Journal of a Sabbatical

March 15, 2000

a guinea pig? a rabbit? dogs?

Today's Bird Sightings:
Plum Island
many Canada geese
24 or so black ducks
4 common mergansers
2 rough-legged hawks
12 song sparrows
2 American tree sparrows
1 northern harrier
1 female bluebird

Today's Reading: Early Spring in Massachusetts: from the Journals of Henry David Thoreau edited by H. G. O. Blake, The Cat Who Saw Stars by Lillian Jackson Braun

People are strange. Sometime during the night or early this morning, somebody dropped off an entire menagerie in the parking lot of MRFRS: two dogs, two cats (Siamese - very pretty), a rabbit, a guinea pig, and a small rat-like being that Bonnie told me is a dagoo (spelling I have no clue). We're not exactly equipped for guinea pigs or dagoos never mind dogs... The dagoo is wicked cute. If I didn't think Wilbur would have it for supper I'd adopt it. The guinea pig is gorgeous, a torti color with shaggy hair over its eyes. It's pretty cold out, so the guinea pig and the dagoo are temporarily housed in the downstairs hallway outside the bathroom. At times like these it's convenient being upstairs over a vet. At least they know what to do with a non-feline menagerie. I guess there was no guinea pig rescue society in the phone book.

Chloe is feeling much better, out of the sick room but confined to her cage. Every time I walk by she head-butts the cage door and meows to be let out. But we can't have her spreading upper respiratory junk to the other cats.

Shanti watches us wash the dishes. She's getting really interested in the sink.

I didn't take any pictures today. The only newbies were the drop-offs.

Sometime later, that is when I get home, I take off my dirty clothes and get into the shower. No hot water. No shower. I feel grubby. I put on clean clothes and take the trash out. The Scottish lady asks me if I have hot water - I say no. Nobody in our courtyard has it says she. This is like the 4th or 5th time this winter. Supposedly somebody's working on it.

Went out to get groceries came back car in my parking space beeped horn no response rang Russian parking space blocker's doorbell no answer whaled on their door woman answers denies all knowledge of car "It's not my car" "It's not somebody visiting you?" "No". If I were a cartoon character you would be able to see the steam coming out of my ears. I stand in the parking lot ready to explode. A kid comes out of the old Russian lady's unit. I yell at him. "Please move your car!" (I always say please and thank you even when I am screaming). "It's not my car... is that your parking space?" "Yes. Please move that car." Kid disappears into old Russian lady's unit and emerges with another kid who evidently owns the car. They move the car. I park in my space thinking evil thoughts of how to spell "no parking" in Russian and imagine painting "nyet" in big bold (Cyrillic) letters on the pavement...