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| Wednesday, April 11th, 2012 | | 9:28 pm |
The L word...
...has been unleashed. I'm thinking he's a keeper. :) Current Mood:  capital-L-loved. | | Wednesday, April 4th, 2012 | | 6:19 pm |
"Fuzzy bunny balls" would be a great name for a rock band.
We moved Sugar to our house, and during her free time she started humping Percy. I thought, huh, that's weird, I didn't know female rabbits did that. I looked it up, and, well...they don't. I flipped "her" and saw tiny fuzzy bunny balls. (My actual thought process: "Dammit, I can't find the vulva, these round fuzzy things keep getting in the--oh. OH.") Teal deer: Sugar Kane is now Sugar Daddy. >.< I feel like a moron for having an animal for three solid months and not knowing its correct gender.* Fortunately neutering is less expensive than spaying, and I am assured that male rabbits make better pets than females, so, you know, there's that. This does suddenly explain a LOT about Sugar's personality: the extroversion, the in-your-face attitude, and the scent-marking (NOT urinating, as he's litter box-trained; I mean facial scent glands). Apparently females are more reserved and, well, bitchy. That aside, Sugar is a delight around the house. Everything he does is amusing or adorable or hilarious or awww-inspiring, or sometimes all four at once: binking (high kicks and jumps signifying joy), stretching out on his tummy to sleep, peeking around and darting back behind furniture, digging into piles of blankets, rolling around on the carpet, chasing the cats. Mom was reluctant to move Sugar over here because she thought the cats would terrorize "her," but right from the first he hopped directly up to them, nose to twitching nose. They treat him exactly like he's another cat: Percy did his usual HI NEW BEST FRIEND! I LOVE YOU! right up until the humping when he switched to WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN ME?, and Elphaba freaked, hissed, and ran for the safety of the gated stairs. I know I sound like a broken record, but I thought rabbits were these boring things that sat in a cage all the time; I NEVER, EVER, in a million years thought they could be such wonderful pets. And so much lower-maintenance than I expected! Everything I read made me think it was almost as much work as a horse or a large parrot: that they were delicate and demanding and would die at the drop of a hat. Sugar is much more robust personality-wise, and while there's some daily maintenance on the cage, it's NOTHING like what I expected. I'd describe it as much more work than a hamster, but slightly less than a dog. Heck, my rats were harder to care for. And now that I don't have to drive a half-mile every day to my grandparents', the workload has decreased even more. *To be fair, a) a rabbit's testicles don't drop until it's 4-5 months old, and b) I have no intention of breeding so it doesn't actually matter. Still and all. Current Mood:  bunificent. | | Thursday, March 15th, 2012 | | 11:29 pm |
Bunny and boyfriend.
So, the play that necessitated Sugar's existence in my life has come and gone, and in a less-than-shocking plot twist, I have decided to keep her. Because we never saw THAT one coming, amiright? This is partly assisted by the passing of a) duh, Tai and b) Grinch The World's Oldest Hamster, who departed this earthly realm at a formidable 5 1/2 years. I am currently setting aside a portion of each paycheck in a Bunny Spay Fund, because spaying eliminates a) hormone-driven behavioral problems and b) the 50/50 chance of uterine cancer which could cut her potential ten-year lifespan down to four. She's really sort of delightful; I always thought of rabbits as being these nervous, timid creatures that sat in a cage all day, but she's very outgoing for a rabbit, thanks to my OCD-level socialization efforts beginning at 13 weeks of age. She will get totally all up in your business, run around like a march hare, kick up her heels, play hide-and-seek, and even hop right up to total strangers at PetCo and nibble their pant legs. Last night I was doing a crossword while she ran around Gramma's bedroom (she's still living at my grandparents'), and felt a THUMP next to me. I looked and she had jumped two feet in the air to get onto the bed! My first date has turned into my first boyfriend, and we are currently celebrating one month and twelve days of relationship-ness. <3 We're planning on a trip to Motor City Comic Con in May, and it was his idea to go cosplaying as.... (brace yourselves, y'all) Gambit and Rogue. OFFICIALLY BESTEST MOST PERFECT BOYFRIEND EVER, FOR SERIOUSES. <3 <3 <3 He'll need to dye his hair, which makes me a little sad (he's SUCH a lovely blond), and I'll need to add white streaks, but he just got a new job that pays ridiculously well, and since he's living with his mom until he goes into the Army this fall he doesn't need to pay rent, so he offered to buy me a costume online, as well as one for himself. FOR SERIOUSES. <3 <3 <3 Granted, he also considers seeing me in a spandex catsuit as more of a gift for himself. :) Current Mood: happy | | Saturday, February 4th, 2012 | | 12:21 pm |
The best day of my life, so far.
