Michael Gurski

Just a SysAdmin/SRE/Dev(Sec)Ops/ISSO guy, tech lover, sometimes photographer, rescue dog parent, sous vide & grilling fan. I like whisky & bourbon & rye. Expect relevant pics, especially pets & food.

Assume that I know nothing, and will inadvertently offend. I'm trying, learning, deprogramming. If I offend, call me out, since I probably need it.

If you need me, I'm there for you. No qualifiers. You need, I'm there. Period. End of story.

I want to be the change I want to see in the world.

Blog: https://blog.gurski.org/
Where to find me: https://wheretofind.me/@emag
Pronouns: He/Him, They/Them, whatever is easier for you. I'm easy that way.
Politics: Everyone deserves to exist, and I will fight tooth and nail for that. I'm a safe space.

Public Key

npub19lqh74ff4pcnxl6ue8cjvdxdkz4q3mjmpthjzdy7y8yrtx94pe5qxudqqa

NIP-05 Address

emag_at_strangeplace.me@momostr.pink

Profile Code

nprofile1qqszlstl2556sufn0awvnufxxnxmp2sgaeds4mepxj0zrjp4nz6su6qpz3mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujuerpd46hxtnfduqs6amnwvaz7tmwdaejumr0dsyedkfl

Publishing to

relay.damus.io

nos.lol

Author Public Key

npub19lqh74ff4pcnxl6ue8cjvdxdkz4q3mjmpthjzdy7y8yrtx94pe5qxudqqa

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Last Notes

2025-07-06 07:55:31 UTC

There are very few things that will annoy me as much as out of sync clocks. Microwave changed properly, stove I swear I set properly was several seconds behind. Not sure how I noticed, but I did. And you *know* I fixed it....
And yet... 2 minutes later, the stove is lagging again. Grrrrr...

2025-06-10 06:27:57 UTC

Thinking about it in Freedom Units, I'm not entirely sure why wire gauge is larger the smaller the number is, but bullet caliber is larger the number is. I guess that's the price of Freedom... /s
(OK, I do actually understand calibers, but the wire thing probably has something to do with like oxen drawing per feet or some weird measurement, just like rail gauge & train tunnel widths being the measure of horses' asses side by side)

2025-05-19 07:18:43 UTC

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I did Nth generation before on some phones, like CyanogenMod. Has anything since come close to a stock experience? I feel like an abused spouse when I keep saying "but it's not like stock".
But I'm really, *really* pissed at my Gemini experience.

2025-05-19 06:38:27 UTC

Google is so fucking anti-consumer at this point, I'm actually considering an iPhone and blocking every simp who defends them. My forced Gemini interaction makes me want to just completely ditch them.

2025-03-16 09:52:21 UTC

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Apparently, the left ear bud losing power (since it's the control for audio commands) is enough to drag me out of YouTube Music hell. How it's registering 10% while the right is 70% makes me think I may need new ones soon, since they've both been in their charging case the same amount of time.

2025-03-16 09:06:29 UTC

Ok, so, I'm in YouTube music hell (can't find a good place to stop), but at least I swept up a lot of dog toy fluff debris and dirt?

2025-01-23 09:12:54 UTC

I'm one of those people who prefer to use Fahrenheit for hot temperatures (as it conveys how hot it is), but Celsius for cold temps, which does a better job on that end... So it's currently something like -13.3°C here...

2025-01-14 07:49:53 UTC

Looks like until she at least sees an ortho to confirm a rotator cuff tear, all the stuff that my wife does which requires lifting and reaching is my responsibility. At least it wasn't the shoulder she broke in early 2023?

2025-01-10 21:30:02 UTC

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it's a 12th gen i7 Dell Inspiron I got in Oct 2023 to replace the 2019 MSI with a broken hinge (apparently common). It was one of 4 projects that have been languishing, made more urgent by the dying spinning rust in the MSI.

2025-01-10 08:25:43 UTC

Literally all I wanted was a drama-free install and upgrade to a new laptop. Instead, it's drama all the way.

2025-01-08 09:15:55 UTC

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basing it on what I've been told by a (slightly younger) coworker's experience here. My last good boss also dealt with it in his early 50s and regretted not getting it sooner.
My problem is my 1-10 scale has been skewed by having a nurse for a mother. So my 1 is probably a 3 or 4 for a lot of people, my 8 is probably around a 12 or 13. I sliced off the tip of a thumb on a mandoline and all I said was "ow! Fuck! Get me a band-aid!"

