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Post by stepper on Jan 22, 2016 21:52:56 GMT -6
Not great options. When there was no other choice we took Blue Eyes to Texas A&M for surgery on tumors, but there was no other choice except for putting her down and emotionally, that wasn't an option.
How to give a cat a pill.
1.Pick cat up and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.
2.Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.
3.Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.
4.Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.
5.Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.
6.Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously.
7.Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered Doulton figurines from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.
8.Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw.
9.Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.
10.Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.
11.Fetch screwdriver from garage and put door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Throw tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12.Call fire department to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap.
13.Tie cat's front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed, force cat's mouth open with small wrench. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet mignon. Hold head vertically and pour 1/2 litre of water down throat to wash pill down.
14.Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture store on way home to order new table.
Sadly, it's not completely inaccurate. We had great luck with a pill popper but it still took both of us. The vets could all do it on their own but I never mastered that skill.
In many states, including Texas, the previous owner is still on the hook for undisclosed problems like that one. And it's got to be horribly inconvenient, but at least it's not Thanksgiving or Christmas. Laws here specify that the house has to be inspected by an independent person licensed to look for problems - and the owner must disclose any existing problem or previous repairs (such as a plumbing repair in the house) or the previous owner is still liable for any damages/repairs.
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Post by Mini Mia on Jan 23, 2016 1:07:21 GMT -6
Sorry to hear about Ranger, Phalon. I hope his treatment goes well.
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Post by Spock on Jan 23, 2016 16:04:57 GMT -6
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Post by stepper on Jan 23, 2016 18:58:05 GMT -6
I got an e-mail from my brother in NJ.
The heading was !@#$ Snow
I don't know how much they got, but based on the weather channel he's in the 24"+ area.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 24, 2016 9:12:33 GMT -6
HA! Too funny....but exactly the reason why we decided to try the ear-swipe as our first option!
I believe that's the same everywhere. The house inspection is paid for by the buyer, and thus, the inspector is working for the buyer (except in the case of septic inspections as the one required in the county Mom's house is in - that's an entirely separate inspection from the house inspection and is done due to environmental concern; the inspector specifically is trained in septic and sewage systems - that's all they do. I wondered who-the-hell decides they want grow up to be a septic inspector, work in sewage all day, and if that's why the woman who did the inspection on Mom's house was so grumpy!)
The real estate laws are there to protect both the seller and buyer, but in the case across the street, at least the way the new owner presented it to me, is that the seller knew the problem existed, but did not disclose it...at least not entirely. He came to his conclusion because when they first had issues back in the fall with a strong sewage smell coming from the basement, the seller gave him the name of the plumber they'd used to fix the problem earlier, which I'm presuming would have been disclosed noted as a previous repair, so the seller is off the hook....although it seems the problem wasn't repaired to the extent it actually needed to be repaired.
It does seem suspiciously coincidental that two weeks after the new owners moved in they started having sewage issues that supposedly had been corrected. Not that my opinion matters, but I wouldn't put it past the previous owners to hide that fact they knew there was a problem. And I do feel sorry for the couple there now; it might not be Christmas or Thanksgiving but it is winter, they've got a 3 month old baby, what is now an entirely torn up driveway, side yard, and sidewalk - that I'm assuming can't be fixed until spring; can concrete be poured in winter? And the giant excavator (what Hubs said the tractor is) in still their front yard.
Especially for the people experiencing the weather Stepper's brother is right now! I hope he's not getting all that flooding also - two feet of snow can be hard enough to deal with; snow and flooding at the same time has got to seem like an impossible nightmare!
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Post by stepper on Jan 24, 2016 14:01:33 GMT -6
I get it - none of ours liked having things shoved in their face even when it was food. They were more likely to accept a shot than a pill. I'm surprised that's not an option for you, but it's also not a problem I encountered so I’ve never looked into it.
Could be - all I can say is that I feel bad for them.
I cannot imagine that anyone does - I suspect it's one of those jobs that pays well without that four years in college thing so for some, it's a valid choice.
To answer the second question first, yes, but concrete can freeze if it's cold enough outside. At 30 degrees it takes between 20 and 24 hours for concrete to set. Colder than that and extra precautions are necessary. I don’t remember much more than that though – I hardly ever visited dad when he was on site. If the weather doesn't cooperate, they can put down a rock base to provide a temporary driveway and sidewalk, then pour concrete over it when the temperatures are more conducive to that kind of work.