So......... I kinda have a boyfriend now. :D :D :D :D :D I don't want to go into TOO much detail, but suffice to say that Sherlock Holmes 2 is the best movie that I barely remember at all. And I am, ah, overcoming my tactile defensiveness quite nicely. :) (Mom: "You weren't being vulgar at the theater, I hope." Me: "No, we weren't vulgar...at the theater.") And no, this is not rushed. We have known one another for several years, and hung out several times a week for about a year, discussing everything under the sun. He's seen me in my pajamas, he's seen me through multiple panic attacks and social anxiety, he's seen me the one and only time I was ever falling-down drunk. We're already very well-acquainted, and I had expressed interest nearly a year ago; it just took Mr. Oblivious that long to clue in (we're both a leeeetle emotionally repressed, and he's only slightly more extroverted than I am). :) Current Mood: twitterpated. | | Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 | | 3:49 pm |
<3
So...you know that friend of my sister's that I mentioned I had a short-lived crush on? It wasn't really all that short-lived, but I kept it tamped down because I didn't think he liked me back and I REALLY liked and respected him as a friend and didn't want to make things all awkward with unreturned emotions. Well, it turns out he kind of does. And he kind of asked me out. And we kind of have a date tomorrow. :D :D :D :D :D [ad infinitum] Did I mention he's tall and blond and skinny? And has glasses? And is a huge nerd and is completely adorable and funny and crazy intelligent and wears freaking bowler hats with tweed vests? Because omg, yes. *insert infinite squeeage* Current Mood: EEEEE!!!!! | | Friday, January 20th, 2012 | | 1:12 pm |
The worst day of my life (so far).
Tai passed late last night. His pulmonary edema was too advanced. Am alternately numb and crying (generally the latter when I remember him as a tiny four-week-old puppy who fit in the palm of my hand, like the world's tiniest Ewok), and consistently devastated. My only consolation is a) it was an unpreventable genetic condition, basically a ticking time bomb in his chest and b) I took action the instant I noticed a problem and did everything I could. I "breed shop" in my head all the time, but right now I can't even think about getting another dog. I can't think of anything but my little throw pillow with a digestive system. Thank the gods I have Percy; I'm sure he's sick of getting hugged and cried on. I elected for cremation, and took a lock of hair today; I opted to view him when the vet gave me the option, and I'm glad I did, though it was pretty much as awful as you'd think. Apparently he went very peacefully and wasn't in any pain, so, you know, there's that. Everything at home reminds me of him: toys scattered around, food bowls, his crate, the baby gate to keep him out of the living room because he was a senior toy breed and couldn't always hold it--EVERYTHING. This doesn't even seem real. Just a little cough. All he had was a cough. | | Thursday, January 19th, 2012 | | 8:34 pm |
The heart of a dog.
Tai was coughing and acting listless today, so I took him to the vet. He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure caused by a congenital heart defect--fairly common in Pekingese. The vet showed me x-rays of the fluid in his lungs and stomach, and told me if I hadn't brought him in he certainly would not have lasted the night...he deteriorated before my eyes, from a slight cough while remaining alert and wagging his tail when I packed him in his carrier, to slumped over with labored breathing in the exam room. He is currently in critical condition, and is staying overnight at the vet's office. I am told that if he makes it through the night his prognosis is good, and he would need to be on heart medication for the rest of his life. Am sort of numb and dazed at the moment. Oh, and Mom adopted another cat on Saturday. A six-year-old long-haired calico named Ivy. More details when I'm not completely stunned. Current Mood:  my poor princess boy. | | Thursday, December 15th, 2011 | | 9:06 pm |
Bunny!
