2 shelter dogs here. It took some searching because a lot of our local shelters have mostly pit mixes, and those aren't the right dogs for us. (I have nothing against them, really, but they're not for our family, sort of like PS.) I think the fee was $125 - that included neuter/spay, first shots, microchips, worming, etc. We did a local dog training class, for one of them, and applied what we learned to the other. They eat basic dog food - nothing super expensive. They don't have special beds or gear or ... Anything. They have a big yard, lots of play time and walks, they live inside, with us. They have regular vet care, and we will deal with emergencies as they arise. We cannot spend a small fortune on chemo or long-term expensive care. We would have to discuss and go from there. One dog has chronic ear infections and we are considering a deep clean and a pricier treatment but - that's after years of at home care, and we still haven't decided. I don't think it has to be break the bank expensive to have pets. Though I suppose if one drops $1K on a pet, maybe one is more likely to want to buy everything at petsmart?

Oooooooh, love Camano! My favorite is the Papua New Guinea blend. We recently tried the espresso blend - it was not our preference, but not bad - I just didn't fall in love with it. It was on the oily side for a super automatic, and in our machine we definitely prefer a lighter roast, and no need for espresso blends, but we gave it a shot. We like some of their other blends, too. Nothing beats fresh roasted, the way they ship it. Yum. Let me know which blend you like?

I ordered the Instant Pot, and tried to do it through the Alexa but that didn't work - I didn't get the right price. We also ordered an Amazon Tap for DS, because usually he steals Alexa at night to listen to audiobooks. It wasn't a huge discount, but something we intended to purchase anyway. I'm eyeing the Miss Peregrine's book set...

Plug it into your tv, and stream Amazon, Netflix etc videos. It comes with a remote. We take ours on vacation, and use the hotel's wifi to stream our shows, too.

Yay! I hope it is fantastic!!!

Woo hoo!

I would, if it worked! :) Of course, then we'd still be using it. Aaagh! DH is calling Jura to see if they want it for parts.

I'm not going to throw cyber tomatoes if you go for euthanasia, either. (Loved that, Pawz!). I would probably try some of the ideas mentioned above, first. One thought: how new is the cat door? You said the butt dragging is new, too. Could he have picked up something from the mice? That wouldn't explain years of this behavior though. My mom adopted a stray cat, and it became an absolutely crazy situation. No spraying or pooping in the house, but he brought so many creatures in through the cat door - it was unsanitary. He was really ok, until the cat door went in. Then he started randomly attacking her, and I'd see her with scars. He finally went after her face and throat while she was sleeping. :( I helped her take him to be euthanized, and she just cried because she loved him, but he couldn't be rehomed either. I know that sounds extreme, but I wanted you to know you're not alone.

I love that plan! I have bad sleepers, too. When DH travels I go all boot camp bedtime on them, and if I work it right - they'll go to sleep. It's not a sure thing. And if we didn't have the pediatrician who suggested melatonin... It wouldn't happen. By midnight, we're usually having a slumber party in the big bed, when DH travels. But I shoot force few hours of peace.

I so wish I could pack up our Jura and send it to you. It is in our garage, on the workbench, as we try to figure out what to do with it. We opted not to send it for repairs again. I feel your pain.

I understand. Completely. In 2016 alone, DH has been in Paris, Munich, Switzerland, Amsterdam, Las Vegas, Chicago, NYC. He's home for a bit and then off to Amsterdam and Munich again. I may have missed a few places. We've done this for ten years. Some years are harder than others. This year - this was hard. DH jokes that at the end of each travel season, he knows he'll come home from one trip to our vacation all planned out, because I've hit the end of my rope. It's true. I hadn't even noticed - but I do it in April every year, when I'm sick and tired of him traveling without us. Heaven forbid a timeshare company call and try to upsell us during that time period - I'll say yes to anything! What makes it easier for me... Special routines. On the night he leaves, the kids and I order pizza and rent or buy a movie. We have a slumber party. I don't hesitate to order out or take the kids out to eat, I buy special fun paper plates, we do special projects. We hit the craft stores. And - I get them to bed really early so I have alone time. For several years, we had a terrible tradition brewing - every time he left the country, the kids came down with the flu. Or the vomits. Aaaaaagghh! Now I don't take the kids to potential germy places right before he leaves. :) I am still fearful about horrendously sick kids when he's gone, but it's workable. Sometimes I'm jealous, or resent it. Mostly on the hard days. For the most part, I'm just happy when he comes home. He always brings the kids fun stuff, and something for me, which isn't necessary but makes me smile. His CEO will send the occasional bottle of wine home as a thanks for loaning him... Those little things make me feel appreciated, I guess? I don't know. It gets easier, then a bit harder, then easier again. If you can, plan some vacations to take together! That really helps me.

