What did you do today? 2016 version

[MBAustin]

Perhaps we need to start a new thread: "Animals we don't want to share our lives with"?

[NW-Bound]

Oh, there are many creatures you do not want around you. Remember the long list often posted by ReWahoo about critters in Texas?

[Walt34]

DW's nephew got her an iPhone 6S on his plan so it was cheap, about $100 with a two-year commitment, and he says the monthly fee for it is ~$10. He's been bugging her to do this for months. She bought a couple of books on how to work this new thingy and sent her first text message this morning. There's a good chance I'm gonna want one within six months.

So we're finally, if somewhat reluctantly, being dragged into the 21st century.

[harley]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34 She bought a couple of books on how to work this new thingy . . . So we're finally, if somewhat reluctantly, being dragged into the 21st century.

Is that an oxymoron? Youtube is the new reference book.

[Walt34]

Quote:

Originally Posted by harley Is that an oxymoron? Youtube is the new reference book.

No, both of us actually prefer to read from a dead-tree paper book when learning new stuff like this. I can have the book in one hand and the phone in the other and do it that way.

People learn differently. Some lucky ones can see it done once and they've "got it". I am not so fortunate and it takes some repetition and at least a glimmer of understanding what is going on under the surface to really learn it.

[RobbieB]

Thought I'd do a little tree trimming and got out the "chain saw onna stick" and it broke before I even cut one branch. POS. Into the trash!

Went to Home Depot and bought another Echo. I love Echo, the saw works just as good as the weed whacker and I've got lots of branches in the yard for "yard waste day"

Worked up a good sweat and now cooling off with some ice water before I go back out and load them into the bins. Got my exercise today!

[ls99]

Spent about two hours kayaking in the early morning mist, vaguely following the shoreline until the sun came out.

Later hanging out at the mancave, sitting on the deck admiring the scenery, watched an egret soar over the the treeline, glide gracefully to land in the creek about 20 feet away. It waded around for a while then took off in the direction of a lake about 3 miles away.

A perfect day.

[Gumby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99 Spent about two hours kayaking in the early morning mist, vaguely following the shoreline until the sun came out. Later hanging out at the mancave, sitting on the deck admiring the scenery, watched an egret soar over the the treeline, glide gracefully to land in the creek about 20 feet away. It waded around for a while then took off in the direction of a lake about 3 miles away. A perfect day.

Idyllic. I look forward to days like that.

[Philliefan33]

The rafting company that I hobby-work for also runs a paintball place. Tonight was free for employees, so I joined a couple of dozen others to shoot at each other. I've never played paintball before and I wasn't very good, but I had fun.

[rodi]

I'm sitting here watching teenage boys play video games and drinking waaaay too much soda. Older son had a few friends spend the night last night so I dropped some of the strictness on video game restrictions and eating healthy food. The friends are good kids, and a good influence... despite the junk food and video game stuff. (They're straight A students in academically rigorous classes.)

When they leave in a few hours I'll reimpose the mean-mom mode and make my son's do chores, practice piano, etc. Bwa ha ha ha ha.

[Hermit]

Had my satellite internet service replaced today. I went from HughesNet to Excede. I am expecting it to be quite an improvement. Only time will tell.

[bbbamI]

Replenished the booze stash by taking our semiannual journey. Our city (the voters) finally approved liquor sales; hopefully we can buy local soon.

[NW-Bound]

So, I talked to my neighbors over the fence, and learned that the cat I caught on surveillance video stalking on my roof was indeed their cat. It was definitely trying to catch the rats getting out from my roof at night. They aren't called roof rats for nothin'.

They also said that they found two dead rats floating in their pool last week. They suspected that their cat chased the rats into the pool. Theirs is an outdoor cat, and she's got her own door to come and go as she pleases. Even so, there are more rats around here than this cat can handle. There's also another cat that patrols the backyard fence, but I do not know who it belongs to.

Darn, the house that has the orange trees serving as food station for the rats is a couple of houses over, and I don't even know which house that is. I guess I need to find a way to poison those trees so they die.

Meanwhile, I should get some catnip for that nice kitty.

[Marita40]

All this discussion about rats on this thread is really a turn off I'm afraid. It is a disgusting situation, one I can't even imagine. For one thing your neighbors should never let the cat tangle with the rats if they value the cat's life. Evidently they don't. How sad.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI Replenished the booze stash by taking our semiannual journey. Our city (the voters) finally approved liquor sales; hopefully we can buy local soon.

Wow, seriously still dry towns in Texas? I just got back from Oregon and everyone seems to be growing their own plants.

[NW-Bound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marita40 All this discussion about rats on this thread is really a turn off I'm afraid. It is a disgusting situation, one I can't even imagine. For one thing your neighbors should never let the cat tangle with the rats if they value the cat's life. Evidently they don't. How sad.

Yes, rat infestation is disgusting. I have to deal with this, and thought that I would share info about it. A while back, some posters have had the same problem in their attic, but they did not follow up so we know how it ended.

Anyway, I will stop posting about this here, and may start a new thread so as to stop talking about this subject here.

About cats attacking rats, the cats I had were indoor, and they would not know how to hunt. On the other hand, some cats are following their instinct. Feral cats survive on what they hunt. Perhaps larger rats can be a danger to the cats, but these roof rats are no match for any cat. They are not as big as the Norway rats that stay mostly on the ground, or live in sewer. Knowing now that there are outdoor cats chasing the rats, I know I am correct in never using poison bait.

PS. The neighbors had 2 dogs before adopting this cat. I recall now that they mentioned their dogs that roamed the backyard got some rats before. They are closer to that neighbor with the orange trees, so suffer from this for a while, but I am the unfortunate one whose attic got invaded.

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover Wow, seriously still dry towns in Texas? I just got back from Oregon and everyone seems to be growing their own plants.

Yep....well as far as liquor goes.

Years ago, you'd have to join a restaurant's 'club' (called a Uni Card) in order to get anything with alcohol in it. At that time you couldn't buy wine or beer anywhere in town. Those rules changed, but buying liquor didn't...until this year.

[Ronstar]

Went to a Chicago Cubs game, and helped Bobby Hull up the stairs to dinner


Sent from my iPhone (:.using Early Retirement .//82339)

[rodi]

Walked the dog on the beach, cleaned house, vegging now since I didn't get much sleep last night. Older son had friends overnight... and they haven't figured out the whole "indoor voice" thing. LOL. (Son is now napping... not sure how much sleep he got.)

[Huston55]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R There IS such a thing as a free lunch, and we got one today. We had one of those lunch cards where after you eat there a dozen times, you get one meal free. As always, we split a roasted chicken wrap. That was fun. We left the same tip as always plus a little extra, but it was still a lot of fun to know that the lunch itself was free. Then he did his laundry while we watched a "Tiny Houses" show from Netflix. We were aghast at how truly tiny those houses are. I would cry if I had to live in one of the smallest ones they showed, that was only 96 sf. Made me realize (again) how extremely happy and fortunate I am to be living in my dream house, a house that is the perfect size for me and has everything I want or need. Right here. I hope I never have to move because I am getting really used to this.

I LOVE that show!

They have the greatest ideas (multi-use furniture & features) and it's a great way to inexpensively provide housing; and, I think Zach is a genius. But, alas, no way could I get DW to live in one, not even a 500SF one (giant by Tiny House standards), which I could absolutely do. So, we just have to stay in our MASSIVE 1200SF.