As for the rest of it, yes they can fix the line even in extremely cold weather. Replace the line - I'm guessing they're going all the way from the house to the street to ensure it's not a problem again while they own the home - run some hot water through it (but usually not required for a new pipe that isn’t blocked) and cover it. The ground will offer enough insulation to keep it from freezing up. Based on your description, I’d guess this is running them between 6 and 8 grand depending on how deep they have to go.
No flooding – yet. He’s too far inland for that, but when it all melts, sometimes there’s flooding because the drains get blocked with ice.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 27, 2016 8:28:20 GMT -6
Myself, I'm glad a daily shot (or twice daily) wasn't an option. Giving him a pill is nearly impossible, but I'd think a shot would have a degree of trauma too - probably for both of us because I can imagine having to chase him down every time he saw the needle.
I'm pretty sure that's what they did. The tractor is still out there though, and I wonder if they ran into some kind of problem.
Glad he wasn't in the thick of the mess I saw on T.V. the other day. Weirdest weatherman-on-the-scene comment I heard on CNN: "Some people are ignoring the evacuation orders. The store just behind me closed early because they sold out of cookies and milk." Seriously, that's what the guy said.
We had a little bit of snow last night - not much, but the wind turned the roads into a glazed surface, making for some slippery driving. I took BP to school this morning rather than Hubs, and saw more than a few cars in the parking lot doing doughnuts. I'm assuming it was kids driving rather than parents...although, I have to say, it was tempting.
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Post by stepper on Jan 27, 2016 19:16:41 GMT -6
Bobbins was diabetic and required twice daily shots. I wasn't anxious to do that but I couldn't take her to the vet twice a day either. Turned out that it really wasn't that hard to do, and she didn't get anxious about it at all. We set her on the bed, Steppet loved on her and I jabbed her. She only reacted the first time - and all she did was look back to see what we were doing. After that, it was about the TLC that went with it.
I'm no expert in cold weather sewer replacements but unless you're seeing them there every day working on it, then I think not. However, I don't know why they'd be waiting either. They could be giving it a couple days to ensure it's working properly before they cover it up again. If things were not right they'd have to dig it all up again so maybe it's better to wait a few days. Just a guess on my part.
They all did bit pieces about stores being out of food - the weather channel showed stores in three or four states - but the person you saw was not especially eloquent.
I know it's overdone but our weather is on a roller coaster. We went from overly warm to a morning in the low 30s and the "possible light drizzle" turned into an all day light rain, then another day in the low 30s. The prediction for Saturday is 80. Seems like it isn't only Kat who's going from heating to air conditioning.
Oh - doughnuts are always tempting (no matter which kind you are talking about)
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Post by Phalon on Jan 29, 2016 7:16:23 GMT -6
We won't be using the air conditioning, but it is supposed to warm up considerably over the weekend here too - today's highs are in the twenties; tomorrow it's predicted to get into the 40s. The warm up will be nice for the girls - this is the big Sibs Weekend at the college. LX will actually have two "little sisters" this year; she invited BP's best bud too. Since events are spread all over campus, I'm sure they'll appreciate some warmer weather.
One of the events BP is really looking forward to is an a cappella concert - there are three groups on campus that are performing, and LX says they are all fabulous. Kinda wish I was going too!
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Post by stepper on Jan 29, 2016 19:22:22 GMT -6
Already? Didn't LX just get back?
She's remembering Pitch Perfect I bet, but it's hard to dislike good harmony. Personally, I'm a fan of Straight No Chaser.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 30, 2016 8:54:00 GMT -6
A couple of weeks ago, maybe? Sibs Weekend, since LX has been there, has always been the last weekend of January - I'm sure there's a reason the college schedules it at this time, but I always thought it'd be nicer for the kids if it took place during warm weather. I don't remember what time of year it was when I attended - 40 years ago as my cousin's little sister(!!!) at the same college - but I remember it being warm enough that there were a lot of outside activities.
Maybe BP's desire to go is indirectly related to Pitch Perfect, I think - LX has been talking about how good the a cappella groups are there since she was a freshman (she goes to the concerts frequently because the concerts are free and she is "a poor college student and is all about the free stuff!"). I'm sure she decided to go the first time only because she was familiar with a cappella from the movie Pitch Perfect, which came out shortly before she started college.
