Amy’s Gripping Commentary

Well, I made it through NaBloPoMo, not only posting every day in November, but also making a couple of bonus posts in there too. If talking too much is diarrhea of the mouth, is blogging too much diarrhea of the fingers? Maybe my introverted self is begging to be secretly outgoing? Maybe I just like finding out how typing diarrhea repeatedly will affect Google searches finding my site?

Somewhere along the way I thought I’d write some more profound posts about peace and religion and immigration and my company’s industry and healthcare in the U.S. as related to insurance changes I’m experiencing, plus share deep thoughts on movies I saw this month like Sicko and The Corporation and Why We Fight. Yet I seem to fall into the same kinds of daily-life posts. That’s ok. I like to stew in my thoughts before I write about most things because I hate to not consider the big picture. I find it hard to have a strong opinion unless a great moral wrong is obviously being committed or I’ve studied the issue thoroughly. Besides, I can rant about W with my Dad and get that fix on the phone, and I get all excited just to post silly signs I see around town. The animal abuse and rescue posts are cathartic for me.

The best part of the NaBloHoShow community (other than the creative ways to make fun of that name when sick of the daily commitment) is that I found new blogs to read and now will always have links to more material out there in the wide world of people wasting time, ranting, journaling, saying hi to their grandmas, posting pictures of their baby’s diarrhea-splattered butts (I did not plan to write that again but I did see a picture of that on someone’s blog last week!), elfing themselves, whining, struggling with food, dissing husbands, channeling the culture of another part of the world to escape their own consumerist locale, pointing out grammar mistakes, blathering about Jesus until my eyes glaze over (happens by the second sentence for me), writing poetry (I often glaze on that too), sharing doggy pics, and of course pizza in the bushes. Ok, that one predated this month, but it’s a really funny story and a horrible waste of pizza and Tootsie Rolls.

One last Fridge Friday! Note there is still one serving of Tofurky in there plus half a loaf of bread that Nicole made me this week!

I meant to post this closer to Thanksgiving. This is yours truly dressed as a turkey in 1987, lip syncing to Weird Al’s Fat with my cousin (who is singing into a lint brush). I love those pillowcase wings!

Does anyone else think the Smucker’s Dang You’re Old segments with Willard Scott on the Today Show are creepy? If I live to 100, do not put my picture on that program. Please.

Also do not let me drive when I am 100 years old. Frank Franko’s family is nuts.

Yes, folks, it’s after two in the morning and I’m wide awake. And I only had two hours of sleep last night because I couldn’t sleep then either. If I hurry up and take Nyquil maybe I can snooze until time to get up and feed seven rabbits and the piggies and the pup and then shower and try to get to work before everyone else is already having a coffee break.

Random picture from the New Mexico/Texas border on a trip to see Buddy Holly’s recording studio a few years ago (don’t ask):

I’ll try to break the cycle of several depressing posts!

David’s birthday was Wednesday. We usually go out for sushi, but we were traveling to stay at my parents’ house for Thanksgiving. They offered to take him out to dinner. Plan A was to see if they’d eat sushi (we tried to come up with plans through G since that didn’t seem very likely). Somehow we convinced them! I tried to look at a menu online to make sure something sounded good to the non-sushi-eaters (pretty much everyone else), but none of the local restaurants had them posted. We decided to go to the nearest one and check a menu first and if it didn’t look doable, we’d go eat something else.

Dad decided we should call the restaurant to ask about their other food. My comment: What, ask them “Do you have anything my mom will eat?” He persisted and I gave him the number to a restaurant that had sushi in the name and was found by Googling for sushi.

Dad on phone: Hi. Do you have… sushi?
(Several of us groan and/or bust out laughing)
Dad: Ok. Do you have other foods besides sushi? /blah blah something yessish/ Good, we have a mixed crowd.

Poor Dad… but we have to make fun of him. I still can’t believe we convinced my mom and brother to eat there too! I’m not sure how averse his wife is to sushi but I will say the three of them all had chicken teriyaki. But they did all try miso and edamame and Andrea really seemed to like the latter. Matt had a piece of sushi and we teased him for not having more. But my dad ate lots of it, and kept ordering more! We tried to convince him that he shouldn’t eat it in bites or take it apart and have the fish separate from the rice, but in any case it was a delicious meal. Oh, and I accidentally ate fish. I ordered avocado rolls and such but completely couldn’t tell that I grabbed something that apparently had fish in it.