2025-01-08 09:05:43 UTC

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*technically* I have to wait about 4.5 months for it, which is crazy, because I can guarantee a virus isn't looking at my birthdate. I have a coworker who got shingles in his late 30s after an injury while moving house and couldn't get the vaccine. 50 seems to be the "official" age. Seems rather dependent on the pharmacist around here how much they bend the rules. And I'll be like "now, or take up time in a few months".
Knowing people who've been through shingles, sooner is better...

2025-01-08 08:52:07 UTC

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I'm also the recipient of the play bitey a lot from Cyndi in the morning, when she wants to play and I want to sleep more. Stevie so actively avoids biting that half the time I need to place her water cookies in front of her instead of handing them to her. She still pibble-nibbles while licking, though.

2025-01-08 08:48:24 UTC

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Sounds crazy to say it, but my wife was offered additional vaccinations at her last appointment, given our insurance, and I've worked places that sought volunteers for experimental ones. I abhor needles (long story, or really not), but endure them. When I was first offered a pneumonia vaccination during a largely uneventful overnight hospital stay in 2018, my response was "why not?"
I'm sure it'll kill me in 20-50 years, most likely... /sarcasm

2025-01-08 08:44:33 UTC

I kinda want to schedule a vaccination appointment, and when I get there just say "vaccinate me for all the things!" Mostly because I'm behind on some important ones (flu, COVID-19), could maybe use a few boosters (tdap), and some optional ones are either coming due again (pneumonia) or need to be started soon (shingles). And, well, being in the US, my wife's insurance is the kind where we have the privilege to say "yeah, whatever, do it". At least anthrax isn't on the table currently...

2025-01-08 08:38:20 UTC

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one or the other sometimes gets a nip on a lip because they both need the same 8 cm of the toy they're trying to play tug with... But that isn't the sound or physical interaction I worry about. But it is *so* hard to explain that.
Cyndi mouthing at Stevie because Stevie wants my attention is so much different than when Shadow got jealous of my SiL's boxer getting attention from me.

2025-01-08 08:10:34 UTC

It's incredibly difficult to explain to the owners of a new dog (especially inexperienced owners) the tonal difference between 2 dogs playing and 2 dogs fighting... "Ahhh! Ahhh! Woof!" vs "Arrrhh! Arrrhh! Grrr!"... And the physical stances of wagging & pouncing vs preparing to lunge to attack... I still have to sometimes set eyes on my girls, just to verify it's play.
#DogsOfMastodon

2025-01-07 23:25:58 UTC

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people I know fall into 2 camps about them. "Solid choice" and "You paid *how* much?!". The IR and Mk4 I bought during a sale a few years ago, and the two I use the most by far. The older pen isn't splash resistant. I should probably use my Meater+ (wireless, submersible, heat resistant above anything I cook at) more, especially for the sous vide proteins, but it's usually once they've gone in that I remember...

2025-01-07 10:11:38 UTC

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this is where I admit that I spend a premium on probe thermometers that are certified. Not sure if they're available there, but I swear by Thermapen probes by ThermoWorks. So much so, I have one of their IR ones, too. The older one takes CR2032 coin cells, the newer Mk4 takes AAA.

2025-01-06 09:41:01 UTC

I think I'm going to have to consult a skinologist soon. What used to be a childhood malady that (mostly) went away has become significantly more pronounced since 2019. I'm not thrilled, as the treatments then were bad, and from what I've found, are pretty much the same now. Were it just my scalp, I'd just deal, but it's developing elsewhere. I kinda need a professional diagnosis that it's what makes my lower legs look like they do. Stupid autoimmune disorders. Stupid psoriasis.

2025-01-04 08:54:58 UTC

From a 2024/2025 perspective... "Pretty Woman" and "Take It Easy" (and so many other "classics") are... Problematic, at best.

2024-12-29 10:35:01 UTC

Gee, my Nest doorbell has been offline for over 10 minutes *again*. What ever shall I do? Maybe replace it with something useful?

2024-12-23 08:41:38 UTC

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if I ever meet past me, he's got something coming to him...

2024-12-23 01:01:46 UTC

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there needs to be a "damn the torpedoes" override.

2024-12-23 00:50:42 UTC

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I'd think that would result in a nearly constant problem, not something that randomly happens once or twice a day, for several hours, but a quick short or power pull brings it back for 12-24 hours.
Regardless, I'm so annoyed with the Nest ecosystem, I'm using this as the perfect excuse to finally trash it and decloud. It alerts to people on the sidewalk, but not people at the door, stopped recognizing known people, etc.

