Why I Love My UPS Driver

Earlier this week, a strange thing happened. I was working in my office, minding my own business, when a co-worker brought me a UPS envelope. The "ship to" had only my name, and the return address was garbled. How it got to me was a mystery, but its origins were anything but. Inside were some important documents I had entrusted a co-worker to ship out but she had somehow mangled the matter. Since there isn't anything one can do about the past, I took her the envelope, told her to fix it and get it back out before the day was over, and I left it at that. She was sufficiently embarrassed that I doubt she'll make that error again.

Today when I had something that needed to go out, I decided I had better do it myself. Since we were out of labels and envelopes, I figured I'd get what I needed at the drop box, but there were none there. Next I went to the Copy Center, which is also a UPS pickup spot. There at the Copy Center was my UPS guy, Ross. He delivers to the university and to my house and while the kid at the counter started making my labels, Ross told me he had left a package on my front porch (yay!) and then he said, "I found a very strange package for you in the drop box a few days ago."

As it turns out, he was the one who got that mislabeled package back to me. He didn't know what to do with it, but he knew me by name because he delivers to my house and used to deliver to me in one of my previous campus jobs. He didn't know where I currently office, but he asked around and finally figured it out.

I was so grateful that I was on the point of asking Ross to marry me when the kid working on my labels informed me that if we were going to bill a campus department for my current package, it would be twice as much as just using an ordinary label. Unfortunately he had no labels, and Ross had none in his truck.

Ross had another solution, though. The college on whose behalf I was sending the package was across the street. "That's my next stop," he said. He gave me a room number and told me to ask for Lupita. "She has labels and supplies. I'll meet you over there."

So I found Lupita, got my labels, and was just sealing the envelope when Ross showed up. He took my package and I know it's in safe hands now.

The only issue remaining at this point is...what should I get Ross for Christmas?

Bunny, It's Cold Outside!

With news of colder weather on its way, Cadbury headed out to his autumn garden to check on the last of his lettuce plantings.



There were a few red-leaf lettuce sprouts, but not much else, due to the biped's inconsistent watering scheme.

Nevertheless, Cadbury harvested what he could.

It's so hard to find good help.

Have a great week, everybun, and stay warm!

Monday Bunday: Funny Pose

I wish I knew why Cadbury likes to pose this way.  It doesn't look very comfortable.

Cadbury had a lovely Thanksgiving, although he probably would've liked more treats.  On work days I let him out when I come home for lunch and he gets a treat such as a grape or banana chip as a reward for going back in his cage without a fuss.  No sweet treats over the holiday for this little bunny!

I got plenty of treats, though.  I made a pumpkin cheesecake the weekend before Thanksgiving, and then we bought a regular pie for Thursday, since the cheesecake didn't last long.  (Ahem.)  I ran sixteen miles on Saturday, though, and three on Sunday after a 45-minute spin.  I can have the occasional treat.  Also, my boot camp starts this week.  I don't know what possessed me to sign up to be tortured three days a week at 5:30 am, but if I ever get such a crazy notion again, I hope someone slaps some sense into me before I get out my credit card.  *sigh*


Have a great week, everyone!

Product Endorsement: Mario Badescu

Friends, you know I'm not one to use my blog for shilling products, but today I'm too impressed to do otherwise.  The product in question is Control Cream by Mario Badescu.

I've been dealing with Rosacea off and on since turning 40, and this is the first stuff I've found that eliminates the red, scaly patches.  I rubbed some of this on my face Friday night, and here it is Sunday and I don't need Visene or green concealer anymore.  Mario Badescu's Control Cream gave me my face back and I couldn't be more grateful.

If you know anyone suffering from Rosacea, please recommend this to them.  If it doesn't work, I'll gladly buy their unused portion.  I have that much faith in the product.

Abundance!

Yesterday we gave thanks for abundance: abundance of food, abundance of opportunities, and most of all, abundance of friends.

Happy Thanksgiving, to those who celebrated, and good wishes for the holiday season!

Monday Bunday: Work in Progress

We are each a work in progress...

...some more so than others.

Happy Late Monday Bunday!

Now I've Done It...

Something I haven't done in a couple of years.  I've registered for a marathon!

Surfside Beach Marathon, February 26, 2011. 

Happy Training to Me!

Monday Bunday: Merbun Sighting!

