Farewell, Friend Hans

Cadbury and I are sad to announce that our friend Hans has gone to the Bridge.
































He was a brave boy through his many dental problems, a good brother to bunny-buddy Bailey, a star in our Bunnies Rock! lineup last spring, and just plain adorable.

Some bunnies are too cute for this mean, ugly world. Binkie free, Hans.

Monday Bunday: Sharing Secrets

Hey, buddy...here's the plan. Don't let the biped hear...

Special Delivery for...Cadbury!

The other day, Cadbury got a package from his Aunt Sarah.













Cadbury opened the box and found delicious carrot tops!














Aunt Sarah is a fast runner and knows what fast runners (like bunnies) need to stay healthy!














Of course, playing with the box was a lot of fun, too.















Thanks, Aunt Sarah!

Monday Bunday: Having a Ball

I'm very much a creature of habit. In fact, I sometimes wonder if my days are a little too scripted, but how else am I supposed to get everything done? For several weeks, Dan and I have had our weekends jumbled by other events, so it was nice to have this weekend be an ordinary one, filled with my usual activities on their usual days at their usual times.

I want to thank everyone who sent a contribution for Fats' care. He's not out of the woods yet, but he's doing a little better. This was bad timing for his bunny-mom, who depleted her savings on previous bunny emergencies and hadn't yet built her funds back up before this happened. She and I talked about maybe setting up a permanent fund for bunny bloggers when this is all over. No one should have to lose their bunny-pal to a treatable illness or injury just because the financial timing wasn't in their favor.

So here we are, starting another week, and here's Cadbury, inexplicably ignoring his new toy. He's devoured balls like this in the past, so I have no idea why he's pretending like this one is just a nuisance taking up space in his wicker tent. There's no understanding the mind of a rabbit.

Have a great week, everyone!

Saturday Long Run: Hip Update

I had a good run today, except for the blister that I inexplicably woke up with this morning. How did I get a blister on my toe in my sleep?

Anyway, a blister was a lot easier to deal with than last weekend's sinus headache that had me nearly in tears every time I moved, so that was a good thing. I got to the park by 5:30 and did the eighteen-mile run I had been unable to do last Saturday.

I had a very nice run and although I had to stop and stretch my hip every couple miles after mile ten, I wasn't in any real discomfort until around mile seventeen. It's too early to say if this is because of my new hip exercises or if it's because I had to cut last weekend's run short because of my headache, so I'll just say it was a nice run, I was happy with it, and that's good enough for me.

Back to Basics

I've decided I'm tired of only managing the pain in my right hip. A few years ago I gave up trying to fix the problem because physical therapists seemed intent on fixing everything but my hip, at $40 per co-pay, three times per week. After months of time and money wasted, I gave up, started buying kinesio tape like it was a hot new fashion trend, learned how to do trigger point therapy for palliative care, and hoped for the best.

I learned enough when I was in physical therapy to know what didn't work and to have a pretty good hunch what would. So this week I started adding some adductor/abductor work into my routine and returned to my childhood dance training to work in some pliés whenever I have a few spare moments. For now I'm sticking to demi-pliés because I'm more stiff than I could've ever thought possible. (What, I'm not a four year-old in pink tights anymore?)

I also found out that they're starting yoga classes twice a week in my office building. It's not free, but the cost is reasonable, and I'm thinking of trying it. I haven't done yoga consistently since the early 90s, and I know it would be good for me. I'm going to find out if the instructor allows one to pay by the class the first couple of times just to check it out, since I wouldn't want to pay for a full month only to find it's not a good class for me.

If I can fix this hip problem, I can go back to working on speed rather than just endurance and maybe finally get my Boston Marathon qualifying time. I would also be able to return to triathlon. Ironman has been a dream of mine for a long time, but hasn't been remotely realistic with this chronic issue dogging me.

So there you have it. I'm actually doing something about my hip and after a successful first week of daily action, I'm feeling positive about it. I'm tired of not being able to enjoy my hobby to the fullest.

Monday Bunday: Snugglebunny

Cadbury can be quite the snugglebunny when he's not playing stuntbunny and leaping onto the desk or trying to scale the wall. It's always nice when he settles in for a little down time.

Thank you, everyone who dropped in on Fats this weekend to wish him well. Your donations and above all else, good wishes, have been a big help to his bunny-mom.

