April 1993 General Conference Sunday Afternoon

Once again my Internet has gone on strike. I really wish he'd stop arguing with my laptop and doing this...it definitely makes it difficult to post.

Neal A. Maxwell –“Behold, the Enemy Is Combined” (D&C 38:12)

• Yet we must not be intimidated or lose our composure even though the once morally unacceptable is becoming acceptable, as if frequency somehow conferred respectability!
• “If the hunger for liberty destroys order, then hunger for reorder will destroy liberty.”
• No wonder the adversary steadily promotes all the ancient sins, not because he is uninventive but because his harvest is so constant.
• What is the lasting advantage of becoming streetwise if one is on a street to nowhere.
• Even with its flaws, the family is basic, and since no other institution can compensate fully for failure in the family, why then, instead of enhancing the family, the desperate search for substitutes?
• We can reach for “hands which hang down,” even if some refuse our proffered hands of friendship. We can hold to the iron rod even if others slip away and a few end up mocking us from “the great and spacious building.” 

Gene R. Cook –Receiving Divine Assistance through the Grace of the Lord

• We should have great hope in knowing, however unworthy we may feel or week we may be, that if we will do all we can, He will come to our aid and provide for us whatever we may lack.
• Christ can repair our flaws and failings that otherwise are not repairable.
• A repentant heart and good works are the very conditions required to have grace restored to us. When someone pleads fervently in prayer for an answer, the answer may be more conditioned on repentance of personal sins than any other factor.
• The Lord’s assistance to us—whether we have strong faith or weak faith; whether a man, a woman, or a child—is not based just on what we know, how strong we are, or what we are, but more upon our giving all that we can give and doing all that we can do  in our present circumstance. Once one has given all he can, then the Lord, through His grace, may assist him.
• To obtain grace, one does not have to be perfect but he does have to be trying to keep the commandments the best that he can. Then the Lord may allow him to receive that power.
• Let no trial or affliction, my brothers and sisters ever separate us from the love of God and the true love of Christ. 

Neil L. Andersen –“Whom the Lord Calls, the Lord Qualifies”

• She makes goodness look easy, and the purity of her spirit keeps our family focused on the simple yet saving truths of the gospel.
• “Whom the Lord calls, the Lord qualifies.” I know this is true, and it gives me hope looking beyond my own inadequacies. 

D. Todd Christofferson –I Know in Whom I Have Trusted

• Our Lord’s cause sanctifies us. Whether it is performed in the glare of the public eye or in a quiet corner known only to God is of no consequence. What matters is that we do serve.
• I am particularly gratified, and it is of great significance to me, that I may at any moment and in any circumstance approach through prayer the throne of grace, that my Heavenly Father will hear my petition, that my Advocate, him who did no sin, whose blood was shed, will plead my cause. 

Chieko N. Okazaki- Cat’s Cradle of Kindness

• We meet many people. With some, the association lasts for years. With others, the association is very brief. But in either case, we can make the pattern a beautiful one by making our encounter a kindly one, filled with the desire to serve.
• We may not know what contribution our small thread makes to the great tapestry. We may not understand the pattern that our lives make as they intersect, connect, separate, and intersect again, but God does.
• You are part of this pattern. And the Savior is part of the pattern. In fact, I like to think that the Savior is the spaces in the pattern, for there would be no pattern at all without them. 

Tai Kwok Yuen –“He Maketh Me to Lie Down in Green Pastures”

• Ofttimes we become anxious and fearful as we confront the complexities of life. If we seek divine guidance and follow the gospel path, we will be led to our final destination. Sometimes adversity may seem so overwhelming that we feel powerless to continue. If we appeal for help with humility and faith, our Heavenly Father will provide a way to lovingly help us through.
•  Through the gospel, hatred can turn into love, pride into humility, wickedness into righteousness, sorrow into happiness, and fear into peace. It promises us hope of returning to the presence of our Heavenly Father.

Lowell D. Wood –Come unto Christ

• The first required action: “hear ye him.”
• If we are to come unto Christ, we must first listen to him.
• As we come unto Christ, we must surrender our worldly ways, our pride, and our selfishness. As we yield to the promptings of the Holy ghost, we should experience a “mighty change in [our] hearts” and become willing to submit to our accept “all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us]”
• To yield to Christ means to put him and his teachings first.
• “Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace.
• Self-control and self-discipline are important virtues that need to be developed in the process of coming unto Christ.
• Any thought, activity, or action that is compatible with the name, the life, or the teachings of Jesus Christ is acceptable. Any behavior that is not compatible with his name, his life, or his teachings is not acceptable and should be avoided.
• Come back, come back now! Come unto Christ and enjoy the “fruit of the Spirit,” namely, “love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” and begin to “walk in the Spirit” and to “lay hold upon every gift.”