"Straight No Chaser" - is that a movie also?
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Post by stepper on Jan 30, 2016 11:25:40 GMT -6
That sounds better to me - I prefer cool but spring can be very nice too.
Nope. I believe the are the best known college a capella group; they formed up in 1996 at Indiana University. They're so good that by popular demand they quit their jobs after college and formed up again. A 1998 video of "The 12 Days of Christmas," led to a five-album record deal with Atlantic Records - the YouTube video has been viewed over 18 million times.
If they are anything like SNC, the concerts are not only free, they're excellent.
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Post by Phalon on Jan 31, 2016 9:00:44 GMT -6
I haven't watched any of the Straight No Chaser videos (yet), but I imagine the groups at LX's college aren't as good...only judging from the Youtube videos I did watch of the other groups. Of course, the both the audio and visual quality of the videos were poor because they were taken by audience members - I'm sure they sound much better in person.
Warmer weather yesterday got us out doing something long over-due - vacuuming out my car of all the pine needles and berries from holiday arrangement making season, and all the dirt and gravel from the work season! Yeah, I know - I can't believe it's taken me this long either but wheeling around a shop-vac in below freezing temperatures and snow is something I tend to want to avoid.
Even warmer today - high 40s already, but it's supposed to rain...and actually feels like it will. Springish.
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Post by stepper on Jan 31, 2016 21:25:52 GMT -6
The roller coaster continues: highs in the 80s, and lows in the lower 30s. Friday there was ice in the little tub of water I leave for the cats. I have the food moved to the back yard and they're adjusting. I used to leave some on the front porch but an older white dog was coming by and poaching the cat food. To ensure there weren't any problems I eliminated the attraction.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 2, 2016 7:32:25 GMT -6
Same here. It was very warm on Sunday, but it rained the entire day...or maybe it just followed me as I drove. Coming back from picking up BP and her friend from the college, it was extremely foggy, which kind of made for a weird effect driving. On the hour spent on rural roads before getting to the Interstate, the fields and farms were all still covered in snow, and combined with the dense fog, it was like driving in a white-out....except instead of snow hitting the windshield it was rain.
Still warm yesterday, but the sun was out for a bit - though I wore a winter coat to walk errands downtown, I really didn't need it except for when the wind blew. Cool down starts today; right now everything is covered in frost. Ice and snow predicted to finish out the week.
Glad to hear the cats are adjusting to the new food location, Stepper. Our vet's office called yesterday - Ranger's medication was finally in. The whole process of giving it to him is simple - clean his ear with a cotton ball and alcohol, turn the tube of medication twice (it's kind of like a Chapstick tube), then swipe it onto his ear. How hard it that? Easy-peasy.
WTF WAS I THINKING??!!!
Reread your instructions on "How to Give a Cat a Pill". Retitle it "How to Give Ranger an Ear-swipe".
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Post by stepper on Feb 2, 2016 18:32:20 GMT -6
Did I mention that some cat's don't like people messing with their ears? I suggest you get the vet to give you a lesson or two on how to take charge and just do it. Oh yeah - good luck tomorrow when you get to do it again.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 3, 2016 6:15:55 GMT -6
A lesson?! Pfft! We're not talking a medical procedure here - it's a simple swipe; wiping a kid's runny nose with a Kleenex is more traumatic. And it's not inside the ear canal or even close to it - just the sticky-uppy part.
It's even more ridiculous because he loves to have someone play with his ears. Every night, he jumps on the couch while I'm watching T.V., and practically demands ear-play. I scratch them, I smoosh them flat forward, squish them, even pull them back and cover them up - 'Look Ma, no ears!' And when I stop because I get tired of it, he head-butts my hand until I start again, or dump him off my lap.
Cats are so friggin' weird.
Lots of heavy rain, thunder, and lightning yesterday evening and into the night. Two-hour school delay this morning due to dense fog. It's not so foggy though, that I couldn't see the deer standing in the middle of our street when I let the dog out earlier. She saw it too. So much for BP...or anyone else in the neighborhood sleeping in. Quetta's barking was loud enough to wake the dead. She'll probably be in the same position for the rest of the day that she is now and has been for the past half hour - with her nose pressed against the window, whining for the deer to come back.
