fallingbooks | Reading

twistedchick

Weather, driving, an international view of the Epstein files, and health considerations.

tozka posting in

bookcrossing

The BookCrossing supplies store has a flash sale going on this weekend (February 21-22) for the little plastic bags you can use when releasing books in the wild. They currently have English, German and Norwegian bags available.

Link: https://www.bookcrossing.com/store#!/Release-Bags/c/554707

Use code BAGS50 to save 50% on your order; unavailable for US shipping as they're coming from the European store, just fyi.

Besides that, looks like some other supplies are on sale:
- Sticky notes (International Yellow) are 49% off
- Bookmarks are 25% off
- Re-use labels are 50% off
- 2025 BC Convention Bookplates are 19% off

conuly posting in

agonyaunt

My daughter “Melody” is in the midst of the terrible twos. Five or more meltdowns per day over normal frustrations/limits are typical. Recently, my mother-in-law, “Darlene” took Melody and my 6-year-old son out to run errands, and true to form, Melody had a blow-up. It was how Darlene handled it that has me seeing red. She told Melody that she was leaving her in the store and that she could find her own way home, and left her screaming on the floor! She then moved off with my son, out of my daughter’s view, and waited for several minutes before coming back for her. I only learned of this later when my son told me what happened.

When I confronted my mother-in-law, she claimed her method was helpful because Melody behaved afterward. And she said Melody was “never in any danger” because she kept her in sight at all times. After this, I no longer feel safe with Darlene going places with the kids without my husband present or me. Sadly, my husband is no help. He agrees that this was a good “lesson” in behaving for our daughter and that his mother used to do it to him and his sister when they were kids! Please tell me I’m right in telling Darlene her days of taking the kids solo are over.
—Pissed

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conuly posting in

agonyaunt

Dear Carolyn: I know you love dogs, but in a reasonable way, so I figure you’re a good person to ask. Is there a “normal” amount of pets for someone to have? I never had dogs or cats growing up and didn’t want them in our home when our children were young.

All my children at times asked for a pet but grew to accept my aversion, except for my youngest daughter. When she used to insist she couldn’t wait to move out and get a pet, I took it with a grain of salt. She did get a dog in the house she shared with friends in college, and her obsession has only grown since then. The last time I saw her, she excitedly told me she’s a foster parent to a litter of puppies now. I’m not sure how that works, but it brings the number of dogs in her house from two to six, and she also has two cats.

I asked if she was going to get kicked out of her house, since her township can’t possibly allow that number of animals in a small home and yard, and she just laughed at me. She apparently doesn’t understand the law or care how this all must affect her neighbors.

Could this possibly be the start of some sort of mental illness? Should I try to intervene further?

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conuly posting in

agonyaunt

Dear Care and Feeding,

My wife, “Lourdes” and I have a 2-year-old daughter, “Mackenzie.” Mackenzie was a difficult baby (long crying spells, difficult to soothe, hypersensitive to sound, fussy about solid food, etc.), and my wife has a low threshold for frustration. So most of Mackenzie’s care fell to me since Lourdes said she “couldn’t deal with it.” The result has been that our daughter is closer to me than she is to her mother. Well, Lourdes said something disturbing regarding our daughter recently.

Mackenzie had a meltdown when my wife tried to get her dressed for daycare, so Lourdes told me I needed to do it because of her theory that our daughter “hates her” and “the feeling is mutual.” Mackenzie has a routine of putting her clothes on in a specific order. Lourdes is aware of it, but wanted to do it her way, which set her off. Mackenzie has her quirks, and if you work with her (her daycare providers follow them and have reported no issues), everything is fine. The trouble is that my wife is accustomed to people doing things her way, and she does not react well when her expectations are not met. I’m seriously concerned about her relationship with Mackenzie, especially because right after her mother tasked me with dressing her that day, she said, “Mommy is mean.” Lourdes balked when I suggested counseling. How am I supposed to resolve this?

