Blog Archives

Dumb Horror Movies

1/31/2014

As many of you know, my daddy loves movies. Mommy often watches them with him, and I must admit the most amusing ones are when they watch horror movies. They don't do that much, mind you, and with good reason. It's because most of them are dumb. Or at least, the people in them are dumb. You should see the parronts watching a horror movie. It goes something like this:

Daddy: "Why are they going into the creepy tunnel where an unidentified lifeform is growling?"

Mommy: "Because they're stupid SOB's."

Or this:

Daddy: "Wow, they're going in the creepy house. I wonder what will happen."

Mommy: "They'll all die because they're stupid SOB's."

Or this one from daddy watching Graveyard Shift just now is my favorite:

Mommy: "Why are they dragging around a coffin through a flooded tunnel?"

Daddy: "I don't know. Oh look, a skeleton fell out of it and they're screaming. I don't think they knew it was a coffin."

Mommy: "I just walked in the room, and I knew it. If they didn't, they're stupid SOB's."

What can I say? Mommy was raised by an electrical designer and licenses engineers, landscape architects, and soil classifiers. I guess a lifetime around design professionals gives her a very reasonable, logical mindset. And little patience for stupidity. Which means she doesn't watch many horror movies because they test her patience.

But you've go to admit - it's funny. Humans can be so silly. They make life interesting. And we love them so much.

Well, that's all. I hope you have a Happy Friday and a great weekend.

Luv,

Chloe

It Isn't Snowing

1/28/2014

Wow, we're sitting on 3-6 inches of absolutely nothing here. Yep, they closed daddy's work. They closed mommy's work. We all sat at home and - bumpkus. A little misty rain, but that's it. And the weather forecast keeps pushing it back, more and more. "It's coming!" they say. Yet Ollie sat in the window all day and gazed upon dead grass and bare trees.

Honestly, I'm not complaining. If they're going to be wrong, I'd rather they err this way. I remember back in 2000 when I was just a baby and they said "it's only gonna be a little snow and ice." They even told other states offering us aid to buzz off. Then it was 6 inches of snow and ice, unbelievable traffic backups as everybody got off work as it was starting to stick, 3 days without power, and seriously pissed off people everywhere. No thanks, weatherman. I know you have job security, but erring as you did this time will preserve your professional reputation, dignity, and save you from an egged house and slashed tires a lot better.

Not that any of us would do that, but people were REALLY PISSED OFF in 2000 - they mention it every time the word "snow" comes up. It's always "yea, I remember that mess back in 2000 when they let everybody in the state off at the same time and the power went out for days because the weatherman was WRONG. It's like Hurricane Hugo and the tornado that hit Lexington County, SC in 1996. People can't remember what they had for lunch, but their 'weather memory' last for eternity.

We'll see if it hits overnight. I hope that at least the temperature drops enough to have only snow and no ice. We'll keep you posted.

That's all today. Take care and have a good week.

Luv,

Zack

It's Gonna Snow!

1/26/2014

Yes, that's right - it might snow here Tuesday - Wednesday! They won't know for sure until tomorrow, but we're already under a Winter Weather Advisory for that time frame.

What to do, what to do? We aren't used to snow here in SC. Mommy went to the grocery store today and said the milk, eggs, and bread are already running low. People are already going crazy!

We aren't. We're nice, cozy and comfy right here with our parronts. We know they're going to keep us fed and well cared for. They love us. And we love them right back. Our humans are great! And no doubt, Mommy will have her NOAA Weather Radio on a lot. The nice man's computer voice will keep us up to date. Well, unless they make a typo and he says "tomorrow's forecast: qwerty." That's not helpful.

Our only concern with this cold is that Ollie's nerve inflammation tends to bother him more when it's cold. He was definitely more chipper today when it warmed up a bit. I tell you, it's amazing how the weather can affect you. Mommy said her old injuries give her aches and pains sometimes when it gets cold too. So she understands.

We'll keep you posted on our winter weather adventures, which it could be. Or it could be a whole lot of nothing. We shall see.

That's all today. Take care, stay cozy, and have a good week.

