Of Course I Hear Voices: I Own Parrots

Really, I'm not a cat or a dog person. Between the allergies and the pet care issues, I'm not a fan. I don't know. I mean really I am horrifically allergic to both. Maybe it is because I've had more cats. Maybe it is because cats are generally smaller and less annoying...usually. I like the idea of having a dog to walk for exercise and fun, but the whole needs to go out side to go to the bathroom thing doesn't work for me. Cats are cute and great companions...until I have to be anywhere near a little box. That smell alone can make me gag. Now, my ideal animal is a bird. They are fun and interactive. They talk. They have their own personalities and music preferences. As long as you are good on changing out the papers in their cage, life is good.

I love Cedar Point. Used to go every summer and have an amazing time. Even if the weather sucked, it was still a fabulous time. That was until my last trip. That was totally awful. I made the mistake of going with a group of my friends from Indianapolis. The group grew to people I didn't, and at least on person who liked to be the center of attention and the boss of all if us. Cedar Point is best done with a game plan, You start at your favorite ride and then make your way around the circle. That way you have the time to get to all the rides and you are not running back and forth all around the park. I tried explaining this, but it didn't work. We jumped from ride to ride without any organization. I quickly learned I didn't really like the other people my friends had invited, and the final nail in the coffin was when my boyfriend at the time called me to tell me his dog died. By then I was totally over it. I haven't been back since. I can't wait to return and ma...

Broke meals are my specialty. Between growing up, college and just starting out on my own, I am familiar with making a buck stretch. Macaroni and Cheese My default, poor college student/just starting on my own meal is deluxe macaroni and cheese with tuna. Now I am, picky on this. It has to be the kraft deluxe shells and cheese. It is the kind that has the creamy cheese in the packet. I do like the add milk and water type, but it just doesn't work as well. Most generic and store brand versions won't work either. They just aren't creamy enough. I add the tuna for the protein. It is like a low maintenance version of tuna noodle casserole. You have to mix it all together when the noodles are just out of the water. Heat is the key element here. The cheese sauce needs to melt quickly to cover the noodles and tuna. The whole kraft thing makes it a little more expensive, but you can also pair it with a canned or frozen vegetable and make one box last a couple ...

P3 Productions is back at our "old" Thursday night home: Bucky's (Formerly Bobby's) in Westfield...come out for drink specials, great music and fun!

Tonight I came home from work to discover there was something very wrong with my one cockatiel Beaker. Beaker and Batty are brothers, and they were my first two birds. Beaker was never the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was a momma's boy. I loved him like a he was a kid not a bird. At first he was just a little out of it and wobbly. Then the parakeets started acting strange. They were jumping on him, pulling on his wings and getting in his face. Normally, Beaker would run away like a little girl, but instead he was taking it. I went and picked him off the cage. That is when he collapsed on me. His feet weren't working. By the time I had him in the travel cage I could hear him struggling to breathe. We rushed to the vet…and she had bad news. I knew he had a genetic defect that effected his respiratory system, but he was fine at his last check up. When I got him to the vet she said it looked like he was in respiratory failure and he wasn't getting enough oxygen...and that...

So you think you can sing? Come out and prove it!! Two local establishments are starting contests in May. Both places have three weeks of auditions and then ten weeks of eliminations. Both contests are being hosted by P3 Productions !!!

Being sick is never fun. There is a point where your body just needs to recover. Staying home and spending some quality time on your couch. If you find yourself in that position, The Slums of Beverly Hills is a great choice. It is a perfect sitting around the house movie. The Slums of Beverly Hills follows a family of "nomads" that bounces from low one rent apartment complex to another. Their luck seems to change when Viv (Natasha Lyonne's ) crazy cousin comes into the picture. Her rich father pays Viv's dad to keep his misfit daughter and get her into nursing school. Things are actually looking good for the family, but we all know this is just train wreck waiting to happen. It is silly, funny, dysfunctional, and at times deep. However, it isn't too deep that if you nod off for a minute or two you will be lost.

