Print Story Still waiting for the real problems to start.
Family
By ObviousTroll (Wed Dec 29, 2010 at 11:55:21 PM EST) (all tags)
I think I've created a guinea pig monster - but that's not what I was talking about.


I've often noted that my life consists of me whining (whinging?) about fairly minor problems only to notice that people all around me are having much worse troubles.  For example, a 2-year old annoying rash that I'm not going to show you unless we're both drunk, a son who manages to get a C in "Introduction to Astronomy" at community college, but is still insisting that he's going to be a "video game designer" despite any demonstrable evidence of skills in graphic arts, coding or even game design beyond making some fairly wicked Magic decks for himself, his friends and me.  Oh, and I still haven't gotten my latest permanent crown because it didn't fit and the lab hasn't sent it back yet, so the dentist keeps postponing the appointment.

Mind-rending stuff, right there.

Meanwhile, on Xmas eve we got the call that my wife's sister's daughter, 9 years old, who hadn't been "feeling well" all week had been sent first to the ER and then to CHOP (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) where they determined that her blood sugar was something like 7x normal.  Good news is that they stabilized her and she improved steadily and she came home again yesterday.  Bad news is that the diagnosis was exactly what you think it was: juvenile diabetes.  So, the main reason she was in the hospital through the weekend and Monday was because both she and her mom needed to be trained in how to deal with her condition. SWHTL is going to visit tomorrow and take mom out for lunch and general mental health.  We're also going to invite the whole family over for an early new year's eve dinner and movie (since their other daughter is only 4).

(Porkchop offered to go down on Xmas day, but dad didn't seem to welcome the idea too much.  I was relieved because I realized that at this point PDC hasn't been out of his closet in a couple of years, it would be quite a job to get his bag of tricks assembled and working - not to mention shaving my head and beard so he could get his face on.)

Warning: The following content is gratuitously cute and has no pathos, comedy, drama or any otherwise redeeming value:

As to the guinea pig - we got Yumé for our daughter for Christmas 2 years ago now and, well, Yumé does not like to be handled.  She's not mean, never bites harder than the tiniest bit of pressure to say "stop that", but she is terrified of being picked up.

So, when we first got her I would go into my daughter's room every couple of days to check to check on Yumé, make sure she had water and food, that sort of thing and she would always stuff herself into or under whatever cover she could find.  I would always bring her a carrot and, over time, I got her to the point where she would wait by the cage door for me, grab the carrot and then dash for cover - just in case.  I tried (and Lamb tried) many times to acclimate her to be being held, or to being in a pen in the living room, but Yumé wasn't having any of it. She'd gum our fingers a bit while we held her (never enough to hurt, mind you) and, while in the living room, try to find the most covered spot of the pen to sit very, very, still in.

Anyway, for the past year I haven't once found her without water or food, so I haven't been checking as often - but what happened instead is that when Yumé would hear me walking up the steps she'd start squeaking softly, to see if I'd come in and check on her.  Then, a few weeks ago, she seemed to finally realize she likes being petted - she'd actually stretch out under my fingers so I could scratch her neck and back.

But the capstone came yesterday when I moved her into the living room, in her pen, and just sat scratching her neck while we listened to Christmas music - she started making a noise I'd never heard before, something between a cat's purr and an old digital phone ringer. (purp purp purp)  This went on for a couple of hours while I occasionally gave her cauliflower and broccoli.

And, today, when I went into Lamb's room to talk to Lamb, Yumé let loose with a squeal that could have cracked the windows and didn't stop till I gave her some timothy hay.

It's nice to be loved, but does it have to be so hard on my ears?
< Caffeine | Scientology pamphlet >
Still waiting for the real problems to start. | 28 comments (28 topical, 0 hidden)
There is a serious fucking problem here: by ammoniacal (4.00 / 1) #1 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 04:25:19 AM EST
It was subtle, but I can't help but notice that a grown-ass man is still playing Magic: The Gathering. There's a solid New Year's Resolution for your ass.

"To this day that was the most bullshit caesar salad I have every experienced..." - triggerfinger

Yeah by anonimouse (4.00 / 1) #2 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 05:05:03 AM EST
He should have graduated to Mare Nostrum or Settlers of Catan by now


Girls come and go but a mortgage is for 25 years -- JtL
[ Parent ]
No, Dominion, it has deck building by georgeha (4.00 / 1) #5 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 07:49:21 AM EST



[ Parent ]
dude by MillMan (2.00 / 0) #24 Fri Dec 31, 2010 at 12:36:56 AM EST
I am going to build a custom box to hold my dominion cards. I already have it all dimensioned out.

"Just as there are no atheists in foxholes, there are no libertarians in financial crises." -Krugman

[ Parent ]
I'm bonding with my son. by ObviousTroll (2.00 / 0) #6 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 09:11:01 AM EST
To be serious, the thought of collecting cards and trying to build a proper deck bores me into a coma.


An Angry and Flatulent Pig, Trying to Tie Balloon Animals
[ Parent ]
Sure it does. by ammoniacal (2.00 / 0) #9 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 11:22:39 AM EST

"To this day that was the most bullshit caesar salad I have every experienced..." - triggerfinger

[ Parent ]
Guinea pigs by Herring (2.00 / 0) #3 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 06:39:00 AM EST
Yes, they take a while to get tame but from tame to "demanding" is a short journey. Ours are in their winter quarters at the moment in the conservatory and when they hear the sound of vegetables being chopped they can get quite loud.

