Gas, WELL under three bucks a gallon! Woohoo!
So, I finally got around to uploading some chicken movies, if you’re interested. The first one is a movie of Michelle in action. In the morning after I let him out, he is IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, and he’s not picky. If one hen outwits him, that’s fine, he just goes on to the next!
The second one is a movie of the little chickens, who were recently moved from the brooder in the garage to the little coop in the chicken yard, with their own little fenced-in yard. They get really happy when I let them out in the morning, as you’ll see.
And the last one would be of me teasing Michelle the rooster. I clearly have NO life.
Am I the only one wondering if a maxi pad commercial come on the tv after the Newt Gingrich interview?
I’m actually not sure where Maxi’s name came from. It just kind of popped into my head and I went with it. I have to confess that I never ever call her Maxi except here in this journal. We always call her “Momma” or “Miss Momma” and while Kara was here, we’d call her “Outside Momma” (Kara was “Upstairs Momma”, which made Fred suggest that we call Kara “Uma” and Maxi “Oma.”)
Speaking of, it’s been two years since she introduced her kittens to us!
I think I found you through Jolene about 7 years ago. is she still journaling?
Jolene updates sporadically, here.
I really appreciate that you’ll have a foster site. Your site is so great visually that my kids scamper over the second it is on and I have to make sure no “mild adult content” is visible. In fact, they are now clamoring for “the shows” (videos).
Yeah, I know lots of you like to show the kitten pics to your kids (and there will eventually be kitten movies as well, of course), so you can rest assured that Love & Hisses will always be as clean as I can keep it – occasionally an “ass” might slip through, but if you spot something like that, feel free to point it out. I’m committed to keeping it clean!
My weblationship with you & Fred started with a quaint story about a farted walnut, and it’s only gotten better from there!
I had to go look for the entry about the farted walnut, and laughed and laughed. My husband sure is a funny motherfucker, isn’t he?
Also, someone was looking for the entry about, ahem, someone passing gas in Lowe’s and Fred getting blamed for it. That’s over at Fred’s site, he wrote about it, not me. He is also a great big lying liar. In case you were wondering.
Totally random question: you once posted that Fred was driving you crazy, because he was reading a book about hour there were only 5, or seven, or whatever, fictional plots, and he kept referencing the book. What was the name of the book?
That book was The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, and I wrote about it in this entry. My GOD he was a pain in the ass while that stage lasted.
I don’t know if you watch MadTV…but here’s a link to a video that I thought was HILARIOUS. I’ve been spreading the word of Bon Qui Qui…
Is it weird that I kind of like the little rap she does toward the end?
I actually had no idea that MadTV was still on these days!
I did not realize Tommy had so many white hairs. Guess I never saw a close up that showed them before.
Yeah, he’s got quite a sprinkle of them on his back that you don’t really see unless you see him up close. It’s one of my favorite things about him, that sprinkle of white hair.
What did you have for breakfast? I can’t believe you didn’t at least make him pick something up for you.
I don’t remember, it was probably scrambled eggs and half a bagel when we got home. I thought about making him swing through the McDonald’s drive-thru for an Egg McMuffin, but I really wanted, like, a greasy omelet and home fries. I’m sure I was better off in the end, eating my usual breakfast, but it was NO FUN.
That’s what happens when you run [Spanky] through the washer with a pair of red socks.
You know how Bruce Banner turns green when he gets angry (along with growing huge and muscley, of course)? Spanky turns pink when he gets all filled with love. No, really!
I cook my bacon on a broiling rack with the bottom pan covered in foil for cleanup. I’m not sure if you’d lose too much brown sugar that way, but otherwise it’s by far my preferred method.
I need that broiling rack not only to make bacon, but also for when I make Un-Fried Chicken! I bet a rack like that is mighty handy to have around for any number of things. I’m adding it to the top of my mental “I need this” list!
Did Fred try your bacon and want to switch?
Fred did try my bacon, but still preferred his with just salt and pepper on it. Hmph. UNADVENTUROUS.
About the eggs…I was waiting to see if that would work. My method is mildly successful; I boiled 8 eggs last week and only two had tough shells. I was hoping yours would be foolproof, sorry that wasn’t the case. I use store-bought eggs, and I put them in a pot with cold water. (this is the trick, I believe). I put them on the stove on high, and then once they boil I set the timer for 12 minutes. When they’re done, I take them out with a slotted spoon and put them in an ice-water bath to cool them off. Then I peel them under running water, cracking the narrow tops first and working my way down. I used to start at the bottom but I found I was making more of a mess that way. The two that came out “bad” were ones I started at the bottoms. But hopefully people will have more suggestions because I hate the way an unperfectly peeled egg looks.
and
Peeling eggs :the easiest way is to add a splash of oil( maybe 1or2 tbs at most) to the water while it is boiling. The oil permeates the shell ( Remember in science class soaking the egg in oil til the shell was see through), the egg will not have any oil residue, but the shell will literally slide off.
and
Pop those eggs in your vegetable steamer (if you have one) for 20 minutes; eggs cooked to perfection, minimal boiling egg stank and when they cool, pretty easy to peel!
