Blog Archives

New Cage!

2/28/2017

Yay for tax refunds! Look at what I got from the parronts refund – a new cage! Castle is more like it. This is a pretty sweet deal! It’s like Chloe’s cage, so I feel like a princess. Big food and water bowls, comfy perches for my sweet feet, and plenty of space for toys, playing, and to spread out the wings. This cage is awesome!

I’ve actually had it for a week, and it didn’t take me any time to take to it and settle in. It’s comfy and cozy and just perfect for me. Plus, mommy likes it because it’s easier to clean, and the built in cage skirt means less sweeping and vacuuming. This cage is a win-win for the whole flock!

So I’m pretty happy. Let’s just say that it won’t be any problem to give up the smaller cage for Lent – and forever!

The rest of the refund went to paying bills. Wasn't that sweet of them to use some for me, though? Oh, don't worry - Zack and Chloe got some pretty neat chew kabobs out of it, too. They're plenty happy and busy demolishing them.

That’s all today. Take care, and have a great week.

Luv,

Bubbles

Comfort

2/23/2017

It’s been a tough week here in Anipal Land. Twitter is mourning the loss of a beloved member of our community, and is praying for Penne’s safe return. We mourn with family, friends, and one another. We turn to one another for comfort, and struggle to accept and understand this tragedy while we trudge through our daily lives with the weight of our grief bearing on our hearts.

It sucks.

Mommy was working on her writing yesterday and ironically, came across something in one of her writings on dealing with death and grief. I can’t quote it in it’s entirety since it will be published, but I don’t think it would hurt to pull one line from it, where she wrote, “the sun always rises, and so do we.”

We have. It’s been difficult, but I feel that friends of Alice, Norah, and Penne have done an excellent job of rising above our shock and grief to lend what help and support we can. We let the media know they were wrong about Alice, and that she was a wonderful person who’s sorely missed. We let them know that we loved and cared for Penne, and that they need to search for him. We’ve shared support, memories and comfort with one another and with the family. We’ve united. And we’ve done all of this online, while going about our day to day lives. Why? Because we love our pals. And we’re awesome.

Life goes on, but our prayers continue because their place in our hearts is permanent and they live on there. The scathing media has already moved on, but we won’t forget. We can’t, because Anipal Land exists in love, where nobody’s forgotten.

That’s all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.

Luv,

Chloe

Sad News

2/20/2017

I have sad news to report to you today. Our Twitter friends, Penne and "Warden," passed away in a house fire early yesterday morning. Click here for a link to the local news report.

It's shocking and sad news. We can't believe it. Penne and Warden were amongst our first Twitter followers, and were friends with so many people online. I still can't believe it. Our prayers go out to their family and friends, and to one another as we grieve and try to comprehend this terrible loss.

Of course, we'll pass along any further news, and hope you will as well. It's a heartbreaking day in Anipal Land as we turn to one another for solace and comfort.

I also feel terrible because I intended to write another Anipal Land story last fall, but I got bogged down with my other writing projects and my "day job." Penne and best pal Coco were integral parts of these silly tales. I'm sorry I didn't follow through with that now so Penne would have had fun in that imaginary land I created for our friends one more time. It just goes to show that you never can tell.

That's all today. Take care, folks. We love you all!

Luv,

Sherri (mommy)

Taxes

2/16/2017

Last night, the parronts embarked on the most boring annual task they must attend to: filing taxes. It’s nice to get the refund, but it’s frustrating to have to pull all of that information together and report your financial life to the government. In fact, you probably aren’t telling them stuff they already know. Personally, I think filing taxes is a ruse by the government to see what you’re willing to tell them: mostly, whether you’ll be honest, or try to bilk them. And really, if you get a refund, then aren’t they bilking you? That’s your money after all, and they took too much of it. It seems they could figure out how to get it just right so this wouldn’t be necessary.

Grr. It gives me a headache, so I try not to think about it. I leave it to the humans and patiently sit on mommy’s shoulder until she’s done with TurboTax and can move on to making my popcorn. That’s the stuff that really matters!

