No, not the song...Not that it's a bad song, but that's not the point.

Oooo, man. Such a nice day today. Almost seventy. The only thing keeping it from being summer weather is the high wind, which I actually don't mind considering it's rather cooling and I'm not ready for that blistering hot weather yet. I hope it dries the ground out, I'm so sick of wiping the dog's paws off every time I come into the house...It's like a mud pit out there.

*Sighs* It's not going to last, though. Despite spring being a few days away, we're getting snow again this week and rain tonight. Goddamn it...You know, don't get me wrong, I don't mind rain or cold weather. I mean, where I live I'm used to it. But I HATE it when the weather fluctuates. If it starts getting warm and nice out...STAY warm and nice out! If spring is coming, it shouldn't be getting 20 degrees outside with ice all over the roads...Why can't it be normal for once, damn it!?

Regardless, I got out today and still am going out (inbetween coming over here) to take advantage of the good situation. Getting work done, socializing my puppy, the like. I took him for a walk in the park again, only this time without my other dog. I don't want him getting dependent on her, so sometimes I do things with just him. He got exposed to some people and had some dogs bark at him, though he actually didn't meet anybody or any dogs.

The poor little thing is still terrified of everything, though he's better since I've been doing this. He tries to run for cover when a dog barks at him, so I tell him "no!" and force him to sit. Ignoring it or comforting it will contribute to the fear, correcting them is actually the best reassurance you can give. He eventually sat down and calmed, which was a big step for him.

Now more about my Hewie-Hewie...Yes, that's what I call him. :) Sometimes I call him Hewie-Hewie (say it really fast and slurring the "H") or Hugh, only using his real name for serious situations. I have nick-names for all my critters. Spooky becomes either Spook or the Spookster, Toby is the Tobinator or tons-of-fun (she's a fatty), Pepper is Peperoni, Hershey is Hershter, and Sam is pain in my ass or "That damn Sam!" as he goes running out the door or destroys something, which is his nature. :D

Okay, he's about 25lbs right now, and is about half the size of my other dog. He's about four months right now. I think he's having some growing pains as he's not eating as much anymore, and is nibbling at his wrists. Large breeds have this problem, as they tend to grow too fast. No, I'm not using special large-breed puppy food. I would recommend it to purebreds, but IMO it's too risky with a mixed breed to feed it on a continuous basis as it can actually hamper growth and cause the dog to be too small. I did that with Spooky...She should probably be bigger then she is now. Oh well, you live and learn... :P

Like I said, he's a shy puppy. He is not some puss, though. Because when he feels uncomfortable with someone in the house he comes up running and barking! You'll get one of these in every litter, along with a dominant one, too. Well, we're all different. He's special in his own way, I'll raise him right. I just need to discipline, socialize, and train. And of course, time. Spending time with the animal is all that matters.

So called "bad" dogs are the ones that get none of this...It's a shame, really, how certain breeds are discriminated against just because of lazy and irresponsible owners. Boy does it ever piss me off...

*Sighs* Anyway, I'm cleaning out my gerbil cages today. I'll find out sometime in these next few days if Rick and Doom are going to get along. If not, off to the pet store they go. I'm not happy about the idea, but I don't want the two to kill each other. Better for them to be introduced to someone they can get along with instead of be alone in their own cages with me. I just need to do the split-cage and then go from there. If they try to fight again and again...Oh well. The moment of truth awaits.

BTW, here's my mini-review of The Hills Have Eyes, copied and pasted from FF.net, where I wrote it a few days ago.

Alrighty then. Well, you know I just had to see The Hills Have Eyes opening night Friday, and I did. It was fantasterific. The first great horror movie of the year, and a great remake that was slick, polished, and was directed beautifully. The movie just plain looked good, and had some realistic characters. I loved the use of a family instead of a bunch of teenagers, whom I always hated. I love horrors with REAL PEOPLE and not just kill-fodders with big t*ts and airhead men. No, I cared about these people. That's what made it so good. That, and it was absolutely filled with gore and non-consent. In other words...My candy. ^_^

Scary, jumpy, filled with suspense and it was fun as hell.

