Storyteller Thom: "It’s been a looong weekend, Peeps. Time for your story, then off to bed."
[Spaniel looks over at cats in disbelief] "ONE STORY!? no waaaaaaaaaaay!!!"
Nice work, Thom P…
Time for a story, then off to bed
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{ 223 comments }
LOL! That’s just awesome.
Awww How sweet! Wonder what the story is? *joins circle*
now I ask yez……HOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW freakin’ cute is THAT?????? 25 words or more, plz…………….
=:3=:3=:3=:3=:3< <<---I give this pic 5 bunnies.....
We here in Dog-topia like ANY post that has Cavaliers in it.
awwwwwwwwww, how cute!
The story must have gotten exciting. Look at the startled look on the black dog’s face!
It looks all like ‘*gasp!* And then what happened?’
Oh man!that is too damn cute.
RoZita…those…at first glance, do not look like bunnies.
x.x
seriously though, that’s crazy cute. I when I was a little kid my mom used to read stories to my dog, what fang and I on saturday mornings. He’d hop up and sit on my bed and listen *SO* intently.
What a fantastic pic! Oh, how I want to join story time!
awww, Newfies are my faaaavorite! I want one. <3
GEEK SQUAD!! That black dog is totally into the story.
Hello, Children, hello. Here is this morning’s story. Are you ready? Then we’ll begin:
“One day Ricky the Magic Pixie went to visit Daisy Bumble in her tumbledown cottage. He found her in the bedroom. Roughly he grabbed her heaving shoulders, pulling her down on to the bed and hurriedly ripping off her thin… “
(flip, flip, flip…)
Full skit below:
http://orangecow.org/pythonet/sketches/kidstory.htm
With a MELON???
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!
Hahaaa, that skit kills me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PwdDV-abQA
A lovely picture, and so well-chosen, Meg.
I’m wondering if the cats are using their eyebeams to get to the ending faster.
AmyH, what about starting a CO Reading Group? We’d be arranged in a semi-circle, each person reading aloud, in turn. And I see everyone seated on kindergarten-sized chairs, somehow. And puddins’ for recess.
Love the Newfie!
cool~~~
Those are some powerful kitty eyebeams. I think the spaniel got caught off guard.
Spaniel:”Hey you two what are you…doing…in…nice story….”
I love that even the cats are paying attention.
cuuuute!!!
ah…. i couldn’t help but notice.. the guy’s shirt says “geek squad.”
Well, there’s a cat in the story, so naturally the cats are paying attention. As soon as the story gets to the dog part, though, those cats are taillights, man.
What a good example for readers everywhere! Black DogFace obviously way more into it than kitties – maybe they more into Drama or Visual Arts?
Or Kit-urgical Dance.
Ha! I love how the black dog is taking in every word.
And it looks to be a story featuring a hamster!
See? It’s the Peaceable Kingdom (and not a nuffingham in sight)…
Aw christ that warms my heart on this cold Welsh morning!
Is that a Newfoundland!?? He looks enthralled. He’s so obviously the teacher’s pet as well
you lot shld grow up – animals cant talk
nothing makes a dog more depressed than being treated like a human rather than a dog fyi
Greg, why exactly are you on CO? If you’re going to tell people to grow up, at least try to type properly. Nothing makes a human more depressed than bad grammar.
Adorable picture!
Greg: “nothing makes a dog more depressed than being treated like a human rather than a dog fyi”
Greg, how did you come by this information? Did — did a DOG tell you this? What else did the dog tell you, Greg? Tell you what — you just lie down here on this nice, comfy couch, and tell kindly old Dr. Ntmtom everything the dog told you, OK? And then I’ll write it all down on this note pad, so that I can help you get better! Won’t that be nice, Greg? It’ll be nice to get better, won’t it, Greg? And then the dogs won’t talk to you — never, ever again.
Yup, the Newfie looks positively suicidal. I’d start hiding knives.
JEEBUS.
Anyway…. thuper cute!
re NMTOM:
WOOT!
also, apologies for leaving out a T. early and chai-less thus far.
Is greg KIDDING? I lived with a Rat Terrier who literally got TICKED when you called her a dog. Was a bed and breakfast and the owners daughter picked Brin up and said YUR A DOG.
Brin went upstairs and pooped on her pillow.
reg
Regina my ratty has the same attitude!!! She will leave the room if someone treats her like a dog
Pure, pure genius.
Thom P should be knighted.
I find myself seriously wondering how he managed to set up this situation. Were they already there and he found them like that? Were there treats involved? What, how?
Monday stands no chance against the sheer might of this post! W00T!
(And Geek Squad stands no chance against the sheer weight of my scorn.)
I don’t see why this cute is people! Clearly the photographer was unduly putting that Geek in harms way! Does the photographer really think it’s safe to leave a poor defenseless Geek alone with four animals that look very content and almost down right happy? One lick from that Newfie and game’s over man, game’s over! And you know those cats are plotting to overthrow their story-reader! Oh the humanity! You people should be ashamed!
Yep, Kristie. All’s as it should be. Heh heh heh.
Hey guys!
