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Nov. 18th, 2013 05:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
raincitygirlNote to self: next time buy regular baking soda. See, I habitually sprinkle baking soda in Young Miss Weaver's litter box when I scoop it so it doesn't smell terrible. Normally I just buy the regular baking soda, but last time I was at the supermarket, the special cat litter deodorizer baking soda was on sale, so I thought what the heck. Maybe it works better than the regular.
It's plain old baking soda, but with an added fake-floral scent to it. It doesn't deodorize so much as mask the smell. And it made me sneeze. So here I am, crouching over the clean litter box, sneezing my head off, and the cat is watching me from the doorway with this total look of, "What is that human doing NOW?" The rest of the special baking soda is going in the garbage, methinks. Oh well, some things you've got to chalk up to experience.
I just finished re-reading Black Powder War (Book #3 in Naomi Novik's Temeraire series), and I'd forgotten how depressing it is in parts. Cutting for spoilers: mainly because it's set in 1806 and the British war effort was not going well in 1806. Their allies were getting their asses kicked all over Europe. I'd forgotten the part where Laurence and Badenhaur the Prussian aviator are hiding in blueberry bushes from Lien and Napoleon, when Napoleon is spying out the lie of the land and getting bossed around by Lien for risking his imperial presence unnecessarily.
Badenhaur reaches for his revolver and takes aim, but Laurence stops him. Because an assassin's bullet isn't the way he wants to win the war!!!!!! Such bullshit. I could see him stopping Badenhaur if he was scared (Lien would inevitably find them and kill them both immediately after they shot Napoleon). And I could see him stopping Badenhaur if he thought Badenhaur didn't have a clear shot, and was risking their lives for nothing. But because it's not gentlemanly to shoot your enemy in the back? Come ON! I get that Laurence has a finely developed sense of honour, and it's one of the things I like about him, but there is such a thing as being too scrupulous.
I still adore Iskierka's hatching, though. Especially the part where she starts basically asking Granby for his references before she'll agree to him harnessing her. And the part where they stake out the herd of cows, and she ruins their stealthy cattle raid by getting her pint-sized self free of Granby's grip on her harness, and jumping on one of the cows, squealing the whole time, "It's MY cow, it's mine!" Comedy gold. Well, not from the cow's point of view, but cows, sheep and pigs never have good fates in the Temeraire books. Definitely not a series I would recommend to a committed vegetarian.
I feel much better than I did earlier today. Yay!
It's plain old baking soda, but with an added fake-floral scent to it. It doesn't deodorize so much as mask the smell. And it made me sneeze. So here I am, crouching over the clean litter box, sneezing my head off, and the cat is watching me from the doorway with this total look of, "What is that human doing NOW?" The rest of the special baking soda is going in the garbage, methinks. Oh well, some things you've got to chalk up to experience.
I just finished re-reading Black Powder War (Book #3 in Naomi Novik's Temeraire series), and I'd forgotten how depressing it is in parts. Cutting for spoilers: mainly because it's set in 1806 and the British war effort was not going well in 1806. Their allies were getting their asses kicked all over Europe. I'd forgotten the part where Laurence and Badenhaur the Prussian aviator are hiding in blueberry bushes from Lien and Napoleon, when Napoleon is spying out the lie of the land and getting bossed around by Lien for risking his imperial presence unnecessarily.
Badenhaur reaches for his revolver and takes aim, but Laurence stops him. Because an assassin's bullet isn't the way he wants to win the war!!!!!! Such bullshit. I could see him stopping Badenhaur if he was scared (Lien would inevitably find them and kill them both immediately after they shot Napoleon). And I could see him stopping Badenhaur if he thought Badenhaur didn't have a clear shot, and was risking their lives for nothing. But because it's not gentlemanly to shoot your enemy in the back? Come ON! I get that Laurence has a finely developed sense of honour, and it's one of the things I like about him, but there is such a thing as being too scrupulous.
I still adore Iskierka's hatching, though. Especially the part where she starts basically asking Granby for his references before she'll agree to him harnessing her. And the part where they stake out the herd of cows, and she ruins their stealthy cattle raid by getting her pint-sized self free of Granby's grip on her harness, and jumping on one of the cows, squealing the whole time, "It's MY cow, it's mine!" Comedy gold. Well, not from the cow's point of view, but cows, sheep and pigs never have good fates in the Temeraire books. Definitely not a series I would recommend to a committed vegetarian.
I feel much better than I did earlier today. Yay!
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Date: 2013-11-20 01:09 pm (UTC)* Honestly, I sometimes think she's digging for China the way she carries on.
Agree with you about Black Powder War. Depressing with moments of comedy.
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Date: 2013-11-20 02:47 pm (UTC)Sounds like Smokey is a frustrated geologist. If only pickaxes came small enough for her paws, she probably *would* dig for China.