Puddle Jumping in DC

Carrot is better from above.

I always thought parrotlets would have been prey species in the Amazon, but, Bug seems to think she's a predator -- or at least that carrot is better when you sneak up (or down) on it.

Bug's latest thing is playing ball. I have these to cat toys on top of her cage - the little wiffle balls with bells in them. She ignored them on the old cage but has recently discovered them. I bat a ball around the top of the cage (the new cage is perfect for this because there's a lip on 3 sides for a tray to go under the play stand which I don't use) and Bug chases it and tries to shake the ball into submission - squeaking excitedly the whole time.

She likes the game so much that she will hang of the edge of her cage as if she wants to be picked up . . . and then when I come over and offer her a finger, she runs over and stands next to the ball. I take then hint. It's a very fun game.

Mud

So Jeanne passed through DC leaving mud which means that at the end of a long ride to campus, I'm covered in it .

It's really quite a lovely ride along the river this time of year.

It's post-bath adventure bird.

Bug had been avoiding the new-cage playtop. But the other day, desperate for a bath, an unsuspecting Bug found that her bathtub (with her riding along) had been moved to the play top. "Whoa." And so begins the first chapter of Post-Bath Adventure Bird.
"How does one get down from here?"
"Ok, now we're getting somewhere . . . If I just reach a little more . . . . nope, didn't work."

"Oops. Gotta preen. Maybe no one will notice how I couldn't reach and the problem will solve itself?:

You'll be pleased to know that after arranging her feathers, Bug figured out how to get down from the new-cage playtop and, more importantly, how to get back up again without riding the bathtub.

 

Bug has lots of toys but . . .

Bug has lots of toys but helping Jen with homework is very fun.

Does any of this come up? Guess not . . . . . . . . but oooh, this is moving! (click either picture for a larger view)

This looks interesting. Whopps, she took that . . . but oooh, paper scraps!

Would you like to buy a "P"?

A few weeks ago, I spilled tea on my laptop and the trackpad kind of stopped working. Specifically, it got stuck in the click down position.

We took it into the store where the guy at the "genius bar" said that it sounded like a spilled something on it and that wasn't covered by care. He estimated $600 to fix it.

Next stop where I buy a "new" top case thing with the trackpad and speakers and stuff for $20 from some guy with a dead ibook which I manage to install myself (probably voiding the care warrenty ).

But the keyboard still wasn't right. The space bar was a little sticky but I decided to live with it until

. . . the sto ed working. So $50 on later, I have a "new" keyboard too.
I decided to keep the old one as a backup since it might only need a good cleaning. In fact, I look under the where I find one tiny birdseed. Now I wonder who put that there?

So, I'm into my food?

Other people just don't find the same amusement as me.

So there was a sign in the Maryland Food Collective on the baked goods shelf today that said:

"Carrot Cake
until further notice"

Isn't that second part implied?

The guy next to me in line didn't find it nearly as amusing as I did.

Ponderings of the two wheel variety

Biking across the University of Maryland campus during a class change is a little like being inside a computer game. The undergraduate population walks as though they do not need to be across campus in 5 minutes (even though they might) and have no where in particular that they need to be; there are a lot of them; they are frequently listening to music or talking on the phone (paying no attention to the cyclist); and they could change direction and cross your path at any moment.

The other thing you notice when you are on a bike is how many of the paths have stairs in them. I can just bump down along the grass but if I had to use a wheel chair or had mobility issues, I'd be really angry.

I've been biking in 1-2 times a week. It's great, takes about an hour, and combines exercise and commute - very efficient.

Things that are Evil (cont.)

Things that are Evil - Volume 2
Bug's guide to scary household objects and a few not so scary things.

More things that are Evil:

The Fenix #001- Bug's Advice: Under no circumstances should even the tastiest millet seed be eaten from the Fenix #001. ) A hunger strike may be required to convince your person of the dangers this (illegid) food dish poses to and to get her to scour the internet and consult customer service representatives to find replacement dishes to fit into the feed holders of the (very expensive) new cage that came with the Fenix #001.

Additional tip: Ensure future success. Reward your person's efforts by immediately accepting food from the replacement dishes even if it is served in the suspicious feed holders of the new cage.