I woke up this morning and was very surprised to find a friend IMing me that I was on cuteoverload. I’m thinking someone in my family submitted that photo. I have written a bit more about the picture on my website, as well as provided the animal’s names.
I’ve been away at college for the last 3 years, so whenever I come home the animals follow me around like I am a celebrity. It was during one of these times that I was able to take advantage of it and get the animals (especially the hyper-active king charles spaniel) to sit still long enough for a quality photo. I’m really glad you all enjoy it!
Oh crap, where’s my carpet square?!
The cats are pretending to pay attention while they burn holes in the wall behind Thom’s head.
The Newfie is way too involved in the story. He needs to chill, or he’ll have nightmares.
And the KCS has probably been told to stop bothering the Newfie, so he’s putting his paw as close to the Newfie’s as he can get it without actually touching him.
What book is that, Thom? And can you give us a link to your website?
Now THAT is adorable!
Oh noooo….. Thom’s website points out that there are COCKATIELS in this picture!!!
Oh, there’s the link! Duh!
Cockatiels! Salmonella! Panic! We’re all going to die!!!ONE!11!
Is it wrong that, despite the animal adorableness on show, I’m finding Thom the cutest one in this picture?
Gosh. I’m kind of a little in love.
Teho,
That’s just your attitude towards Geek Squad members or all geeks in general? I mean, the first I can understand, but really, truly, I like the song, “Save a horse, ride a geek.”
Geek Squad, Kristie. I *am* a geek.
They used to be the cool nerds who rode around Minneapolis in antique cars, hung out on my BBS, and advertised in the free weeklies. Now they’re part of Best Buy. They’re diluted, faceless, and exorbitant. Tech support to rock stars and royalty.
Thom P, you are clearly a person of substance & compassion. GET OUT NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN. (Even if it’s just a T-shirt. Get out of it.)
Erm… and for the record, I won’t be needing *that* pic.
No offense. Just sayin’.
i really adore this pic! nothing is CUTER than a guy being tender with animals… and fyi, the newfie is totally enthralled by the story… the kitties are simply waiting for the cookies & milk, and the CKCS is in lust with the newfie and just putting up with the story because he can hump her later…
ceaser milan may be the “dog whisperer” but his techniques are archaic and soemtimes downright inappropriate… he was an illegal alien and never took a course on animal behavior! all his techniques are from his experiences… and although some of his info is right, and his techniques works… well… ever watch his show? no dog’s problem is resolved in a 10 minute segment…and some of these dog owners really have no clue and let their dogs make the decisions… and no “real” person can walk their dogs for 4 to 6 hours a day… so buy the book “Culture Clash” and change not only your relationship with your dog, but improve your relationship with others!
There’s no need to slag the Dog Whisperer.
If you can’t give your dog appropriate exercise, maybe you shouldn’t have a big dog. That’s not Cesar Millan’s fault.
And what does his immigrant status have to do with anything?
Thom – That’s an awesome picture. I wish I could get one of my animals to sit still long enough for a pic, let alone all 5 of them. Awesome!!!
Obvy, the yeemyeems have Thom under their control.
Is it wrong that, despite the animal adorableness on show, I’m finding Thom the cutest one in this picture?
Gosh, I hope not, Kate. If it is, I’ll just stand here in my wrongness and be wrong.
AuntieMama,
i’m not trying to pull the rath of any Ceaser fans here… it’s just that he has made it slightly difficult for true professional dog trainers and behavioralists to get the public to do as we reccomend… they think Ceaser is the greatest thing since retractable leashes! (which by the way, are dangererous and NOT reccomended by a vast majority of dog trainers) Some very inteligent, kind people have jumped thru hoops and attended school for years to learn about animal behavior, psycholgy and proper tehcniques to rehabilitate these animals. It’s just that I meet dog owners who really take all of what Ceaser says to heart… I mean, read his book! It’s a self-glorifying biography with little training techniques beyond (give exercise, discipline, then love, in that order) well, where does socialization come into that? basic training? how about getting the whole family involved in raising a puppy? not there… it’s not that I think Ceaser’s Wy is wrong… it’s just that the general public sees one thing on television and thinks it’s the ONLY way… and there are less forceful ways to get dogs to behave… also… if you know anything about true dog behavior… they are NOT wolves! although “the pack” is a neccesity for their mental health, a pack of over 20-50 dogs is unnatural. Ceaser’s dogs on personal dogs on his show live in a KENNEL. On concrete. With dozens of other dogs… they live in an unnatural environment. how many regualr people have 20 dogs living in a parking lot? so they do behave unnaturally. Even feral dogs rarely create pack s of more than 12 individuals… and few wild wolf pack exceed 12 memebers for very long… I just wish that pet owners would consult professional, liscensed dog behavioralist for solutions rather than watch 3 hours of the Dog Whisperer and think that they “know” what is going on in their dog’s mind…
This is my interpretation of what is going through the big pup’s mind
http://picasaweb.google.com/aackerm/Edited/photo#4981298876516990994
Roxy. Whoa. Way to go *way* off track. Les stick to the cuteness of this picture, which has nothing to do with Cesar Milan, mkay?
