The hunt begins

...for bunny-related podcasts. I have a feeling I'll be a bit hard up for results, but at least it's worth a shot.

I'm all into podcasts for a few reasons. One of which is that I was invited to be a member of a three-person panel on podcasts during our company meeting week next week. Wednesday will be a big day for me (read: early and busy), because in the morning I'm finally going to hear the famed Thorton May speak at a seminar and then the podcast panel in the afternoon. Should be fun, though.

There are a few other reasons I'm all into podcasts, another has to do with work and another has to do with Paul's dedication to social media, which I'm actually finding fascinating (and totally geeky, of course).

So anyway, I'm off to iTunes to look for bunny-related podcasts. Which I'll listen to on my oh-so-cool Zen, which is better and cheaper than the more "fashionable" iPod. What can I say? I respect a good deal. I'm still bragging about the $13 pair of black sandals I got a few years ago and the $16 of Valerie Stevens hooker boots I scored on Valentine's Day 5 years ago.

Even I can poke fun...

I do enjoy the blond jokes...(and apparently ellipses)



Thanks, Ye Ole' Corn Field. Long live blond cheerleaders.

Incidentally, the Rose Bowl constituted merely four of 13 hours of football I thoroughly enjoyed last week. January truly is the peak of football wonderment. To all the other millions of ppl who were overjoyed (after being destroyed, overjoyed, destroyed again, overjoyed again, destroyed again...) at the outcome of the Orange Bowl -- WE ARE!!! You know you wanna shout it, c'mon! Let's hear it for my boys! This season made me miss my season tix more than any other since my departure from State College in 2000. The Penn State Football Story's Orange Bowl edition was award-worthy, truly. WTG, PSU. We're all very proud. The faithful never give up.

And the flourescent green pig -- that's just funny. And sad. A little sad, too. For a few reasons, but among them: Why do we feel the need to color animals ridiculous colors? Because that's the most benign genetic alteration we can think up? I sure hope pigs are color-blind. Imagine the alienation at the trough!

And that's my random thoughts blog entry for this evening. Time to head home. Mass Pike traffic -- here I come!

Good for more than just wrapping...

Want mind-numbing entertainment? Bubble wrap's good for that. (Thanks, Rob, for finding it again for me!)

Little bun in a big bowl

Remind you of a famous line in a movie? Just a little bit? Which movie? Want a hint? K. It's an inverse statement of the one it's supposed to remind you of (the adjectives are flipped). Want another hint? K.

Anyway, one of my greatest pleasures in my day is watching Kayla stand shoulder-deep in her food dish to eat. Why did I give the biggest food dish (even though they only get about a 1/3 cup of food in it) to the twins, the two smallest bunnies I have? Because I wanted to see Kayla and Ariel figure out how to eat from it. Turns out Ariel can eat normally, but watching my teeny Mouseyface eat from it's hysterical.

So here's the shot...



I just took that like 10 minutes ago. Funny story (I promised, didn't I?). It's just scary how much they seem to understand sometimes... So I put food in the dish to bait Kayla into eating. They never get kibble at night, only salad, so I know she'd go for it and, well, I needed the picture since I'm writing about how funny it is. So I put the food in the dish and before I can get the camera ready, she took a bite (read: climbed in), but once I pointed the camera at her through the bars of the cage so as not to get bars in the pic, she stopped eating.

Whatcha doin'?
-------------------------

Then she came closer to the camera, which she's very used to by this point in her life, and -- well, you tell me a better story -- posed for it. Too bad she was just two inches off the mark, I had it set for the food dish, hoping to get her to bite again (literally and figuratively).

This thing on?
-------------------------

So I swing around and see if I can get a shot through the open door on an angle. She outsmarted me again -- she stood by the front door. (Trying to get as much camera time as possible???)

Sentry
-------------------------

So I go back to the side of the cage to get the long shot. Again, she positions herself all-too-freakily right in the way.

What am I? Here for your amusement?!
-------------------------

Finally I give up. I say (exactly), "Kayla, I'm trying to get you to eat. I want to take a picture because I think it's crazy funny." What does she do? Walks right over to her bowl, climbs in and takes a bite of food. Not only that, but Ariel (the food HOG!) moves out of the way without a fight for Kayla to get to the dish.

After I asked her to eat
-------------------------

I mean, it was simply freaky. But why am I still astounded when they do this? I've spent 8 years living with bunnies -- I should know better. I should know by now how unbelievably smart they are, not only in their own lagamorph world, but in ours, too. So she stands on the edge of the bowl, usually, to chew.

Chewin'
-------------------------

Then she takes another bite, which is the money shot tonight.

Shoulder-deep in food dish (again)
-------------------------

It just so happens that another great pleasure of my day (as if you couldn't guess) also has to do with the buns. It's the nightly carrot hunt. For the same reason I give the two smallest bunnies the biggest food dish -- for my own perverse entertainment. Not many things funnier than having a bunny bury her whole head (Hops does it, too, don't get me wrong) in her salad to get the carrots -- the best treat of all.



