Had me a birthday

Yes, indeed, I hit the big three-oh. It's not as scary as people make it out to be, even if I'm ooooolllllllddddddd. But I don't look it, and I most certainly don't act it. It's just fun to surprise everyone by listing my age.

I went and fed the geese at the big park near here, and had a ball. A huge group of Canada geese have decided they don't want to move on, and they stay for free eats. Some of them are great about being hand-fed, and some are still fairly shy. But they're cute, and they chatter, and they're so beautiful. And the other geese are big, and they hornk (which is not quite a honk), and the ones who've been there the longest are really polite. There are ducks too, but they're usually pushed aside by the geese. They're not as cute.

I also got a new pet snake. She's this gorgeous high-white aberrant California Kingsnake. Yes, it's a mouthful to say. Almost as long as her name; Flash AaahAaaah Hesavedeveryoneofus. Yes, she's named after a Queen song. An addictively good Queen song. My old man though I was going to just name her after Freddie Mercury. Goes to show our telepathy isn't as strong as it needs to be.

She a gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous snake. And a healthy itty bitty baby. Right now, she's the size of a pencil, but a little longer. (It's always hard to judge the sex at this size, so she might actually be a boy.) And she's hungry, even getting close to shedding time. She immediately devoured a pinky the first day I brought her home. Yesterday, she was hunting, so I got her a three-pack of pinkies at Petco (god damn they're expensive), and she devoured all three of them. She took them right from my hand, didn't even hesitate, and wolfed them. Flash was tired by the third one, but she finished it anyway. She's doubled in girth, she's so full of baby mouse. And, she was tracking movement as if she'd eat more. Gluttonous reptile. Shows that she'll grow quickly.

But now she's sore and itchy, and trying to shed. I keep watching her rub her tiny little face and "shrug". All around a swollen tummy.

The sad part: I got her from a small pet store, which I generally prefer for reptiles over the big box stores. She was on the nasty aspen shred bedding, with no water dish, in a tiny little plastic cup. Flash has gotten so used to not having a water dish that she forgets she has one in her new tank. I've had to put her in it several times, and I've watched her chug water for long minutes. I can't wait until she out grows that.

My parrot appears to be starting a nesting phase. Which would be appropriate to his age. He's nine now, which is supposed to be Amazon adolescence. He now stalks around the bottom of his cage, rearranging things, looking like he's keeping house. And yet it's not his driving obsession. Playing with his toys and getting scratches are still his favorite games.

My sandwich tastes like love

So, I've been really really sick all week. (Look out, it's swine flu!!!!) So, my dearest darling has been taking care of me, because that's what he does.

This morning, he made my lunch so I could have extra time to be miserable before going to work. That was great, and it made me happy.

When I opened my tupperware this afternoon, I found he'd even gone so far as to cut it in half for me. It put the biggest smile on my face, even though I'm a big girl, and can eat whole sandwiches. I just got a kick out of how much he cared about me.

And Monday, my lovely parrot was talking at the phone. He knows what a phone ringing is, and he'll hold a one-sided conversation based on what he's used to hearing. "Hello? Oh, hey! What's going on?" And on and on. But when offered a phone, Aleister just wants to chew on it.

Monday, my old man was talking to me, standing next to my bird. He'd offer Aleister the phone, and my little boy would pin his eyes, and try to be aggressive, and chew on it. Once the phone was back at my old man's ear, Aleister would start his one sided conversation. Through our cell phones, he sounded exactly like me.

It was so precious, and it put a huge smile on my face, and it just made my day. I love my birdie.