Caring for your Pets

Apparently, I've forgotten how to schedule posts on blogger. Ergh.

And apparently, my son is having second thoughts about forgetting to take care of his guinea pig for weeks on end. I found this in my printer last night:

I Know What I Want for My Birthday

A few days ago I got home from school and I heard Charlie Brown making his usual “get me carrots” sound. Right away I knew why I had been feeling empty inside. I missed having a pet. I know that your first response is a quick “No, remember last time you had to have a pet?” but hear me out. I think that I have changed for the better and am more responsible then I was a year ago.

When I came home one day and you had given Gretzky to Carly I felt like I had failed (I know that I did), but I want to revise that. Constantly hearing him cry for food and seeing his long, untrimmed nails made me realize that I ruined his life. When he was in Carly’s possession and he got sick, and stayed sick, I knew it was MY fault, not anyone else’s MINE. I said that he was going to die, just out of grief, and I apologize, if it still means anything. If you give me another chance I promise you that all those terrible things will change.

I believe that I am more responsible now. I can take on a challenge and win. I can raise a happy animal of my own. I understand where you are coming from if you reject me but, I will be disappointed.

I would like to make an outdoor hutch/run combo and get a rabbit/ guinea pig. I think this could be an opportunity for me because it would teach me to take care of an animal and responsibility. I think maybe I could put it in the front garden and plant around it. I would get sod and lay it down to make the hutch grassy.

He is going to be 13. Most kids would probably want a laptop or a computer game, right?

I feel like I've been kicked in the stomach and want to run right out and get him a fuzzy little creature. Except...we already have TWO fuzzy creatures. The guinea pig (formerly Gretsky, renamed Charlie Brown when my daughter "took over" a term I use loosely as she rarely cares for him) and the dog. Does he care for either of them voluntarily? No. When asked he will do it most times without complaint. Most times.

But the guilt... is he feeling that guilty about the sick guinea? My word, then why was I the ONLY ONE to bring the poor thing veggies a few times a day, make sure his food and water were full and his bedding was changed?

Something I will never tell my boy: I thought he was going to die too kiddo and I might have even suggested that your father hit him square on the head with a shovel because the poor thing sounded and looked so miserable, a wheezy rattle with every breath - I was sure he wouldn't make the winter. But he did. Miracle? Maybe, but give me the 1980 Olympic Hockey team miracle any day over this one....

I am heartsick when I read his letter - he's so logical and for him, emotional. It's probably the truest thing he's written that I've ever read. I do feel bad that he feels so badly but I have to steel myself and remember that he has every opportunity to hold and care for Mr. Charlie Brown and he doesn't even look in there most days. Is Charlie Brown's life ruined? Maybe it is. He seems pretty chipper though, squeaking when the fridge opens and running around his cage.

The logical side of me is screaming Noooooo. And then I reread the letter and think 'How long does a bunny live for? Will he be leaving for college with a rabbit in the backseat?' and then I'm back to No. Never. And then I think 'Well, another guinea pig cage wouldn't fit anywhere would it? Can two males live together in one cage?' And then I'm thinking No. Uh-uh. And then I think....

You see where this is going.

So anyway, I'm just sharing here so that I can remain strong(ish). And really, when he came home from school that day to hear the guinea pig squeaking...did he bring him some veggies or did he grab himself a gatorade and a snack and drop himself in the chair to watch Pawn Stars onDemand?

A Refresher

So, hey now.

It's been awhile. And my promise to dust off my keyboard was forgotten...you know you don't visit your blog too often if when you type the first three letters and a different site pops down in the menu.

Summer, fall and nearly winter have come and gone. More of the same here...

The boy will be THIRTEEN in one month. Thirteen. Since we've last spoken he's gotten a cell phone and a girlfriend. He's still playing hockey and can text faster with his cheapo phone than I can type on a full size keyboard.

He flashes this look every two to three minutes to let us know just how disappointing we are.

My girl? Nine years old. She wants to do EVERYTHING. Last week after talking about signing her up for softball we're snuggled in watching some crazy downhill skiing thing...wipeout after wipeout. She turns to me and says "Mom, about softball..." I, thinking she's nervous to try something new says "Scared?" and she says "Nah, I think I'd rather ski".

And that's about it on the kid front.

The dog is, like, 85 pounds of lazy puppy. He's good, better than we could ever expect from a lab puppy. The husband? Working hard at coaching hockey - recently re-employed (the annual winter layoff appears to be over) and I? Am busy trying to juggle the kids sports, the almost-a-teen romance, the hockey coaches wife thing, school...I almost forgot SCHOOL, perfecting my homemade frosting, reading and watching The Wire or True Blood or Weeds or Surivor.

Pretty much the same stuff that's been going on for the past four years or so.

Hmm.

And while part of me is disappointed that not a whole lot has change another part of me likes it just fine.

I'm thinking this isn't going to make for too many interesting posts but I'm thinking of giving it another shot here...

*dusts off the keyboard*

Which might actually be true if I wasn't fritting my time away on that dastardly Facebook. Which, while I love it has some serious downfalls.

If I read one more Hooray it's Friday! or Boo Mondays! I may weep. Save that shit for Twitter.

