Snow challenge

They're saying a few inches of snow will fall here in the Boston area on Thursday. Here's a challenge to the kid in all of us.

My favorite sounds

In addition to the rain on the rocks outside my window (in no particular order)...

• Paul softly telling me a story and scratching my head when I have a migraine
  
• Bunnies honking when I'm holding them or when they're eating their salads
  
• The satisfying crunch of bunny salads at night
  
• Bunnies sneezing
  
• The ocean breaking rhythmically against the shore
  
• A baby's babble
  
• Snow falling
  
• My niece or nephew yelling my name as they run to give me big hugs when I greet them
  
• My parents telling me they love me

What are some of your favorite sounds? Comment and tell me.

Greetings, Angela!

So I was at Gymboree Saturday morning (babysitting my favorite little 14-month-old boy) and I got talking to a woman who seemed normal at first... She was talking about how she was rearranging all the baby furniture in her house, as her twins are now too old for the infant paraphenalia. (Hi, Samantha and Peter!) She mentioned -- I'm sure she thought, in passing -- that the basement had bunnies in it. Up perk McCurley's ears... "Bunnies?" says me. "I have bunnies."

The convo, as you can imagine, went downhill from there (and by downhill I mean into the warren). We both have four, we both detest people (sorry, but c'mon, get a clue, people!) who keep their bunnies outside in hutches and we both have gotten more bonded to a bunny than we care to admit, especially after said special lagamorph passed away. Hers was named Jessica. It was a great conversation. But it proved once again that us bunny lovers are everywhere. You never know, you could have a bunny lover in your neighborhood...

Anyway, I spread the word about BunnyBlab to Angela and asked her to post her stories -- truly the more, the better. So I wanted to give a quick shout out and say Hi, Angela!!! and I hope she finds this site.

At the end of class, we were all aiming for the little shoe area and Angela told her husband, "This is Dana. She has four bunnies, too." Her hubby goes, "So you're not the only nut." Good to know we all get made fun of by those who love us.

Oh, BTW, Joe's mom goes to Gymboree on Wednesdays. To answer your question...

Google ads and FTP

Oh, see, now, that's just funny... I moved my blog over to BunnyBlab.com and now the ads that show up (I'm sure they'll be different when you read this post) next to the post are FTP links. Ah, good ol' reliable FTP! FileZilla is my friend...

Tried for about an hour or two the other night to get this sucker over here to BunnyBlab, but gave up. Blogger was spitting out errors like nutters. We couldn't figure out the problem to save our lives.

Today, at work (secret revealed!!!), I tried and the puppy went right up. Beginner's luck, what can I say?

On BunnyBlab.com

Yes, it's true. I've gotten my own domain for this little obsession (it's only an obsession if you ignore other things in your life, so technically it's not an obsession) of mine. Go to BunnyBlab.com for the continuing saga of what was formerly (and originally) known as Bunny Lovers Unite!

Sneezing fits

With the dust of litter and the dust of hay and all the general dust around a bunny's domicile, it's no wonder that every now and then the little guys get some dust up their nose. Well, this afternoon, Kayla, my teeniest kid at barely 3 pounds, had a sneezing fit that lasted -- no joke -- a full three minutes. She was sitting on her legs, rubbing her nose with her hands, sneezing about once a second for a long time. She concerned Hops so much that he came out from under the bed and hopped up into the cage with her to check to see if she was okay. I myself was kneeling by the cage to make sure she could, in fact, sneeze out whatever was tickling her nose.

It was so. Wicked. Cute. A teeny bunny having a sneezing fit.

Now for the really valuable bunny info... sometimes sneezing fits aren't funny with bunnies. Sometimes it means they have a bacterial infection, that is, if it's accompanied by a runny nose, watery eyes, or a rattling sound from the lungs.

Most of the time, however, a sneezing fit is just a sneezing fit. And the bunny doesn't get too upset and is ready to settle down into a good long nap after it ends. It was pretty cute to see Hops get so concerned and come over and sit by Kayla when she was sneezing like a maniac. He even kissed her when she stopped. He's such a love.

Abbott and Costello in the computer age

My wireless network at home is having issues, so I find this kind of thing especially funny today... (BTW, I didn't write it, I'm just relaying it.)

If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, "Who's on First?" might have turned out something like this:

COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue "W."

