I am SO procrastinatey today! 😕

I am SO procrastinatey today! 😕

Picking up new kid Beyonce!

Theresa with Blu:

"Lady Pearl on her way to her new home where she will continue learning that not all humans are unkind. Have a great life, sweet Pearl!"

Picking up Scar for Laurel.

Theresa with Blu:

"Scar, on his way to his new home. He came a couple of months ago as a very sick stray, stayed in hospital for a bit, became more social and is a little sweetie. He will make a great furbaby."

Koopa News!

Koopa News!

So I've had issues with my baby climbing the walls of his tank no matter if he's in glass or plastic or what.  SO, I decided that I would drip water on his head when he does, if for no other reason than to distract him.  Just for the record he's supposed to drink water daily that way - it's not like that is a punishment of any sort.  Since I've had him I've been dripping on him sporadically throughout the day trying to get him to drink, but he doesn't always.

So... over the last few days I've been really paying attention and have noticed that when he climbs the walls and I drip on him, he drinks.  Every. Single. Time.  And then he usually goes and lays down afterwards - no more wall-climbing.  I do believe that I have been trained.  LOL  That is pretty fantastic.

Also, today for the first time ever I witnessed him eat a baby dubia roach.  He went for it with gusto!  I believe that he likes them!  So yay - no more stinky crickets!  He still needs ants to be ok, and he gets lots of them.  I make him eat his ants first before he gets any roaches for dessert.  Twice a day he eats about 25-50 ants, then I leave him some roaches to chase.  When I was giving him his roach dessert earlier, kind of a big one fell in there (well, big for him - it was about a half inch long), and before I could scoop it out, he ate it.  😳  It was almost as big as his head.  I'd prefer that he eat smaller ones, but I think he'll be ok.  I'll watch and make sure it doesn't stop his butt up.  LOL

Anyway, so far, so good.  I feel like I'm really getting to know him and I like him a lot.  Despite that douche lizard guy telling me I was stupid for buying him I have no regrets.  I think he's doing a lot better now that I have him, and that is really what was important to me all along.  I hope he continues to do well!  ❤

So I yawned the other day and...

So I yawned the other day and somehow hurt my jaw. Now it sounds like sand grinding on one side when I move it certain ways. It sometimes aches, but just barely. The sound is what's bothering me. How do I fix it?

Woohoo! Happy Day!

Woohoo!  Happy Day!

The awesome Jennifer sent me a bottle of Revlon's Secluded Beach.  She found one in her nick of the woods.  In return, I sent her some roaches.  😃

Jennifer - did they make it ok?

For serious?

For serious?  People are STILL talking about Miley Cyrus & Robin Thicke, and I don't get it.  They haven't done anything that every other performer hasn't done.  Why are all the comments being directed at those two, specifically?

People are picking this shit apart, calling Miley disturbed and "not herself" and talking about feeling bad for Robin's wife and how he's disgusting for letting her do that...  Really?  Just really?  As if any of you KNOW either of them and can legitimately make that call.  For the record, I suspected that Robin Thicke's wife saw what was going to happen in the rehearsals and was ok with it.  If you care to check out the link below, I was right.  Home girl knew she married a performer.  Comes with the territory.

And for the record, yes, I like their videos (We Can't Stop and Blurred Lines).  I don't see anything wrong with either of them.  It is entertainment, pure and simple.

On Blurred Lines, I like boobs and thought it was really nice to see them in a fun light - the words of the song might have some sexual innuendo, but the video wasn't overtly sexual to me - they were just dancing with their boobs out.  OH NO!  Not THAT!

And on Miley, her video is just like, what happens when you grow up.  Lots of people want to rebel and party.  Generally speaking, she's at the time in her life where most kids try (or have tried already) drugs and alcohol and sex.  While I wasn't into the whole drugs and alcohol thing, I think that's normal and yes, even ok, to experiment.  Late teens / early twenties is when most people have enough balls to try things.  I never did, but I don't hold it against anyone who does.

All in all, I don't think that their videos or their VMA performance is bringing on the end of the world.  So how about we all just chill the hell out and take it for what it is:  performance, and entertainment.  Just as with any other performance ever, either you liked it or you didn't.  I see no need to assign deep emotional meaning and commentary to it.  Can we move on now?

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/paula-patton-miley-cyrus-twerking_n_3822320

I do believe that I will look into...

I do believe that I will look into getting Colorblind Correcting glasses for my Shadow...

I still haven't gotten a good video of Koopa wagging his tail or eating.

I still haven't gotten a good video of Koopa wagging his tail or eating.  I do have a video, but Shaun says it's long and boring, so that negates the "good" part of it.  LOL  I will keep trying.

The funny thing is... I have to sneak up on Koop to feed him.  If he sees me he won't eat - he'll just stare at me.  Or climb the walls.  Whichever he's in the mood for, I guess.

I was feeding him over the weekend and I told Shaun to quietly lean over and look, and Koopa twisted his cute little head around and looked right at Shaun.  You could see it in his eyes:  "Aw HELL naw.  I'm not eating a THING until that big fool quits looking at me."  Then he squinted for good measure.  LOL

Message received, little buddy.  Your dinnertime is not to be our entertainment.

