Category: Pets

Cleaned Out

VeryVocalVikingLeave a comment

Just 1.5 hours and a lot of swearing saved us a $300 repair call.

Washer wasn’t draining so I accessed the drain trap. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Nope.

This particular model has a handy dandy drain trap right at the foot of the front panel. But… Surprise! There is no panel on the front to open. And, to take off the full front panel, including the door and the seal to the washing barrel. And to take that off, you have to remove the control panel. And to take that off, you have to take off the entire top panel. And… to take that off you have to take off the entire back panel. Easy peasey, lemon squeezey.

So, 27 sheet metal screws later, I opened the drain trap and pulled out four quarters, two dimes, three hair bands, two sticks, a button, a packing peanut, one 8-inch necklace, and a large amount of fetid cat hair.

It smelled terrible and the work was a pain, but well worth $200/hr.

washing_machine

Old Fashioned

VeryVocalVikingLeave a comment

Me: “Hey! Why are all these clothes thrown everywhere?”

Little Miss Thing, age 7: “We’re doing a fashion show.”

Me: “Who is WE, exactly?”

(dog walks out of closet, tail wagging, with a bathrobe belt tied around her middle and a bonnet on her head)

LMT: “Me and Sif. I made her beautiful.”

Me: “She was already beautiful. Are you sure she’s having fun?”

(dog wags tail and isn’t trying to leave)

LMT: “She loves her outfit. It’s French.”

Me: “Well, French or not, at least untie that belt and…”

LMT: “No!”

(long pause)

LMT: “Daddy, I don’t think you understand Fashion.”

Me: …

Me: “OK. I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”

RIP Baldur

VeryVocalVikingLeave a comment

Baldur

I’m not a cat person. I’m just not. So understand it’s not lightly that I say Baldur was my favorite cat ever. He was always hungry, perpetually cuddly, and loved everyone, even the dogs.

I’d never met a cat like him. He refused to run or hiss or react to the dogs. He stood his ground. Eventually, they stopped trying to chase him and just accepted him. He even ate with them and often curled up with them.

Every night we feed our cats a big scoop of dry food and then a can of wet food. Every night the other cats just stare disapprovingly at the dry food, waiting for the wet. Baldur was the only cat to immediately dive in and happily eat the dry food. He didnt wait, even though the wet food always came soon after. He just seemed genuinely grateful for any food, with no pretense.

I want to be like that. I want to calmly hold my ground in the face of giants. I want to love freely and without subtext. I want to always be grateful for the dry food. I think we’d all be happier if we loved more and spent less time waiting for the wet food.

Thank you, Baldur, for all the affection and companionship. I wish you nothing but endless ear scratches and happy hunting in that great mouse field in the sky.

May you ever curl up at Odin’s feet.

God speed, Baldur. God speed.