Uno De Gerbil V. Wheel

So, as anyone who actually reads this blog (I’m assuming just people I’m related to, thus this post may be pointless) has probably figured out, I have new pet.  I wasn’t really intending to get another pet, since changing jobs and now working one on one with animals every time I go to work.  Also, I promised my parents I wouldn’t bring home anymore fuzzy things…  Err… Sorry about that?

But, when I met my latest addition, it was kind of a given she needed to come home with me.  You see, the littlest Gerbil had an accident and in the process ended up losing part or all of her eye.  It’s kind of hard to tell looking at her, but it is very obvious she can only see clearly out of her remaining good eye.  Because of her injury, she couldn’t really be sold so she was up for adoption and since I’ve been taking care of her for the last few weeks, I figured who better to take her home and give her a good and guaranteed spoiled life than someone who already knows how she works?  Also, in the process of telling my boyfriend about her, I ended up naming her andthenitwasalloverbecauseIstartedcallingherbynameeverytimeIsawhernoI’mnotsorry!

Why yes, I did just justify bringing home a new pet despite my parents direct orders.

Hey, I am an adult– even if I don’t really own the house…

Although she’s a wee bit skiddish (I think just because she has trouble seeing), she’s very sweet and rarely do I get the impression her visual impairment slows her down.  Even the parents have decided they like her, as they helped me figure out her two story condo when I got home with her and discovered just how pathetically weak I am when I couldn’t get two pieces of plastic snapped over part of the cage.  Good thing I have an awesome Dad who actually has, I don’t know, muscle, or the Gerbil would have been living out of her box for a while.  Even with all of that, the unveiling led to everyone “awwing” over the new baby.  She just about leaped out of the box she was so happy to see daylight again and everyone immediately gasped and put their hands out to catch her, because no, I don’t need her to loose her other eye within 30 minutes of coming home with me.

So everyone welcome:

Uuuunn... Um... Hello?

Let’s try this again–

Sonofa... SERIOUSLY?!?!!

*grumble* Try this AGAIN…

Of course I would adopt a ninja, so you can't see her...

OOOOOne more TIMMMMMEEE:

Oh no! Human can see me, must throw Gerbil throwing stars!

All this tells me… Is either I need to put tranquilizers in her water or I need a faster camera…  REGARDLESS, may I introduce you to, Uno.  Yes, I named her based on her only having one good eye, but after seeing these photos, I’ve decided it’s a good gang name– You know, The Ninja Gerbils and whatnot.  Seeing as I spent 20 minutes snapping as many photos as I could and I couldn’t get a really awesome one…

I should also add, that she’s lived up to the age old knowledge that Gerbils like to chew things– and often not the things you’d like them to chew, like the munchee sticks or the toilet paper tubes or their FOOD… No.  They chew the things you’d rather them not– Like the built-in plastic wheel that comes with their cages… I mean, who honestly spends $20+ on a cage with a starter kit because they think the wheel is going to last longer than 48 hours?  Honestly?

Me.  That’s who.  I’m the idiot that thought since she was enjoying running in it, she would let it be and chew on the two or three toys I had put in there to deter her from chewing on the cage.  Yes, I am a fool.  How dare I think I could outwit a one-eyed Gerbil with her mind set on the total destruction of all things fun.

48 hours later and the wheel is a no-go

She must have sat there all day today, working on that.  And it’s like her mind wandered while she was doing it because she destroyed the nub that keeps the wheel on the stick part and thus, spinning and then all of sudden she’s chewed off a whole side.  Really?  How bored was she?

I don’t get it.  So now I get to add one more thing to the list of stuff I have to replace.  Gerbil proof wheel, new ball for Uno to run in when I clean her cage and a new water bottle, as the one that came with the set is the same kind I bought Ianto when I first got him– absolute crap.  If you ever think about buying a “Kritter Canteen” don’t.  Dwarf hamsters aren’t big enough to get enough pressure on the ball so the water will come out and apparently Gerbils don’t fare any better as I spent about 5 minutes squeezing the bottle for Uno because she wasn’t getting any water otherwise.  I suppose critter being spelled with a k should have been a clue, but alas, this one came with the cage too.

I did however learn something from this experience:

Destroyer of Plastic

+

48 hours later and the wheel is a no-go

=

Uno's long lost cousin

Good night all!  Until next time!

~Jaina, Faith, Paisley, Yuri, Ianto AND Uno (who better stop gnawing on that plastic ladder in her cage or she’s GROUNDED FOREVER!!!)

Happy Lazy Sunday Morning

Good morning girls:

I hate mownings...

Get dat ting outta my face...

That is all. Now we must return to our previously scheduled homework.

VOTE FOR PAISLEY PUPPY!!!

