the worst and best commercials

I don't know.
There are just some commercials on TV I just have to get up and leave the room. They are offensive and annoying. They have the opposite effect to what they are trying to do.

I can not stand ANY and ALL Old Navy commercials.
Oh my God.
Do they purposely try to annoy the crap out of you with their obnoxious advertisements? My teenage neice likes their clothes but I can't stomach their store and not even because of their stupid commercials .

I think their clothes are cheap cheezy 'made in China" crap.
How about he charmin toilet paper commercial with those cartoon "cute' bears?
Is that the most disgusting commercial showing cartoon bears with toilet paper dingle-berries?
What is up with that?
That is just gross.
And of course that metro PC commercial with those two retarded India stooges. I guess I don't "get" "the joke" that they are trying to portray. Everytime I see those two clowns I have to leave the room.

The best commercial on TV that "works" is one for the Chrysler 300 series.
"Imported from Detroit".
That is bloody brilliant!
The other car commercial that "works" is the Kia sorento with the giant sock monkey singing and dancing "how do ya like me now!?"
I don't know, but it "works". It's funny.
The other one is an ad from JetBlue where they are advertising extra legroom. They have a guy (who looks like my brother) squished in a car saying, "I'm hot, cramped and we haven't even left yet". Everytime I see that ad I crack up. And yes, you think of how many times you are squashed in those smelly uncomfortable airplane seats and wished to God you had more leg and arse room.
With that said, maybe other airlines will 'take a hint" and upgrade their planes to make flying a little more endurable. That would be nice but I am not holding my breath...

the wild pigeons of Salisbury beach part 45

In the morning on the beach there are different pigeons that come and go.

I now see "Frosted" occasionally on my back deck looking in the window for "Craow Dum". ("Frosted" is a grey pigeon with a brown head with a frosting colouring on his/her scalp)

Craow Dum now weighs 322 grams.

He is a load.

He is now starting to coo like a regular pigeon but it is more like a purr.

He loves to be held and petted. He hates being stuck in his rabbit hutch. He spends most of the day outside the hutch walking around when I am home. He still follows me around like a dog and sits by my feet in the living room.

He also likes to sit on the dining room table next to "Whook"(the blue budgie). The other birds don't seem to mind him either. I think they see him as a big doofus. Sometimes I think he would've been more appropriately named, "Baby Huey".

My husband has a nutty whenever he sees the pigeon on the table. "Get that pigeon off the table! He poops everywhere! GROOOOOOSSSSS!"

Needless to say, I change the tablecloth everyday-even twice a day. Craow Dum can be problematic when I leave the table to say, answer the telephone at dinner time, He won't go over to eat my dinner like the other birds but he sits his big bum directly in my plate for some reason.

My house sometimes stinks like vinegar. White vinegar is a natural nontoxic safe disinfectant cleaner. I use it to clean the birds cages and around the house because it is safe to use rather than store brand caustic deadly cleaners. I also use a product called 'poop off" that is "Al Gore friendly" as well to use around birds to well, clean up poop.

Despite of the mess the birds constainly make I keep up with it to make sure my house is so clean you can eat off the floor.

Well I have to finish this post because "Patches" is screaming for me to let him out of the cage.

"Whew!"

Yes, they are demanding little brats!

rainbow bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
Author unknown...

*"Smitty" the green budgie passed away yesterday.

All creatures, no matter how small and or how large, deserve respect and kindness.

"Smitty "was named after a 'lost" budgie that hung around a group of wild cherry head conures in San Francisco from Mark Bittner's story, "the Wild parrots of Telegraph hill".

A few years ago, I went to San Francisco specifically to see these feral parrots. I met up with Mr. Bittner and told him I named a parakeet that I 'found on Salisbury beach' after "Smitty" in his book.

I think Smitty had a good life.

whook & smitty's vet visit

I took both Whook and Smitty to the vet this morning.

Yesterday, I had added a few drops of organic apple cider vinegar to Whook's water. Later that night, he was almost back to his normal self.

The vet examined Whook and did a gram stain. Everything was normal and healthy. I told her I gave him ACV yesterday and seemed to have perked him up. She instructed me to carry on because whatever ailed him seemed to have cleared up. The vet said that Whook was a little over weight with fatty deposites but overall, in decent shape. He is, after all, 11 years old. (The average budgie lives only to age 8 but they can live to up to 18 years)

Smitty, as I had predicted, had a very large fast growing tumor. It wasn't a bacterial infection or any other disease that could spread to my other birds. I wanted to just make sure of what was wrong with him just in case my diagnosis was wrong. And sadly, again, as I predicted with a tumor there is nothing that could've be done other than palliative treatment such has keeping him comfortable with a dose of meloxicam (anti-inflamatory) as I had done. Unfortunately, at this point, Smitty is wasting away (pale and thin) and is beyond any treatment other than being put to sleep.

I thought this might be a gentle solution for him but my husband was with me and refused this option . He wanted Smitty to pass on peacefully with his friends surrounding him. I knew this is what he wanted to do so I was not going to argue with him. We had discussed with earlier addressing this posssibility.

I am very glad Whook is OK.

As of now, Smitty is resting in a clean cage with a soft bottom covering waiting his turn to cross the rainbow bridge.

*photo above: Smitty and girl-friend Twillinger

labeling

Labeling.