L. Tom Perry –Back to Gospel Basics

• A renewed emphasis on two basic gospel practices—daily prayer and scripture study—created a dramatic change and offered increased spirituality and works among the Saints there.
• As parents, it is clearly our duty to teach our children to pray, and regular family prayers establish patterns that literally bless future generations.
• It is so satisfying to know that God is mindful of us and ready to respond when we place our trust in Him. There is no place for fear among men and women who place their trust in the Almighty, who do not hesitate to humble themselves in seeking divine guidance through prayer.
• I know not by what methods rare But this I know, God answers prayer. I know that He has given His Word, Which tells me prayer is always heard, And will be answered, soon or late. And so I pray and calmly wait. I know not if the blessing sought Will come in just the way I thought; But leave my prayers with Him alone, Whose will is wiser than my own, Assured that He will grant my quest, Or send some answer far more blest.
• What the Lord has declared to be right will always be right. What He has declared to be true will always be true. What he has declared to be sinful will always be sinful.
• I promise you that daily family prayer and scripture study will build within the walls of your home a security and bonding that will enrich your lives and prepare your families to meet the challenges of today and the eternities to come. 

Gordon B. Hinckley –“A Prophet’s Testimony”

• The adversary is abroad in the earth. He would seek to destroy this work, but if we are united, all of us, his efforts will be of no avail. The work of the Lord will go on and grow in majesty and power and strength across the world.
• Those miracles—and miracles they are—are occurring all across this world. This is a work of miracles, and the power of the Spirit is resting upon the heads of men and women and boys and girls all across the globe. Someone has said that the Holy Ghost can teach us things that we cannot teach one another. How true that is. How wonderfully true that is!

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

I was going through a bunch of job interviews at the school. I walked onto campus nearby the construction zone and ran into a few of my institute council friends -Clara, Ryan, Melanie, Stuart to name a few. And they were participating in this...'game' where you'd take a ride on the crane. They had a rig where instead of lifting up metal beams and such you would be hooked up in it's place and swung around and around in circles. Everyone else seemed into doing it...I kinda just wandered away as I really didn't want to do it...and I ended up in a counselor's office. She was interviewing me for some kind of job. I got the feeling that I went through a couple of interviews. On one I showed up and my brother was there, and she asked us questions comparing pictures of us and other things. I was heading towards yet another appointment with this woman...I headed towards the LA building but the hallways were dark...it seemed like it was late at night....so I didn't think she would be there, and I got distracted by the opposite side of the building. There was a riot/game going on at the baseball field. My brother was causing it. apparently he'd...idk...somehow convinced the judges that he would always be right and he was taking advantage of it. You could say he'd gone power crazy, pumping up the crowd and getting everyone on his side. This...made me angry. I went up to him and slapped him. Multiple times calling him nine different kinds of an idiot. I basically went on a slapping spree slapping coaches and everyone and finally ended up with the counselor. I lost it on her constantly slapping her face saying things like "Are you crazy?!?!" She couldn't understand what was wrong and I was like "This has happened before you dummy! You don't get my brother involved in this or he turns out like that!" Apparently my brother had joined the basketball team and a similar situation had happened and we hadn't wanted my brother to get involved in that kind of situation again....

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D

Hamster Overload

I have this bad habit.
Of assuming people know what I'm talking about....
When maybe they don't.

For example...Hamsters.
I talk about Syrians, Robos, Russians....
totally knowing what I'm talking about,
when the person I'm talking to probably has no idea.

lol it happens all the time at work when I tell people there are different kinds of hamsters because they assume they're all the same.
Yet...talking about work not at work...I totally forget people don't know.

So for fun. Those of you looking for hamsters.
I'm going to give you a briefish overlook on the different types. :)
Mostly because I'm rather obsessed with them since the only 'small mammals' I've owned have been rabbits.
They're something new that I have no experience with. Hence why I tend to talk about them more then the other animals we sell at the store. As I really do want one.

So.
We'll start smallest to largest.

