Category Archives: Life in General

A Man of Faith

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Yesterday, while working to prepare my home to watch the Super Bowl, I was listening to some coverage of a speech given by Tony Dungy that morning. I was blown away by his ability to keep his priorities straight. Luckily, I found a reprint of his speech, and this is the line that really hit home for me: “I have a great platform and that is the number one thing that drives me to stay in football. People know we’re excited to be in the Super Bowl, but this is so small compared to what God has for me. We always have to keep perspective.???

Go, Tony. Go COLTS!

Bring Your Cat Indoors NOW

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So it was 11 degrees F outside last night, with a wind chill close to zero.  My husband noticed a small grey cat begging at our door.  We put him into the garage with some food, water, and a litter box.  He drank an entire can of water because he was so thirsty, ate a little food, and cried all night to be let in the house.

He has very soft fur and wasn’t very dirty; he also didn’t have a thick winter coat.  This was somebody’s cat that they’d let outside during the coldest part of the year.

It makes me so angry that people do this to their animals.  Yes, there is the Indianapolis-area law that states in part:

(a) Every owner or keeper of an animal kept in the consolidated city and county shall see that such
animal:
(1) Is kept in a clean, sanitary and healthy manner…
(2) Has food that is appropriate for the species in adequate amounts to maintain good health, fresh potable drinking water where appropriate, shelter and ventilation, including quarters that are protected from excessive heat and cold…

But why do we need laws to take care of our companion animals?  It is so much better to keep cats indoors…for their health and safety and for your peace of mind.

Sweet Mini, Purring his Furball Head OffCarlton and I know this first-hand.  Both of our cats were abandoned.  Baja (Mr. Kitty) was being tortured by a pack of cats when he was rescued; Mini (pictured at right) was on the brink of starvation when we saved him.  He had four different parasitic infections and FIV. 

Feeling indignant?  How dare I indict you for letting your cats roam?  If you think your outdoor cats are OK outdoors, it only takes one cat bite from an infected cat to give your cat a death sentence.  Mini is sweet and loveable and doesn’t deserve to be so sick.  If his previous owners had kept him indoors, he would not be facing a very painful death.  Think I’m being melodramatic?  Just look here at what he’s enduring because someone thought it was OK to leave him outside.  We have to keep Mini and Mr. Kitty in separate areas of the house so there’s no risk that Mr. Kitty could become infected.

This sweet grey kitty can’t stay with us; we already have lots of animals, and don’t want to dilute our love and attention of our pets by having too many.

I’m begging you.  Bring your companion animals into your warm home so they can live long, happy, healthy lives. 

Farewell to my Fishies

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Pack of Pequeninas- Hungry as Usual!This was supposed to be the post where I talk about my brand new planted aquarium.  I’ve been dreaming of this aquarium for years, spent months in planning the plants/substrate/fish, and have spent the last couple of weeks on actually making my dream a reality.

Saturday, I moved my four female bettas from the bare glass, 15-gallon, filterless tank to a beautiful 33-gallon tank full of plants and of baby snails for them to eat.  I was extra careful to test the water parameters so the fish wouldn’t be stressed by the move.  They settled into their new digs in about five minutes and started begging for food!

I’ve had the pequeni?as (a play on a word from Speaker for the Dead) for two years.  We’ve enjoyed watching them and their little hungry personalities, always crowding the upper corner of the tank because that’s where food can be found.  They begged for food more than dogs!!

Female bettas are overlooked as a pet in favor of the longer finned, sometimes more brightly colored, male bettas.  But females can be kept in a group if suitably acclimated and they do not display as much aggression to other community fish.  On the flip side, they are less bullied because they do not have the long, flowing fins to be nipped.  By Sunday night, three of the females were ripe with eggs and two had on breeding stripes.  This indicates that they were adapting extremely well to their new home.

After work on Monday, I came home to pack a dinner and let the dog go outside.  Standing next to the aquarium, I could feel it radiating heat.  With sickness, I felt the glass.  It was hot to the touch.  The water was over 110 degrees F.  The heater had failed in the “on” position and was cooking the tank’s inhabitants.  Panicked, I looked in the aquarium.  All four ni?as were long dead, suffocated by the heat.  The plant leaves had already started to melt.

