A timed feeder wouldn't solve the problem of the middle-of-the-night yowling for food, alas.

When Petri kept trying to wake me up earlier and earlier I tied mealtime to my alarm. I always set an alarm and I always fed him right after the alarm. One morning I woke up before the alarm went off and saw him giving the alarm clock the vulture stare. It saved me from being trampled each morning and waking to his face in mine.

I also switched from feeding twice a day to 3x. He actually got less total food that way, but he didn't notice.

I have a feeder I set up for my feral cat colony and I've started setting the feeder for 3:30 in the morning since they are more nocturnal. I dole out small amounts at a time because they like to graze, but if I put out too much at a time then they seem to not eat it all and it attracts other critters. I have a spy cam set up to watch them and it's so funny to see them come running when the machine doles out food.

Fortunately I've mostly trained my indoor kitties to realize that I'll feed them when I'm ready and not necessarily when they are.

I saw an article that in California, someone is putting up fake ballot deposit boxes ... sigh ....

I know that was yesterday, but it was the CA GOP and although the AG has told them to stop, they say they won't. I don't know if they're technically fake if they actually deliver the votes. But I do think it's in violation of state law -- no ballot collection outside of a few options.

I have my ballot, but there are so many measures on it, I'm just too weary to look at it. Maybe tomorrow, since my book club has been cancelled (we're all too stressed) until after the election.

Which is fine by me, I get to go back and read more fic.

Even the most food-driven pets will learn that there are rules to when food is given. Niya would start hounding me to take Shelby out to chase the red dot because food didn't happen until after laser pointer time. Then meds, then blessed, blessed food. It was the most advocacy that dog ever did, trying to get me to make the puppy fly after a red dot. She clearly wasn't concerned with any other dog's wellbeing or happiness but she knew the road to food.

Damn, Cass. Good for you for persevering, but you're right that not everyone would be able to.

That's the crazy. Usually I'd have to have it be a big thing too since I'm usually dealing with people who walk in with questions or plans to move countries with not enough time to prep their pets. But the talk time is short. It's the the wait time so I can speakerphone it and sass the voice saying my call is important. Because I'm in the back because Covid dealing with moving military paperwork and accounting only so I can work while waiting. Even most questions end up as email exchanges now.

And The Army would (does) support me voting whatever needs to happen but it'd been a whole deal usually. Now it's a waiting deal while I just get tired of their hold smarm music and how important my call is. But I can work while someone eventually takes my call.

So there was an issue where I filed an extension for my tazes and not my actual taxes and the I thought I maield the actual taxes but it didn't get to the mail box and the date for it to be post marked was.. today and I was thiinking tomorrow.

How much trouble am I going to be in if it's post marked tomorrow does anyone know? Or not tomorrow because it's after midnight but it was supposed to be post marked the 15th and now it's the 16th. So..

You still have today, Thursday 15 October, to get it postmarked.

Because when I looked at the calendar it was already the 15th.

I hate this year.

I can't keep the days straight and my brain is super...scattered. I think it's peri menopause brain fog. Also this year when nothing is normal.

I can't keep the days straight and my brain is super...scattered. I think it's peri menopause brain fog. Also this year when nothing is normal.

My sister was just talking about that last night. Can't keep the days straight. She was talking about taking brain supplements, but we decided although that wouldn't hurt just about everyone we know is brain hurt. The stress has just been overwhelming this year.

Hang in there and remember you have accomplished so much. AND you get to vote against Lindsey Graham. That is a treat.

Also yesterday I had to deal with trying to get my phone fixed . It stopped working this summer, I got a cheap replacement and I dread calling tech support so I limped along with this $40 phone. It's running out of memory for anything so I finally called the protection plan and was told to call motorola because it was under warranty. And then I was told by them to call straight talk because the original phone is straight talk . I called them and finally got to the point they were going to email me a shipping label to send it back...only I never got the email. I called back yesterday got transferred multiple times because they just can't re send the email. Then disconnected when they called back I had to explain again everything and then got disconnected again and they didn't call back.

Which I guess I have to because it's either that or buy a new phone with straight talk and potentially deal with this or find another carrier and buy a new phone.

Laura yeah I am looking forward to voting against Graham.

I am still debating voting early (aka going and voting absentee in person since SC doesn't do early voting) or voting on Nov 3. Right now there are really long lines because there are only a handful of early voting places...you have to go and fill out an absentee application and then fill out the absentee ballot...and I live in such a small area that I don't think the voting prescient is that big so I'm thinking fewer people will be voting on election day