Something Furry This Way Comes

Welcome to the family Magellan!

Sunday after checking in on Kitten Frank and I went on to do domestic things like grocery shopping. Along the way we stopped at Petsmart so he could handle a rat, and we could see if he was allergic to them. There we met Magellan and Frank discovered just how fast a rat's heart beats and its nose wiggles. We went on to do the shopping and when no sign of rash or sneezing occurred he gave the nod to bringing a fuzzy home.

Of course first we had to figure out which of the 3 grey and white rats was the one we'd handled earlier. After a little trial and error we found our guy and Frank played "no you can't come out" all the way home.

Magellan, named by Frank after he witnessed the little guys exploratory nature, has proven to be a self-leveling rat: When he's on a shoulder and you bend over he heads for your butt, then heads north again when you straighten up. A handy skill for a shoulder rat.

So once again there are little paws in the place. Yay!

Zoom!

Another wild and woolly weekend has come and gone. Friday was a morning appointment with trainer Sean...and discovering hopping hurts! We went through a sample work out then signed up for sessions. Whoo hoo...happily he has agreed to rescue Connie and I from Creepy Chris, the acting manager of the gym. Hopefully CC will move on soon.

After the gym was a quick clean up then sushi with Connie, Andrew and Rayna. Good company and conversation as always. Then back home where my path crossed with Frank's and then I was off again to get my hair done.

Through a ballet of missteps the hair thing took a lot longer than expected and at the end I was tired and a bit cranky, and there was no way we were going to make the bonfire in Allentown so I called Julie with apologies and Frank, Connie and I ended up at a little Indian restaurant I had passed many times but never tried. It was quite yummy!

Saturday began with trying out new hairstyles on Connie, lunch then making fun of various products that GNC offers. You'd be surprised just how fun that can be! There was talk of Peddler's Village but time got away from us so we rescheduled for next weekend. I had a date in Boyertown that I had to get to.

I was checking in on Miss Kitten for Jill and Dan. She iwas feeling a bit under the weather and needed some banana flavored meds so I visited her humble abode in the laundry room for a bit. Happily there was no barfing and she seemed in good spirits if a bit lonely. We had a petting, medication, petting sandwich and I headed home.

Frank had survived a rather frustrating day but successfully wrangled 2 bookcases home and got his laundry done. We had a victory dinner then headed into the city to dance the night away at Zot. Around 2 AM I was ready to call it a night, too tired even for coffee and french fries. Luckily our walk to the car passed by Maoz and Belgian fries were scored. A happy ending to a lovely night.

Sunday was another date with Kitten who seemed to be in high spirits. She'd managed to find a pair of Jill's stockings and claim them as hers. She also brought down the legendary Pirate Ducky of the Potty. Quite an accomplishment for one lone kitten.

After pets and meds it was time for lunch with my honey then domestic duties. One of the boons of living together is that I'm cooking again. It's quite fun, I must say. So far the kidney bean Kiev and rice and lentil casserole have come out well. I forget what this week's experiments are, but I'll fill you in on them when they happen.

Life is pretty dang good.

Quiet

I'm being reminded again of how quiet a space is when someone is missing. We notice it in the office when just one of us is out. It's just...quieter.

In August the apartment got a little quieter when Callie left. But then Frank moved in so it wasn't as noticeable. Sure, he doesn't try to trip me when I'm carrying heavy things up the stairs, but I'm kinda glad of that : ) Even though Miss Callie is in a good home now I still expect to see her head poke out the door when I come home some days, still expect to have to shove a leg in to push her back so I can get inside without her escaping. Eventually this will fade completely.

Then Frank went to Burning Man...and it was just the pig and I. Once again the place seemed a bit emptier, quieter. But soon enough he was home and the rooms were filled with laughter, stories and snuggling.

Now again the apartment seems quieter. Monday my little PJ passed over the rainbow bridge. Frank was wonderful. I came home to lots of hugs and he took very good care of me, which meant the world. I was sad, but this wasn't unexpected.

All things have a time, and his was passed. He was 5 or 6, a rescue pig. He had a good life and way more veggie snacks than he should have I'm sure. He put up with baths and having his nails clipped, even sitting in front of the hair dryer with a piece celery. It was a pretty plush gig by guinea pig standards I think.