HazzyRap gives it: *** 1/2 stars! (Out of four)

Alright, gotta get outta here. Too nice to be inside right now. :)

You know, I really do love a good movie. I am a cinema lover, there's nothing quite like a movie that can take you away. Usually I never get the chance to see any, or don't have the money. I only own a few, and I don't get the real opportunity to watch them, anyway.

If I something is coming out that I really want to see, I'll do it. Right now, I'm telling you, I really need to see "The Hills Have Eyes" when it comes out on Friday.

I never did see the original, but I know it's a horror classic. (Yes, another one of those "remakes of horror classics" that have been a dime a dozen these past few years) About freaks in the desert that attack a traveling family. Murder, rape, that's some good fun right there!

And I must say...It reminds me a little of Haunting Ground. Being touched while asleep, a blond girl running and screaming, there's even a guy in a hood from what I can see. Someone getting chased, killed, and molested by retarded, deformed freaks... Hey, this might just be the closest thing to a HG movie we might ever get! XD

...Also, stuff like that is oddly hawt to me. So I'll be there. ^_^

The Silent Hill movie now has a scheduled date, April 21st, which would make a wicked early Birthday present for me. I seriously have to see that mother opening day...I can't wait until the trailers start airing on TV. Cool, I've been waiting for this for some time. I remember when the rumors started of a SH movie, I got so excited over it...Then it turned out to be false and it pissed me off bad. Now it's come finally, seriously, and I'm so into it.

Nothing like a good horror movie...Ahhh, it's ever so tasty to Hazzy's palette. I'm sick in the head, and I don't care.

A lot of (mostly useless) crap has transpired since my last blog, so I'm going to try and cover it all with this one. Prepare for one hell of an entry. ^_^

First of all, I'm now leader of The Haunting Ground Union! That makes me so happy! :) Now I run two HG forums (the other is at fanfiction.net) and I'm prepare to do the best possible job I can. I plan to write articles, and in general make it a HG fan hub. I made a icon and banner for it, hope everybody likes. :D

Second, about my gerbils...I'd like to thank everybody for their sympathy, but it's a lost cause. Another was killed, in the same cage, and now I know who it is. It was the black gerbil I thought might have killed the other one, but couldn't believe it. I mean...He was the nice one. He never started trouble. You wanna know what's really weird? You know what his name is?

...Riccardo.

Hah. Riccardo killed two of his brothers...That's both ironic and sad at the same time. Oh well...

Anyway, the victim is what really upset me...You see, Seth was sort of an as$hole. I wasn't surprised if he would have started a fight and Riccardo finished it...But the victim this time was a poor, debilitated, handicapped one. When he was a baby, he got out of his cage and attacked by one of my cats...He bit off his back legs. Despite this, he grew up healthy and was able to get around wherever he wanted in the cage without difficulty. They lived together, him, Rick, and Seth without a single problem...Then this happens...It doesn't make any sense.

We named him Tiny Tim because he was born around Christmas and had the weird leg thing. My mom really loved the little guy, she grew attached to him. I hated to brake the news to her when I found him in his cage...With an ear missing and a hole in his head...And what was left of his rear legs all bitten up. She freaked out, and I had to stop her from trying to kill the gerbil that did it. I told her that in the end, it's an animal...They don't know any better. I can't blame her for being upset...Tim had a hard life, and he had to go like that, by somebody he  groomed and slept by. That's just horrible...

I think I might know why this happened. It might have been redirected aggression. You see, since Shadow died, I had to place the males that were in his cage together with the male in the other cage in order for them not to be lonely. This meant I had to introduce one male to three, which is a tricky situation that I wouldn't recommend. Yet, I've done it before...I was confident I could do it again.

But the split-cage method didn't work. Still, I had to transfer the one black & white gerbil I had (Doom, not after the game, but so I could name him that and sister Gloom, get it?) into the cage with the other males. So I split the three-cage system down so they could share it while seeing each other and getting used to one another, that way when I clean the cage next, it might work out. I transferred them every day and night between the cages. It was working fine, then Seth died...

I think that Rick was so pissed with Doom, that he took it out on his two brothers. Perhaps the fact that they had no access to food in the one cage (the cage with the food was one of three cages, but they would be able to access it once a day, as I transferred them into it once a day) and it made them think it was a desperate situation...It might have sparked a fire.