We got the rabbit last week...she's a pink-eyed white from a litter recommended to us by a local rescue. Mom has named her Sugar, which I tried to improve slightly with the surname Kowalczyk from Some Like It Hot. We picked her because she was the most outgoing and stood on her hind legs begging to be held, thus demonstrating the confident, assertive personality needed for a life on the stage. She's living at my grandparents' right now, and has already befriended their dachshund through cage bars and with supervision. I always thought that rabbits were these boring, quiet, nervous animals that ignored you, but I've discovered that they have delightful personalities after all...sort of like a cross between a cat and a rodent. She still isn't terribly fond of being lifted, but she'll come right up to me if I pretend like I'm doing something else, and seems to enjoy snuggles. The house we got her from had two dogs and three kids under the age of 11, so she's used to noise and activity. We took her down to the read-through, and the actors just love her; we already got an offer of adoption from the girl who plays the oldest daughter (I say 'girl,' but she's 24 and lives with roommates). We may end up keeping her after all, though...she's an absolute doll. Sugar will receive her own biography in the program, just like all the other actors, and I will be listed under the official title of Rabbit Wrangler. :D Also I found out that both the third volume of Primeval and the fifth book in the Finder series*, which I have been collecting in some earnest (I have discovered the joy and wonder that is gay Japanese bondage porn, aka yaoi--go me) are released on the name day: January 10th. I know where my money's going that day! *Which, incidently, is surprisingly hard-core stuff. I bought it at Schuler's, an independent bookstore in GR, and it was wrapped in plastic, so I thought, ooh, yummy Fake-style boy porn! I opened it up and SWEET JESUS MURPHY we're not in Kansas anymore. This is WAY more explicit than anything that happens in Fake. I may see if I can pick up some more of its ilk at Motor City Comic Con...I know they always have at least one manga booth set up. Current Mood: cheerful | | Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011 | | 1:35 pm |
So yeah, it's officially an obsession.
My sister is moving, so she gave me the remainder of her platies. We now have five in the ten-gallon: the remaining female, an adult male, a subadult male, and two juveniles (male and female). All are healthy and active. Then I went to PetCo last night, and noticed one of the tanks had three tiny (and I mean TINY!) baby molly fry in them. The only molly in the tank was long-dead and being eaten by a catfish, and it was only a matter of time before the other cats spotted the fry and started on them. I pointed them out to my sister, and she said, "If you want 'em, take 'em. They'll just end up being eaten." So I took home three tiny (and I mean TINY! Like three days old! They're smaller than my pinky nail!) baby mollies for basically free, aside from a dollar donation to PetCo-sponsored charities. The tank said they were neon butterfly mollies, which Google confirms are quite pretty.* Molly care is fairly similar to platy care, except they like a bit more salt in the water: semi-brackish conditions. I added water from the platy tank into a spare 2 1/2 gallon, poured a quarter-teaspoon of salt, and plopped them in. They seem fine so far, although when I turned on the filter one of them got sucked in! It managed to wriggle free, thank goodness. So I'll need to get a fry-friendly sponge filter, but those are pretty cheap. FYI, baby mollies are the cutest objects on the planet. To quote Futurama, "It's like if puppies and kittens had babies!" I can't stop staring at them and cooing over them, and I'm scared to death that I'll make a mistake. I really want these little guys to make it. Once they're adults, I'll move them up to the 30 gallon with the platies (after the goldfish have moved to the 55 gallon, of course). *And expensive, may I add, at least for mollies; PetCo sells the adults for nearly $4 each, compared to $1.99 for regular mollies. Current Mood: molly molly molly! | | Wednesday, November 16th, 2011 | | 10:17 pm |
Of hair and hares.*
Two major things of import: 1. Cut off all my hair and dyed it purple. Not bright purple, as my skin is apparently too sensitive for bleach, just a dark plum, but still...purple! As for style, I aimed for Abby from Primeval but it didn't work, and ended up with something more approaching a goth Audrey Hepburn, with a touch of Ziggy Stardust. In other words, perfect. :) 2. My mother will be doing props for a play called The Effect of Gamma Rays on Marigolds on the Moon (seriously, that's the title), and one of the props required is a live white rabbit. So we will apparently be fostering a rabbit for the months leading up to the show, since it needs to be socialized at a young enough age so it can be comfortable being passed around on stage. Of the eleventy billion different kinds of animals I've had since I was a zygote, this will be my first-ever experience with a rabbit. Mom suggested that the program mention that the rabbit is available for adoption through whatever rescue we get it, to increase the odds that it gets a nice home. We already have a cage and it will probably live in the back room to keep the cats from getting at it...Elphaba has CRAZY prey drive, and while Percy's less intense his presence would likely stress it out. Oh, and I already pre-emptively named it: Bunnicula, natch, :) *Yes, I know rabbits and hares are technically two completely different families, but come ON. The title writes itself! Current Mood: cheerful | | Monday, October 31st, 2011 | | 6:18 pm |
Fish fish fish fish fish!