I spent the evening doing water changes with cold water and ice, finally pulling the temperature back to 76 F.  I couldn’t stop crying about my poor fish and the horrid way they died.  I wrapped them in a pink satin ribbon and disposed of their little bodies (flushing them is a very irresponsible thing to do with a fish; it can spread disease in local water systems).

Lesson learned: I’d read that it was better to have two small heaters in a tank than one larger one.  That way if one fails “on,” it takes longer to reach fatal conditions and it can be stopped.  I’ve ordered two new, smaller heaters that include failure switches so the heater can’t fail “on.”

I’m sure I will stop feeling sad sometime soon, but it’s hard to imagine for now.  Luckily I snapped a couple of pictures of the fish in their new home just a day before they died.  I’m also lucky that this happened in a tank with four fish- not 20, like I have planned for that tank.

Goodbye, sweet ni?as.

Charity of the Month: Indiana House Rabbit Society

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Pet me! Love me! FEED ME CILANTRO!I had intended to start doing this last year, but I (as usual) procrastinated. In addition to Carlton’s and my regular charitable donations, I thought I would highlight a worthy cause each month and give an extra donation. Here’s January’s winner.

The Indiana House Rabbit Society (IHRS) has a personal connection for me. My best friend has been an active member of the group for several years. One year on holiday break, she asked me to care for three of her foster rabbits. I was familiar with bunny care from helping her before so it was not totally new. But having them at my own home was new.

Two of the rabbits, a bonded pair named Honey and Felix, were loveable but not extra friendly. However, Silas was very sociable. Carlton and I enjoyed his company, letting him hop around the house (supervised) and eating greens from our hands. I found myself buying special veggies for him at the grocery. He would jump on our laps or at our feet to be petted, and would circle around us madly at pellet feeding time.

After the holiday, he moved out…and we missed him. We decided to go through the adoption process and he moved back to our home for good. He was neutered prior to adoption and, as with all bunnies, spay/neuter contributes to longer life and more even temper.

Several years later, he’s an integrated member of our animal family. His name became Silo as it’s easier to call him that way, though he has several nicknames (such as Nibbler).

House rabbits are not for everyone. They require bunnyproofing the house (they will chew cords and be electrocuted), some are very shy, and they aren’t as sturdy as dogs and cats. To anticipate his needs, we’ve put bamboo mats under the furniture where he likes to dig, we allow him to come to us for interaction, and we use careful methods when he has to be handled.

Silo and Baja having a fireside chat. They like to sit near each other, sometimes on the same chair.Silo is totally litter trained and is out of his cage most of the day. He likes to hang out with our cat and they will play hide-and-seek for hours. Silo jumps on the bed and puts his front paws on my shoulder (or my face!) to ask for pets. His favorite snack is cilantro, and he likes to sit on the dining room chairs, especially if Mr. Kitty sits on the opposite chair. If Sunny makes Silo mad (usually by stealing his treats), Silo will ambush her, hop on top of her and then run away, leaving the dog completely bewildered.

Silo was found abandoned in a neighborhood. Too many people think it’s OK to release a domestic bun because they see wild bunnies. Domesticated rabbits are not adapted to survive in the harsh weather and are ill-equipped to escape predation and find food.

House rabbits live 7-10 years; outdoor rabbits live 1-4 years. A rabbit in a hutch in someone’s cold back yard will never be as friendly or happy as an indoor bun. Having Silo taught me what great personalities bunnies can have. The longer he lives with us, the more and more loving and trusting he becomes.

Three different species keeping me company while I have the flu.The IHRS has volunteers who work to help find homes for abandoned bunnies, bringing foster rabbits into their homes and paying medical bills out of their own pockets. Some bunnies have been abandoned shortly after Easter, some are found abandoned in neighborhoods; the unluckiest have been neglected and abused.

That’s why I’m giving my January Charity of the Month award to the kind people at IHRS. Please consider donating too!

Memin’ Again

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Amy’s fault again, too.