Btw, *I* am fascinated with the matchingness of these kitties, who must be siblings, I presume.
Oh loooook….they are all so “paying attention” to daddy reading a story! Cute!!
true, true! as i said before…. NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING is cuter than a guy being tender with animals! my husband knows that the sure way to make up for any wrongdoing is to be caught rolling on the floor with the dogs, get caught brushing one of the cats, or bring home a treat just for the animals!
AWWWWWWWWWWWW.
NTMTOM – DEWD. You’re killing me here!
Oh, and I bet the story is “Goldilocks And The Three Bears” … that pic in the book looks like a bear going “Somebody’s eaten my puddin’?” What say, Thom?
EEESH. The previous post should have said “Somebody’s eaten my *PORRIDGE*” … Egads.
See what CO’s done to me.
ROFL, Subhangi, I thought you MEant to say “pudding” !!!
That is too funny!
CO is pudding thoughts into our heads. Is that legal?
Oh, and I *LOVE* Geeks. Geeks with pets = even better!
Lauri – it’s illegal and you KNOW it!
Mmm. Me needs pistachio NOW.
LOVE the picture!
I want to pat Thom on the head along with the rest of the reading group.
Mmmmmm, geeks and pistachio! And pets! *heaven* *evil grin*
Thom–looking at ya, I swear there’s a sibling my Hubby’s not telling me about. You could darn-near be his twin, both physically and personality-wise! *LOL* Very cute picture, BTW!
As for the Nuffinghams, don’t make me whip out the squirt bottle! I’ll do to y’all what I do to my cats when they claw the chair!
–twoDragons
How cute! Is this guy single? He’s just as cute as his little audience!
Only one problem–he’s not showing them the pictures. There’s a true skill in being able to read a story upside-down.
Danielle: Yeah, I wanna do that to my husband’s hair when he trims his buzz cut, too…*LOL*
Oh–and a-mornin’, y’all! ^__^
–TwoDragons
A-mornin’, D2D!
this story, like all the stories this guy reads to these pets, ends with the consumption of a treat. They can not actually tell you later what the story was about, and they regularly get C- and Ds on the quizzes. They just pretend so they can get the snack. sorry to disillusion anyone.
LOL….I suspected as much, bezoar!
Cynical, suspicious, as I am.
The cats glowing eyes scare me. What kind of story is that he is reading to them?!?!?!?!?!
[Joins Lauri in grinning evilly]
Danielle – With you on that, sista!
D2D – Howdy! Long time no see.
A Newf! A Newf! My kingdom for a Newf! They are such gorgeous dogs, and amazingly gentle. I love the story-telling. I used to cat-sit an Abyssinian, and she’d sit by me while I read to her — she loved it.
Peeps – urgent stray cat advice needed!
Psycho, the stray tabby who hangs out at our college cafe, is pregnant yet again (sigh & squee at the same time.) I keep scratching her on the head and she closes her eyes, miaows and gives her half-snarl (which is why I named her Pyscho) but sometimes she just walks off. She’s shown aggressive behaviour in the past, sometimes following people and for long distances until they give her food or shoo her away. (I was one of them, and I confess I fled from her out of sheer terror.)
Question(s): Is it a good idea to pet a stray pregnant cat who’s generally agressive by nature? Will that eventually tame her or do more harm than good – like, make her too dependent on people or something? Most people avoid her coz she has a bad rep, AND she’s heavily pregnant, though thankfully no one’s mean to her. (I confess I pet cats only because I love the way their eyes close and faces scrunch up when you scratch ‘em on the head. Darn cute. I’m still a bit wary of them tho. Strays, anyway.)
Oh, and she could REALLY do with a shower. [sigh] I guess we’ll have to make do with rain instead!
I’m buried in my studies, but I wish I could do something to help her, so I’d get to see her kitties!!! Any solutions?
I have this image of Thom tucking each critter in, a little snorgle, and then a big “G’night” like on The Waltons!
I don’t know about petting her, Subhangi, but it might be a good idea to call the local animal control to come pick her up. If nothing else, they’ll spay her so that she’ll stop having more kittens.
“whenever I come home the animals follow me around like I am a celebrity.”
Pet paparazzi!
Puparazzi?
AuntieM — she’s in India; dunno if she’s got anything locally available like a Humane Society.
…Subhangi?
Denita TwoDragons and Subhangi – Okay, we can go for the head pet, but watch out for the stubble burn!
[sigh] You’re right, AuntieMame. But the only animal help center in town is made up mostly of volunteers, so they’re active only during festivals and other occasions where animals/ birds are in acute danger. Besides, the cat is a stray and raher difficult to catch (and her ferocious reputation doesn’t help either.) The lows of living in a small and not-so-animal-friendly city.
I *will* call one of the volunteers from our college and find out, though. Thanks!
My puppy Pickles never lets me read to him. He acts all annoyed that I am disturbing his time to just veg out with his chin propped up in my lap.
Yeah, I wasn’t sure if there was an animal control program there.
Anyway, I doubt that she’s doing any harm by being friendly to the cat.
Danielle – Stubble is ok w/me.