I pointed out to my mom that I was impressed they came with us to a sushi restaurant, and also that it was kind of satisfying to show someone what it’s like to go somewhere and be really worried there will be nothing you can eat!

Fortunately at Thanksgiving I had plenty. David’s sister and niece even made a veggie lasagna! I’m lucky to have such kind people looking out for me (and there would be plenty to eat just with the side dishes anyway!). We had a laugh when we all dug in to pumpkin pie and discovered someone had forgotten the sugar in the recipe.

Random Casper pic. She had a bath a week or two ago and is sporting a tousled look now.

I’m taking this from our news release on November 19. I don’t have a post-holiday update yet.

For a second time, Indiana HRS was contacted by Metro Animal Services of Louisville KY for assistance with a rabbit problem. A backyard meat breeder had been “in business” for decades, and they were now moving to shut him down. The rabbit population had grown to alarming proportions over the years (both from the yard rabbits breeding and people tossing unwanted pet rabbits over the fence), and neighborhood complaints were mounting.

One of our volunteers visited the site to check on the rabbits, and found a deeply disturbing situation. The yard was totally devoid of grass or other vegetation, basically a mud pit riddled with burrow openings. There was minimal shelter above ground, just a few pieces of corrugated metal propped up on logs. Feed hoppers appeared to be empty, water pans were dry. Some rabbits that were sitting out in the yard were obviously injured, a few appeared near death.

At first glance only about 30 rabbits could be counted, but after hay was tossed over the fence they started emerging from the tunnels and the count quickly grew to approximately 80. Over the next few days the volunteer continued to bring hay to these hungry rabbits, with the hope of earning their trust so that it would be easier to catch them when the time came to remove them from the yard. But within a week there was a visible reduction in the number of rabbits, despite the fact that MAS had not begun the confiscation yet… the count appeared to now be no higher than 50.

The volunteer noticed that there were humane traps in the yard with rabbits caught inside them, and that they had been baited with the donated hay. After talking to the property owner, it was learned that he was catching the rabbits and killing them on site rather than turning them over to animal control. The officer in charge of the case was notified, the owner was taken back to court and ordered to cease the slaughter. From that point on, all rabbits trapped by the property owner were turned over to MAS.

As of last week, the owner had brought in 40 rabbits to the shelter. Of those 40, only 10 have been released to us, the others were immediately euthanized.

The deadline for this case to be resolved (meaning all rabbits are cleared from the property) is Thanksgiving. Best estimate is that only a few are still alive in the yard, but there is a small hope that one last group will have a chance to survive this nightmare.
—————–
Update, as of end of November: We have taken in sixteen rabbits from this case; the rest that made it to the shelter were euthanized.

I made a Tofurky roast for the first time this year (and got their giblet gravy too). Mostly per the suggested prep, I basted it in soy/olive oil/poultry seasoning and put it in the oven with potatoes, celery, and onion.

It was moist and flavorful and definitely reminded us of turkey, though it wasn’t quite the same as real turkey. After thinking about it, I think the texture reminded me of TV dinner or school lunch turkey, though it tasted better than those. The stuffing with wild rice is the best part. The tofurky and gravy actually tasted better the next day as leftovers, though were a bit salty for me. I think last year’s Quorn turkey breast was a bit better (and a lot cheaper), if you don’t mind the fungus origin. There is a new fake turkey product out this year I wanted to try but it wasn’t available locally.

The point, of course, is I didn’t have to feel guilty for eating this guy, who I met earlier this year during a bunny rescue!

And for KNH, the comic on my fridge:

The guest fridge today is David’s. Somehow I must get all my fridgeable things in there. Looks rather bachelorish with the jar of pickled somethings and the crooked beer, eh?

I wasn’t allowed to post the video of David driving while singing along to Stayin’ Alive or a song from West Side Story (we found a best of movie tunes program on XM on the way back from Thanksgiving). He didn’t realize my camera took video and then threatened blackmail. Casper and Walt just slept through it anyway.