I don't feel guilty at all, I didn't feel as though I did anything wrong. I really couldn't go about it any other way...I've also never seen redirected agression in gerbils. They are a SOCIAL species, they absolutely must have a companion to be healthy and live a long life. They rarely ever fight with their own companion. I also don't believe it was a genetic issue, as this only happened with Doom moved in...It was something I never even considered, for good reason. It shouldn't have happened.

Now I have two male gerbils, Rick and Doom. I have to try and put those two together, despite trying to kill each other, apparently. I have no other choice. I'll try when I clean the cage next, and their smells are neutral in the cleaned tank. I'll split-cage them again, see if they get along. Though this is safer then you might think, as two males tend to be easier to introduce then three to one, or even two females. The fact that both are alone also tend to help make them both desperate for companionship and more likely to comply.

Okay...Now I have two males, and two females in the other cage. Whom are now raising their last litters. I still feel that this line is a good one, despite the recent tragedies. Shadow's death caused two more, and in the end it was a bad situation and a bad chain reaction...That happens, things like that have happened before to me...What can I say? Sh*t happens...

Here I go again...

R.I.P. Tiny Tim, you didn't deserve that...

Alright, enough...Doom and gloom...Here's some good news, finally.

I'm sure you've all been worried since my last post about Hewie, hey, I was too. But they were unfounded fears. He's made a full recovery. Almost the day I brought him back from the vet, he's been acting like a normal puppy. Now he eats anything and everything, and bounds around happily. He still isn't a really "playful" puppy with me, he doesn't want to fetch or chase anything. Which makes him excellent with my cats, and makes life easier for me. He will bound after them in play sometimes, but he's more inclined to lick their ears and ignore them if anything. Spooky was a practical monster to them when she was a pup.

He is slightly feverish, he sneezes. I was able to obtain amoxicillian from the vet to give him, which he takes twice a day for a few more days yet. It seems to help. But he's been doing so well I could even give him his booster shot (a 7-way combination vaccine) though I can't say he cared for that much. ^_^

Some may have missed out on his pictures, so I'm posting them below:

Hewie (bad picture, much cuter IRL!)

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a219/HazardousRaptor/HewieSibling.jpg

Hewie playing with another pup at the shelter:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a219/HazardousRaptor/DannyChristy_dog_2-19-06.jpg

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a219/HazardousRaptor/Christydanny_dog_2-19-06.jpg

Hewie's mother (Dakota):

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a219/HazardousRaptor/Dakota-HewiesMom2.jpg

Well, okay, that's enough for now. Talk to y'all later.

Okay, first thing another one of my gerbils died. One died (I had to put him out of his misery myself, wasn't fun) because he was suffering from severe head-tilt, was rolling around over and over in his cage and his head was twitching. His name was Shadow, he was five years old and the stud for my breeding program because of his good health and longevitity. Well, now one of his kids just kicked over unexpectedly. He did have a fight with another gerbil earlier in the week, but I'm convinced it was a case of mistaken identity and that he didn't kill him. So...I'm absolutely dumbfounded what killed him, I just found him clinging to life this morning in the cage. There was no point in rushing him to the vet, I knew he was going to die. So I let him go peacefully. He was only two years old...Meh. Not happy...

R.I.P. Seth, poor little guy...

BTW, all breeding has been ceased. Something here is very wrong, and I'm not going to let it continue. It went from fabulous results to...this. Furthermore, it's just getting too expensive and it's too hard to find buyers through private means. I want to stress that breeding gerbils is FAR different then dogs, cats or rabbits. All of those animals are dying in shelters and there is an animal overpopulation crisis with them. Gerbils are, if anything, rare in places. So I'm not being a hypocrite if anyone thinks to point that out. Get your dogs and cats fixed, damn it!

Now about Hewie. He's a rather interesting little guy, I'm convinced his father was a Rottweiler, he just has the girthy, bear-like look. Awesome. I always wanted a Rottie. Still, he has be concerned...