Teho’s right … we don’t have a Humane Society that caters especially to strays, unless they’re acutely injured or something (you know, small things like dressing wounds and all.) So the spaying is a bit iffy.
Subhangi, it’s a long-shot but you could see if the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has an office in your city.
That Newfie is entirely too adorable. He looks so happy! I want to use him as a pillow.
Thom *is* the cutest thing in that picture! He looks so very, very much like my oldest boy.
And I love the “geek squad” shirt.
CO reading group, indeed, Aubrey! [sets up little kindergarten chairs]
Ahem, today’s story is “Of Mice and Men”…
I’ve been seriously into this site since the beginning and I’ve always been too lazy or busy to comment but THIS… THIS is TOO MUCH!!!! This is the single cutest thing I have ever seen. I think my heart just stopped.
How appropriate for National Raise a Reader Week (i’m not making this up)!
Holy crap that is so cute.
And the guy is not bad either!
Kat(i)e, I thought the same thing, but the animals are adorable too. Especially the Newfie. Why don’t I have one?
Brown-A: really?! Too cool! This could make a great promo poster!
–TwoDragons
> And the guy is not bad either!
I think someone else said it, but why not repeat such wisdom? Men who love animals, who are tender and compassionate with animals, are the best of men.
[wiggling eyebrows]
National Raise a Reader Week? Really?? Cool!!
btw, those are 100% beautiful cats and a darling picture. This one plus “Get to Work you Slacker” make it a better Monday.
Amen to that, CatFreak.
jmfausti, “Pickles” is one of the greatest puppy names of all time. In the Pet Name Pantheon, it’s right up there with “Cakes” the bunny.
This Peep salutes you!
And with a name like ‘Pickles’ I’m sure your puppy never has a dill moment.
Yes, Teho, you too [pats Teho gently on the shoulder]
Yes, Teho, I think the Peeps would agree you are among that lofty group.
T., yes, if you’d stop doing that with your eyebrows.
aubrey. dill moment? o my lor’! that is sooooooooo funny! i love the name Pickles for a marmalade kitty!
[pulls brim of Mad Hat down over unruly eyebrows]
BTW, Theo, it’s Mad Hatter Day on Friday.
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~ari/madHatter.html
HAhahaha! This is ssssooooo adorable!
That Newfie is rivited to the storyline it seems!
NDRO, maybe he just wants to chew on the book. And the spaniel is looking at him, like “Don’t, dude…” and the cats are working the mind-control, all “Do it! Do it!”
LC – maybe the kits just don’t like their substitute teacher. (Why, I can’t imagine).
Regarding substitutes – anyone ever take part in a book drop? Or its timid cousin, the pencil drop?
Hey!, sorry to disturb you, but the thing is… i´m an argentinian guy and some friend just gave me this address, it seems that we are doubles, almost indenticals… and believe i´m not kidding
… so dunno, just say hi
Too cute! My dogs, alas, prefer the television. I have ruined their minds.
Further on the subject of good pet names… my ex (you know, the Canadian with the hateful squirrel in the back yard?) had a neighbor with a cute little marmy-ish kitty they named “Carrot”– perfect for a little orange, stubby-tailed cutie. Thing is, as the kitten grew and his adult cat fur filled in, the orange went away and became positively sooty gray.
They now have a gray cat named “Carrot.”
J.Bo – don’t you find the idea of a gray cat named “Carrot” somewhat grating?
Aubrey, I think it takes the cake.
“Mad Hatter Day”??!
“…a Kinder, Gentler Fool’s Day”??!
[begins pondering]
it has a certain a-Peel Aubrey.
Off thread,
But checkout Autumnwatch on BBC.com, the seal diary with the new born seals!
Dewi
However, we should attempt to get to the root of the matter: why would an orange cat turn grey?
…the Nuffinghams, Thinker.
Laurie C.
Nope! My senerio is what I’m a goin’ with…
That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it!
LOL!
;oD
Thanks for playin’ along with me though! Fun!
Hello peeps! The bread pudding recipe has gone out to those who requested it. If you’d like a knock your socks off brandy laced bread pudding recipe, e mail me!
“why would an orange cat turn grey?”
Hmm… excessive worry, maybe?
A cat named Carrot, gray or orange– all I know is I’m not having dinner at THEIR house.
And if you didn’t get the pudding recipe directly, you can grab it off my blog: http://www.singlegirlwithcat.vox.com.
Thanks, MamaDawn! It looks delightfully delish!
Some old neighbors of mine had a mutt named “Bacon” – he was too pointy for my tastes, but had very floofy ears.
MamaDawn – thanks for the puddins! I can’t wait to try them.
Thom are you single??? So cute!!!
I think the pic got chosen for CO because of Thom he’s the cute one!
My grandparent’s marmie was Peaches.
Thanks for the recipes, MamaDawn! It’s making me drool just reading it!
This is such a cute picture, but I would have to say that Thom is the cutest one in it. He isn’t single by the way; he and I got engaged last November. He has always loved animals and loves takes every opportunity he can to capture cute pictures of his pets!
HotForThom — here’s a little hint-let: A dude wearing a “Geek Squad” shirt (even a *single* geek) ain’t likely gonna be impressed by a fake AOL addy.