Spell your name without vowels: Krsty Ncl Hrtr

What color do you wear most?: black

What’s for dinner tonite?: veggie fried rice

Are you happy with your life right now?: Absolutely

Tell me a secret about one of your siblings: No

Anyone ever said you resemble a celebrity?: Yes

Last thing you bought over 50 dollars?: My 30 gallon aquarium

How’s the weather?: Cold and blechy

What chores do you have around the house: Straightening and ironing

Finish this sentence. I wish: I had a maid/butler

One word to describe you: Outgoing to a fault

What should you be doing right now?: Aforementioned straightening and ironing

Who did you hug today?: Carlton

What are you listening to right now?: My reef aquarium’s pump humming

Done anything you regret so far this week?: Nope

Describe where you are right now: At a desk in my bedroom

Say one of your friends and an inside joke with them: ACD, when I pick my nose I think of you

How many homes have you lived in? Seven (not counting dorms)

What food did you eat last night?: Spinach penne pasta with parmesan

Do you dress for style or comfort?: style…but sometimes comfort wins

Name someone with the same b-day as you: my first boyfriend’s mom

What is your favorite Michael Jackson song?: Scream

If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?: Salad

What curse word do you use the most?: the f bomb

Do you own an iPod?: No

Have you ever bid for something on Ebay?: Yes

Where do you buy your groceries?: Target

What was the last movie you watched?: Jet Li’s last wushu film

Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?: Chocolate

Has anyone told you a secret this week?: No

When was the last time someone hit you?: College

Can you whistle?: Yes

Have you ever participated in a protest?: Yes

Who was the last person to call you?: my dad

What is your favorite ride at an amusement park?: Everything- but I’ve only been once!

What is something you must do everyday?: Talk to people

What is your job title?: Quality Associate.  Hello, Wal-Mart!

What do you miss most?: College life

Would you ever sky dive?: Nope

What movie do you know every line to?: The Princess Bride

What color is your bedroom painted?: A cool, textured, custom taupe stripe

Can you skip rocks?: No

Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back?: Lots of flipping from side to side, ending on stomach

If you were born the opposite sex, what would your name have been? Jeffrey Randall- They were so sure that I didn’t have a name for 5 days

Has anyone ever called you spoiled?: No.  HA HA uh, all the time.  I may be spoiled, but I’m so thankful for all of my blessings

Did you ever go to the same school as your parents?: No

How many hours of sleep do you need to function?: What’s considered functioning, and how many caffeine units?  I’ll go with 5 and 3, respectively

How much is gas where you live right now?: $1.93 per gallon gas

What album did you buy last?: I don’t.  My husband buys ’em for me

How many pairs of shoes do you own?: 35-40

Are your days full and fast-paced?: I love to be driven!

Did you ever get in trouble for talking in class?: No

Were you a “planned??? child?: Not at all

Are you a good dancer?: Eh.

Are you a nice person?: Too nice

The Alphabet

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Blame Amy for reigniting my meme habit. 

THE LETTER A:
Are you available?: No
What is your age?: 33
What annoys you?: Carelessness

THE LETTER B:
Do you live in a big house?: Yes

When is your birthday?: 29 September
Who is your best friend? Family members excluded, ACD

THE LETTER C:
What’s your favorite candy?: Really dark chocolate

Who’s your crush?: Ron Livingston (ask again in 5 minutes)

When was the last time you cried? Monday

THE LETTER D:
Do you daydream?: All the time.  It fuels me
What’s your favorite kind of dog?: Maltese
What day of the week is it?: Friday

THE LETTER E:
How do you like your eggs?: Organic and free range
Have you ever been in the emergency room?: Monday

What’s the easiest thing ever to do? Be careless

THE LETTER F:
Have you ever flown in a plane?: Yes
Do you use fly swatters?: No
Have you ever used a foghorn? No.

THE LETTER G:
Do you chew gum?: No

Are you a giver or a taker?: Too much of both
Do you like gummy candies?: Waste of calories

THE LETTER H:
How are you?: Tired
What’s your height?: 5’6″
What colour is your hair?: Blondish

THE LETTER I:
What’s your favourite ice cream?: Mint chocolate chip or cherry cordial
Have you ever ice skated?: Yes
Would you live in an igloo? Never

THE LETTER J:
What’s your favourite jelly bean?: Coconut
Have you ever heard a really hilarious joke?: Yes
Do you wear jewelry?: Yes.

