As I sat down to write this post, I thought to myself- “I remember when I used to write about politics.” At any rate, called up the vet first thing this morning, and they did not have any appointments, but said to just drop her off and they would check her out when they could. They all like Rosie, and she likes everyone but me, so it was a win/win. So I lassoed her, got her into the family truckster, and dropped her off.
I’m serious about her not liking me. I spent a good bit of last night sleepless worrying about her, and I spent some time reflecting on our journey together. It’s been a strange ride. As you remember, I found her in the middle of the road running around in a circle in the middle of NOWHERE, stopped the car to check on her, walked towards her, and she ran around the other side of the car and jumped in the driver’s seat. I spent a fruitless couple days posting flyers for eight miles in every direction and went to every house on that road, and of course no one knew her because she had clearly been dumped.
She had clearly been abused and was hand shy, and for the first couple of years would snarl viciously at anyone who walked near her- so much so that my one friend named her Snarls Barkley. I had a couple friends who thought she needed to be put down, but I refused to consider that. A lot of you were worried about her harming Tunch, but she did ok and after a while pretty seamlessly folded into the shitshow pack. And we’ve been together ever since.
But she really doesn’t like me. I think she loves me and tolerates me, and knows where her food comes from, but of all the people who come and go in her life, I am her least favorite. She absolutely adores Tammy, and she loves Gerald and she and my dad are basically soulmates, and whenever people come over she gets waggy and gets the zooms, but she basically looks at me the way I look at watching what I eat- a necessary evil. Everyone loves her, though, because she is so happy to see people who are not me. I know that not so secretly she is the favorite pet for a lot of you.
And I’m ok with that. I’ve been trained accordingly. I know if I want to give her a pill, I have to wrap it in cheese and pretend to drop it off the counter. I know if she needs a bath I have to pretend to take her for a walk and put the leash on her. I know she is not going to come when I call- EVER. I know when she walks through the living room and I say “Hi Rosie” she’s just going to glare at me and keep walking. I know that she wants to be in bed every night, and that when I go to pick her up she is going to try to bite me. We’ve just come to an arrangement.
At any rate, the doctor inspected her, and the diagnosis is she hurt her knee, but there is no structural damage, it’s just a little “ouchy” and “crunchy,” but it’s been that way for quite some time from her arthritis. The fall just aggravated it a little bit more than usual. So she got a shot for pain, and we will continue taking rimadyl and joint supplements, and carry on. We’re installing a handicap ramp (basically just a 2×10) on the back steps of the deck down to the yard so she can avoid steps, and I will just carry her upstairs at night for the next few days/weeks/years. So that is that.
Now it is time to deal with this clusterfuck:
Winning.
schrodingers_cat
You and Rosie sound like an old married couple. That deck looks scary. Good luck!
satby
One of my rescues is like that, though the antipathy towards me isn’t as strong. I’m guessing that you and I remind them of their abuser, and though they know we aren’t that person, they’re just waiting for us to drop the kindness charade and reveal our true selves.
Which is terribly sad when you think about it.
satby
@schrodingers_cat: haven’t been on the same time as you, but thanks for the kind words about my late doggo.
Captain Keith
Recommendation on the deck issue from a long time home owner. Put the decking back on and leave well enough alone. The earth is going to crash into the sun pretty soon anyway.
Sab
Shadow (aka meankitty) doesn’t much like me either. Too bad for her. I was here first. Also, if she wants canned cat food (and she definitely does) she had better be nice to me because spouse thinks dry is best.
John Cole
@satby: HEY! Is your store back open I checked a while back and you were on break or something.
Mike J
You should have let her drive that first day. That’s why she got in the driver’s seat.
Betty Cracker
Glad to hear dear Rosie is mostly okay.
Regarding relationships with dogs, I will confess I am sometimes irritated by the fact that our dogs worship my husband as a god. They like me just fine, and we play and have a good time all day. But when they hear the mister’s truck in the driveway at the end of the workday, they utter foolish little screams like tween girls at a Bieber concert and go absolutely ape-shit when he comes through the door.
