Stress?
“Here’s something you might enjoy, Chet,” Bernie says. “Tufts University – kind of far from here, now that I think of it, and maybe pretty cold right now – is bringing in therapy dogs to lower the college kids’ stress levels at exam time.”
Stress? Not sure what that is, but college kids? Love ’em! What a life they have! I know because sometimes we visit Valley College downtown to look in on Prof. He’s our money expert – we have experts on everything, part of our business plan – and once he told us about this dude name of Marx, possibly a perp, in which case watch your back, amigo, who said ‘The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people,’ something Bernie brought up at a party the other day but no one listened; but forget all that, and anyway it might be in Thereby Hangs A Tail. The point is if I had to be human, no offense, I’d want to be a college student. Frisbees! Beer! Sleeping in till all hours! Calling home for more money! Hooking up! (Whatever that may be.) College kids are ready for fun 24/7. Me too!
Tags: college, college kids, frisbees, Prof, Thereby Hangs A Tail
This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 15th, 2010 at 8:32 am and is filed under Chet The Dog. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
8:47 am on December 15th, 2010
Stress. Heh!! Final exam week. Heh!! Sorry Chet, but college students only want to have fun 24/7. There are these wicked creatures called “Profs”…. And Marx said many things including, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” He mistakenly assumed that humans are altruistic which is why Marxism didn’t work in practice.
Oh dear, and I haven’t even had any coffee yet. (That’s one great sentence you have in today’s post Chet!)
9:33 am on December 15th, 2010
Hi, I’m feeling better. Thanks for all of your good wishes. I like getting the boiled chicken and rice instead of that kibble.
My girl says I will have fun when I visit her at college, but how can that be when she’s not even going?
9:34 am on December 15th, 2010
I know I’m opening myself up to a barrage of disagreement, but I think we have to learn that stress is a fact of life. Sometimes we just have to deal with it. There are times when grief counselors and stress managers are called for, but to help handle the stress of finals, come on. Students have been coping with exams on their own for centuries.
I read one time a grief counselor was made available to a student body because a football player broke a leg. Is that extreme? I do agree, though, that a dog, even without training or credentials is one of the best aids to handling stress.
9:55 am on December 15th, 2010
Sam: I’m glad your feeling better.
TYB: Tufts’ plan seems a bit strange to me. Administrators are very wary of lawsuits and sometimes over react.
Barb: I forgot to say yesterday that I like your grandmother’s cooking instruction: “Add flour till it feels right.” Feel and taste is what cooking is all about.
9:58 am on December 15th, 2010
We agree with TYB. Stress is always going to be around. We have to learn to minimize it and deal with what is left. Can’t totally get rid of it. And yes, grief counselors are a benefit, but I would think people could deal with a broken leg.
The holiday season can be very stressful for many of those out there who have had to deal with serious problems and losses during they year. Our hearts go out to them.
Barb has to run up to Wisconsin for a post-surgery check up, but everything seems to be going ok. Hope she gets back before the snow starts. BBL
10:09 am on December 15th, 2010
Barb and Maggie.
I’m 100% for helping people with SERIOUS problems and losses in any way we can, but final exams and broken legs are, I think, over doing it.
10:21 am on December 15th, 2010
You all know that my girl is not going to go away to college. I think they’re whispering around me because I’ve been sick, but yesterday there was some jumping around and hugging.
10:21 am on December 15th, 2010
Bee, Barb still laughs about her grandma’s instructions, after all these years. “Add flour till it feels right” could be a bit intimidating to a novice cook.
Barb is off to the north country. BBL
10:33 am on December 15th, 2010
Silly!… I tend to think that therapy dogs time could be spent in far better ways than hanging out with hung-over college kids….grunt!… I do agree with the Profs statement, “The production of too many useful things results in too many useless people.”… snort!… Nothing irritates my friend more than having lunch with people and all they can do is stare at their freakin’ phones… grump!
10:37 am on December 15th, 2010
Sam: I’m very curious about the jumping and hugging. And, your girl needs to get a college degree. You have to deal with it.
10:43 am on December 15th, 2010
Jumping!… I think our lil Sammie’s in for a big shock!…snort! …I wonder which college she got into…sniff!
