Review

Wow. Okay, so, since I last wrote here...

• I went to the Ostleparkwells (Megan and T-La's house (which includes Megan and her hubby and her retired racing greyhound, T-La and her hubby and her 3 hilarious little boys and her dog (Just one. RIP Sydney :( I will miss him.), and my Aunt and Uncle. They have a pretty full house... but a FUN one!)) for Thanksgiving!  My stomach is still an utter mess due to Gastroparesis and who knows what else so I hurt a ton even though I only ate, like, a roll and sweet potatoes. BUT it was still SO much fun to see those guys.  I love them so much!  Especially Megan who is the BEST bestfriend/cousin I could ask for.
• Saw a turkey pardoning. REPORTED on said turkey pardoning. 
• Mom and I got in a car wreck. Pretty serious.  Okay, not THAT serious. (We walked away with just bruises and such)  But not minor. (our car is bad off and the car that caused it is TOTALED and basically we were all really lucky.) A MEDIUM SERIOUSNESS CAR ACCIDENT.  We had just stopped at a light, but it was backed up pretty far.  The car full of teenagers behind us wasn't looking, they slammed into us.  It felt like a bomb going off. The force shoved us into the car in front of us. The car in front of us got a little scratched and dented. Our front bumper is basically hanging on by a thread (or magic). Our back bumper is miraculously better, because the car behind us looks like an accordion.
• Had a Critters 2 Go party. It was a good one.  But then...
• My frog died. No, I know what you are thinking, that I DID already write about that. THIS IS MY OTHER FROG, Mab.  So did my mantis, Johnny Cash.  Her days were numbered as it is winter and she would have died long ago were she out in the wild.  But I still miss her and I just really didn't want to be mourning these girls right now.  Even though both could have been old age. (Mab I have only had 3 years, but 5 years is a normal amount for Greens and I don't know how old she was when I bought her at that expo. I know she was an adult... I mean, she wasn't a TADPOLE... but I have no idea. I just... she was such a pretty little frog.  Her name fit her well, queen of the fairies. She will be missed.
• I discovered (and read several years of posts) Regretsy.  I have laughed SO much, but I can not in good concience RECOMMEND it to most. It is definitely PG-13 + fair.  The millions of F-words (not to mention more needle felted vaginas and polymer penises than you can shake an over-priced bedazzled stick at).  But up there with CakeWrecks, though CakeWrecks is MUCH more family friendly, even with it's occasional naughty cake.
• Went to the Provo "Lights On" Parade (which was a pretty pathetic affair involving a lot of golf carts) BECAUSE.... my little bro, BoyKid, the future Leslie Knope, was in it on his motorcycle as TRON!!! p.s. it was freezing cold, I don't know how he survived. Hee hee!
• Went to BYU's Divine Comedy. I love them. It wasn't their BEST, but the "AladdYn" part was hilarious. 

And the day after tomorrow, I get to swallow a camera. Things are not boring. *sigh*

Cancer Sucks, Deaf Fest Doesn't

Today was more than usually productive! Go me!  Also, because I am dizzy and unable to drive or walk around unaided, Go BoyKid! And Go Rinny! Because they really helped.

The morning started with a baby shower for our friend Katie.  She is a "Chum" as in she is in a group of friends (Megan, Gina, and Katie) that were The Chums.  I LO

VE the Chums.  They all, every one of them, rock.  I associate them with knitting/crocheting, harmonicas, Muppets and all good things.  It is weird because now the Chums are doing things like, well, getting married, having kids, moving to other countries.  But I still love and admire them.

Katie's mother, Sue is also a really good friend of ours.  She is awesome.  She also has cancer.  This just breaks my heart. It seems like all the really awesome people are dealing with terrible things.  My former bishop's wife has Lou Gehrig's. My Uncle Ken has cancer. So does my Aunt Cheryl.

And that kind of crap is just a suck fest.

But what isn't a suck fest is seeing old friends. Plus also, they had good food... CREPES. Mmmmm... So it was great seeing a preggy Kate, her mom, Sue, and a few other people from the old 'hood (Gina's mom for one!)!  But NOT Mali, though that IS that 'hood, since she is still off being British. ;)  I went with Mom and we both did so with the balancing arm help of Rinny. Mom is always a little unbalanced due to the stroke. And I am wobbly as can be on the new med.  Bleh.  So Rinny was on double duty.

