Horatio

That still should not happen. I was really shocked to hear this. At least it was fixed! I am really, REALLY happy they took care of this.

I am stunned that you had those problems. Usually Macs are known for a great product. Glad to know that they fixed everything for you.

Now that should be good!!! We are still discussing ideas for you. I seem to be coming up with "already been used" ideas.

YES!!! I totally agree!!!

No problem. Next time I will place a take-out order of pie for you. Here are a couple pictures of the Sleeping Bear Dune. This one you are permitted to climb. It is a whole lot steeper and higher than the picture makes it look. Look at the people climbing the hill. This is the view from the top. Take a look at the road and the cars for comparison. Here is a tree root. This last one is of a squirrel or woodpecker condo.

One of the big problems is that pet stores sell these hamsters when they are way too young. They are scared and their only instinct is to bite. I would give them a day or two, if you are able, with no human contact. Then start by putting your hand in the cage and letting them come up and smell you. This should eliminate any fear. The big problem for you is that, this takes time, which you really do not have. The other argument in your defense is that you do not want someone bitten and this is the best way to accomplish that.

SOO jealous! I wanna go to a comic con! mouseguard dot underscore. got it. I like applegeeks and xkcd and dreamland chronicles. It is .net, not the other. Obnoxious Cat... I like that. Neal and I have ben hashing over ideas for your storyline. Neal is a prolific reader, of probably every type of book, except for romance, so he and I have had fun trying to come up with ideas. We are still working on it. In Orlando, there is a comic con that comes every February or March. It is called the Mega Comic Con. You have one year to save for this. Have you ever been to one before? If not, one of the really cool things to do is to purchase one of that year's comic con semi-blank posters. Then you take it around to all the authors. artists, illustrators and ask them to sign it. Oh my goodness, how much fun I had meeting people. There is a friend of David Petersen called Jeremy Bastian... he has a book called The Cursed Pirate Girl. The story is great and the illustrations are superb. The second book is due out soon. I met a guy who just wrote his first book. He was at the show, and was fun to talk to as he had so much enthusiasm and excitement for where he is and how he got here. Everyone is so very nice and there were no egos. Perhaps at the big shows where the uber famous people are, but at the smaller shows, everyone was had a positive excitement. You must do this!!! I plan on going to more comic conventions in the future.

Camp sounds like it will be terrific fun. At least you made it though training without putting an arrow into someone, so I would say you are off to a good start. Nice to hear you have made friends. The rocket training... I will enjoy hearing your rocket adventures. Perhaps you will find a new interest. As for the dwarf hamsters... supposedly the dwarf siblings are supposed to live together and get along. But the first problem is that most often the pet store does not sex the dwarfs. They could have fought because they were cooped up in a little box for the ride home, but that should not have happened. Dwarf hamsters are most noted for having a mean disposition. The camp really should have not chosen those little guys. As far as biting you, there could be a few reasons... one is due to the stress of change. They were most likely afraid and when you tried to pick them up, this was a little too soon. What should have happened was that they were put in their cage and put off in a quiet corner for a couple days. Most likely the fighting would have subsided. Stress of change is one of the reasons they fight and bite. You can try them again in the same cage, but keep them in a place where no one will bother them for a couple days. This should allow them to get adapted to their surroundings with no other stresses. If they still fight, then you will have to find the bully, harder said then done, and remove that particular one into another cage. If you cannot find the one trouble maker, then they will all have to live in separate cages. The cage also has to be big enough for them to have some space. A ten gallon tank is not big enough for three dwarf hamsters as start to grow, but for the summer this should be okay. Regarding the biting... I am hoping a couple days to get used to his surroundings should take care of the problem, but I am not totally sure on this. For the small kids, I would not recommend allowing them to put their hands into any cage. You pick up the hamsters, even the larger ones. Also I know that you are aware of not allowing anyone to just put their hand in the cage without first waking the hamsters up. Even the big ones will bite out of fear. Keep some neosporin handy, just in case someone gets bitten. What I tell kids is "everything with teeth can bite... even humans". Please keep me posted. I am going to call friends of mine who own a pet store and have both dwarfs and Syrians to ask their advice.