I have one more great pleasure in my day, but that's not for mention on a bunny blog... It's a family show, kids.


P.S. Why I call Kayla "Mouseyface" (a pic from May 2001; Kayla eating oat hay):

Ho, Ho, Ho and a Bottle of Rum

For adults only

Or a few bottles of rum... here're some letters to Santa and his replies that I thought were exceptionally funny. Merry Holidays, everyone! (It's still Christmas for a few more days, so enjoy it while it lasts!!)

DEAR SANTA LETTERS

Dear Santa:

I wud like a kool toy space ranjur fer Xmas. Iv ben a gudboy all yeer.

Yer Frend,
BiLLy

---------------

Dear Billy,

Nice spelling. You're on your way to a career in lawn care. How about I send you a freaking book so you can learn to read and write? I'm giving your older brother the space ranger. At least HE can spell!

-Santa-

***********************************************

Dear Santa,

I have been a good girl all year and the only thing I ask for is peace and joy in the world for everybody!

Love,
Sara

---------------

Dear Sara,

Your parents smoked pot when they had you, didn't they?

-Santa-

***********************************************

Dear Santa,

I don't know if you can do this, but for Christmas, I'd like for my mommy and daddy to get back together. Please see what you can do.

Love,
Teddy

---------------

Dear Teddy,

Look, your dad's banging the babysitter like a screen door in a hurricane. Do you think he's gonna give that up to come back to your frigid mom, who rides his ass constantly? It's time to give up that dream. Let me get you some nice Legos instead.

-Santa-

***********************************************

Dear Santa,

I want a new bike, a Playstation, a train, some G.I. Joes, a dog, a drum kit, a pony and a tuba.

Love,
Francis

---------------

Dear Francis,

Who names their kid "Francis" nowadays? I bet you're gay.

-Santa-

***********************************************

Dear Santa,

I left milk and cookies for you under the tree and I left carrots for your reindeer outside the back door.

Love,
Susan

---------------

Dear Susan,

Milk gives me the runs and carrots make the deer fart in my face when riding in the sleigh. You want to do me a favor? Leave me a bottle of scotch.

-Santa-

***********************************************

Dear Santa,

What do you do the other 364 days of the year? Are you busy making toys?

Your friend,
Thomas

---------------

Dear Thomas,

All the toys are made in China. I have a condo in Vegas where I spend most of my time making low-budget porno films. I unwind by drinking myself silly and squeezing the asses of cocktail waitresses while losing money at the craps table. Hey, you wanted to know.

-Santa-

***********************************************

Dear Santa,

Do you see us when we're sleeping, do you really know when we're awake, like in the song?

Love,
Jessica

---------------

Dear Jessica,

Are you really that gullible? Good luck in whatever you do. I'm skipping your house.

-Santa-

***********************************************

Dear Santa,

I really really want a puppy this year. Please please please PLEASE PLEASE could I have one?

--Timmy

---------------

Dear Timmy,

That whiney begging crap may work with your folks, but it doesn't work with me. You're getting a sweater again.

-Santa-

***********************************************

Dearest Santa,

We don't have a chimney in our house, how do you get into our home?

Love,
Marky

---------------

Mark,

First, stop calling yourself "Marky" ... that's why you're getting your ass kicked at school. Second you don't live in a house, you live in a low-rent apartment complex. Third, I get inside your pad just like all the burglars do, through your bedroom window.

Sweet Dreams,

-Santa-

Longest post yet comment

Hannah wrote back:

Dana, awesome, awesome post. There's info out there but I think what I read from you covered a lot really well. I wouldn't be surprised if it gets linked to :) It was really helpful to see your cage design--one quick question, can you take it apart if you have to move?...

Anyway, again really great advice--maybe your next article should be on potty training bunnies--I've been trying and trying with Jameson but he'd much rather lie in his litter boxes and chill out than use them as litter boxes.

Y'r v welcome, Hannah. To answer your question, yes, the cage does not fit through doorways, as you can imagine, being 42"x42". So it separates vertically by each level. It is connected at these points (the four corners of the cage) with the little connectors that come with the NICs. It's steady and reliable and easy to take apart.

A quick note on litter training bunnies -- it's a lot easier if you put a box where they want to go instead of teaching them to go in the box where you decide to put it. I've done it both ways. If Jameson would rather lay in the box than pee in it, I'd say let him lay in it. If he pees in another box you have out, you may want to consider putting hay instead of litter in the box he lays in and litter in the one he pees in. That would keep both places as his hangouts, but would also distinguish the two spots. When they're bored, bunnies will chew on hay if there's enough of it. Always let there be enough of it for Jameson to munch on. Even if it's in the "useful" litter box, he won't eat what he's dirtied, so don't worry.

Since Jameson's a boy, you probably have found out already that you need a high-backed litter box for him. Boys tend to spray higher behind them than girls (who sorta tuck it under them).

More questions? Anyone? Bueller?