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue "w" if you don't start with some straight answers, OK, forget that. Can I watch movies on the Internet?

ABBOTT: Yes, you want Real One.

COSTELLO: Maybe a real one, maybe a cartoon. What I watch is none of your business. Just tell me what I need!

ABBOTT: Real One.

COSTELLO: If it's a long movie, I also want to watch reels 2, 3 and 4. Can I watch them?

ABBOTT: Of course.

COSTELLO: Great! With what?

ABBOTT: Real One.

COSTELLO: OK, I'm at my computer and I want to watch a movie. What do I do?

ABBOTT: You click the blue "1."

COSTELLO: I click the blue one what?

ABBOTT: The blue "1."

COSTELLO: Is that different from the blue "w"?

ABBOTT: The blue "1" is Real One and the blue "W" is Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: But there are three words in "office for windows"!

ABBOTT: No, just one. But it's the most popular Word in the world.

COSTELLO: It is?

ABBOTT: Yes, but to be fair, there aren't many other Words left. It pretty much wiped out all the other Words out there.

COSTELLO: And that word is real one?

ABBOTT: Real One has nothing to do with Word. Real One isn't even part of Office.

COSTELLO: STOP! Don't start that again. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!


(A few days later)

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. May I help you?

COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT: Click on "START"...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Just wanted to honor all the lovers out there as I celebrate the day dedicated solely to every brand of love. Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday except Christmas, by far.

If you're so inclined, comment and share your stories of love and devotion (as if this isn't being done to death on the Net today) or the first time you fell in love with a certain person (relationships like ones we have with children and babies are more than welcome).

Since the word "lover" is in the title of this blog, I think one of my big loves is quite obvious. Let me leave it at that this year...

Tease

Eh. I've been called worse. :-)

Just wanted all of you to know that coming soon is a site called BunnyBlab.com, on which will be my blog (this sucker's moving, folks!) and some other very exciting social media format. Okay, okay... I'll give away the secret because I wanna: I'm starting a podcast on bunny basics. At least that's what the first 10 or so will be about. There is, as I reported a few posts ago, a serious lack of not only lagamorph podcasts, but on animals and pets in general. So I'm going to fill a hole and we'll see where it goes. (To the moon, Baby, to the moon!)

The downside: I have to actually speak on these 'casts and I hate how my voice sounds when it's played back to me from a recording. So while I try not to hurl (too much) while listening to myself, hopefully others won't think it's so bad. I've had recent torture in this area, as I got a (so wicked freakin' cool) digital video camera for Christmas and have had the special privilege of listening to festivities on New Year's Eve and a bit on my recent trip to Phoenix. I like the idea of narrating a vid, but seriously -- I need to buy a new voice. Everyone I share this with says, "No, I think you're nuts. I really like your voice." Well, would THEY like to listen to themselves recorded? Oh, well, I'm sure I'll get over it. I mean, people get used to all sorts of horrible things about themselves that they can't change, right? ;-) As if it's that important... I'm a vain, vain girl.

So stay tuned for the BunnyBlab podcast series. Or will it be the Bunny Lovers Unite! podcast series? I haven't quite decided yet. It's a girl's prerogative. I'm planning on many other cool linking techniques between the blog and the series.

Are bunnies good pets for kids?

A question recently arose: Are bunnies good pets for kids? Yes. And sometimes no. They are great, if you understand them and your kids understand them and if you're not going to make your children be the "parents" and rely on them to be responsible and take care of them. Like all animals, bunnies have to be understood. Some children take very nicely to gentle play (as I'm sure your two girls will, Kevin) and see that cornering a bunny without a certain trust between you two will result in one pissed off lagamorph. That being said, bunnies play and create games; understand not only when humans laugh, but how to make them laugh; know how to tease; understand rewards and boundaries; will abide by rules, but take pleasure in breaking them in front of you if you're watching just to engage you; and some love cuddles and pets (mostly on their own schedule, of course), but some prefer to be left alone.

The House Rabbit Society has a great section on bunnies and children, but here are my cursory (more personal) suggestions for introducing bunnies into a house with children:

• I'd start off with one bunny. Rabbits are social animals and will bond with your family better if they don't have another bunny to cuddle with and play with. They adopt humans readily as human-shaped bunnies if they're the only bunny in the house. That being said, eventually if your kids take the new little fuzzy for granted and taper off on the attention they give him/her, you'll want to seriously consider getting a friend for your bunny. No one likes to be lonely, and a sad rabbit isn't a very healthy one, generally speaking.
  
