Dan Antion

Crafty Mouse is Stirring – #SoCS

The perfect lime wedge.
A little overfilled, but that’s OK.
“Still at it? And you couldn’t do this later, say around noon?”

It’s the last Saturday of 2021 that David and Cheryl and I will gather in the bar, given that Christmas and New Years fall on Saturdays. We will have a Christmas message for you next week, and on January first, you can begin voting on a new badge for Thursday Doors (we already had four fine entries). Today, David starts us off on the wrong road to the meaning of ‘holiday spirit,’ as we try to deal with Linda G. Hill’s prompt. The good news from the north is that Linda tested negative for Covid. Now, onto the Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt:

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘opposites.’ Use the word ‘opposites’ or write about things that are opposites. Have fun!”

If we were having a beer, you’d be wondering about my viewing plans.

“It’s here, my young friend.”

“It? Don’t you mean you, or ‘I’m here’ from your point of view.”

“No, no, no. I mean, of course I’m here, and I’m thirsty, but I was referring to the events that happen at this time of year.”

“Hi David. Can I assume that you’d like to usher in the events of this wonderful season with a splash of John Howell’s Bourbon, cherries soaking by an open snifter of seltzer and a glass of ice nipping at your nose?”

“Yes, Cheryl, that sounds lovely. And please bring a cold Corona for the Eskimo from Mexico.”

“It’s good to see that the holidays have you in such a good mood, David.”

“Well, er, um, how do I put this without sounding sacrilegious…I wasn’t talking about Christmas, or New Years for that matter.”

“It will be hard not to sound sacrilegious. What are you talking about, the big sale at Wal*Mart?”

“Here you go, a trio of filled glasses for the man on the spot and a cold beer for his curious sidekick. What are you talking about, David?”

“College Bowls begin today. I know, I know, it’s hardly the message of the season, but it is a big thing…right?”

“I wouldn’t put it up there with ‘Birth of a Savior’ or ‘looking for light in darkness’ or ‘committing to a better life,’ no, hardly the message, David. In fact, I think you have offered up the opposite message of the season.”

“But a big thing, nonetheless?”

“Perhaps, David, but I can think of three reasons why it’s not as big as you think.”

“And those would be, Dan?”

“One, Christmas. I mean, for those of us who celebrate Christmas, there is nothing bigger this time of year.”

“I get that, and I meant no disrespect. Go on.”

Two, I’m not sure I’m going to be able to watch any bowl games this year.”

“Why not?”

“YouTube TV and the mouse have a disagreement.”

“The mouse? I don’t follow, Dan.”

“The big mouse, Disney. YouTube and Disney are fighting over which of them gets more of my money during the upcoming contract year. If they can’t agree, no Disney for me.”

“Your kid is grown, what do you care about Disney?”

“Disney owns ABC and ESPN.”

“Oh my, that is a bit of coal in your stocking, isn’t it?”

“How about some chowder to chase the blues away, guys? Maybe another round of Christmas cheer?”

“Both sound good to me, Cheryl.”

“David, another splash of comfort to rinse the taste of your foot out of your mouth?”

“Yes, that would be appropriate.”

“When does the contract expire, Dan?”

“Last night. I just haven’t checked my email. I don’t want to know that I have to find a new streaming provider – I’ve got better things to do.”

“I would think you’d want to get moving on that, I mean with Pitt having done so well this year.”

“And that brings us to reason number three. Kenny Pickett, the Heisman-nominee-quarterback for Pitt, has decided to focus on preparing for the NFL draft and skip the Peach Bowl.”

“I hate when players do that. I thought he said he was looking forward to one last chance to treat Pitt fans to a big win.”

“He did say something like that, but then the Offensive Coordinator he liked so much quit, and I guess he saw this game as one more chance to get injured while not being paid.”

“The NCAA is really a…”

“David! This remains a family bar. You’re already in trouble with Jesus, don’t add to it by getting in trouble with me.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Now, here’s your chowder. I’ll freshen those drinks in a few seconds.”