Dogs run a close second to cats when it comes to weirdness.
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Post by stepper on Feb 3, 2016 21:53:02 GMT -6
Actually, yes we are. Vet's have techniques they've practiced for years where they'll hold, grasp, or otherwise control animals that are uncooperative. The grab behind the neck and over the shoulders comes to mind.
Sigh. I understand that.
You have to remember the old saying..."Even water will taste bad if taken on a doctor's orders."
No kidding. The cats here insist I feed them, and if I'm running late they'll be out from their hiding places giving me the reproachful eye of a starving feline who is looking at me like I'm a mouse. But they run like H E double hockey sticks if in the process of feeding them I happen to breach the exclusionary zone - and only they know about how much distance this zone covers. If I'm on time, they remain in hidey places until I'm gone. Except for Twin - she'll come out and watch closely - but it's mostly to ensure she's the first one at the dinner table.
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Post by Phalon on Feb 4, 2016 8:35:02 GMT -6
Not just weird. Cats are neurotic.
It's snowing. Perfect timing - Ice Breaker Weekend starts tomorrow. It wouldn't seem like a winter festival if it didn't seem like winter weather.
Gotta run...time to hunt down my neurotic weirdo for his morning dose.
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Post by stepper on Feb 4, 2016 18:31:36 GMT -6
What is 'Ice Breaker Weekend?'
Run Forest - I mean Ranger! Run!
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Post by Phalon on Feb 5, 2016 7:46:34 GMT -6
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Post by stepper on Feb 5, 2016 16:49:44 GMT -6
We have that in Texas too, but they make movies about you if you get caught. Or in my case, I'm cutting tree limbs off the neighbors evil roof scratching trees - the ones that are reaching the back of my house are about to become cheap firewood.
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Post by stepper on Feb 7, 2016 8:52:55 GMT -6
On the news last night they mentioned (but didn't name) some event in Michigan - some kind of ice event. Some of the participants parked on the lake, or at least on the ice, which wasn't strong enough. Several of them came back to find the front end of their vehicles down in the water, and it looked like they were frozen in place.
All I could think of was that you mentioned that ice festival...
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Post by Phalon on Feb 7, 2016 8:58:55 GMT -6
Doubt it was here - you can't drive onto the beach, and even if you were stupid enough to try, and got through the snow fences, because of the way the waves freeze when they hit shore, it'd be impossible to drive over the ice mountains.
And good morning to you.
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Post by stepper on Feb 7, 2016 9:30:48 GMT -6
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Post by Phalon on Feb 9, 2016 7:43:23 GMT -6
Parking cars on a frozen lake is pretty crazy if you ask me....so of course, I've done it. I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but my brother used to ice-bike race - he'd equip his motorcycle with nail-studded tires, and race out on Lake St. Clair. It was a pretty big winter sport, and everyone would drive out a couple of miles onto the lake where a track would be set up. I think I only went once, when I was home on leave - and hated it. The ice might be a few feet or more thick (I have no idea), but there were frozen fissures that you could hear groan. It was a very, very creepy noise.
I think it was a few years ago that a number of cars actually broke through the ice. I drilled, and found this instead....kinda cool; a 1935 Chevrolet newsreel of a Chevy racing an iceboat on Lake St. Clair - the audio is neat too.
Nothing so disastrous as cars falling into a lake happened at this past weekend's Ice Breaker Festival, but there apparently was quite a few mishaps caused by stupidity. Yesterday was cooking day with Xena Sis for the open-door dinner at the church - she drove through downtown to show me the damage done by groups of drunken tourists; every single ice sculpture had been smashed. She works at a clothing boutique downtown, and they actually closed early Saturday night because of the rowdiness in the streets - people...grown adults(!) yelling, banging on storefront windows, and climbing all over the sculptures. People were already drunk late afternoon when Hubs and I got out of a Saturday matinee (The Finest Hours. A local tidbit - the Coast Guard boat used in the movie was actually a restored 1940s boat, which will be on long-term loan here at the maritime museum to take visitors out on Lake Michigan).
What a shame - 38 years the town has had this winter festival, and it's always been a family -oriented event. Thankfully, I haven't heard of anyone getting hurt, except....