The mister points out that when I do go somewhere for an extended period, they mob me at the door too; it’s just that since I work at home, there’s no end of a separation to rejoice in, so I shouldn’t take it personally. He’s right, and that’s annoying too.
muddy
Maybe she’s showing you she loves you best because she feels safe enough to show her real cranky self and not put on a show. :-)
My 9 year old big dog has been creaky getting up in the morning. I make a liver mush to spread on toast for their treat and I started putting turmeric in it. And just a tiny bit of pepper to make the turmeric more bio-available. He seemed better in days.
schrodingers_cat
@satby: You are welcome. How is your new kitteh friend.
eclare
Happy to hear Rosie is ok, that must have been scary!
Ohio Mom
Re: Rosie and Papa Cole being soul mates. Of course they are allies, they share a common adversary.
gvg
Glad Rosie is mostly OK.
Who got on the roof to take that picture? You? This concerns me. Stay on the ground please.
Amir Khalid
@satby:
It’s like the Fantine’s Arrest scene in the Les Miserables musical, where Valjean stops Javert from arresting Fantine. Monsieur le maire Valjean is the only one there on her side, and she’s terrified of him. ETA: Rosie’s still scared of John Cole, and sometimes fear can read as hostility.
CaseyL
I remember – I was one of the folks who advocated for re-homing Rosie when she seemed to be a threat to Tunch.
The fact that you didn’t, that you instead made a perfect home for her, is what makes you one of my favorite people: It isn’t just that you love them all, it’s that you pay attention to them all as individuals and accommodate as necessary – even for the one(s) that don’t much like you.
Aleta
Perhaps she learned that the person who feeds and lives with her has the potential to harm. So she uses warnings and mistrust to prevent that. Like superstitious behavior and curses to ward off evil.
rikyrah
so glad to hear the positive Rosie news :)
VeniceRiley
Marriage goals!
MomSense
My guess is that Rosie is probably on guard all the time and that her wagginess and “happiness” to see people who aren’t you is trying to be pleasing in order to prevent that person from harming her. She feels safe with you so she doesn’t have to pretend to be saggy and sweet with you. The snarls and attempts at biting are her way of sharing how she feels with you. If she wanted to hurt you she would.
MomSense
@MomSense:
Saggy should be waggy
Joy in FL
I’m glad Rosie is ok. I love that take care of her so thoughtfully.
NotMax
Wow. Haven’t seen a trash can like that since maybe 1959. And is that an ultra-long leash or a towing strap?
:)
Also, although probably a result of the picture angle and the light, the left end of the front porch appears to be settling.
raven
What am I doing? I’ve written several posts about our house and dogs and NONE of them post?????
raven
I tired a different browser and nothing. I know I’m not banned so. . . .what the fuck-over?
NotMax
@raven
Big pot of gumbo may placate the FYWP gods.
;)
Have lost a half dozen posts to limbo over the past few days.
trollhattan
@MomSense:
If I said that to the spouse I’d be in a world of hurt.
raven
I wrote two long posts last night about how John and I seem to lead parallel lives with houses and varmints but neither got through so I went to bed. Anyway Bohdi spent the day at the vet and they told us the same thing they told John except I mentioned tramadol so the gave me that too. As far as the house(s), one of the primary reasons for building our addition was to have a bedroom big enough for a king so both dogs could sleep with us. Lil Bit has long since moved to the floor (it’s been a year since she almost died and had her larynx “tied back”. One of the things the vet has been stressing for quite some time is that up and down is hard on the boy. Well we know he’s on the down side of the mountain and we’ve got to do the best by him so he got banished to the floor (his dog bed) last night. He sleeps on the floor when we go to the beach so it’s not totally new and, i know some ways, I think it’s more our problem than his but that is where we are. Oh yea, when I goggled tramadol and dogs I got a study from the UGA Vet Med school that says it’s ineffective!
trollhattan
@raven:
Have you heard? This is now a no-dogs, no-houses blog.
–Management
raven
@NotMax: There must be something in the post, I wrote similar stuff last night and poof. . .