“Thanks Cheryl. Cheers, David.” “Cheers Dan.”

Blowing strong today.
Sunrise after the storm.
It’s going to be a beautiful day
No storms today.
This poor guy has survived a lot.
Maddie really likes to walk early. I like being able to see this, but it’s pretty cold.
“Uh oh, Maddie. I don’t think we’re walking into this park today.”
The dead branches have been in this tree for well over a year. I’m glad they are trimming them.
Big puddle – filled to overflowing
Theo’s cousin (we haven’t heard from Theo in a while).
Once I put her Buffalo jacket on, Maddie is invincible. She should be freezing (Setters do not get a winter coat, nor do they have an undercoat of any sort).
Smokey likes to take his peanut to high ground.
Poor frozen quince. This one never fell from the bush.
“I hope this River lady is happy. Can I get out of the rain now?”
Hi Smokey
MuMu is sending a different message here.

60 comments

  3. River lady is indeed happy, thank you. And Theo’s cousin is impressive, if only in his grumpiness.
    But don’t get me started on the various streaming services. As someone who lives in a rural area with only a horribly slow broadband connection, streaming is virtually impossible and it ticks me off that I have to watch things on my phone instead of the tv.

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    • Maddie and I just got back, Judy. It feels like it’s going to snow any minute. I thought I had found a good service, but YouTubeTV has raised prices and been on the verge of losing stations all year. The dropped Disney, ABC and ESPN overnight. I may have to go back to those outrageous cable bills if I want to watch any football this bowl season.

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    • I think if Pitt’s OC hadn’t quit, Kenny would be playing. The guy quit for “family reasons” – not sure, but it’s all sad. I don’t blame him for sitting out, it’s not like he’s getting paid, and any game brings a risk of injury. I’d like to see the Steelers draft him but I think he’ll go sooner than they will have a chance.

      I’ll have a couple more posts, John, but if I don’t see you, I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

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  8. Maddie in her Buffalo coat is a beautiful sight, especially with her feathers glowing in the sunlight. Old Glory is a sight to behold when she’s proudly blowing in the wind. Always puts a lump in my throat.

    Theo’s cousin is the Grinch of the cat world! Good grief! Someone give him some catnip please! MuMu seems to be giving you the ‘cold shoulder’ Dan. I think a couple of extra brushings are in order!

    Beautiful early morning shots but your temperatures run pretty much hand in hand with ours, so it’s way cold out there walking Maddie. You’re a good DogDad Dan!

    Wishing you a productive but restful weekend. Good luck with the TV nightmare. This is why I read a lot! 🤗
    Ginger

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    • Thanks Ginger. Maddie and I walked today. She didn’t need a coat, and I didn’t need gloves. MuMu has been brushed – really, she has. Theo is a sourpuss, for sure. I’m glad you enjoyed the pictures. I always enjoy taking them.

      Looks like I’ll be switching TV providers later today. Never fun, but this is as bad as it gets.

      I hope you have a nice weekend.

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  11. Streaming TV will never be perfect, Dan, unlike Jesus. I have a few streaming services that I will never give up, like HBO, Paramount and Netflix, but the others tend to be a crapshoot. (Oops, can I say crapshoot in Cheryl’s bar?) I got rid of a lesser known service this week because it was so crappy (sorry, Cheryl, there I go again), but I’ll have to sign up to a different service in March, when Outlander’s next season is out. It’s kind of crazy that we can’t find our favorite shows on a limited number of services, but I think it’s going to get crazier. I’m currently mad at NBC, who used to let me watch my favorite shows on their website. Now, you get three “tokens” to watch a show and after that, you have to sign up to Peacock. I would call them a name, but Cheryl would definitely kick me out of the bar if I did.

    Nice photos, Dan. Have a wonderful Saturday and weekend and see at the bar in 2022!

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    • If this gets any worse, Mary, I’ll give Cheryl the day off and put Skippy behind the bar. Oh, I can’t do that, he makes a horrible Brandy Old Fashioned. I guess we have to watch ourselves.