Luv,

Chloe

Finding Good Help

1/23/2014

It's hard to find good help these days, isn't it? Our humans get so busy with things like work, and housekeeping, and cooking and cleaning. They're awfully busy, and not near enough of it is on us!

I suppose I shouldn't complain. Mommy and daddy are pretty good about spending time with us and keeping the place clean. It's just all those pesky hours they have to spend at work. It's awfully quiet around here when they aren't home. They turn on a radio for us, but it isn't he same. They say they'll retire one day, but when the question of when comes up, it's always "not soon enough."

Oh well.

I suppose that wild birds are busy with stuff like hunting food and finding shelter. Human servants provide that well, and it seems easier for them to do it. At least, they don't have to chew holes out of trees for us to live in. Mommy and daddy had a human they refer to as a "contractor" to build the house. Mommy goes someplace called "the supermarket" to forage, and "the pet store" to get our food. They have machines to wash their clothes and dishes. And special places to go potty and bathe too (you'd think they wouldn't smell so funny since they bathe every day. Why are they so stinky?) Maybe they're on to something. It seems they've found ways to make fast work out of the necessities of life.

Truth is, we're pretty lucky to have them. But they're even luckier to have us! For all they give, we return with our love and devotion. It's a good relationship.

That's all today. I hope you have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a great weekend.

Luv,

Zack

The Key to Happiness

1/15/2014

I heard there was an article recently on how happy people are with and without children. Seems there’s much ado about this, and I’m not sure why since the study came to a common sense conclusion: there’s no difference. Couples with kids are happy because they want them. Couples without kids are happy because they don’t want them. When you control for all other factors, there was no difference. No big surprise there. It’s called being content with what you have, and it’s not a bad way to be. You silly humans would be better off if you applied this principle to all of life. Work with what you’ve got, and it gets better. Gripe and grumble, and it keeps rolling downhill. Geeze, I’m a parrot and I get that.

I’m sure we could go on about the results of this study for days, but I’d be interested in a different kind of study: how happy are people with pets versus people without pets, and does it vary with type of pet? I can tell you one thing for sure; bird owners are probably the happiest people around. And why not? We’re so cheerful and friendly. How can you be sad with feathered companions to brighten your day? We’re intelligent, too. Parrots have the intelligence of a 2-5 year old child, so we can learn fast and keep you on your toes in ways that canine and feline companions can’t. Table scraps? Bah! We’ll eat it off your plate, thank you very much! We always have the “what am I up to now?” game going, and anything can be a toy. Absolutely anything …

Well, our online friends seem happy enough anyway. Mommy’s all over the Internet with her writing, and she says that the friends that Zack and I are happier than all the rest. It’s not scientific, but it’s enough to convince me that we’re a cheerful bunch. Why shouldn’t we be? We’re birds. Birds are great. Birds make everything better because we’re awesome. I do believe that birds are the keys to happiness!

That’s all today. Keep smiling my fine friends, and have a great rest of the week!

Luv,

Chloe

Unbelievable!

1/11/2014

I'm referring to the weather here in central South Carolina. Last Tuesday, it was 12 degrees, with a high in the low 30's. Today, it's storming and 70 degrees. This is insane. No wonder people get sick in the winter so much here. I'm surprised mommy's NOAA weather radio doesn't spontaneously combust. Really, this is crazy. But you know what? I'll take warm rain over a polar vortex any time. Even us 'keets prefer warm weather over cryogenic freeze any day. I was really thankful for my happy hut on those extremely cold days. Of course, it's a bit more like a sauna today. Oh well. I'll take it anyway.

I have to say the shifting weather isn't helping with my nerve inflammation. The groin strain is healing up and I do have more energy, but cold and rain aren't good for nerve issues. (The rain is a bit easier than the cold to deal with.) But I'm still healing, and I appreciate all of you friends checking on me, and your encouragement. I'm a little trooper and I'm hanging in there!

Well, at least South Carolina winters are relatively short. Usually, January and February are our only really cold months, so we can deal with that. This isn't all that abnormal for us. And thank goodness the rain held off until it warmed up. We don't deal with snow well here at all.

