Unutterably Silly So what are you doing RIGHT NOW?

[nekokami]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

So, we go to court. I am suing him for 7.5M, based on any number of causes of action, including land fraud.

He recently sent me a "settlement offer" .... which is essentially "you get the hell out of town, and take your cats with you."

I see the basis of a good compromise here. He pays you 7.5M, and you get the hell out of town and take your cats (and dogs) with you. (You can come live in upstate NH. No one here will care how many cats you have, given that they're healthy and well cared for.)

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by nekokami

I see the basis of a good compromise here. He pays you 7.5M, and you get the hell out of town and take your cats (and dogs) with you. (You can come live in upstate NH. No one here will care how many cats you have, given that they're healthy and well cared for.)

Or emigrate. OK - the UK isn't in good shape right now, but we have rain, and single women with lots of cats aren't usually a problem so long as they're in good health.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Right now - trying to find a UK supplier for a KitchenAid mixer worm drive assembly

[zelda_pinwheel]

arg ! bills.

arg !! tax forms.

ARG !! PAPERWORK !!!

what in heaven's name possessed me to become freelance ??? tax time would be sooooo much simpler if i were a salaried employee.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

arg ! bills.

arg !! tax forms.

ARG !! PAPERWORK !!!

what in heaven's name possessed me to become freelance ??? tax time would be sooooo much simpler if i were a salaried employee.

Oh grief - that reminds me, I have the neccessary paperwork to get mine done now too (not self employed any more, but can't convince the Revenue that i don't need to do self assessment anymore. Still, as I plan to start selling stuff on a bigger scale than I am now, perhaps it is less hassle this way)

[Bilbo1967]

Just put kids to bed and am sitting down with (well-deserved) class of Pinot Grigio

[Moejoe]

Watching the Mummy starring Boris Karloff....ewww....spooky

[Patricia]

Originally Posted by ShortNCuddlyAm

Right now - trying to find a UK supplier for a KitchenAid mixer worm drive assembly

http://www.4kitchenaid.co.uk/cgi-bin...section=287503
and
http://www.cattermoleelectrical.co.u...obart-c31.html
and
http://www.hartsofstur.com/acatalog/...FYE_3godanXsFA

Also perhaps Ebay.

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

Originally Posted by Patricia

http://www.4kitchenaid.co.uk/cgi-bin...section=287503
and
http://www.cattermoleelectrical.co.u...obart-c31.html
and
http://www.hartsofstur.com/acatalog/...FYE_3godanXsFA

Also perhaps Ebay.

Thank you Patricia!

[Moejoe]

DVD of the Mummy crapped out, think it's scratched. Now watching Die Hard With a Vengeance.. Yippee Ki-Ay! Mother*@!**!

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

Marc- the first few of the pictures I you posted I thought were house catalog pictures. Your place is beautiful

Why, thank-you. We're rather fond of it, particularly that balcony around sunset when you can sit down and look across the river and the hinterland and its little, solitary "mountains" to watch the sun set. It's a nice place to gently sink into an a drinky haze.

Back to the snake, I would have just put him back under the porch if I had rats and no small pets. I love snakes, but rats....

We're not sure about the rats, but suspect they may be native bush rats. "Circle of life" and all, we would have let the snake have its way with them. Unfortunately a near-neighbour has laid rat baits, and the ones we've found under a lower balcony look to have taken it, as they're dying or dead. I was a bit worried that the lump we could see in the python may have been one of them, which may not bode well for the python.

As for where he was, he was not on the lower balcony, with easy access to the garden and under-balcony, but on the one directly above, which is easy to get in, but harder to get out, and therefore a distinct chance for making its way into the house. It's easier to call the snake-catcher, who gently takes care of them. For instance, the catcher was reluctant to grab the snake around the head, hoping to coax him into the bag, and when he had to do that, that expressed his reluctance to use that metal bar for anything other than lifting the tail (i.e. he didn't want to "mash" the head to pin him). All-in-all- the snake had a pretty gentle trip into the bag (where they settle down almost instantly - and where I can attest that he weighed around 5kg ), and then a short trip of 100 metres in the car up to the National Park bushland.

We've had a smaller python on the lower balcony, and just let it be, and we would have been the same for this one if it was there. It's just part of living where we live. We just try to address things according to acceptable risk and balancing priorities. This python's position and access, for instance, increased the chances of it being inside the house near our (not small) dogs, and particularly Maggie. Maggie is intensely curious, and part-raised by her late half-brother who had a strong hunt-and-kill instinct. No matter who ends up worse for wear, it's not a desirable outcome (thus why our cat stayed in Sydney when we left - in his case, he'd be too destructive on the wildlife, and, in some cases, vice versa).

Where the python was taken, it's in a better situation for all, though chances are it'll make its way back in amongst the residences again, if not here. It's just something that comes with the territory. We're just glad we haven't seen any of the Brown Snakes, like the 2 metre one that apparently used to have our block of land as its homebase. They're dangerous buggers.

Originally Posted by GeoffC

beautiful animal, stunning chairs and balcony ....

Thanks. It's a favourite spot in the house.

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

...

Cats?? They eat CATS?? Bad snake!!! BAD!!!

Yeah, I understand the feeling. It's saddening, no doubt. There is a problem as well that the cats eat a fair whack of the native wildlife (cute, widdle possums and sugargliders, and pretty parrots), particularly when irresponsible owners (i.e. the exact opposite of you, so often the salvation from those owners) leave known hunters out at night (noting that a Carpet Python is a night hunter) in an area so close to the National Park and chosen for its "natural beauty and wildlife". It was the reason we decided not to bring our cat up with us from Sydney (see above). It's sad that it happens (snakes killing cats, and dogs), but the responsibility goes to the owners in some cases. It's just one of those things where I tend to follow the philosophy of "If you elect to live near the bush and the wildlife, don't grumble when the bush and the wildlife lives near you".

Man, your house looks like something out of a magazine. Way to enforce the stereotype, Marc.

Hey, it's just the top balcony - for all you know, the rest of the house looks like a monkey enclosure.

Cheers,
Marc

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by montsnmags

Hey, it's just the top balcony - for all you know, the rest of the house looks like a monkey enclosure.

Cheers,
Marc

I thought gibbons were apes??? You keep monkeys too??

[nekokami]

I hope the snake's meal at your house turns out to agree with it ok, given what you've said about your neighbor putting down poison. I wonder what their normal range is? Probably more than 100 meters, I suppose.

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by RickyMaveety

I thought gibbons were apes??? You keep monkeys too??

I like to think this is an equal opportunity doss-house.

Originally Posted by nekokami

I hope the snake's meal at your house turns out to agree with it ok, given what you've said about your neighbor putting down poison. I wonder what their normal range is? Probably more than 100 meters, I suppose.

I know they've been found in the middle of the city of Brisbane, twelve stories up in a building. Yeah, I think they travel. It's okay if it comes back, depending on where it hangs out, but I hope it doesn't end up on the upper balcony too often as at $40 per removal it could get costly (or we'll just turn the upstairs balcony into an open-air reptile resort ).

Cheers,
Marc

[RWood]

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