The Must List, August 25

Read, watch, chew, post pictures!! 

1. The Hands of Isis by Jo Graham
What a wonderful novel about the beautiful, passionate, and tragic tale of Queen Cleopatra. Told by one of the handmaidens, The Hands of Isis is seeped in detail, romance, beauty, and breathtaking wonders of the ancient world. Cleopatra's tragic love affairs are told with brutal honesty and Charmain's own love story turns out for the best in a way completely unexpected. I am now a huge Jo Graham fan.

2. TwitPic
I'm into Twitter again, and I've started regularly posting my pictures via TwitPic. This is a spin-off of the Twitter social networking website that allows users to post their pictures with the same privacy rights as Twitter. I'm not an Instagram person... I don't have the app. And, I've never liked the layout of Photobucket. So, TwitPic is my go-to for posting pictures on Twitter. It has my Twitter name on there so my accounts are linked perfectly together. All of my photos show up in a feed or I can switch the view to "gallery" to see them laid out side-by-side. If you click "Home," you can see what everyone else is taking pictures of.

3. "White Collar" television series
This is my new favorite show (now that I'm saving the last few episodes of "Lost" because I don't want it to end). Neil Caffery, played by the beautiful, blue-eyed actor Matt Bomer, is a suave, charming con artist whose list of crimes extends to bond forgery, art thief, and art forgery. Caught by FBI agent Peter Burke, he strikes a deal with Peter to wear a tracking anklet and help the FBI in white collar cases for the remainder of his prison sentence. This is after he broke out of jail, of course, and went searching his true love, Kate. Kate, however, had other plans and seems to be manipulated and cornered by a different FBI agent. While solving crimes with Peter, Neil secretly tries to find out what has happened to Kate. The show is clean, low of cuss words, and is quite funny.

4.  We Bought a Zoo DVD
Who wouldn't want to buy a zoo? Seriously!!? Who wouldn't want to grow up in a zoo? Matt Damon plays a widow raising a son and young daughter, and he decides to uproot his family to a new home in order to start afresh. He happens to buy a house that comes with a zoo - lions, tigers, porcupines, peacocks... yes, they have them all! Damon's character then realizes afterwards that the zoo is in a severe state of disrepair and must fix up the place in order to reopen it for the sake of the animals and his oddball staff. Can he do it in time before the official inspection... will his son ever forgive him... will he fall in love with the boyish, no make-up-wearing Scarlett Johansson... does he even have enough money????

5. "Chewtublar" hamster toy
This thing is groovy, man! A giant tube for your hamster to chew on, PLUS it has non-toxic, brightly-colored bedding inside that your little friend can bury in or take out and put whenever he/she wants. It is a great toy for their teeth, and it provides comfort and warmth. My hamster Nutmeg instantly took to it.

6. Nerds plush toy
Yes, you can eat the candy all day long, but have you ever hugged a Nerd candy before? I'm not talking about the pillows shaped like the candy boxes and bars. I'm talking about the little cartoon caricature of a Nerd candy drawn on the box. Yes, they exist!! And yes, Stuart worked long and hard to find one for me after I told him that getting one for me for Christmas would mean I would love him forever. And he did. He went to several different websites, tracking the toy from one link to another until finally he found and bought me a Willy Wonka Nerd plush... without the backpack clip-on!!! Best Christmas present EVER!

The Must List, July 29

This week's Must List was written a few days earlier, but here it is with fashion, animals, movies, and more!!

1. Safe House on DVD
What a fantastic movie with several twists!!! Ryan Reynolds wins again!!! He does, however, win in The Change Up. It was so bad that I'm not going to even post the trailer as a link! Spare yourself and don't watch it. Rent Safe House instead!

2. Bubble purse
I have a bubble bag for the beach, and it is the cutest and most efficient accessory of the summer. I could cram my entire DVD library, Sparta, and two yard gnomes in that bag if I wanted, and it'd still be chic and cute! I can't get enough of this bag, and I've gotten several compliments on it. Mine is blue with little daisies dancing everywhere. Seriously, me + this bag + the beach = cute and fun!

3. Amazon Prime (free trial)
It's free... do I need to say anything more? Amazon Prime is great. We got free 2-day shipping!! Seriously, do I need to keep going? Yes? Ok, streaming movies and television. Free standard shipping if the 2-day thing doesn't work out. And if you decide to keep Prime for good... it's less than $7 a month. That's cheaper than NetFlix these days.

4. The Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympics are my favorite. Winter just sucks! You got beach volleyball, horseback riding, swimming, diving... and it's all in the summer!! There's actually a Western Carolina alum going to the Olympics this year for cross country. Just go away, winter! Let's replace winter with a second Summer Olympics!