2024-12-22 09:08:47 UTC

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basically, if I didn't insist on keeping my toes on the ground kneeling, it'd be a non-issue, but I don't know how to do that and still stand up without help.
Resisting pulling doggos at potty times doesn't help, either.

2024-12-22 09:04:10 UTC

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near as I can tell, I bent it funny kneeling down to load soda bottles in the "wine" rack (which almost never sees wine bottles) yesterday. I somehow *always* kneel with my right knee, so those toes bend, the big one doubly so. A day or so, and it'll be OK. But in the meantime, it isn't fun. I walk like Frankenstein's Monster right now, at least on that foot.
I thought it might be gout, but it's only that toe, always, and doesn't follow anything other than kneeling a lot, or driving.

2024-12-22 08:38:12 UTC

If it weren't for the fact that walking and climbing up/down stairs was painful enough to visibly alter my walking stance, I'd have never admitted how painful it is to move my right toe currently.

2024-12-22 07:10:07 UTC

Lately (since Dec 15 ~1600 EST) my Nest Hello (circa 2019, battery dead for years) has been going offline for hours on end. Theorized it was temperature related, but that doesn't seem to be a factor. No networking changes since a router firmware upgrade on Nov 5 (so likely unrelated). I can "reset" by pulling power from the dongle on the indoor chime, but annoying AF. Already looking at non-cloud replacements (with Frigate NVR), but anyone else seeing this?

2024-12-17 09:53:37 UTC

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honestly, in that moment, there's nothing to think about. I certainly didn't even get to think "the dogs!" at the time before being escorted out, but they both got out, and into a neighbor's home (saving them from Animal Control). Everything happened so fast, I'd barely put on PJ pants and a t-shirt, and was in flip-flops (or thongs, I guess would be the best translation) in the middle of winter. Trying to use the kitchen fire extinguisher on a structural fire... And a night hospitalized.

2024-12-17 09:31:13 UTC

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everything I had, and that would last my lifetime, burned up in our 2018 house fire, when the MBR closet sprinkler failed catastrophicly. I just haven't been arsed to replace it since then, especially since I keep yo-yoing on my body size. I've also developed an aversion to the things. They're mostly for those left behind, and I'd rather a party in my memory than a lot of tears and solemnity.

2024-12-17 08:35:33 UTC

I suppose I really should once again finally get a suit, dress shirt, tie, and dress shoes. I'm getting to that age where I'm going to end up attending more funerals than weddings, if my social anxiety will let me. In either case, I'll be invited to more funerals than weddings at this point in my life... And a Henley or Polo with jeans or slacks seems, while on point for me, somewhat disrespectful to others...

2024-11-29 08:35:04 UTC

I wasn't "appreciative enough", so I'm not in my father's will. I'm sure something similar will be said why I'm not in my mother's will.
Don't care, I'm my own person. I don't live for any inheritance, I live for myself.

2024-11-28 10:36:33 UTC

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I've literally searched for nearly 30 years for something worth impregnating in my skin, and... It's memories of my dogs, which is about the only thing that seems worth it, for how much I loved them and they loved me.

2024-11-28 10:33:34 UTC

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yeah, there's very little in my life I'm comfortable memorializing. If anything, remembering dogs past and current is about the only thing I'm willing to get needled for, and look past (or at least turn my head and grit my teeth for) my absolute disdain of needles. It literally took hours to craft that initial contact email. I'm a total wuss when it comes to getting stuck.

2024-11-28 10:08:22 UTC

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Found their response in spam... I'm afraid to look at it.
Irony: I detest needles, and only suffer them for vaccines and work-mandated blood draws, so this will be "fun", knowing to a highly technical degree what this eventually entails in terms of needles and epidermal penetration, and just how deep it goes into the dermis.
Sometimes, I wish I wasn't me.
This is actually scary, committing to this.

2024-11-28 09:47:08 UTC

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it's RuffWear stuff. Love their harnesses, Stevie can't slip the harness. My wife got the rain & cold weather coats that arrived today. So, yeah... Still looking for what goes on that band with the lightbulb.

2024-11-28 09:18:17 UTC

Really thrilled that the rain coats and winter coats from the same brand as the harnesses we got for the girls both fit *and* work overtop of their harnesses. #DogsOfMastodon

2024-11-27 08:30:32 UTC

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The thing with me is... I've wanted a tattoo since sometime in the 1990s. I'm just indecisive, and up until recently, everything I've thought about getting has been... Ephemeral. Sure, a Star Trek comm badge would have been cool... A Debian Swirl... Linux Penguin might be the most enduring until now.
If we'd had kids, possibly their names and birthdates, but then I look upon my estranged parental relationships.
My dogs, though, they're eternally in my heart and mind.