NotMax
@raven
Yeah. FYWP and all that. Been there, done that, T-shirt lost in transit.
;)
satby
@John Cole: shit, I just put it back on hiatus. I’ll email you.
I have a hard time keeping up with my market and my online store. First world problems.
Amir Khalid
@trollhattan:
Gut gespielt!
TenguPhule
The willow has definitely moved closer to that deck.
satby
@schrodingers_cat: she’s unhappily integrated with the previous kitty residents and never missed a chance to let me know how unhappy she is not to be the bedroom kitty anymore. But I had to reclaim an allergen free area for myself.
raven
I wrote two long posts last night about how John and I seem to lead parallel lives with houses and varmints but neither got through so I went to bed. Anyway Bohdi spent the day at the vet and they told us the same thing they told John except I mentioned tramadol so the gave me that too. As far as the house(s), one of the primary reasons for building our addition was to have a bedroom big enough for a king so both dogs could sleep with us. Lil Bit has long since moved to the floor (it’s been a year since she almost died and had her larynx “tied back”. One of the things the vet has been stressing for quite some time is that up and down is hard on the boy. Well we know he’s on the down side of the mountain and we’ve got to do the best by him so he got banished to the floor (his dog bed) last night. He sleeps on the floor when we go to the beach so it’s not totally new and, i know some ways, I think it’s more our problem than his but that is where we are. Oh yea, when I goggled tramadol and dogs I got a study from the UGA Vet Med school that says it’s ineffective!
NotMax
@raven
One thing which is extremely annoying is trying to figure out what has triggered aetherdom and sussing out that there is an FYWP-verboten word included in the URL for a link.
Immanentize
@Ohio Mom:
This fits in perfectly with my observation. Cole’s described relationship is so much like mine with the Immp. Parent and child must always struggle some. It’s good for both. But the Grandparents and strangers get all the overt affection.
raven
@NotMax: Can Cole use word we can’t like “house” or “rimadyl”?
raven
I wrote two long posts last night about how John and I seem to lead parallel lives with houses and varmints but neither got through so I went to bed. Anyway Bohdi spent the day at the vet and they told us the same thing they told John except I mentioned another med so the gave me that too. As far as the house(s), one of the primary reasons for building our addition was to have a bedroom big enough for a king so both dogs could sleep with us. Lil Bit has long since moved to the floor (it’s been a year since she almost died and had her larynx “tied back”. One of the things the vet has been stressing for quite some time is that up and down is hard on the boy. Well we know he’s on the down side of the mountain and we’ve got to do the best by him so he got banished to the floor (his dog bed) last night. He sleeps on the floor when we go to the beach so it’s not totally new and, i know some ways, I think it’s more our problem than his but that is where we are. Oh yea, when I goggled tramadol and dogs I got a study from the UGA Vet Med school that says it’s ineffective!
Immanentize
@raven:
I’ve been eager to hear about the pups. I took a pic of my resident groundhog munching clover. His tail looks beaver-ish. Can’t see or think of the whistlepig without thinking of Bohdi and Lil Bit….
Hoping for happy tidings
NotMax
@Immanentize
Take heart that once he hits 21 he’ll detect how much you’ve learned in the intervening three years.
:)
Nicole
I remember the period where you were looking to rehome Rosie! And now, look at her. You did good, giving her a stable home and sticking it out. It doesn’t work with every rescue; some of them need a different living environment and some are probably best put out of their misery, but I think many of them just need a place with enough patience to let them be themselves. And you give her that.
My aunt and uncle bought a golden retriever (a year old) from a family that was looking to get rid of him. Within a week, they understood why the family wanted to get rid of him and tried to give (not sell) him back, but the family were such a-holes about it that my uncle decided he didn’t want the dog going back to them. My aunt and uncle had a rough start with him- they had to resort to a shock collar for a week (and before y’all start yelling, it was because the dog would sneak up behind a person and bite them. Hard. They had to fix that quick. Took a week, but the habit was broken and the shock collar was thrown away). Today, six or so years later, the dog is still neurotic and overly excitable, and wails like a coloratura when visitors come over, and needs a head halter until he calms down, but he’s also good-natured, friendly and eager to please. They let him be himself.
