I kinda am weird about the idea of grandcats, which thankfully my parents don't do. I can't equate kids with pets.

Oh, hell yeah, I would never have even thought up the word, it shocked me to hear my mother use it. And she was about the least sentimental person in that sense - it wasn't remotely meant...literally, I was about to say, but duh.

But my point, if I have one, was that yeah, it wasn't equating dog-kid in any way, so much as an acknowlegement that if she was waiting for me to pass on her genes...well, there was a lot more hair and longer nails and teeth in her family than she'd realized.

Oh, I know. It's just a term that weirds me. Sorry to extrapolate. I'm in an odd headspace.

So there's this new documentary about Swiss assisted suicide. Sounds interesting. But this bit in the NYT review....

The organization is strict about whom it will help. Those with severe depression are turned away unless that depression is connected with a terminal illness. Only Swiss residents are eligible because there is the fear that if Exit accepted people from other countries, Switzerland might become a mecca for euthanasia tourism.

"Euthanasia tourism" seems like an odd way of putting it. And also kinda' funny.

[link]

Oh, no, I wondered right after I posted if I sounded defensive. Because no. People who refer to me as my dog's mom get the death glare. Which, okay, people who pass me on the street sometimes do to. But the mommers have earned it.

Moms and dads totally earn it. I think our brains were not cooperating! Heh. And god knows, my damned cats get plenty of press time here.

I wait until the dog mom has referred to herself as a dog mom before I apply the term. My in-laws treated my dog Mac like a grandkid (or at least well for a dog) for the 10 years we were married without kids. It was a nice diversion for her and it was a reminder for us to get around to having human children.

When the word "grand-dog" first came out of my mother's mouth, I knew I was in the clear. Not that I was concerned - my mom wasn't the type to pressure on that sort of thing - but still.

My mom refers to my cat as her grandcat. She's got 8 human grandchildren which takes any pressure off of me for any more. Not that she really pressures, but she had some moments before her first grandchild.

ION, I am still at work. I am leaving now because the server just knocked me off, but I'll be back early. Blergh.

"Of which there are FIVE!" slay me every time.

It's infinitely funnier when you've tried to hail a cab in SF on a drunken, rainy night.

Ah, good times, good times. SUCH a fun trip....

Totally, ChiKat. It's a term of resignation, or acceptance to put it more nicely, rather than implying some unnatural attachment. (sarameg, I didn't think you thought that! No worries)

Moms and dads totally earn it. I think our brains were not cooperating! Heh. And god knows, my damned cats get plenty of press time here.

I'm thinking yeah, because I was talking about people who had earned the death glare, as opposed to those who merely came in view and got it gratis! Heh.

It's funny, I'm more conscious of these things probably due to Hec, who gets a bad rap around here as a cat hater, when he really was ranting about people who do seem to take animals as human equivalents. And god knows I spend a lot of time observing, analysing, and talking about my dog. In fact, I do see a lot of parallels between dogs and toddlers, or between dog-owning and child-having. But that's what they are - parallels. One down here and one way the hell up there, not actually equivalent in any way.

Well, except for cutitude. I'd fight on that one. But even there, it's a much more static thing with an animal, not this constant OMG there's a whole new cute I never knew existed! that happens with your kids.

But I think we're on the same page, basically.

Man, I get talky when I'm drinking wine.

There is nothing funnier than Izzard.

"Day one: Rang bell, cat fucked off.
Day two: Rang bell, cat went and answered door.
Day three: Rang bell, cat said he'd eaten earlier.
Day four: Went to ring bell, but cat had stolen batteries.
Day five: Went to ring bell with new batteries, but cat put his paw on bell so it only made a thunk noise. Then cat rang his own bell!
I. ate. food."