I’m totally going to have to try all these different methods – I’m going to make a batch of egg salad this weekend, and I think I’ll try adding oil to the water first, because that sounds pretty neat. I’ll report back on how it worked for me next week!
Robyn, if you and Fred like butternut squash, you will *love* buttercup squash. It is absolutely the best for baking and then mashing with just a little butter. It’s hard to find in stores, but as easy to grow as any other squash. Highly recommended!
I’m adding buttercup squash to my “Fall squash to grow next year” list!
Atlanta Housewives–if you think the first episode was way over the top, wait until you see the second!! Why do I watch this shit!?
I’ll be watching it later today! You watch this shit, if you’re like me, ’cause it’s total junk food for the brain. It’s not anything you have to pay close, close attention to, you can follow it even if you’re half asleep, and the LIFESTYLE these women lead and the self-inflicted drama is just completely alien to your life. Also, you can be all judgmental about them (“Bitch, PLEASE. Estate manager MY ASS!”) and not feel bad about it ’cause that’s what junk food for the brain is FOR.
Egg salad recipe – please.
I don’t actually have a hard and fast recipe – this is how I make it (and if I think of it this weekend I’ll even take pictures a la Pioneer Woman!). Hard-boil 1 dozen eggs (12 minutes at a slow boil gets them done enough for me). Cool and peel them (I obviously don’t have the perfect method for this yet, but that might change after this weekend!). Mash them with whatever implement you prefer. I use this thing, for which I do not know the name.
Or this thing, which I believe is called a pastry doohickey.
You can use a fork if you prefer or, really, whatever works for you. I bet you could even run everything through a food processor. Anyway, mash it up good (some people like the whites left in little chunks; I don’t, so I mash the hell out of the eggs), add enough mayo to moisten (it’s a matter of personal preference – I don’t like too much mayo in the egg salad, especially if there are going to be leftovers, because it can get a little too liquidy if you over-mayo it) and then add two big spoonsful of sweet pickle relish. Salt and pepper to taste, and voila! Egg salad!
(It probably goes without saying, but not everyone likes pickle relish in their egg salad. We do – I use the sweet pickle relish I made and canned last year – and I have yet to get to the point where I’ve put too much pickle relish in the egg salad. Some people like chopped celery in their egg salad – I don’t, so I don’t add it. It’s all a matter of personal preference, right?)
Please share your recipe for the Mashed Butternut squash. Or do you make it like mashed potatoes? (except no boiling – but roasting?) Do you suggest anything for acorn squash? Sorry to be annoying, but I have both sitting in the vegetable basket and I’m kind of bored with the traditional roast and eat methods. I need variety!
My mashed butternut recipe is pretty simple – cut the squash in half, remove the seeds, salt and pepper each half, put it in a baking dish (I use a 9 x 11 pyrex dish), put about 1/4 inch of water on the bottom of the baking dish, cover tightly with foil, bake for about 45 minutes at 400 farenheit (a bigger squash might have to cook longer), let cool for 10 minutes, scoop the squash out of the skin, mash it up, add salt, pepper, and butter (or Brummel and Brown, or whatever buttery-tasting addition you prefer) and eat. NOM.
I don’t have any acorn squash recipes, but readers? Anyone got any acorn squash suggestions? For that matter, anything fun to do with butternut squash? I love it when you share your recipes with me!
So is that why this link shows up on Fred’s site? Anyhow, I’ll bet your tomato sauce tastes better!
That was such a good book! It very well might be the last book Fred finished – the man hardly ever gets a chance to just sit down and read anymore.
My tomato sauce might taste better (though I can’t guarantee it), but it took so much time and effort to make that I’m willing to sacrifice a little taste and just buy the cheap stuff at Sam’s!
How do you make the beds in your house with all those cats? I only have one cat around when I’m making my bed and OH MY GOD, he makes it impossible. Under the fitted sheet. On the fitted sheet. Under the top sheet. On the top sheet. Under the comforter. On the comforter. Skulking where the pillows go. Hiding underneath the bed and attacking my feet. Racing around like his back end is afire … HOW do you do it with MANY CATS?
It’s interesting, actually – during her reign, Kara made it clear to all our cats that the upstairs was HER territory and not to be intruded upon. Kara’s gone, and occasionally Tommy or Mister Boogers will come upstairs and look around, but they rarely come upstairs during the night, none of them ever sleeps with me, and it’s unusual that anyone’s tromping around on the bed while I’m trying to make it. On the rare occasion that someone’s on the bed while I’m trying to make it (usually Tommy) and refuses to stay off the bed even though I’ve put them on the floor a couple of times, all I have to do is pick up the can of compressed air and wave it at them. They’re so well-trained now (and hate having air blown at them) that all they need is to see the can, and off they go.
(Fred makes his bed when he gets up in the morning, but the cats haven’t been allowed in his room for quite some time due to a peeing spree on Mister Boogers’ part, so he has no annoying cats to deal with.)
