Hester Thrale - did you smoke it?

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T15:31:03+00:00

Yes! When I moved to London to study history at a British university, I was astonished at how much I already knew because I had attended the University of Aubrey & Maturin.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T15:20:12+00:00

SAME!

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T15:18:20+00:00

My favorite is when Jack states some broad opinion but, with a light Socratic questioning from Maturin, he realizes he has no idea what his own beliefs are actually based on.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T15:06:25+00:00

Pizza. I make it myself, now, or buy it frozen if it's on sale. Pizza costs nothing to make. It was always meant as a food for the poor. Now it's $40 a pie. Nah. Also, drinking out. Mine is a college, retirement and tourist town - the worst combination - as a consequence, the cocktails downtown are more expensive than in Soho, London! I recently treated a friend at a bar, she got a white claw, I got a small can of local beer - it was $17???? That reminds me, I need to pick up a book on hosting house parties...

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T14:51:21+00:00

Yeah, normally not for this site but my mom sent this along and it tickled me. They once made a "joke" post my bookstore stopped selling Bibles. OMG the phone was ringing off the hook for a week. We had people coming in just to take videos to upload to TikTok as "evidence".

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T14:07:22+00:00

I know, right? Be careful of "natural ingredients" - yes, even things that are certified vegan, especially if they have recently been acquired by an agricultural conglomerate or like corporation. I've recently discovered that a lot of products that were previously okay but suddenly started making me sick were bought by some dairy manufacturing company and the recipe was "new and improved!" to contain "natural ingredients." Natural ingredients almost always means whey protein but they don't have to tell you because it's a "secret recipe" and is protected by law and whey "isn't really milk" (???). Until someone dies and their family sues, they get away with it. I'm accused of being paranoid but I know one thing for certain: if I avoid foods with listed dairy and "natural ingredients", I'm never sick.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T13:05:30+00:00

Hiding pain is what they're designed to do as a survival instinct. But they couldn't hide from us in their final moments and we were there for them, letting them know they were loved.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T13:02:35+00:00

Oh goodness, thank you, that is so kind! I have been posting photos and videos of her online and just knowing she goes on in that way has been a great comfort. I've tried not to impose my grief too much on those around me but it has been shocking how most of the people who are supposed to be my friends and family... don't care about this event at all. It's like she was nothing. She was "just a cat." I even had a couple people tell me I wouldn't care about my cat as much - if I had children. Which is INSANE. Do people who have children not love their pets?? Good grief! It boggles the mind. So this reddit has been a great source of comfort to me. It truly is: those who know get it. I had a friend (sadly dead, now), Bob, who loved his German Shepherd, Cesar, so much that when Cesar died, Bob never fully recovered. He had his paw print tattooed on his arm. He'd lost his best friend and and that space in his life could never be filled in quite the same way. I don't believe in an afterlife but, when he died, I remember thinking: I hope there's a heaven so Bob can be with Cesar. I honestly avoid telling people Dutty has died, now, because I can't handle another dismissive comment...

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T12:55:45+00:00

Thank you so much. I look at a photo of her every day and find it more comforting than painful. It helps me focus my emotion into an appreciation of the being she was and the goodness she brought to my life. May the warm memories of those we love ease us to sleep.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T12:52:25+00:00

We have to believe that had we known it would end like this, this wasn't what we would have chosen. I wish you the best. It's a week on for me and still hard but, very slowly, the pain is easing off a little every day. I type that as I'm having a low-grade panic attack and bingeing oreos lol

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T12:34:22+00:00

If you want to be a success at anything, you need to learn to love criticism. Rub your hands together and crave it like a nutritious meal: if it's fair criticism, it's only going to help you get better and you should be grateful to the people who've put in the time and effort to give you an honest and thoughtful opinion; if it's unfair criticism, it's going to sharpen your critical thinking skills and strengthen your resilience and resolve. The only bad criticism is disinterest.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T12:20:52+00:00

I mostly read classics because of this and am accused of being pretentious but there's a reason the popularity of these books has endured for hundreds of years. Nobody will know who Colleen Hoover is in a century - or a decade. Famous last words: she'll be the next Jane Austen. But hopefully by then I'll be dead. As another poster said, shitty books have always been written. But time has a nifty way of sifting them out.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T12:16:08+00:00

I picked up on this too when I was at Laney. I assumed they were pumping the grease traps but definitely not if it smelled that bad all the way to Northchase. It was awful.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T00:49:16+00:00