P. S.  I don't want to speak too soon, but he looks like he's filling out a little.  HOW EXCITING!  😃  He gets ants twice a day, and then I also leave some small crickets for him to chase while I'm at work.  He seems extremely uninterested in baby dubia so far.

What a long day! But, I have some good news. 🙂

What a long day!  But, I have some good news.  🙂

First of all:  Casper went home with a nice family today.  I'm not excited yet - here's hoping that he turns out to be a good fit.  If not, he will come back here.  But, the initial meeting seemed to go well, and I am optimistic.

The guy who took him (Josh) was SUPER nice.  We were about an hour late due to detours - Google maps did not tell me that roads are closed!  He was very understanding and his kids were really good, even though they are pretty young and were kept waiting.  Impressive.  😃  Casper got out of the car and promptly went to lick the children.  Josh didn't tell his kids that they might be getting a dog, so when he asked his son if he wanted to take him home it took a while to sink in.  He kept saying, "You're just kidding me."  LOL  Finally, he believed his dad and he got excited.  It was pretty cute.  🙂

So Josh opened the back of the car and Casper jumped right in.  I think that Josh will be really good for him.  He seems to have the patience and the time to put into Casper, and Casper was just EATING UP all of the attention.  Josh has a huge back yard and is near two dog parks, and he needs a walking / running partner, so I'm sure that Casper will get plenty of exercise and affection.  Paws crossed that it sticks!  😃

Then I went to Munford to deliver pet meds to mom and dad.  Got to see my brother again, and that was nice.  His cat Hannibal ATE the flea pill I brought him all on his own, and that was AWESOME.  Nobody likes forcing pills down cats.  LOL  Saw dad, and he had his bandage taken off last Wednesday.  I think he looks good.  He seems to be feeling much better and that is great news.  I'm taking him tomorrow morning to get the rest of his stitches out.  We will see what all the doctor says, but I think everything looks great so far.  😃

Also while in Munford I went to pick up my aunt and uncle's dog so that I can take her to the spay / neuter transport tomorrow.  I am going to keep this girl overnight and drop her off at the transport early tomorrow, then pick her up from the transport and deliver her home on Tuesday.  This offer goes out to anyone who needs a pet fixed:  If the transport is out of your way and you can't make it - LET ME KNOW.  If there is any possible way for me to do it I will make arrangements to drive your pet there and back home if I need to.  It REALLY IS that important that we get them fixed and end the overpopulation problem.  I am happy to help any way that I can!  🙂

And finally, we went to PetSmart to pick up Shaun's new baby, Ash (formerly known as Tabasco).  He's been making eyes at her for weeks.  Usually, IF we're ALREADY INSIDE the PetSmart he wants to look at the cats.  But lately, every time that we've been NEAR the PetSmart, he's wanted to go look at the cats.  I noticed that he's been finding more reasons to go in there lately.  LOL  So, I kind of had a feeling that he'd be getting her.  From the way everyone was talking she'd been there a while.  She's a cute little black torti with a dark and light side on her face, and the tip of her tail is light orange.  I'm sure he'll be putting up some photos soon.  🙂

So all in all, it's been a pretty big day.  I'm gonna wind down, try to feel better, take care of everyone here, then go check in on Shaun and his new baby.  I kind of feel like crap, so I might need to take some Ibuprofen or something.  My hands got some sun while I was driving (nothing else did because I was wearing jeans and a jacket), but that was still too much and I'm getting sick.  Yay for being a vampire!  😐

Nails I did late last night.

Nails I did late last night.  I'm gonna be honest - my original plan was something totally different, but after trying about 3 different times to make that work and HATING IT I gave up and did this instead.  It was easy, and it's fun and bright.  I really like the way glitters look, but they are such a pain to get off that I don't like using them often.  So, I generally reserve them for accents when I do use them.

This is a purple I use a lot - it's kind of my fall-back purple, so after I got frustrated I picked it up and thought "Whatever I do to this will be awesome because I like this color so much.  I just can't go wrong when I use it."  Then I saw my new glitter (by Finger Paints, bought recently at Sally's on clearance) and that thought it would go great.  Then I stamped my purples and I was happy.  😃

Dumpy Learning a Lesson

Dumpy Learning a Lesson

I've hesitated to upload this for days. I didn't want to be accused of torturing my baybay. He got into my bass drum, and was not being smart about getting out. For the record, the clear drum head is made of plastic, not anything hard. He was not being hurt.

Personally, I find it important that animals and children alike learn how to do things for themselves. I feel like learning things is hindered when someone jumps in and solves the problem for you WITHOUT GIVING YOU A CHANCE. For that reason, I did not help him get out. Now, if he'd been in there for more than a couple of minutes, or had started to panic, I would have helped him. I feel like it would have been cruel to leave him for a long time, or if he was really freaking out. However, he was not, and he got out by himself, and he's ok. And hopefully if he goes in there again, he'll remember how to get out.

All that being said, I do find this video funny. I hope that y'all can all laugh at it, too, because you know I'd never do anything to hurt or stress that child. He is so spoiled - I have hung up ropes and baskets and bought him towers and all kinds of stuff. I just love him so much. But sometimes loving someone requires you to be able to step back and let them learn.

Video

These guys make my day.

These guys make my day. Who can have a bad day when you have this cuteness to gawk at all the time?