So after that I went home to count out ONE HUNDRED Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches to a guy who was buying them. Because it was such a big order I agreed to meet him part way, in Sugar House.  Only, like I've said... I can't DRIVE right now.  So BoyKid to the rescue!

He drove me to Sugar House.  And the roach guy? TOTAL hippie.  Like 2 foot long dirty blonde dreds and alluded to the fact that they are into that garbage picking food movement type hippie.  And his hippie chick and baby.  SUPER nice, mind you, and they were very excited to get the roaches (which they directly deposited into their shoulder bag and rode off on their bike), but definitely interesting characters.

Then we had 2 other goals while in SLC... Deaf Fest and Guitar Store.

Deaf Fest. A bunch of booths, a LOT of signing, and free ice cream!  Eavesdropping, I could understand a lot of what was going on... but I was pretty pathetic talking to people.  Obviously, I am going to need some review classes... and a lot of practice at home (watching stories at home, talking to myself in the mirror, and maybe signing up for an ASL MeetUp group).

But it was interesting!  I also got to tell BoyKid a lot of Deaf culture facts (to keep him from doing things like walking right between 2 signers, talking to interpreters instead of the Deaf, etc.) so it was good I at least remembered etiquette.  And they gave out free ice cream so he had fun, too. (He's easy to please!)

Then for him, we went to the Guitar Store.  He played with some guitars, looked at kay-poes (I am sure that's not how they are spelled. They are a guitar thing.) Then we headed home.

OH AND I quilled some cards for church... birthdays, 1 funeral... and one for Katie.

Yarrrrrgh! Hamsters!!!!

It be International Talk Like a Pirate Day, me hearties! And I would be true to this day celebratin' the buccaneer, but me head be swimmin' like sharks and my stomach is churning like the waves of the briney blue.  So I am to belay this silliness and talk like a landlubber!

I have been SOOOOO SICK today.  I have been dreading work tomorrow (when I even think about it... mostly I just don't think. I just sit around in a stupor.  I drink Gatorade, eat saltine crackers, and watch DVRed Psychs. But I do not do a whole lot of prep work for story time.).  I finally drew some Brachiosaurus heads, made a sample, too.  The other thing I am not doing that I should be doing is writing an Examiner article.  Right now I am writing something about hamsters.  I am also trying to talk my fam into letting me have a friend's (well, a friend/coworker's daughter's) little male Robo.

Though what I want more, and what I am in major negotiations for is a hedgehog.  Dad says I can have one... IF I get rid of my tortoise, Bratanik.  I tell him, No, I love Bratanik. He says, he's boring, etc. I tell him, he's not supposed to be exciting. He's a tortoise. And I love him. I love to watch him eat (he reminds me of a dinosaur). I love that I rescued him and made him healthy. I love to teach kids the difference between a turtle and tortoise and let them touch them.  I know that Bratanik doesn't love me. He is a TORTOISE. But I love HIM.

But I am trying to talk him into, if he is so intent on "trading," trading my tank of hermit crabs.*








*and maybe sort of secretly keeping the crabs but keeping them in a small 10 gallon in my room because like he'd even notice anyway. Shhhh....  ;)

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Week!

The last couple days have been pretty interesting. Here is a recap filled with thrill! chills! pills!

(Last) Thursday BoyKid tried out for Divine Comedy! We got to watch. Try outs were SO funny to watch.  There were a few people that were not very good at all, but most were VERY funny.  It was stiff competition.  He didn't even make it, and can say with all honesty, BoyKid's song was excellent.  If I can ever convince him to YouTube it, I will post it here.  Better luck next time!

Friday, I had an appointment with Dr. Bones, the specialist at the U of U.  My headaches are still super bad, so he is trying me on a new med, which is so far making me dizzy, nauseous... and feel slightly as if I am having an out of body experience.  This disjointed, out of it experience is very disturbing. Hoping it is one of those side effects that starts bad, but then dwindles after awhile. Because UGH.