Say it with me: “GMail”
Aside from the grating of carrots and appeeling puns…Book drop, pencil drop! As a former teacher I can only imagine what this is about Aubrey!At last we know the origins of your life of grime that landed you in the San Quentin rec room posts ago!
Well congrats to you Erica, it looks like you have an awesome guy. That is just the sweetest pic ever.
Frodo’sMum:
The wicked, wicked students would agree on a time – just a random one – to drop all their books/pencils at once. It made a lovely noise.
But I was too timid, and would only – OCCASIONALLY – take part in the pencil drops.
Yeah, I once dropped a pencil in Reno, just to watch it fly.
Aubs, All is forgiven. You learned the pun play so well! You amuse us all grately
LOL!
When Aubrey starts a-droppin’, boy it satisfies my soul.
It’s sweet of Thom to read to the kits and pups, but he needs to learn some librarian skills. The kids would really prefer to be able to see the pictures while he’s readin. Work on that, huh?
Theo:
AOL is run by squirrels.
(Well, that’s what I heard…)
Yer nuts!
Watch it now. You’re tempting me to do a link dump of all CO “nuts” posts.
T: Do it, I say. We’ll just take a pecan move on with our lives.
I almonds spilled my drink over that one, Aubrey…
It’s gonna cashew if you keep it up.
Cripes. Before I’m done with you lot I’ll be a shell of my former self.
Argh, Aubrey! AuntieMame! Stop! It hurts!
Love this pic. I have to agree with all the ladies out there who think boys with pets are super-cute (if not super-hot). Every time my boyfriend loves up one of our cats or asks if he can pet a total stranger’s dog I get all “awwww!” inside.
Alexis,
Think of it as a glass of spiked pun-ch. It eases the pain.
Let us wish Thom and Erica many happy years of togetherness, geekdom, and skritching animals!
(I have to type very quietly, there’s a tuxkit asleep in my lap.)
Lucky LT!
Lucky LT!
Lucky LT!
Didn’t wake it, did I?
Be VEWY VEWY QWIYET.
Thom and Erica, my best wishes for a long and wonderful life together. Ted and I have been together since 1977; I wish the same long, mutually supportive lifesharing for the two of you.
And this picture just makes me crazy. I went to my professional forum where I’m an assistant sysop and commanded that everyone view it immediately.
Gah! Cathryn you almost made me choke on the Pirates Booty I was munching on (Yar! Thar be good!)
You see, Ted and I have been together since December 2000. I had to remind myself that he might not be the only Ted in the world.
I’m assuming you have a different Ted…seeing as how mine would have been two years old in 1977.
BTW, best wishes to Thom and Erica.
Speaking for myself…I knew that Ted was the one for me when I saw how he loved his kitty.
Speaking entirely from hearsay, Ted said he knew I was the one for him when I played cat and mouse with his kitty…and I got to be the mouse (my poor hand! Those teeth puncture deep!).
*snicker* I would add this to my desktop, but sadly I have the sleeping seal on it, *squeal!* Very cute! *Scoots next to the cats, listening to the story*
A girlfriend of mine is getting ready to call of a relationship because the guy she’s dating told her “I don’t like dogs, I don’t like your dogs and I don’t see myself ever tolerating them.”
Ahem. Of course, there are other things, but when someone flat out dislikes animals – that’s a blazing red flag waving in Warningville.
Oh no! I met my husband at a toga party at MSU in 1977! I had a pet rat, and after the party he invited me up to his dorm room to see his gerbils!
Yay for pets!!!
Oh for sure, AmyH! That guy should be history! Bad bad sign when they won’t “tolerate” your animals!
There is no way she and he walnut end up breaking up!
Lauri – that’s super funny. If some guy in a toga invited me up to see his gerbils, well, I’m not sure what I would do! Hee!
“I don’t like dogs, I don’t like your dogs and I don’t see myself ever tolerating them.”
Boy, if a boy said that to me, I’d say, “The dogs were here first – skedaddle!” I agree that if someone adamantly *does not like* animals, there is obviously something wrong with them. They don’t have to be as crazy about animals as I (and all y’all who orbit this site), but they must at least think animals are nice and deserve consideration.
That’s my two cents.
AmyH, I hope your friend dumps this guy with extreme prejudice. Or let him post his opinion here; we’ll whip him into shape.
Lauri…ummm…
A cousin once asked me if I was dating some guy who didn’t like my cat, would I get rid of Elvis. Not only did I say there’s no way in @*&^%, my parents jumped in and said if someone didn’t like animals, that was a huge character flaw. Word.
Yes, yes, absolutely the truth!
And yes, mm – they don’t have to be nutso about pets. It’s all about respect, kindness and consideration.
Testify, AmyH!
You don’t think he had a phobia, do you…?
Not that that would have changed my opinion about someone who makes it plain they don’t like someone’s dogs, of course…
–TwoDragons
Aubrey, I think we should just whip him.
People who don’t like animals give me the creeps. But you know, the guys got the number on that one–look at any newspaper personals or singles websites and every other guy is saying “loves animals.”