Just finished cleaning out my roach tote

Just finished cleaning out my roach tote and am about to go treat my dogs for fleas.  We were lucky all summer... I don't know what happened.  Either way, it's about to be DEALT WITH.

Then I shall shower because HOLY SHIT.  I do not smell pretty.  LOL

Don't know what after that.  I would really like to eat and do my nails.  Sounds like a lovely evening to me.  😃

Cat peeps, do you have a favorite cat litter?

Cat peeps, do you have a favorite cat litter?

I was using Arm & Hammer, but I recently switched to Purina Tidy Cats (with the light blue lid), and now I really like scooping my litter box.  I mean - I always did, but now I REALLY like it.  Like, I wish the cats used it more so I could scoop it more.  😳

I know - I have a weird relationship with the litter box.  LOL  It's the simple things in life that make me happy.

Yesterday I didn't really eat all day.

Yesterday I didn't really eat all day.  Then me, Shaun, and Shadow went to Baja and PIGGED OUT.  So by the time I got home I was SO FULL, which to me equals SLEEPY.  So I just had to go to bed.  Before 10 o'clock on a Friday.  LOL

I am still full this morning.  And I got up wayyy early!

Well, what can I say? The girl loves shoes.

Well, what can I say?  The girl loves shoes.  Maybe a little too much... notice how wet her face is when she walks away.  😳

I've seen videos on YouTube of pet opossums loving up people they know in such a manner.  After seeing that in person, I am pretty ok with her just loving the shoes.  😛

Video

I don't know what the little dude on my ring finger is supposed to be, but...

I don't know what the little dude on my ring finger is supposed to be, but I thought he was cute! He didn't transfer too well... must be all of the thin lines. I still like him anyway! 😃

WHAT?! Koopa just ate 20-ish more ants.

WHAT?!  Koopa just ate 20-ish more ants.  Little baby was hungry tonight!  Despite his wall-climbing I'm feeling pretty optimistic about him.  I think if he was SUPER stressed, he wouldn't be eating, drinking, digging, or running around.

Wow! Koopa just put away probably 30 ants in one sitting!

Wow! Koopa just put away probably 30 ants in one sitting!  If we could do that a couple of times a day, he'd be getting his 50-100 ants a day, no problem!

Good boy!  I'll put some weight on him yet!  😃

Also, he looks to be about done with his shedding.  He used to look very gray / black / white, but now he looks more green.  I guess the blue-ness of his tote could be making me think he's colored, but I don't think so.

I am going to bed now, but...

I am going to bed now, but maybe y'all can help me with something.  Is there a good place to meet someone with a dog (Casper) in or near Sylacauga?  I don't know much about that place.

I'm officially now...

I'm officially now the mother of a high schooler. Woohoo!

And finally: One just for my trustworthy peeps. 🙂

And finally:  One just for my trustworthy peeps.  🙂

Did a LOT of re-arranging my house today.  To help minimize the stress on my lizard I moved Dumplin' out of my bedroom.  Honestly, when he gets all wound up and awake it's really hard to sleep with him in there.  So, it might be for the best.  He's now in the kitchen, which means that when it's time to let him out to play I don't have to walk him through a room with cats.  That has always made me very nervous, though it was a very short trip (less then 10 steps).  He's always been really good and stayed right on my shoulder when I was taking him from my bedroom to the game room, but it's always been in the back of my mind that he might just decide to explore one day and that would most likely be the end of him.  He's so fast that I don't think I could stop him.  🙁  I try to think safety first, so this new setup definitely eases my mind.  🙂

To make room for Dump in the kitchen I had to move my opossums.  To move my opossums I had to move my love seat.  There has been a LOT of moving things around today.  LOL  But, now I have the runt boy opossums in the living room with Nelly and the cats.  The cats don't bother Nelly, so I don't think they're going to bother these guys, either.  They haven't shown much interest.  I would really like for everyone to be able to hang out - supervised, of course.  I know that Nelly likes to come out and the cats leave her be, so maybe it will be the same with the boys.  I guess I will find out!  After they've had time to acclimate to the room and seeing the cats in there, though.

All in all it has been a busy day, but I'm pleased with the new house setup, and I hope that all of the animals are, too.  There is at least one who I know feels like a queen.  That would be Emma.  Home girl got the love seat and she's barely gotten off of it since Shaun put it in there.  😃  Spoiled doggie!  ❤

Pretty good day, I guess.

Pretty good day, I guess.  Saw my dad.  He says that he is feeling a good bit better today.  He was pretty groggy - I guess his pain meds keep him a little jacked up, but I know he'd be in a lot of pain without them.  So far, no complications.  He can't see to do anything because he can't wear his glasses.  Honestly, that would probably bother me more than the pain.  I HATE not being able to see.  LOL  But he's hanging in there.  I don't know when he'll be able to wear glasses again.  They cut him right across where they would sit, and that is where the skin graft is, so it might be a while.  😕

When I went to Munford I stopped and saw my mom and brother.  They had Cade's daughter, Lanah, over there.  I haven't seen her in a while, so it was nice to get to hang out with everyone.  I only wish I'd known she was going to be there - I would have taken some nail stuff and hooked her up!  She's 8 now, so she's into that.  😃  I told mom and Cade to let me know the next time she was going to be there.  That would have been so much fun!  She was busy doing other stuff this time, anyway.  Sewing with my mom, feeding the chickens, and watching Monster High.  That's some pretty neat stuff.  We also have a like of Justin Bieber in common.  Yeah, I can hang with an 8 year old.  LOL  I might have to grow old, but I don't have to grow up!  😛