—Daughter Division

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minoanmiss posting in

agonyaunt

Dear Care and Feeding, ( Read more... )

twistedchick

Sweetiecat is starting to do better. Her tail isn't dragging, she lifts her head to look at me and she's purring a little. Last night she jumped up on the bed next to Steve, which she hasn't done in a while. She is eating and visiting the litter box, and moving around.

Zoomy is a bit of a sad sack, because he feels left out; Sweetie is getting all the attention, he thinks. I have the door open, and he could come in at any time and curl up next to me, but he is not doing it; he's fussing about Sweetie. She's his big tolerant sister who puts up with him jumping on her until she does a judo move and stand over him and lets him know that's enough. He is a dear loving boy, and getting bigger every day, or longer.

And I have decided, after much upset and a cost-benefit calculation, not to go to Sacred Space, the big interreligious pagan conference that is less than 15 miles from me this time. ( more behind cut )

twistedchick

A little sarcasm and a lot of truth, connecting one thing and another of everything around us right now politically -- and the end of it is FOTUS' ego.

twistedchick

Apparently, after I stopped watching 'Primeval' because they'd killed off or lost all the original players, they brought it back for two more seasons, in the process finding two characters lost in the Cretacious Era. So now I'm watching entirely new-to-me episodes, and thinking how much more AU my AU series of stories is now with all this additional context.

twistedchick

Sweetie is home from the vet, with medicine to rub on her ear (for absorption) and pills (good luck to us on that) and a shot from the vet to help things move through her better. They took blood tests also but we'll find out about them Monday.

She is sniffing at food, and walking around outside of her hiding place, so I think she's feeling a little better. Steve said she purred for them, which is very good.

twistedchick

I have been on Discord for years. However, if I am asked to submit to facial recognition in order to use it, I am bailing. I wish to retain what shreds of privacy I am still allowed in this society, and I don't want to be stuck into yet another database that will (of course) be made available to whoever wants in.

twistedchick

Sweetie has a vet appointment tomorrow. I think she's constipated; she is peeing (including on the back room rug, which I sprayed peroxide on after mopping it up), but not passing anything. She is not eating, though I think from the pee volume she is drinking water. And she is still mainly hiding behind stuff under the ancient (possibly post-colonial era fourth-hand) desk with the enormous 92-year-old sort-of-easy-chair that is hard to move). Since she is able to get up and walk well enough, I will slide down the front of the chair under the desk tomorrow and try to move her, which will make her get up and walk out, where Steve can grab her.

My throat is okay now. Maybe something is going around? A one-day sore throat that vanishes?

twistedchick

Sweetie, our 14-lb Kliban cat (dark gray and black tabby) hasn't been feeling well. She was upchucking yesterday, not furballs, and I think she may be allergic to the food. But this morning we couldn't find her at all -- looked downstairs and main floor -- until the SU located her in the most inaccessible place in the house: on the old shag rug under the desk in the library/not so spare room. There, she's under a large desk and blocked in by a large chair and neither of us are up to digging her out. She is reasonably alert, so we're waiting for her to emerge at some point. I've put out water for her, and food that I know she can eat (non fish). And now we wait.

Meanwhile, there's a gland at the top of my throat that is trying to decide if it's swollen or not.

conuly posting in

agonyaunt

DEAR ABBY: It seems that everywhere I go, people expect tips. Yesterday, I pulled up to the drive-through at a cookie store, and before I paid or was handed my cookies, the clerk asked, "Would you like to leave a tip?" My niece recently told me that after she left a tip at a restaurant, the server followed her outside and asked if she hadn't been a very good server because the tip was small. I can give you more examples just from my family regarding their experience with tipping.

In this economy, I don't feel the 20% rule should apply. For the price of a lunch for two at a sit-down restaurant these days, the tip costs as much as a small entree. When I go through a drive-through, I don't feel I need to tip because I'm not inside using their facility. But if I don't, I get a disappointed look from the gal who gets paid to make and hand me my drink. What are your thoughts? -- TIPPED OUT IN IDAHO

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