You can't inspire people with facts
- Small Gods

I've never been particularly fond of pets by ObviousTroll (2.00 / 0) #7 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 09:38:45 AM EST
but I hate seeing anything unhappy or ignored, which means I end up spoiling them.  I'll have to trim her nails again - that usually puts the fear of me into her.


An Angry and Flatulent Pig, Trying to Tie Balloon Animals
[ Parent ]
Quite by Herring (2.00 / 0) #8 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 09:41:21 AM EST
Originally, we got two GPs as SD's pets. I said "fine, but she's got to do all the looking after". And that's how we got here ...

You can't inspire people with facts
- Small Gods

[ Parent ]
Well, by yankeehack (2.00 / 0) #4 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 07:21:31 AM EST
in terms of underachieving sons, on fb, greyrat (who we haven't seen in a while here) noted that his high school senior son failed his accounting class and put his college scholarships jeopardy.

Our guinea pig does the squeal when someone goes into the kitchen...she hopes for food. She's also done the purr either in the middle of the night or if she's gotten a really satisfying piece of broccoli.
"...she dares to indulge in the secret sport. You can't be a MILF with the F, at least in part because the M is predicated upon it."-CBB

when ? by sasquatchan (2.00 / 0) #10 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 11:26:37 AM EST
I didn't see that one ..

[ Parent ]
Last week by yankeehack (2.00 / 0) #11 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 11:28:38 AM EST
or the week before I think he posted...
"...she dares to indulge in the secret sport. You can't be a MILF with the F, at least in part because the M is predicated upon it."-CBB
[ Parent ]
Okay, who here does *NOT* have a Guinea Pig? by ammoniacal (2.00 / 0) #12 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 12:04:57 PM EST
A show of hands.

"To this day that was the most bullshit caesar salad I have every experienced..." - triggerfinger

Hand! by clock (4.00 / 1) #13 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 01:50:04 PM EST
wife has a strict "no rodents" policy.


I agree with clock entirely --Kellnerin

[ Parent ]
Surprisingly, I don't by gpig (4.00 / 2) #14 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 02:04:49 PM EST
I mean, even I'm surprised at that.
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(,   ,') -- eep
[ Parent ]
p.s. by gpig (4.00 / 2) #15 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 02:05:16 PM EST
I like your capitalisation of "Guinea Pig", it shows respect.
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(,   ,') -- eep
[ Parent ]
Hands [n/t] by FlightTest (4.00 / 1) #16 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 02:57:10 PM EST



[ Parent ]
hand by LilFlightTest (4.00 / 1) #17 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 04:49:37 PM EST
I don't even think they're all that cute...
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if de-virgination results in me being able to birth hammerhead sharks, SIGN ME UP!!! --misslake
[ Parent ]
Hand down by ucblockhead (4.00 / 1) #18 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 05:50:49 PM EST
We have one, too.  As far as I can tell, it's the opposite of ObviousTroll's.  (Loves to be held, whines if ignored, etc.)
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[ucblockhead is] useless and subhuman
[ Parent ]
After today, I can confirm that by ObviousTroll (2.00 / 0) #22 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 09:05:28 PM EST
Yume still hates to be held, but is quite happy to sit next to me and be hand fed broccolli.


An Angry and Flatulent Pig, Trying to Tie Balloon Animals
[ Parent ]
Hand up. by Captain Tenille (4.00 / 1) #19 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 06:23:16 PM EST
We have enough cats, and spend enough time fending off my daughter's requests for various animals (bunnies, chinchillas, turtles, etc.) that I don't want to bring guinea pigs into the mix.

Also, while the new cats are fairly small, the older cat is a very large and hefty cat indeed. I looked it up, and he's firmly within the Maine Coon size range, although towards the lower end. While he's never displayed any hunting prowess, I'm not sure bringing rodents (or "snacks") into the house is a great idea.

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/* You are not expected to understand this. */


[ Parent ]
Chinchillas are tactile crack. by ammoniacal (2.00 / 0) #21 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 08:00:22 PM EST

"To this day that was the most bullshit caesar salad I have every experienced..." - triggerfinger

[ Parent ]
Hand. by Scrymarch (4.00 / 1) #23 Fri Dec 31, 2010 at 12:33:30 AM EST


Iambic Web Certified

[ Parent ]
You mean Live Cat Toys? by wiredog (4.00 / 1) #25 Fri Dec 31, 2010 at 09:46:34 AM EST
Never had one.

Earth First!
(We can strip mine the rest later.)

[ Parent ]
Hand [nt] by brokkr (2.00 / 0) #28 Tue Jan 04, 2011 at 07:11:55 AM EST

--
Deyr fé, deyja frændr, deyr sjalfr it sama,
ek veit einn, at aldrei deyr: dómr um dau∂an hvern.

[ Parent ]
you had me at timothy hay. by dev trash (2.00 / 0) #20 Thu Dec 30, 2010 at 07:37:30 PM EST


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Click
At some point Troll Jr by wiredog (2.00 / 0) #26 Fri Dec 31, 2010 at 09:47:20 AM EST
is going to have to discover the Real World.

Happened to me.

Earth First!
(We can strip mine the rest later.)

Yup. I just fear that happening. by ObviousTroll (2.00 / 0) #27 Mon Jan 03, 2011 at 01:45:46 PM EST
So many boys don't survive or, at least, never grow up.


An Angry and Flatulent Pig, Trying to Tie Balloon Animals
[ Parent ]
Still waiting for the real problems to start. | 28 comments (28 topical, 0 hidden)