My only real complaint for the day would be the cigarette smoke.  Everyone there smokes and I just feel like a whole lot of shit right now from it.  My head and my sinuses hurt.  I hope I don't get a sinus infection.  😕

Also, my baby boy starts HIGH SCHOOL tomorrow.  How exciting!  He's gone through a range of emotions (I know that big of a change is stressful), but I think he ended on excited, too.  😃  I have to get up early so I can get a photo of him!  😃

Just heard my baby Koopa tuck himself in.

Just heard my baby Koopa tuck himself in.  What a sweet sound.  🙂  I would love to get that on video one day (honestly, I would be happy to even just see it), but he only does it in the dark at bed time.

Little Koopa has had a big day.  I've moved him from his 20 gallon tank into a much larger Rubbermaid tote.  While that may not sound like much of an upgrade to most people I have read that totes are pretty good for reptiles who stress easily.  I have a few good reptile peeps who have also confirmed it with experience, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Koopa has been doing well, despite some asshat who doesn't know me telling me (and anyone who would listen) that I was going to kill him.  I guess it remains to be seen, but so far I'm pleased with how he's doing.  He has perked up considerably since I brought him home.  The one thing he was doing that was bothering me was trying to climb the tank walls.  I tried covering him with blankets, but that didn't seem to help.  The only thing I could figure was that it was a stress response of some sort, so I thought I'd change his enclosure type to see if that helped.  Well, it has - to an extent.  He still does it, but not nearly as much.

I was doing more reading about his species last night and I read that while some horned lizards will go after ants if there are a lot around, other species will not.  Shaun made him an ant dispenser yesterday before I read that, and he wouldn't go near it.  Too many ants on the stick at one time, I suppose.  I've found that he eats a good bit if I drop in a few ants at a time, right near where he is sitting.  As they warm up and start to move he eats them, so he doesn't have to chase them and I don't have to worry about him freaking out because there are too many moving at once.  Seems to be a win.  😃  I've read that adults should eat 50-100 ants per day and he is NOT doing that, but I am trying to get him there.  Also, he wags his frickin' tail when it's time to eat like that, so I will have my camera ready sometime in the next few days.  😃

I've been monitoring him closely for any signs of not doing well since he was supposed to be so hard to care for.  Not saying that I'm doing everything 100% perfect, but I'm certainly giving it my best shot and he SEEMS to be responsive to my efforts.

I don't know what this means, (or if it means anything at all), but he was shedding when I brought him home last weekend.  It was more crunchy and he had skin left on his horns and near his back legs.  He looked like he finished up and then immediately started again, but this time in the middle of his back, and it's not as crunchy.  I've been offering him water several times daily and he seems to really enjoy a nice soak in his little pool.  I'm wondering if he's just shedding there last or something.  Seems like a weird way for that to happen.

Either way I'm keeping a close eye on him.  I've done a lot today to hopefully relieve anything that could be stressing him, like figuring out that too many bugs at one time is scary, and making my room quieter, and changing his enclosure.  Hopefully all of that will pay off and he'll be with me for a good long while.  He is really such a neat little guy.  ❤

Crappy photo of a kind of crappy manicure.

Crappy photo of a kind of crappy manicure.  I guess it's not bad, but it's really not doing it for me.  I THOUGHT I was in the mood for dragonflies, but maybe not.

Not to mention that I did this last night and if you look at my middle finger, you can see where I broke that nail a couple of hours ago and glued it back together.  Also, on my pointer finger I have chipped and broken it, as well.  I do believe it is time to go and shorten my damn nails.  LOL

I didn't see this text from my dad yesterday...

I didn't see this text from my dad yesterday morning until pretty late last night:

"Ouch"

🙁  Heading to check on him shortly.  Poor dad.

So last night after work Shaun took me to Walgreen's.

So last night after work Shaun took me to Walgreen's.  I just sometimes like to go there because they have a lot of types of nail polish that other places don't carry.  So a little back story before I tell you what I'm going to tell you...

Revlon released a limited edition summer collection called Haute Tropics.  There was a color in that collection that I REALLY REALLY wanted called Secluded Beach.  I haven't been able to find any of that collection around here and I've been looking for months.  I assumed that it didn't come out around here and had pretty well given up on ever getting it.  I can't even find it online!

So I went in to Walgreen's and I saw - stashed by the cosmetics register in a small clear plastic tub - the Haute Tropics collection of nail polish by Revlon.  They had every single one of them EXCEPT Secluded Beach!  That was a such a huge bummer.  I got all excited, and then I got all bummed.  It was like, "Seriously?  Just, for real, that just happened?"

I'm not upset now.  I got over that pretty quick, since a week or two ago I decided that it was a useless search and that I shouldn't waste my time worrying about it.  But it does kind of make me want to hit every store in the area JUST IN CASE.  Maybe I have plans today.  LOL

Another high point to my day: Koopa poop!

Another high point to my day:  Koopa poop!  I was starting to get worried.  Nobody wants an impacted lizard.