Well, for one, I was a bit puzzled by this puppy's...well, good behavior. He's too calm, placid. He is also very picky, not wanting to eat any of the food I give him, just everybody else's. I didn't think much about it, I just thought he was stressed out...But I took him for his free vet exam today (organized my the SPCA for all shelter animals) and got a rather nasty surprise. First thing, they told me he was rather big for his age, which I was glad to hear. Big doggy, wheee!

...Then she took his temperature, and it turns out he has a fever. She said it wasn't a high one, but it was still there. This would explain his pickiness, his calm, non-playful nature, not wanting to even chew anything...He's sick.

Well, she said it could have been caused by stress, but that if he threw up or did anything else, that I should bring him in again. She explained that it could have been everything from that, to kennel cough...To Parvo. Oh...God, no, please not Parvo. He's been vaccinated against it, but nothing is ever for sure with those things...

Parvo will destroy a dog. It will destroy you're finances. It will destroy you're sanity worrying about it. And after all that, he may not even live through it, anyway.

I'm probably getting in over my head, she told me that it was not likely the case. That it was only a possibility...But it's still scary. I love this little guy, he's a sweetheart. I don't know what would happen if I lost him...

All I can do is stand by and hope he either gets better on his own, which means it's nothing, or take him in if he gets worse. He goes from sleepy, to active, to picky, to hungry...What the hell? This puppy is a trip, let me tell you.

Oh, and for everybody who wanted pictures...

http://www.somersetpets.com/dogs.htm

Go down to "Danny", that's him. They didn't take it down, yet. Though his picture is pretty ugly, it don't do his cute face justice. And Dakota there is his mum.

Hazzy can be a sneaky little sh*t when she wants to be. :)

Okay, you guys heard me yesterday, right? Well, I just got to thinking, and I decided I would get another dog. I was just tired of for so long, wanting one, and it really being irritating because I couldn't get one...If that makes any sense. So, I took the plunge. Sometimes you just have to be spontaneous, you know? Thinking too much can drive a person nuts...

Sooo, I looked up my local shelter on a website, and lo and behold, a shepherd mix puppy under three months old! And he looked like he might have rottweiler in there, too! I thought up a quick plan, if I could tell mom I was just taking the dog down to go for a walk, a loooong walk, I could drive down there and get the little scamp.

I did just that, despite not really knowing the area very well and it being a rather long, hour-long drive. Still, I made it. When I got there I saw him, he was sitting in the corner scared to death of me. Can't say I blame him. Hazzy is scary. :)

Anyway, he warmed up, and I then filled out the paperwork. I'm shocked they gave me the dog, to be honest. A nineteen year old girl who lives with her parents without a real reference...Only a work number and some work associates. Luckily enough, I supposed the fact that I also had another dog, four cats, and that I worked at a pet store and had some good associates as friends was enough. Still, I honestly didn't think it was going to fly, I was sitting in that room playing with that puppy for a half hour. That, and the fact that I came off all disorganized, disheveled, and dumb as hell didn't help.

I was pleading with them not to call my sister, who I put as a reference. She would have told them "I have too many animals." and that would have been it. Yeah, that was stupid. Hazzy can be stupid when she's nervous.

When I brought him home, I got quite the reaction. Everybody went from surprise, anger, then "Awwww" real fast. Luckily enough, dogs are my mom and dad's soft spot. If it were a cat it would have been a different matter. Then my sister came over with a similar reaction, though she was a bit more pissed with me. She couldn't believe I did that. Going behind their back like that. I'm glad they didn't call her as a reference. Seriously, I owe those guys, they were cool.

My other dog is so damn enthused, she's more excited then the puppy is! It's a perfect match because she's always so filled with energy, like a grown up puppy, and he's...well, a puppy. ^_^  They love each other, and the puppy seems to really look up to her. Good decision, I'm glad I made it.

He's really laid-back, not an insane puppy like Spooky was. Running around with her ass down like it's on fire and she's trying to put it out, or something. No, he gets bursts of activity, and that's it. He also seems to be really smart, already grasping his name and how to walk on a lead, and potty training.

I had to go run and buy a collar, leash, food and all that. It's all rather foreign to him, it's obvious he was never really walked, poor little guy. He was surrendered with his mother, who looks like a mini Shep mix. I just hope the dad was a rott or something big like that, 'cause I want him to be big and protective, dagnabit!