Look, everyone! It's a sighting of the rare, semi-mythical merbun!

Check out those feet that tail!

Have a magical week, friends!

Monday Bunday: Dharma Edition

I got back last night after a fun, fulfilling and thought-provoking weekend at the Shambhala Mountain Center in Colorado. My purpose there was to attend a weekend writing/meditation workshop, which will hopefully get me writing again or if not, help me remain serene about it.

Although there wasn't a lot of free time in our very intense program, I was able to hike up to the Great Stupa a few times, which is a sort of Buddhist temple.

Near the Stupa on my last morning, I met this little guy:

He was obviously on his way to meditate and get serene, just like me.

I wish all of you a serene week as well!

Weekend Retreat

Shh...don't tell Cadbury, but I'll be gone until Sunday evening. 

Where will I be?  Writing and getting serene in the mountains of northern Colorado, of course!

Authentic Inspiration: A Weekend for Writers

I plan to take lots of pictures, so watch this space!

Monday Bunday: 'Tocktoberfest Fail

In spite of many efforts, I've been unable to get Cadbury to let me take a picture of his bunny butt.  In the photo below, you see how he wedged himself in his wicker tent so that I can't get a bunny butt picture no matter what angle I take.

Silly rabbit.  No 'Tocktoberfest for you!

Monday Bunday: In His Own Words...

Cadbury: You know, every day I suit up, show up, and do the bunny things that are expected of me. I eat hay, I bink, I flop, and I act like a rabbit. I do this without any expectation of reward, since I know I'm a prisoner, with no rights. All I ask in return is that my jailer biped remember to post a picture of me each week on the interwebs, in the hope that someone might come and rescue me. But does she do this simple task faithfully? NO!

Bunnygirl: *SIGH* Okay, Cadbury. Here's your requisite Monday, Bunday post. But you're hardly abused. Grapes, carrots, salads...what more could you ask for?

Monday Bunday: Hiding Out

The cat keeps staring at me through the screen, so I'm hiding in here. Can't a guy get any privacy?

Monday Bunday: Bunny Bowl

Sorry for the late Monday Bunday post this week, folks!

Last week, a friend gave me this lovely little bowl. It didn't photograph well from the side, but you get the idea.

Here's what the inside looks like.

What? It's empty?

Much better.

Have a great week, everyone!

Monday Bunday: Bunnies Found In Other Places

I found this cloth napkin at a thrift store. Isn't it cute?

Okay, it's not as cute as the real thing, but I'm amused nonetheless at the places bunnies turn up.

And speaking of bunnies turning up in new places, Audrey has enjoyed her summer on the East Coast, but she has a yen for travel and is looking for new a new host/hostess. I'm thinking DKM or Diana at Qi Papers, perhaps? Audrey hasn't been west in awhile.

Texas to Welcome U.Vic Bunnies

Texas will soon be getting some very special new residents: The U.Vic Bunnies!

Rabbits that had been dumped on the University of Victoria (British Columbia) campus were breeding like...well, bunnies, and finally something had to be done. Culling was an unpopular idea, so arrangements have been made to neuter some of them and ship them to Wild Rose Rescue Ranch in Texas.

This is an expensive project, so if you have a few dollars to spare, why not make a donation? You can go to TRACS to donate to the great bunny migration, or go to Wild Rose Rescue Ranch to donate for the bunnies' long-term care. Links are below. Thanks!

TRACS for Texas-Bound Bunnies
Wild Rose Rescue Ranch

Monday Bunday: Apples and Awesomeness

One small Rabbit of Awesomeness and his favorite treat: apple leaves and branches!

Sad News in the Bunny Blogosphere

Today we learned the sad news that our bunny blog-pal Baxter at Houseful of Rabbits went to the Bridge.

Baxter was a gentle lap-bunny who helped educate young and old alike about the charms and quirks of house rabbits. He was also one of our bunny rock stars in last year's Bunny Benefit Bash.

Rock on at the Bridge, Baxter!

Tribute to Glenna Bunny

Today we learned that a very special bunny went to the Bridge.

Glenna was found wandering outside a little over a year ago, her frostbitten ears full of necrotic tissue, her fur stained, and suffering from warbles - abscesses caused by maggots. Her ears sloughed off the first time she was bathed, but she was a little trooper. Taken in by Bright Eyes Sanctuary, she spent a year as their special honored guest and the poster bunny for why you don't abandon rabbits outdoors.