Then I did a Critters party. A cute group. The adults were as interested in my presentation as the adults. They asked a million questions. They owned a chinchilla themselves and wanted me to check him out after the party, asked for tips on taming him (they could barely pet him and certainly couldn't hold him like I do Baby Fable), wanted to make sure they had the right set up for him (

they did), and asked about getting him fixed and getting him a friend. 

Saturday I did some quilling for church ladies.  Pretty good ones, I think.

(by the way, Ehu, that one with the quote about being "beautifully made?" The quote is Ola, MyNigerian. Is it any wonder I am still in love with him?)

Sunday was 9/11.That was hard. I think of Brady a lot, but it is hard to have everything rehashed all day on TV and on the internet.  Anyway, I posted about that a bit already.

Monday I sold some roaches to a boy, probably around 13, and his dad. They were really excited. I was pretty excited too because I recently finished The Cockroach Club part of my site!  But the most exciting thing about the day was THE ARRIVAL OF THE MANTIS NYMPHS!!!! 11 teensy tiny mantis babies! They are so so cute!!!

So, all week, Padre has been talking about this "Super Secret Surprise" at 5:00. 1st though, I had story time at the museum.  We read Zack’s Alligator Goes to School by Shirley Mozelle and made clothespin alligators. 

THEN I had a dentist appointment. Bleh.

So, then 5 rolled around and we are headed to Salt Lake!  Then Padre starts singing "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" and we pretty much figured out we were going to Mary Poppins the Broadway musical.  It was really fun.  Before we went to the show we went to dinner at Olive Garden. The Gnocchi soup was very good.  When we were done we had left overs, but Rinny had brought a cooler.  So we were walking back to the car with our food and there was a homeless guy.  I knew my dad would NEVER let us give him money because he might buy drugs or alcohol with it, but I asked if we could give him our left overs. At first he said no, then I said "just a bag of bread sticks?"  He said okay and proceeded to take OUT 2  breadsticks of the bag leaving 3. *rolls eyes* REAL generous, Dad. But whatever, better than nothing. BoyKid and I ran back and gave it to the man.  When I asked if he wanted some bread, he smiled so big and said "Sure!"  Really motivated me to get working on those "Blessing Bags" like I've seen on Pinterest.


My dad is not really selfish.  It's just that he feels strongly about HOW he should be generous.  Like when he is donating to the poor, he feels like he should ONLY do so through the Church. I think that is a good thing, MOST of the time, but sometimes you should go elsewhere, too.  He also believes in taking care of your family first. I agree with that, too, but I think he still acts like we have money... going to expensive plays and out to dinner... when we don't. We are in debt.


ANYWAY, before the show there was this art instillation next to the theater with these weird wobbly things that apparently represented grass.  But to me it felt like we were fleas on a dog.  I LOVED IT!  I took a million pictures.

Finally we actually went in.  The play was much better than I thought!  They did a lot of very tricky things... very magical.  Though that new song about being nice to your toys? SUPER CREEPY!!!  One bad thing is that my new pill from Bones is STILL making me really sick and basically feel out of my body, so I had to leave for a bit and miss a song.  But over all it was still fun!  Very different than the movie though. (Also different from the Simpson's "Sherry Bobbins" which is what BoyKid and I kept remembering instead! Ha!)

 So then today for Tales for Tots we had the author and illustrator of "Invasion of the Grumpies" to come read their book.  It was fun.  The book is cute, though a bit wordy for the age group we cater to (though obviously a self-published deal) but clever writing.  And they were both really interesting guys.  I plan on having them come back again and we bought a copy of their book for the education department.  They took a LOT of pictures (you can see them here) They also had the kids draw their own Grumpies to put on the Facebook page.  Again, our group was a little young for that, so it was mostly MOMS drawing and then kids scribbling, but we teachers decided to participate. Mine is the one reading the red book. Rinny's is red (It's angry)


Several mantises have not made it, I think we are down to 4 or 5. :(  They are so cute, though.  I hope SOME of them thrive!


Anyway, that's the news!

I am not a Sark!

(whatever that is, I am not one.)