Hi Robyn, I got my first cat in almost 15 years this weekend. She is a long hair – Himalayan and (we think) and Siamese. She is the first ever long haired cat I’ve ever owned. I know you had one long-hair, Fancypants (?) before, is there a reason you don’t have one now? Just curious… and thanks
Yeah, Fancypants was the only long-haired cat we’ve ever had. That we don’t have a long-haired cat now is just the way it happened to work out. We’d happily have another long-hair, especially if it had the personality Fancypants had!
ChristineQ had some advice regarding long-haired cats (in case you didn’t see her response in the comments):
I have 2 longhaired cats (1 Himalayan and 1 Ragdoll). The Himalayan is the worst shedding cat I’ve ever owned in my life! Be prepared to wear few black clothes in the Spring!! A couple of things we do–get a Furminator. Himalayans have a tendency to get mattes in their fur and the Furminator works wonders for that. Also, we get both cats shaved into Lions in May/June. Their fur gets very thick over Winter and they feel soooo much better after they get shaved, as evidenced by the kitten play when they get home. As an aside, they look hilarious which is just a bonus (even our parrot laughed her ass of when she saw the cats). You can cut down on the shedding by brushing her a lot but unless you have time to brush her every day (and who does?) you will see a lot of fur spreading around. Himalayans are very sweet kitties and you will LOVE her! Good luck!
I second the Furminator love. We don’t have any long-haired kittens, but the Furminator worked wonders on Miz Poo the Incredible Shedding Machine, as well as Tommy, who I would have guessed never sheds at all – but I got a ton and a half of fur off him. Two thumbs up to the Furminator!
Hey Robyn, at least Delmar didn’t say “Them sirens loved ‘im up and turned ‘im into a horny toad!” when he was lying on the floor with you. hee hee I couldn’t resist.
Reading that makes me want to watch O Brother Where Art Thou for the tenth time! I love the hell out of that movie.
Delmar has SUCH pretty eyes! Have you bitten the end of your tongue off yet from Teh Cuteness?
I haven’t bitten my tongue off yet, but MAN my tongue hurts from all the biting I’ve been doing lately. I’m sure I’m going to end up with tongue cancer after all this tongue abuse.
Here is a website I think is interesting and she finds and/or comes up with some pretty good stuff (and some not so appetizing, but we won’t dwell on that). She has made it her resolution to use the crockpot every day.
It never occurred to me to recommend crockpot recipes – what a great idea! Interesting site, too. I got a roasted garbanzo bean recipe off her site – I haven’t tried it yet, but I hope to soon!
The kittens, as mentioned above, are about killing me with the cute. At this point I only have to go into the room and sit down, and Delmar’s off that cat tree like a flash, strolls over to me and demands love. He rolls around on his back, he climbs in my lap, he rubs his head against my cheek, he is just a little lovebug. Lem’s usually the second one off the tree, comes over and says “Hey. You have two hands, don’t you? Two hands, two cats, THE MATH ADDS UP. Get to petting!”
Marion is easily lured off the cat tree with toys, though it takes some time for her to warm up and allow me to pet her just the teensiest bit. Claudette actually came down off the cat tree yesterday afternoon. She didn’t want me to pet her – the food bowl was her goal – but she also didn’t shy away and run for the tree when I approached her, so she’s making definite progress.
I don’t know what the deal was, but once she got to the food and water bowls, she drank some water, and then she straddled the water bowl to get to the food bowl. I know she didn’t want to sit in front of the food bowl because that would have been too close to me, and she wanted to keep an eye on me, but why she didn’t go behind the food bowl, I don’t know. Silly girl.
This weekend, I plan to move them out of the foster kitten room for a little while (probably in carriers) so I can vacuum in there and change out their litter box, and possibly move the litter box into the closet. They aren’t hiding from us, so I’m not so worried about them going into the closet and hiding. If they do, I can always shoo them out of the closet and shut the door so they can’t do that anymore!
Last night we gave them deworming medicine. I was worried that they’d be freaked out by our shoving medicine down their throats, but they forgave us immediately. They’re such sweet monkeys.
More pictures over at Love & Hisses.
Kara didn’t get adopted this week – there’s an entry about her over at Love & Hisses.
Pet store kitties are also over at Love & Hisses.
Miss Momma in the sun. That cat adores rolling around in the dirt and getting dusty.
Previously
2007: At one point, Fred and I were on our computers and Nance and Rick were on their laptops in the dining room, and it was like a total dork convention.
2006: And since I’ll be dead long before then from (1) PSC, (2) Weight Loss Surgery (3) Heart Murmur or (4) Throat Chewed Open By Crazy Wild Cats, I’m not going to worry too much about it.
2005: And I like Nicole Kidman and I loathe Sean Penn and didn’t want to see him rubbing his liver lips all over her.
2004: No entry.
2003: Poor Stanley. All he wants to do it play, and none of the big cats will play with him.
2002: That’s a lot of poop to scoop.
2001: “I don’t like it,” he said haughtily. “It’s not even REAL lemon juice. It’s citric acid!”
2000: Now I just have to decide what to spend it on.
1999: When I got to the top of the stairs I found Tubby huddled there soaking wet, and Mr. Fancypants circling him in a hostile manner.