I am writing this blog to the soundtrack of Need For Speed Most Wanted and children giggling and playing in high pitched sounds. For those of my readers who I am NOT staying with, I am at my brother's house. My sister-in-law graciously invited me to stay with them to give me a chance to get my feet planted and have a break. It was something I very much needed.
This time away from home and school has been lovely and I have gotten to know my amazing sister-in-law sooo much better. I have always known that she is an amazing person but after spending almost two weeks with her I KNOW it. In speaking with her I have begun to think about my future in a different way. I can make my own choices and whatever choice I make I will have family and friends that will support me.
I am excited to announce that I will be joining the collaborative team on a new blog. It is a jump off from a Facebook group H.A.Ters. When things get cooking over there I will add it to my links and such, so keep an eye out.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
By Request
So this blog has been percolating for about a month. Not necessarily in blog form but I figured since I was putting the time into it I may as well blog it. Also, I am procrastinating on packing I thought I would finish it. A friend of mine recently asked for my advise on what pet to get her daughter. I guess she thought I was the right person to ask because I love animals and children and spend enormous amounts of time on the internet...or something. Her daughter is almost eight, the family has never had a pet, they don't have a fenced backyard, and the dad is allergic to cats. with these facts in mind I began my search.
I love pets, if I could get away with living in a zoo I would. I think raising children to respect and admire animals is the way to go but safety needs to come first. Children cannot be held solely responsible for their pets, they are only children, but I believe it is important to give kids something to take care of, and a pet works wonderfully.
Here is a break down of my recommendations:
Fish: I love fish for kids, they are fun to watch and and based on the type need relatively little care. However based on the tank and type of fish the water needs to be changed and filters and tanks cleaned which is something that a child shouldn't and probably can't do on their own. Also children aren't able to exactly cuddle or interact with fish in the way they could with a dog.
My top recommendations for fish bearing in mind price and availability are bettas or goldfish. For more information about bettas visit thiswebsite. I would recommend keeping bettas in small tanks, not a vase or something like that unless you can keep the temperature warm, 75 degrees or above, as they tend to get sluggish or even ill if kept at lower temperatures. Although, if you keep your house warm enough it may work. Goldfish are my other recommendation. You can find some really good information on them here The temperature for gold fish isn't as important, but they are messy so they need about 10 gallons per fish you are planning on keeping. part of the water needs to be changed frequently but I haven't found it necessary to use some of the additives mentioned on the site. You can feed them flakes of any type of "goldfish food" it is also fun to put bits of other foods in the tank like frozen peas or other vegetables, they gobble it up!
Rodents: I personally don't know much about rodents but in doing my research I found that some rodents are better than others although kids need to be supervised with all animals. One that seems particularly good is the Guinea Pig. There are many different types of coats and colors. They have very specific dietary needs but once you get those correct they stay fairly healthy. For more information look here. Guinea pigs are recommended because children can handle them and they rarely bite, and they make cute noises and will learn to recognize you and whistle or talk to you when they hear you coming. Their cages need to be clean fairly frequently but it isn't very difficult. Rats are also a popular choice but they tend to be messy and can easily escape for a young child I don't recommend them. Hamsters are my other recommendation they are curious and active and fun to watch. for information on look here. The dwarf varieties are cute but as they are small they tend to be easily frightened and bite more frequently. There are plenty of cage option but things to bear in mind are ease of access, security (if a hamster can fit its head through it can escape), spaciousness, and ease of cleaning.
I love pets, if I could get away with living in a zoo I would. I think raising children to respect and admire animals is the way to go but safety needs to come first. Children cannot be held solely responsible for their pets, they are only children, but I believe it is important to give kids something to take care of, and a pet works wonderfully.
Here is a break down of my recommendations:
Fish: I love fish for kids, they are fun to watch and and based on the type need relatively little care. However based on the tank and type of fish the water needs to be changed and filters and tanks cleaned which is something that a child shouldn't and probably can't do on their own. Also children aren't able to exactly cuddle or interact with fish in the way they could with a dog.
My top recommendations for fish bearing in mind price and availability are bettas or goldfish. For more information about bettas visit thiswebsite. I would recommend keeping bettas in small tanks, not a vase or something like that unless you can keep the temperature warm, 75 degrees or above, as they tend to get sluggish or even ill if kept at lower temperatures. Although, if you keep your house warm enough it may work. Goldfish are my other recommendation. You can find some really good information on them here The temperature for gold fish isn't as important, but they are messy so they need about 10 gallons per fish you are planning on keeping. part of the water needs to be changed frequently but I haven't found it necessary to use some of the additives mentioned on the site. You can feed them flakes of any type of "goldfish food" it is also fun to put bits of other foods in the tank like frozen peas or other vegetables, they gobble it up!