10:47 am on December 15th, 2010
When I mentioned a dog as one of the best ways to help manage stress, I wasn’t exactly talking about therapy dogs. I meant that it helps a lot if you can sit down with your own person and let him know that you’re there for him whatever comes. However, I do admit that therapy dogs can do a job in some situations. I have a friend who is a therapy dog in that he sits with youngsters who read to him. The kids are intimidated by the presence of a human listener because they are afraid making a mistake and appearing foolish. With the dog they sit down and read and read because it’s fun and it’s proven to improve reading skills.
10:50 am on December 15th, 2010
B and Rio, I don’t know what you’re talking about.
10:51 am on December 15th, 2010
Cards!…Someone here is freaking out cause she hasn’t gotten one Christmas card in the mail yet!…heh!…She should do what I do and send ecards!…sniff!….Speaking of which, below is a link to my first card to all of youse on this here blog!…grunt!
http://www.americangreetings.com/ecards/view.pd?i=523689209&m=9432&rr=y&source=ag999
11:09 am on December 15th, 2010
Rio – Thank you for that wonderful card! I liked the Pug, of course, but that big guy at the end was great.
11:12 am on December 15th, 2010
(Whispering) Sam’s girl got accepted into William Smith.
11:30 am on December 15th, 2010
Hey y’all! Mom’s at work, but my boy had the computer on so I’m using it real quick until he shuts it down! Boy oh boy, do I have a great birthday present for Dad! Melanie, just ask OTASF about it! Dad sometimes reads the blog, so I can’t say more than that, but whoopie!!! I’ll tell everyone more later, after Dad’s birthday (New Year’s Eve).
Have a great day, I’ll be back tonight!
11:32 am on December 15th, 2010
Mollypop: That is wonderful. I’m so glad for her.
Sam: I think you just wish you didn’t know what we’re talking about. It will only hurt for a little while….
11:37 am on December 15th, 2010
Wolfie: I’m writing this between crunching the most superb buttery, chocolate and nut-topped toffee that I have ever tasted!Thank you so much. I’m keeping the sticker on the wrapping with your card.
The sticker: Very pretty holly and berry greeting with green glitter that says “Merry Chriatmas.” Mary wrote, “I just couldn’t resist sending this to you!” Wonderful!
11:46 am on December 15th, 2010
I love the card Rio. I especially like the little guy on the top left who keeps looking all around. Thank you.
11:49 am on December 15th, 2010
TYB: I think the kids reading to the therapy dog is wonderful. It makes sense that they wouldn’t be intimidated by him as they would be by adults. I’d support most things that get kids reading because those who read when young are usually the best readers and writers when they get older.
11:56 am on December 15th, 2010
Good morning, plunderers! My mom has been filing old tax returns all morning. Me? I’m napping. It doesn’t get any better than this. I love my life.
11:58 am on December 15th, 2010
Kids!… I agree with you Stover. If kids read when they are young they will grow up and continue reading into their adult life….snort!… The Charming Mr. Abrahams is a prime example of a kid who loved to read. Look at him now!…wheeze!
12:14 pm on December 15th, 2010
After health, can there be anything better than a dog and a book?
12:32 pm on December 15th, 2010
Chet, old pal, you have already done the hooking up part of college life.
We agree with TYB that stress is a part of life, and that our society overreacts to a lot of things that we as indivudals should be able to emotionaly deal with. We are probably raising a nation of wimps.
Mom’s answer to stress is to head for the dog park. She says it is impossible to be stressed or upset when you are around dogs. Me, I’m always ready to go to the dog park.
Tuffs University has a really good vet school. Mom subscribes to their monthly dog publication.
12:40 pm on December 15th, 2010
Sam, I am so glad you are feeling better. I was worried about you.
Congratulations to your girl! We are happy for her, and you will do fine. You will still see your girl, and you have us for support.
Rio, that card is adorable! Thank you!
12:54 pm on December 15th, 2010
HEY!! Today is National Cupcake Day!!
1:04 pm on December 15th, 2010
Yum!…It’s National Cupcake Day!….Wooooo!… So where is my cupcake at?…grunt!
1:20 pm on December 15th, 2010
I just finished reading the manuscript Rio put together for us on the Astrid case. One thing is clear that I hadn’t considered before: Chet smells something at the housing development and then they go to Albie’s house and find his body. Ratko was already dead also since it’s his body they discover later.