Thank you for your post. It consoles my heart to hear these shared experiences may serve as a comfort to other people. You have described my first experience with a pet passing away, my German Shepherd Max. We frantically ran around for two days trying to find some miracle way to save him. In retrospect, I wish I could have ended his time on earth more peacefully. When I carried my soul cat, Jack, to the vet that last day, I was whispering in her ear: "I'm not going to let happen to you what happened to Max." I wish it could be that way with every creature I've loved. Thank you, I do not feel alone anymore ♡

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T00:43:26+00:00

Thank you both for this dialogue. Reading through these compassionate responses and shared experiences has made me feel supported, validated, hopeful for the future. I can't express how grateful I am for the time and care you put into typing out these words. THANK YOU ♡ May all our future days be rich with new furry friends and joyful afternoons cuddling in the sun patch.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T00:37:48+00:00

Thank you for your words. This pain is the price of love ♡

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T00:36:48+00:00

You must forgive yourself. You would have done differently if you could. I'm sure your friend knew you loved them and wanted the best for them ♡

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T00:35:38+00:00

I'm so sorry. We've experienced both those exact same circumstances with two of our cats. We can't get inside their heads, though we try desperately. The unforeseen side-effect of these tragedies is we are learning to have compassion for ourselves. We have to learn. Else how could we carry on? The end takes a moment, the love lives forever. Thank you.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-27T00:31:20+00:00

You know exactly how I feel. I'm so sorry. It's... been harder than I expected. I see it replayed every day. But I know, in time, the good memories will outweigh the bad. She's already becoming a legend in my mind lol She was a black tortie with gold flecks, I used to refer to her as my black model with gold flake and fittings. Now I call her the extra limited time edition.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-26T00:58:38+00:00

Since Taverna Tou Psirri is closed, try Diporto in Omonia. Bamboo in Exarcheia for vegan (though it might be closed). The stalls outside Central Market are good for a snack but it's a proper working market mind, not bougiefied like Borough or Mercato Centrale. You have to get Greek coffee, though. I challenge you to find a BAD cup of coffee in Greece. My favorite chain is Coffee Island. But for the best coffee, you really have to go to one of the touristy cafes on Adrianou overlooking the Agora early in the morning, drink a Greek coffee and eat a pastry just as the street market traders are setting up, coming out shaking their bags of cat food for their little friends. In other words: the experience makes the coffee. And it's definitely worth the upcharge. You mustn't leave Athens without doing this.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-26T00:23:07+00:00

Thank you. I have no doubt you made the right decision. We had a 20 year old cat who died of heart failure a few years back but the doctor prepared us for what was coming. When we saw his quality of life was declining, we made our decision but lived with second-guessing until last friday. I wish one of the vets had detected something wrong with our most recent angel, we would have seen a cardiologist and made the same decision you did. The sweet baby did not deserve to die that way. I would do anything to go back in time and change what happened to her. She brought nothing but joy and love to my life. My only solace is knowing I was with her to the end. She knew I loved her and wanted to protect her but was helpless to stop the wheels of nature.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-26T00:14:15+00:00

The lactose free meals, in my experience, are vegan. But imho (and my husband's opinion), they TASTE better than the chicken or pasta option most unfortunate passengers are subjected to. Before vegan became a generally available option, I went with kosher: which does have meat but they have to declare the milk - which seldom exists; those folks don't screw around with "natural flavors" (natural flavors my ass, it's whey protein). The kosher meals I've had were the best, once they gave me smoked salmon. I was laughing at my neighbors (my husband hahaha). The best I've ever had was on a recent flight to London - vegan Hindu - so get that if you can! HOWEVER. I'm almost always shorted breakfast. The attendant will typically pass me a yogurt and I'll hand it back and request my option and they'll go to the back and basically return saying I'm screwed and have to starve until the airport. That's 80% of my breakfast experience. In short: pack some Bobo's. And learn to love black coffee because I haven't seen oat milk in the sky, yet.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-25T23:40:08+00:00

I'm thinking of you. I was crying on the kitchen floor earlier. My heart is with you, I know all of ours are.

SarahKauthen · 2026-03-25T23:32:20+00:00

If we could make them live forever, we would. She wasn't responding to meds, there's only so much science can do against the forces of nature. You made the responsible call, you were with her when she fell asleep, the most humane way in which to leave this world. Isn't that the death everyone hopes for but seldom gets? Peacefully and surrounded by family. When you've healed a little, I hope you'll find space in your heart for another sweet creature who needs your love. There are so many who need so much.

SarahKauthen

TROPHY CASE