He's three months old, and has huge paws. Finally! A big dog, God I hope he gets big, I'm sick of getting a puppy and only having it get about fifty pounds and that's it. He's all black with tan markings on the face and paws, and looks like a little bear in many respects. Such an adorable little snip!

...His name, you ask?

...Hewie. ^_^

Hazzy is going to be busy these next few days. Well, okay, next few months...But you get, right? ;)

...for I just got payed and will probably cave.

Lately I've been considering a bit more about getting another dog...And I really shouldn't be. I really can't afford another animal, let alone one as expensive as a dog, and my mom & dad would none be too happy with it...But I've always wanted to have two dogs, so they could play and keep each other company. A lot of people I know have two pooches, and it makes me feel sort of alone in that area...I figure, I'm going to have a career in animals, I really should have more then one. Even if it's just for experience sake...

That's not to say that they wouldn't accept a puppy if I brought it home. They would eventually, they love dogs, and I think that my mother has a sneaking sort of desire for another one. She keeps dropping hints and later she of course denies it up and down. Goddamn it, woman! Make up you're mind! You're killing me, here!

I mean, my parents are the sort who put up with a lot of crap. I'll admit to you that I'm a snotty little c*nt, I talk back, ect. I deserve a good ass-beating...Good luck trying though. ;)

In the end, if I absolutely had to, I could make it work. I could spend less on the other critters and get another dog. Hell, my own dog is such a picky eater that it might be nice to pay for a real dog's eating style for once. So I don't think that's an issue. Rather, it's things that would be expensive for a new dog. Vet visits, vaccines, neutering, and maybe even cropping if I go that route. Not to mention leads, collars, tags...New toys and crates wouldn't even be an issue, either. I have my dog's old crate and bed.

It's also the continued vet care, like heartworm and flea meds and preventives. A heartworm test is expensive, so is the meds, and I already had to wait to do it with my current mutt. We do have a fence, so house breaking would be easier this time around.

Then of course there's the chance that the dog will have some sort of behavior problem, eat a cat, destroy this or that...Then again, he may be easier then my dog was, might be even better...

In the end, there are pros and cons to every side. One part of me wants one really bad, another part knows it's not such a good idea. Yet I've never been one to pass up on something I want. So I'll most assuredly get another dog. When, is the key issue.

I've made a deal with myself. When it gets to the point where my pay gets better, or my small animal population winds down, I'll get another dog. I'll search like hell if I have to, but it will happen.

Yesterday they pissed me off really bad, and despite the shi*ty weather, I got out and went shopping for useless crap just to get away. Well, my TrimSpa Ultra isn't crap...but still. ;)

Just to miff them, I got a wild idea. I went down to the shelter and looked for a dog. It was painful getting barked at plaintively by all those dogs...But none marched my criteria. A big, protective breed or breed mix dog puppy under three months of age. There was one pit bull puppy, but he was four months. The reason why I need such a young dog is because anything under three months hasn't been set in stone yet, they can be socialized around other cats and dogs. And for a pit puppy, who tends to be iffy around both, that's important. As hurtful as it may be, I have to be careful.

So, I left empty handed. Perhaps it's for the best, I'm not really ready for another dog yet. Though if I would have seen one, I probably wouldn't have been able to pass him up. I have no will power. And I just got payed, which would have made it easy to afford the dog to begin with.

Okay, enough prattling on. I just had to rant, get it out of my system. It makes me feel better.

Chapter 3 "Tu Fui, Ego Eris" is up, woot!

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2768178/1/

Chapter 2 of Tui Fu, Ego Eris, my HG fanfiction, is done! Come give it a read!

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2768178/1/

This time, can you say "sexual tension"? ^_^

Finally!

Here's the link to the story at fanfiction.net: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2768178/1/

I cannot stress ENOUGH that the warning and note need to be read first, this fic is not for everybody!

Thank you, and enjoy. Please review on FF.net if you can.

As a heads-up, I wanted to tell anybody interested that my Riccardo/Fiona fanfiction is finished. Now all I have to do is edit and post the first chapter.

Look for my announcement, here, when it's up!

Thankies.