Amy’s Gripping Commentary

On Saturday morning I helped with stake boats at a local collegiate regatta. I was the “stakeholder” hanging on to the stern of Michigan State’s eight in this picture. The whole stake boat can move in and out by many feet and then I can make small adjustments with the boat under me so that boats in several racing lanes start at exactly the same place.

After the races, I joined David and some friends at Earth Day in downtown Indy. We had yummy Indian food!

On Sunday, David and I took Casper to Mutt Strut, a fundraiser for the Humane Society of Indianapolis which involved 1500 dogs and their owners walking around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (We took the short one-mile track, though, because Casper’s not in good enough shape to walk 2.5 miles in the hot sun!)

(The title will make sense to my dad somehow)

My teeth keep falling out. They are temporary teeth, but I’ve lost a set of two of them twice in the past two weeks. I was having lunch in the cafeteria at work and ended up with my little stubs showing:

I used the handy two-part cement the dentist gave me, a couple of disposable items from the lab to “spatulate” (it was in the instructions!), and my boss’ mirror to put my teeth back in at my desk. One of my coworkers was very impressed at my 10-minute dentistry.

At least the other nine temporary teeth are staying in.

Saw this one the other day when David and I took Casper for a walk in Irvington:

David and I are looking at this house. Mom said she wanted to see it, so I took a picture tonight, but it was obviously getting dark.

Greta passed away last night.  I noticed that she’d slowed down a lot in the last few days.  She was “top pig” but Josie was able to chew on her fur this week without her complaining much nor chasing her out of the Pigloo, so she obviously wasn’t feeling well.  When I got home last night she was having strange seizures, swinging her head, and while it was different than I’d seen before, I assumed it was death throes.

I cuddled her for about an hour.  She was actually doing her happy little squeak for awhile and wasn’t crying, so I think she was comfortable.  I guess that’s the best way to go–in someone’s arms.

I adopted Greta from the Humane Society in 2003.  That made her about six years old now, so that’s pretty good for a piggy.  I adopted her because she was beautiful and reminded me of my special Annie, another long haired pig.  I think that’s the only “impulse adoption” I’ve ever done (I was volunteering at the shelter at the time and just had to have her).  I think this was a good match, because she’s the only pig who has ever bitten me repeatedly.  I’m glad a little kid didn’t take her home!  She was a real crank, but I didn’t care.

Greta didn’t want to be friends with Cappy, but then I adopted Josie, and suddenly the threesome worked great.  Greta also became a much nicer pig!  She was in charge but still got along very well with her friends (and stopped biting people too).  I’m glad she had a long life with pals and didn’t suffer in the end.

A friend (and diesel engineer) sent me a link to this great ad a while back.  After reading about another great Honda ad on Life in the Shadows (though I couldn’t get his link to work), I thought I’d share my ad here.

Where else can we sing about how awesome diesel cars are–with Garrison Keillor!!

Watch Grrr Ad (may be helpful to use the button on the lower right of the window to make it “original size”)

Albert is looking for a home.  He was found as a stray and had been hit by a car.  Now he’s all fixed up and neutered.  He loves people (wants to be a lap dog and his tail is always wagging!), though he’s not so fond of other doggies.  I’ll put you in touch with his foster care person if you would like to know more.

Yesterday’s dental opportunity (about the eighth one this year) resulted in 11 “new” teeth all at once.  Most of them were on pre-prepped temporary crowns, which were getting pretty annoying anyway, and the last couple were new crown preps.  Now I am trying to relearn to chew and talk since my bite has been opened quite a bit and frankly everything doesn’t seem to fit right.  The appointment was somewhat painful (I respond slowly to anesthetic injections and usually need additional injections as well, plus those shaved teeth without the crowns are REALLY sensitive to touch, temperature, and air flow), and now I’m just sore from all the manipulation and because I apparently bit my tongue yesterday.

In a week I get these adjusted, and two weeks after that I get a whole bunch more provisional teeth put on.  Then sometime after that we’ll install the “real” crowns which will hopefully be permanent and be the end of this project for the year.  It also will be a chance to finally bill the insurance for all of this and I hope I will finally be reimbursed for all the funds coming out of my paycheck!

Time to go find something I can eat.

I take issue with some forms of “rabbit hopping,” but this was a pretty cute video.  I think these guys are having a good time.

Obstacle course

Some old lady calls me every few months and leaves a long message on my answering machine.  I’ve never been home to get her call to tell her I’m not the person she thinks she’s calling.  After this call, I think she thinks I’m Clara and I must be in a prayer chain or something.  I hope Martha gets better!  (She’s the one who sits in the back and wears the heavy glasses.)

These messages always make me laugh, and David was there when I picked up this one a couple of days ago.  When I listened to it later I realized I probably shouldn’t have been laughing so hard!

Old lady on the machine

Today we were in a few spots on the RTV6 morning news.

I had a Letter to the Editor published too.  I’m sure all my readers know this, but please don’t buy a bunny for an Easter gift!

The peregrine falcons downtown have a blog and cam you can watch all day.

The

I just found this picture from last Memorial Day: Casper and Sophie (my aunt’s dog).

This is Shelby (my mom’s dog) with Casper last July.

And finally Maddux (my brother’s dog) trying to visit Dad inside. I guess he’s not so hairy.

The appeal of the seizure of 180+ rabbits (see earlier posts 1, 2) resulted in the overturn of part of the initial confiscation.  117 rabbits were returned to the breeder, and he must pare to no more than 50 rabbits (per various reports online), which will mean distributing the remaining rabbits to other places (other breeders, pet trade, meat, etc).  I believe 41 ill rabbits remain at the shelter and will be available for adoption after healing and alteration.

This has been a difficult situation all around.  My involvement has been as a helper in caring for the animals on a couple of Saturdays.  I don’t know any details of the reversal of the confiscation other than that part of the seizure was deemed illegal.  As someone who spends a lot of time dealing with rules and regulations, I don’t fault their existence or even the spirit of the seizure, at least based on the public information made available in news stories about the rabbits’ condition.  I do find it interesting (and not exactly surprising) that people don’t always bother to, or perhaps know how to, follow the regulations already in place so that the spirit of the act can be legal.

I’ve been following some interesting discussions online in the breeding community related to this case, some of which decry anyone involved with shelters as animal rights activists with an agenda to end the right to breed or use animals.  There are some people like that, and I’m not here to judge such an agenda.  But the vast majority of people who work in shelters and volunteer in rescue are average middle class folks with just enough extra time to try to help homeless animals.  They typically spend no time testifying at hearings, spearheading legislation, breaking into breeder barns and shows to liberate animals, or even talking about what breeders are doing.  There simply isn’t time to worry about that part of the equation and too much to do to prevent the euthanasia of unwanted animals in shelters.

I’m very glad that many of the rabbits will have a chance at indoor, forever homes as companion pets.  That’s because I’ve seen what a wonderful companion a rabbit can be and how they enjoy racing around the house; I know they aren’t happy cooped up in cages in outdoor buildings.  I also know that the average impulse buy of a rabbit in a pet store is a poorly made decision and that rabbits are NOT the right pets for most people–or at least for any people who think their kids will be able to cuddle the bunny and keep it quietly in a cage the rest of the time.  I won’t dwell on the fate of the other rabbits in the Watseka case because it’s out of my hands and is not productive.  Guess what–in the last week we rescued five rabbits and found homes for five others, and that’s a much better focus.