2024-11-26 10:10:12 UTC

Well, shit, I just submitted a "contact us" to a local tattoo shop about getting Shadow's & Charlie's plaster paw prints made into tattoos...
#DogsOfMastodon
#Tattoos

2024-11-24 09:26:32 UTC

I do unto neighborhood dogs as I hope neighbors do unto mine. Namely, if they're out wandering, bring them in for the night to give them a safe, comfortable space, and try to find their parents, through tags, chips, and posts to local FB & (gag) Nextdoor groups with photos.
My #FlipperZero remains one of the best impulse purchases I've made, since I can read microchipped pets' serials and look them up.
Cats are impossible to catch, but I'd do the same for them.
#DogsOfMastodon #PetsOfMastodon

2024-11-16 10:50:06 UTC

It's been bugging me for several hours that I could only account for 13 of 14 magnetic clips that I'd ordered ages ago. I *just* discovered that #14 was hiding in plain sight right above the magnetic pen/marker holder on the fridge. It was gray, so my mind blended it into the gray of the fridge *many* *many* times on my counting of "clipped to close food bag"/"holding coupons or notes on fridge"/"awaiting a new use".
Someone will understand just how relieved I am to find it.

2024-11-16 10:07:18 UTC

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well, fuck. That's a ridiculously long time to have to endure without a definitive solution in sight. Hopefully you can get some good recommendations. I have some ideas, depending on your palate, that would at least give some variety, but I'm by no means qualified to even suggest anything.
*hugs*

2024-11-16 09:50:14 UTC

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oh, damn. I knew someone who had TMJ while I was in college. She was absolutely miserable, and it showed. I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Any timeline for addressing it?

2024-10-25 17:21:10 UTC

There's an appliance brand called "SMEG"?!
What kind of smeghead came up with that?

2024-10-24 03:46:14 UTC

There's just this weird growth on my leg...
#DogsOfMastodon
https://media.strangeplace.me/media_attachments/files/113/360/329/480/838/411/original/61bce948d1f4b239.jpg

2024-10-21 21:08:10 UTC

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I was thinking from an insurance perspective

2024-10-21 05:44:15 UTC

So... Completely hypothetical question here... Completely... If you "accidentally" hit an illegally parked vehicle getting into or out of your driveway, who is at fault?

2024-10-13 08:45:38 UTC

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oh, no. Dental issues are my personal body horror. If you need me, I'm definitely here for you.

2024-10-13 08:32:15 UTC

@npub19rc…m3mw not gonna lie, you going dark for like a week scared me. Hoping whatever was the cause is something that's been dealt with, and if it's something you need a shoulder for, I'm available.

2024-10-10 09:01:31 UTC

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I did manage to post this on Reddit, though... https://www.reddit.com/r/velvethippos/s/bVANRGHi8v

2024-10-10 08:59:05 UTC

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yeah, kinda got caught up in it, and didn't post much. Glad to see you're back, though.

2024-10-10 07:31:30 UTC

I'm happy to say that 24+ hours later, Cyndi's Gotcha Day special dinner of rice, green beans, and canned salmon has had no negative effects on her GI. I think we found a good "sometimes" treat for the girls, that works with her food allergies.
#DogsOfMastodon

2024-09-25 07:41:47 UTC

We don't need blood or marriage to be family.

2024-09-22 10:16:45 UTC

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yeah, drugging her with more Trazodone isn't something I want to do. Grooming and vet visits are one thing, but I really want to avoid it as much as I can... If we can intervene, she stops for a while, but it's clear her feet still bother her

2024-09-22 10:02:24 UTC

So, #DogsOfMastodon, what are some palliative care options for a dog suffering from a yeast infection on their paws? She's licking/chewing her feet raw, and while she's on antibiotics, and we're waiting for the cytology report, I want to make my girl as comfortable as possible, ideally without physical barriers like booties or cones, which will only stress her more. She's already on Cytopoint, Apoquel, and Allercept.
#DogsOfMaston
#PitBullsOfMastodon
#PetsOfMaston

2024-08-29 08:32:02 UTC

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well, he's an avowed socialist who can't stand anyone who doesn't subscribe (and, apparently, pay to join?!) his agenda. Anything less is pure Fascist thinking to him... He used to be amusing as a teen, now that he's in his 30s, he reminds me of some of the old people who hung out on campus, espousing Communist doctrine to impressionable kids...

