You started with the story I’m living, car was stolen, this month replaced the washing machine and the microwave and friends are having gallbladder surgery, heart racing, tripping on sidewalks, … but then I read your analysis of James Bond and it cheered me up! Happy Chanukah!
Last week in the small towns where I live there was a 3 day search with drones looking for someone’s dog that got out. At least half the time this happens, there is relief throughout because they’re found. This time they found the body of the sweet dog Theo.
I’ve been through this tragic dog death ordeal ten times, most recently almost 1 year ago.
The worst would be not finding his body, and not knowing.
Passing away and not being there for your dog to accompany them to their end in the safety of your care is up there with the worst. When you are there going through the heart-searing end with them you can also feel blessed and honorable. It is your duty, and you stretch to fulfill that role and there is honor in that.
When to end it? When their appetite goes, when they can no longer control themselves, when their eyes are telltale sad. Take a picture of your pup. Look at their eyes. I can look at photos and tell which were the times that I waited too long. Sometimes it’s just one excruciating day too long. Tell your boy or girl that you are there for them from beginning to end. Doing the unthinkable is against all our instincts, it feels crazy. In the actual moment I’m thinking “Huh, what am I doing ?”
Then they’ll be waiting for us on the other side. All the best wishes for you during this difficult time. It’s a strange time for so many people, tragedies and miracles none of us thought we’d see.
This last 10th dog something happened that I never thought would happen to me.
Maybe to someone else on some NDE show, not me, but it did. I’m glad you made me think back to it , I’m amazed all over again.
I was too young in the early sixties to stay awake at the drive in for those early Bond movies. (My parents were both poor journalists: we had hotdogs & beans for dinner alot, and their date night included taking my bro & me along to nap in the Plymouth Valiant backseat.)
Did read the books a few years later. Scandalously sexy stories for a young teen, so of course i will ALWAYS prefer SConnery as Bond since i "heard" him speak the lines in my head. The David Niven farce was fun! And who wouldn't approve of Lazenby's wife Diana Rigg?!!! Sad the character was killed, but Evil takes a toll on heroes. Anyway, SHE represented the coolest detective/ mystery/ spy-agent genre in The Avengers.
(Don't make me stick you with my epee!)
BTW, my Mom made the Best Gibson: Shake the vermouth over 3 ice cubes. Strain. Dump the vermouth, put the ice in the gin. 3onions on a pick used to gently swirl in the glass. Voila!
Some time ago, I believe in the mid-1970s, I tried a martini. I didn't like it. Don't know if it was shaken or stirred. The first alcohol ever had was in early 1973, when I was 24 years old. It was a drink I had heard about while listening to night talker Jean Shepherd. In the late 1960s he told about the French 75, which was supposedly invented by US pilots in France during WW1. Cognac, sugar water, lemon water, and champaign, all over crushed ice. Supposedly named for the 75mm French artillery piece. It was the special at the officer's club at Kadena AFB, Okinawa. I had the drink, and it didn't seem bad at all, so I had another. It was when I was half way through the second that the alcohol from the first one hit me. I knew I'd have to be careful leaving the joint. These days I don't go for mixed drinks, only beer or straight whiskey.
Yup, like you I learned of the French 75 from Shep, and it was a topic of discussion on the old Shep Yahoogroup or whatever it was called before that (which I believe was where you and I re-connected for the first time since JHS 104). It was essential that a French 75 be served in a chimney glass, to evoke the barrel of the artillery piece for which it was named. BTW, I haven't touched alcohol since, I think, around the turn of the century!
Oddly enough, when I checked recipes for the French 75 today, I saw the main spirit they were using was gin rather than cognac, which Shep had said. And he was right, so far as American pilots in France would have used anything it would have been French. Gin would make it more British.
‘Poofter’!! 😂😂 now, I haven’t heard that expression hardly since I was wed to an Australian! I had never heard it until then… A good British/Aussie expression, I guess… they pronounce it more, “puff-tahh”.
Hi myself, do not want a gay or female or black James Bond… I want the good old-fashioned white British womanizer, aka male slut. Lol
Indeed! When my parents lived in London we heard "pillow biter" which was alot clearer to understand than "fag" which was a cigarette.
I am an old fart. I admit it.
No need to rewrite Bond. There's plenty of him for ogle if you're not straight, and we don't need to "turn him" for the woke agenda who have created and churned enough gay flick heroes. Leave him be.
Despite the rep of British food, i did develop a taste for pub fare. Also, never could agree w/beans on toast. Just too weird. Toad in the hole? Y!
Love mushy peas, bubble&squeak, shepherds pie and Tea time.
Ooh. Imagine sitting with M at the Ritz?! Love Dame Judy. She was a good alt after my personal fav Bernard Lee, seemingly true to Flemmings character. He had the crusty English bureaucratic demeanor i always saw IRL in the UK:
dismissive perfectionist, dutiful to the crown in his opinion/abstract, and Condescending to Women. 2 Great M-s for the franchise, imho.
Another great one!
You started with the story I’m living, car was stolen, this month replaced the washing machine and the microwave and friends are having gallbladder surgery, heart racing, tripping on sidewalks, … but then I read your analysis of James Bond and it cheered me up! Happy Chanukah!
Light a candle for all of us, please.
Bless you and be steady! Praying for your easing of troubles: smiles, gratitude and the friends in ST thread.
Bless us Every One.