THE LETTER K:
Who do you want to kill?: People who take out their frustrations on lesser or weaker beings

Do you want kids?: Not really, but if it happens…

Where did you have kindergarten? Columbus, Indiana

THE LETTER L:
Are you laid back?: HA HA HA ahem, no.
Do you lie?: Sometimes
Have you ever been to London?: Twice

THE LETTER M:
What’s your favourite movie?: LoTR Trilogy
Do you still watch Disney movies?: Sometimes

What type of music you listen to?: Alternative/Pop/Rock/Top 40

THE LETTER N:
Do you have a nickname?: A million.  Nee-cola, Picky, Pickle, Krystal-Belle, Pick, Brat, Pirhana, K-Nick, Sweethoven,….

Favourite number?: 10 (my name was always tenth alphabetically in grade school)

Do you prefer night over day? Yes

THE LETTER O:
What’s your one wish?: An end to cruelty
Are you an only child?: Nope. Baby of three
Do you wish this was over?: Never.  I love quizzes!

THE LETTER P:
What one fear are you most paranoid about?: Losing a family member
Do you love the colour pink?: eh.  Depends on shade
Are you a perfectionist? Yes

THE LETTER Q:
Are you quick to judge people? Yes, and usually regret when my judgement is harsh
Do you wish you were a Queen?: No
Have you ever rode a quad? Huh?

THE LETTER R:
Do you think you’re always right?: Usually
Do you watch reality TV: Never
What’s a good reason to cry?: Whatever pain is real to the crier

LETTER S:
Do you prefer sun or rain?: Rain
Do you like snow?: Heck no
What’s your favourite season? Fall- chilly and crisp

THE LETTER T:
What time is it?: 2041
What time did you wake up?: 0330 (too busy daydreaming about my aquarium)

When was the last time you slept in a tent? Um…..age 12?

THE LETTER U:
Do you own an umbrella?: Several
Can you ride a unicycle?: No
Have you ever said someone was ugly?: Yes

THE LETTER V:
What’s the worst veggie?: Zucchini

Where do you want to go on vacation?: Anywhere

Where was your last family vacation to? Charleston South Carolina

THE LETTER W:
What’s your worst habit?: Overcommitting
Where do you live?: Indianapolis Indiana
Who’s your hero?: My parents

THE LETTER X:
Have you ever had an x-ray?: Yes
Have you seen the x-games?: No
Do you own a xylophone?: No

THE LETTER Y:
Do you like the colour yellow?: It’s my favorite

What year were you born in?: 1973
What’s one thing you yearn for?: Enough money to open a cruelty-free aquarium store

THE LETTER Z:
What’s your zodiac sign?: Libra
Do you believe in the zodiac?: It’s against my religion and silly anyway
What’s your favourite zoo animal?: Zoos are mean

My Enemy, My Friend: The Scooba and Roomba

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Official Manner of Forcing Scooba to Clean. It doesn't work so well.I have had a Roomba for about six months now and it has made my life a lot easier. I have a rabbit and two cats that shed fur as a hobby, so as much as I should probably vacuum daily, I…don’t. Then came my Roomba. I have it scheduled to run daily and my home has become a lot cleaner. I still have to vacuum occasionally but the level of cleanliness of my home has definitely elevated.

My house has an open floor plan and it all needs to be vacuumed. The Roomba simply cannot do a good job on all rooms, hence the daily vacuuming needed. I want one on each level of my house for daily pet hair duty. I have considered buying not only a Roomba for the lower level carpeting, but also an extra Roomba for the upstairs and using a virtual wall to split the house. After I realized I’m not made of money, I just learned to live with the fact that the Roomba almost never finds its home base and I have to put its carcass to recharge. No big deal since I have to empty the bin anyway. I have a sick joy in emptying the bin and knowing I didn’t have to vacuum.

I was so happy with Roomba that I advertised it to my parents. Even though they have a weekly cleaning person, the Roomba runs in their home nearly every day and they love emptying the bin and seeing how effective the Roomba is.

