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I was on a bus this evening, commuting home after work. Usually the journey is uneventful and is my daily reading time, but today there were two ladies sitting beside me. One of them was talking loud enough to be heard on Alpha-Century, which is is a feat in itself since sound needs air to travel, and there's no air in space.
I don't make a habit of listening to other people's conversations, but Mrs.Loudspeaker was oblivious to the fact she was high enough on the Decibel scale to drown a jet-plane. The topic was about children, more specifically how great, wonderful, fulfilling it was to have children, and that people without children were selfish, missing on the greatest joy a person can know, and bordering on evil
Don't get me wrong, I love children and am always happy to have those of my friends and siblings around. Unfortunately it wasn't possible for my wife and I, and even adopting proved a grueling experience we had to abandon due the proverbial shit happens thing. I also happen to be a very private and quiet guy, the kind who tries his best to blend in the background at parties, content with the company of a diet-coke and his thoughts.
Of course, in accordance with the bad karma which has been plaguing me for some time now, one of the ladies arrived at her destination. Guess who stayed? Of course it was Mrs. Peta-Decibels, who turned to me and asked, "And how many kids do you have?"
I am not stupid and realized that, had I told the truth that I have no children, chances are she would have asked, "Why not?", followed by a long monologue that would have turned my brain to mulch. That is a bad thing because then it would have flown out my ears, nostrils and eyes, and it so happens I still need my brain for everyday things and stuff.
Had I been rude, which I am not, I could have gone with, "Mind your own business." or "Can't you see I'm reading?" or "I had a kid once, but then the dog ate it."
Instead I decided to have little fun and replied, "I have four daughters." And then the conversation went something like this:
"Oooooh, really? What are their names?"
"Selphie, Akasha, Scarlett and Fionna."
"Such pretty names! How old are they?"
"Selphie will be 14 in June, Akasha will soon be 13, Scarlett just turned 11 before the Holidays, and Fionna will be one year old this Spring."
"A baby! Must be lots of work for your wife."
"Yes, Fionna is very active and curious, wakes us up often at night, but she is really cute and affectionate."
At this point I wouldn't have been surprised if the lady wet herself from happiness , and so she said, "That is wonderful! And do the other girls get along well with each other?"
"The 2 eldest ones yes, but Scarlett is rather loud and often snaps at the others, but the 3 of them are also very loving with their Mother and me."
"Sibling rivalries are normal, but what you have to look out for is who they hang out with. Friends have a big influence on children you know."
"There's actually a little bum in the neighborhood orbiting around them, but they push him away. They're also more of the stay-at-home type."
"Goooood! Just make sure they exercise enough, obesity is such a big problem in children these days."
"I admit I am a little worried about the eldest one, she is on the chubby side but very healthy according to the ve... doctor."
At this point I got concerned her head would split in two from her huge grin that nearly reached ear to ear, but blissfully my turn to get out the bus came. So we said our goodbyes and since the lady was so happy I don't feel bad passing my cats for my daughters
After all my cats are like children to me, they have their unique personalities and it is scientifically proven they can experience complex emotions, like distress, sadness and love. As for the little bum? It's a male cat from one of the nearby streets, it's not a stray but it roams freely around the neighborhood, and it came right to the back door on many occasions just to be chased away by Selphie, who at 16+ pounds isn't easily intimidated
My wife had a good laugh about my adventure, but I hope I'll be allowed to read my book in peace tomorrow on my way home
If I get stuck in another similar situation, I can always talk about my triplet-daughters, Yuzu, Yukari and Romy (which I call the triplets because they are from the same litter). Oh, and they're female rats, them too with unique personalities and very affectionate plus they love each other and like sleeping in a hammock, eating cookies, cheese, bread, and do short work of vegetables, especially peas All to make a dad proud
I don't make a habit of listening to other people's conversations, but Mrs.Loudspeaker was oblivious to the fact she was high enough on the Decibel scale to drown a jet-plane. The topic was about children, more specifically how great, wonderful, fulfilling it was to have children, and that people without children were selfish, missing on the greatest joy a person can know, and bordering on evil
Don't get me wrong, I love children and am always happy to have those of my friends and siblings around. Unfortunately it wasn't possible for my wife and I, and even adopting proved a grueling experience we had to abandon due the proverbial shit happens thing. I also happen to be a very private and quiet guy, the kind who tries his best to blend in the background at parties, content with the company of a diet-coke and his thoughts.
Of course, in accordance with the bad karma which has been plaguing me for some time now, one of the ladies arrived at her destination. Guess who stayed? Of course it was Mrs. Peta-Decibels, who turned to me and asked, "And how many kids do you have?"
I am not stupid and realized that, had I told the truth that I have no children, chances are she would have asked, "Why not?", followed by a long monologue that would have turned my brain to mulch. That is a bad thing because then it would have flown out my ears, nostrils and eyes, and it so happens I still need my brain for everyday things and stuff.
Had I been rude, which I am not, I could have gone with, "Mind your own business." or "Can't you see I'm reading?" or "I had a kid once, but then the dog ate it."