We all do it, even unintentially.

My mother enrolled me with a subscription of "Whole life" magazine because as she felt I would enjoy the magazine since (I) am "a health nut".

(I don't consider myself as a "health nut". I only work-out and eat right because I don't want a big fat ass. I don't work-out necessarily because I enjoy it)

Regardless, it is funny how she equates that "label" -"health nut" with me.

Where as, I look at this magazine as a "hippy dippy earthy-crunchy" rag with all it's ads for vitamens, hemp clothing and articles on yoga stretches.

Even I am "labeling".

This morning when I went for my crack-o-dawn jog I saw two mice scurring up a wall by a liquor store. My first reaction, was "oooooooh digusting!" I immediately equate ("label") mice and rats as nasty disgusting creatures.

I met a fellow diver on Easy Diver who had rats for pets.

He loved them!

He talked about how clean they were, affectionate and about their unique personalities. I realized that the same goes for pigeons. We talked about how much money we spent on our pet's vet visits too.

People label pigeons as gross, stupid and vile creatures. And of course, I beg to differ.

Arab countries view dogs as vile digusting creatures and of course, here in the USA, dogs have the same status as any family member. You abuse a dog here you go to jail.

It is funny and interesting how things are perceived in our mind's eye.

back to the vet, again..

I do not know what is going on lately.

I took Button in for second round of meds. She is doing great but it is puzzling to why she got sick. Patches is doing better too. His final rounds of meds will be done on sunday.

Smitty is still hanging in there too.Thursday morning he was at the bottom of the cage pooping out blood. I've never seen this sort of problem when any of my budgies had tumors. This was alarming. I thought he was definitely a goner. By the afternoon he was pooping normally and eating. I am starting to doubt that he has a tumor afterall. Something else might be going on. Gastroenteritis? Megabac?This morning I noticed "Whook" my favorite and oldest budgie slumped over his perch breathing hard.

I thought to myself, "oh shit..what the hell is going on?"

I called both vet offices I generally visit to see if I could get in today right away. Unfortunately no one was taking patients in today or no avian vets were on call today. Both offices suggested that I drive to Angel Memorial in Boston but the reality is with my poor tunnel vision eyesight I would never make it there in one piece-especially since it is pouring buckets out.

Thankfully, I got an appointment tomorrow in Ipswich. I am bringing both Smitty and Whook in. Maybe Smitty will have a chance.

Needless to say I am a wreck.

I spent the entire day yesterday dusting and vacuming. The feather dust amps up the dust factor monumentally. This dust if not routinely cleaned up can cause "bird keepers lung" so I am extremely vigilant in keeping up with it. It is surprising how much the dust accumulates in such a short period of time. I have a air purifier but it is so noisy. I think I should just put up with the noise and use it. Something is making my birds sick and I still can't figure out what it is.

Hopefully, I have have answers to what is going on, at least, with my two budgies.

Arggggghhhh......

our day at the Topsfield faire

I bought discount tickets through the Newburyport Daily news for the Topsfield faire for this year.

I 've been to the faire years ago. I don't remember much except for all the food and farm animals. I do remember that the traffic on route 1 was horrendous.

I hate traffic and I hate crowds however I found out that there would be fancy show pigeons on display there.

I figured if I went the back roads and arrived when the fair first opened I could avoid the nightmarish traffic.

At 9:30am, the backroads (on rte 97) there was zero traffic. We slid right in. It was busy but not grossly crowded, yet.

We made a bee-line straight for the chickens, ducks, turkeys and pigeons. It never ceases to amaze me the different breeds of chickens. I think it is pretty cool that people still involve themselves in taking the time to raise and care for these animals. Most of the show animals on the display were from kids involved in 4-H clubs.I found that to be a very positive sign to see kids interested in this sort of activity.

There were a few pigeons on display. They were healthy, robust and beautiful. I wanted to contact the owners but changed my mind when I found out that the owners were just high school kids. Probably not a good idea in this troubling day and age.

Another reason I wanted to go the faire was to check out who "Mrs. Essex County" was.

I figured next year I would give it a try in entering the contest.

I don't care about winning. I just want to compete.

I think it would be fun and funny. The talent contest is basically a recipe contest. I'm not good at home-style New England recipes even though I've lived here my entire life but I perfected other types of yummy exotic recipes that Ive invented that might be interesting.

I do think I might have a problem in the 'personality" aspect on the contest since I'm not exactly "miss bubbly persona". Regardless, this is something I've always wanted to do since the day I've tried to compete for the title of "miss Hampton beach' about a 100 years ago when my then jealous insecure pud* of a "boyfriend" did everything he could to prevent me from entering.

(I am soooo glad he is out my life for good. Brrrrrrr)

(*definition: pud-short fat stubby penis)

My nice handsome husband thinks it would be a hoot for me to enter. He said to me, "you know. if you win you you'll have to be a judge in the pig races and chicken tossing contests". We both looked at each other and laughed out loud. Forget the Manolo Blahniks, I guess I would have to wear a pair of wellies under my gown.

It was a beautiful day as we walked around, ate frozen chocolate bananas and "people watched".

I bought some wax at the bee keepers display for dry suit zippers and after that, it was time to go home. It was starting to get overwhelmly crowded and I was getting hot and cranky.

All in all it was an pretty entertaining day.