Even though he's desert he has spent a LOT of time soaking in his water.  And he's eating.  Not as much as I'd like to see him eat, but maybe he'll work up to it.  🙂

Dad's home and resting.

Dad's home and resting.  They had to take some skin from his chest to close up his face.  He says that he feels weird, and his heels hurt.  No idea why his heels would hurt.  LOL  I'm just glad he's ok.  Maybe tomorrow I can get back to feeling normal.  It's been one hell of a week!

Now, to get some work done.  😳

P. S.  They got all of the cancer. 😃

Dad's surgery is today.

Dad's surgery is today.  The doctors are going to start operating at around 10 and he'll be under the knife for about 3 hours.  Part of that time will be spent removing the cancer, then another part of that time will be spent covering the hole.  Poor dad.  🙁  I can't wait until all of this is over.  ❤

Koopa's ants came in today...

Koopa's ants came in today, along with his Repashy bug dressing.  Both a day early!  Unfortunately, I fed him crickets this morning since I wasn't expecting his ants, so he's not hungry!  He's got a few in there, just in case he changes his mind.

He wasn't buried when I came home today (first time that's happened) and he is alert and running around.  I feel like that is a definite improvement over the last few days.  🙂

I was so exhausted last night that this was the best I could do.

I was so exhausted last night that this was the best I could do.  I did not have time for something that required actual work.

Wal-Mart has a bunch of new nail stuff.  That is where these decals came from.

I need lots of pretty images today.

I need lots of pretty images today.  I need to think pretty, happy thoughts.

So that reptile guy (or someone near him) tried to hack my Facebook.  Can't think of any other person in Texas would be doing that.  I'm still here, though, so I guess I'm fine.  Changed my password, obviously.  Not sure what else I can do.

Work was long and there was so much to do.  It's been a rough couple of weeks.  Between the computer issues last week (AT&T SUCKS!) and things picking up faster than I've been ready for, it's been kind of stressful.  Yuck.

And, saving the best for last:  My dad is having face surgery on Thursday.  I hope everything goes ok.  I haven't seen or heard from him since last weekend.  I should probably check on him tomorrow.

I think that's about it for me, Internet.  I'm so very tired.  And I haven't even eaten today.  And my nails are unpainted.  I think it's time to go and take care of MYSELF.  ❤

The dRaMA

You know, I will say that I believe in the cause of these organizations:  Wichita Falls Reptile Rescue and The Society for Horned Lizard Preservation (both run by the same guy, as far as I can tell).  I completely understand that spur-of-the-moment purchasing a lizard that I don't know much about is generally not the smartest idea.  HOWEVER, I bought him so that he could get the care that he needs and deserves, which it didn't seem like he was getting from the seller.  I didn't know that these little guys are often ganked out of the wild.  I would not have been happy with that.  Would that have stopped me from buying him?  I don't know, but it's not likely.  I don't really believe that it's the right thing to do to leave someone in a bad situation when there is another option.  If I hadn't bought him, some other person would have.  My point is that laws need to be put in place to stop the underground or illegal pet trade.  That is bigger than me.  And for the record, I did not break any laws by purchasing Koopa.  It is not illegal to buy or own horned lizards in Alabama.

All of that being said if I have knowledge of how to care for an animal that you have or that you want to have - I will tell it to you.  I WILL TELL IT ALL TO YOU because I care for that creatures well-being.  I think education is SO VERY important and I really feel like guilt-tripping people is counter-productive to any cause.  It makes people not want to deal with or support you.  I think that yes, VERY YES, some people are stupid and thoughtless and will just never get it.  But often when someone has tried to help an animal their heart is in the right place and they care.  That is a damn good foundation for a new volunteer or advocate.  Intentionally being rude just does no one any good - especially the animals.

So even though the following statement appears right in General Info section of the Society for Horned Lizard Preservation the guy has refused to help me because he doesn't like where I got the lizard and because he feels that I am emotional.  I think that's pretty crappy.  Check out his statement and see what you think:  "Each individual represents the whole of them, and is no less important.  This is how we will save them."  That being said, I find his actions to be very hypocritical.

After a few email exchanges where I felt that he was unnecessarily harsh I sent him this message:

"I'm not getting emotional on you.  I haven't taken anything you've said personally, but I will say that I've learned from experience that guilt-tripping people for not knowing something usually doesn't get anyone on your side, no matter how noble your cause.  The tone of your emails is harsh, and while I DO understand and YES, even agree with your position, I don't think that people generally want to deal with someone that is making them feel bad.  I believe that education is the most important thing, and you can do that without making people who have their hearts in the right place feel like shit for what they've done.  Those are the kinds of people that you actually have a chance at getting to be on your side.

I can deal with you and have chosen to overlook the tone of your emails because I know that passion for these animals is what drives a rescuer, but for dealing with the general public you might want to re-think the way you talk to people.  While you may be doling out much-needed facts there IS a distinct attitude in your messages that is not appealing.  If you were unaware, then you needed to know.  I will point out that this is not me being emotional and I am not trying to insult you.  You seem knowledgeable and like you genuinely care for these lizards, so that is just some honest feedback for you.