Have been deeply into fish lately. Moved Mom's pond goldfish into 30 gallon indoors, and will eventually upgrade to 55 gallon. Ziggy died (the cat snagged him), and I secured his tank and acquired a green betta, Darby O'Gill. In addition, Mom went out and bought some male guppies for the 10 gallon, and we adopted (yes, with papers and everything) a pair of female red wag platies from PetCo; apparently a customer had a litter or clutch or whatever you call groups of baby fish, and dropped them off. I've adopted animals in the past, but never fish! They were in a tank with eight million young Jack Dempseys, and while they weren't actively harrassed, you could tell they were nervous where they were, so we added them to the tank. They'll be moved up to the 30 gallon once the goldfish vacate it...I've basically played musical tanks for months! Also, Sally and Justin were officially approved for a house, and she doesn't want to move her full 29 gallon tank, so she's giving me the three remaining platies inhabiting it (all red wags). They'll be put in yet another temporary 10 gallon until I can get the big tank set up. | | Monday, August 8th, 2011 | | 5:31 pm |
My new life, such as it is.
Moved back in with Mom. Not so bad so far. Have been organizing her house, as her idea of neatness consists of magazines stacked in wicker baskets all over the floor, so have been teaching the concept of vertical space (shelves are your friend!). Still have snakes, as offer of $50 extra per month will eliminate all but the worst phobias. Also bought a new betta, an orange double-tail half-moon plakat (try saying it all in one breath!) male named Ziggy. Mom is madly in love with Percival, as well she should be, and now wants a Ragdoll of her very own. Have been doing girl's night out at local gay bar with my sister and some of her theater friends, who have now become my friends. Had intense but short-lived crush on male-shaped friend of hers, which disappeared once it was confirmed that, while he likes me well enough, he otherwise has no interest whatsoever. Which, meh. It happens. Am now on Adderall, after a month-long absence. I started taking it in March, and the people around me have commented on the profound improvement it has had on my work and social skills. My sister, who was always rather critical of my behaviour and we didn't get along terribly well for years, now says that I am a pleasure to be around and she feels like she's finally met the real me. Get this: my tactile defensiveness has been so greatly reduced, I can actually touch people. I can touch strangers. Strangers can shake my hand and I no longer flinch and recoil! Human skin no longer feels like worms! I can tolerate physical contact! I can act like a normal person! I can finally have a boyfriend!The only side effects seem to be a) heinous dry mouth and b) sporatic bursts of random anger if I have too much caffeine while medicated. Small amounts are okay, but I have to limit myself to one cup a day. Other side effects include improved social skills and extreme, but not manic, productivity. When I was on Wellbutrin, I thought I was happy and productive (I organized all of Mom's kitchen cabinets in an hour), but in reality I was manic; while I thought things were just swell, everyone around me suffered. A few days after my first dose of Adderall, I looked around my room and thought, "Wow, I am living in filth," and began to calmly clean and organize, unlike the frantic cleaning binge I did on Wellbutrin. It's normal, healthy productivity. I'm normal. Current Mood:  calm | | Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 | | 8:51 pm |
Oh, lovely.
...and on top of everything else that's going on, my roommate just told me I have thirty days to find a new place to live. I have no money and a $3000 car payment, not to mention the $1600 Grampa lent me for the insurance. Just fan-fucking-tastic. | | Tuesday, June 14th, 2011 | | 5:06 pm |
Does life come with a "rewind" button?