If you haven't visited Fats yet, hop on over to Potentially Nervous. You can help him get well by buying art glass or sending a gift donation via PayPal to: contact "at" rubinelliglass "dot" com.

The bunny blogosphere is a force to be reckoned with!

Happy Bunday, everyone!

One Year

I still love you, angel, and I miss you every day.

Independence Day

If you're in the United States, it's time for picnics and fireworks!

Have a Happy Fourth of July!

And for bunny-lovers everywhere, there's a bunny in need at Potentially Nervous. His name is Fats, and here he is, waiting and hoping his bunny-mom can raise the cash to get him the medicine he needs.









My dear Tidbit went to the Bridge a year ago tomorrow, July 5, but although there was nothing that could be done for her, Fats can get well! Let's see if we can help him by buying some lovely art glass or sending a gift donation via PayPal to: contact "at" rubinelliglass "dot" com.

Thanks, friends!

Monday Bunday: Contemplative

Cadbury just loves to hang out in my computer chair, pondering the mysteries of life. Funny bunny!

Wistful Weekend

This was a week for Gen-X nostalgia.

For starters, I was never a Farrah fan, although I was an enthusiastic follower of Charlie’s Angels in its first two seasons. (Cut me some slack here, I was nine in ’76!) Gender equality was still in doubt in the 70s and was a frequent topic of debate. Charlie’s Angels, for all its jiggly camp, showed glamorous, uber-hetero women who could look fantastic and still solve the crime and bring down the bad guy. They did it without smudging their makeup or tripping in their spike-heeled Candie’s. Is it any wonder I grew up with never a doubt that I could do calculus, run marathons, and still be totally fem?

Thank you, Farrah.

As for Michael Jackson, I watched the Jackson 5 on TV as a kid and heard their songs on the radio. I never owned any of Michael’s albums, but most of my friends had Off the Wall and Thriller, and Michael’s early-80s hits were staples at school dances and friends’ parties. We all tried to moonwalk and we watched his videos to pick up the latest moves.

Then I grew up and MJ grew weird. His '70s and '80s hits continued to bring a smile to my face, but I’d be lying if I said I was a true fan. It was comfort music, the soundtrack of my childhood, and I craved it now and then in the same way I sometimes need a grilled cheese sandwich with a side of tater tots. Comfort music, like comfort food, is something you know isn’t all that good for you, and you wouldn’t want a steady diet of it, but oh, how you need it now and then!

No matter what one believed about the scandals of the ‘90s and ‘00s, it was clear that MJ went off the deep end. And yet, we couldn’t mourn that talented, charismatic kid we grew up with because there was a freakish caricature walking about still claiming to be him. The Michael of our memories never re-emerged. Now we can finally say good-bye to that other Michael, the one whose soundtrack ran in the background of our childhood, and who will always be inextricably intertwined with our memories of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

So here I am this weekend, waxing nostalgic, even more aware than usual of the passage of time. I wasn’t a big fan of any of the recently departed, but they were part of Then, and their passing reminds me that I can only live in Now.

I must also accept that Ed McMahon will never show up at my door with a big fat check, since he died this week, too. It does no good to argue with time. And after some time spent pondering and listening to a little Jackson 5, I’m okay with that.

Monday Bunday: Naptime!

It's taken me awhile to get back to my old self after vacation. This past week was the first where I didn't feel completely drained. Vacations can be so exhausting, and coming back to heat, humidity, allergens and pollution doesn't help. This week they're predicting temps in the 100s, which is unusual for this early in the summer. Rest and stay cool--that's all one can do.

Cadbury, of course, is an expert on resting. Staying cool in that fur coat is debatable.

Have a great week, everyone!

Monday Bunday: Belated Announcement

Cadbury has been sitting on some exciting news. First, he held back because being a very legal-minded bun, he wanted to make sure the contract was duly signed by all parties and therefore official. By the time that happened, he was back from blog-hopping and had his many wonderful hosts to thank.

So now, he's ready to share with you the news that his owner's book Maelstrom will has been picked up by a local press, L&L Dreamspell, for publication in 2010. It will be available online and in book stores.

This is an exciting but scary time, as what has always been his author's hobby now becomes her second career. There will be long hours of editing, promoting, and writing new books and short stories for publication. The full-time university job will likely always pay much better than writing, but only hacks and fools write for money.

