Mr. Hankey made a late Christmas visit

We had a few months with no visits from Mr. Hankey, but he came again this week.

Burp!

Odin got two double cheeseburgers from McDonald's today. He got two because when I got home, horrible, evil Stampy had gotten into my books and had chewed up my meditations book. The only book on the bookshelf designed to help me relax every day. So Stampy got yelled at and put outside (I know that you are not supposed to yell after they do something, but it infuriates me. I was only gone 4 hours and before I left we went on a one hour walk which included 15 minutes of running around the huge baseball field.) and then sulked and refused to come back inside. So Odin got both double cheeseburgers, and then I was moving the books into the safe guest room, and I was walking past Odin with a huge stack of books, and Odin actually said "Burp." He didn't just burp, he said the word "Burp." It was so funny I almost dropped all the books I was laughing so hard.
Sweet, perfect Odin. I needed to laugh right at that moment, and what is funnier than a dog who burps by saying "Burp"?

More photos

Great Presents and Mumbles Update

Mumbles was a present from mom from the Value Village. Stampy carried him around with his big flappy lips for a long time, and then one day was anxious about me being gone and ripped his head open and pulled out all his head stuffing. His head is gradually shrinking a little at a time.

Earlier this week, I was out in the backyard while he was in the house. I stood horrified and watched his huge lips, tongue, and teeth slime the back sliding door. I guess he was trying to eat his way through. He reminded me both of Little Otik and of what it would probably look like 20,000 leagues under the sea if you were being eaten by a giant octopus.

Stampy and Odin with my birthday toys from Aunt Jude

R.I.P. Bella

The animal exodus has continued. I saw Bella a couple weeks ago when I was leaving for work, and she never came home. She had been sleeping next to my head on the pillow, and seemed to be hanging out in the house a lot more. I put signs in all the neighbor's mailboxes, and one called to say he thought he saw her, but she never came home. She didn't show up at the pound either. I kept hoping they both just adopted a new home in the neighborhood, but I haven't seen either of them in any windows. Someone suggested that a racoon might be in the neighborhood and killed them. I am feeling really bad about the whole thing, and again like a horrible pet parent. I am going to wait until the summer, when Stampy is calmer, and then adopt an adult cat from the pound. Of the people I know who let their cats go outside, they accept that cats have shorter lives, but higher quality, more natural cat lives. It is better than life in a cage or being euthanized, I guess.

Stampy has been bad. He has been tearing stuff up. It appears to be anxiety, not excess energy, but I'm going to try, now that the daylight is increasing, to take him on a longer walk every morning. He's been clingy to me and pushing Odin around.