Unfortunately, Glenna had tooth troubles and jaw abscesses. Funds were raised multiple times for her care, and the love and support were always forthcoming. After each surgery, she bounced back fast, never losing her appetite for her special "porridge" and never losing her sweet nature.

Now, sadly, brave little Glenna-bun has gone to the bridge, after yet another abscess that put pressure on her eye. The way she went was so much like how I lost my Tidbit it was heartbreaking to read.

Binky free from pain, sweet girl. You've been an inspiration.

Monday Bunday: Layered Look

I've been learning how to work in layers using my graphics tablet and Corel Painter.

In this instance, I took a photo of Cadbury and added a new layer where I colored over the fur using the digital watercolor tool. Then in another layer, I added a background, and in a third layer, I colored in his eye using the artist felt tip tool. When I was done, I went back to the original photo and deleted that layer.

The advantage of working in layers, besides being able to essentially trace your image, is that you can erase anything that isn't working. Colors don't get muddy when you stray outside the lines. Mistakes are more easily corrected.

It's also easier to be lazy. Paint over the bunny when you do the background! Who cares? You can always erase later.

In fact, the most enjoyable thing about using the graphics tablet is that one's mistakes aren't recorded for eternity in a sketch book or consigned to the landfill. A few clicks of the mouse, and it's gone forever. No waste.

So, lots of artistic fun is going on here at the House of Cadbury. I hope everyone else is having a fine time as well.

Monday Bunday: Sleepy

To sleep, perchance to dream...















Last week, I had my sleep schedule thrown off by all the crazy stuff happening at work. This is a busy time of year, and between having to work late to load the new fiscal year merit raises, and trying to use up some of my excess vacation hours, I swear I hardly know what's day and what's night any more. Add in my new obsession for playing with my graphics tablet until the wee hours of the morning, and you have a recipe for exhaustion.

Luckily I have a sweet spotted bunny to show me the proper way to relax.

Thanks, Cadbury. I'll be taking some tips from you.

Have a restful week, everybun!

Lola the Cat

Many of you have asked how Lola is doing. She's settling in just fine. She and Cadbury still haven't really met, but they look at each other through the cage and through the fireplace screen. They don't seem particularly interested in each other, and that's fine.

Lola can be quite a handful. One of the reasons Dan picked her out was because we wanted a sedate, older cat who wouldn't be much trouble. We thought we were getting someone who would do a lot of this:



















As it turns out, she's more like this:















Always playing, running about, stalking things (both real and imaginary), and getting into places she's got no business being. She chews puzzle pieces and knocked my nearly-complete puzzle onto the floor. She gets in cabinets. She climbs into weird places, gets stuck and needs rescue, and then she's off again like nothing happened. Nothing that we do escapes her notice, and she gets very jealous when one of us goes in a room and shuts her out.

She's a fun girl, though, and for all her activity and leaping about, she's pretty graceful and hasn't broken anything (yet). We're glad she's so happy and confident, but after so many years with an old cat, we're a little overwhelmed at times by all her energy. Day or night, she's never in one place long, not even here:















Oh well. Things will calm down as we continue to get to know each other.

Monday Bunday: Screen Test

One of the dilemmas of bunny ownership is that you may want to close off areas of your house to your rabbit, but the most obvious choice of barrier - a baby gate - is unacceptable because rabbits can easily chew through plastic.

What I needed to keep Cadbury in his room was a fireplace grate, and this past weekend I found a perfect one at a garage sale. It's very heavy, and if positioned correctly it's very stable as well. A four pound rabbit sure isn't going to be able to knock it over, and it's unlikely our cat will, either.

After getting the screen positioned, I witnessed this scene:

















Be nice, kids. No taunting.

Have a great week, everyone!

Monday Bunday: Graphic!

Last Friday, I became the proud owner of a Wacom Bamboo graphics tablet. What fun! I spent the weekend learning how to use it with the bundled software, which includes Corel Painter Essentials. This allows one to paint and sketch freehand:












Or take an existing photo:
















Convert it into a sketch:















And then paint it using different colors and effects:















Don't tell Cadbury, okay? He might be upset to learn he's on his way to becoming the new Blue Bunny mascot.

Have a fun and creative week, friends!

