greg3d

Cute Overload

I had to post this picture. I can imagine what my kids would say if I tried this on them.

An email exchange

I thought about starting some soup this weekend, but never quite got around to it. I am doing some yard cleanup so I can do deck demolition. It’s scary how easy it is to pull boards out of the thing. It was probably about ready to collapse anyway. I kept having the problem of a very cute Hookcat wanting attention every 15 minutes. (See video on typepad) I did start a batch of compost. Went by Starbucks and got about 10 lbs of used coffee grounds to add to it. Did you ever get one of the worm factories? Mine is set up and going. I’m already in level two.

Jimmy the white rabbit had to have surgery today to have an abcess drained. Arthur says he looks like Frankenbunny. He took Max to get snipped and Rodney to have a biopsy and neither one is now speaking to him. Only Siegfried has come out unscathed, but then he’s used to trips to the vet.

Need to start a batch of soup. Off to

Portland

this weekend, but should be able to get it spread by Friday evening.

Later

g

---

From: Dolores

Sent: Friday, March 17, 2006 12:52 PM
To: Perez, Gregory
Subject: Soups On

Hi

You are probably off today since I am here.  Started brewing some soil soup on Tuesday and it is ready to go.  Probably will not do as much for the soil since it is still cold outside but it is fun to be back in the process.  Just finished a walk with Peggy and got to claim that I have everything I have bought planted and out of pots.  No pots means visit nursery.  If you need patio ideas I'm sure Peggy and I would love to have a brain storming session to give you lots of ideas on how to spend lots of money.  You know that you two are responsible for my plant problem.  Spring is here - time to brew (soup that is).

Dmontgo

Max and Sieglinde

Well, Max has been accepted. Sieglinde didn't go over that well, but I'm calling her that anyway. If Arthur can call Patches Patrick, I can call the other girl Sieglinde if I want.

Morrie, I got a kick out of your comment. I had completely forgotten about Max and 99. I'm afraid though it might lead to someone calling her 69. (Ick)

a herd, a pack, a bunch?

Ah me, we adopted another one last night. This guinea pig is a female to keep Patches company. This puts us up to four. I think we are going to keep the rabbit population the same.

We haven't greed on names yet. I suggested Max and Sarah, based on characters created by Charlotte MacLeod, but no takers. Actually Max might be a go, but Sarah was cooly received. Thorkjeld and Sieglinde also come to mind. Sieglinde might fly, but Thorkjeld sure won't.

Adieu, Nutmeg

Nutmeg, the senior guinea pig, passed away yesterday, quietly at home on Arthur's lap. He was eight years old. He had been getting extremely frail the last few months and Tuesday night he seemed to have what seemed to be a stroke. He didn't seem to be in pain till the very end, but some pain medication relieved him and let him go in peace.

Rodney the junior pig seems to be lonely, so I'm sure it won't be too long before there is another critter around.

some days are just fun

Today was the second day of the AOAC Conference. Got in early to socialize, hit a couple of talks, got bored and went off to visit Jason who teaches where the conference was being held. Just in time to help him move his office. (See June 19. Come back at the end of July. There will be a trend here.) Had a nice lunch with some of the coworkers I will be leaving, then invited Peggy to join me back at the Physics Department to hear one of Jason's undergrads practice giving a paper on the research they've been doing. He did a very good job. The math was over my head, but I got the concept. It has something to do with microchip technology. It was quite fun and both Peggy and I agreed it was more interesting than the dry stuff going on at the conference.

Came home and relaxed a bit with Arthur, then took off to my meeting. I was actually just going to open the door, then head over to Jason's house for a little gathering, but we had newcomers show up and no one was there with a lot of experience, so I stayed. Went over to Jason's afterward and played Trivial Pursuit for a couple of hours with him, Lisa and three of their friends.

It was a long day, but enjoyable.

No real plans for the weekend. We'll see what develops.

Rodney

Allow me to introduce Rodney, the newest member of the household. We found him in a pet center that rescues abandoned pets. He's 3 years old and very tame. He's used to being held although he's a bit skittish when you reach for him. He seems to like the rabbits and he and Nutmeg are working on being friends. They still haven't established who is alpha pig, but for the most part they are getting along. Rodney says he likes the food here. Nutmeg perked up immediately when we put the cage back next to his. I think he really was lonely.

we're so fickle

It's been a rough couple of days.

We took Cinco to be cremated this afternoon, as you're not supposed to bury pets in your backyard here. Wouldn't want to accidentally dig him up while gardening in any case. He'll have a place next to Misfit and Fearless the bunny.

I have to admit we stopped at the Humane Society on the way home to see if there were any guineas for adoption. There weren't any, just this big white rabbit, which is all we need right now. I guess we'll wait a bit. Nutmeg's a bit old to be breaking in a a new companion. We'll see; if the right pig comes along we'll probably cave.

I stopped by Jason's to talk a bit before going to the meeting. Since Arthur was going off this evening JAson actually convinced me to go home and putter and spend some time alone. He was right. I had a relaxing time puttering outside for a while and then going in search of some new CD's. I've started a memorial stone for Cinco. I'm trying an imprint of some of the things he liked to eat like dandelion greens and mint. We'll see how it works. I bought a 100lb bag of Portland Cement which will make a lot of stones if this one doesn't turn out right.

I have this month to get through, and then I will have a long break. Hopefully that will get me re-energized for the new job.

I don't know why I'm saying I have to get through this month. As I look at my calendar, I have a whole bunch of fun stuff lined up. Thursday I have a concert at Benaroya, this weekend I have to myself, the next Tuesday I'm doing a Public Information workshop, the next weekend I'm going camping with the Alateens, and we'll see what I can come up with after that.

I'm going to need a month to ... rest? In July I've got the NSA Convention, I've got house projects, we're going to take a vacation, I'm lining up play days with friends; rest? what's that?

it's over

It's 12:30 AM and Cinco pig just died. I was standing by his cage talking to him when he shuddered and went quiet. He was walking around and eating and acting fairly normally all day until about 8 o'clock this evening. Then all of a sudden he started having trouble walking. We put him back in his cage with a towel, hand fed him from time to time, but it was obvious it was his time.

Arthur is beside himself. He really loves those critters. I doubt he'll go to work tomorrow. I'm off anyway, which is just as well.

These little guys have personalities. No one is just alike. Cinco was a spunky cheerful pig, who didn't really ahave the patience to be held for long, but loved to interact. I think he, of all our pigs, loved to run loose the most. We'll miss him.

Cincodemayo

Today I took Siegfried and both guinea pigs to see Dr. Deeb. Siegfried had his teeth clipped, as usual, and the pigs had both had colds, or at least that's what we thought. Nutmeg was fine, but poor Cinco has a tumor in his chest. It's constricting his trachea making it difficult for him to breathe. Right now we're waiting for the lab tests to come back, but I'm not optimistic. Nutmeg is six, so something like this wouldn't be so surprising; but Cinco is only three and we thought he would be around for a long time yet. In fact, he might be. We don't know anything for sure, but we can hope.

Poor little guy.

postscript

The doctor called today and said the tumor was malignant.

Not a good day for us.