"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")

Prester John said:
Shave every day, or not at all!
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Barring the two years I was wedded, I've gone with the latter since 1974.
I would have quit that nasty habit of shaving in 1969 (9th grade) but my dad's attitude at the time was "As long as you're living under my roof you will not have a beard!" (a mustache was O.K. though.)
Yes, dad had a beard and mustache of his own from 1999 to his passing in 2019. :eek:
 
But @Prester John ...what about my trendy stubble look....?
On the subject of cats...After Tiddles I have only ever encountered 3 others that scared me.
One was an old caged Lion when I was 10..it raised its tail and hosed young Meako with a jet of high powered wee wee...some smells stay with you for life. I also copped both barrels of mum n dad for stenching up the car.
Next was a Tigress at Taronga zoo Sydney which ...when the keeper came and stood near me as I looked through the bars ...rushed up and roared at him in a " leave my cubs alone puny human!" ..the sound was earthshaking. I was about 14.
Then in my early 20s I met Max.
He was a massive Persian..living in the derelict Paragon Hotel at Sydneys Circular Quay circa 1986. The son of the owner was an acquaintance....the place was a squat and party central....now a McDonalds and prime real estate...Max was moved out to a farm in the Snowy mtns..high country..
First night ...they let him out..the nights are dark and cold and brought murderous fighting noises. The morning saw three full grown feral foxes offed....Max licking his paws atop the house water tank.
He was like those cartoon tough guy wharfie cats in Tom n Jerry..sleeves up with a toothpick on the lip..out for trouble.
 
Crazy mean cats? o_O I was at a "town house" party - so quite a few families gathered around to play on the street in front. There was BBQ, beer, music, fun folks and generally a high old time. :) Had to go in for a pee at one point and so my host and boss/friend said - just go in, up the stairs on the left. No mention of the cat. I saunter in thinking nothing of my safety and the next thing I know, I'm being chased down by a snarling, spitting, mid size house cat that by all indications was out to kill. :eek: By the time I made it to the bathroom - maybe a 16 foot walk I was using a dining room chair as protection and my pant leg was already torn revealing my bleeding calf. :confused:

As always in such a situation :mad: - snarling dog more typical - I'm not so worried about my welfare as about how to protect myself without hurting the animal that you know the owner says/will say "is friendly and would never hurt anyone, what did you do to antagonize it?" In this case no-one had told me about the crazed cat AND the owner was my boss :(

I'm now stuck in the bathroom pondering how to get back out of the apartment past this berserk animal with both of us surviving the encounter. More speed and more chair work including wearing the chair as a crown to keep the little beast from jumping on my face as I rushed down the stairs. I did end up catching and tossing the little bastid across the room with my chair - lacrosse style. :rolleyes:

And YUP, the owner, my boss and friend o_O - true to form - in spite of the evidence of my torn pants, bleeding leg, sweaty and thoroughly shaken demeanor - was not only surprised but UNBELIEVING. I must have really done something to piss off their beloved "Cushy". I swear, I was just casually and directly heading to the bathroom. I am a cat lover - not a fighter, though in that case by the time I was out the door I could have easily been persuaded to be a feline assassin. ;)

A one time event - fortunately. :thumbsup: I did see a mountain lion walk by me and my wife in the woods once. We were unseen by this majestic creature. Good thing because a chair would not have saved us. That's another story.

Ray
 
I got pinned in a hallway by a friend's angry pit bull once.
I had to stand in the hallway for ten minutes before something else caught his attention.
I don't go over there any more, not even when invited for parties.

Another friend's Labs used to jump up on everybody.
They would knock my kids over when they were young.
My younger son has been absolutely terrified of dogs since then.

When we'd visit another certain certain dog owner,
he used to laugh when my son refused to get out of the car.

I don't blame the dogs... I blame the owners.

When people come to my house, the dog immediately goes outside.
When we have parties, the dog is caged in the garage.
I respect that my visitors don't love my dog the way I do and some may even be afraid.

I love dogs, but I respect people!!!
 
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RayseM said:
Crazy mean cats? o_O I was at a "town house" party - so quite a few families gathered around to play on the street in front. There was BBQ, beer, music, fun folks and generally a high old time. :) Had to go in for a pee at one point and so my host and boss/friend said - just go in, up the stairs on the left. No mention of the cat. I saunter in thinking nothing of my safety and the next thing I know, I'm being chased down by a snarling, spitting, mid size house cat that by all indications was out to kill. :eek: By the time I made it to the bathroom - maybe a 16 foot walk I was using a dining room chair as protection and my pant leg was already torn revealing my bleeding calf. :confused:

As always in such a situation :mad: - snarling dog more typical - I'm not so worried about my welfare as about how to protect myself without hurting the animal that you know the owner says/will say "is friendly and would never hurt anyone, what did you do to antagonize it?" In this case no-one had told me about the crazed cat AND the owner was my boss :(

I'm now stuck in the bathroom pondering how to get back out of the apartment past this berserk animal with both of us surviving the encounter. More speed and more chair work including wearing the chair as a crown to keep the little beast from jumping on my face as I rushed down the stairs. I did end up catching and tossing the little bastid across the room with my chair - lacrosse style. :rolleyes:

And YUP, the owner, my boss and friend o_O - true to form - in spite of the evidence of my torn pants, bleeding leg, sweaty and thoroughly shaken demeanor - was not only surprised but UNBELIEVING. I must have really done something to piss off their beloved "Cushy". I swear, I was just casually and directly heading to the bathroom. I am a cat lover - not a fighter, though in that case by the time I was out the door I could have easily been persuaded to be a feline assassin. ;)

A one time event - fortunately. :thumbsup: I did see a mountain lion walk by me and my wife in the woods once. We were unseen by this majestic creature. Good thing because a chair would not have saved us. That's another story.

Ray
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I had the opposite happen. I was visiting some family friends, sitting in the living room, when the hostess stepped out of the room to get something, leaving me alone for a moment. Their inside/outside cat came into the house, walked over and rubbed against my leg. I pet him, and after a few moments, picked him up. He was purring happily when the hostess walked back into the room and froze. "Slowly. Carefully. Stay calm and put him down." Well, sure, okay, I put him down on the floor and he sauntered away. Apparently, he had a reputation for staying hidden when strangers were around, and attacking anyone who tried to be too friendly. I don't know what the deal was. Maybe because I didn't know, he smelled no fear. :D
 
We had a three legged cat on the next corner who had run afoul of the RBs on the top of the hill's cat. The RB's cat used to attack their maid in the house.
I suppose she would have been fired without a good reference if she'd drowned the nasty thing in her mop bucket.
 
My stories about pets is more typically like yours r8shell r8shell . Cats and squirrels and I get along particularly well.
Can't imagine what set the little creature in the story off. I blame the owners too - can't be angry at an animal for being an animal.

Out walking the trails - owners (whose dogs are not leashed, trail etiquette rule notwithstanding) are always bemused by my stopping in the trail refusing to move until they and pets have passed me. How many times I have heard - oh don't worry he's friendly, from 15 feet away while the dog is standing at my heels with curled lips & snarling (in a very friendly manner of course) :( Then people ask me why I'm carrying a knife :rolleyes: RULE # 9 is my cryptic answer. I don't carry a blade as a weapon nor a chair in the woods ( screened porch screened porch ) though both could someday prove to be wise precautions. :)

Ray
 
Thank you, Mr. Hillbilly. As a native Texan I appreciate where you are coming from. I remember when I got the chemo news, something I had been trying to avoid for about a year. But, it wasn’t that bad, and when I would pass by my chemo brothers and sisters (pretty easy to tell) we would usually smile in recognition and understanding.

I wrote this exactly a year ago today:

i am back in the radiology waiting room

for another IV and trip down MRI hell

with me there is a small frail man

skinny, haggard, face mask askew

leaning on his walker

he might be young but looks worn, ancient

he sees my Cardinals T-shirt

from somewhere deep within

his eyes brighten

and he softly says,

“Go Cubs”


He is of my cancer heroes. Cancer is something we deal with and resist. It’s not us. One of the best responses I’ve seen was a window sticker in the hospital parking lot. “F**k Cancer”
 
There is a serious condition that affects society.
Dog Deafness .
Sadly the Dog Deaf are people who own dogs ...tragically they are unable to hear the noise of their dogs constant barking while they are away at work or asleep in the night.
They are chronically deaf to the complaints about the noise from the neighbours also.
 
meako said:
There is a serious condition that affects society.
Dog Deafness .
Sadly the Dog Deaf are people who own dogs ...tragically they are unable to hear the noise of their dogs constant barking while they are away at work or asleep in the night.
They are chronically deaf to the complaints about the noise from the neighbours also.
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There is a serious condition that affects society - the Pickup Truck Debt. It is bad everywhere, but especially Montana.
“I've seen more of this state's poor cowboys, miners, railroaders and Indians go broke buyin' pickup trucks. The poor people of this state are dope fiends for pickup trucks. As soon's they get ten cents ahead they trade in on a new pickup truck. The families, homesteads, schools, hospitals and happiness of Montana have been sold down the river to buy pickup trucks!... And there's a sickness here worse than alcohol and dope. It is the pickup truck debt! And there's no cure in sight. “
 
Just talking with a friend tonight about that TRUCK MUST HAVE SYNDROME you write of Henry Beige Henry Beige . Holy smokes, they aren't cheap. $ 41,000.00 for a 5 year old GMC. :eek: My friend seriously thought $ 6K would cover it. Someone is delusional (maybe my friend ;))

Dog Deaf people are real here too :(

Ray
 
scrteened porch said:
We had a three legged cat on the next corner who had run afoul of the RBs on the top of the hill's cat. The RB's cat used to attack their maid in the house.
I suppose she would have been fired without a good reference if she'd drowned the nasty thing in her mop bucket.
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RB?
 
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