My new therapist, New-Ivy, who's real pretend name is Jan (as in Levenson-Gould on the Office.  Not JanBrady, my cousin Squall's little girl), wants me to seriously do affirmations in the mirror.  Not "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggonit, people like me!!!" but telling the mirror ways in which I am a success.  Doing that with her, I bawled like she's asked me to murder a puppy.  It was so embarrassing.  So, what I am supposed to to TELL said mirror is as follows:

1. I am going to vocational rehabilitation.
2. I am going to therapy to change my way of thinking.
3. I am going to physical therapy and water aerobics to get stronger and healthier.
4. I am taking my prescribed meds to be well.
5. I have a part-time job that is fulfilling and fun. 
6. I am starting my own small business (Critters 2 Go).
7. I am going back to college to get a better career.
8. I am talented, and keep busy with creative things.
9. I take good care of my animals.

I'll add some more if I think of any other "I am not failing" type of thoughts.  But I don't think that saying it all in the mirror is going to help me AT ALL.

This week on Animal Horders...

Okay, no really, I know I have a LOT of pets. But 1. they are WELL cared for 2. I am not letting them make me unhealthy 3. the house is not stinky or over run. (like this---> 

Ergo, I am not really a hoarder.  I firmly believe hoarding is not about numbers, just like not every breeder is a puppy mill.  It is about the care and condition.

Plus also, they are now my BUSINESS! I am still getting Critters 2 Go off the ground.  And I am adoring my newest member of the family, Stanley Yelnats, the Bearded Dragon.  However, I actually do have plans to get at least 3 more animals.  I know that sounds crazy.  But hear me out...

2 of my little guys have passed away... Hawkeye, the Asian Long Tailed Grass Lizard and Eenie Meanie, the Bumble Bee Walking Toad.  I would really like to get new ones, but I have had horrible luck with ALTG Lizards.  If I could find a better source for them, or figure out what *I* am doing wrong, I would like to get a pair again.  I may or may not get them again, but I would like to, it it was possible.

However, before that happens, I probably WILL get another Bumble Bee Walking Toad (Pair or more).  Granted, they are much more pricey, but they are so darling, and the cage is still just sitting there waiting for them.  I want those striking, tiny little fellows again.

And eventually... EVENTUALLY mind you... I WILL have a hedgehog.  I have wanted a hedgie for years.  Conpared to my sugar gliders, and even the chinchilla, this exotic is pretty low maintenance.  And They. Are. ADORABLE.

It probably won't be for a couple of years.  But it's name will either be Sam the American Igel OR Oliver the Urchin and it will probably be palamino or pibald. :D  Yeah, I am always looking at them. Hee hee!

So, do you not know what I already own?
Well, if you want PICS, check out the Critter Bios on my Critters 2 Go site.  But at present I have 2 sugar gliders, a chinchilla, a turtle, a tortoise, a tree frog, a bearded dragon, 2 leopard geckos, 5 hermit crabs, and 100+ Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.  I also have 2 bettas, a kuhli loach, and there is a praying mantic egg sack in the mail to me on it's way.

SIGH.  Someday...

Minus 1, Plus 3!

Tinsel, my Asian Long Tailed Grass lizard is gone. He was such a good little lizard. He seemed so healthy just a day before then went down hill with in minutes. One hour before he died he seemed to want to dig under the rocks, weird for his normally arboreal ways. I thought, "huh, that's weird, is he after a cricket?" Then I came back just an hour after and he was dead. I can only guess he was trying to hide because he felt sick. I am heartbroken.

Here is the thing, I am mourning and wasn't ready to "replace" him yet at all but I have 4 Critters 2 Go parties booked next week ABOUT reptiles. I am not one of those big animal party businesses *cough*scalesandtails*cough* that has shelves of snakes and lizards to show. I show my turtle, my tortoise, my female leopard gecko (because Jack BITES)... and, SIGH, my ALTG Lizard, Tinsel, now deceased.

So despite not being ready, emotionally, for a new ALTG Lizard, guess what I did?

I bought TWO. A female and a male named Houlihan and Hawkeye. They are DARLING. Much much more skittish than Tinsel, so much harder to hold. But that will come in time. (I HOPE!)

