Squirt's pet Guinea Pig passed away yesterday morning. She was an old girl by Piggy standards and had a special bond with Squirt since she was just one year old. It all started Monday when I noticed Piggy wasn't eating and sulking in the corner of her cage. I spend the day and night on a vigil, coaxing her to come eat and providing lots of love.
Tuesday morning it was evident that if Piggy stood a chance she needed to see the Veterinarian. Sure, many have giggled at the notion of spending $100 to save a $24 pocket pet - but you can't put a price on the love of a little girl. The Vet visit diagnosed Piggy with Pneumonia - leaving me half wondering if I was the one who gave it to her. The Vet assured me this wasn't the case, it could very well be just a matter of old age.
Jon and I sat Squirt down after school yesterday afternoon and told her about Piggy. Her little heart just shattered and the tears started rolling away - on all three of us! I had fixed Piggy up in a shoebox, with a little blanket and some silk flowers that I had around the house. Piggy looked peaceful as if she were sleeping and then we went out to bury her in the garden in front of Squirt's bedroom window.
In remembrance of Piggy I'm reposting this blog from June of 2006:
(Squirt's first attempt at blogging.)
So you would like to recreate a Nickelodeon's 'Wonder Pets' episode yet you don't have a 'fly-boat' available to "save the day". No problem. Let me show you how it's done.
First and most importantly you must lock your bedroom door to keep your Mommy and Daddy out. If they get wind of "an animal in trouble" they will quickly barge in and halt your filming production immediately.
Since we don't have a 'fly-boat' and we need to get 'Linny the Guinea Pig' to school in the first place; it is time to break out the trusty Fisher Price Little People School Bus. Just toss the Little People aside and stuff your pet Guinea Pig inside the bus. If he doesn't fit simply make him fit. Then fly the school bus in the air like this....
Lastly, whatever you do be careful not to drop the 'fly-bus' or crash into anything. This will cause your Piggy to squeal in fright and your Mommy and Daddy will bust through the door in seconds flat. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing especially if your Guinea Pig is fat and stuck inside of the school bus.
You'll learn the importance of "Teamwork" when Mommy and Daddy help you dislodge your entrapped Piggy and safely place him back in his cage. Then they can bribe him with celery so he doesn't phone those PETA people to report his alleged hair raising experience.
- posted by Squirt
(Disclosure: No animals were harmed in the making of this blog.)
Well, I just couldn't take it anymore so I ran to the hills. That workplace was so unstructured, so stressful and so chaotic that anyone with half a brain would run out of their screaming. In fact many had and I'm "just like the rest of them" now.
It's a shame really, for the owner is my husband's friend and business partner. One of the reasons I stayed on as long as I did. But I have to tell you, quitting wasn't easy - not at all - due to that little complication.
Truth was I was stressin' way before I fell ill with pneumonia. Not that the job gave me pneumonia but working 19hr days and wearing myself out mentally as I had - certainly had to have something to do with my weakened immunities.
The absolute be-all-end-all is this upcoming Obama Inauguration trip. Now I'm not going to say another word about that - other than I'll be sure to report on it this January 21st.
Anyhoo to put things more simpler, I'd rather work in a structured environment even during rush hour, flippin' burgers, slappin' cheese on the things and handing them out a drive-by window. For minimum wage even! Anything than to work at that God forsaken office ever again.
I feel bad and sorry for "The Don" actually. Except now I know a few things and one of them being that he doesn't listen very well. The poor guy needs a break and needs to delegate jobs and authority to others without snatching that authority away and taking it back because he fears change.
Change is good, especially if your employees are quitting left and right. "The Don" needs to restructure and hopefully now that I'm out of there he'll someday sit down, have a beer with me and listen. I'm afraid he won't though for he is just so stubborn. I worry for him, for unstructured situations tend to collapse in this day and age.
There's a difference between walking on faith and flying by the seat of your pants. I'm thankful to "The Don" for giving me the opportunity to experience and recognize the difference.
Sure, go ahead and laugh at me all you want. It's alright, I'll forgive you. You barely know me after all.
But if you did know me, you'd laugh even harder. I'm 41 years old and have never had a speeding ticket. Seriously, I've been deemed a prude in the driving department plenty of times. A scardy-cat Granny who goes out of her way not to make left hand turns.
Yet I was pulled over in my own driveway and issued a speeding ticket.
I'm not laughing. In fact I'm quite confused and baffled for I know for a fact that I wasn't going fast at all. Yet I was clocked at 67 mph. How?
A quick rundown: I picked Squirt up at school, turned onto Rt. 80 in the right lane and since I live on the left just a short way down, I practically had to come to a crawl to let the traffic pass on the left so I could move over to make my left turn without passing my house.
If I remember correctly I accelerated to get into the center turn lane during a break in left lane traffic. By acceleration I'm talking a quick 6-8 yard zip from a very slow 25-30 mph to get out of the passing traffic's way.
Not 67 mph and gosh, no way I'd make it alive turning into my narrow deep ditch surrounded driveway coming in at that kind of speed.
I parked my car and was ready to go into my house and here comes the police officer telling me to get back in my car, sit down and shut the door.
I went ahead and requested that "radar - working - right - thing - a - ma - jig" and still the officer boldly states he clocked me at 67mph.
I'm sorry, but really - honestly, truly and cross my heart and hope to die - there is no way on God's Green Earth that I could have even been doing the posted 40 mph. I declare not even 1 mile over the limit or even close.
Not about to argue with a police officer I took the ticket and notified him that I still denied it and will be in court. He threw an attitude, but oh well. Still, I cannot see how in the world that this could be correct.
Has anyone else ever had this happen? Socks said I may had been clocked accelerating which would give off a bad reading. Not to mention there were a half dozen vehicles in the area at the same time. Just doesn't make sense or seem right at all.
Honestly folks, if I really believed I was speeding I'd own up to some bragging rights on this one. Pay the fine with pride. Give everyone who knows me and my driving a good laugh or two. Frame the ticket thing and hang it on my wall as my first prize for ever breaking the law.
