susie filled out her FAFSA yesterday, is getting kicked out of her apartment, needs new tires, is pregnant, has fibromyalgia, and a bad case of the acne.

OMG as I was writing this I got a forward of a voicemail from a whiny ass student bitch from my BOSS. It took everything I had not to tell her to go fuck herself.

Oh, and the IRS can kiss my ass. Since I don't get 15 grand in earned income credit and I don't believe in using the tax system as a savings account my total tax liability always leaves me owing a little each year. Because I won't let the gubmint mismanage my money one more second than I have to, I do not mail my return and check until the 15th of April. Therefore, since there was no direct deposit information because I don't get money back, I fell into the group of folks who not only didn't get the fucking Stimulus Payment (aks STress Payment) in May with direct deposits, since the IRS did not have my return to process before the 15th I am now almost 2 weeks past the date I was to get the money due to the last 2 numbers in my social security number. STill not in my mail as of today.

I mean it's free money and all, but I thought that just for once in my whole freaking life a single working adult with no dependents wouldn't get fucked in the ass by every government agency on earth.

The day started out pretty well...:(

I have to go to an executive meeting. I really, really don't want to. I want to stay at home and watch Youtube......don't wanna be all on guard and ready for attacks....don't wanna be watching for the subtext on everything that gets said. Must. Not. Lose. Temper. This. Time.

Pah!

just as my shoulder was getting better i refucked it last night --twice-- left me kneeling at the foot of the stairs. Now in a sling debating the merits of vicodin, percocet, hydrocone, alleve, and some "muscle relaxer" my sil gave me.

Also typing one handed, despite all my practice, it's slow going since I one handed type w/ the other hand.

I think I could get a poem out of that...

I personally have other body parts in mind when I'm of a mind to fuck something, but hey, if shoulders are your thing, it's no business of mine.

Maybe dar could write music to it...

At least your humor isn't broken

A particular person I am forced to deal with on a semi-regular basis has officially crossed the line from irritating to genuinely, clinically, batshit insane (yeah, look it up in the DSM-IV.)

My stepson has supposedly begun washing his hands overly frequently, and what's more, doing so in a secretive manner. This worries said Batshit Insane Person. We pointed out to BIP that in fact both the kids have always been freaky about washing their hands, and this is predictable since she herself is a germ-phobe and is constantly drilling into them the need to wash their hands and never touch "dirty" things. She denied that she is a germ-phobe, and insisted it is perfectly reasonable to encourage hand-washing

1.) after using the bathroom,
2.) before meals,
3.) after meals,
4.) upon arriving home from school, and
5.) whenever one uses the computer.

WTF? Yes, BIP has taken to heart all the typical local-news scare articles about how the computer keyboard is the germiest thing in the average person's house. The children must wash their hands every time they touch it.

So, she's making the kids wash their hands a minimum of 8-10 times a day--and also enforces such behaviors as never touching the kitchen garbage can, and opening/closing the bathroom door with one's elbows instead of hands, not just in public but at home--and yet she sees no connection between this and a child who has begun to compulsively wash his hands at additional times?

No, there is no connection. We are being accusatory and looking to pin blame, obviously. Because it isn't just handwashing, see! He has also been discovered "spraying down" his toys.

What the hell does she mean, "spraying down?"

Oh, you know, with the sanitizer spray.

And why does a kindergartener have access to sanitizer spray?

Because it's in the bedroom. Because she, Batshit Insane Person, sprays down all of the child's possessions about once a week. Only once a week! That's completely reasonable, and nothing like the child doing it himself at times other than times she has deemed necessary!

She honest-to-god, cross-her-heart-and-hope-to-die, sees no connection whatsoever between her actions and this child's behavior. She is in fact shocked that we would suggest she is doing harm, either physical or psychological, by "protecting" the children as such.

Hay-zeus Creesto.

I just learned today that our electric company will be raising rates by 18% next month.

18 fucking percent!

Does your company have a deal where you can lock in rates if you commit to two years of service, or anything? Ours has several different "plans" you can choose from.

I think so. In years past, I've ignored those schemes, but I should really look into them now. (Should have seen this coming and looked into them six months ago.)

I was surprised from the article to see that coal costs have gone up 95% in the last year. We're almost all coal in this region.

Eek, Clod! Hygiene is one thing, but I hope you can ward off the incipient OCD stuff.

glatt, what does that work out to in actual dollars? I'm curious what other's pay for electricity. Over the last 12 months, our electric bills have been between $25 and $39 for 197 to 336 kWh. An 18% increase would mean an additional $6 per month, on average. I imagine that if you have air conditioning or electric heat your costs might be significantly higher.

We have gas heat, and electric A/C, water heater, and all major appliances. Our electric bills are about $130-$150 in the winter, $250-$275 in the summer.

Our gas bill is probably a lot lower than yours though.

Bad washing machine design...

Our gas bill over the last 12 months has ranged from $17.17 in August (most of that was the Service and Facility fee of $10.65) to a high of $152.33 in February. If my wife controlled the thermostats the bills would be a lot higher.

We have an electric dryer, gas heat and hot water (actually a side-arm water heater) and a gas grill.

*Takes a swig of his clean nuclear energy*

I think ours averages out at about $40 a month.
And the heating is gas so that goes on top.
No A/C of course, but it is only a (very small) 2 bedroom house. I think that's quite high, personally.

Not helped by our differing hours at the moment, making it nearly a 24 hour house same days.

My electric is about £40 per month (but that includes paying off a debt) and Gas is about £50 per month.

BIP needs some reality checked slipped into her breakfast cereal. H Mackerel.

We couldn't get the inch to wash hands we tried explaining to him thathe could get sick if he didn't wash his hands after using the toilet. (I am sure we mentioned pooping) Eventually we found out that interpreted the talk to mean He shouldn't touch his penis or he would get sick. Discovered that after he nearly flipped out on me when I was taking a leak, almost like that line from time bandits: "Dad! Don't touch it; it's EVIL!"

He is now no longer afraid to touch his "special purpose" but he also isn't too keen on hand washing.

But what's irritating me today is just a lot of stuff.

"special purpose"? :eek:

ah. thanks. I think. :lol: