The little things that piss you off

[allegro]

Went to the off-leash dog park this morning with my elderly German Shepherd and it was mostly a good time until we were near the end of the outer-perimeter path. A woman with a golden retriever who we regularly encounter on our twice-weekly visits waved me over and asked if I saw the two Huskies about 150 ft ahead of me/behind her (we were going opposite ways on the loop) and I confirmed I did. She said she thought they were abandoned.

I realized there was no person around them and they had been sitting there for the entire time we were on that section of the path (about .6 miles long according to signs posted) but there were people further back so I just thought they had gone ahead like every dog does there. She said they were covered in ice and too skittish to come close but one had a tag. I put down my bag and gloves and got on my knees close to them, hands out in a welcoming, non-intimidating pose. They came timidly forward and the one without a tag got close enough to let me pet him. His back, chin, neck, and chest were totally frozen. I could see the other one was in a similar state. They had very clearly been there overnight (it was just before 7am).

They were hungry, scared, and completely distrustful of us.

This lady had treats and was trying to coax them over to her with them but the one with a tag on just would not let anyone get him. I was seriously half an inch from getting a grip on his harness while he was distracted with a treat but he got away and then refused to come near me again after shooting daggers from his eyes.

The woman said had just gotten there and said she would keep trying to get them to come closer to get the tag and hopefully call but if not, would hopefully be able to tell a ranger, but neither of us knew when they actually show up to man the admission booth. The dog park opens at 5am and closes at 10pm and I've only ever been there once after 8am, on a weekend, and there was someone in the booth. Otherwise, it's the honor system with a automated kiosk to buy a daily/annual pass when there isn't anyone staffing the booth.

They couldn't have been much more than a year. They were so tiny and cute, confused, frozen, and scared. It was fucking heartbreaking and there was nothing I could fucking do.

Fuck whatever asshole(s) abandoned them and fuck anyone who abuses animals in any way. What a shitfuck way to start the day.

There are organizations you can call who can do something. There’s a whole network of them. Where is this? It’s also entirely possible that the dogs were STOLEN and then abandoned. They may be chipped.

Hoping the lady stayed there and was able to call someone.

[klyrish]

It was at Cherry Creek State Park's Dog Off-Leash Area in Aurora, CO. I thought about attempting to call someone but didn't know who to call and by the time I was able to call someone, it had been hours and I had no idea what the current status was.

I really, really hope she was able to get hold of someone or that someone else there was able to help in some way. I feel fucking terrible.

[allegro]

It was at Cherry Creek State Park's Dog Off-Leash Area in Aurora, CO. I thought about attempting to call someone but didn't know who to call and by the time I was able to call someone, it had been hours and I had no idea what the current status was.

I really, really hope she was able to get hold of someone or that someone else there was able to help in some way. I feel fucking terrible.

There are phone numbers to call:

https://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/p...shBrochure.pdf

Park Ranger
Cherry Creek State Park office (303) 690-1166


Also, Aurora PD has an Animal Protection unit, many PDs in the country have this: https://www.auroragov.org/residents/...field_services


Edit:

I just called and spoke with the Park Ranger's office. She says that if you see them again, please call 911 and they will dispatch the Sheriff's Office or the PD because, yeah, there are coyotes in the park and that's not good, and they consider this situation "imminent danger."

She also said that the park is bordered by three neighborhoods and it's possible that the dogs somehow got out of someone's back yard and wandered off into the park and are lost, in which case they still need to be corralled and returned to their owners before something bad happens to them. But it’s possible the owners will find them, too.

To cleanse peoples’ thoughts about bad things related to dogs, here is Speedy, the dog who was involved in a hit-and-run in Mexico and was paralyzed but was adopted by a woman in the U.S. and is now living his best life :

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CKHSB...=1cohhkij5wlzu

[ickyvicky]

I hope they're ok <3

My friend that lives in MD has people constantly dumping off kittens in her area. It's so fucking sad. She has saved about 10 kittens in the past 3 months.

[KayBur]

I am... just very much over people telling me I need to be assertive and "put my foot down" in situations where I have no power, and where I know where that goes when I try. Especially angrily telling me that.... you know what happens when I get angry in this situation I'm in? Everyone yells at me and I'm a pariah until I'm forgiven. To hell with that "advice"

At this point, fuck trying to even explain the situation or how frustrating and depressing it is. All that happens is I get an angry lecture telling me to do things I HAVE ALREADY TRIED TO DO. If there wasn't this pandemic situation completely scrambling the world, I would have other options. Right now, I'm basically just going to shut up and wait till this shit is over. I'm not going to get mad, or express frustration to anyone anymore.

Oh really, I should "just GO!" Gee, hadn't thought about that option. Give me some other great advice. Where should I go? I can't generate any money right now, I can't even imagine what kind of job I could get that wouldn't completely negate everything I'm good at. If I "just go" I am going to live in a tent, literally, on the street. I can't afford an apartment in Los Angeles anymore, I can't do anything right now, I'm trapped in a ridiculous situation. "Just go?!" The only way I can "just go" is to sell everything I own and hope for the best.

I just really guess I can't expect people to listen. Sometimes when you tell people "I'm fucked," they don't realize that you're not asking for advice.

This is a separate category of angry people who constantly come up with advice. It gets annoying when someone thinks they have the right to rule someone else's life. Very often these people do not succeed in life, but they are "experts" in all matters. Such people are sure that they know who needs to get married and have children when, where to work and how much to earn, how to spend time and what to do at home.

[klyrish]

I hope they're ok <3

My friend that lives in MD has people constantly dumping off kittens in her area. It's so fucking sad. She has saved about 10 kittens in the past 3 months.

So I went back on Friday last week and ran into the woman who I originally mentioned and got an update from her.

She said after I continued on my way, about 5 other people got involved and were helping her try to wrangle the dogs. Ultimately, they walked around the massive loop that this is this dog park and ended up back at the main entrance where the dogs' people were waiting. She said both dogs rushed them and jumped up into their arms, clearly recognizing these people and showing major relief.

She said she spoke with them a bit and their story is that they took these pups there on Thursday for their first time at the dog park. Both were wearing substantial harnesses and apparently that can be a huge trigger for Huskies since they're bred to wear harnesses for pulling sleds for instance. Anyway, they also get very excited and just...run. So that's what they did. The people said they were out until almost 12:30 am trying to get the dogs to come back and go home but they wouldn't and ultimately gave up with the plan to return Friday morning. So we found their dogs about 30 minutes before they arrived to try again.

Still a shitty situation but I'm definitely more understanding of it, especially after making my own attempts to get hold of those dogs...and that was after a hungry, sleepless night in the cold.

I'm glad they're back with their people and safe. Hopefully the dogs and people learned valuable lessons and this doesn't happen again.

[ickyvicky]

That's great news!

[allegate]

Oh man, you so rarely get the ending to a story like that that makes you happy.

I'm glad they came back because that shows they didn't leave them for the sake of leaving them.

[Jinsai]

trying to figure out where to move, and there's so much bullshit to learn about. There's all these insane rules and regulations and, yeah, everything I'm looking at that seems too good be true is for a variety of factors I'd never considered. Packing and moving is a nightmare enough, but come on.... anyway, I'm looking at Eugene Oregon right now. It seems like a rainy hippy town, stuff's affordable,

[allegro]

I'm glad they're back with their people and safe. Hopefully the dogs and people learned valuable lessons and this doesn't happen again.

Aw man that is GREAT news!!!

[allegro]

trying to figure out where to move, and there's so much bullshit to learn about. There's all these insane rules and regulations and, yeah, everything I'm looking at that seems too good be true is for a variety of factors I'd never considered. Packing and moving is a nightmare enough, but come on.... anyway, I'm looking at Eugene Oregon right now. It seems like a rainy hippy town, stuff's affordable,

Aw man dude the only thing I’ve heard about Eugene is that it’s the Hate Crime Capital of the country and is full of racists. It’s why there were all those BLM protests; the image of Oregon being full of liberal hippies is bullshit. Seriously, do some research. There aren’t all racist assholes in Oregon but it’s currently at the top of the list.

https://www.registerguard.com/news/2...-crime-capital

https://www.opb.org/news/article/ore...xclusion-laws/

[Jinsai]

@allegro yep, that's what I'm doing, research. And yeah... but I don't know, I'm looking for something affordable without a mortgage where I can get work when this pandemic breaks in a realistic way. Aaaaaaand, yeah, so it's all research, until I start traveling around and visiting places, and until I get a vaccine that's unreasonable, etc... but yeah, some things I'm reading online about Eugene are mixed.

[allegro]

@Jinsai - Yeah I hear you. We do research all the time about places to move because the property taxes here keep going up. But for me it all comes down to: do I want to live around racist Republican assholes to get a bigger house and save property taxes? And signs point to “no” for us. Blue state me ‘til I croak. I’m staying put.

Maybe. NONE of our friends live here. All my friends and relatives are in Michigan. A few of our closest friends are in Florida. Only my Mom is here and she’s gonna be 83. All our local friends moved. G keeps in contact with NONE of his Illinois relatives. We are on an island, here. We constantly get urged to move.

But, selling costs $6.50/$1m in transfer taxes, plus 5% in broker’s commission, plus all kinds of other closing costs, plus moving costs. At this point, I’m gonna die in the basement.

Have you considered Vegas? Seems like a lot of California people are moving to Vegas. So it’s flipped blue.

[Jinsai]

ehhhhhh, I've been to Vegas enough to know that I would NEVER want to actually live there. No offense to anyone who likes living in Vegas. It's just not ever going to be my kind of place.

And yeah, going liberal and weed-legal as I can. Looking seriously at Colorado too, I can do Boulder, but Denver is probably out of my range, and Colorado Springs I could get a great place, but apparently that's like what you were talking about... the demographic might be changing, but it's the Orange County of Colorado I guess? And it also has one of the highest elevations in the country?

I mean, that doesn't sound ideal. This is really tricky, because there is SOMETHING that sucks about anywhere I'm looking at.

[allegro]

Vegas has become a great foodie town, but I hear you; it’s still kinda ... I’m not gonna say it. I love visiting, it’s beautiful. But ...

It’s kinda why we opted not to move to South Lake Tahoe years ago. I’m a Capricorn, the goat, I love mountains, skiing. But ... the nearest Target is in Carson City.

Yes; sucky about everything. I end up gravitating more toward east coast than west coast.

What about Palm Springs? Heh I love Palm Springs. There are likely plenty of affordable places in California that aren’t where you are now that aren’t ghetto.

When I think about moving, I think about where I live:

* There’s about ten sushi restaurants within two miles from my house
* a big reputable Mayo Clinic affiliate hospital is two miles from my house
* at least three supermarkets are within one mile from my house
* at least ten veterinarians are within one mile from my house
* a big indoor mall is within walking distance (with a fucking Nieman Marcus)
* Lake Michigan is about 2 miles up the street
* a big park is behind my neighbor’s yards across the street
* I’m surrounded by liberals
* my whole town is full of Democrats
* Home Alone and Risky Business and Ferris Bueller were filmed here
COME ON, how can I ever leave??

If I want more skiing or mountains or a lake, I’ll go visit or something.

[Jinsai]

I'm a little tired of the desert climate in general. At this point, I'd rather visit, and I'm looking for something a little woodsier and rainier. I don't wanna have to worry about tornadoes all the time and freak out about that, but, yeah, snow in the winter, weed dispensary down the street, actual seasons. Friendly people is optional, but ideal.

[allegro]

I hear ya, I don’t live in an area where we have lots of tornadoes. Our only worry is flooding.

Woodsy is cool. Rainy ... ugh, I’ve been fighting this flooding shit for ten years. But, that’s manageable. Storm drainage, etc.

We have weed dispensaries everywhere.

Rent ain’t the cheapest around here, but there are some woodsy areas where it’s cheaper.

Come visit Chicago Illinois and the suburbs sometime. We have Lake Michigan!

Consider the north east Coast, too?

You know, my husband had a chance at a job in Frankfort before Covid hit, through one of his best friends who’s living there now. And we strongly considered it. And my husband would be a shoe-in for this job, with his experience and via this friend. And if it were just him and I, we’d jump at the chance; the money is great, it’s a great adventure, we’re both German. But my Mom is 82 and on Medicare, and we aren’t sure how that works, and it’s all complicated.

Ultimately, we may still end up in Germany; we are so disgusted with this country.

Edit: But the mere IDEA of moving at this point gives me a migraine. We moved a LOT when I was a kid, then I moved a lot when I was an adult. I’ve been in this house for 22 years. I’m kinda planted.

[Jinsai]

that's the other thing too; I have a US and Canadian passport (but I have to renew the Canadian one, and I'm not sure how to do that). So there's all sorts of places across Canada that sound appealing. And yeah, I was considering Chicago as well. I guess I should be glad that I have so many options, and try to feel a little less overwhelmed by them.

[allegro]

My oldest best friend texted me this morning. I’d texted her an article last night about how a bunch of Dominican nuns died of Covid in my Mom’s old boarding school in Michigan, thought it was sad but also, it’s my Mom’s old boarding school, ya know?

So she texts me going OFF on this crazy right-wing RAGE shit, calling Gretchen Whitmer a cunt, and hoping she DIES and all kinds of other shit, accusing Whitmer of deliberately holding vaccines for privileged people. It was unhinged, chock full of fake news, went off into Biden and his “taking jobs” and ... I’d just barely gotten my coffee and G was outside dealing with this 10” + of snow and I was going to make French Toast but this friend was going on and on ...

There’s just no reasoning with these people, and the bottom line is that she’s an idiot. Sad today but it’s true. She’s an idiot. You can’t fix - or intelligently converse with - stupid.


So after 47 years of friendship, I just blocked her number. I just can’t hack this shit.

[botley]

that's the other thing too; I have a US and Canadian passport (but I have to renew the Canadian one, and I'm not sure how to do that). So there's all sorts of places across Canada that sound appealing. And yeah, I was considering Chicago as well. I guess I should be glad that I have so many options, and try to feel a little less overwhelmed by them.

I'd say that Toronto ticks most of your boxes, but it's expensive af — even as the population is going down, thanks to people fleeing to the suburbs to escape COVID, lol — and we're looking for cheaper places at least somewhat nearby. Will keep you posted. Yeah, moving is a pill.

[Jinsai]

yeah, I've actually been looking at Toronto, and it does look like there's some property there I could afford, but there's gotta be so many caveats moving from one country to another that I am not familiar with. It's a lot

[allegro]

a bunch of stupid ego shit.

Maybe they were talking about YOUR DAD.

[elevenism]

Maybe they were talking about YOUR DAD.

I deleted that post because it's too fucking sappy, but, yeah: I sure fucking HOPE so. Jesus, @allegro . that shit was ROUGH. And now my brother keeps wanting to hang out, and it's awkward as fuck.

[eversonpoe]

that's the other thing too; I have a US and Canadian passport (but I have to renew the Canadian one, and I'm not sure how to do that). So there's all sorts of places across Canada that sound appealing. And yeah, I was considering Chicago as well. I guess I should be glad that I have so many options, and try to feel a little less overwhelmed by them.

well, if you do move to chicago, you have a built-in friend who would also love to be in a band with you <3

[allegro]

I deleted that post because it's too fucking sappy, but, yeah: I sure fucking HOPE so. Jesus, @allegro . that shit was ROUGH. And now my brother keeps wanting to hang out, and it's awkward as fuck.

Only in your head. You shouldn't have been eavesdropping on a private conversation your brother was having with his mother. Your ego assumed some stupid shit.

[elevenism]

Only in your head. You shouldn't have been eavesdropping on a private conversation your brother was having with his mother. Your ego assumed some stupid shit.

No, I REALLY heard all this shit. They absolutely WERE talking about me. I listened to 20 min of it.
I think they were just venting and speaking in a hyperbolic manner.

It occurred to me that L and I have hard private discussions about BOtH of them, that would have broken THEIR hearts, had they been eavesdropping.

[allegro]

No, I REALLY heard all this shit. They absolutely WERE talking about me.

You heard your NAME mentioned?

But, yeah, you're right - private conversations are meant to be just that: Private. I would have never ever listened to 2 minutes of private conversation, let alone 20 fucking minutes.

[KayBur]

No, I REALLY heard all this shit. They absolutely WERE talking about me. I listened to 20 min of it.
I think they were just venting and speaking in a hyperbolic manner.

It occurred to me that L and I have hard private discussions about BOtH of them, that would have broken THEIR hearts, had they been eavesdropping.

It is sometimes helpful to know what they say about you when you are not. But sometimes it's really unnecessary. Has this knowledge brought you something good? If you upset your relatives that they say something bad about you, then maybe you need to somehow change your behavior and attitude towards relatives? I'm not a great moralist, but if your family doesn't treat you very well, that's a very bad signal.

[elevenism]

It is sometimes helpful to know what they say about you when you are not. But sometimes it's really unnecessary. Has this knowledge brought you something good? If you upset your relatives that they say something bad about you, then maybe you need to somehow change your behavior and attitude towards relatives? I'm not a great moralist, but if your family doesn't treat you very well, that's a very bad signal.

This is true, and, something to think about. Thank you for your insight.

[Jinsai]

Coming To America 2 should not be PG13. What the hell is this?