The Vent and Rant Thread

[Witty Username]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

My son's Kindle broke. After phoning Kindle support, a replacement kindle arrive by post within a week, and the old one got picked up by courier the next day.

Were you trying to make me feel better about it?!!

[wyndslash]

*peeks in* has Mortis been here lately?

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

My son's Kindle broke. After phoning Kindle support, a replacement kindle arrive by post within a week, and the old one got picked up by courier the next day.

Perhaps because I live in 'The Colonies,' my dealings with Amazon have been even faster. I've broken two Kindles (both k2s) after they dropped off a desk onto a linoleum covered concrete floor. Both times I received a replacement the next day. The first I paid for because I never contacted Amazon about a replacement, feeling it was my fault for being careless. I simply ordered a new one. The second one Amazon sent out free of charge after I explained what happened. I was told by the Amazon representative that they considered the mishap to fall under "normal usage." In my experience, Amazon is very generous and speedy with replacements.

BTW, the first of those K2s was a combat veteran long before it finally gave up the ghost. It has previously survived a fall onto bare concrete, and later lived to tell the tale after being slung about 15-20 feet across a parking lot in an ill-fated attempt to rescue it from a fall of three feet onto the asphalt.

[xg4bx]

a quick vent: there's too damn many good books i want to read and re-read. i've abandoned all my other hobbies and i still haven't made a dent.

[badgoodDeb]

So true! I rarely have time to RE-read things, these days. There's so much that I haven't looked at yet!

[poohbear_nc]

So .... I arrive home after a long day at work. My last task involved explaining to a co-worker why he had to track down his mistake and back it out, not just reverse it with a check. Over & over & over & over ... he walked away unhappy.

I arrive home .... and find my partner waiting for me in the kitchen .... no kitten in sight .... I sense somehow that this isn't going to be a warm family welcome home moment.

"Can you guess what YOUR kitten saw moving and decided to hunt? Even after I told her NO repeatedly, and then yelled at her? I had to put her in her kitten crate to make her stop!"

Hmmm, I think. Last night Stella (the kitten, not the partner) was hunting a lady bug on the kitchen ceiling, and had to be pulled off the kitchen table repeatedly. Then she decided that the screw heads visible under the kitchen cabinets were bugs, and had to be removed from the kitchen counter repeatedly. So I hopefully guessed "Another lady bug?"
NO!
"A spider?"
NO! It wasn't alive!
"A nail head on your wall?"
NO!

I'm a little tired of "20 Questions" by now .....

"The second hand on my wall clock above my desk! She kept jumping up and bouncing off the plastic cover over & over & over! At first I laughed and said No. Then I shouted No at her. She just wouldn't stop."

Carefully maintaining a neutral concerned expression I said "Is the clock broken?"
"NO! That's not the point! She wouldn't listen to me!"

I actually hear myself say "OK. I'll talk to her and tell her to stop it."
And think -- I've just promised to counsel an 11-month old kitten on the error of her ways. I must be insane.
At this point, all I really wanted was a cold Guinness and some peace & quiet.
Stella & I sat together on the kitchen floor, sharing some hugs whilst I consumed the Guinness.
It's going to be a long kittenhood.

[memo to self: buy more kitten toys.]

[SneakySnake]

You could get her her own clock!

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

You could get her her own clock!

You really want me to get smacked down, don't you?

[orlok]

Next time, make sure your SO takes a video, then post it here

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

....I arrive home .... and find my partner waiting for me in the kitchen .... no kitten in sight .... I sense somehow that this isn't going to be a warm family welcome home moment.

"Can you guess what YOUR kitten saw moving and decided to hunt? Even after I told her NO repeatedly, and then yelled at her?....

With the kitty safely outside or at a friend's house, sit down with your partner and watch this clip. As you're watching, learn to imitate the growl and the posturing. Pay strict attention to how the arms with the muscles tensed and angry sweep together under the chest. Notice the tightly clenched fists and how the teeth are bared in a no-nonsense scowl. Perfect this technique and unleash it on Stella at the next infraction. If she doesn't kill the both of you, you'll have earned her respect.

[Stitchawl]

Time for a water pistol...


Stitchawl

[phenomshel]

Originally Posted by poohbear_nc

So .... I arrive home after a long day at work. My last task involved explaining to a co-worker why he had to track down his mistake and back it out, not just reverse it with a check. Over & over & over & over ... he walked away unhappy.

I arrive home .... and find my partner waiting for me in the kitchen .... no kitten in sight .... I sense somehow that this isn't going to be a warm family welcome home moment.

"Can you guess what YOUR kitten saw moving and decided to hunt? Even after I told her NO repeatedly, and then yelled at her? I had to put her in her kitten crate to make her stop!"

Hmmm, I think. Last night Stella (the kitten, not the partner) was hunting a lady bug on the kitchen ceiling, and had to be pulled off the kitchen table repeatedly. Then she decided that the screw heads visible under the kitchen cabinets were bugs, and had to be removed from the kitchen counter repeatedly. So I hopefully guessed "Another lady bug?"
NO!
"A spider?"
NO! It wasn't alive!
"A nail head on your wall?"
NO!

I'm a little tired of "20 Questions" by now .....

"The second hand on my wall clock above my desk! She kept jumping up and bouncing off the plastic cover over & over & over! At first I laughed and said No. Then I shouted No at her. She just wouldn't stop."

Carefully maintaining a neutral concerned expression I said "Is the clock broken?"
"NO! That's not the point! She wouldn't listen to me!"

I actually hear myself say "OK. I'll talk to her and tell her to stop it."
And think -- I've just promised to counsel an 11-month old kitten on the error of her ways. I must be insane.
At this point, all I really wanted was a cold Guinness and some peace & quiet.
Stella & I sat together on the kitchen floor, sharing some hugs whilst I consumed the Guinness.
It's going to be a long kittenhood.

[memo to self: buy more kitten toys.]

Apparently, the heat's still getting to y'all.... Pooh, I'm sorry. I'm not sure who's insane in that scenario, but I don't think it's you. Or at least it's not ONLY you...

[SneakySnake]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Time for a water pistol...


Stitchawl

Eggsactly! This is why Mr M NEVER gets on the kitchen bench - even if there are chicken drumsticks desfrosting - although he did get up there once when we weren't looking to eat some banana muffins through the plastic wrap! *sigh*

Ahem - He doesn't get up there when we are looking anyway.

[Stitchawl]

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

Eggsactly! This is why Mr M NEVER gets on the kitchen bench - even if there are chicken drumsticks desfrosting - although he did get up there once when we weren't looking to eat some banana muffins through the plastic wrap! *sigh*

Ahem - He doesn't get up there when we are looking anyway.

Hey! We shoot the same weapon! Semi-auto with a big clip! Felicity NEVER goes where she shouldn't... while we are around. It's a once-only learning tool that works better than the usual dog/reward method. While she has been trained to follow certain commands (if she feels like following them at the time) that was all done with little dry fish rewards.


Stitchawl

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

Time for a water pistol...


Stitchawl

Originally Posted by SneakySnake

Eggsactly! This is why Mr M NEVER gets on the kitchen bench - even if there are chicken drumsticks desfrosting - although he did get up there once when we weren't looking to eat some banana muffins through the plastic wrap! *sigh*

Ahem - He doesn't get up there when we are looking anyway....

Yes! A squirt bottle filled with water. Works wonders on Norton, and I imagine your cats would be even more responsive, knowing how well cats and water get along.

Pet stores sell a bitter apple spray that animals find particularly repulsive, but I don't know how safe it is, despite the claims. Plain water works just fine.