Dear Stu, compelled to write re: your dog
Last week in the small towns where I live there was a 3 day search with drones looking for someone’s dog that got out. At least half the time this happens, there is relief throughout because they’re found. This time they found the body of the sweet dog Theo.
I’ve been through this tragic dog death ordeal ten times, most recently almost 1 year ago.
The worst would be not finding his body, and not knowing.
Passing away and not being there for your dog to accompany them to their end in the safety of your care is up there with the worst. When you are there going through the heart-searing end with them you can also feel blessed and honorable. It is your duty, and you stretch to fulfill that role and there is honor in that.
When to end it? When their appetite goes, when they can no longer control themselves, when their eyes are telltale sad. Take a picture of your pup. Look at their eyes. I can look at photos and tell which were the times that I waited too long. Sometimes it’s just one excruciating day too long. Tell your boy or girl that you are there for them from beginning to end. Doing the unthinkable is against all our instincts, it feels crazy. In the actual moment I’m thinking “Huh, what am I doing ?”
Then they’ll be waiting for us on the other side. All the best wishes for you during this difficult time. It’s a strange time for so many people, tragedies and miracles none of us thought we’d see.
This last 10th dog something happened that I never thought would happen to me.
Maybe to someone else on some NDE show, not me, but it did. I’m glad you made me think back to it , I’m amazed all over again.
Really enjoy your stack of stuff. Keep the faith.
Yes. You painted that subject with poignant truth. Sad but loving, and an honorable duty.
Happy Christmas!
Hugs and Bless your heart!
I was too young in the early sixties to stay awake at the drive in for those early Bond movies. (My parents were both poor journalists: we had hotdogs & beans for dinner alot, and their date night included taking my bro & me along to nap in the Plymouth Valiant backseat.)
Did read the books a few years later. Scandalously sexy stories for a young teen, so of course i will ALWAYS prefer SConnery as Bond since i "heard" him speak the lines in my head. The David Niven farce was fun! And who wouldn't approve of Lazenby's wife Diana Rigg?!!! Sad the character was killed, but Evil takes a toll on heroes. Anyway, SHE represented the coolest detective/ mystery/ spy-agent genre in The Avengers.
(Don't make me stick you with my epee!)
BTW, my Mom made the Best Gibson: Shake the vermouth over 3 ice cubes. Strain. Dump the vermouth, put the ice in the gin. 3onions on a pick used to gently swirl in the glass. Voila!
Some time ago, I believe in the mid-1970s, I tried a martini. I didn't like it. Don't know if it was shaken or stirred. The first alcohol ever had was in early 1973, when I was 24 years old. It was a drink I had heard about while listening to night talker Jean Shepherd. In the late 1960s he told about the French 75, which was supposedly invented by US pilots in France during WW1. Cognac, sugar water, lemon water, and champaign, all over crushed ice. Supposedly named for the 75mm French artillery piece. It was the special at the officer's club at Kadena AFB, Okinawa. I had the drink, and it didn't seem bad at all, so I had another. It was when I was half way through the second that the alcohol from the first one hit me. I knew I'd have to be careful leaving the joint. These days I don't go for mixed drinks, only beer or straight whiskey.
Yup, like you I learned of the French 75 from Shep, and it was a topic of discussion on the old Shep Yahoogroup or whatever it was called before that (which I believe was where you and I re-connected for the first time since JHS 104). It was essential that a French 75 be served in a chimney glass, to evoke the barrel of the artillery piece for which it was named. BTW, I haven't touched alcohol since, I think, around the turn of the century!
Oddly enough, when I checked recipes for the French 75 today, I saw the main spirit they were using was gin rather than cognac, which Shep had said. And he was right, so far as American pilots in France would have used anything it would have been French. Gin would make it more British.
Great Christmas day article! Many good laughs!
Since most of those seedy old bars seemed to have ceiling fans, perhaps no other artificial draft would be necessary 🤔
Thanks, but Huh? Seedy old bars, ceiling fans, artificial draft? I don't understand.
‘Poofter’!! 😂😂 now, I haven’t heard that expression hardly since I was wed to an Australian! I had never heard it until then… A good British/Aussie expression, I guess… they pronounce it more, “puff-tahh”.
Hi myself, do not want a gay or female or black James Bond… I want the good old-fashioned white British womanizer, aka male slut. Lol
Indeed! When my parents lived in London we heard "pillow biter" which was alot clearer to understand than "fag" which was a cigarette.
I am an old fart. I admit it.
No need to rewrite Bond. There's plenty of him for ogle if you're not straight, and we don't need to "turn him" for the woke agenda who have created and churned enough gay flick heroes. Leave him be.
A fag may be a cigarette, but when I was in London I frequented a market that offered "fresh faggots," which were balls of meat scraps and fat; see https://www.thespruceeats.com/classic-british-faggots-recipe-435283
Saved that recipe! Thx.
A UK rumake, kinda.
Despite the rep of British food, i did develop a taste for pub fare. Also, never could agree w/beans on toast. Just too weird. Toad in the hole? Y!
Love mushy peas, bubble&squeak, shepherds pie and Tea time.
Ooh. Imagine sitting with M at the Ritz?! Love Dame Judy. She was a good alt after my personal fav Bernard Lee, seemingly true to Flemmings character. He had the crusty English bureaucratic demeanor i always saw IRL in the UK:
dismissive perfectionist, dutiful to the crown in his opinion/abstract, and Condescending to Women. 2 Great M-s for the franchise, imho.