Best wishes and much happiness to Thom and Erica. It looks and sounds like you’re both very lucky.
BTW, sometimes a man who claims to be intolerant of pets will change his mind in the presence of the right pet.
My husband was raised by decent God-fearing German Catholics who are great people, but are suspicious of anything pleasurable or hedonistic or not obviously essential, including pets. His mother, otherwise an intelligent woman, was quite afraid of cats, considering them to be sneaky, capricious, unpredictable, and evil. My husband and his five siblings never had any pets of any kind.
When I met my husband, twenty years ago, I thought he was the greatest guy ever, except he claimed he disliked cats and didn’t want one. (I was catless at the time.)
About eighteen years ago, we moved in together, and after a year, I told him, “I can’t live catless any more. A home with no cat just really isn’t a home. Tell you what: I won’t go searching for a cat, but if the Universe drops a cat in my path, I will probably take it.”
A few weeks later, while he was away on a trip, an acquaintance called to tell me she had three hours to get rid of a litter of kittens. By the time I got to her house, she only had one kit left: a little tiny six-week-old torbie sweetie with whom I fell instantly in love. I named her “Amber”, because of her lovely golden stripes.
When my husband called to check in that night, I told him what I’d done, and he harumphed and grumbled a bit. When he came in the door a few days later, Amber hopped over to check him out. I saw him visibly recoil, and I thought, “Ah, God … this just isn’t going to work!”
I stepped into the back room to do some chores, and came out half an hour later. My husband was sitting on the couch. Tiny Amber was curled up in his lap, purring. He was gingerly petting her head, using those half-inch-long kitten-petting strokes, just like an old pro.
He turned to me with a deadpan expression and said, “You know, this is actually a pleasant enough little animal.”
But from that moment on, he was Amber’s biggest fan and most devoted slave for the rest of her life. ;-> He took the picture and made the memorial page some of you have seen. He’s also a complete sucker for Xena, the new tuxxy bottle-baby.
So sometimes a man will say he doesn’t “get” pets, or doesn’t like them, when he is, unbeknownst to himself, a closet animal-lovin’ dude.
Never throw a good pet away, but make sure an otherwise good guy who claims he dislikes pets really *does* dislike them before you throw *him* away.
CatFreak, that’s a great story. It really pays to give people time to show all the more subtle parts of their character before making judgments about them. No wonder Amber was so well-loved and adored! It was the zeal of the converted.
I agree about the liking animals thing. My pets are my barometer on new friends; if the pets like them, they pass the litmus test. If the pets don’t like ‘em, well… we gotta think this over.
Oh, and? Thom IS adorable. So are his pets.
That’s good advice, CatFreak, although AmyH’s friend’s (hopefully) ex-boyfriend sounds like a self-absorbed prick. The pet-hating is probably just the tip of the narcissistic iceberg.
Mmmm, spiked punch. Thanks, Aubrey.
Catfreak, that IS a great story.
Very good advice, CatFreak, and it just shows, that being aware, and using common sense is called for. If this guy gives AmyH’s friend strange vibes anyway, and then he pulls this “won’t tolerate” her dogs thing….she needs to listen to her instincts. It could very well be a “it’s me or the dogs” powerplay. She will have to trust herself and her feelings.
And….congratulations, the “prayer for crap” worked! I just caught up on that whole thread!
Regina– re: Brin
ROTFL! Go dog, go!
Chocolate puddin’ on a pillow!
Those kitties are GORGEOUS! I want a pair like that; they’d make lovely bookends, wouldn’t they?
Lauri – you now realize that you’ve completely set yourself up for “Animal House” jokes now, right?
CatFreak: That is a beautiful story! It’s so great to know your hubby came ’round, it was just a matter of time!
My Dad was the same way for many years, viewed pets as nothing more than crap-making money holes that shed dander and hair or feathers all over everything. That is, until several years ago, when my Mom became owned by a bizarre-looking half-pitbull-half-dachsund (yeah, you heard right, folks!) puppy with all the personality of an entire kennel of canines packed into his tiny lumpen frame. Now my Dad will bend over backwards for that beastie, though he won’t admit it verbally, of course…
He also has a weak spot for pure white cats, which means he approves of the Hooligans. Grudgingly, of course… *grins*
–TwoDragons
I’m so happy to know that I am not the only one that reads to her dogs!
Yeah, I think AmyH’s friend’s ex sounds like a total tool, too.
But with men (maybe anybody, actually), the key is to pay less attention to what they say, and more attention to what they *do*.
That goes for the good stuff they say (“I’ll love you forever! You are the only one! I never even look at other women anymore”), *and* the harsh stuff they sometimes say (“Pets? Bah! Humbug!”)
And yes, guys, the Prayer for Crap *worked*!
Little kitty is now all systems go, so to speak.
Hi Catfreak, I have a similar story. I used to dislike cats – then one day my husband brought home a litte lost tabby. I explained to the cat that we were just going to be room mates and NOTHING more – but she kept doing so many cute things and just being as sweet as a lump of toffee and now she is my baby. I can’t imagine how we ever got along without her.
browngirl-
Around here we refer to such kittehs as missionary cats: cats with the difficult task of converting the not-catted to cat people.
