Soggy Thursday

iluvjamison

Does anybody have any good Father's Day gift suggestions for my Pop ??  He's 72 and one of those guys who seems to have everything.  I'm really stumped this year and don't want to get something lame just to give him something.

EVERY year that's a trial -- sometimes I do good -- sometimes I don't. And I'm FAR from my folks (like 1500 miles). I'll tell you what I've done -- and at least that may give you another idea:

Just one of many: Papa LOVES ginger snaps (every day of his 88 year life!) -- so a couple of years I have had Walker Shortbread dropship him their "Stem Ginger" cookies which are kind of a fancy gingersnap that he likes. These are little 2 to a package things so he's not tempted to just eat and entire "box" because it's open?? And it keeps the unopened ones fresh. It's fun b/c it comes in the mail and it's FOOD. LOL

Sometimes I go up in flames LOL -- one year I got him cards for I-Tunes because at the age of 87 he decided he wanted an I-Pod for music. Boy -- did THAT crash and burn. HE bought the I-Pod and then couldn't figure out how to use it, lost interest and pfffffffffffffffffft --

So play to your audience Deb -- I decided long ago not to try to "change" my parents. That is NOT gonna work (no matter how much my husband wishes it would).

I'll send you the list of other stuff I've done. None of it is your typical tie-in-a-box thing.

As someone in accounting, I'm usually obsessed with tracking expenses, finding low prices, careful budgeting, etc.  But gas is one thing I pay no attention to.  I have to drive to work (and other places) each week -- regardless of the price of gas -- so I decided I'm just not going to think about it.  Case in point:  I have no idea what gas prices are here right now.  DH constantly announces what they are.  I just nod like I'm glad to receive his daily report.

I've not had to buy Father's Day gifts for most of my life, so I'm no help.  However, I'd follow Yanke's suggestions, since he's been a Dad for a while!  I actually like his ideas -- no worry about sizes or colors being wrong when you stick with gift cards!

So, Ruby had a close encounter with a skunk last night.  About 10:30, I decided to let her out for her final potty (and look for the space station overhead).  I had barely stepped on the patio, and she BOLTED to the fence between us and the neighbors.  She does that if their dog is out, so I assumed they were out looking at the sky, too, and she heard them or their dog.  But there was no barking, and in a flash she headed to the other end of the fence line, and she literally leapt over 2 shrubs at once -- I thought she'd clear the fence itself!  I realized there must be a critter, so I started hollering for her to come (no use!).  Then this horrible smell hit me and I truly panicked.  I ran to the house and screamed for DH (poor guy was just getting out of the shower).

He looked everywhere and saw nothing in the yard, and Ruby didn't seem to be hit with anything directly.  She wasn't "wet," no crying -- in fact, she was kind of subdued, just waiting by the door.  A quick internet search said to use a mix of 3% peroxide, baking soda and Dawn dish soap as a wash, so I gave her a sponge bath.  It seems like only one area (her butt and hips) that's truly stinky.  Oh, and the house reeked, too, because of course we had all the windows open still.  I ended up on the couch in the den all night (almost no sleep) because the smell was too much in the bedroom.  The yard still smells bad this morning, and Ruby's very fragrant if you get up close to her.  She'll have to get a full blown bath later today.  I could TASTE the odor when she was sitting near me as I ate my toast this morning.

YAY!  Just what we need to deal with as my SIL and BIL arrive tonight!!

Ugh Tracy - I'm sorry. I've only had to endure that smell from far away and even then it makes my head hurt. I hope you get some strong winds to come through today.

tacran

gas is one thing I pay no attention to.  I have to drive to work (and other places) each week -- regardless of the price of gas -- so I decided I'm just not going to think about it. 

Unfortunately, it doesn't just impact our driving. It affects the cost of everything that has to be trucked in, like groceries. Michigan has such a short growing season, much of our produce available comes from the South. Even local produce goes up because it costs the farmers more money to run their tractors. The business I work for, a fast food franchise, takes a hit because our expenses go up, but customer counts and purchases go down, which can ultimately affect my job.

Michigan has the 2nd highest gas price in the U.S. right now. DS, who works at a gas station, said it could go up to $4.50 by next week. Guess I'll be stocking up on the KY.

 

tacran

Just what we need to deal with as my SIL and BIL arrive tonight!!