5. Small cute monkeys
I'm not a monkey person (and I DEFINITELY DON'T DO APES) but this below is a Must!!How can you resist that?

6.Mini-pop Indian corn hamster treat
It's the treat that lasts forever. This treat is a mini corn cob to give to your hamster either as a corn cob or as popcorn!! The cob can be microwaved for mini popcorn for your rodent or you can let him or her gnaw down those ever-growing teeth against the cob. Nutmeg loves them. We haven't tried the popcorn yet, but she chewed and chewed on that cob for over a week!! And, it is reasonably priced!

Busy Busy Day

It's a busy day here in Sylva!! The sun is shining, the temperature is rising, and Stuart and I are running around like crazy to get everything done today.
Yesterday, we spent the majority of our time packing up his apartment in Balsam then unloading his belongings into our Sylva home! It was hard, hot work!! And thankfully, Stuart's friend pitched in with the bigger furniture. All that's left is his queen-sized bed and giant TV! That will not happen today, however. Today is full of other things!!
To do before sunset today:

1. Deposit pet sitting payment at BB&T
2. Purchase hamster bedding from Fish & More Pet Store
3. Schedule steam cleaning for Stuart's apartment
4. Schedule car inspection for Stuart's Honda Civic
5. Pay for Stuart's X-rays
6. Take recycling and trash to SRC
7. Drop off Western Carolinian subscription check at the University Center on campus
8. Clean bathtub bathroom!!!!
9. Pay Stuart's rent in Waynesville
10. Go to Food Lion
• Tilapia
• Chicken thighs
• Pickles
• Gala apples
• Corn
• Lemonade mix
• Pickle relish
• Mayo
11. Call Justin for various information!
12. BUY MILK!!!
13. Go to Lowe's to buy a piece for the window that Sparta broke
14. Pay the power bill
15. Pack up more stuff from Stuart's place
16. Volunteer at animal shelter... maybe! 

Movie Minute: Constructing a High Rise Top for a Hamster Cage

Now, this cage topper thing was WAY MORE COMPLICATED than it ever needed to be thanks to the design of having to construct the darn thing through the one-arm wide lid!!! An extreme pain, I must say... but Nutmeg LOVES it!! I was very proud that Stuart and I worked well together and didn't have any disagreements while constructing this frustrating contraption.

5th Time's a Charm

 Well... I find it ironic how much I hate change and have the lifetime desire to find my perfect home, but I keep moving. This will be the fifth time I've moved in two years! Thankfully, I'm not moving across half the state this time. It's just from Cullowhee to Sylva.

Welcome to Sylva, North Carolina

As much as I'd love to divulge why I'm moving again, I'm going to wait until I get my deposit back before I spill the illegal secrets of my landlady and her so-called "business." I always had a twinge of worry in the back of my mind since I never saw the place or met her before I moved into the single wide, two-bedroom trailer up on a mountain covered in tall trees, llamas, and mini horses. Still, even if I had gone over the trailer with a comb... there would have been no way Justin or I could have seen the kind of trap we were moving into!
Right now, I am pet sitting three large and friendly dogs in Greensboro. The day I get back... WE ARE MOVING OUT AS FAST AS WE POSSIBLY CAN!!! Already, Stuart and I have taken box after box over to the new place in Sylva in an effort to just get out of that trailer!! Believe me, I want to get as far away as possible as fast as I can!

The new place!!! <3

The new place is a longer drive from Western Carolina than I would have liked... but it's so beautiful and CLEAN!!! Like you don't think of a trailer as being clean... that's not anywhere close to the stigma that goes hand-in-hand with a trailer. But this... is only two years old, custom ordered with extra insulation, and was kept very neat by the woman who used to live there. The trailer has two bedroom, carpet everywhere except the kitchen, and comes with a beautiful tan leather couch that could double as a bed. No puke green walls or stained carpet!!! It sits on a small property with view and access to Scotts Creek, a small-sized, fast-moving river. There's a yard in the back and on the sides where we will plant a garden and have a screened awning in the back overlooking the creek. The bubbling creek cancels out the noise of the traffic on Main Street, which is across the creek. It's a short walk to the library, the Farmers' Market, downtown restaurants, and the City Lights bookstore from our new place. Sadly, Jack the Dipper ice cream parlor isn't downtown, too. That would be ideal!!