An interesting point is that they are nearly always your basic dsh — none of your fancy shancy cats.
It can be *soooooo8 amusing to watch them at work.
Lol! Animal House jokes are fine!
I got a rather unfunny joke goin’ on here atm, my Great Dane has diarrhea.
Ph-ew! I went to Sedona to search for Javelinas for 4 days and I only just caught up with all y’all. I’m so happy to see that puddin’ has triumphed over nuffinghamism.
I just have to add that my father-in-law and I finally came to be at peace becuase of the aminuls. I realized that he couldn’t be all meanies if he loved his Weimaraner *that* much.
Lauri: Oh man, hang in there! My Elric-kitty just got over the nasty stuff, and he’s just a cat. I can only imagine the mess a big ol’ Great Dane leaves!
*tosses puddin’s and hugs to Lauri*
–TwoDragons
awwww pink(ish) widdle footsies…prickly blonde hairses…sitting all crosslegedly! I just want to kiss his sweet little forehead!
Another picture from the CO offices?
hahaha. aw. hahahah. aw.
(A sweltering Monday, in the Strictly Non-Sectarian Church of CO Worship. Every pew is filled. Complete silence.
AmyH, enters, head bowed, and walks to the podium. Places palms on the counter.)
‘Brothers and Sisters it has come to my attention – a story; a SAD STORY, my friends. A story of the intolerance and cruelty of man.
(suddenly slams a fist on the podium)
Of a man’s BLINDNESS! Of one man’s blindness to the love and beauty of his fellow creatures! (places hand on heart) Yes, my children, a dear friend of mine has told me that her ‘boy friend’ – a trusted helpmeet through these difficult times – has…against Meg’s commandments, against all the Rules of Cute..declared EVEN TO THE SKY…that he will never let himself love her pet dog.
(Congregation: ‘Shame! Shame!’)
A DOG, friends, that symbol of friendship, of loyalty, this man cannot bring himself to love. My friend (lifts eyes) is in TORMENT! Her soul writhes in an agony of indecision! Brothers and sisters, she finally came to me for guidance.
(Congregation: ‘Hallelujah!’ and ‘What happened AmyH?’ and ‘Tell! Tell!’)
I told her – how many times has an innocent, loving animal been turned out into the street by the intolerance of man? How many times has your – yes your very own – cute been harshed, by the foolishness of others? HOW MANY TIMES (lifts arms to the sky) must this cruelty, stupidity, wickedness, blindness and hate stand in the way between a soul and his loving pet?
(points to the congregation)
And today I will tell you, children, yea, even to the end of days – for the endtime has come and only YOU CAN STOP IT! The fourth seal has arrived – it is white, it is prosh, it lies unattended on an unknown shoreline – will you LEAVE IT DESERTED? NO, I SAY! And again I say NO! (drinks a glass of water) I say that when you hear that old phrase ‘If it is in print, then it must be true’, you laugh and shake your head. I do. We all do. But when you hear ‘If it is on Cute Overload then it must be cute’ get on your knees! Be grateful! Sing Hallelujah! Hallelujah!’
(Congregation is in a frenzy: ‘Praise the cute! Praise the cute!’ and ‘Thank you, AmyH! Thank you!’)
Um, D2D, I think Lauri may not be in the mood for pudding. Best not make it chocolate for a while. Eeeuuw…
Thanks to everyone for the moral support for my friend. She’s going to talk to him tonight to get to root of things and see what his deal is.
If he thinks she’s ditching her dogs for him (a power play that is conceivable) then he’s out. She’ll get to the bottom of it, though. This isn’t the only thing she’s concerned about, but it’s the biggest right now.
Stay tuned…
HAHA! OMG, Aubrey. That is fantastic. Speechless, I’m speechless. Which is why I’m typing.
Can I get an AMEN?
Aubrey, my dear, you rilly, rilly, rilly, rilly, rilly, rilly, rilly, rilly need to write comedy scripts for the entertainment industru, if you don’t already.
I used to have two friends who were half as funny as you, living in this town. Their names are Jim Bernstein and Michael Shipley. Watch the credits for Family Guy sometime, and look for their names.
If they can do it, you can do it better.
> awwww pink(ish) widdle footsies…prickly blonde hairses…sitting all crosslegedly! I just want to kiss his sweet little forehead!
It’s the combination, though. It’s the sweetly, and somewhat unconventionally, attractive obviously very sweet-natured young man, *AND* the four adoring pets, treating him like a celebrity.
CO trifecta! (Bi-fecta? Quadrafecta? I give up … I just had two capirinhas at my local bar … don’t expect precision …)
AMEN, y’all!
There’s a newfie in the crowd! AWWWWWWWW, I love newfies!!!
i knew my current squeeze was something special when the Queen of All Things (the feline resident) plopped in his lap purring. She’s more famous for her teeth n claws then her fuzzy purrs. Guys that love animals are the best.
