In Loving Memory of Gary

Gary lived a happy life—sleeping, grooming, getting petted, wheedling snacks (especially broccoli,carrot sticks, croutons, salad mix, and sunflower seeds), plotting escapes, running on his wheel, arranging everything in his cage just so, rummaging through his food dish to find all the best bits so he could carry them off to stash in his little plastic igloo, dashing around the house in his hamsterball (I’ve seen him do five or six circuits of the coffee table at top speed), and having random spells of passionate digging that left bits of cage litter scattered for several feet in all directions. He pursued all these activities with heartfelt diligence.

Unfortunately Friday morning I found him spread eagle in the bottom of his cage. Mortified I picked him up and pronounced him dead. Took him to Nathan and he said his good-byes. I wrapped him up and took him downstairs and began our morning as usual but with sadness. Allison wanted to kiss him good bye before she went to school so I unrapped him and he took a breath! I thought that maybe if I wrapped him up in a towel and lay him on a heating pad that he'd pull through. Amazingly he started breathing steadily for a while although very labored about an hour later he passed away. It was very sad. We got suprisingly close to him in the short amount of time we had him, He was a sweet little creature. Never bit us and was very playful.

Peter buried him in the common area behind our house and made a cross.

So True

This email was sent to me today from My Dear Friend Candi. I swear I do this ALL THE TIME it is SO SO TRUE!

I have always said you should learn something new every day. Unfortunately, many of us are at that age where what we learn today, we forget tomorrow.
But, give it a shot anyway!............


I decide to water my garden.

As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide my car needs washing.

As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mailbox earlier.

I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.

So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox, when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.

I take my checkbook off the table, and see that there is only 1 check left.
My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke, a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need to be watered.

I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.

I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote someone left it on the kitchen table.

I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.

I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then, I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

----the car isn't washed,

----the bills aren't paid,

----there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter,

----the flowers don't have enough water,

----there is still only 1 check in my check book,

----I can't find the remote,

----I can't find my glasses,

----and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled be cause I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.

Do me a favor, will you? Forward this message to everyone you know, because I don't remember to whom it has been sent.

Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, your day is coming!

GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY

GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.

LAUGHING AT YOURSELF IS THERAPEUTIC.

P.S. I just remembered.

I LEFT THE WATER RUNNING IN THE DRIVEWAY!

Brian Angie & Hudson's Last Visit

Allison

Gary

This is Gary he is our hamster. HE eats ALL the time. He's very friendly and sweet. Dad doesn't like him at all.

How to eat sushi

This is my advice. First, while at work daydream as much as possible about food, eat a light lunch and try and do as little actual work as possible. When your boss is not looking, try picking up things on your desk with a pair of chop sticks for practice. In the afternoon, make a personal call to your significant other and tell them that you are taking them out to eat tonight. After work, it is important to first make sure your children, if applicable, are fed and provided for.

Now then, point your car in the direction of the nearest sushi eating establishment. Drive fast. If you get a ticket, it's ok, it will be worth it. As you enter the establishment, look at the sushi chef and say in very clear words "Chow Sabadi Bau", then smile. He will smile back not having any idea about what you just said because he is neither Japanese nor Laotian. But he will think you actually may have a clue why you are there. Once you have his attention, ask him what is good today. If he says sea urchin, make an ugly face and find a seat quickly.

If it is your first time, order the squid salad and maybe the soy pods. You eat the soy pods by putting the entire thing in your mouth and pulling out the seeds. For your entrée, order a California Roll (vegetarian), Magura (raw tuna), and Eel and Cucumber (cooked).

First mix the soy sauce and wasabi (the green stuff), to taste, dip the morsel and place the entire thing in your mouth. Then close your eyes and experience the taste but also the complex textures of this wonderful food.

As you leave, put a couple of bucks in his tip jar. This is in addition to your server tip, and say politely; "Deolay Chow High". He won't know what this means either. If possible learn the chef's name and call him by name the next time you visit. There is an eighty percent chance his name will be Joe. If all this is done correctly you not only will have a great meal, but during your next visit you will appear to be very cosmopolitan.