...in the parking lot of the church where we cook, there was a baby-doll impaled through its neck on a post...and it was headless...and it still giggles. Can you guess what LX is getting in the mail for Valentine's Day?
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Post by stepper on Feb 9, 2016 21:34:53 GMT -6
The local forecasters are saying that they won't say winter is over because it's been known to freeze in March, but no one sees anything that looks like winter in the future.
I've seen ice racing like that - fortunately there were no serious accidents while I was there, but I can imagine things going horribly wrong given the situation.
Ice road truckers say the same thing. When they film them driving on frozen lakes they always record low shots and show the ice cracking and popping under the weight of the trucks. And they transport thousands of pounds over the ice. It's got to be a nervous way to live.
I agree - there are few things worse than a drunken mob. And there is no excuse for the wanton destruction of the ice sculptures. How can you expect kids to behave when the adults can't manage it themselves?
[quote there was a baby-doll impaled through its neck on a post...and it was headless...and it still giggles. Can you guess what LX is getting in the mail for Valentine's Day? [/quote] LOL! That's funny! But, for Valentines? Why not Halloween? Or will it be the inspiration for this year's celebration?
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Post by Phalon on Feb 10, 2016 7:17:40 GMT -6
Including Phil!
Here though, we are snowy, blowy, and are supposed to get the coldest temperatures we've had all winter. BP was sure school would be cancelled, although there was no ritual flushing of the cubes performed. The community college in town though, cancelled classes today - probably some college kid had an exam he didn't cram for, and asked the Snow Gods for help.
Certainly not a job I would want!
Because nothing says "I love you, Daughter O' Mine. Happy Valentine's Day!" like a giggling, decapitated Creepy-Ass Baby Doll?
Really, it was just the timing with Valentine's Day this weekend. And pay-back. Remember the Creepy-Ass Baby Doll that I didn't send her? The one I threw in the trash instead? And how when I told her I didn't send it to her, but threw it in the trash instead, she responded with, "it's only when you throw them away that they come to life to seek their revenge". The Creepy-Ass Ball was in my court. I mailed it yesterday....with a Valentine's of a girl holding a heart that said "Be Mine" tied to the doll's leg with a pink ribbon.
I cut the head off the girl on the card.
And signed it "Creepy-Ass Baby Doll".
Yes, yes, there are those who would be appalled. I'm glad you see the humor in this like I do. Hopefully LX will too!
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Post by stepper on Feb 10, 2016 17:37:19 GMT -6
I was on the phone with a guy in Illinois this morning. As he was getting ready to hang up, he said "Stay warm where ever you are." I said "I will. It's 78 here." After a stunned silence, he said "It's -9 here." You can keep those minus temps up there. And speaking of minus temps, did they finish up across the street and cover things up again?
Temps that low would be brutal.
Do they cancel school for cold there? School was cancelled once when I was in high school because it was too hot and the school didn't have A/C, but we never had a day off just because it was cold.
Oh! No, I had forgotten that one and I'm sure it's justification for scaring the cr@p out of LX and making everyone she knows at school reconsider their association with her because of you.
BOLL!! Can you bribe any of the people she knows to discretely film her opening her mail? That'd be a great video to load on YouTube!!
And, how are things going with Ranger?
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Post by Phalon on Feb 11, 2016 7:15:30 GMT -6
It appears to be all finished, except for redoing their driveway, the sidewalk and street, which I'm sure won't be repaired until spring.
I read this earlier this morning, and though I knew they close schools here due to cold temperatures, I didn't know at what temperature they consider too cold, so I asked BP while I was driving her to school - kids make it a point to know these things, yanno. "Minus twelve", she said without hesitation.
Fourteen degrees, which we're at now, is a pretty long way off, but I wonder how cold it has to get inside the school for them to consider closing it? The high-school is undergoing a massive upgrade along with some long-overdue repairs...which was delayed due to contract bid issues, and was finally started right after Christmas break. All that separates some of the classrooms now from the outside is plastic sheeting and insulation blankets. The kids and teachers using these rooms are "allowed" to wear coats, hats, and gloves during class-time; any other time, it's against the dress code.
I'm sure I could text her roommate Niki, and ask her to do it. Even if I didn't tell her why, they'd both know something was up though.
It's not as much of a struggle to give him the medication, but he still lets everyone know how displeased he is about it. The way he yowls would make anyone think he was being tortured.
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