Thread 11 - TalkLair: “The candle flame gutters. Its little pool of light trembles.”

[Kucinghitam]

Whoops, missed the filling up of the previous thread! (thread 10).

Although the nights are gradually drawing in, the new lair of JTT escapees is all cosy and homey inside. The hearth is glowing, the walls covered in dubious artwork, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them).

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

So, so sorry about poor Django, Mouse. What an awful thing to happen and what a shock for you.

I'm so sorry, @MouseMinge - RIP lovely Django.

Oh no, Mouse - poor you, poor Django. What an awful thing to happen right now.

I hope you were able to sleep Mouse, and that Francis was able to give you some comfort. You were in my thoughts any time I woke during the night. We miss them so much - people who don't live with animals don't understand it, or what individuals they are.

All this 100%

So sorry to hear about Django @MouseMinge - that's just the shit icing on the buggernut cake with all the other things you have going on. Hope you're ok today

Same here. I came back to look at his photo.

That is so sad, poor Django. Sorry for your loss Mouse.

I'm so sorry Mouse. Poor Django and poor you, especially at the moment.

Thanks everyone. I semi-hated Francis yesterday because he was here and Django wasn't. Not that I wanted it the other way around or anything, but he didn't seem to "care" which is a stupid thing to put on an animal. I think he is disconcerted. He only leaves me alone to go out or to sit at the cat flap for a while so I think he might be missing his baby brother a bit. Today, obviously I don't semi-hate him, I love him and we're going to have to make the best of everything and get used to the big gap.

It is harder for it happening out of the blue. One minute he was here and now he's not and of course because it happened away from me there was no warning. I remain SO grateful to whoever got him to the vet. The months of not knowing, despite the hope, would be worse than this.

My friend B came round today and shit as everything is, I'm so lucky to have my lovely small group of friends around me who are just there when I need them. As are you lovely lot. Fewer tears today because I need to focus on my stupid health. I woke up to find my the triangular outisde bit that holds my jej tube in place had come out completely. If I was having a different week I'd have called to get it sorted today but I'm not, so fuck it, it can wait until tomorrow. I wanted a whole day without setting foot in the bloody hospital.

MouseMinge · Yesterday 20:41

He only leaves me alone to go out or to sit at the cat flap for a while so I think he might be missing his baby brother a bit.

My folks had two cats, one was 12 when they got a kitten and he carried the kitten everywhere. They loved each other, even hung around outside and slept in the same beds with each other.

When the old boy died, aged 21, the young one moped and literally wailed all the time. He pined away and just died by the end of the year.

They do definitely know that someone's missing.

My older cat hates my younger cat with a passion, she'd be absolutely delighted if he went out one day and never came back. Mrs Pike has just bought a house across the road, five houses up, once it's all sorted and she moves in, I'm sort of hoping my younger cat will go and live with her.

My two tabby sisters don't get along at all.

Pike I'm sorry to read that you and Mrs Pike are separating.

I'd love another cat but I don't dare take the risk of upsetting my PFB.

That sounds an ideal distance for a cat to move, Pike - still within territory and able to claim both houses but prefer 1.

I'm just back from the dentist, and delighted with my gum-pocket score. For as long as I can remember it's been 3+, and today I got a solid 0 all the way round.

Wow @BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn - how did you manage that? Have you made some useful change to your routine?

I have the dentist on Monday and am not expecting great news. And at 150 for a checkup, even good news isnae cheap

It's a combination of factors, I think.

Being extra careful about avoiding toothpaste with SLS in it. Not everyone reacts to it; the fact I do was confirmed when I suddenly started getting a lot of gum infections, and (when reading the label to check fluoride levels) discovered they'd changed the recipe to add SLS. They must have had complaints because it's gone back now.

Getting a Waterpik - which is amazing (once you get used to using it without flooding the bathroom). Far better than my previous Airflosser, and a world away from the string version.

Change of mouthwash to Listerine gum defence.

£150 for a checkup! Good lord. Mine today was £7.25 (they're stopping NHS service in April, but I dont think their private rate is anywhere near £150. Must check).

"Pike I'm sorry to read that you and Mrs Pike are separating"

Ah, I've explained that badly. We are not separating, we don't live together (which is probably why we are still together, if I'm honest) but as much as we both like our own space, the dream was always to live close enough together, ideally as literal neighbours, which is now happening.

Christ, I'd be crushed if me and Mrs Pike split up, she is by far the greatest thing that's ever happened to me.

That's good to hear, pike, and much more cheerful! I've known a few people with the same arrangement and it's worked very well for them, I hope it does for you two as well.

Just want a quick grumble. It was my birthday yesterday and we had no post and no post today either, so I've had two cards. One from Mr Veg and one from his mum. Not sure if it's just a case of late deliveries or if everyone else forgot. Mr Veg was sweet, he ordered some flowers and they turned up the day before, so he ordered some more to make sure I'd have flowers delivered on my birthday. It's like a flower shop here!

It's worked well so far, 14 years together and maybe five arguments in the entire time. We did cohabit briefly at the start of our relationship but it became clear very quickly it wasn't going to work, we met later in life and were just too comfortable being in our own space. So we sat down, had a chat and decided staying together but living apart was the best option, and it's worked out perfectly. The only thing was we were a little too far apart, so last year I bought a house five minutes away but as soon as another house on the same street came up and was suitable, Mrs Pike put in an offer for that.

I couldn't be happier with my life right now.

She is such a fine woman. I think I'd have to live like that in the unlikely chance that I got together with someone now. I wouldn't want to live with someone because I need my own space but if they lived nearby that would be nice.

I couldn't be happier with my life right now.

What a delightful thing to read!

That's such a good arrangement, @Dotellhimpike - I had something similar for a while. We'd been together for several years when we moved in together but 5 years later I needed my space and bought my own flat, so we went back to living separately. We were only about a 10-minute walk apart and it worked well until he decided he wanted to get married ... and move back in together. At that point I released myself (and him) into the wild and he found a wife (from whom he is now expensively divorced) elsewhere. We remain on good terms.