Robo Dwarf Hamsters


These guys are small around two or three inches long, and their coloring basically stays the same as the picture above. Sometimes it's lighter sometimes darker.
Alot of people come into the store wanting them because they are so small and cute.
But just like fish.
The smaller they are the quicker they are.
These guys can get HYPER!
They are super hard to catch and if you let them out of your grip...they're gone. Long gone.
We still have a missing robo somewhere in the store.
When doing bedding changes these guys will run back and forth against the glass like the entire hour as I switch out their bedding and wash everything. totally hyper.
If you have young kids I WOULD NOT get a robo unless you intend to just sit there and watch them run around in their ball or on the wheel.
Again this is just my experience with them at the store. Having never kept them as pets....they could possibly calm down after being tamed. As we don't handle them much beyond showing them to potential customers and bedding changes. Not enough to tame them.
But, these guys aren't prone to biting. So that's in their favor. :)

Winter Whites


The Winter Whites are the next largest in size. four to five inches. They're the middle size.
I have two pictures above because I've seen them in both colorings. The darker on the left and the creamier one on the right.
Funnily enough, we got more of the lighter coats in when winter came, before the snows struck, the hamsters came in the darker color.
These guys are less hyper then the Robos, but they can nip at you more...from experience these guys can be cage aggressive where they'll nip you while they're in the cage, but they will calm down once out in your hands. So if you do get one that seems aggressive, scoop it up in something and let them crawl out of that onto your hand.
I haven't been bit though. They do stay pretty calm.
lol what I have notice is that these guys are more of the 'screamers' out of any of them. Especially if you disturb them when they're sleeping. They'll just chatter/scream at you if you come near them basically saying "Don't COME NEAR ME!" lol. But they don't usually attack and are calm enough once you pick them up.
These guys would probably do alright with older kids. Above age ten or so.

Russian Hamster and Fancy Russian Dwarf Hamsters.


I don't know why they call the Fancy Russians, Fancy Russian Dwarfs...they end up the same size as the regular Russians and those are the same size as the Winter Whites.
The main difference between the Fancy's and the Regulars are coloring.
But not always.
The Russians usually come in White or the creamy color in the picture on the left.
Notice how they look alot like the winter white's with the lighter coat?
Yah...me to. I thought they were Russians those lighter colored Winters.
More often then not the though the creamy coat is the regular Russians or they come in pure white usually with red eyes.
The Fancy Russians come in any color and patterning under the sun it seems like. Grey to White to Cream to Brown to Black. Some with spotted coats, others purely one color with lighter chests, others all one color, and still others...where...well they take after the Syrians Where they have two main patches separated by a band of white. I just want to say a 'saddle back' in color. Who knows. I do know that even though the picture on our tag for the Fancy Russians are black or black and white...that coloring comes into our store rarely.
The Russians...are my least favorite of the hamsters.
They have nipped me multiple times so I consider them the most likely to bite.
yet...that's not true. They seem bipolar in nature. Some are utterly docile, there was a white hamster with a couple of light brown spots on his coat that was utterly easy going. Wouldn't turn an ear no matter what you did with him. He didn't mind being picked up at all. While his cage mate...would strike out and try to bite me so I couldn't pick him up.
Soo it really depends on the hamster with these guys. Some are sweet, some are aggressive, some just cage aggressive.

Short-Haired Syrian Hamsters


This is my inspiration hamster. ^^ LOVE THESE GUYS! :D
The Short-Haired Syrians are what I recommend for most people who come looking for a hamster. They're pretty calm and mellow, don't bite, and usually don't chatter (unless you really bug them when they don't want to be bugged)
They're the largest of the hamsters, but I think the larger size makes them more mellow.
They come in the colors seen above. All cream (the 4th pict) "Saddle Backed" (2ndpict) <-Fancy Russians have the same sort of pattern sometimes as well.-- More often the not the Syrians come looking like the 1st and 3rd picture. A darker red brown with lighter bottoms and darker edges.
So for the younger kids. I would say go for these guys. They're larger so they're easier to hold, just be watchful of the child as any hamster will bite if they're squeezed too tightly.

Long-Haired Syrian Hamsters


Long-Haired Syrians are the same size and just like their short-haired counter parts. They just have longer hair. Their coloring tends to be more saddle backed, but these guys tend to come in a variety of colors. Black to brown to reddish to creamy. More often they're White and some other color, but we do get in some like the first picture or that look like the short haired Syrians above this. Again with longer hair they're popular because longer seems softer.
They have the same temperament as the short-haireds and are just sooo FLUFFY! :D lol.
Because they have longer hair...you might have to do a bit of hair-care to comb out knots, but from my experience in the store...these guys do a pretty good job of keeping their fur clean and untangled by themselves.