As for the money and the mail-order bugs, that's not a huge deal-breaker for me.  I did read that he needed ants that I would have to order before I bought him, so I knew that going in.  I have never before dumped an animal just because they took some work and effort and I will not start now.  My main concern is his well-being - as it always was.  Otherwise, it wouldn't have even crossed my mind to send him to you.

Seeing as how I've never shipped an animal, can you tell me how to do that?  Do you use UPS or Fed-Ex or US Mail?  Is there anything special I would need to do to pack him up?  What is the address that I would be sending him to?  And who are the people in ID?  I will check everyone out before I send him anywhere.  I guess I have a lot to think about.

In the mean time I'm going to PayPal you $20 for some ants.  Little guy needs to eat.  That is not a sure sign that I am keeping him, but it will give me a chance to mull things over and check everyone out.  I would appreciate it if you sent me all of the information I need for shipping, as well as some information on who would be rehabbing / releasing him if it comes to that.

Thank you for your time."

To which I get this gem in response:

"K you just went in the wrong direction with me. I read about two sentences. I'm not going to bother with the rest of this tripe. You absolutely are candy ass level emotional. If you feel "guilt tripped" then that's your goddamned problem, not mine. My job is not to make YOU feel better about your uninformed impulse buys, you nitwit. If you had any amount of real rescue and rehab experience you would have known better. I put out info as it lies, without any regard to how you want to take it. You want to get ass hurt? Be my guest. You'll now do it elsewhere. My email tone is not "harsh". The tone of my email is facts to someone who claims he knows better, but doesn't look like it from where I sit, so you need a good dose, and I don't give any little crap how you want to feel about it. I gave you direct factual information based on experience. It only shows that you have not the ability to process critical information which might make you "feel" bad. Grow a pair...then find yourself someone else to buy ants from. I select my customers. They don't select me. If this is you who paid the $20, I'm assuming for the manual, for the sake of this lizard I'll send it and then hope your ass reads it and learns something before you kill the lizard. As to anything else, your money and patronage is not welcome here again."

And I'M the emotional one?!  So then he goes on to shit-talk me on both of his Facebook pages.  That's lovely.  When I was Googling horned lizard care last night I kept seeing his user name in all of the forums and he was just as rude, mean, immature, condescending, and unprofessional there.  He claims he's the only person in the US who can care for these lizards and that everyone else is going to kill them because he's the one with the FACTS.  I've seen his YouTube page and while I'm no expert, he does seem to be good at what he does.  It's just so unfortunate for the animals that he has to act like such a douchebag.  🙁

I feel like if he really cared for all of the animals that he'd put the information out there in hopes that people would learn and do the right things.  His rescue is having financial difficulties according to one of his Facebook pages and all I can (sarcastically) think is "I wonder why?"

I have been debating about whether to buy his care sheet or not.  I'm leaning towards not and just taking Koopa to the vet if he doesn't thrive.  We have two of the best reptile vets not far away at all, so I'm not extremely worried.

To anyone who read this whole thing, congratulations.  The purpose of my post was to state my side publicly, since I'm being trash-talked elsewhere on the internet.  Every time I'd try to respond to any of his posts he just deleted it and blocked me, so I thought I'd come over here to my page and have my say.  And for the record, Mike, if you come over here responding this - I'll show you that I have the bigger balls by not removing your posts.  I'm not ashamed of anything I've said or done, but you certainly should be.

Update on Koopa:

Update on Koopa:  He hasn't eaten a thing, until today.  Reptiles unfortunately will sometimes stress and not eat.  He refused roaches this morning, but I brought him home some crickets and I saw him eat ONE.  He tried to eat a few others, but they got away.  He will NOT eat from tongs.  Either most of the crickets have hidden, or he's eaten a few more than I know about.

For anyone who isn't sure, let me just say that I AM aware that his main diet should be harvester ants.  I ordered some last night and they should be here by Thursday.  Maybe it seems stupid to buy a lizard that I can't immediately get food for, but I'm pretty sure the folks who were selling him were not giving him ants.  They couldn't tell me much about him at all, so I assumed that meant they didn't know things.  Usually reptile people are very excited about the animals that they have.

In any case, his diet has probably been all wrong for most of his life, as he is pretty thin.  If he can hang in there a few more days, I'll have him hooked up.  I also have an awesome reptile vet, just in case he doesn't perk up.

When I came home today, he was buried in the sand.  This time, he didn't even leave the tip of his tail sticking out.  I had to dig around to find him so I could get him to eat.  He didn't look so great when I woke him up, but I put him under his heating lamp and in his little pool to soak, and that woke him up.  As far as I know, he spent most of the evening in his pool.  That is where he was every time I checked on him.  I have a feeling that he's a little dehydrated (probably from not being fed ants) and he's been shedding since before I brought him home, so I'm sure he's been uncomfortable.

Anyway, he's just chilling out right now.  A lot of his extra shed has come off, and he's got at least one little cricket in him, so I hope he feels better.  I left his light on longer so he'd stay awake and eat, but I'm about to turn it off and then watch to see if I can catch him burying himself for bed.  I would love to see that.  😃

About to have some tea and...

About to have some tea and figure out where to get an ass-ton of Harvester Ants, and maybe even a queen.  Thought I'd found a great source, but that guy turned out to be a huge douche.  So, the search continues!

Well, I got little Koopa settled in.