 

I also bought a new green anole and named her Sprite.

So, while I still miss Tinsel terribly, and am not ready, really, to move on, I am. Suddenly. I just have to look at it like, well, NOT replacing, but filling a hole and making an EXECUTIVE decision business-wise. I feel like I am hiring the new lizards. "We have just suffered a loss in our family, but we need you to work for us...." 

On my way!

It has been a long, but very eventful day.  Right now I am just hurting (bad BAD Fibro day and stomach day too) and watching Monk and also watching Tortuga swim around in her newly cleaned tank with the filter WORKING! Woot! Everyone is so clean for the vet visit!


The first step to getting my little business, Critters 2 Go, to really take off is DONE! I am getting my USDA Exhibitor's license so I call be all legal and do shows with schools, etc. And today I had my vet inspection! It went AWESOME. My exotic vet had to come to my house, work with me on a written program of veterinary care, inspect the cages, the food, and do health checks on the gliders and chinchilla. She said the animals looked exceptionally healthy AND happy. The diets were all excellent, their coats were gorgeous, she just gushed.

She also gave me a LOT of good advice about my USDA inspections to come, gave me some new health logs to keep on a monthly basis. I also told her about starting my vet tech program classes soon. She spoke very highly of my school and said their program is excellent. 

So a very good start! 

I WANT I WANT!

OH MY GOSH. I am in conversation with another bug guy about possibly trading some hissing roaches (of which I have MAAAAAAANY right now. My colony is flourishing) for a RHINOCEROS BEETLE!

That would be awesome just be cause, but also for Critters 2 Go.  By the way, I have a particularly BUGGY Critters 2 Go show to do tonight.  I am going to teach a pack of cub scouts to take care of roaches for a badge.  I will also teach them about "proper pet care and respect for all life." do it for free, take a lot of pictures and do it for my service project for the DoingGood Scholarship!

I am trying not to think about how much pain I am in right now.  Starting today I am going off certain meds and to add to that my tooth and head are both KILLING me.  I got a blessing from my Padre to help with the pain, but I admit my faith is probably too weak for how strong the hurt is today.  Loritab isn't touching it either.

But I HAVE THINGS TO DO!  I don't have time to hurt.  I need to get ready for the pack meeting.  I need all the animals in their respective carriers.  I need to post a little on Gaia, the Pets forum.  I need to straighten my room.  I need to say goodbye to my brother who is on his way out the door (Bye, BoyKid.).

What I do NOT need is what I have. HELL in Head-form.

indian giver (I know. Racist.)

Last night I thought I was getting a hedgie/ I chatted with the gitl for about an hour, talked about a lot of things actually, and mom had been talking to dad. He had seemed not exited but okay about it.

That changed;

Now I am FORBIDDEN to get anymore pets. "Fable is the last!"
Where does that leave Critters? BOO.

Lists and a Hedgehog and Rats

Things I think my future kids will say

• I don't have to obey you, you're not my real mom!
• What's a Walkman?
• Can I take one of your animals to school for show and tell?

Things I want for Christmas

• A trip to SPAIN
• A Hedgehog
• A Chocolate Orange
• To go back to my own house

Things I am really tired of
This headache. This plus 3 month long migraine
Living at the padre's
Not being a real part of this ward because I don't stay the whole time because my head hurts and stuff

So I MAY be GETTING that Hedgehog, and early.  I am talking to a girl who has a perfect one named Mr. Ouwie that needs a new home.  He is darling. I don't know about having him early, as I am going through all this USDA stuff, but he is going to need to be registered too anyway because I definitely want him to be part of Critters 2 Go!  Anyway, I am texting the girl about the little guy back and forth tonight. 

Meanwhile, I HAVE RATS. 2 truly darling little girls that if I could I would keep but I can't so I am looking for someone awesome to love them.  Because I already adore them and they deserve it.

Halloweekly Planning

I officially have my USDA papers and am working on them for my Exhibitor's License!  It is a little daunting.  I need to write up my "Veterinary Plan" of how I care for my animals and get it, and THEM checked out by a qualified vet.  I hope Dr. Dobson will do it! She has been my gliders' vet before, though she has never seen Fable.