Fur-Free Friday, an annual event that takes place the Friday after Thanksgiving, aims to educate people about the horrors suffered by fur-bearing animals. Organized originally in 1986 by grassroots activists to abolish the fur trade, Fur-Free Friday has grown to be one of the most widely attended annual demonstrations of the animal rights movement. Through protests, education, and the promotion of cruelty-free fashion, LCA gives a voice to the millions of animals who suffer and die each year.

RabbitFur.org expose
About Fur Free Friday

Here’s Joey, being super cute this morning.

He is a New Zealand rabbit, bonded to his best pal Annabelle, a mini-rex. They are two of the breeds featured in the expose above as bred for their fur to make coats and other atrocities.

Of course I don’t think I’ve ever watched the whole thing, so I should probably rent it…

Your Love Life is Like Annie Hall

“A relationship, I think, is like a shark. You know? It has to constantly move forward or it dies.” You believe that love (if you even believe in love!) is a very complicated thing. Maybe love is pain. Or maybe it’s all a big therapy session. You’re still figuring it out. Your love style: Brainy and a bit neurotic Your Hollywood Ending Will Be: Realistic and reflective

Just checked my email again. This guy is a professor.

I received two baby rabbits as a present in September of this year, they are now adult size. Unfortunately my wife and I cannot keep them any more because of house space. I have been asking around for a good home for them, but I have not found one yet. I do not want to send them to animal shelter or pet stores. Is there any way that you guys would help in order to find them a good and caring home? I live in Kokomo, IN and I would not mind driving them to Indy if necessary. I have a big cage and a large bag of food as well as some toys and cleaning stuff. I do not know if they are two boys or two girls or a boy or a girl, they are very happy together and bond extremely well.

I can’t wait for the girl to drop a litter.
Sigh.

In my email today:

I have a 5-year old female Dwarf rabbit. Is there a rabbit rescue group in Indiana? I am moving from a house to an apartment, and I can’t take her with me. She is such a sweetheart, and she deserves a good home. Can you help me?

I know that there are circumstances which may require rehoming a pet. But 95% of these notes really mean:

I have a 5-year old female Dwarf rabbit. I didn’t do any research when I bought it at the pet store and thought it would be dead by now. Also, it won’t let my daughter hold it, which I would have known had I bothered to learn anything about rabbits in the first place. It pees everywhere and humps our legs because I didn’t want to spend the money to have it altered, so it’s not a very good pet. And I’ve seen some blood lately and that’s probably also because I didn’t get her spayed so she has uterine cancer now. I really think someone else should take responsibility for me, even though I am an adult and ought to know that pets are not merchandise and need a commitment for life. It’s ok if my kids learn from me that pets are disposable when they’re inconvenient, because when they are adults they can always send their mistakes to a shelter too.

I will of course reply nicely and provide all the same information on rehoming a rabbit that I provide to the other people who send me these emails, with helpful tips like “don’t advertise free to good home because she’ll end up as snake food or dog bait.” But seriously, how hard is it to find an apartment that allows pets? Guess what: I also don’t believe the excuses about allergies, that divorce means the pets have to go, or that it’s reasonable to shirk responsibility because you got a puppy instead, the kids got tired of it, you are too busy now, or that she’d be happier with someone else. There aren’t a lot of people who want a five year old rabbit. If she’s lucky, she’ll find that person and bunny can live the next five years with them. Or she’ll face the needle at the Humane Society.

Having a few days off, I finally spent the time to learn how to get video off my camera. Apparently I had missed the software in the box! Works much better now that the computer knows what to do.

So I posted my first YouTube video. This is Casper playing in the yard earlier this year. It’s also proof that she does look and act happy once in awhile. Most people who meet my shy pup must wonder if I am mean to her! Nothing fabulous about the video, but I’m glad I finally got around to it. And Casper is cute.

Next: figure out how to compress the video of Casper and Walt playing so it will fit on YouTube, and figure out how to get pictures and video off my supposedly fancy phone!

Ok, I haven’t laughed this loud in a long time. Please click on www.elfyourself.com/?id=9541602133 and witness the only time you’ll see me dance. (Turn on your sound–there’s music!)

Obviously having a few days off makes me very productive. You can make your own at www.elfyourself.com