 

Oh no!  What bad timing.  Usually you have to repeat that rinse three or four times.  Nature's Miracle makes a good deskunking product too but the homemade one works as well from what my unlucky friend has told me.  Her dogs have been sprayed so many times it's not funny.  I don't know how I've gotten so lucky to have never had a dog sprayed, considering we have open pasture behind our house with lots of wildlife.  Good luck.  Drink and serve a lot of booze.  It doesn't do anything for the smell but you and your guests won't care as much. :)

sharismom

Unfortunately, it doesn't just impact our driving. It affects the cost of everything that has to be trucked in, like groceries.

I know, it does have a huge ripple effect, that's for sure.  I guess I just feel like I can't do anything about gas prices, and since I hate not being able to control things, it's easier for me to ignore it! 

With other things that are affected by higher gas price (like groceries or household items, restaurant prices, etc.), there's the illusion of being able to have some control by shopping around for sales, using coupons, skipping the meals out, etc.  I have a short commute and rarely have anywhere to drive beyond a 10 mile radius, so I don't feel like I can reduce my gas usage too much more.

Actually (and I'm saying this with NO knowledge about how things like this impact a society), sometimes I wonder if it there would be positive effects of gas prices going even HIGHER -- like prices are in Europe -- maybe we'd make more changes in our driving habits, the auto industry would try to do even more with hybrids and alternatives, communities would consider funding more public transport, etc.  Just this morning I saw a guy sitting in his huge Escalade at the post office, with the vehicle running, as he read through all his mail.  It was running when I went in, still running when I came out, and he looked like he'd be there a while.  Seriously -- turn your car off.  It wasn't hot yet, so no need for A/C! 

I think some people need to be less wasteful; around here the huge SUVs are everywhere, and usually only 1 or 2 people in them.  My friend bikes to work, but she lives very close to her office.  My route to work would be very dangerous for a cyclist. 

sharismom

said it could go up to $4.50 by next week. Guess I'll be stocking up on the KY.

Took me a while to figure out the reference to KY.  I'd laugh but it's not funny when so many people and jobs are seriously affected by rising gas prices. 

Jackie, I found out I can get the Nature's Miracle product at our local pet supply shop.  I'll get some on my way home.  It's not something I thought I needed to have on hand, living in a densely packed subdivision, but apparently at least one skunk has decided to live nearby, so perhaps we'll have other encounters (I hope not!).

Luckily, my SIL and BIL love wine, so we'll be ready with a good supply from local vineyards, that's for sure!!

 Oh Tracy! I sure hope you can de-skunk everything!

I stress about the price of gas but also realize there isn't anything I can do more than I do. I have always thought about trying to limit gas usage. At times from an economical standpoint and at other times from an ecological standpoint and usually both. Living in the UK did alter my perception of the changes and DH truly never thinks about it - his experience of it always been an expensive commodity removed the upset that myself and many Americans feel when the prices surge.

If I had my druthers I would drive one of the clean diesels or a hybrid that gets exceptional gas mileage. I won't spend the extra cash on a large vehicle that on gas gets 12 to the gallon but as a hybrid gets 20. Some of the BMW diesels get @ 65MPG and that is what I would own - however they don't import them here.

Off that soapbox - I didn't get as much accomplished as I hoped so far today but there's still time - now if only I could keep my focus

Husband on his way to pick me up ... dr. appt and then double vet appt after that. phew. But at least no "tornado Warnings" like there were this morning. ugh. Hurricanes don't bother me -- but Tornadoes freak me a bit.

Karen -- *my* husband doesn't stress over the cost of gas but he **is** noticing it now after 16 years LOL. He's driving a Mini (and loves it - his 4th and he puts a bazillion miles on it), but we had to get the Ford Flex to handle the pet therapy stuff and the "scooter" and wheelchair for me (it's more accessible to lft stuff in/out). My PT is small but it's crappy on gas. In a perfect word?? I'd be driving a plain Mini Cooper "S" (in metallic blue! *wink*) -- I think they are SO cute. A Smart car just doesn't have the roadabiiity to deal with the interstate -- but I could be seriously "in like" with a Fiat too. All my favorite cars have been small.

tacran

I could TASTE the odor when she was sitting near me as I ate my toast this morning.

Oh man have I been here a few times, I also found that Nature's Miracle is the best I have tried.  The best advise I ever got was here, and I appologize cant remember who it was but..... the idea is to wash the area affected and not the whole body.  If you wash the whole body you spread the oookkkie stuff throughout the furr.   

Deb, does your Dad enjoy grilling???   I have a couple of grillers in my family and they are all wanting a "digital thermometer" the ones I have seen have been resonably priced and they beep as well as read.  Ron is always forgetting to bring his glasses outside to read the manual gauge.  I also understand that those charcoal chimneys are pretty great for those that grill with coals.