2024-08-29 08:24:57 UTC

Exactly one person, probably the most miserable person I personally know, claimed this was an offensive shirt because Rosa was a radical and wouldn't approve any of this. Multiple others, including friends who are PoC seemed to like/love react to this on the Book of Face.
I'm curious if others approve or find it offensive.
https://media.strangeplace.me/media_attachments/files/113/044/326/843/554/674/original/f10617df2aa0a0f2.jpg

2024-08-22 03:29:45 UTC

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there's a whole litany of those falsehoods that I routinely send others. My most favorite is the one on names, as it directly affected me for a decade. I have 4 names, and the system concatenated my 3rd and last into a single one... So fire drills, when I'd check in, I'd say "look under A, not G"... And this started in 2012, so long after people should know better!

2024-08-22 03:18:22 UTC

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yeah, it's better now for scheduling. When I learned about the existence of *fractional* time zones long ago, it blew my mind a little.

2024-08-21 07:27:49 UTC

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that can get confusing, especially with certain states (in the USA) not recognizing DST (which I just want to see go away... EST5EDT? Madness! EST5 plain and simple). I actually ran into a time conflict driving cross-country where our hotel was in one TZ, and the Steak & Shake we planned to eat at was in another. Fortunately, in our favor, but still...
I was the guy at the airport always asking "do you know what time zone we're in?" in the early 2000s during my consulting days.

2024-08-21 01:51:26 UTC

When you're in a meeting with people in 4 different timezones, and people keep saying times *without* specifying what TZ they're in, and it's not in UTC (not that most seem to know UTC). Grrrrrt

2024-08-19 00:21:30 UTC

About 6 minutes ago, one year today, Charlie crossed the Rainbow Bridge to join his brother, Shadow, who had been waiting a little over 2 years to reunite.
https://media.strangeplace.me/media_attachments/files/112/985/822/151/668/197/original/0fa1c4f89ede9fdb.jpg

2024-08-16 07:58:31 UTC

When I have a physical project (usually around the home, usually a repair, maybe an improvement), I *can't* just order something online. I need to see and manipulate the potential hardware, get a feel for it, and synthesize an understanding for how I will use it.
Please tell me I'm not alone in this...
(A 1:1 replacement is different, as I already have what I need. So is "I've worked with this before", so I could get half-slot unseen, but I need to handle the hook for a bug zapper)

2024-08-14 08:22:38 UTC

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the two are completely unrelated. My dad's a fucking asshole, and I know I'd be a great dad. Biology and genetics and trying to save my marriage after many pregnancy failures are why I will never be a dad. And also why I try to stay away from babies and young kids, because I do interact so well, and know it will never be me and mine. That's what hurts so much that I don't want to put myself in that situation.
The kids I know, I'd stand up to Hell for.

2024-08-14 07:56:52 UTC

In an alternate timeline, I'm the really great dad people told me I'd be. In this timeline, I've stopped interacting with kids because it's too painful to be told what a great dad I'd be.

2024-08-03 09:20:49 UTC

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the ice maker that just pumps out those quasi halfmoon "cubes" is an endless supply of treats. We haven't tried a "licky may" yet, which is apparently a thing. They just love crunching down on some ice (or ripping up ice from the deck in winter, and demanding more...). I'm honestly surprised that Cyndi hasn't learned she can just steal ice from the freezer drawer.

2024-08-03 09:16:31 UTC

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I know nothing more than emotional support from me is possible, but if you need it, you've got it.

2024-08-03 09:05:56 UTC

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oh, geez! I saw some hints, but couldn't find the seeds. Great big bear hug from me, and slobbery kisses from my girls.

2024-08-03 09:04:29 UTC

In the Northern Hemisphere, with scorching temps (and, well, even in winter), we readily give our dogs "water cookies" (ice "cubes"). Zero calorie treats. They love them. They're crunchy. Vet approved. And hydrating. The girls will run to the freezer whenever we open it, looking for their cold treats.
#DogsOfMastodon

2024-08-01 04:29:10 UTC

Go to empty the dirty dishes in the sink into the dishwasher, find the Corelle bowl we used last night to hold tortilla chips, that literally sat in the dishwasher overnight, completely cool, had cracked in two.

2024-08-01 04:09:48 UTC

Who would have thought that stating I'm not a fan of prong collars, and suggesting a Martingale, Gentle Leader, or decent harness to help with pulling would be controversial?!
#DogsOfMastodon