Bills blog stop: Sep 20, 2007

Pepe's Great Escape!

Today, while we were foraging for a new food supply for our Love Bird, Pepe, we spied some new environmental enhancements for his cage(er, living habitat). An attachable, edible, beak sharpening branch to enhance his hunting and pecking skills and a beautiful red ring the size of a large swing with a bell hanging from it to accompany his visions of swinging in a tree in the jungle! After fighting the strong currents of traffic on the asphalt river to arrive back at camp, I proceeded to “green up” Pepe’s habitat. Well, as soon as I brought one of these strange new objects in through the door, he was having none of this! With wings of steel, he squeezed through as space so small I couldn’t see it without my glasses and off he went into the wild blue(uh, wondrous air spaces) in our house! Sooo… armed with nothing but a couple of soft towels and a non threatening, wooden back scratcher, we set out on a find and capture expedition that should have aired on “Wild Kingdom”! Through sheer strength and maneuvering on our part, we began to wear down the resolve of our adversary! At one point, I had to hit the switch for the overhead fan with the swift dexterity of a gazelle to extricate the fowl winged beast from his perch without flinging him into the wall! After many attempts to cast our nets(ugh, towels) over our ungrateful friend, I guess he just valued his newly found freedom too much, he finally managed to fly into the side of a cliff(wall) and wedged himself between it and a large bookcase! After great thought about our dilemma, we decided to pull one end away from the wall, then I proceeded into the dark recess with my trusty little belt flash light and towel. Much to my chagrin, the little beggar pushed forward behind the next book case! So with great trepidation, I place the towel next to this opening with one hand, and with the other, proceeded to simulate the tremors of a minor quake to the other case! Low and behold, I saw a small red and green streak flash into the towel and voila, I had him! So I transported him to his home and gently extracted him into his own, familiar environment with the new additions and left him to himself to get used to them. I came back a little later hoping to catch him happily swinging on his new swing only to catch him soundly sleeping away, totally oblivious to his new toys! oh well, so much for the great jungle experience!

Thursday, September 20, 2007

I got this in an e-mail from my soul mate, Pattycakes. It is so good, I just had to post it! Please take a little time to read this, I think you may count your Blessings! Subject: What we are so unhappy about?''
Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2007 21:46:48 -0700
This is worthy of the read--believe me!
Jay Leno wrote this; it's the Jay Leno we don't often see....
"The other day I was reading Newsweek magazine and came across some poll data
I found rather hard to believe. It must be true given the source, right?
The Newsweek poll alleges that 67 percent of Americans are unhappy with the
direction the country is headed and 69 percent of the country is unhappy with
the performance of the president. In essence 2/3s of the citizenry just ain't
happy and want a change.So being the knuckle dragger I am, I started thinking, ''What we are so
unhappy about?''
Is it that we have electricity and running water 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week? Is our unhappiness the result of having air conditioning in the summer
and heating in the winter? Could it be that 95.4 percent of these unhappy folks
have a job? Maybe it is the ability to walk into a grocery store at any time and
see more food in moments than Darfur has seen in the last year?
Maybe it is the ability to drive from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean
without having to present identification papers as we move through each state?
Or possibly the hundreds of clean and safe motels we would find along the way
that can provide temporary shelter?
I guess having thousands of restaurants with varying cuisine from around the
world is just not good enough; or could it be that when we wreck our car,
emergency workers show up and provide services to help all and even send a
helicopter to take you to the hospital.
Perhaps you are one of the 70 percent of Americans who own a home. You may be
upset with knowing that in the unfortunate case of a fire, a group of trained
firefighters will appear in moments and use top notch equipment to extinguish
the flames thus saving you, your family and your belongings.
Or if, while at home watching one of your many flat screen TVs, a burglar or
prowler intrudes, an officer equipped with a gun and a bullet-proof vest will
come to defend you and your family against attack or loss. This all in the
backdrop of a neighborhood free of bombs or militias raping and pillaging the
residents. Neighborhoods where 90 percent of teenagers own cell phones and
computers.
How about the complete religious, social and political freedoms we enjoy that
are the envy of everyone in the world? Maybe that is what has 67 percent of you
folks unhappy.
Fact is, we are the largest group of ungrateful, spoiled brats the world has
ever seen. No wonder the world loves the U.S. , yet has a great disdain for
its citizens. They see us for what we are. The most blessed people in the
world who do nothing but complain about what we don't have, and what we hate
about the country instead of thanking the good Lord we live here.
I know, I know. What about the president who took us into war and has no plan
to get us out? The president who has a measly 31 percent approval rating? Is
this the same president who guided the nation in the dark days after 9/11? The
president that cut taxes to bring an economy out of recession? Could this be the
same guy who has been called every name in the book for succeeding in keeping
all the spoiled ungrateful brats safe from terrorist attacks?
The commander in chief of an all-volunteer army that is out there defending
you and me? Did you hear how bad the President is on the news or talk show? Did
this news affect you so much, make you so unhappy you couldn't take a look
around for yourself and see all the good things and be glad?
Think about it.... are you upset at the President because he actually caused
you personal pain OR is it because the "Media" told you he was failing to kiss
your sorry ungrateful behind every day.
Make no mistake about it. The troops in Iraq and Afghanistan have volunteered
to serve, and in many cases may have died for your freedom. There is currently
no draft in this country. They didn't have to go.
They are able to refuse to go and end up with either a ''general'' discharge,
an ''other than honorable'' discharge or, worst case scenario, a
''dishonorable'' discharge after a few days in the brig.
So why then the flat-out discontentment in the minds of 69 percent of
Americans? Say what you want but I blame it on the media. If it bleeds it leads
and they specialize in bad news. Everybody will watch a car crash with blood
and guts. How many will watch kids selling lemonade at the corner? The media
knows this and media outlets are for-profit corporations. They offer what sells,
and when criticized, try to defend their actions by "justifying" them in one way
or another. Just ask why they tried to allow a murderer like O.J. Simpson to
write a book about how he didn't kill his wife, but if he did he would have done
it this way......Insane!
Stop buying the negativism you are fed everyday by the media. Shut off the TV,
burn Newsweek, and use the New York Times for the bottom of your bird cage.
Then start being grateful for all we have as a country. There is exponentially
more good than bad.
We are among the most blessed people on Earth and should thank God several
times a day, or at least be thankful and appreciative."
"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe
thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the
threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to
take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?
Jay Leno
There are so many people that need to read this and grasp the truth of it all
WAKE UP AMERICANS.... STOP PULLING DOWN OUR LEADERS .WE ARE SUPPOSE TO GET
BEHIND THEM AND HELP THEM, NOT CUT THEM DOWN ....
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF PEOPLE
WERE ALWAYS RUNNING YOU DOWN ? THINK ABOUT THAT !!!!! SINCE YOU THINK
THINGS ARE "" SO BAD "" FOR YOU HERE IN THE USA.. I THINK YOU NEED TO ASK
YOUR SELF WHERE WOULD YOU GO TO LIVE THAT'S BETTER .
T- H - I -N -K AND LOOK AROUND YOU OR LEAVE.