I guess not everybody sees it that way, though. Isn’t the old saying that the only certainties in life are death and taxes? I sure hope not, because to birds, love, food, shelter, toys and fun are necessities. The parronts and you pals are the love, and the refund will help with the others! Ok, maybe not as much fun with bills and all (another grr here), but it can help with the rest of the normal expenses.

That’s all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.

Luv,

Chloe

Happy Valentine's Day!

2/14/2017

Happy Valentine’s Day to our fantastic friends! Yes, you! We believe that this is a holiday to celebrate all relationships, and we believe that our friends in person and online are just as important as all others. After all, you are our friends. You put on with our musings and online prattling, and stop by here to read about our mundane lives. That’s what friends are for, after all – to share our lives, from the joy to the pain to the every day.

So have a great day, and celebrate friendship too! Thanks for being here for us. We enjoy your posts, and hope you enjoy ours as well. We may not check in as often as we like, but we do look forward to finding out what’s up with everybody so we can celebrate, joy, and grieve with you. You’re always in our thoughts and prayers.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Luv,

Zack, Chloe, and Bubbles!

Gossip!

2/9/2017

Mommy says that one thing about working in an office is that you have to watch out for gossip. Plenty goes around, and you better believe it's not stopping in the hallway, rest room, or break room. Especially when you work in cubical, and people regularly forget that the walls aren't real. Yea, if you can hear her radio, then she can hear all that juicy chatter.

Which doesn't amount to a hill of beans. Remember, mommy's a scifi writer, so she cares little for it. Of course, she realizes (and is very aware) of the flow of chatter, which means that she keeps her own office talk limited to neutral topics. People think she's weird because she doesn't get involved in all of that stuff, or seem extremely concerned about it. Well, I can tell you that while she doesn't participate in it, she's very much aware - and we hear all about it!

I know who she's pretty sure is hiding a pregnancy. I know whose job hunting. I know whose up for that big corner office nearby, whose stepping up and retiring out, whose connections mean they know a guy, who knows a guy, whose going to potentially open (or close) doors to things and stuff. And I know who all watches Game of Thrones around there, too (surprisingly and disappointingly few on her floor!). I know whose lurking around wondering what the hell mommy's doing - with her writing and in general. Parrots make great confidants.

So don't be fooled. Mommy knows very well what's going on. She's just not telling you that. It's the better part of wisdom to be aware of your environment, and she's been working in an office long enough to know to keep the eyes and ears open and the mouth shut (at least until she's home in confidential company). But no worries, because she isn't out to get you. She's a writer, after all. They store and utilize that stuff differently. It's all munchies for her muse. And while I can talk quite well, I know when to keep my beak zipped. I can even make the zipper sound quite well!

That's all today. Take care. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow and a wonderful weekend.

Luv,

Bubbles

A New Word

2/2/2017

Two tough weeks at works for the parronts have inspired mommy to invent a new word: dumbfukkary. Here’s a sample usage: “The dude swerved into my lane because he submitted to the dumbfukkary of texting and driving.”

The development of this new addition to mommy’s use of the English language has actually evolved from, of all places, The Walking Dead. At first, she hypothesized that busy, hectic times shut down the higher brain functions, so people are stumbling around and doing “whatever.” That seemed to be a working definition for a few days, before she noticed some discrepancies in her theory. While it seems to spread, people weren’t merely stumbling around, but were using faulty logic to try to “figure out” things. The problem is that they pull from the wrong assumptions, false information, or absolute nonsense to make these determinations, which leads to crazy responses that make you say “what the hell are you talking about/doing?”

This also spoke to some level of motivation, which would be absent in zombies, because brains don’t work that way. So mommy had to figure in the factors of faulty reasoning and explosive motivation (usually caused by a deadline or other competitive urge). Hense, the new term was coined: dumbfukkary. The simple definition: pulling an assumption out of one’s butt and developing it into the most ridiculous thought or action possible.

This is life with a writer, folks. We think way too hard.

So that’s been life for us lately. Busy and inventing new words. I hope all is well with you. Take care, all, and thanks for tuning in. Have a Happy Friday tomorrow, and a wonderful weekend.

Luv,

Zack