Rodents: I personally don't know much about rodents but in doing my research I found that some rodents are better than others although kids need to be supervised with all animals. One that seems particularly good is the Guinea Pig. There are many different types of coats and colors. They have very specific dietary needs but once you get those correct they stay fairly healthy. For more information look here. Guinea pigs are recommended because children can handle them and they rarely bite, and they make cute noises and will learn to recognize you and whistle or talk to you when they hear you coming. Their cages need to be clean fairly frequently but it isn't very difficult. Rats are also a popular choice but they tend to be messy and can easily escape for a young child I don't recommend them. Hamsters are my other recommendation they are curious and active and fun to watch. for information on look here. The dwarf varieties are cute but as they are small they tend to be easily frightened and bite more frequently. There are plenty of cage option but things to bear in mind are ease of access, security (if a hamster can fit its head through it can escape), spaciousness, and ease of cleaning.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Who Knew?
I never thought I would be one of THOSE people. I have been pretending to have my shit together for way too long and it has finally caught up with me.
I quit school. Actually I just withdrew. I keep telling myself it is just for the term but I don't really know. I do know that I love school and I don't harbor resentments against anyone here but I have to leave.
I hide my panic and depression too well apparently but it has gotten to the point where it is clear on my face just how sad and overwhelmed I am. I went around and talked to most of my professors today and I was surprised my the support from a number of them. i expected they would tell me to get well or look at me like I crawled out from under a log...but I got hugs and encouragement from everyone I spoke too.
One in particular really touched me. Dr Micheal Burch-Pesses is the head of the music department and my advisor. He teaches band so I don't really get a lot of in-class exposure to him but he is impressed by my preparations for our meetings I generally come to him with a list of the classes I need to take just so that I make sure I won't forget them. He heard me sing solo for the first time at the end of last semester and I was incredibly honored by his feedback. This is a man who was the head of the Navy Band! He told me my control of pitch was incredible and that he couldn't wait to hear where the years would take me. He also gave my his personal card, not just the one with his email and school voice mail box number but one with his home number and told me that if I needed anything, anything at all, that I should call him. He also said something about getting me a music scholarship if and when I return. And followed it up with a huge hug and a handshake for my father.
Wow! it was a really rough day and now I have to pack and get ready to move back out of here with everything I own and move back home. This is going to be a hard road but I think I made the right decision. Three panic attacks in as many days is just not going to work for me.
Enough of that for now, I may or may not write about my journey on but I needed to put this out there.
And, check this out! Hilarious videos! I especially enjoy I Hate Drake, Stairway to Winnipeg, and Mortified: Bookworm.
I quit school. Actually I just withdrew. I keep telling myself it is just for the term but I don't really know. I do know that I love school and I don't harbor resentments against anyone here but I have to leave.
I hide my panic and depression too well apparently but it has gotten to the point where it is clear on my face just how sad and overwhelmed I am. I went around and talked to most of my professors today and I was surprised my the support from a number of them. i expected they would tell me to get well or look at me like I crawled out from under a log...but I got hugs and encouragement from everyone I spoke too.
One in particular really touched me. Dr Micheal Burch-Pesses is the head of the music department and my advisor. He teaches band so I don't really get a lot of in-class exposure to him but he is impressed by my preparations for our meetings I generally come to him with a list of the classes I need to take just so that I make sure I won't forget them. He heard me sing solo for the first time at the end of last semester and I was incredibly honored by his feedback. This is a man who was the head of the Navy Band! He told me my control of pitch was incredible and that he couldn't wait to hear where the years would take me. He also gave my his personal card, not just the one with his email and school voice mail box number but one with his home number and told me that if I needed anything, anything at all, that I should call him. He also said something about getting me a music scholarship if and when I return. And followed it up with a huge hug and a handshake for my father.
Wow! it was a really rough day and now I have to pack and get ready to move back out of here with everything I own and move back home. This is going to be a hard road but I think I made the right decision. Three panic attacks in as many days is just not going to work for me.
Enough of that for now, I may or may not write about my journey on but I needed to put this out there.
And, check this out! Hilarious videos! I especially enjoy I Hate Drake, Stairway to Winnipeg, and Mortified: Bookworm.
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