Last night we had a little Sibling Party.  Watched Clue (one of my FAVES... haven't watched it since, well, I guess since that date with PoetryBoy in college in Cedar City., carved pumpkins (Mine was Trogdor from Homestar Runner, Spencer's was Boo from Super Mario, and Corinne's was Charlie Brown. Yeah, we are old school.), ate REALLY yummy pumpkin bars from the Thanksgiving Point's Harvest, and fed the pumpkin scraps to the critters. The tortoise, the gliders, the hermit crabs, it's good for everybody.  Not that they will all eat it. Fable wouldn't.

It was good times.  We (me and the parents) will be passing out candy (well, chips.) to the Trick-or-Treaters on SATURDAY, Padre about FREAKED when I said we should save some treats for kids that came Sunday because not everybody knows how Utah operates. "THOSE kids will come to a dark house. They will learn not to bother people on the Sabbath." Jerk.

 I doubt they are PURPOSELY bothering people on the Sabbath. They are just Trick or Treating.  I hope everyone just comes Saturday like the news says they will.  What if they come MONDAY?!

If I had kids they'd go Saturday.... or whenever their friends were going. Safety in numbers and such.  I really want to be a mom.  Someday I am definitely adopting.  Kids, too, not just babies.  Probably from Haiti, maybe from Nigeria if that's easier, if MyNigerian and I are together someday.  Dang but I hope so. I love that man. *SIGH*  And we want kids. They can be from Nigeria, Romania, Haiti, or here in the US, wherever they let us love them.  Someday.

Okay, I'm gonna go read in the bath now.

Goody 5 Shoes

1. General Conference is good. I loved the counsel of the church leaders. I loved what they said. I loved how I felt - for at least a few hours, and then I was back to normal (depressed).  But such is (my) life.

2. I am reading the last of the 3 "His Dark Materials," The Amber Spyglass.  I am sure there are some of you that think it is a bad book. I'll tell you why I *don't*: Okay so in the book God is the villain. But the thing is in the books he IS a villain.  He's a liar and he's cruel..  IN THE BOOK. It's not reality. It's fiction. This is a story of if God was this way and the world were this way than such and such.
He's NOT and it's not, so yeah.  I am not stressed by it. It's a fantasy and a good one.  And the fact that the author is an athiest doesn't mean anything/  I'm not. 

3. Saw the aftermath of an accident. A bad one. A man was layiung on the road, so was his motorcycle. And his shoes. Why does it always knock their shoes off.  When my aunt was killed on the freeway, her shoes were knocked off too.  Seeing those shoes today made me sick. 

4. I am going to get my USDA license.  Critters 2 Go will NOT be taken down by a tattle-tale. I am not sure how much this is going to cost me. Or how long it will take me. But I want to do this right.

5 I am watching Iron Man 2/  It's good. ;)

HOLY CRAP. Bad day.

Yesterday was one of the worst in my life.  The first half was annoying. The second half was HORRID.  Here is why. I woke up early to a phone call from a lady from APHIS of the USDA.  Me doing Critters 2 Go is breaking the law. FEDERAL LAW.  I don't have a license to exhibit animals. And until I fill out a lot of papers and have my *house* inspected and get an attending veterinarian for all mammals (Fable, Heber, Lilo, and Nani.) to write out health certificates for them and pay some, possibly a lot, of money this tiny business that I am so proud of is kaput.

NOT COOL.

But that was just the beginning.  Somehow amid the conversation it turned into my OTHER job and she told me that THEY don't have a license.  So, now I am out one job, a whistle-blower on another for which I am scared to death I am going to lose my real job over. WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT.

Oh, it GETS WORSE. So I am stressing about this on my way to Dr. YeahBaby.  He is going to help my headaches by doing that scary Transferaminal thing like a few years ago, which is scary but if it will work, I am game. Only after we are all ready and I am in one of those delightful gowns with no backs, we TALK about said headache.  He thinks something else might work better.  Drip pain meds into my nose which is pretty much awesome even though it feels like drowning it is WAY less risky than the thing.with the spine. 

