Marching on
Kate called yesterday to tell me that poor Digger had died while she was at day camp. Poor Kate, poor Digger. She tried so hard to nurse him back to health. She weepily asked me on the phone if we could please get a different pet with a longer lifespan next time, "Because I don't want to cry like this every one to two years," (she'd been told hamster lifespans were only one to two years).
Friends have recommended guinea pigs, rabbits, and cockatiels as potential pets when we're ready. Personally, I prefer cats (relatively affectionate yet also self-sufficient, long-lived, clean) but Chris has allergies. I'd love to give the low-allergy Rex breeds a try, though. Kate would adore a dog but Chris absolutely does not want one.
Kate's also having trouble fitting in at day camp. She's run afoul of the local kiddie gang leader! "I bumped into the 'gang leader' as he calls himself, and his 'posse' as he calls them. They started bullying up on me, and the other kids think he's cool so now they all hate me." Not a good start to the summer for Kate. I swear I want to crack the heads of the next kids who target my girl for bullying because her sweet, sensitive nature makes her such an easy target. Little punkasses.
On a happier note, I cooked up some bourbon-brown sugar flank steaks for the gang and we playtested one of our on-going projects last night and hilarity ensued. There was a point where I was laughing so hard I was crying. Definitely some tweaks will be necessary to fix a couple of things, but man, it was still good fun.
Tomorrow it's off to TrinocCon, but not before I address yet another generic "reminder" from our homeowners' association, this time reminding me that ornamental shrubs must be watered and "trimmed appropriately" and scolding me again about reducing the "curb appeal" and not "negatively influencing" the property values! Jesus H, these people are pissing me off. It took a team of FIVE men THREE full days to clear the over-grown weedpatch of a park that was overflowing onto my property for months, and now they don't like the state of my shrubs?! ARGH. But I don't dare put it off until I get back from NC, lest they do another one of these drive-bys and decide it's worth another $100 fine.
Friends have recommended guinea pigs, rabbits, and cockatiels as potential pets when we're ready. Personally, I prefer cats (relatively affectionate yet also self-sufficient, long-lived, clean) but Chris has allergies. I'd love to give the low-allergy Rex breeds a try, though. Kate would adore a dog but Chris absolutely does not want one.
Kate's also having trouble fitting in at day camp. She's run afoul of the local kiddie gang leader! "I bumped into the 'gang leader' as he calls himself, and his 'posse' as he calls them. They started bullying up on me, and the other kids think he's cool so now they all hate me." Not a good start to the summer for Kate. I swear I want to crack the heads of the next kids who target my girl for bullying because her sweet, sensitive nature makes her such an easy target. Little punkasses.
On a happier note, I cooked up some bourbon-brown sugar flank steaks for the gang and we playtested one of our on-going projects last night and hilarity ensued. There was a point where I was laughing so hard I was crying. Definitely some tweaks will be necessary to fix a couple of things, but man, it was still good fun.
Tomorrow it's off to TrinocCon, but not before I address yet another generic "reminder" from our homeowners' association, this time reminding me that ornamental shrubs must be watered and "trimmed appropriately" and scolding me again about reducing the "curb appeal" and not "negatively influencing" the property values! Jesus H, these people are pissing me off. It took a team of FIVE men THREE full days to clear the over-grown weedpatch of a park that was overflowing onto my property for months, and now they don't like the state of my shrubs?! ARGH. But I don't dare put it off until I get back from NC, lest they do another one of these drive-bys and decide it's worth another $100 fine.
If you're interested in a cat, look into a breed called Siberians. Unlike the rexes or the hairless cats, it is thought that they are missing a protein, normally present in cat saliva, glands, etc., which is the chief cause of allergy symptoms. The cat licks itself, then the saliva dries, flakes off, and the nasty protein is released into your home's envorinment. But, though no formal studies have been done, apparently Siberians lack the protein and are often tolerable for allergy sufferers. And they actually have lots of hair! Not cheap though... A washington cattery: http://whitenightsiberians.com/txt/?p=contact
Vrylakos here.
I recommend, if you can handle reptiles, iguanas.
They have lifespans approximate to those of dogs, some living up to 10+ years. They are vegetarians, and are fairly laid back though interesting pets.
Get one as a baby and he can hang out in a fish tank or at the top of your curtains, keeping an eye out and soaking up any sun you get in your neck of the woods. As they get older, however, they do get larger and need a custom pen or run of a room.
Mine, once he was socialized, would cling to my back as I drove my bike around.
I recommend them for allergy prone households, but they are indeed not for everyone.
Vrylakos@gmail