Still, I came home last night and started to say hi to him as I always do when I get home, but there was just an empty corner, a cage cleaned and empty. No happy peeping, no frantic dash for the igloo just in case I was a hawk. This morning was much the same: I rounded the corner with "Good morning Pidget my Pidget" on my lips, only to remember he wasn't there.

This is the first time I've been without a pet since...wow, since just after I moved to Pennsylvania. It feels very odd. I know it won't be long before something furry once again graces the apartment, but right now my heart isn't in it.

So goodbye my Pidget...my wer-pig...my pig of many colors. You will be missed.

In a Pigs Eye!

Okay, this one will likely qualify as a rant. Before I tear into this let me say that I know relatively little about Sarah Palin, though I am tired of guys telling me she's hot and I'm tired of hearing her say she's a hockey mom. That said, the following has nothing to do with her.

Barack Obama made a statement about how McCain was talking about change but it was just the same old policies shined up a bit. To be colorful he used an idiom, one I have always liked actually. One he had used in the past, as had Mr. McCain. He said you can put lipstick on a pig but it's still a pig. I happen to think he's right on both the pig and the policies, but that is my opinion. Of course if you actually manage to get lipstick on a pig...never mind.

The next day came the righteously indignant demand from the McCain campaign that he apologize for calling Ms. Palin a pig.

Hello, Obama didn't say anything about Ms. Palin, but you just did! Is their VP choice so flimsy that they have to tilt at imagined insults? And this was after the statement that she wouldn't be made available for interview until the press learned to behave themselves! I'm sorry, but man or woman if you can't hold your own in an interview how are you going to handle congress, foreign politics or even just meeting with domestic groups? I refuse to believe that Ms. Palin is this delicate and I really feel that the campaign managers are doing her and the campaign a disservice.

More and more I get the distinct impression that John McCain has no control over the people running the "straight talk express" or whatever the hell he calls it these days. Whether this is true or not, it isn't a good impression to be making and if he isn't careful it isn't going to be his politics that sink him but his employees.

But after this whole pig lipstick thing I have to wonder...if she boards a plane does that mean all those things that weren't going to happen until pigs fly are going to become a reality?

Will someone try to make a silk purse out of one of her ears?

If you eat too much are you now making a Palin of yourself?

Come on people. We use idioms to color our speech and make it more memorable, slightly humorous. What has been said in the past by both candidates was a criticism of policy, not an attack of character, personal hygene or physical appearance. Palin herself has described the difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull as that of the hockey mom wearing lipstick. A woman who can make that joke shouldn't jump to the conclusion that any reference to lipstick is about her, and I doubt she does.

But if I were her I would so smack the guy who came up with that apology demand. 'Cause dude, he just called her a pig.

Now I'm going to go see if they make special lipstick for pigs...I think PJ would look ravishing in pink!

September

Possibilities:

With focus, dedication and steroids, men can achieve impossible dreams.

Like breaking world records, or growing their own breasts.

Slow Time

Last week was a study in slow time, it looks like this one may be too.

Last week it was a little work tension and rattling around the house. This week it looks like the work tension will continue but now Frank is home and I'd much rather be there than working late. C'est la vie.

But yes, Frank survived Burning Man. As I said when he got off the plane, he was much cleaner than I expected. And much less sunburnt happily. He's pretty chapped and chaffed but it sounds like he had a good time. He'll just keep moisturized and should be fine.

One funny moment though. Since the playa is so alkaline the best way to get his skin reconditioned was a vinegar bath. I'd left work to get him, saw him settled into the tub and headed back. When I told my boss I'd left him soaking in vinegar she asked if I was pickling him! Hee hee.

But there was some fun last week. Jill, Julie and I got together to catch up and lounge by the pool on Friday...in the rain as it turns out. Well, it was warm and we are rowdy rough girls so a little rain wasn't stopping us! The pool temperature almost did, but we over came! It was great talking about work, babies, future plans, family and life in general. And Julie looked hot in her blue and white gingham "pregnant lady swimsuit"!

Now it's time to get back to work...I'm slowly but surely wearing the numbers off my boss' credit card!