Instead I decided to have little fun and replied, "I have four daughters." And then the conversation went something like this:
"Oooooh, really? What are their names?"
"Selphie, Akasha, Scarlett and Fionna."
"Such pretty names! How old are they?"
"Selphie will be 14 in June, Akasha will soon be 13, Scarlett just turned 11 before the Holidays, and Fionna will be one year old this Spring."
"A baby! Must be lots of work for your wife."
"Yes, Fionna is very active and curious, wakes us up often at night, but she is really cute and affectionate."
At this point I wouldn't have been surprised if the lady wet herself from happiness , and so she said, "That is wonderful! And do the other girls get along well with each other?"
"The 2 eldest ones yes, but Scarlett is rather loud and often snaps at the others, but the 3 of them are also very loving with their Mother and me."
"Sibling rivalries are normal, but what you have to look out for is who they hang out with. Friends have a big influence on children you know."
"There's actually a little bum in the neighborhood orbiting around them, but they push him away. They're also more of the stay-at-home type."
"Goooood! Just make sure they exercise enough, obesity is such a big problem in children these days."
"I admit I am a little worried about the eldest one, she is on the chubby side but very healthy according to the ve... doctor."
At this point I got concerned her head would split in two from her huge grin that nearly reached ear to ear, but blissfully my turn to get out the bus came. So we said our goodbyes and since the lady was so happy I don't feel bad passing my cats for my daughters
After all my cats are like children to me, they have their unique personalities and it is scientifically proven they can experience complex emotions, like distress, sadness and love. As for the little bum? It's a male cat from one of the nearby streets, it's not a stray but it roams freely around the neighborhood, and it came right to the back door on many occasions just to be chased away by Selphie, who at 16+ pounds isn't easily intimidated
My wife had a good laugh about my adventure, but I hope I'll be allowed to read my book in peace tomorrow on my way home
If I get stuck in another similar situation, I can always talk about my triplet-daughters, Yuzu, Yukari and Romy (which I call the triplets because they are from the same litter). Oh, and they're female rats, them too with unique personalities and very affectionate plus they love each other and like sleeping in a hammock, eating cookies, cheese, bread, and do short work of vegetables, especially peas All to make a dad proud
My July 2020 COVIDiots
For context I have a Master's degree in Science (MsC), with focus on Microbiology, and my thesis was on atypical viruses of the Herspesviridae family. I have worked most of my life as a research assistant and have extensive training in laboratory safety. I was in charge of Biohazardous material, Radioactive safety, and Hazardous chemicals before being assigned to a support position (way more chill work!). I am neither a Medical Doctor, nor an Epidemiologist, nor a Virologist, and I don't claim to know all there is to know about Lab Safety, much less claim I am a COVID-19 pundit. However I think I have learned a few things from my studies, training, and experience. And yet my relatives, who have no scientific training, are convinced they are specialists regarding the COVID-19 coronavirus. As an example, our house has a second small bathroom in the basement, which is accessible from a basement door. It is easy to disinfect and we change the towels after guests from a same house use it.
Pandemic and Sketches
I was asked why I am uploading drawings made with pencil the traditional way, and not polishing them digitally. There are many reasons, but mainly I have been doing my best to cut on time spent on the computer, as staying inactive for hours on end is bad for both body and mind. I made my vegetable garden bigger and it needs daily care like watering, weeding, fertilizing, and keeping the cat from using it as a toilet. Plus I sit outside when I draw to get some fresh air, and keep and eye out on the garden, lest the cat uses it as a toilet. I am working two days a week at the lab, doing support work like making sure equipment is clean and running properly, glassware is clean and in good condition, there is no piling up of biohazardous waste (retrieval, sterilization, and discarding), and helping out with deliveries since the delivery guys can't enter the premises. So basically I am doing housework, washing the dishes, taking the garbage out, and carrying stuff around. I think the
Quantined
My wife and I came back from vacation to Canada on March 17th.
Both our bosses put us on a 14-days quarantine, which means we're in house-arrest until March 30th.
Louve, our rescue cat, is really happy for the company :meow: It's been now a year she moved in.
Day 6 of quarantine: All good, no suspicious symptoms so far, but in 95% of contaminated people they appear in 11 days and in 99% in 14 days.
If you're reading this wash your hands often and be safe :nod:
Stay healthy!
Vic
Devious Journal Entry
Some quick news:
Akasha, our 15 years-old cat, passed away from old age 2 weeks ago. We were treating her for diabetes and an urinary infection, and those conditions were under control. But she wasn't eating and kept hiding, which are telltale signs a cat knows the end is near. Coming back from work one evening, we found her at her last moments.
The vet told me that the last sense to go is touch, and that warmth and gentle petting would calm her. And so I cuddled with her on the bed and it seemed to comfort her. Then about 2 hours later she took a deep breath and left. We were very attached to her and it has taken some time to get use
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I had a good laugh right now, after a long boring and coooold day ( Q__Q) xD
Thaaaanks ^-^
Hope your daughters will be happy to help out next time that happens xD
(Oh, the possibilities! Just imagine that woman has a pet and you meet her when going to the "doctor" with your children aka kitties xD)