Jack the Dipper ice cream parlor... not in downtown

It will also be the first time since the summer in Raleigh that I will have both of my pets, Sparta and Nutmeg, in my house on a full-time basis. I am so excited to get Nutmeg back. I've missed that crazy hamster, and after reading a hamster care book, Stuart and I found out that we've been caring for her all wrong this entire time!!! And somehow, she never died!! Yesterday, I purchased a wire cage high rise, which attaches to her glass cage in order to give her three extra levels for more fun, more exercise, and more air flow as compared to the stuffiness she has experienced in her glass cage. At the same time, the high rise is easily detachable so we don't have to worry about Sparta trying to pry apart the wire top when we're gone or can't watch them. Stuart and I also plan on feeding her more fruits, a spoonful of fruit yogurt now and then, a pinch of meat once a week (yes, meat!!!), and provide nature's own joys like branches from a willow tree or washed grass. Apparently, hamsters LOVE this stuff!
Now, as to my roommate... well, I'll announce that later on, but I can't wait to tell you all (my four devoted readers, I adore you all). In the meantime, I'm chilling in Greensboro, waiting... waiting... waiting........... I JUST WANT TO MOVE... RIGHT NOW!!!!!!

Photo of the Day August 28

I love this picture! My roommates' pets, Fleetwood and Mac, are fascinated by my hamster!!

"Hey, Doc, you ever get the feeling you was being watched?"

Miss Nutmeg

I didn't think I could care for and love another creature like I do my kitties, Sparta and Piddy Paws. But then Stuart and I got this little hamster! She's just the cutest and happiest thing in the world, and I love her to death! I want to squeeze her, but that would be literally loving her to death!

Sparta planning his move

The noticeable change since we first got her at the end of April is astounding. When she first arrived in our little apartment, Nutmeg was just a little bit of a hamster who needed to be chased around her cage before you could hold her. She didn't like to be held, didn't want to be touched, and ate only what Stuart calls "her Cheerios" food. Now, she's a chunky girl that has grown nearly twice her original size and eats anything we put in front of her... including Cheez-Its.

The best change has been now when you open her cage lid, she usually runs to her igloo house and perches on the roof in a perfect manner to be swooped up so she can play in her ball. She knows that if the lid comes off, she's either getting food or going for a run, and she loves it!! I had my doubts at first as to whether the websites were right in saying hamsters could be tamed. But, her memory and intelligence are remarkable, something I never suspected from a small rodent. Believe me, I was happy to be proved wrong because it's a delight to see her so ready and eager to interact with Stuart and myself.

Out of her new foods of fresh fruits and veggies, her favorite is blueberries. Morgan recently picked five pounds of fresh blueberries, and Nutmeg has been in Hammy Heaven! There is no greater joy in my day than watching this little creature nibble and consume an entire blueberry that's nearly as big as her head in one sitting. Immediately after, her blue paws and face get a good  scrub down then she's back on her wheel running like mad.

I wonder how she does that! If I were to eat a blueberry-to-hamster-scale equivalent meal then go running on a large wheel for five minutes straight, I'd get the worst stomach cramps in the world! It doesn't even phase her! She could gobble down a kernel of corn, two sunflower seeds, and a chunk of fresh broccoli stem and still run without flagging for five to ten minutes. She's incredibly athletic and really puts away the food.
Her favorite toy is, of course, her wheel. If Morgan or I ever have to remove it momentarily to oil the spoke, Nutmeg throws a fit! She runs up and down her cage and about in circles where the wheel used to be in a complete tizzy. Morgan's first suggestion when we first got her was to remove the wheel if it got too squeaky and kept us up at night.
"But what is she going to do for fun?" I had asked.
"She'll be fine," Morgan assured me.
But as soon as I saw how she reacted, I put my foot down! It was downright cruel to take her wheel away.

Later, we decided to fix the squeaky wheel problem by getting the new Silent Spinner (If you click on the link, do you see how the rat seems to be coming off the side??). It's a giant bowl turned sideways and while it really is silent, it wasn't to Nutmeg's liking. Since Morgan was I work, I was the one who introduced the new wheel. My heart broke! First, Nutmeg explored the cage looking for her old and favored toy. Then, she tested the new wheel and promptly fell off. The size of wheel we purchased was too thin for her long and chunky frame. There was also a knob in the center that she was too tall for and the side of the bowl rubbed against her fur in an annoying manner. One of the saddest things I've ever seen was when she went to the opposite corner of her cage and just huddled down to do nothing. 
"She doesn't like it," I texted Morgan that night. "She's getting her old wheel back. She's clearly upset!"
She's running on that wheel, now warped and squeaky, right now! These days, hamster and cage get placed underneath the dining room table when we can't take the squeaks anymore!

The horrible Silent Spinner

Squeaks aside, Nutmeg has been the perfect pet for Morgan and I to further our relationship by sharing the responsibilities of caring for a living animal. Both of us adore her and her silly antics of making the perfect nest inside her igloo, charging down the hallway in her Run-About ball, and stuffing food as big as her head into her cheek pouches. When I leave in August, Nutmeg will be staying here in Raleigh with Morgan. I will miss her dearly! But... as she loves riding in the car, Morgan will be able to bring her down every time he visits!!