Also I again don’t think Tulip could be Astrid because the bouncer of Club Utopia takes C&B to the dressing room and they find Tulip there. He had just told Bernie that Astrid had not shown up for work. He would have said something when he saw Tulip if she were Astrid. Still pondering….
1:27 pm on December 15th, 2010
Poor Sam, I am worried about you. Stay well. And good luck with that college thingy.
Rio, great sounding card there buddy. Thanks.
(PS) I got Alice today. I laid on a chair and batted her tail and she ran away! teehee She thinks she is so smart with all her mousies. snort.
1:44 pm on December 15th, 2010
Rio,
I loved your card and here’s your cupcake.
1:46 pm on December 15th, 2010
I guess the grinch is out early and took the cupcake. I’ll try again.
1:54 pm on December 15th, 2010
Rio,
Maybe the third time will be the charm. If not, it’s the thought that counts and I’ll owe you one.
1:55 pm on December 15th, 2010
Sam, I am so glad that you are feeling better! And maybe you can live with your girl when she graduates from college. Or maybe you can live with her in her dorm like Bruser in “Legally Blonde”. As I recall, Brusier had a fabulous wardrobe!
Bee – I’m glad you enjoyed the sticker. At first, I was going to toss it, but it was just too funny not to send it to a college professor.
Melanie – How is Dan today?
1:57 pm on December 15th, 2010
Whoops, I think I misspelled Bruisers name not once but twice! Or maybe even three times, lol. Talk about stress….
2:02 pm on December 15th, 2010
Did someone say we are talking about stress today; who stole the cupcakes?
2:04 pm on December 15th, 2010
TYB: Wish I could see the cupcakes. Is it a link that’s not coming through?
2:05 pm on December 15th, 2010
Tyb!…It looks like you owe me TWO Cupcakes!…grunt!
2:25 pm on December 15th, 2010
Wait!…THREE Cupcakes are missing!…snort!
2:28 pm on December 15th, 2010
B,
I attached a jpeg image of a cupcake three times and it is not getting there. I was going to ask someone else to send up any jpeg at all to see whether there is a problem with the blog or me. I suppose I could try sending a photograph but I don’t want to get stressed. Actually, I could have my friend try it; he’s lived long enough that he seems to handle difficulties better than I do.
As for you, Rio, you’ve got the cupcakes coming.
Maybe I will try again with another image. Here is a picture we took last night of the Amish Christmas Lights
2:35 pm on December 15th, 2010
One more try. This is the picture of the Amish Christmas Lights not the cupcake in case it doesn’t come through.
2:45 pm on December 15th, 2010
Tyb!…Heh!snort!heh!…
2:46 pm on December 15th, 2010
Hi Chet,
Mom works at a State University in Illinois and she thinks this is a great program! She wishes she could bring us to work to help lower her stress (whatever that might be)! I don’t know what she does but she has to work with faculty and a lot of paper.
Best wishes from your friends in Illinois!
2:49 pm on December 15th, 2010
Rio,
I’m glad you like my photograph. I still can’t figure out the cakes.
2:56 pm on December 15th, 2010
TYB: Your photograph didn’t appear on my screen.
Hi Max and Buddy. What breed are you?
2:57 pm on December 15th, 2010
TYB: Sorry…I get it now. How did you do that? With the white frame?
3:07 pm on December 15th, 2010
B.
I think you mentioned using Photoshop earlier on in a blog so you could do this easily.
First open a new window and size it. I did 4 x 6 @ 150 dpi. Then you use the paint bucket to fill the “picture” with black. Next use the rectangular select to select everything except the part you want to paint white. Once you’ve made the selection, use the select menu to choose inverse. That way only the outside border becomes your selection and you dump white paint from the bucket in there. Voila. You’ve got it.
3:16 pm on December 15th, 2010
Hi B. Stover
We are Maltese. Aren’t we handsome! We share our home with Montana, a long haired doxie, but we were here first.
3:31 pm on December 15th, 2010
Wolfie & Mary: The Toffee is just delicious! The best I have ever tasted. I bet Wolfie picked out the cute card. Thank you so much!
Rio: Very cute card. Are we going to get one from Rocky?
Sam: I am so glad you are O.K.
