11:03 pm - bahaha This is kinda funny. At least to me. My little bird likes to sit on my desk next to me while I internet sometimes. Once in awhile I've noticed he'd do what appeared to be very sudden, frantic preening. I just realized what's happening is sometimes a bit of the laser from my mouse would shine on his body through the gaps around the scroll wheel on the mouse. He was doing the behaviour because he thought the laser was getting him. What a dork.
I'm moving to my new apartment within the month *squee* and most of my friends have wonderfully geeky names for their flats. I can't quite well name it the TARDIS (not unless my landlord lets me RE DOOR the front door...and I doubt that'll happen), but I am looking for suggestions. Names of previous friends apartments: Oz, Wonderland, King's Cross (Harry Potter/Brits FTW), The Hub, so on and so forth.
I'm looking for something who themed, or exceedingly nerdy, or british. (Big Bang Theory, Mighty Boosh, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Firefly, Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter, etc) those are all appropriate themes.
I'm looking forward to hearing your suggestions! Thanks! (I apologize for the cross posting)
Thanks to my IRL friends, the Doctor Who community and the Steamfashion community it has been narrowed down to 2 suggestions
So it's Star Trek versus Doctor who. Now we all know Doctor Who wins by default. But that doesn't mean it has a better ring to it.
SO PICK YOUR FAVOURITE
Holodeck or the Oodsphere (Note: If the oodsphere wins, my bedroom will be renamed the holodeck). Although I can't guarantee I'll abide by the what happens in the holodeck stays in the holodeck rule.
Let's see who gets Knocked Out! Current Mood: excited
03:32 pm - After Christmas Sale! I'm having a huge After Christmas Sale in both my etsy and artfire shops. From now till January 9th every item in both shops are marked 20% off. Now's the time to buy that special item you wanted for Christmas but just didn't get. Or find something unique and unusual to spend some of your Christmas money on. I'll be adding new items throughout the sale so check back often.
03:34 pm - After Christmas Sale! I'm having a huge After Christmas Sale in both my etsy and artfire shops. From now till January 9th every item in both shops are marked 20% off. Now's the time to buy that special item you wanted for Christmas but just didn't get. Or find something unique and unusual to spend some of your Christmas money on. I'll be adding new items throughout the sale so check back often.
"Who is a Gentleman-- A gentleman is not merely a person acquainted with certain forms of conventionality's of life, easy and self-possessed in society, able to speak, and act, and move through the world without awkwardness, free from habits which are vulgar and in bad taste. A gentleman is something beyond this. At the base of all his ease and refinement, and tact and power of pleasing, is the same spirit which lies at the root of every christian virtue.---It is the thoughtful desire of doing in every instance to others as he would that others should do unto him. He is constantly thinking, not indeed how he may give pleasure to others for the mere sense of pleasing, but how he can show them respect, how he may avoid hurting their feelings. When he is in society he scrupulously ascertains the position of every one with whom he is brought in contact, that he may give to each his due honor. He studies how to avoid touching upon any subject which may call up a disagreeable or offensive association. A gentleman never alludes to, ever appears conscious of any personal defect, bodily deformity, inferiority of talent, of rank or reputation, in the persons in whose society he is placed. He never assumes any superiority---never ridicules, never boasts, never makes a display of his own powers, or rank, or advantages; never indulges in habits which may be offensive to others".
12:07 am - Feather Picking and Finding a Vet I, like a lot of folks, have gone home to my parents' house for the holidays, and (of course) brought my birds with me. My mother even went out of her way and bought two awesome cages just for them that can stay at her house whenever we come to visit, and the rest of my (very non-bird-people) family has been great about not sticking their fingers between cage bars or otherwise freaking out my boys. My cockatiel, who has traveled a lot and lived with me in college, takes it all really well and loves being the center of attention. But my African Grey, who is just over six months old and has never really seen more than three people in a room at once, is having a harder time.
We've all been working hard to make sure he feels safe (his cage is in a corner, full of both familiar toys and some new ones, and he's eating voraciously so that's a good sign). He's also toned down his stranger-aggression and has even spoken to and stepped up for a few people that aren't me! However! I have noticed THREE picked (not plucked) tail feathers, chewed off at the shafts, at the bottom of his cage. So I am forced to conclude he is likely a lot more stressed than he lets on. And I am taking him to a vet tomorrow morning just to be safe. The question is, which one?
I'm in Maryland, the Rockville/Gaithersburg area, and have been considering taking him to Gaithersburg Animal Hospital, which I have had great experiences with in the distant past. But their current website says nothing about having avian veterinary services, so I am wondering if it is the place to go. I am looking for a vet who might be able to evaluate him both medically and behaviorally. Anyone been to GAH lately? Does anyone have any recommendations either for a vet in the area or for ways to treat this potential picking habit?