Are you looking to recoup the costs when you sell? If so, be careful with the top notch stuff. I'd do more upper midrange things. If it's your forever house - that's a different story. Make yourself happy! And, really, it can be both. We just bought someone's forever home. They did top notch upgrades. They had multiple offers, full price. Hot market, though. The top notch upgrades were a big selling point.

I use the measuring lines on the press. They aren't marked, but they are there. For French press, a slightly coarse grind is better. The water should be hot but not actually boiling. I steep 5 minutes - because it's easy. DH may steep 4.

Some people are. :( It's heartbreaking.

A 13 year old. A child. Who knows what he said to her. Clearly, she didn't feel like she could get up. And I read that she did say something, but no one heard (in the linked article). She's not getting blame from me. He is.

That poor girl. :(

We used Family Tree DNA. They give a ton of info, with all the fun stuff - maps and goodies. We regularly get emails about more "matches" and can connect with those people. Love it. We did it about 12 years ago, but at the time the info from FTDNA was more detailed than ancestry.com. No idea about now. My doc is having me do 23andme for medical reasons.

Thanks, all! DH arrived home, and I'm going to start with Mucinex DM. If that doesn't work, I'll move on to honey and lemon, with bourbon if it's not going to interact with the Mucinex DM. Determined to get some sleep. Anyone else have the brutal virus that's apparently running rampant in VA? Most of our friends' families have had at least one member down with it. It's vicious.

That's what I've been using. :( I do seem to have gotten one hour of sleep last night. Thus is one of those times that having a sleep tracker is depressing.

That is a good question. I've been on a cap kick. Now I have an assignment ... :D I'll see what I can do! Wish you all lived close enough to drop by and try it.

Pen, how is your son? Is the bite healing well? He's been on my mind. I had a friend in college who was bitten, and it wasn't fun. :(

Totally agree with this. I was a hard sell for DH, and thought it was a crazy way to spend money. Our first machine became my favorite luxury item of all time. We used it so much, every day. And each time, I'd close my eyes and thank DH for convincing me to do it. :) Our new machine. Oh my. Big puffy heart it. I don't have aspirations to be a barista, I don't want to fiddle, I want my coffee and fast. It's heavenly. And I'm happy everyday with it. Oh, and I checked out the Saeco that Costco carries - I would watch videos on both. Same price range, I think, but DH specifically didn't want a Saeco. He didn't want any of the Costco machines for various reasons that I can't recall now. But ... He just researched in June, I can ask him, if you want. I did notice one person said the foam wasn't hot enough with the Saeco. That might be part of it. We bought our Gaggia from Whole Latte Love.

We go through a LOT of coffee here. DH and I both work from home and are heavy coffee drinkers. Ok, espresso. We also regularly entertain heavy coffee drinkers. So our bean bill is higher than most. We use the Camano Roasters coffee club. They roast and ship the next day, so always freshly roasted. I store in airtight containers - in the pantry. No freezing, it stales the beans and negates the fresh roasting. We get two bags of Papua New Guinea roast every two weeks. The bags are huge. Maybe two pounds each? It's $52. Shade grown, organic, fair trade, and those are my favorite beans by far. If you opt for a super automatic, like we did, you need to pay attention to the beans. Oily beans will gunk up your machine. Light roasts are better. If you put the beans on a paper towel, they shouldn't bleed oil.

Ha! That was exactly my plan for tonight. :D All I need to do is check for interactions, and DH is out to shop.

It finally died. I was distraught. :). We bought it refurbished, and it made more than 16,000 espresso drinks for us (love the counter!). We sent it for repair a few times, but we finally but the bullet and splurged on a new machine. The new one has been here for a few weeks, and I really like it.