So much crap has happened lately I don't even know where to start. 1. Merlot died three weeks ago. We fostered kittens from a cat rescue, and shortly after that Merlot caught feline panleukopenia (even though he was vaccinated) and passed away. The two may not necessarily be related, but it's one hell of a coincidence if they aren't. The other cats seem fine so far; I believe his immune system was compromised due to his allergies (he had a nasty neurological reaction to flea shampoo when we found him, and had to be on a special diet for a poultry allergy). 2. Minivan Helsing was sent to the wreckers and I had to buy a new car last month. Is red two-door 2004 Ford Focus. I have named her Audrey Adderall. 3. I now have a THIRD hamster, a Winter White that some guy handed me when I went to PetCo. Her name is Penelope and her hobbies include sleeping, eating, and biting the shit out of my hand. We're working on the latter. Current Mood:  cranky | | Wednesday, April 13th, 2011 | | 1:14 pm |
This is not happening.
I was going to post an hi-larious story about Minivan Helsing totally dying to the tune of $800+ in repairs plus further damage that necessitates me buying a new car, but my aunt, Mom's older sister, passed away at 6:15 p.m. last night, and I'm kind of stricken right now. She was in Florida so I have no idea what sort of arrangements will be made; there is no way our family can go to the funeral, even if Gramma's health permitted it, what with the business and all. Her son is handling everything (thank the gods he was living down there, too), and her boyfriend is taking her parrotlets. A stupid thing to worry about, I know, but when people die, one of my first reactions is 'what about the pets?' I've learned it's sort of how I cope, and she really loves her birds; we were the ones who introduced her to parrots in the first place. She was a speech pathologist, and taught me how to talk properly after my trachaeotomy tubes were removed. She bought me my first bra. I just talked to her last week (she called the cleaners by mistake when trying to get ahold of her daughter-in-law), and while I thought she sounded terrible, I thought it was just a bad cold. Turns out she'd been sick for months. I had no idea. This is not happening. Current Mood: it can't be. it just can't. | | Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011 | | 7:41 pm |
Yet another sporatic update.
No I am not dead. We have a new roommate! The roommate (I will call her Kaya, which is not her name but she prefers it to her real name, and on my LJ everyone gets nicknames) is one of Shade's co-workers at the grooming salon and very nice. Her contribution to the household includes a miniature schnauzer named Jack, two corn snakes, and a blue-tongued skink. So nice to have a herper house, plus her living here will bring the rent down. And she loves 1940s musicals and such, so I have an old movie buddy. :) On Sunday the neighbor's dogs got into my grandparents' yard and killed two of our chickens. The police and vector control have both been contacted; Grampa says that if they get into his yard again he is pressing charges (I think he should press charges anyway, but it's his property). Mom confronted the dogs' owner and he was very arrogant and not a bit sorry. Switched all three snakes into big new Sterilite bins. Am never going back to heavy breakable glass tanks again. Current Mood: calm | | Friday, January 14th, 2011 | | 7:54 pm |
Writing blather.
Lack of internet has actually been rather good for my productivity. Have produced roughly 100 pages of Evalloch and Valerian stuffs in the past month, and have rough plots sketched out for seven or eight books. Am fifty pages into the first book and think of little else these days. Current Mood:  accomplished | | Saturday, December 18th, 2010 | | 4:55 pm |
Very, very brief update.
Lots going on. Cousin had a baby (boy, yesterday morning, everyone fine), Shade got another cat (tortie munchkin from shelter that is virtual Shadow-clone), got second hamster from feeder bin at reptile expo, and we are probably getting a dog (friend of Shade can't keep her mini schnauzer). Details when I next can hop online. Current Mood: rushed | | Wednesday, November 17th, 2010 | | 5:16 pm |
Goodnight, sweet land walrus.
Really bad last couple of days...Shadow the British Shorthair went rapidly downhill over the weekend. We took her to the vet, who diagnosed a mass in her abdomen that had metastisized to her lungs, along with fatty liver, and gave her (correct me if I'm wrong, Shade) a 5% chance of recovery with treatment, assuming she survived the procedure. Since she was in pain and we didn't want to put her through any more, the vet euthanized her Monday morning. She was roughly 18 years old (we guess...she'd been through God knows how many homes before we got her, and spent a while at a shelter, too) and was warm and secure to the end, surrounded by people who loved her. My only regret is that Nate wasn't able to see her before she went. | | Saturday, November 13th, 2010 | | 6:17 pm |
Only mostly dead.
Still slightly alive. Will reportedly have internet again on Tuesday. Huzzah! Also, now have proper bed (no mattress, am sleeping on box spring, but better than floor). Dog show and reptile expo tomorrow. Merlot neutered last week. Everyone else fine. Current Mood:  hurried. |
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