• The dog weighs almost sixty pounds. I don't know, but that seems big. I'm sure the growing will slow down a bit now. Maybe?
• Was just told that my hours at work will be a joke once a big development project finishes up. From a local engineer: "this town is going to EXPLODE when that tower is done".
• Shit. Love my small town.
  
• Sixty pound dogs make excellent foot warmers.
  
• Loving black cherry kool-aid.
  
• And frozen margaritas
• Two weeks until vacation!

And with that, I'm disappearing again. Not for long though...

Well, now. My retinas are officially burned right out of my eyes.

There is this giant glowy thing in the sky today and I just stared in wonder...

FINALLY.

Bedtimes have officially flown out the window this week - I ordered from Amazon for the first time since Christmas (which, just so you know, is a record hold out for me) and we're all staying up too late, tucked into bed with book lights and fans and a warm snuggly puppy.

Well, only my boy has the puppy because the OFFICIAL word is that the dog is not allowed on the beds (so sayeth my husband) but the boy's room is upstairs and the dog quietly goes in there and my son is all too happy to have him jump up on the bed. Next thing I know, I can't find the dog and I'm going up the stairs to make sure he's with the boy and not gorging himself on his 40lb. bag of dog food in the cellar - and then I have to make a show of pretending to mind that the dog is curled up with my son. When really, I could honestly care less. And they both know it.

My husband took the kids and two of their friends on a six mile bike ride today on the Canal. He and my daughter just got new bikes - so it was their maiden voyage. The girlie is eight but we're hoping to keep the bike for a few years and we thought she'd be outgrowing the foot brake option before too long. So we opted for handbrakes and gears. Now, I remember my first ten speed - it was the official coming of age bike. You were no longer a 'little kid'. I also distinctly remember riding it for the first time, backpedaling furiously while trying to stop - totally forgetting the handbrakes - and riding directly into a very prickly fir tree. Also, I used each and every gear but probably didn't really understand how to use them for like, two years.

So I tell the girl my story and envision her trying in vain to use her footbrakes, and the bandaids, the crying....Well, my daughter? Had it all figured out within the first hundred feet. Brakes, gears - the whole nine yards. I was suitably impressed.

Today officially starts Summer Vacation for the kids...now if someone would just tell Mother Nature that as of June 21st she's supposed to turn the knob on the weather machine to 'sunshine'...

I'm on vacation as of two p.m. today. Naturally, we've got a few things planned and seeing as it's supposed to be Summer at this point...everything involves the outdoors.

*Loud Sigh*

There are slugs on the deck. And the pile of sand that has to be wheelbarrowed down to the beach? Waterlogged and really, really HEAVY. I now have a special pair of always wet sneakers to take the dog out because the lawn is long (can't be mowed until it's at least a little bit dry) and yes, always wet sneakers are every bit as gross as they sound but I figure better to have one pair of wet sneakers than 5 pairs.

*Looks out window*

I suppose light grey skies are better than dark grey, right? Right?

And the gloves and scarf I have stashed in the car for hockey...at least I don't need them outside the rink. So that's something...

I haven't had to wash the car for a month.

Ummm...

Ladies, I'm grasping here, to find the positive... can you tell? Hard to find the silver lining in a bunch of clouds that are all the same damned color.

Oink freaking oink

So, have you all been hearing much about the Swine/H1N1 virus thing? No? Yeah, well why is that? Think it's gone?

It so isn't.

Dudes, there are over 100 sick kids in my girl's school. They've let us know about 11 confirmed cases. But there were 400 kids absent today. FOUR HUNDRED. Out of about 580ish. Most of these were for precautionary reasons - or simply because it was grey and raining and who doesn't just want to roll over and play a little hooky on a day like this? Or on days like these since it's been raining for about 822 days now. But I digress.

Was my girl there? You bet. They had the school professionally cleaned over the weekend, she has NO symptoms and so she went.

Apparently there were tears - students and teachers alike, there are huge budget issues, layoffs are imminent and the feeling of having the school year cut short - even by two measly days - has left everyone feeling out of sorts and all unfinishedlike. My girl is heartbroken that she didn't get a chance to say good-bye to a special needs aide that is assigned to one of her best friends. Heartbroken.

I was planning on making cookies for end of the year presents...but I can't imagine wanting homemade treats during Germfest 2009. So tomorrow, while my babe accompanies me to work she is going to make some pictures and we'll scan them and email them off. Kind of blase but I know it'll make her feel better.

Only two more days of rain in the forecast...so I'm holding off on finishing the ark. At this point the only reason the pigs would be invited is to ensure a lifetime supply of bacon and ham, the virus ridden bastards.

Enjoyable

1. Sims 3. Waste of time? Quite possibly. Are there better ways to kill an hour while my husband watches Ax Men? I think not.
2. The new (to him) boat is in heavy rotation these days. This was the first time he rowed by himself to the other side of the pond. They were hunting for minnows, which they found. They also grabbed a glop of frog eggs, which turned out to be toad eggs. We now have two minnows and 35 tadpoles in our aquarium. 3. Love this gum. And no, I don't eat the wrapper.4. I was so sure that I wouldn't really like this series. A western? In space? Yes and yes. What this guy did for vampires? He does even better for space cowboy types.