Fancy Bear Syrian Hamsters



Last but not least are the Fancy Bears. :) They're the same size as the Short-haired and Long-haired Syrians and are of the same temperament. The coloring differs in that the Fancy Bears come in black, black with a white line down their chest, or black and white in a variety of patterns mostly like the picture on the left. The main difference with these guys as that they are more expensive then the Long and Short-haired Syrians. It makes me think that getting the black color is harder to get...so more expensive. but I have no idea otherwise why these guys cost more.


So recap.
Robos -Small, hyper. don't bite. Not good for small children
Winters- Medium, Mellow, chatterers, can bite.
Russians/Fancy Russians-Medium, Depending on the hamster...mellow or can be biters.
Short/Long-haired/Fancy Bears -Large, Calm, don't bite, easy to hold.

For the most part the hamsters have black eyes, but they can have ruby eyes and not just the all white ones.
Also Males need to be housed ALONE! As once they get old enough they will start fighting each other.
Females can be housed in pairs...they tend to get along but be sure to watch them, just in case.
Males and Females can live together one on one...but that's basically a breeding pair, soo I wouldn't recommend it. :)

Hopefully this helped somewhat if you're looking to get a hamster :)

Also Briefly
-Guinea pigs are the best for small children, they don't bite, they're fun to play with...but they do smell -not as badly as the rats.
-Rats are also great for kids as well as odd as that sounds. They don't bite. And are super smart, they'll come to their names, BUT They are continuous eaters and poop constantly. meaning...their bedding gets smelly really quickly as well. -Their bedding is my least favorite thing to do-
-Mice....are basically miniature rats....and not as smart. They smell too. I don't think it's a good idea for children to have them...but we sell them so rarely that I don't know much about them.

I hope this...okay it wasn't that brief introduction to the different hamsters clarifies things up a bit and gives you some good information. :D
At least you'll know what hamster(s) I'm talking about when I bring them up next time. ^^;; heh
Also, If you have any questions I didn't answer, please comment below and I will reply as soon as I can with the answer. :)

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

I remember dreaming that I was getting stabbed in the back.
-that woke me up. Fell back asleep-
I was in this facility...it was like a medical place...but more future techy...it kinda made me think of SHIELD...crossed with the situation in Warm Bodies with a bit of...idk...alienness experimental lab mixed in. Anyway, I was new to the place...well newish...I guess it was my first day in the facility...on the job? odd as it was as my dad ran the facility (kinda like Warm Bodies) inside this lab were...white octagonal looking containers...that were separate...but all together. As if you went into the room you could reach all the containers from the inside...while they remained separate. In any case. I mostly looked in through the windows placed there. The windows allowed the viewer to see...
dun dun dun. The Zombies.
I really only remember two.
one looked like The Hulk.
Green. Big Fists.
The other....looked more human. He had...blondish..no maybe black hair...I guess it changed throughout the dream. It was lank...stringy but the face looked innocent enough this Zombie.
Yet he was the most...dangerous creature that the facility housed. Apparently he'd murdered a bunch of people.
Oddly enough...I felt for him. I was drawn to this guy. This Zombie.
It was weird...this facility. It seemed like...at a certain period...maybe at night the Zombies were released from their frozen state to go wreck havoc wherever they wanted to. And then when the bell sounded they dashed back into their cages and went into their poses. Like fighting stances and such and they'd become...immobile.
I didn't really like it. It seemed wrong to me.
And I ended up realizing that these guys weren't really zombies. (alot like Warm Bodies) if given the time, care, and attention these killers could act human, think for themselves. Not Kill People. I tried to show this to my dad, hulk tried to speak up for himself, but the father refused to listen and I ended up helping them to escape.
We dashed to a home...on the plains...out away from people....where my family and I were part of a fair of sorts. There were stores and such set up and a setting of the inside of an old castle with frozen actors within showing the parts of the kings and queens and such. I walked through that in the snow towards this waterfall. I'd seen this place and been to it before. My family followed me as we made our way slowly along the trail following others. Those who didn't take the right path...ended up sliding around and getting attacked by creatures...bears...t-rexes....elk....but my family and I carefully made it to the viewing platform where I was able to take pictures before we headed back....

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)

-S.N.D

To Soothe the Beating Heart

So the other night....well for a couple of nights.
I have been having....disturbing dreams.
Like dreaming my brother died...
or that I got stabbed in the back.
It's the dreams where you wake up,
really convinced that the event has happened!
To the point where you find it hard to settle down and get back to sleep.