Except then, at the end I reacted badly to those meds.  I got dizzier than I ever have in my life, anytime I moved my head in the slightest I threw up and fell down.  They had to take me to the car in a wheelchair and I was vomiting all the way.  Padre had to carry me in the house (and I didn't stop throwing up then either.)  I landed in my bed and lay in a semi-fetal position, moving at all, like looking across the room, or reaching for a water knocked me down, left me retching.  So I didn't move the whole day. I had to be taken to the bathroom (didn't stop throwing up) but other than that, just lay in one place and threw up.  It FINALLY subsided some time this morning.  Still not good, but I can walk to the bathroom unattended if I am careful and drink apple juice.  So, yeah, never doing THAT again. EVER.

P.S. my headache only stopped for a few hours, that whole time. 

Bird, Business deals, and the Red White and Blue

This past week I was playing mama bird to a little guy I called Pockets.  Someone gave him to the farm to raise... none of whom would take him on, so they gave him to me while I was doing Family Facilitation.  A tiny, bald little thing who I fed every 2 hours for a week before I got really sick.  The parents blamed Pockets. I disagree with them, but regardless of WHY I got sick, I got REALLY sick and was in no position to argue nor to take as good of care of my baby and THEY wanted him GONE. As in they were talking about killing him.  But the Roomie was our hero.  She took him and got online and found him a forever home.  The lady drove all the way out from Nevada to adopt him and just loves him to pieces.  Now called "Phineas," he is doing very well.  I will miss him but am very happy for the darling little starling.

Also this past week was Independence Day.  So yay, family holiday times.  No, seriously, it WAS fun.  Went to Stadium of Fire at BYU on Saturday, which was cool, though I still felt sick. 

Then Monday 2 things... Went to the VERY good Toy Story 3.  I loved it!  But before that? I met with the Marketing Manager of Jumpin' Jacks about doing Critters 2 Go parties there.  The meeting went REALLY well. They were very nice and the partnership seems like a situation beneficial to both of us.  They will link to my website, schedule me THROUGH me, have a specific Jungle Room, and will pay me the amount we talked about, etc.  And I have to admit it was just cool to have a real BUSINESS MEETING about Critters. 

balloons and boys

Last night at work I tied balloon animals for a few hours.  It was a little crazy and the folding chair about KILLED my back but over all I had fun and the kids were all impressed with my skills, meager though they are.  I have decided to add that to my Critters to Go site as something I can do for parties... but NOT the SAME parties I am doing the animal shows at because that could just get a little out of control.  Seriously, animals, balloon twisting, facep ainting... throw in a little juggling and a unicycle and I can be a one person circus!

I don't really plan for Crittters 2 Go to ever be a JOB job... but I am hoping maybe to get to where it might pay enough to feed my critters.  Then they will sort of pay for themselves and I won't have to worry about feeling guilty having these expensive pets while my hubby and I are basically dirt poor because, yeah, we will be.

But I LOVE Ola.  He is amazing.  And if we have to be pretty pathetically poor, well... I'd rather be poor WITH him than well-off with out him. That's the thing.

I Hope hope hope our family gets that Italy/Spain trip this year. It's kind of killing us not to see each other and be together in person.

But moving on to the OTHER main man in my life at present, it turns out my chinchilla, Fable is a BOY.  Yup.  (Figured that one out when he humped my hand. Became QUITE clear, but anyway...)  And he is HILARIOUS!  Put him in a tent with a blanket and he will spend the whole time either pushing the blanket into different corners (he's a HUGE fan of Feng Shui!), redecorating his space.... or running in spastic circles. It's too funny. Who knew I adopted an interior decorating rodent?  Also, he LOVES those dust baths.  Which is really fun to watch.  He has just been a crack up so far.  And I don't care WHAT Padre thinks. I am NOT just keeping him till I find him a home. He's FOUND it. Fable is my new baby!

Okay, I am gonna go read some scriptures because MyNigerian invited me to read the Book of Mormon in 90 days for the summer on Facebook, and knowing him he will check on me about it everyday. That's 1st Nephi 1-3 all today so I better get crackin'. But I love this church. I love that MAN. And, yeah, I love that chinchilla. What of it?