I love working at Karaoke shows. My boss is the star of the night, but I enjoy getting to sing, the music and getting to work in audio again. We always have a good time, but there are some people who just don't get it. They do not follow the basic rules of karaoke etiquette and it gets old fast.   Instead of just bemoaning this fact, I have decided to make my own karaoke for dummies primer….here is the first installment:   Don't Stop Believing should never be sang before midnight…even if you are good at it If you put in more than 5 songs for a four hour show, do not get angry when you do not get to sing all of your songs. On a busy night, most singers will be lucky to sing one or two Whining about where you are in the rotation is a good way to get pushed back farther With a digital set up this isn't too bad, but do not wait to change your song until you get up to the microphone to sing. This messes with the flow of the show. NEVER tap on a microphone to see if it is workin...

I love my birds. They are like my kids. They entertain me and give me companionship. However, practically they have to be the most useless things in my house right now. First, they do not clean up after themselves. They never clean their "rooms" and they spit food at me and on to the floor. They expect food, toys and treats, but they never contribute to the family income. Seriously, they are home all day with internet access, they really should do something. When I leave, even if it is just for one night, I have to put up with huge amounts of attitude. They will be suddenly needy. They throw temper tantrum when you leave the room. They will get in moods where you will not be allowed to sleep in. Being woken up by a screeching cockatiel or angry parakeets is not ideal. They are my fids, and I would be lost with out them. Still, they really do not carry their weight around here.

When I was in high school, we were always looking for a place to eat that was on our budget and was just a fun place to be. I had been going to Tony Packo's with my family, but when it was my money and with my friends it took on a whole new life. Tony Packo's is a Hungarian Restaurant on the East side of Toledo. While admittedly that neighborhood isn't exactly the place people flock to...or that Toledo is exactly a tourist attraction, if you are in the area this is well worth the stop. The food is great. It tastes great and it is all filling. You can get a Hot Dog Combo (one packo's dog, bowl of soup or chilli, and a side...my personal favorite is the paprikas) for under $10. This will fill up most normal people. I don't even like regular hot dogs, but the Tony Packo's dogs, sauce and cheese just make me happy. If you want to split an appetizer, I recommend the deep fried pickles. Tony Packo's has great pickle mixes.Normally deep fried pickles aren'...

There are few things in this world that really turn me off. People who can't seem to use common sense and those who can't be bothered to read make the list. However, there is one thing that offends me more than all the others. Lack of Personal Responsibilty If you make a mistake, do something wrong, hurt a person or some other thing that has negative consequences: Take responsibility for it. One thing that will always turn me off is when people refuse to or just seem oblivious to the consequences they create. Be a grown up. Take responsibility. If you made a choice that has hurt someone, then be sensitive to that hurt.

Life takes some interesting twists and turns. I am where I am today because of the choices I have made and the circumstances that I have encountered. Some of the situations were positive situations that have encouraged me and helped me move forward. Others have been disappointments I have dealt with and used to help me grow. There have even been negative situations that have torn me down. However, I am choosing to learn from them and take steps to never let them happen again. My life is not awful, but I know that I want more. I know that this is just a temporary stop in my life. I am going to enjoy the stop and deal with the happiness and the heartache as it comes. I am also looking forward to the moment when I know the next step is here and this time nothing is going to stop me from moving on.

Dear Sprint— We have been doing business for six years now. Now we had our differences while I was still part of that family plan, but the past four years have been pretty good. I have had good luck with your phones. I have not had any major issues with your customer service. I really do love your Simply Everything Plan. It has saved me money and worry about my texting and data charges. I even have had success with your cell coverage. Really, I have no major complaints in this area. Here is where things get hinky. My two year contract was up in March. I had hoped that by the time my contract ended you guys would have at least one of the new Blackberry phones. However, that was wishful thinking. You have been so obsessed with the Palm Pre launch, that you have totally ignored your Blackberry customers. I want the Curve 8900…you do not have it nor do you know if or when you will get it. I know that when my 2 year contract was fulfilled, I was now eligible to get a new phone just like I ...