That's all today. Take care, and I hope you have an outstanding weekend.

Luv,

Ollie

Bright Eyed and Fluffy

1/9/2014

One advantage of mommy and daddy going back to work is that we're so well rested. We love to have them at home, but I have to admit that it's nice to get back on our regular schedule. It's good to have time to play, eat, chat back and forth with one another and (best of all) take naps without parronts hovering over us all the time.

Don't tell them I said that.

OK, truth is, they've noticed our increase in energy when they get home from work, and I suspect they already know this. I'm snuggling daddy more than ever, Chloe is stuck to mommy's shoulder like Velcro, and even Ollie is perking up and more energetic than he has been in a couple of months. Well, he was already perking up, but his recovery seems to be progressing well (especially since that polar vortex is gone and it warmed up to our normal January mid-50's today).

No doubt, the extra rest is helping us birdies. Unfortunately, mommy and daddy are worn out from working, so we try to comfort them as best as we can. That's what we do! We're such good birds. It's all about being happy together, which we are.

At least the weekend is almost here, and that's good. Weekends are always good.

That's all today. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a great weekend.

Bye!

Weighing In on Weighing In

1/6/2014

One of mommy's Christmas gifts this year was a bird scale that weighs in grams. Although it's mostly to monitor Ollie's health, she's weighing us all. The vet said that monitoring our weight is a great way to keep an eye on our health, and she decided it was too important to not do.

I fight it, of course. I'm a girl and I don't want to be weighed! But she's found that my normal weight shifts between 106-108 grams. So I'm still a skinny Minnie. I like to smash my face in my food dish after my daily weigh in.

Zack has a lot of muscle. He looks trim, but he's a lean, mean, beeping machine at 116-118 grams. He doesn't mind his weigh in's too much. Then again, why should he? He's strong, he looks good, and he's proud of his fine avian frame.

Ollie is improving. He got down to 26 grams, but now he's back up to 30 grams. He's gained 2 grams in the past three days. The vet wants to see him at 31-33 grams, so he's improving. He's been singing some today, too, and he is eating much better these days. We're so happy to see improvement! Zack and I screamed at him one good time earlier to encourage him to keep it up!

Weigh in's aren't fun, but it's for our best health so we consent to it. Tracking our weight is really a smart idea. Now her penchant for tracking sunrise and sunset times - that's one thing that doesn't make sense. Maybe she can explain that one some day!

That's all today. Stay warm out there and have a great week.

Luv,

Chloe

The Best Way To Start a New Year

1/3/2014

Is hanging out with my flock. I'm glad mommy and daddy had this week off, too. It's been nice. Of course, mommy had the flu and is just starting to recover - but still, it's nice for them to be home. It will be strange when they go back to work next week. We've enjoyed having them here these 2 weeks.

But we'll adjust. We always do and frankly, I need the extra rest I'll get while they're working. Healing on these leg injuries is slow - the strained muscle is improving and I'm getting more strength in my right foot. That nerve inflammation in the left, however, has been a yo-yo, right along with the weather. It rained the past 2 days and now it's freezing cold (in the 30's, which is pretty cold for us in SC) and that doesn't help. Plus, I tire out easier. Mommy says she understands that! She does too. So we're both trying to regain our strength. She'll be back up before I will. These darn nerve injuries take SO long to heal. It could be another month or longer before I start to see any progress. Phooey!

Well, I'll manage. I beat the kidney infection, the right foot is improving, I'm eating more, my energy is slowly increasing, and I'll get through this. I just need plenty of rest and unfortunately, that has been somewhat of a challenge with the parronts home. I love having them here, but humans don't need as much sleep as birds so, and since mommy's been sick, they haven't been going out. Naps are a lot shorter. But mommy did let us all sleep until 11 this morning, so that was nice.

Anyway, we have enjoyed having the parronts at home despite the shorter sleep schedules. We've managed, we've had a lot of fun, and we intend to enjoy this weekend with them. It's going to be back to the same old routine again all too soon.

I hope you all had a Happy New Year and a Happy Friday. Enjoy your weekend.

Luv,

Ollie