Max & Buddy: Hi– yes you are handsome.
TYB: I did not get Amish Christmas lights or cupcake on my computer, but the computer is old.
3:38 pm on December 15th, 2010
Tyb – You are one amazing dog. No wonder you have your picture on greeting cards and calendars.
3:46 pm on December 15th, 2010
Mollie, Don’t you get it – the Amish don’t use electricty! TYB is making a joke.
3:46 pm on December 15th, 2010
TYB: Thank you. I don’t have photoshop on this new laptop yet but I’ll try your procedure when I do get it.
Max&Buddy: You are very handsome indeed.
3:48 pm on December 15th, 2010
Mollie: I didn’t get it at first either. You have a white frame in TYB’s second attempt right?
Wonder how Melanie is doing.
3:51 pm on December 15th, 2010
Max and Buddy, We live in Illinois, too. Northwestern Illinois. Welcome, and you are both adorable.
3:54 pm on December 15th, 2010
Barb&Maggie: Oh no…Sorry to say I did not get it. I do have a white frame. Thanks for not keeping me in the dark…
3:56 pm on December 15th, 2010
We are going to check the mailbox again in a bit to see if our toffee arrived. Mary, do you have to use a candy thermometer to make it?
3:57 pm on December 15th, 2010
Molly ABP, We will not keep you in the dark with the Amish lights!
4:06 pm on December 15th, 2010
Barb – Nope. It’s one of those things where you just cook it until its done. I sort of check it as I go, and then pull it off the stove and pour really fast. I’ll be glad to share the recipe if you’d like.
4:25 pm on December 15th, 2010
Staff is very happy. She got a box today. Yummy yummy yum. Thank you Mary and Wolfie. It is delish.
And Commander Rio, thank you for your card. Those are some smart dogs. One looks double jointed too. Just amazing.
I am glad someone explained the Amish Christmas lights. And the setup with the escaping cupcake before it was perfect.
4:28 pm on December 15th, 2010
Hey guys,
There is a dog called Gibson on the Friends of Chet. He has the biggest ears I have ever seen on a dog. Do any of you know what kind of a dog he is? He is at the bottom of the page.
4:43 pm on December 15th, 2010
Toffee just arrived! THANKS Wölfie!
Back from MRI. Didn’t get to walk out. Bummer.
Did okay until the contrast dye went in. You can feel that stuff going in. YUCK. Anyhoo, the tech kept asking, do you have a kidney disorder, do you have a kidney disorder, . . .
Problem was I KNOW why she was asking that. The contrast dye they use is a liver toxin and if you have a kidney disorder it will make your life a living nasty place.
Now, you might think to yourself, why would a liver doc subject a liver patient to a liver toxin?
I asked the doctor that. Turns out that it’s the only thing that can show damage in the liver. So as it showing damage in the liver it’s damaging the liver.
So she keeps asking, my anxiety keeps rising and when I feel it go in, I started crying. Sometimes I just cant’ be the Alpha of the pack.
At that point she says, Hold your breath!
Yeah, like that happened.
I just calmly said, That didn’t work, try again.
I was able to continue.
Jeez.
So tomorrow is acupuncture and then again on Tuesday. Going to cleanse that stuff right out of my body!
4:45 pm on December 15th, 2010
Abbie: My Heinz 57 pal had ears like that. She was part German Shepard. She also looked like a min-pin except she was 80 pounds.
So think Macy with German Shepard ears! snicker
4:50 pm on December 15th, 2010
Melanie!… Why were you getting a MRI?…sniff!… I thought it was your knee that is going to be fixed…snuffle!
5:07 pm on December 15th, 2010
Did we have the wrong part of Melanie to be worried about?
5:11 pm on December 15th, 2010
sniff, sob…no toffee from Wolfie in today’s mail. Mom reminded me that sometimes our mail still comes by stagecoach.
I don’t know what kind of dog Gibson is, but those are very big ears. I’ll have to go with Melanie’s guess. Gibson has a very sweet face.
I’m glad you made it through that today, Melanie. You were in our thoughts.
5:21 pm on December 15th, 2010
Rio, a cupcake for you (hopefully below). Thanks again, the manuscript is great.
5:40 pm on December 15th, 2010
Liz!…I love you!…snuffle!slurp!burp!