A little fun with photoshop

My life on the weekends Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone with SprintSpeed

Plinky asked me to craft an excuse. I think this is an interesting take. It isn't geared to anyone...it is just my usual default excuse with a twist What is there to explain? Whether you are my friend, boyfriend or acquaintance, I'm an upfront person. You know exactly what you were getting into with me. I work full time, run a business and then work another part time job. What you see is what you get. I will be honest with you as long as you are honest with me. Really my eyes tell you exactly what I am thinking every time. Really, it isn't that hard to understand. If I ignore you or don't text you back there are four reasons: 1) I'm busy. There are days I am going non-stop from 6 am-3am. 2) You broke one of the rules. Again, I am very straight forward and clear about my boundaries. Once you have hurt me or betrayed my trust it is hard to win it back. 3) Maybe I just need some down time...yeah it occasionally happens 4) I'm sleeping...and seriously if you are ...

I've always thought that each person has a "life soundtrack." We have songs that identify us, we relate to, and are a true back drop to our lives. Some songs are constant anthems. Other songs come and go as we transition through the stages of our life. I have my constant Benchmark Songs: Nine Days—Absolutely Guster -- Either Way Jessica Andrews – Who I Am Both songs are ones I will always be happy to put on repeat until the birds can sing along. These songs are me at the core. No matter what is going on with me, these are real indicators of my true self. Then there are the other songs. These are the ones that can change daily, weekly, by the minute…you get the picture. They are more reflective of the things that come and go. They are the pain, love, joy, loss, laughter, and all your other emotions. They are the song...

A little Earth Day Humor: Okay, back when I was at Eastern Michigan University, I began to think that perhaps the squirrels had a sinister plot to take over the campus. These little menaces had to be up to something. These guys didn't move for humans. You moved for them. They would hide under garbage cans and attack your feet as you passed by. There was one little guy that lived in the courtyard of my building. I didn't sleep very well at night, so I would try to catch up on sleep during the day. He would wait until I was just about to fall asleep, and then he would run back and forth along the window sill making all kinds of noise. I figure if they could organize a campaign of terror on a college campus, running the world should be well within their reach. Beware of the squirrels...

Well this is a tough one. I would probably spend most of it new clothes. I would mostly buy work clothes for my full time job. I need to update my look at work at bit, and this would give me that opportunity. I would probably also pick up a few items just for fun. Maybe a new pair of jeans and some fun shirts. I'm not overly trendy, but I like having clothes that look good and make me feel like a normal person. Sometimes I forget what that is like. I so rarely get treated like a girl I get bogged down by how much that feeling hurts. Dressing cute helps me overcome some of that. If there was anything left, I would buy Beaker, Batty and Abby a bigger cage. Plus I'd through in some new toys for good measure for all the fids.

Dogs and cats do not talk back. Birds do. Don't be fooled, that parakeet *will* steal that carrot off your plate Birds are like kids. As soon as you get on your phone, it is time to be loud and obnoxious Not only can they spit their food at you when they are mad or want attention, they also have amazing aim. While your cockatiel may be three times bigger than your parakeet, the cockatiel will rarely stand up for itself. Yes, parakeets are little bullies that oppress bigger parrots. Even at 19 years old, cockatiels can still become needy and scream like a little girl when you leave the room. Don't buy uber expensive toys. All toys will eventually be destroyed…it is only a matter of time. Each of your birds will have a different personality…enjoy the diversity Addendum to #9: Birds also have their own personal music tastes. I am lucky all 6 of mine like Guster and The Cure…and for some reason my singing. Yeah…television shows and movies are the same. We cannot watch JAWS or and ...