Monday Bunday: Shedding

I guess it's just a sign of summer, but Cadbury is going through another shedding phase.















I find bunny fur in the strangest places, although the study is always the worst. When I moved the computer desk to hook up a new printer two weekends ago, I found enough fur to make a whole warren of new rabbits.

Cadbury is better than Tidbit was about letting me pull the loose tufts off him, but he's not crazy about when I get out the tape. What can I say, except that the tape works?

Cadbury: Weird biped. Tape isn't for bunnies!

Have a great week, everybun!

Monday Bunday: Just Peachy

Things are just peachy here at the House of Cadbury!

Cadbury and Lola still haven't interacted, although sometimes Lola wanders up to the cage and looks at him. She seems to understand that the study is Bunny Territory and she rarely goes into that room. Of course, when Cadbury is out, the door is shut and the cat can't go in at all. I'm not sure when I'll let them get formally acquainted, but for now there seems to be no need.

This week, the nasal and sinus congestion I had last weekend settled into my lungs and I haven't been able to work out. It's been frustrating, but the last thing I wanted was to make things worse by pushing myself. I'm doing better now, though, so I think I'm ready to start carefully resuming my normal activities. The strange thing about all this has been that my energy level was never low and I never had a fever or other symptoms of a real illness - just coughing, sneezing, sinus pressure, and lots of thick, sticky mucus.

Yeah, I know. TMI.

Have a great week, everyone!

Monday Bunday: Welcome!

Happy Monday, everyone! This is Lola:



























Cadbury: Au contraire. This is an outrage!

Yes, friends, little Cadbury has lost his status as "only critter". It's okay, though. We love him just as much and he's getting extra carrot tops and blueberries for being such a sport.

Have a great week, everyone!

Monday Bunday: Store-Bought

When we were in Santa Fe, I saw some charming little bunnies in a shop at La Fonda. I intended to go back and buy them, but the shop's hours weren't a good match for my tourist activities and I wasn't able to make the time until it was too late and they were closed.

So imagine my surprise to find the same bunnies here, while taking a little break to have some water and window shop during Saturday's run! After I finished my run and cleaned up a bit, I went straight over and got them.

Sorry these are a little blurry. The bunnies are very shiny and don't photograph well:














Aren't they cute? And what's cool is that they come apart and inside is a necklace with a tiny exact replica of those same bunnies!














Cadbury wants to make one thing very clear: Those are not real bunnies!

Okay, Cadbury. We get it.

Monday Bunday: Ready for Takeoff!

I have no idea where Cadbury thinks he's zooming off to, but he's ready!












In other news, I've extended the giveaway at the Maelstrom site, so click on over and sign the guestbook. I've got nifty books and t-shirts to give away!

Book Giveaway Announcement!

Hey, peeps! I've got a little giveaway going on right now over at my Maelstrom site! Pop on over and sign the guest book before 8 pm Saturday to get in the drawing for a copy of the novel, a copy of the short story book, or a t-shirt!

Monday Bunday: Love the Bun You're With

Guess who went to the Pride Parade this weekend!














Cadbury wants to be sure no one misunderstands - he likes the does, and that's all there is to it. But he also understands just how hard it can be to find that special somebun to form a pair bond with, and who is he to quibble over some other bun's choice?

Have a great week, everyone, and remember to love the bun you're with!

Monday Bunday: Audrey Edition

Well, friends, Audrey has returned to Elvis, Pink, and Peaches, where her hosts will take her to see the Washington DC sights and on a special trip to Cape Cod. We're very excited for her, but we miss her. Here are a few recent Audrey pictures that didn't make it onto the vacation blog:

Audrey gazing pensively out the window at our stone cottage in Chisos Basin, Big Bend:












Audrey checking out my uncle's rental property - a mobile home he's fixing up to resemble a train car:











Audrey working on a puzzle at the Hotel Limpia in Fort Davis:












Audrey trying to use an old-fashioned phone:












Audrey enjoying the patio at Hotel Limpia:












Audrey playing telephone operator at the museum in Tucumcari:












Audrey almost becoming dinner!












Audrey and her new pal getting caught up on a little girl talk:










And here we have Audrey getting a little sleep - something I sure didn't do enough of when I was on vacation!











Have a great week, everybun, and check for more Audrey this week at Eye of the Needle.