5:44 pm on December 15th, 2010
Liz,
Thanks for getting that cupcake to Rio. It’s much better looking than mine was, but I’d bet it has a few more calories too.
5:46 pm on December 15th, 2010
Beautiful cupcake, Liz!
We just walked down to the mailbox and our gift was there! Yea! Will be back later after opening the package. Barb says I can’t have any, but I will give you her report.
6:08 pm on December 15th, 2010
You’re welcome! Rio, the christmas card is very cute, thank you for that too.
There is a dog at one of the local colleges here who works with the student counsellor, apparently, I think with people who have serious problems – not just the day-to-day stress that we all live with! The dog’s main job is ice-breaker, plus people will tell her problems they won’t tell anyone else.
Marx was right about the useful objects/useless people.
6:48 pm on December 15th, 2010
Very cute card, Rio. Is that you in the red hat?
The candy is fantastic, and we love the card. It is so cute!
Mary, that is so thoughtful of you. Barb ate 2 pieces, and is going to try to have enough will power to keep it till she goes to her kids houses next week. They will love it, if it lasts that long!
Melanie, get those toxins out of you ASAP!
6:59 pm on December 15th, 2010
Liz: Tonight I had a glass of Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s Kelly Country 2009 and it says underneath (on the label) Victoria. It’s very nice.
7:03 pm on December 15th, 2010
Liz: Also on the label is, “Grown in the heart of the region where the notorious exploits of the Kelly Gang remain a controversial source of hero worship, embodying the Australian ideal of The fearless, the Free and the Bold.” Sounds like Robin Hood!
7:26 pm on December 15th, 2010
I’m glad you enjoyed the wine! They loooooooove the Kelly gang down in Victoria. And all bushrangers, come to think of it. Ned Kelly’s last words (as they hanged him) were ‘Such is life’. I don’t know how Robin Hood-like he was, not much I suspect.
7:47 pm on December 15th, 2010
Liz: What is a bushranger? And what did Kelly do to get hanged?
7:48 pm on December 15th, 2010
Liz!…Did you send Stover some Australian wine or is she branching out from Cahors?…snort!….Who is the “Kelly Gang”?….sniff! … I wanted some of Wolfie’s special kandy but she put the breaks on that whole idea…grump! ..
8:08 pm on December 15th, 2010
A bushranger is an outlaw, back in Ye Olden Days. Ned, his brother and a couple of other men formed a gang and did the usual things, robbed banks, stole cattle, also shot some policemen, and I think there were a few other murders. The gang were operational for a few years, late 1870s to 1880, but were trying to rob a bank at Glenrowan (in Victoria) when the police caught up with them and surrounded them. There was a shootout, more police were killed and Ned famously clad himself in home-made armour, which was very successful until the police shot him in the leg and ended the siege. He was tried and hanged etc, and passed into folk history – where facts are few and romantic ideals are many!
8:12 pm on December 15th, 2010
Thanks Liz. That is interesting.
Rio: It’s very difficult to find Cahors in the U.S. I got this wine from Four Seasons, the wine club I belong to.
8:16 pm on December 15th, 2010
Wow!… I want to be a BushRanger!…snort!snort!…Commander Rio BushRanger…heh!…It has a definite ring to it!…wheeze!…The Plunderers are running low on funds for the next Mission….sniff!…Maybe robbing banks will be our next project instead….hmmmm!
8:28 pm on December 15th, 2010
There’s another bushranger called Captain Starlight, you could be Captain Puglight. Or is that too close to Captain Pugwash??
Hey Rio in your summary of the Astrid case, Col Bob says Astrid came from pretty rought people, the white-lightning type – what does that mean?
8:30 pm on December 15th, 2010
GRRR!…Put’em up and hand over all the money or yer life won’t be worth a plug nickle!!…GRRRRR!….I’m practicing for the big bank robbery we are going to pull off…heh!
8:47 pm on December 15th, 2010
Yahoo Serious did a movie spoof on the Kelly Gang. Right now the name has gone out of my head.
Sorry to mix you up Riö, knee surgery is January 14th, today was MRI for liver doc.
Also sorry about the
wineingwhining. I just get so tired of docs, you do need to know though that my regular dog says, Melanie, for sick person, you are pretty healthy.Have no idea what she really means, her sense of humor is a lot like mine. Hmmm
Anyhoo, Dan is okay. Nothing knew, Still growing cultures and tweaking the antibiotics.