Critters and Ola. Yup, Luv.

True to my title Life of a Crazy Cat Lady (Sans Cats) this weekend I tentative have adopted another critter into my life and I already adore her.  Squall's little girls, JanBrady and Mini-Squall had a chinchilla named Snowflake at their Dad, G's house.  And he decided to dump it to I have her now.  I have borrowed her a few times already to do Critters 2 Go.  But now she is mine (until my Padre flips out.  He KNOWS, but is just sorta grumbling and accepting).  I am also re-naming her Fable, except around the Squalls kiddlets.  She is hopping around the tent with her new toys and just being the adorable, semi-mind-less fluffball she is.  I lWUVSHER!

And speaking of LOVE, MyNigerian pulled me out of a very deep Depression hole this week after I have been sick and I am just so grateful for him I wanted to cry today.  Instead I prayed.  Because SAYING thank you is a lot better than crying it. hee hee!  He is such a blessing.

Aspen and the Rainbow Bridge.

Thing-a-Day: made a little page for the Worm stuff I am doing for 6th Grade Outreach feild trips at work... amd for selling Hissers.  http://critters2go.homestead.com/buy.html  I know this may freak you out but I have people WAITING  for this newest batch of hissing cockroaches to get to be "teens" and the right size for feeding to critters like Sugar Gliders.

Speaking of sugar gliders, mine are barking at me right now.  They are so funny.  Heber pops his head up randomly from the pouch around my neck just to see if I am doing something that SHOULD involve him, then goes back in when he sees I have no treats or feathers to play with.  Today the first glider my sugar glider "mentor," my friend who first welcomed me into the sugar glider community and answered my questions, ever had, passed away.  She was 13 years old.  My girls are about 7, Heber is a couple years older.  So she was an elderly glider, and certainly had a great life with Amy.  But I mourn with Amy, who has been such a good friend to me, and say goodbye to Aspen.  I believe in life after death... and I do not believe our Heavenly Father would be much of a God worth worshiping if He didn't include our dear animals in that.  I believe Amy will see Aspen again.  But I still can't imagine her hurt.  If it were Lilo, Nani, or Heber and I... I would fall to pieces.  Rest in Peace, little Aspen.

www.sodangofficialifeelsoprofessionalnow.com

SO the TaD thing I did today, check it out I got REAL DOMAIN NAMES!  granted there is nothing much THERE yet, but the addresses, yeah, I OWN them. Booyah! steamedcabbages.com AND critters2goparties.com are both mine, al mine! BWAHAHA!

Steamed Cabbages is just my little doll decorating venture and I am on my own on that so it looks about as cool as it is going to minus the pics of the dolls because, well, the dolls themselves are not done.  But Critters 2 Go I have a PRO/best friend Steph helping me on so whenever she gets time it is going to look freaking awesome.  Until then, my site is still just www.critters2go.homestead.com made by amateur me.

I also cut one of the dolls' hair (I think she will be an Engineer type) and decided on the riding clothes for The Gentleman.

And took a nap with Cali the Cat.

So, yeah, productive-ish day. :)

p.s. I think I have a crush on a Nigerian guy in Spain. <3

This is My Brain on Christmas. Any Questions?

Things on my mind (that I am paying more attention to than blogging) are as follows:
My 1st official "gig" as Critters 2 Go. Trying to pull together a Utah sugar glider (and other small exotics) club called Mountain West Pocket Critters Conference. Learning to sew Cabbage Patch Kid clothes... steampunk ones! My Endoscopy... toworrow at 5 am (Bleh!). My mom's eye surgery to TRY to correct some of what the stroke did to her (it was Monday. But they are doing more on it tomorrow morning. So we will both be in the hospital tomorrow morning.). Printing (and maybe selling) my own stick figure family window clings that INCLUDE sugar gliders! Learning to decorate cakes. Becoming a Big Sister (as in Big Brother/Big Sister. Not as in my mother is having a baby). Writing Christmas cards and wrapping gifts. Perry Mason.

Yeah, my brain is a bit busy.