P.K. Brooks
She’s probably still much faster than you.
Immanentize
@NotMax:
I learned that same thing about my Dad!
TaMara (HFG)
@raven: Hey there, they are in the trash can – I’m going to retrieve them – I don’ t know why. Double check your email.
NotMax
@raven
Señor Cole can use any words he so desires.
Provided they are spelled correctly*.
;)
*Still cringing over “stomache.”
Immanentize
@NotMax:
Is “stomache” the hair on your belly?
geg6
Lovey is our asshole dog. But I adore her more than I can say. I admire her spirit and moxie!
ETA: So glad Rosie is mostly fine. I love her, too.
NotMax
@Immanentize
Consider yourself fortunate beyond measure I do not have access to a camera.
:)
raven
@TaMara (HFG): The email addy is fine, any banned words>
raven
Oops, then there were three! Thrice in Thrace as the say!
satby
@NotMax: oh myyy
Immanentize
@NotMax:
I consider us all fortunate for that small blessing….
satby
@raven: well, it was an important update on the critters.
mrmoshpotato
@NotMax: Gumbo weather way out west, eh?
biff murphy
Sounds like someone needs a hug Johnny!
karen marie
@Sab: Spouse would be wrong, according to a vet I had in Massachusetts. Dry food has more carbs than wet food. Plus cats often don’t drink enough water over the course of a day. My last two cats (sadly we are now cat-less) each got half a can of wet food twice a day, each half watered down so the volume was almost equivalent to a full can. Dry food was the treat.
Gin & Tonic
@raven: I’ve found the names of medicines are usually bad words (as is the name of the place you buy them.)
NotMax
@raven
“Woe, woe, and thrice woe.”
:)
raven
@mrmoshpotato: It’s always gumbo weather everywhere! Speaking of, great read
Mac Rebennack was born in 1941. Dr. John was born in 1967. What happened in between would color his whole musical career.
NotMax
@mrmoshpotato
More like vichyssoise weather. Provided it’s frozen and on a stick. Breaking all high temp records of late.
:)
raven
@NotMax: I like the Zero version!
mrmoshpotato
@NotMax: How warm is it?
ETA: Soup on a stick!
Sab
@karen marie: You know he’s wrong. I know he’s wrong. Vet says he’s wrong. None us will ever get him to says he’s wrong on this particular issue.
In his defense, his maine coon cat insists on eating wet food by sticking his paws into the dish and then licking it off his tiny toes. When he is done, he tromps off, leaving a trail of wet cat food on whatever surface he wanders across.
ET
Of course Rosie likes everyone else more. It is sort of kids liking to go the grandparents or the single aunt/uncle house. They let the kid do things mom/dad won’t. You are the bad cop everyone else is the good cop.
mrmoshpotato
@raven: Gumbo in the desert during summer?
NotMax
@raven
Speaking of gumbo, have you any familiarity with the products from Tony Chachere? Mention it only because one of them is gumbo filé, which I was under the impression of having been banned.
NotMax
@raven
Knew full well that was what you were referring to. Was fortunate enough to have seen him in the original Broadway production. Every time he was on stage, the other actors might as well have retired to their dressing rooms for snacks and booze.
TaMara (HFG)
@raven: Banned words should have ended you up in pending or spam. So I’ve got no idea. If it keeps happening, drop Alain an email, he might see what’s going on.
NotMax
@mrmoshpotato
Mid-90s and trade winds absent. Yuck.
@NotMax
Although will admit to finding the soundtrack from the revival starring Nathan Lane superior.
satby
@NotMax: just looked it up, the leaves that file` is produced from do not have detectable safrole, which was the concern in products using other parts of the tree.
I can buy gumbo file` spice here in my local grocery store….
Unfortunately, I can’t make the accent appear properly on the word.