I’ve never been much of a cat person. I like dogs much better, except I know that in the place where I am in life, I really can’t care for a dog, so I’ve abstained. But my kids, they kept begging for a pet. One day almost two years ago, my son called me from school and explained that there was a stray cat roaming around his school, and if someone didn’t take it, they were going to take it to the animal shelter. I made it clear to my son that I would not be taking care of that cat, because darnit, I had enough things to take care of. So Zorro came home with us. I still don’t like cats, but this Zorro, well, he’s not your typical cat. He’s different. And I like him.
Then about a month ago, my 9 year old was walking into the house and this little malnourished kitten followed her in. Now if my 9 year old said “mom, look, this cat followed me in the house!” I would have thought she was lying. But I watched this little thing run in right behind my daughter. I just couldn’t put her back outside, it was SO skinny, you could feel every vertebrae and every rib. We gave her some of Zorro’s food. She was SO hungry she was making whiney gulping noises as she ate that day. The next day she was still hanging around, so we brought her back in and fed her. She hasn’t wanted to go outside since then. She’s so cuddly and loves everybody in the house. She’s the one who sleeps on my laptop all the time. Her name is now Chloe. I think she was a kitten born to one of the many ferals that roam around here. It didn’t look like anybody was taking care of the poor thing.
I still don’t like most cats. But these are really nice cats and I couldn’t just let them starve, right?
Absolutely, Connie, whatever you say.
Here’s the thing about people who say they don’t like this or that kind of animal–often they are lying. My husband said he was allergic to cats, but later his brother told that hubby just didn’t like cats. I missed my sister’s cats, so there was NO WAY I wasn’t going to have cats after the wedding. I followed along with the “I’m allergic” excuse, and took him to visit a breeder of hairless cats. Lo, he was not allergic, so I won. I got 2 hairless cats, and NOW, he’s all the time cuddling and snorgling them, saying, “Give Daddy kisses. Who’s Daddy’s good girl?” He just thought he didn’t like cats, because he’d never been around them.
ThomP can read me a bedtime story any day.
Ok, folks, all is well….pretty much. Calli (Great Dane) has not presented us with any puddin’s in the house, thank Galg. She made it outside all day yesterday, poor girl, with the runs.
The only thing she has done in the house is play the trombone out her rear all day…I never heard such loud dog farts!!!
And she threw up grass upstairs this morning.
How are all yer coffee breaks doin? Good?
Good!
Yer gross, Lauri.
Butt trombone.
*Snerk*
Awriiiiight! My favorite gamer-geek info site has a link to my favorite site for all things cute!
http://www.bluesnews.com/
Thom, you and your literate critters have officially been eeeemortalized!
–TwoDragons
…and it’s comforting to know I’m not the only one here with a juvenile enough mind to snicker helplessly at the words “butt trombone”…
Heheheheh…hehe…*schnrk*
–TwoDragons
I know….juvenile mind, not so juvenile body. Sigh. Ah well….
Amy H:
[sniffles]
CatFreak:
[more sniffles]
Aubrey:
Will you marry me?
Lauri: Pet yark is so ooky, you have my sympathy! I think they use the grass to help ease their tummies. I have to keep all my houseplants far away from the cats, lest I find them in half-digested wads all over the house later…
Yes, juvenile mind, thirtysomething body. I make my husband blush in public sometimes… *LOL* >;-)
–TwoDragons
*Grin* Well, good for you, D2D! My kids are 23, 21 and 19, now, but it used to be such a satisfying feeling if I could hear them say in that disgusted teenage voice, “MOM”.
Alas, they have all grown out of being embarrassed by me, and all have the same sick sense of humor!
Oh, no! That’s horrible! Dogs and cats and humans together in one room! They’ll all kill each other! No mixing of species allowed! Better separate ‘em!
And isn’t that a porn magazine the human is reading to the animals??!?!! They’re in danger of having their morals corrupted!!!
Oy, I have that book! It’s awesome!
*cough* Yes, well, this picture’s adooooorible. ~_^
*The book in the picture. Aye.
I think this is quite possibly the cutest photo ever on Cute Overload!
Sorry it has taken me so long to reply.
The book is King Leonard’s Celebration. http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=2-0896938468-1
I have uploaded some of my favorite pictures of various pets at
http://schwaze.com/comment.php?story=98
Thank you for all of your kind comments and wishes for Erica and I
From Thom’s “Schwaze” page:
“I see alot of comments about me being part of the geek squad. I don’t even know where that shirt came from. Have you ever just looked in your closet one morning and discovered clothes you never knew existed? Its kinda like that… I’m thinking maybe while I was sleep-walking I mugged a geek-squad employee and stole his shirt…”
Yeah, I’m thinking I like this guy. Muahahahaa.
that boy is hot!
Great animal pics, Thom!
It looks amazingly like my house!
Oh man! This is truly one of the cutest pics ever on here. The doggies AND the kitties lined up around the dude sittn’ there with the storybook? For me, that really is the cute overload. DAMN!
YEEMyeemYEEMyeemYEEMyeem
They sell animals at Best Buy now!?
I wanna newfie! I wanna newfie! Dammit! I wanna newfie!
Aren’t you more in malamute territory now, Arvay?
cutest scool eva!!!!!
Ilove that photo especially your terranova, cavalier k. c. s.(wich i dream to have one) and your cats
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