8:47 pm on December 15th, 2010
Liz: White lightening refers to illegal liquor made by “bootleggers” during Prohabition (the time when alcohol was against the law in the U.S.).
8:47 pm on December 15th, 2010
Laughing here! that should be regular DOC not DOG!
8:50 pm on December 15th, 2010
Melanie!…What is wrong with your liver?… sniffle!snuff!
8:52 pm on December 15th, 2010
If there were no stress, there would be no growth.
I do admit that sometimes when the stress is high (snort, as a certain pug would say) a dog is great. Ten is even better.
Ellie is a Certified Therapy Dog. When we had less stress here (snicker) Zoë would take her to the pediatric ward of the hospital. They were lucky to see the kids because the staff would always stop them. Ellie also was a reading dog. She was great. Kids could lean against her and read to her, and she would like their faces.
Riö: Love the card.
TTFN
9:00 pm on December 15th, 2010
Ah, thank you B.
Melanie, it was called Reckless Kelly. That’s a very obscure trivia fact for you to pull up! Surely you haven’t seen the film? If so, you might be the only person on the planet.
9:07 pm on December 15th, 2010
Riö: Hepatitis C Virus, given through a blood transfusion in 1973. It’s a bummer, but as I said stress brings growth.
Learned a lot through out the years that I probably would never have learned without being sick.
Now where is that soap box . . .
Got it. Climbing on . .
What I’ve told my parents, sons, family members, friends, dogs, people on the street . . . is that the most important thing in life is relationships. Being honest, loving and straight is the best thing we can do for those we love. This can be very difficult and easy and hard and sometimes terrible. It doesn’t matter what we materially gain or lose (though I have to say that I would rather gain) in life, because we are all living right here in the moment.
Now.
Now.
Now.
Planning ahead can be fun, but doesn’t mean it’s going to come out the way you plan. (Snicker) Living in the past, thinking about how I should have done this or that, doesn’t work either and usually isn’t fun.
It is now that matters and how you are with the ones you love, are with or around NOW that is all there is. . .
Not sure if that makes sense. Especially after today. But my mom came in one night and said, “Dinner’s ready, it’s not anything like I planned it to be, but it tastes good and it’s there.”
I looked at Zoë and said, “What you just said, could be said about my life.”
So here’s my life. It’s not big, but it’s full of people I love and who love me It isn’t anything the way I planned it was going to be, but it’s what I’ve got and it’s enough.
Melanie taking a bow, stepping off the soap box and falling into bed!
9:09 pm on December 15th, 2010
LizF: when my comment went up yours was there. That was it! “Reckless Kelly”. What you don’t realize is my guys 26 and 31 were at the correct age for Yahoo Serious. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve seen that and the other one which I also can’t remember the name of, but he splits the atom to put head on beer.
Really good night this time!
9:21 pm on December 15th, 2010
I have never seen the movie Animal House because I hated the way college life was portrayed. Yes that life exists but there are plenty of students who are serious about their education and their future. The students I “hung out” with all had 12 to 15-hour days of classes, work, research and study. That life is never portrayed but it exists. I worked at a university for 3 years and the “instructors” and non-tenured assistant professors sometimes put in 80-hour weeks.
9:22 pm on December 15th, 2010
Sob!… There is no vaccine for the hepatitis C virus… No, no, no that can’t be true…sniff…You do not have cirrhosis or liver cancer, do you?…snuff!…Not if your doctor says you are healthy for a sick person. Now I know what she meant, I hope…snuffle!
9:31 pm on December 15th, 2010
College!…That whole college lifestyle was maybe more prevalent in the 60’s, 70’s and maybe 80’s… snort!… My friend just had a neice go through college and she worked her ass off the whole four years, plus worked two jobs to support herself!…grunt! … I know if kids these days can’t handle the stress of finals, they are damn well gonna be blown away by real life…snort!…I should know, I watch TV all day long and post on blogs!…grunt! …I know what real stress is all about, believe you me!…wheeze!