I received the Scooba as a thank-you gift from my parents. It’s only been a couple of days, but I’m telling you that it’s love-hate. Reviews I’d read said that the only drawback is that it’s slow. True, but who cares?? I can go watch an episode of Heroes and not even have to hear the thing. Plus, playing with a gadget is much more fun than scrubbing, no?
However.

I filled the tank, using the Clorox cleaner included in the correct ratio. Luckily my 5800 also works with vinegar/water or plain water. I’ve read complaints that the older models and the 5900 require the expensive and eco-unfriendly cleaner. I found these complaints because I did a quick search for “check tank error.” You know why…because my Scooba refused to start, claiming the tank was not seated properly. After a twenty minute battle and two internet searches, I finally made it work. Twelve minutes into the cleaning cycle, it
again gave the error. I attached and detached the tank twice and it finally went along.

I used the thing again today and it worked at first, but gave an error after about 30 minutes of cleaning. I think this is unacceptable and I will be exchanging the Scooba for an identical robot. If the new robot has the same issue, I will have to fire Scooba and *groan* scrub on my hands and knees again.

I was very pleased to see the comprehensive customer support answers to my questions, but I have a nagging doubt that the Scooba might just be too delicate to do its job properly.

Down with Elmo: Cruelty to Goldfish Dorothy

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Cruelty to GoldfishPlease be prepared, as this is going to be an angry rant.

I love Sesame Street.  I love its multiculturalism, its learning opportunities, and its special place in my heart.  However, I’m pretty upset with one thing about the otherwise adorable Elmo: his goldfish.

In each episode, a baby goldfish is housed in a bowl.  They stick all kinds of stuff in the bowl and who knows if they’ve bothered to see if it will be toxic to the fish.  I’ll bet that “Dorothy??? has died numerous times of the torture of the goldfish bowl.

You see, goldfish bowls are terrible for the poor fish forced to live there.  Goldfish are thick-bodied fish who eat a lot and produce a LOT of waste.  A goldfish in a bowl quickly pollutes the water.  The fish is then forced to breathe its own concentrated waste.  If you think that bowl smells bad above water, imagine trying to breathe below the surface.

Goldfish need a lot of water per fish.  There are lots of good sources  for goldfish information, and they all say pretty much the same thing.  Baby goldfish- the kind you see in the pet store- require at least TEN gallons of water per fish.  Most fish bowls contain half a gallon or less.  As they grow- to over four inches long with very high body mass- they need THIRTY gallons per fish.

You may argue that you have a goldfish in a bowl or tiny aquarium for a year or more and it hasn’t grown, so that’s OK, right?  That’s because the poor fish has had its growth stunted by living in such small quarters.  If that doesn’t somehow seem cruel to you, imagine buying a Saint Bernard puppy and keeping it in a two foot by two foot crate, never letting the poor guy out, and only cleaning his messes once a week or so.

Goldfish never belong in a bowl.  I can’t believe a socially responsible show like Sesame Street would do something so cruel.  I know of several moms who, with best intentions, have bought goldfish in bowls for their Elmo-loving kids.  The pet store employees have either hidden the truth or were ignorant to the facts of these wonderful pets.

Goldfish live a long time.  If you think keeping a fish in a bowl for a couple of years is a success, it isn’t.  Non-fancy varieties live to be teenagers or older.  Fancies, such as double tails, black moors, and lionheads can live to be 30!  Again, think of owning a kitten and it dies in a year or two.  Does that sound like the right lifespan for a cat?

If your kid wants a “Dorothy??? like Elmo, there are three good options.  First, buy a small aquarium and house a few fish that are gold in color but aren’t goldfish.  A ten-gallon aquarium with two or three gold-color Mickey Mouse platys will bring a lot of joy to your child.  Second, if a full-size aquarium is simply out of your budget, buy a bowl of a gallon or more and house two or three White Cloud Mountain Minnows and a nice growth of Java Moss, but no gravel (for easy cleaning).  Last, if all of this sounds too difficult, don’t buy any fish.  Aquaria are an addition to your household chores and lives are at stake.

Finally, I don’t blame the people who want the goldfish bowls.  I blame the pet stores and irresponsible employees who promote goldfish in a bowl. 

Mostly, I blame Elmo for marketing goldfish in a bowl to children.  It is cruel, irresponsible, and unnecessary.