      I think the thing that bothers me most is how little customer satisfaction matters compared to “even bigger” profit margins. They really don’t care about us – not one bit.

      I was watching “Night Gallery” on NBC when they introduced Peacock and started demanding money. Paying for NBC isn’t enough. One year of Peacock fees (avoided) will let me buy the DVDs. I think I’ll go that route.

      I hope you have a great weekend.

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  12. I do enjoy your morning walks–you take some beautiful photos, Dan. Oh, Theo’s cousin…is that the blinking of the eyes that cats do when they want to say, “I love you?” Yes, I think he might be sending Maddie some love signals. 😻😹 We don’t get a lot of channels, but my husband is ticked off that he was able to watch “Yellowstone” on Peacock, but the new season is on Paramount/Paramount+…whatever. We’re not paying for that. We don’t get a lot of channels, but it’ll come back on Peacock sooner or later. We watch mostly Netflix, anyway. Merry Christmas to David, Cheryl and Skippy! I will see them all next year!

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  13. Our son has YouTube TV and it is impressive, but Disney gives it some competition. Of course both require an internet service over which to stream – we still pay about $75 a month for that alone. I look forward to your Christmas message next week, Dan. And those photos really show the change in the winter light.

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    • Thanks Maggie. When you put Disney and Google in the ring to decide who gets more money, it’s a toss-up as to who is going to come out ahead. YTTV is impressive, but it almost doubled in price from when it launched (not that many years ago) and they’ve been having contract wars all year long. I think I’m moving on.

      I’m glad you like the photos.

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  15. Eskimo from Mexico. I like that rhyme and the picture it paints Dan. If we were having a beer I think I would order a chowder, perhaps more than one. And some Tullamore Dew sipping sauce as a chaser. Then I would sit back and enjoy the conversation and the pictures. It has been a busy several weeks. Cheers and more so the peace of this season. Now for that second chowder and another dew…

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  18. Oh wow, Maddie doesn’t shed? How peculiar. Then of course she’d be cold without her coat. Bestia doesn’t have an undercoat either (unlike our previous dog, a retriever mix, who would go into freezing water and just shake off), but he does change his coat of hair accordingly. I wish you a lovely holiday time.

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  22. There’s a real majesty in a morning sky if you catch it right, and you sure have. The silhouettes of the trees are a bonus. I admit, though, that I’d rather catch such photos from indoors where it’s warm. Maddie seems to know how good she looks in her jacket!

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    • Thanks Maureen. Maddie loves that jacket. We call it her Superman Cape – once we put it on her, she acts likes she’s invincible.

      I always ask her to wait a bit, but she drags me out early enough to see those sunrises.

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  24. Excellent selection of photos – I always love the reflection ones. Speaking of reflection, have you ever watched anything that was streamed that you couldn’t have lived without seeing it? I’m finding it harder and harder to find that on MSM. We had to have our cable box repaired years ago, and Mr. got to chatting with the tech guy and discovered that a la carte was available. The tech said, ‘They just don’t offer it because, well…there’s no money in offering just what the viewers want to watch, but don’t let anyone know I told you that.” Bah humbug to those in charge, right? I’m glad to read in your next post that you figured out how to beat them at their own game and save $ in the process. Dan goes in for the WIN! I see that the GB Packers are playing on Christmas day. 😳 I hope you find many more moments of good cheer with family and friends. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

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    • Merry Christmas Shelley, to you and your family. I’ll cherish my minor win over the big guys, until something else happens. When your product doesn’t change, the only way to make more money is to steal it from your customers. There is nothing out there that is “must have” TV.

      Our cable provider loves to take three popular channels and stick them in with nine crummy ones each and sell me three $10 “bundles” – if they came a little closer to al a cart, they would have me for life.

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      • Same to you and your family, Dan!
        It’s fun to get a win over the big guys every chance we can.
        Our cable service does the same bundle thing and we (Mr.) grumble about it daily – not sure why we even keep the darn service? We did see some of the Packer game though. It’s only fun to watch when they are winning too.
        I agree – al a cart for the win for all of us would be nice!

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