9:35 pm on December 15th, 2010
Life becomes interesting at -40 especially when you are running late due to a sick animal and leave the house without boots, a hat or a face scarf. My feet were cold all day and my ears froze partially due to the double earrings in both ears (metal + cold=bad). I wear gloves but have never managed to be able to unlock a door or a car without taking the gloves off (metal + skin=bad)…makes my fingers ache. Today I was wrestling with a frozen stiff cord trying to plug in my car and my keys fell into a snow bank.
My new car’s computer system is not used to the cold and kept giving false warning signals on the dashboard. On my old car, I’d ignore the signals as I was used to them but I on a new car, I feel I have to check and make sure a door isn’t open as the dash was indicating or that I didn’t have a flat tire as another signal was indicating and I hate those dreaded “check engine” lights.
Someone told me that chevy makes a truck that the steering wheel heats up. I can’t buy a truck because too many go off the road up here but I am curious if there is a car with such a steering wheel. That would be a big selling point for me. A fellow teacher hasn’t winterized his vehicle so he just keeps it running all day in the parking lot. Vehicles operating on diesel fuel have to be kept running at a certain temperature or they will freeze up. Propane starts turning to gel at -50 so if you have a propane stove or refrigerator or lights, it gets tricky.
Heading to -50….it was supposed to be on Saturday but now the weatherman moved it up to Friday. Rio, where do you live again?
9:45 pm on December 15th, 2010
OMG!…Charris! Why oh why do you subject yourself to such misery within misery?…snort!… I live in Colorado, we are in for some snow tonight, but our temperature is well about Zero yet…grunt!… We have plenty of room for you if you want a tropical vacation sometime…heh!
9:53 pm on December 15th, 2010
Melanie, I love that soapbox. Sorry you’re not still up to get the compliment, but i think it’s great. Very sorry to hear about the Hep C.
CH – OMG!
9:53 pm on December 15th, 2010
Melanie!….My dear Melanie, I am so glad I have gotten to know you and your family…snuffle!… You, my dear, are a very special person and do so much for your mom, dad, and the whole Newf gang…sniff!… All of us on this here blog are very priviledged to know you and your family. A bunch of characters that are so wonderful and loving and talented….gulp!… You all are such a big part of my small life now. I love you Melanie and I want you to stay happy and healthy for as long as heavenly possible…snuffle!
10:14 pm on December 15th, 2010
Melanie, Your words were touching and beautiful, and oh so true!.
10:15 pm on December 15th, 2010
Liz!… *on a lighter note* How did the Kelly Gang rob banks?…grunt!… I need a plan and a format here…snort!… We will not have guns, and will have to use our doggish wiles to scare the bank people into giving us their loot…sneeze!… Small masks over our eyes should do the trick for the banks kameras… sniff!…Since only a few of us are on record with the Humane Society or other places that keep records. We should be okay if there is a line-up of the Usual Suspects..…grunt!
10:28 pm on December 15th, 2010
Twin-Peaks!… We have to admit we watch Psyche and the latest episode is a spoof of Twin Peaks. How incredible is that? I mean that show is about 20 plus years old, but my friend says she was so Hooked on it at the time….heh!… Now she wants to order it through Netflix all over again…wheeze!…Great I say! I will get to see this show Twin Peaks thing too!…heh!
10:42 pm on December 15th, 2010
I read about the Twin Peaks spoof. Many of the people in TP were in it right?
Good night all.
10:58 pm on December 15th, 2010
Stover!…I don’t know yet about the actual actors who were in the real Twin Peaks, as I have only gotten into it 10 minutes so far…grunt!….I – We became distracted over other stuff, we are now going to go back to the show for awhile…heh!
11:27 pm on December 15th, 2010
Rio – re robbing banks, they went with the low tech approach, very successful as the banks had the same idea. I’m pretty sure masks would cover all your bases.
11:52 pm on December 15th, 2010
Bank! … Job! I am thinking simple and clean…..gruff!…That’s the way we will get out with the most cash and no one will get hurt…grunt!… Then we can continue with the next Mission which has been in the works since this summer…woffle!woof!…The Quilt is The Key…heh!… I think I will need Kats for this here bank job…grunt!…Any volunteers?…heh!
12:13 am on December 16th, 2010
Night!…All! Page two needs some Mike Baker work…sniff!..It’s clumsy and not worth it…heh!…Good night all and sleep tight!…wheeze!