With Sparta and Nutmeg

Photo of the Day July 4

Happy 4th of July, everyone! Here's a snap of our hamster Nutmeg. She has gotten so big!! With Sparta and Nutmeg, Morgan and I have the two of the most entertaining pets in the world. We love them so much because they bring so much laughter to our lives. The other day I stuck Nutmeg into my hoody pocket where she rummaged around as I toted her about the apartment.
Here she is stuffing her cheek pouches with food. She's gotten a bit chunky as we've been giving her fresh fruits and veggies nearly every day. She's had purple grapes, carrots, broccoli, watermelon, and watching her eat a whole blueberry is something to behold!!
She seems to be unfazed by the fireworks tonight... but Sparta is hidden away under the coffee table!

Summer Begins

For college students, summer has begun! Last week, Stuart and I packed up the majority of my belongings in Cullowhee and crammed them into his already filled apartment. I brought my TV, my DVD player, my framed poster of Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” my stuffed animals, and all of Sparta’s things. We were a silly-looking caravan driving down I-40, me with a cat wandering around in my car on top of garbage bags of clothes and Stuart’s boat of a car filled to the brim with shelving units and random items.

The "new" living room

In the beginning, I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the prospect of moving in with Stuart. I hate the city of Raleigh for some reason I can’t explain and I kept wondering what would happen if we broke up over the summer. I didn’t have a job, but I didn’t have one in Cullowhee either. At the end of April, I officially ended my employment at The Western Carolinian, which was just as sad as leaving The Flaming Arrow at East Gaston High School. Now, I am actually enjoying Raleigh (for the most part) and now that I have my own belongings and personal flairs, such as my Van Helsing and Adam Lambert poster, tacked up on Stuart’s walls, I feel much more at home and happy.

And, I just found out yesterday evening while Stuart was grilling steaks on the landing that I have (finally) have a new job!!! After months of filling out application after application, I turned to my roommate’s mother for help. She’s in the journalism business and helped me contact some insider people. Meanwhile, I also applied for a job as an “examiner” at Examiner.comwhere I would write about a certain topic for the local audience of Raleigh. While I’m still waiting to hear from the insider people, I got an email from Examiner that said they’re happy to welcome me to their team as the Raleigh Pet Photography Examiner. While the pay probably won’t be near what I had at The Western Carolinian, income is income. I’ll be doing something I love about a topic that I love for a few extra bucks. 

Sparta and Stuart

In other news... Sparta is doing well at his new home. He absolutely adores Stuart's place with its long hallway that he can sprint through and the large windows in the living room where he can bask in the sun every morning and watch the birds every afternoon. Yesterday, he spotted and guarded his apartment against two stray cats in the parking lot.  The other day I dragged him to PetCo in Cary. I wanted to introduce him to walking on a leash inside of a building. While everyone in the store swarmed around him with coos and pets, Sparta was beyond annoyed, and after picking out a toy for Nutmeg, we left as quickly as possible. 

Nutmeg is also doing well. She's been a wonderful addition to the family. Every night, she scampers around in her exercise ball through the apartment providing entertainment to herself, Sparta, and us humans. She goes by several names, include "hamster," "Hamtaro," and Stuart occasionally calls her "rat" which I admonish him for!

So far, she's been easy to care for while providing fun and something new to love. It was interesting to see how something as small and simple as a hamster has really strengthened mine and Stuart's relationship as we jointly care and provide for an animal that depends on us. Whether he believes this to be true or not, I find myself mentally bearing all the responsibility for Sparta. At the end of the day, Sparta is my pet that I have brought into Stuart's life. Nutmeg, we bought and decided to buy her together. Sparta is like a furry kid from a previous marriage. He was part of the package of dating me whether Stuart liked it or not. Luckily, Stuart adores Sparta and vice versa. In fact, the whole reason Stuart and I got to know each other for we started dating was because he started coming to the apartment more to see my crazy, dog-like cat that liked to play fetch and use the furniture as a jungle gym. The fact that he liked my cat was one of the characteristics I found attractive about him. 

Hamtaro

Today was a rather unlucky day (it is Friday the 13th). I am under the impression that I have strep throat and might have to go to the doctor's soon before it turns into something worse. I feel completely useless as I've slept all day or been lying about on the couch unable to focus on whatever TV I've been watching. Hopefully, I'll get better within a day or two and I continue enjoying my summer with Stuart. We have so many plans, so many adventures we want to have together.