Everyone should have a pet...

it's true. I realized this when I was talking to my mom on the phone the other day. My mind cannot relax, it's constantly flowing with things to do in preparation of this movie. And if you know me, when thoughts flow as much as they are now, the post it notes come out and pile up. Mostly repetitive stuff, but the moment it's out of my head and onto a simple piece of partially re-stickyable paper, I feel at peace. Anyway, I love what I'm doing with work, but you definitely need a break from this mental traffic jam.

That's where pets come in. I wish I had a puppy. I have always wanted a puppy, and I can't wait for the day when I return from my travels and finally buy my first puppy. I was only allowed to have fish growing up. I tried to talk my parents into allowing me to own almost every imaginable pet out there. Allergies in the family limited the idea of a cat/dog, they didn't want any furry pets for fear that the allergic parties would react, i wasn't allowed to have a turtle because i was told they carry diseases. My life as a pet owner seemed unattainable.

I am persistent though. My sister and I found slugs one day at the end of our driveway and we were so excited (we were young back then). We had never seen a slug before. So we collected them inside my 'bug bucket' toy I had from my grasshopper collecting days. We proudly went to show them to a friend in the neighbourhood. Along the way, we ran into a snake swiggling across the road. So we dumped the slugs and collected the snake. Mom didn't like that in the least. Then I had a pet snail. That was boring. He had an entire fish bowl to himself and did nothing. Actually, one day it had a gazillion babies. That wasn't fun, so I let them go in the backyard. I tried to convince my parents to buy me a newt. My dad's response 'write a report on the life of a newt covering all necessary stages of life and it's popularity as a pet, and then we can talk about it'. That's my dad for ya. He probably didn't say them in those exact words, but almost. I was probably only 10 at the time and dumbfounded by this request. So finally, I got a fish. He passed away in 6 months and I was devastated. For some reason I decided to get 8 more fish to make me feel better. They all died pretty close to one another. I had this rock where they could swim into and hide, and they all chose that they should go hide in there and die. Every day a new one passed away. We used to burry them in the backyard under the deck in their own make-shift coffins. When the death toll rised, they all got shoved into the same urine sample bottle (my mom is a nurse - hence the bottles) and mass buried. Hmm. I don't think I got another fish until University. My friend Sarah and I went and each bought two goldfish. The next morning, one of hers had died, that night one of mine had died, the next morning her other one died, and fatefully, that evening my last one died. The middle stall of our rez floor's bathroom became fish heaven, and I blame Toronto water for their unfulfilled lives. My next fish lived in Brita water. Sarah bought me another betta one year. I can't remember why, but I know it was a super nice gesture. I might have been having a bad moment in life and this was a cheer me up gift. (friends rock for knowing when a cheer me up would be amazing!) He lived with me for like 2 years, until I sent him home to die in my parent's home in North Bay. He was super sick for so long, and I was so busy with school, I knew I wouldn't be able to take care of him.

Then I bought Aucky. Our adorable dwarf hamster. He is about 7 months old now, and will expire within the year (their life expectancy is capped at 1.5 years). He is my first pettable pet ever. And I love that!!! He's like a mini puppy for me. His full name is Auckland McLaughlin (he has malcolm's last name). When he began to grow a lump on his tummy, I began to worry as hamsters are prone to tumors. So I brought him into the Super Pets to inquire about his situation and that's when we found out he was a boy. :) Yeah, trust me, you can't tell on a dwarf hamster. We were told he had cancer, and he became known as the cancer hamster. Sad. Then one day I found out that it was his male scent gland (only found on dwarf hamsters). So that's good, he's not imminently going to pass on.

This HUGE post just to say that everyone should have a pet. When I was on the phone with my mom I felt at peace because Aucky was sitting on the couch beside me and just fell asleep as I pet him. It brings great peace, and everyone needs moments of great peace in their lives. Help someone you know, buy them a puppy. :p