I've told my sister numerous times that birds are *very* sensitive to smoke and that she should make sure that there's *always* ventilation when she's cooking because she tends to burn things. Today when I woke up and went to step outside of my room I got a lungful of smoke. You could see the entire house was just full of thick smoke. I panicked and thought something might've caught on fire so I run to open all the doors and windows and went to investigate to just find a badly burnt frying pan that my sister had used to fry something.
I was furious because it was already almost 1pm and she'd woken up early to make her self something to eat and leave to see her friends, which means all my foster animals in the livingroom and my cockatiel had been breathing that in for several hours. She'd left every fucking window closed, and even the door to the backyard, which has a metal screen door that locks, was closed. There was just no where for the smoke to go, the whole kitchen, livingroom and even the bathroom where just full of it. I was not surprised to find my little Gio bird lifeless at the bottom of the cage in a corner, like he'd been trying to back away from the smoke :( My foster mom dog and her pups where thankfully okay.
I wrapped up my poor baby in a towel and put him in the freezer. I'm taking him with me to the pet hospital on Monday to send him off to be cremated so I can have his ashes back :( I'm heart broken, usually he's whistling to himself or chattering to his reflection in his mirrors, today the house is horribly quiet. I cried when I got home today and my buddy was not in his cage, doing his little happy dance in front of his cage door for me to take him out. All my sister had to say for her self was 'sorry'.
We'd bonded pretty close since I lost my other cockatiel. He would eat dinner with me from my own plate, even when I offered some on his own little plate. He'd spend hours with me in the room while I wasted time online, usually hanging out on my shoulder or investigating the oh so suspicious blinds. I'd bought him tons of little shredding toys for Christmas because that's what he loved to do best... there is not a single sheet of paper in my desk that doesn't have marks of his little beak.
I'm hoping to be able to move out in a couple of months and adopt a new birdie to join my family, but while I'm still living here I won't bring another bird home :(
03:17 am I just got my first DSLR camera the other day, so of course I promptly filled an entire memory card with bird pictures. Here are some of them.
12:13 am - Sherlock Holmes painting Happy holidays everyone! "Sherlock Holmes" the movie is opening Christmas Day, and I just managed to finish this painting in time.
Completely original painting of Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes, looking very steamy (in more than one way), with a curved pipe (even though they won't be using a curved pipe in the movie).
Preview:
For full painting and details, please visit my entry here.
The painting is available as a limited edition 11x14" print, faithfully and masterfully reproduced by fine arts printers on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper. The print will be priced for a limited time at $20, not including shipping. It will look absolutely lovely matted in black and framed, making it a steamy addition to your home. If you are interested, please message or comment!
02:31 pm - Merry Christmas Luen! I bought Luen a new cage for Christmas, as his last one was depressing me. Yes I know it looks a little bare. I hadn't finished moving over his new toys as well ahaha. There's more now but I CBF taking more pics. Warning: Camera phone fail.
So I think it's pretty awesome. Technically, it can open at the top. But I'm never going to open it. I think those type of tops are dangerous. Also, it would put him much higher than my head height, which strikes me as a bad idea.
Hope you all have a very birdy merry Christmas and all your resolutions come to pass without issue... and very little effort ;D
06:53 pm - Christmas Miracle! So, I thought I would share with me the surprise Duck gave me tonight.
Count Duckula, the Maroon Bellied Vampire is now... TOUCHABLE. He let me scratch his forehead, and the back of his head. He did reach for my fingers with his beak repeatedly, but the way his tongue was out, it seemed more of an offer to return the preening favor than attempt to eat of my flesh and drink of my blood (I, however, erred on the side of caution and pulled back rather than allowing him to land a potential bite). He even put his head down, and tilted his head, to guide my fingers at points.
I'm pretty happy with my unexpected Christmas present.
12:18 am - Custom Box Purse The Etta Diem Attic shop is offering discounted custom design box purses. We have a variety of artwork that is steampunk and dark Victorian in design, including airships and vintage costumes. We have four standard designs for the purses, but the custom made boxes are one of a kind and made from whatever artwork you select from our available portfolios. More information is available on the site. Any inquiries please feel free to poke me at ettadiem at gmail.com. I've made a few custom purses and can gladly direct you to those customers if you'd like to hear first hand what type of style and quality you can expect. Thank you and have a great holiday! Sale information can be found here.
04:15 pm - Winter Stroll Reminder Ladies and gentlemen, as a reminder, the next Chrononauts' Winter Stroll will be taking place on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, Saturday December 26th. We will be meeting at 1pm in the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
Dress warmly and in your finest. Though I trust none of you need to be reminded of this, as we will be visiting museums in the nation's capital, do not bring any props or accessories that either are or could be mistaken for weapons or dangerous devices (whether functioning or not). Security is very concerned about things of that nature, and I'm certain we can all understand their position. When in doubt, leave it at home. All you need to bring are your charming selves and your lovely Victorian clothes.
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