I had Charli out for a little over an hour, scritching her little head and letting her sit on my hand and preen, dropping the occasional feather.
Then I let out the cockatiels; Sugar Franklin on my shoulder and the Bobbsey Twins on top of Sugar's cage. They like to eat her food and play with her toys -- even though it's the exact same food and toys they have in their cages.
Yesterday I got my free sample of bird pellets from Dr. D's Avian Pellets. Someone on Tiel Talk was bragging about how much their parrots loved these pellets, so I paid $8.95 shipping for a "free" five-pound sample.
Charli at a few, then ignored them. Sugar ate maybe three and ignored them. The Bobbsey Twins ignored them altogether.
Honestly, I was a bit concerned about the list of ingredients -- for example, it lists "forage product (alfafa)." Why not just say alfalfa? Ground limestone? Parrots don't need grit, so I'm a bit uncertain about limestone, though I'm sure it's a very tiny amount.
Not too bad a day at work. One of the lawyers stopped by this afternoon, and we went over some of the documents. Then, after three or four phone calls, we decided that I probably won't have to give a disposition after all. Yea!
Wandered around and found more blogs last night. Barista Brat (blogger works at StarBucks)' SoCal Cabbie; and The Blog That At Manhattan (physician and cook).
I need to stop following those enticing links!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Monday, July 14, 2008
No Rest for the Wicked
After the Evil Committee meeting I ran into the manager of the Patient Education Center in the hospital lobby.
"Everybody's looking for you," she said.
I laughed because no one ever looks for me.
"No, really. A bunch of lawyers are here and they're dying to talk to you. We've been calling everybody, trying to track you down."
Oh lord. I was already late but I allowed her to call the office where the lawyers were going over things with Risk Management. Two very handsome, well-dressed white male lawyers trotted into the Ed Ctr and we found a private office to go over things.
Turns out I have to give dispositions anyway -- and here I thought Risk Management was going to take care of it, like they always do. So now I've got about three zillion documents to read and "refresh my memory" with.
I was almost late for the women's chorus rehearsal, but I have my priorities!
"Everybody's looking for you," she said.
I laughed because no one ever looks for me.
"No, really. A bunch of lawyers are here and they're dying to talk to you. We've been calling everybody, trying to track you down."
Oh lord. I was already late but I allowed her to call the office where the lawyers were going over things with Risk Management. Two very handsome, well-dressed white male lawyers trotted into the Ed Ctr and we found a private office to go over things.
Turns out I have to give dispositions anyway -- and here I thought Risk Management was going to take care of it, like they always do. So now I've got about three zillion documents to read and "refresh my memory" with.
I was almost late for the women's chorus rehearsal, but I have my priorities!
Low Humidity Monday or Blogs
I am officially addicted to blogs. It all started when I signed up for Google alerts for parrots. Google sends me news items and various bits and pieces from the internet any time parrots are mentioned. One post was about a little cockatiel who was bleeding from the mouth and the owners rushed it to the vet's. I clicked on the entry and ended up at Incremental Degrees. I bookmarked the site and clicked the next day to see how the bird was doing -- the bird was fine, though no one knows what happened. And the writer of the blog is a very, very good writer so every once in awhile I'd stop by to see what was going on in their life.
A year or so later another Google alert mentioned Parrot Musings, so I started reading that one, too.
And last year I started my own blog, out of boredom at work primarily. Then I stopped until about a month ago.
Then, somehow I don't recall, a few weeks ago I stumbled on ERnursey's site and I've been reading blogs ever since.
A year or so later another Google alert mentioned Parrot Musings, so I started reading that one, too.
And last year I started my own blog, out of boredom at work primarily. Then I stopped until about a month ago.
Then, somehow I don't recall, a few weeks ago I stumbled on ERnursey's site and I've been reading blogs ever since.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Unrequited Love
Flash and Sugar Franklin are both on the back of the couch. Flash has moved to about 8 inches of Sugar. Any closer and she hisses and snaps at his tail. Sugar thinks she's a human and doesn't want to be bothered by some "bird." Poor Flash. She's just snapped at him so hard he flew off to stand on her cage with Nicholas. Even from there he watches her.
Nicholas is a different story. When I first saw Nicholas he was in the lobby cage at the avian vet's office. He looked like no cockatiel I'd ever seen -- grey with all his feathers curled up, and he was very thin. But with bright eyes and a lot of energy. I asked what was wrong with him and everyone said they couldn't find anything wrong with him, and I knew my vet wouldn't put him in the lobby if he was sick.
He always shrieked at Sugar Franklin, and when we would leave the clinic I would hear him call after us in the parking lot. Poor thing was in love with Sugar, I thought.
A year or so later one of the vets asked if I wanted him. His curled feathers had molted out to be replaced with a sleek soft plumage, and he still proclaimed his love for Sugar loudly. She, of course, ignored him.
The vet assured me there was nothing chronically wrong with him; he'd been through all the tests. He was thought to be 13 to 15 years old. One of the vets had rescued him from a woman who bred cocktiels but never cleaned cages and smoked two or three packs of cigarettes a day and kept him on a seed-only diet. Poor thing should have been dead. He weighed about 68 grams.
So I took him home in his old ratty cage, which I threw out as soon as I got him settled in one of my nicer ones.
Once he realized Sugar was "not interested" he eased up on the shrieking, and just a few months ago I learned he was given to me because he shrieked at everybody. And here I thought it was because he loved Sugar.