Well, I got little Koopa settled in.  He's got some sand, in a nice big tank, and a UVB light.  I thought I had another heat lamp, but apparently I don't so I'll pick him up one tomorrow.

I didn't try feeding him since it was late when we got home and he didn't have any heat.  It wasn't long after I put him in that I heard a light "swish swish swish" only to look in there and not see him at all, save for the tip of his tail sticking up out of the sand.  He buried himself and went to sleep!  Poor baby had a long day.

I've been doing reading and research on and off all evening and it seems that these guys are pretty fragile.  So, no more holding and all that.  Stress is a big killer for them.  I found a site that will tell me which species he is so I emailed them a photo.  They have a lot of info about them and they have the best deal I've found on Harvester Ants, which is what his main diet should consist of.  So, as long as he'll eat the ants I'll go ahead and get some ordered.  He can eat other bugs, but he needs a special powder for that so I have some on the way.

I hadn't really planned to get another lizard - I just really wanted to go and check out Repticon.  But when I saw that little guy, he looked so neat and I just WANTED him.  Then, when I asked the people selling him all about him, they didn't have much to say.  Like, not at all, and that kind of worried me.  The most I got was, "He's kind of like a bearded dragon, but he eats ants.  He's about a year old."  Yes, they are both desert lizards, but they are NOT the same.  I don't know.  That just kind of bugged me and I loved him right away and he was the only one there.  All signs pointed to "Take him home and figure it out."

Also, he is shedding and I think that is a stressful time for them so having him out in public at that show was just really not nice.  Just not nice at all.  Oh well.  He's warm and quiet and resting now.  I hope he'll be ok!  ❤

Repticon 2013

Repticon 2013

Giant blow-up snake.

Cade being eaten by a giant blow-up snake head.

The stamp saying you can come back in - it's a chameleon! 😃

Giant ass frogs!

Her name is Delilah. 🙂

Her nose was like an elephant's trunk, kind of.

Neat little paws.

South American Coati, or quati. Play nibbles!

Beardie with a spiky collar.

New baby. Right before he jumped down and hauled ass. Rachel is a fucking ninja. She caught him for me.

Baybay is a horned lizard. I haven't settled on a name yet.

He was the only one at the whole show. He was also cheap. Probably because they are a little difficult to keep alive.

What an awesome day.

What an awesome day.  Reptiles, fuzzies, NAIL POLISH, and good peeps.  Can't get any better than that.  I'm not usually a photo-poster, but I will post some soon.  I just gotta get a little certain someone new settled in.  ❤ _ ❤

Definitely gotta do this again, Shaun, Laurel, Emily, Rachel, Shadow, and Cade.  ❤

Lizard times! 😃

Lizard times!  😃  I told the girls I'd bring them back lots of new bugs!  Woohoo!  😃

Ready for Repticon! Woohoo!

Ready for Repticon! Woohoo! This is one of the reptile patterns that I have. I think I have around 4 more. They are all a little different.

So... a general rule of stamping is to use a flat color and either a metallic or something shiny - not both. It's totally fine to do two flat colors because they'll show up, but when you get two shinys going, it usually makes your patterns hard to see, but in this case I wanted something kind of subtle so I went for it.

So my base is a beige-y color with gold glitter flecks and I stamped with a pretty gold / green / purple color flipping polish, so sometimes my pattern really jumps out, and sometimes it blends in. These are really nice in person. I can't ever just leave it well enough alone, so I pierced a nail and glued some studs on the thumb. Ahh, that's better. 😃

The last paint job I did was a total rush and I didn't even post it because my son was like, "Those are boring." LOL It was just a flat color with some decals from Wal-Mart. I was short on time the night I did those. Anyway, I guess there is just a level of craziness that everyone has come to expect from my nails. I have STANDARDS, damn it! 😃

Well, I just experienced my first REAL squirrel bite.

Well, I just experienced my first REAL squirrel bite.  It's not so bad.  I mean, it is deep and it is bleeding, but it hurts less than I thought it would... for now.  LOL  He got me on the palm side of where my pointer finger connects to my hand, right on that vein.  It's been bleeding a lot off and on.  I'll give it until later today before I freak out.

In Dumplin's defense I stuck my hand in his cage after he gave me a warning chatter.  I know that sounds stupid (and I guess it was), but he chewed a hole in his new water bottle last night, (and a hole in his old one on Saturday), so I was giving him a dish of water until I could get a new (hopefully chew-proof) water bottle today.  He didn't understand that, though.  All he knew was that I was invading his space even though he told me not to.  I guess that seemed pretty rude and I don't hold that against him.  I should have listened to him, but instead I thought "I'll just give him this water real quick."  A lot of good that did - seeing as how he's knocked it over already.  I think he'll have to rough it today until I'm home after work with his new bottle.  Poor little spoiled indoor squirrel.  LOL

Well, that is a lesson learned.  It doesn't hurt much yet, but I'm sure my hand is gonna ache like whoa later.  And that is just what I get for not listening to what he said.  Bad Blu!  I will definitely pay attention next time, little buddy.  ❤

I think I just invented THANGRY.

I think I just invented THANGRY.  Tired + Hungry + Angry.  LOL

I am SO heading to bed now.  I'm no good for anything.