Paisley Puppy is trying become famous and with your help she might do just that!  Paisley is currently entered into the Bissel Vacuum: Most Valuable Pet contest.  Her voting period started on the 15th and runs until the 21st.  As of now she only has 20 votes and she’s way behind several other pets!

If Paisley wins the contest she wins a $500 shopping spree (You can get wots of squeakies wit dat!) and PAWS & More Shelter gets $10,000 for whatever they need!  AND as if that weren’t enough, Paisley’s face will end up on a Bissel vacuum box!  What could be better than that?  She sheds so much, she should be a shoe in!

So get crackin’  Here’s her link:

How coowd you say no to dis?

In case you forgot who you were voting for

We’ll let you know how it turns out!

Much love!

Jaina, Faith & Paisley

Belated Christmas: Paisley’s First

Yes… I forgot to write a Christmas post.  I suck at this blogging thing–

Anyway, we had a very Merry Christmas at our house and the dogs, made out like the bandits that they are.  Really.  I have pictures.  I was pretty spoiled too, but I have to say the dogs did pretty well!

But before we get started with the evidence, we in the midwest hope you all had a Merry Christmas and as Paisley says “And a Hippee Nude Deer”.  You might need an online translator for that one.  And now on to what we’re really here for.

Dad woke Faith and I up Christmas morning as he traditionally does, with Mannheim Steamroller playing to wake us.  It’s one of my favorite traditions and I think after 10 years, Faith has figured out that this is her cue to run to the door because Santa Paws has come and gone.  She loves getting presents so she was pretty excited when I kicked back the blankets and made my way to the door.  She wasn’t the only excited one.  Paisley had been let out of her kennel and was making a ruckus when she saw all the new things under the tree.  They hadn’t been there when she had gone to bed the night before and like a little kid, she knew immediately that there was something new:

Ohhhh, Chwismas twee ohhh Chwismas tweeeeeee, how yummy awe yowr bwanches!

Since Paisley likes to gnaw on Pine tree branches– I felt it was appropriate.  Just so you know, all of the packages wrapped in blue, are for the dogs… And you can’t even see them all from this angle…

I got a Sock Monkey! Paisley thinks it's hers but it's mine.

Oh man, were they ever excited to see all of those presents:

See what I mean?

Iz dat mine too?

They were quite excited to get their presents open.  A few of them were rather stinky (A real dog magnet) and they could tell it was for them just by sniffing them.  Yuri, is really rather good at getting presents open on his own:

This is the best Christmas EVER!

Paisley and Faith were just as happy:

Whatevewr yew're opening, it's miiiiiineee!

I would post photos of all of us opening our gifts as we all received some awesome gifts.  My Dad and I actually found gifts for Mom that she loved and for once, she had no idea what they were.  A typical Christmas includes Mom grabbing her gifts, giving it a little shake and calling it before she opens it.

This is rather aggravating.

But this time– HAHAHAHAHAHA.  WE WIN!!!  So, she was surprised, we were surprised and the puppies were happily gnawing on toys and Beggin’ Strips and not surprised– Because we’re wrapped around their little paws.

Anyway, like I said, I would have added pictures of the non-fuzzy people, but it was early in the morning and none of us were exactly– Attractive at that time.  I’ll post one that is a little less scary of myself– I had just received a Garmin Nüvi for Christmas and was very excited as I’ve needed one of those for years.  As I’ve mentioned in previous entries, I am directionally challenged.  Sometimes, I can’t even find my way around my own hometown and it’s rather humiliating.  Soooo, I was about two seconds away from kissing it.

At least I brushed my hair before I came downstairs, so there's that...

Sorry if you feel a sudden need to stab your eyes out…

So, I would say overall we all had a good Christmas.  We had a lovely Christmas meal, delicious turkey and sides and I’m very happy to say my Dad was able to accurately recreate my Grandmother’s turkey gravy; a recipe that had been lost for several years after she passed away.  I loved my Grandma very much and when she died it was hard to get used to holidays without her.  I remember family gatherings being what they were because she was there.  She made things from memory and the recipe for the gravy was no exception.  It was one of those “A dash of this, a handful of that” sort of things and we were fairly sure after many, many failures that it was a lost cause.  Well, this year, Dad tried again with the ingredients we knew were necessary and it was success.  So much so that I nearly cried when I tasted it as it transported me back to those days at her house during Christmas, her hovering over everyone and making sure her grandchildren were stuffed to the gills.  I miss her and I hope she and my grandfather who has also passed are celebrating together again.

Sorry… Reminiscing.  But as I said, the puppies were well spoiled this past Christmas and although I know it’s over for a while, Paisley is already plotting what she gets next year!

Much love and a Happy New Year!

Jaina, Faith, Paisley & Yuri (Oh and Mom & Dad too)