What a happy hammie I am!!!!!!!!!!!! Of course I was the first person in line. And I met David Petersen and his wife. Requested my commission with a mouse from the Mouse Guard and a frog/toad. Absolutely, positively the most fantastic piece of art... beyond what I could have imagined he would draw. Even better is the fact that he will be including it in next year's sketchbook. I must say that the art took my breath away! Overall, the comic convention is something that I recommend you put on your 'to do' list. This is the most fun I have had in quite a long time. The art is amazing and within the price range of everyone!!! The prices start at five dollars for a small sketch and go up. But you can get an original piece of phenomenal art and get to meet the artist, illustrator, author. The people I met are absolutely wonderful and I had two days of a time I will definitely repeat. Now for Traverse City... wow! Michigan is beautiful and they love their state parks. How amazing!!! This is a most beautiful state, with so much to do. This city and the surrounding towns are really terrific. The people are so very nice and if this state just was not soooooo cold in the winter, I would make this my home. At the moment I am having coffee at a place called "Crow About It Coffee & Cakes". Just the place everyone wants to go for their anytime coffee or tea. It is a family run business where the customer is their priority. Last night I had dinner in a place called The Jolly Pumpkin. Stellar!!! They had to roll me out of the place. Of course, you all know that I work in one of the best cities for ribs... Memphis, but the ribs I had last night far exceeded any ribs I have ever tasted. They sit the ribs on some of the tastiest french fries, and no... no ketchup, mustard, condiment required. Accompanying this is a cole slaw that is perfect. They add a special ingredient that cuts the sugar found in most slaws. There was not any room for anything else, but of course, the Cherry Cheese Pie was highly recommended. So, after a cup of coffee, NOT STARBUCKS, I had a piece of the taste sensation that sent my tastebuds into a frenzied tizzy. Oh my! This wonderful superbly delicious dessert was such a delight I had to make sure that every bite was devoured. The crust is this semi-crunchy, perfect base for the creamy pie filling. This filling is topped with whole cherries and a juice that covers the filling. The piece of pie is sitting on a touch of rhubarb puree. What a mixture of tastes... sweet, tart, semi-crunchy, creamy... all in one bite! A slice of heaven on a dessert plate. Perfect. Today I plan on heading for the northwest coast of Michigan to Sleeping Bear Dunes and then down the west coast until I get back to Grand Rapids. The thought of staying one more day in this great state is rolling around in my mind. Perhaps. Pictures to follow.

Exactly! July is almost here and then your final performance will arrive, all the while you are storing away those wonderful things soon to be memories of one of the best times of your life.

Ok. Well I hope all goes well. I want to start a webcomic but don't know how to start or what to do... NVM! BRILLIANT idea!... wait... that story won't work either because it's FULL of inconsistency that I haven't fixed... durn it all OMG!!!!! You posted this at just the right time!!!! I am at the Cherry Capital Comic Con in Traverse City, Michigan. These guys are so amazing. Go to your local bookstore and look for David Petersen's "The Mouse Guard: Fall 1152". Please sit and read this. It should be in the Graphic Novels section of the bookstore. David also has a website you need to view... mouseguard.___. Email me if you have trouble finding this. When you get there look under "David's Blog". Here you will find tips on the illustrating. Tomorrow I will look for something that can help you get started.

Here I sit in this wonderful little coffee place, in Traverse City, Michigan. A couple of days ago I decided to attend my first comic convention. So, I reserved a jumpseat from Memphis to Grand Rapids, then drove a couple hours and voila... here I am. Fortunately for me, of the hotel choices listed, I selected the correct hotel to book a room. The exact hotel where the convention is being held. David Petersen, the author and illustrator of The Mouse Guard, is going to be here and he will do one or two commissions. I will have to be the first person in line to ensure that I can get one of his commissions. Wish me luck. This should be quite interesting as I have heard many terrific things about comic conventions. So, I will keep you updated with the event. Perhaps I will be able to snap a picture or two.

I am not sure. I started a 'bootcamp' workout program. The guy leading it is a maniac and I do believe he enjoys seeing all of us in pain. So... ask this same question at the end of the summer. After I have had about eight weeks of this behind me.

Exciting trip!!!! Sounds like you had such an amazing time and I can not wait until you post the pictures!!! What a truly wonderful experience! Shanghai is an incredibly large city. About four of our most major cities combined. Shanghai is one of my favorite Asian cities to visit. Please post pictures soon! You take the best pictures, so I am looking forward to seeing your work.

I had no idea this was an all summer event. Impressive!!! This will be an incredible summer for you!

WOW!!! I did not realize you were traveling and performing! Outstanding!!! For some reason I thought you were going away to an undisclosed location to practice for a month and then do a performance! So, if I head to the movies, perhaps I will see you!!!

*in a caffeine deprived haze*

The ideas I have come up with all seem old. There needs to be something new and different. I just do not know what that could be. The old, my parents were aliens, will not work.

Oh.

Bloomberg television talking about Greece.

Great idea! Real life is voted off!!! Money will just appear, we can all play and have fun. This is exactly what would work today!!!

No Mac is ever outdated if you can update the hard drive and processor. So, what you have is terrific!!! Am just getting my sleep back in line, so I will have the ideas later.

Sounds like you are hsving such an incredible adventure!!!! What a great way to make money and experience Australia first-hand! The ATV's are such fun! I rode ATV's in Alaska, along the rivers and beaches of the Bering Sea. Unfortunately, I did not get to play in the mud, only sand dunes. Mud is more exciting! Please keep us updated with your adventures.

Absolutely!!!!! This would be a must read on my list!!! As for ideas, you will have to wait until tomorrow as my brain is somewhere between Hong Kong and Memphis. Time for sleep now.

After fifteen hours of the airplane engine noise, I am enjoying the peace and quiet of the house, with Helga in her wheel and Hagar in his. Sweeeeeet!