He always calls a different call when someone pulls into the driveway or steps onto the porch, even if I can't hear him. He's better than a dog about that. He's up to 78 grams now and is still bright-eyed and rarely stands still. I've had him several years now, and I love him dearly for his enthusiasm and optimism. He has loud calls and moderate calls; he loves to do the wolf whistle, only he messes up the first two notes. Charli doesn't like Nicholas' loud calls, and she'll chirp loudly at Nicholas to shut him up. Which rarely works.
Sugar Franklin, by the way, is drinking her special water but only when she's so thirsty she can't avoid it. She'll take a drink, look up at me, and then back away from the dish. Poor baby. I tasted the water and there is a very, very slight trace of vinegar.
I'm sure Flash would rescue her from water with vinegar and honey in it, if only she'd let him.globe_blogs.gif
Nicholas is a different story. When I first saw Nicholas he was in the lobby cage at the avian vet's office. He looked like no cockatiel I'd ever seen -- grey with all his feathers curled up, and he was very thin. But with bright eyes and a lot of energy. I asked what was wrong with him and everyone said they couldn't find anything wrong with him, and I knew my vet wouldn't put him in the lobby if he was sick.
He always shrieked at Sugar Franklin, and when we would leave the clinic I would hear him call after us in the parking lot. Poor thing was in love with Sugar, I thought.
A year or so later one of the vets asked if I wanted him. His curled feathers had molted out to be replaced with a sleek soft plumage, and he still proclaimed his love for Sugar loudly. She, of course, ignored him.
The vet assured me there was nothing chronically wrong with him; he'd been through all the tests. He was thought to be 13 to 15 years old. One of the vets had rescued him from a woman who bred cocktiels but never cleaned cages and smoked two or three packs of cigarettes a day and kept him on a seed-only diet. Poor thing should have been dead. He weighed about 68 grams.
So I took him home in his old ratty cage, which I threw out as soon as I got him settled in one of my nicer ones.
Once he realized Sugar was "not interested" he eased up on the shrieking, and just a few months ago I learned he was given to me because he shrieked at everybody. And here I thought it was because he loved Sugar.
He always calls a different call when someone pulls into the driveway or steps onto the porch, even if I can't hear him. He's better than a dog about that. He's up to 78 grams now and is still bright-eyed and rarely stands still. I've had him several years now, and I love him dearly for his enthusiasm and optimism. He has loud calls and moderate calls; he loves to do the wolf whistle, only he messes up the first two notes. Charli doesn't like Nicholas' loud calls, and she'll chirp loudly at Nicholas to shut him up. Which rarely works.
Sugar Franklin, by the way, is drinking her special water but only when she's so thirsty she can't avoid it. She'll take a drink, look up at me, and then back away from the dish. Poor baby. I tasted the water and there is a very, very slight trace of vinegar.
I'm sure Flash would rescue her from water with vinegar and honey in it, if only she'd let him.globe_blogs.gif
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Vinegar, Honey, and Water
I mixed up the first batch for Sugar this morning and I do see evidence that she's at least stuck her beak in it -- a few soggy pellets. I'll probably have to change her water bowl eight times a day. But that's okay. Dr. Z said all of Sugar's lab work looked "fantastic." I told Sugar the news but she just continued preening.
This morning Nicholas and Flash were fighting beak to beak about whatever manly cockatiel thing male cockatiels fight about. I tapped on the cage (gently) and told them to hush. This scared poor Flash to death. He jumped, crest in alarm mode, and stared as if I'd just placed a hawk in the cage. I talked to him and put my hand in the cage and he bit me - first time ever. So I left him alone and went to the grocery and ran errands.
When I got back he was back to his shy, scared self. He's never liked anyone to touch him, including me. Breaks my heart, but I love him anyway.
Charli is diligently chewing up her roll of adding machine tape, her most favorite toy in the world (and cheap too!). She's never tried to make a nest of it; she just chews it into long strips that end up on the bottom of her cage or on my floor.
I've got about three more loads of laundry to do and then make a trip to Wal-Mart, which I've been putting off for about month -- I hate shopping at Wal-Mart unless it's three in the morning.
Then fill up the car with gas, and I'm really dreading that! Gas is $4.15 here now. Well, I'm sure Bush and Cheney need the money more than me . . . grrrrrr
We're on the verge of a big ole' thunderstorm, which I love. We've had thunder for about 10 minutes and it's started raining. Yea!
This morning Nicholas and Flash were fighting beak to beak about whatever manly cockatiel thing male cockatiels fight about. I tapped on the cage (gently) and told them to hush. This scared poor Flash to death. He jumped, crest in alarm mode, and stared as if I'd just placed a hawk in the cage. I talked to him and put my hand in the cage and he bit me - first time ever. So I left him alone and went to the grocery and ran errands.
When I got back he was back to his shy, scared self. He's never liked anyone to touch him, including me. Breaks my heart, but I love him anyway.
Charli is diligently chewing up her roll of adding machine tape, her most favorite toy in the world (and cheap too!). She's never tried to make a nest of it; she just chews it into long strips that end up on the bottom of her cage or on my floor.
I've got about three more loads of laundry to do and then make a trip to Wal-Mart, which I've been putting off for about month -- I hate shopping at Wal-Mart unless it's three in the morning.
Then fill up the car with gas, and I'm really dreading that! Gas is $4.15 here now. Well, I'm sure Bush and Cheney need the money more than me . . . grrrrrr
We're on the verge of a big ole' thunderstorm, which I love. We've had thunder for about 10 minutes and it's started raining. Yea!
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