Demons and Goblyns are out to get me!

Sorry that I've been so slow to update, but I've got my work "cut out for me" (pun most seriously intended) with my OSU Buckeye Bag Challenge and I have been cutting and sewing and trying to stay "in the game."

July 4th, 2006
But first, the goblyn....
Since yesterday was just a "lost day" I thought I'd enjoy my morning with my gliders. Ahh, life is grand! I took out "Sugi's Sweeties" today (Sugi, Tink, Loki, Cady and Colby) and let them have their morning fun, and after they'd had their session, I did the same with BooBoo's Bunch: BooBoo & Meg (and their twin boys, Victor & Viggo), as well as their honorary grandparents, Bill & Evey. We were having the most wonderful time: mealies all around, with skipping, boinging, poinging, and gliding all about! Gosh, what a wonderful Fourth of July! Everyone was eager to go to their pouches, but before I close a cage door, I always do a "nose count" - one was missing!

Darn it. I checked the cage, pouches, the couch, chair, guitar case (AnnaBear loves to play on my acoustic guitar), hammered dulcimer case, under all the furniture, inside my Cerwin-Vega speakers (Charlie hid there once), and everywhere that I could think of. No Bill! OK, at this point, I'm frazzled. He can not be anywhere else; yet, he obviously is. I checked the top of the china cabinet, under it, inside the bottom of the TV, nothing. Inside the lace curtains (sometimes Sugi will hide just at the top behind the valances).

Still nothing. I call for back-up, and John helps me, too. Nothing. I sat down, and I just listened. These sneaky little things will occasionally move, and I can hear the rustle, and it's whammo - gotcha! Not this time. I'm pretty worried at this point, because I'd exhausted all reasonable possibilities. I knew he wasn't in another room because all the doors (with weather-stripping on the bottom to prevent sneaks) keep gliders isolated to my living room. I had been crawling around on the floor, looking under things when I stood up, and then my eyes fell on it. The one place I hadn't looked. My HP PSC 1210.

I pulled out my paper, flipped down the ink cartridge door, and I blew into the printer. I don't know why this came to mind, but it did. Nothing happened. Hmm. Well, at least I looked. I took a peek inside as much as I could see, and I didn't see a darned thing. I flipped the cartridge door back up, and then I heard it! The most hateful, God-awful noise you'd ever expect to come out of something so cute and fuzzy - albeit completely ornery as "all get out" - Bill was crabbing, and from the sound of it, he was madder than hell! Bingo. Found the little squirt!

Ok, now, this sounds horrible, and it IS! Sugar gliders do NOT belong in inkjet printers!! Bill had his full of mealies and snuck off to a dark quiet area where no one was going to bother him. The printer was off, as it usually is, and he was not in any of the moving parts areas (still, this was just too scary). Inside the printer, on the far right side, in the front of the case is an empty spot. That's where he was.

I tried to coax him out with his favorite blankie... no dice. Do you know what this little fellow did? He didn't even peak around the corner, he reached his little hand out (yes gliders have little hands) and grabbed his blankie and gave it a yank - inside! He wanted to sleep!















Hmmph. Well, he wasn't going to win on this one. I took a look at the printer to see if I could take it apart (patience is not one of my virtues). No deal. Hmm. I grabbed his feather teaser (he loves "killing them"), and I hoped he'd take the "bait" and follow after it. No way! He sat back in that corner and crabbed (to the glider novice, this sounds like an electric pencil sharpener at high speed).

Grrr. He was winning!! Still, he had to get the idea that this was NOT a place to play - or sleep! Then, I remembered, my friend, Karen (Sugeebaby) had given me a little set of tiny flashlights (with really bright output), and I took one and hung it onto the end of the feather teaser, and I tried "fishing him out" with that (gliders hate bright lights - especially when they are trying to sleep - they are nocturnal). FORGET IT!! This little booger was NOT going to come out!

That was it. I'd had it, and what I am about to say might be wrong, might be mean, might be cruel, but he WAS going to come out of there, like it or not. He had to learn that this was not an acceptable area to play/rest in. I placed his favorite pouch inside the printer (again), and I picked it up, and I gave it a good shake (knowing that he'd fall right into his pouch). He hung on, and I gave the printer a good sound slap, and POP GOES THE GLIDER... right into his pouch.




I tucked him in with his blankie, and I offered him a treat and a snuggle before I put him back in his cage. He was still mad, and he crabbed through the treat and the snuggle, but at least he's safe.

I don't know why, in the two years that I have had gliders, that this little incident hadn't happened before, but remember this: No matter how safe you think your gliders are - always be on the lookout. This story has a good ending, thank God, because it could have had quite another, more unpleasant ending.

In his pouch, Bill the goblyn, the tiny goblyn, the goblyn sleeps today...

July 3rd, 2006 Meet my demon: his name is Baby-Lock
Yesterday, oh, my goodness, I should have taken a photo of the most PERFECT glider bonding pouch that I have ever made (or even thought of). This little pouch was "just it": double layered, seamless interior, perfectly boxed corners (thanks to Leyna and Helen who have been trying to teach me for ages now), but I finally got it. I waltzed into the living room to show my daughter what I'd done, and POOF then I saw it. I had the darned zipper in wrongside out (or rightside in). Hardly a secure bonding/travel pouch with my little heathens... so back to the kitchen with seam ripper in hand. When I put a zipper in, only God, or a fire is gonna get it back out of there... but I finally got it out, and not about to be beaten by a handful of fleece, I tried again. Long story much shorter (you are welcome) I screwed it up again, two more times. Finally, I gave up, and I cut the top off and salvaged the good part and turned it into a cage pouch; however, during all of my trial and error I broke a needle, which just missed the outside corner of my left eye. OUCH! That shook me up quite a bit... the pressure foot fell off... and then a darned screw came loose. I quit. That was it. Out for the day. If you can't beat'em... take a nap; so, I did.