Barney and Fred

I can't tell which from this angle, but this is either Barney or Fred who is sleeping so soundly with all of his glory hanging out. LOL I love his little hands and feet-hands. They are so precious when they sleep!

Fred in the front, Barney in the back. I will never get tired of watching them sleep. They just crack me up!

So... they won't sleep on anything but puppy pads. I give them nice soft fleecy blankets, and they'll drag a pissy puppy pad up from the bottom floor to sleep on. I've given up. They now sleep in a nest of clean puppy pads. Whatever floats their boats. LOL

Nelly Beans!

I'm about to talk about Nelly Beans (Penelope Opossum) tonight.  She was up walking around in her crate, so I opened the door to see if she'd like to have a walk around the living room.  She was into that!  She walked for maybe 20 minutes or so, then got thirsty and went back into her crate.  She seemed to enjoy being out and exploring.  I closed her door because I can't watch her all night, but I think I will try to do that every day.  That is the most I've seen her move in months.

The cats didn't seem to mind her and she didn't seem to mind them, either.  I think it would be great for her if I could end up leaving her loose with them, or at least unsupervised for chunks of time.  She could really use the exercise and I hate to leave anyone caged 24/7.

I don't know if it was the change of scenery that prompted her to get up and get moving or if changing her diet has made her feel better, FINALLY.  Whatever it is, I'm happy for her.  And on that note, it's time to go cook for those awesome marsupials.  I've been promising them eggs for days!

4/7 dogs washed.

4/7 dogs washed. Laundry started. I think it's about time to call it a night!

Gotta wash a few dogs tonight.

Gotta wash a few dogs tonight.

Laurel - I'm telling them it's all your fault.  You shall be on the receiving end of the stink eyes!  o_O

My boring-ass nails from this weekend.

My boring-ass nails from this weekend.  I must really be in a nail funk.  LOL  I thought that since it was sunny I'd wear a holographic polish, but it's not playing nice with the sun.  It weirdly shows it's holo effect more indoors, which is pretty unusual.

Janet picked out my design for me.  I was just tired and not in the right frame of mind to be creative.  I had to have some help.  I already know what I'm wearing this weekend, but if I change my nails before then I'm gonna have to dig through my nails "to do" folder for inspiration.  This kind of sucks.  😕

Janet's nails from this weekend.

Janet's nails from this weekend.  She did the painting and clean-up and I did the stamping.  I really like her choice of color and stamps.  Mine were MUCH less creative.  I should have let her design my whole manicure.  She did pick out my stamp for me.  I was just having a brain-fart moment.  LOL

When I should be doing things I don't want to do...

When I should be doing things I don't want to do, letting my squirrel buddy out to exercise is always a good reason to neglect my chores.  Better to neglect my chores than him, right?

I've had a lovely evening with my Dumpy.  He played briefly, but I think he tired out pretty fast.  It IS kind of late.  Tired Dumpy = Lovey Dumpy.  Usually petting means it's wrestle time, but tonight I got in all kinds of lovvins.  Back scratches, neck scratches, lots of head and neck kisses.  He even laid down and rested on my leg for a moment.  Usually he's busy darting around at the speed of light, trying to peel my fingernails off and looking for things to chew and wrestle.  But tonight, he mellowed out after some wrestling and running, and it was just nice.  Reminded me of when he was a baby and always wanted to be right with me.  Before he could move so fast and I was all he knew.  Sometimes I miss that.  Hell, sometimes I miss that with Shadow, too.  Too bad they all grow up so fast.  😕

I just love my kids.  ALL of them.  ❤

I just don't want to do anything...

I just don't want to do anything that I'm supposed to be doing right now.  I'm so bad.  😛

Long day, but good.

Long day, but good.  Got up at 3 am to go with mom and Shadow to get my brother Cade and his cat Hannibal from the airport in Atlanta.  Thanks, Cassey, for taking us through Atlanta in your sweet new ride.  😃

Went back to Munford for a few, then headed home to take care of my ani-pals, then off to work I went.  I was drowsy, but got a lot done.  The busier I stayed the less I noticed that I was really sleepy.  LOL

After work, I went back to Munford for dinner and to visit and get my kid AND TO NAP.  LOL  I'm always crazy sleepy after I eat, so there was no way I was making it home without some sleep.  Shaun is awesome because he let my dogs out for me after work so I didn't have to go back to Anniston before Munford.  Yay for saving time and gas!

All in all, it's been a really good day.  I am beyond psyched to have my brother home.  Of course mom is, too, and Shadow REALLY is.  Cade always helped me with Shadow when he was a baby, so as stereotypically redneck and messed up as it might sound he was kind of my kid's first dad figure.  He means a lot to us and I just don't know if he really knows that.  I mean, I told him I was so excited to see him that I wanted to bash my head into his head, so I don't know how much more obvious I can get, but hey, I tried.  😃

Got my brother back today. FOR GOOD.
I am so EXCITE! 😃

For anyone who doesn't know, my brother has been in the Army for 8 years. He's survived two tours in Iraq and we are just glad to have him home. He's got some wear and tear from it all, but he's alive and well and I'm just so thankful for that. ❤

Giant ass fake ants in the Atlanta Airport. What is that ABOUT?!

I've never been happier...

I've never been happier to be suddenly awakened at 3 am. 😃