  
• Think about getting a mini rex. Not only will your children (if they're very young) learn very quickly the value of "soft petting," but one of the traits of the breed is that they love to be petted. They will seek you out not only for company, but for physical affection. I've never heard of a recluse rex. The mini rex as opposed to the rex is just much more "handleable" than their bigger cousins, especially if your little girls would like to learn how to hold and carry a bunny. Bunny enthusiasts often recommend mini rexes as the best first rabbit, even for people without children. Amber, my first, was a mini rex and I was hooked on him the first time I held him; I was hooked on bunnies by living with him for nearly three years.
  
  
• Don't rely on them (as stated above) to be the primary caregivers of the bunny. The games and toys and feeding part is always fun; the litter box cleaning gets old quickly. Kids can be taught responsibility very well with a pet, but if the kid fails, the pet shouldn't have to fail, too. Make sure there are clear duties assigned and that the children take part in both the "work" of having the bunny as well as the "play" of it.
  
  
• I'd either recommend a baby (from a pet store -- yes, shoot me, rescue people, but the pet store babies I've gotten have all been much more cuddly and personable than the rescues I have) or an older (read: non-baby) rescue rabbit.
  
  If you get a baby bunny, but make sure the place you get him/her from has proof that the bunny is at least 8 weeks old. In my experience, younger bunnies bond like glue to the human who gets them, they really shouldn't leave their mothers before 8 weeks. Some experts say 6, so that would also be okay, though not preferrable.
  
  If you opt for a rescue bunny, be sure to research as best you can and understand the implications of their past. Twins who were left in the middle of winter in a box next to a dumpster (as Ariel and Kayla were in 2000) may not be the cuddliest or the most interactive and therefore may not fit what your kids want in a bunny. Bunnies like this are very grateful for a reliable, warm, safe, quiet home and the companionship of the other twin and don't so much look to humans for daily games. Bunnies like this may be better in a house without children, although they do respond well to people when they're out of their own comfortable home.
  
  Case in point: When I am at my parents' house and I need to clean Ariel and Kayla's cage, I put them in the upstairs hallway and let them run around. I close the doors to the bedrooms so that the run room they have is safe for them (and for the cords and books and beds and such in the rooms). My dad, who just loves holding and petting Hops (Hops is Grandpa's little man and loves being held), usually takes this time to bond with the girls and keeps them company in the hallway. This past Christmas, my dad tried bribing friendship from the girls with raisins. They're too smart for that. They ran around him, sniffed the raisins, but generally didn't think any better of him for giving them treats. Also, they were too busy exploring. Then my dad lay down on the rug of the hallway and became part of the scenery to explore. The girls were climbing on his legs and after a good bit of discovery on their part, nestled down for pets from him. Now, for anyone who's met my dad (except maybe my mom!), he's really a likable guy. But it also says something about how older bunnies (my twins just turned 5 years old in December) react to people even when there's not a cage between them.
  
  
• Let your child or children meet the bunny before you make a committment. Bunnies, like children, all have different personalities, so make sure that your kids and the prospective bunnies like each other before you elect to make them members of your family. They don't have a choice of what their baby brother will be like, but they may have a choice as to what their pet will be like.

Those are the initial thoughts. Please post any questions you may have and I'll try my best to answer them.

Sorry I've been so lax, for those of you who check BLU regularly, but I've been busy. And sick. For a while. Hopefully, the next two days will return me to relative health, because I hear Phoenix is beautiful this time of year and I'd hate to be holed up in a resort (that is, in bed) while I could be hiking the desert.

God love liberals

I said in the beginning that this blog wasn't going to be political, but on some issues, I just can't refuse. The drilling in Alaska issue, for instance, is prime fodder, IMHO. If we're going to talk about loving animals, let's get serious.

So I came across (from the many animal-luvin' charities/organizations I'm a member of) this movie this week and almost snotted milk out of my nose (my brothers, Scott and Brett, will especially appreciate that reference) watching it. So glad ExxonMobil announced record-breaking profits in Q405 and that I had to scrimp to shell out the money for gas last year, along with every other automobile-owning person in America. My '97 Honda ain't what it used to be, and it certainly isn't my parents' Prius.