NotMax
@satby
BTW, made a killer diller rice, orzo and portabella mushroom pilaf in the Instant Pot yesterday. Must make a mental note to write down as well as I can what did to cobble it together.
Immanentize
@NotMax:
Tony’s is the best Cajun blend going — bar none.
raven
@NotMax: Sure, use it all the time. As far as file, I use my spectacular roux to thicken.
raven
@mrmoshpotato: Hot food is a staple in hot climates, no?
NotMax
@Immanentize
Have seen people recommending sprinkling his Cajun mix into scrambled eggs, which I find both odd and intriguing.
EthylEster
I haven’t read every comment so this may have already been mentioned….
The pic of the front of the house seems to indicate something sagging or not square. Maybe it is an optical illusion or maybe I am losing my mind. ;=) But the stair treads don’t look parallel to the front porch flooring. I hope this is not the case.
trollhattan
@Amir Khalid:
Vielen dank!
Steve in the ATL
@NotMax: it’s not odd at all! We put Tony’s in everything except pancakes.
NotMax
@Steve in the ATL
“More lemon meringue pie?”
“No thanks, I’m stuffed.”
;)
Another Scott
@EthylEster: If you rotate the image clockwise about 2.5 degrees, then the siding and the left column looks square but then the right column doesn’t.
I think it’s mainly a camera issue.
My $0.02.
Cheers,
Scott.
a thousand flouncing lurkers was fidelio
@raven: How has the work on your rental house been going?
raven
@a thousand flouncing lurkers was fidelio: He finished quite some time ago and I was very happy with what he did. I’m not sure what we’re going to do when they move, maybe a LVT floor since it is so uneven.
ET
@NotMax: Tony’s is great! I put it on the outside of my Thanksgiving turkey!
As for file powder, Zatarain’s file is a must in every kitchen in south Louisiana.
https://www.mccormick.com/zatarains/products/spices-and-seasonings/spices-and-extracts/gumbo-file
The Moar You Know
@Nicole: I have zero problem using a shock collar under these circumstances and some others, because the only alternative to that kind of aggressive behavior is a one-use needle at the vet’s office. I’m glad it worked. Sometimes it doesn’t. Good job.
ETA: Goldens (I have one) have this reputation as gentle giants and they rarely actually are. If you meet one that is, it was trained by a patient owner to be that way.
zhena gogolia
I love you, Rosie! I’m all crunchy too!
karen marie
@Sab: Yeah, that’s pretty nasty. Do you have a dog? Major reason I have a dog is for cleanup jobs like that. If you don’t have one, you might consider getting one.
tybee
isn’t file’ just dried and powdered sassafras leaves?
Nicole
@The Moar You Know:
Holy cow, is that ever the truth. My aunt and uncle have had three goldens in their life together. The first one was incredibly smart, a fine hunting companion, and hated children, the second was “selectively” brilliant, and very excitable, and the third one is, well he is who he is. I loved each of them for their own unique craziness, but not one of them would I call gentle. And it’s not that my aunt and uncle aren’t amazing with animals; they really, really are. It just happened to be the personalities of these three dogs. They managed them all well, and the dogs had/have excellent lives, but they certainly didn’t fit the golden retriever stereotype.
satby
@The Moar You Know: Golden retrievers used to be gentle, reliable dogs; but they were so over- and in- bred by greedy breeders that their temperament has changed and their lifespan has declined by a couple of years.
satby
@tybee: yes.
Omnes Omnibus
@NotMax: It is good with macaroni and cheese too.
J R in WV
@Omnes Omnibus:
Mac and cheese has a can of tomatoes with green chiles, some garlic, maybe something else, either italian herbs, mexican herbs, cajun herbs, depending upon what flavors we had recently…
J R in WV
@satby:
All our dogs are rescue dogs, so mixes that kinda resemble Goldens, or Labs or Airedales…
MaryRC
I remember your story of finding Rosie and how, when she had been with you for a few days and you had a group of people in your house, she ran frantically from room to room until she found you in the crowd. Poor little soul. I have always had a soft spot for her since then. Blessings on you for keeping her safe.