My plan is to have meds after I've driven in to work, so that's with brekkie, and that's between 8:30 and 9:00. All that I consume before then is (citrus) water. Lunch is randomly between 12 and 3, and dinner is before 7:30 or so, if I do have it. Often it's just a muffin or bread and butter.

That's MWF anyway. The rest of the days I have no pattern, but there has to be tea by about 8:30am. I

I eat randomly when I am hungry mostly.

I invited Mom over for a sort of spur of the moment early dinner and she ended up hanging out through the evening watching an entire (500 miles! In Texas!) Nascar race with me.

But we ate the steak I bought and was too big for me, finished off the marinated tomatoes and also the salad I needed to use up. And she brought over a nearly half full quart of milk that she won't finish. I just finished my quart this morning having coffee so now tomorrow is coffee instead of tea again.

She's useful for making sure I actually keep my place presentable levels of clean (which was a motivating factor in my invitation tonight) and using up food that I can't (or don't want to) consume alone. To be fair, she does the same.

As Maria told me last night, she's probably going to hang on out of sheer bitchiness.

Well, so long as she's not in discomfort, she can stay stubborn. I know it's hard watching her decline and knowing that the end is eventually coming but you're such a wonderful pet owner. Even with Pumpkin being a serial murderer by drowning.

Sounds like a delicious dinner, Cass.

but you're such a wonderful pet owner. Even with Pumpkin being a serial murderer by drowning.

Thank you. There is so much second-guessing and days I'm convinced this is it and then she's all what? I was just napping! And for the record, only Devi has actually killed a mammal. Or 3 or 4. And she used to drown everything too. Pumpkin merely aspiring to title of Predator Queen.

I really can't eat first thing. I can do coffee and juice, but putting actual food in my stomach makes it churn unhappily.

That used to be the case for me (no longer, alas); about all I could stomach before 10 a.m. was a sliced apple.

Sorry to hear about your mom not feeling well, Sparky.

Pumpkin merely aspiring to title of Predator Queen.

I was thinking of the socks and toys. Death to fuzzy things by dunking in toilets.

Oh, I have to check the damn toilet every night no matter how badly I need to pee. She throws shit in there that my 82 year old plumbing will expire over. I live in fear of that flush.

You know your answers to security questions does not have to make sense - just be something you remember. There is no reason your Mother's maiden name cannot be "Peppermint tea" if that will stick in your memory. And there is no reason your favorite band and where you went to high school and so on can't be the same as your Mother's maiden name.

This is probably a dumb question, but, how come you can't close the lid on the toilet?