Remembrance and Reflection how Allied

Dear Parrots,

STOP YOU ARE DRIVING ME CRAZY!

Sophia: That was my breakfast. Don't eat it! Don't take my pen. Stop eating my buttons. Don't dangle from my hair! No, you can't chew my glasses! Get off of my head! Don't nip my toes! They aren't toys! Don't dangle from the wires! You aren't Tarzan!

You may play with: the keys, any one of your millions of toys; the cap to my water; my hair clip.

You may not play with: the scissors; my mp3 player; my phone cord; the phone; the mouse; the keyboard; the glue; the buttons on my shirt; the phone; my bra strap; the camara; my sheet music; my earings; my necklace; the phone.

Athena: STOP EATING EVERYTHING ON MY DESK! I NEED SOME OF THOSE THINGS! Don't bulldoze into my head when flying! My head is not a landing strip! Don't bite me when I make you move! Stop chewing everything in site! Stop rolling upside down as an excuse to bite! Don't say "Up! Up! Up!" incessantly when I put you in your cage!

You may play with: any one of the millions of toys we've gotten you; the keys; the cap to the water bottle.

You may not play with: the stapler; my expensive resume-paper; the BAR LOAN CHECK; the scissors; my How to Draw Fairies book; the resume and coverpage I just printed; my Bar study guides; sketching pencils.

Spinksy: DON'T EAT MY EGG IT WAS MY BREAKFAST! YOU HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT OPTIONS OF KITTY FOOD BECAUSE YOU ARE SO PICKY! NOW GO EAT ONE OF THEM!

Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.

The Management (aka Mom)

(For the record, Athena is a 1 year old African Grey, Sophia is a 2 year old Cockatoo, and Spinksy is a 3 year old itty-bitty cat)

It's a lovely Tuesday morning. I have an hour before I have to get ready for school. The sun is shining. The weather is beautiful. Music is playing... I have some work to do before I go. Usually my sliding door would be open, so I could appreciate the beauty of the morning.

It's not today. Why?

Because there exist in my house two terrorists of the feathered nature. And lately, they have been *driving me crazy.* They think being on Mom is better than being *anywhere else in the whole world.* Mom does not agree. When I put them on the patio to play, they fly in through the open sliding door and onto my head. Sophie usually says, "Hi! HI!" And then proceeds to chew on my hair. I like my hair. This isn't endearing. When I finally get her off of my head, she searches desparately for buttons, zippers, bra straps, anything to chew on mom. Failing that, she examines her options on the desk--mouse wire, books, pens. She's very resourceful, ignoring completely the $100 worth of toys I spent last month trying to find *other, better, parrot-related* things to play with. Not interested.

After Soph lands on me, Ath's usually not too far behind. She isn't quite as graceful in flight, more dive-bombing and tumbling into whatever she's aiming for. But she gets there, and that's all that matters to her. She immediately goes for the fake plant on my desk. I usually wouldn't mind, but, well, I'm tired of vacuuming 3x/day b/c I can't stand the floor to be messy while I'm working! Failing the plant, she works on chewing through binders, books, papers... the more expensive-looking and irreplaceable, the tastier.

Sometimes I try to put them in their cages. They should learn to play alone, right? Problem is the guilt. Truthfully, they play alone a good 3 days/week--all day. They're experts. The other problem is Soph. I've trained her to "knock" politely when she wants out. And when I'm in the room, she wants out. So she knocks. incessantly. And I'm afraid she'll unlearn knocking and resort to screaming. (Or I'll resort to screaming if I listen to knockknockknock incessently for hours.)

So they are outside. And they show their disdain for not being allowed in by landing on the white trellis that's lying against the door. Or by landing on James's orchids, right in front of the trellis, and chewing them to bits, all the while glaring at me. "If you'd just let us in, this wouldn't be a problem."

Ah well. My terrorists aka the feathered mob. 

Dear Sophia,

Please stop flying onto my head. I do not like it when you mess up my hair (even if it's only a 30-second hair-do), and I'm nervous you will poop on my head. I do not need a life-size G2 headpiece. My hair is fine the way it is. I don't like other decorations--especially when they move and scream.

Also, when I demand that you get off, stop grounding your little claws tighter around my hair and ducking lower. You WILL come off. I am bigger than you and I control the treats. If you nip me again you'll be roast Cockatoo for dinner.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation on this matter.

After 17 hours of sleep... I live! :) 

I had my oral argument yesterday. I was convinced I would completely humiliate myself. I figured I'd done it all wrong. Again. Errrrnt! I was the bomb! After I figured out how to speak English (my capacity for language diminishes with lack of sleep), I was all over those questions! Woot! Can't touch this!! 

Went to the immigration courthouse to do my observation exercise... Met a sleazy and creepy lawyer from West Palm. I seriously thought, when he walked in the courtroom, that he was mentally challenged from the way he walked and appeared. I guess not! I think he was hungover and high! What a weirdo! He walked me out, gave me directions to get home from downtown, and his card... told me to call him sometime (ugh, hello! married!!! and if not still no way!!) 

Got home at 6:30, "took a nap" and woke up today at 1:00pm. :) 

Was supposed to work on my bar app today... not gonna happen. I'm tired. I want chocolate. I want to clean. I want to make a yummy dinner. I want to hang out with M at B&N. So that's teh order of the day. I'll do my bar app tomorrow. (blah)  Also, in the class action the judge ordered us to show cause on why we didn't get notice... and I think she's going to continue with the scheduling conference tomorrow... double blah. The gov't responded in my other case... and we have until Tuesday to submit our reply... Supposed to visit the fam Sat-Tues. Busy weekend ahead.

In other news, Sophie's discovered her shadow... And Athie steals (and then drops) Soph's keys. I love these two goofy girls!

I took some pictures of Sophie and Athie on the patio this afternoon. They were so cute! (That is, until Athena nipped poor Sophie's toe and then bit me. She went into Time Out for the rest of the afternoon until J got home and rescued her :)

These are mostly Athie pics because I have so many of Soph I wanted some pretties of Athie.

Here are some pics of Sophie and Athena!

Athena and Sophia are so funny! Sophia keeps adopting little baby traits of Athena's, and Athena tries to copy Sophie's big girl traits. Usually pooping isn't a big deal over here with Sophie. Go on the basket and poop. She's potty trained. We don't think too much about it. Well. Now she's doing it Athena style -- wiggle her butt backwards, squat, and go. Grr! We got extra-super treats for proper potty behavior and are going all out when either of them does it in the right spot. LOL.

Sophie's also begun crying Athie-style. Which is actually nicer because it's quieter *G*

On the other hand, Sophie gets in trouble for climbing off of her play gym. Athena was pretty good for a while, but now she's determined the play gym is optional as well. Only, because she had wings, she'd fly off -- and onto everything. We clipped her wings and have a new Time Out bin -- a large clear bin that Athie slept in when she was a baby. When they climb down without permission it's into the bin they go! Athena sine wings is a much humbler CAG!

Oh, and our house is a much nicer house with only one kitty inside (and the rest on the enclosed patio). They seem to like it better out there, too. Spinks keeps whining to join them!