Cadbury thinks it's ironic that after writing so many serious books, it's his owner's comedy that will end up on a book store shelf. But Cadbury has seen a lot of strange twists and turns in his own life as a spotty bun, so he's used to it. He will now return to practicing with his alphabet blocks so that when the book is released, he'll be able to read it.

Have a great week, everybun!

Monday Bunday: Home!

Dan and I got home from vacation at the end of last week. But when we went to pick up the pets, we found only Pixel waiting. Cadbury, we were told, was on a vacation of his own and would contact us from the airport.

We went home unsure what to make of this development, but a little investigation proved that Cadbury had indeed gone blog-hopping in our absence. While we were away, he visited The Bunns, Tyler and Sydney, Lando, Fiona, and Sophia, Mario, and Fidget. He dropped in on our friends at Furrybutts to wish Hans a happy birthday, and he also visited Andrew Bun, and Freckles.

Wow. And we thought we had a busy itinerary! I hope we didn't leave anyone out!

So we passed a quiet weekend, getting back into our routines, resting, and waiting for the phone to ring. Finally we got the call and went to the airport, where we picked up this little creature, who appeared very put out with us.































What did we do, Cadbury? We arranged a nice spa vacation for you, and when you decided to go visiting instead, we dropped everything to pick you up at the airport. We even had organic kale and parsley waiting for you at home.

Please forgive us, buddy. We're glad to be home.

Many thanks to Cadbury's hosts! I would've commented more frequently, but I was often on slow connections and/or battery power and my internet time was limited. Dan and I got a lot of amusement from your Cadbury posts, and Cadbury wants you all to know that you're the best!

Announcement!

Saturday morning, Dan and I will be on the open road! While we're gone, Cadbury and Pixel will be staying at the vet spa, where they will be indulged with treats and pedicures.

As in previous years, you can follow my vacation on my Vacation Blog, where I'll be posting nightly, unless we do some camping.

As an added treat this year, my fictional band Maelstrom will be going on tour, with an itinerary that roughly follows my own. The band members will be doing daily posts of their own at the Maelstrom Website.

See you in two weeks, everyone!

Monday Bunday: Hide and Seek

Can you spot the bunny in this picture?

Monday Bunday: Bookish

Cadbury sits in front of the bookshelf, pondering his choices and no doubt disapproving of what's on offer.

Don't worry, little bunny. There are lots of other books in the house!

Monday Bunday: Observed Chairside

This fine-looking creature enjoys hanging out by my computer chair. Sometimes he'll bring one of his timmy cubes with him so he can enjoy a snack. The evidence remains on the carpet, as is evident in this picture. I need to teach him how to run the vacuum.

Maelstrom Concert Announcement

Just a quick note, Maelstrom is having another virtual concert this weekend. They're not promoting anything, and it's mostly a way to welcome new friends from the Come in Character blog. Everyone is welcome to drop in, though. Free cover, a new song, and no worries about flu viruses, be they swine, bird, hybrid, or any other sort.

Come in Character Concert

Running Around

I've been lazy about posting my workouts lately and I'm going to try to be better about that. This week was a mixed bag. On the one hand, Tuesday morning got rained out. We're talking thunder, lightning, wind-driven rain and street flooding. I tend to second-guess myself when I skip a workout, wondering if I'm just looking for an excuse. But when I saw the tv images of people being evacuated from their flooded homes on the west side of town, I figured maybe I wasn't such a wimp, after all.

On a positive note, though, I can run on campus in the mornings again. I had quit for awhile, following a campus shooting that had some of the hallmarks of gang activity, but last week the perp was arrested and he turned out to be a student with psychological problems.

Oddly, I found this reassuring. The way I see it, a random crazy person can get you anywhere-- office, school, church, shopping mall, or traffic light. There's no place truly safe, but no place is any more dangerous than another. I'll change my habits to avoid gangs and habitual criminals, but you can't have any kind of life worth living if you go in fear of crazy people.

So I ran twice this week, nice early runs before the sun was fully up. I had to contend with early-morning leaf-blowers, but that's an unavoidable hazard wherever one goes. Does anyone know what actually happens to all those leaves, by the way? Seems kind of pointless to blow them someplace else, since they'll only blow back again.