Well, when that happens I turn to a certain group.
Introduced to me by my wonderful Aunt.
Who...tragically lost her son. :(
It was while we were at her home after his funeral that she showed us this wonderful group.
Where their music just calms me.
(I may have already talked about them...hope not!)

The group?

Il Volo



Aren't they adorable!!

>.>
<.<
Yes. Yes they are!
And their voices are sooo soothing.
Even just thinking about their songs relaxes me.

It's just...comforting.

And for the past week I've been listening to them as I fall asleep.
Just because I haven't been resting well.
Wonders.
So wonderful.

My favorite song of theirs is this one:

Il Mondo

Ah.
Relaxation found.

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

I was at work, and one of the managers came up to me and basically said "Sarnic, you've been doing wonderful this week. And I know you're scheduled to work on Saturday, but really you can just take the day off and not worry about coming in okay?" Well that made me super happy. I was like ()_()..
^^;; OKAY!!! :D
And continued on with my work shift.
Only I got to thinking...you know...I am scheduled to work that day...during those hours...nobody else is. Even though he gave me the day off....I really should go work it anyway. After all I was scheduled to work then.

Then the unholy tones of daylight pulled me away....
and I became myself again. :)
Wondering...did he really give me the day off? Because I really really want to take him up on that offer.
No? *sighs* Fine...I'll go to work.

-S.N.D

Within 15 Minutes

So my mom said today that she looked forward to reading my next post if my Internet was working. I laughed thinking that wouldn't be a problem. Well what do you know... my computer refuses to connect to the Internet. >.< Post forthcoming

Just for fun...I'm going to keep my little note above. ^^;;;

Anyways.
You know what's fun?
Unperdictablilty.
The weather here is the perfect example for that.
There have been days when it starts out feeling like summer and by noon it's snowing so hard you can't see before the weather turns warm and you're nearly at the end of spring.
All the while dodging those construction cones. ;) haha.

In any case.
I had a fun experience today.
You see, Kikay dropped me off at the school so I could go to a devotional. :D yay! :D
The weather was slightly cloudy. But pretty warm. I mean...most of the snow had melted :( boooo.
Well after the Devo...I didn't have the car...cus you know, Kikay had it.
But I didn't think much of it.
I mean, I'd walked home before.
It wasn't that big of a hassle.
So I headed up the six flights of stairs (since the school meanders down a hill).
Walking inside, then outside, then inside, then outside.
Well the first outside. The weather was slightly cool.
The second outside.
I nearly got suffocated by the wind that was howling by.
Blowing leaves to the east in waves.
I could almost hear them screaming "RUN AWAY!" (you know like from Nemo 'swim away!')

It was only a bit of wind.
That meant my hair would get messy and tangled.
But nothing I couldn't handle.
So I gots a walking.
I know wind signals a storm.
But I figured I had time.
Right?
Ha.
No.
I felt/saw raindrops. Just a scattering.
Insomuch that it could have been trees shedding left over snow.
But by the time I got to the last shuttle stop.
It was lightly snowing. -A distance of like maybe 400 yards.
By the time I reached the roundabout. -another 400 yards.
It was snowing more.
Big white fluffy flakes.
Of course....the ONE day when Kikay has the car and I actually have to WALK home.
*shakes head*
It got heavier as I reached the light. -another 400 yards.
I was practically wearing a snowman suit by the time I got home. -another 400 yards.
And sitting in the living room staring out the window....
It got even heavier. Blizzard proportions.
I could barely see pass the houses across the street.

lol I just count myself lucky that I made it home before the worst part of the storm hit! :D lol.
Ah. Gotta love the weather.
And how quickly the storm can move in...I mean it's only a 15 minute walk....
And it went from cloudy. to windy. to SNOW!!!

It felt great to be walking in it lol ^^
I loved feeling the flakes all around me and being in the middle of the storm. :D
So. Much. Energy! :D

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Inside the Shoes

"An older boy and his young companion were walking along a road which led through a field. They saw an old coat and a badly worn pair of men's shoes by the roadside, and in the distance they saw the owner working in the field.

"The younger boy suggested that they hide the shoes, conceal themselves, and watch the perplexity on the owner's face when he returned.

"The older boy ... thought that would not be so good. He said the owner must be a very poor man. So, after talking the matter over, at his suggestion, they concluded to try another experiment. Instead of hiding the shoes, they would put a silver dollar in each one and ... see what the owner did when he discovered the money. So they did that.

"Pretty soon the man returned from the field, put on his coat, slipped one foot into a shoe, felt something hard, took it out and found a silver dollar. Wonder and surprise [shone] upon his face. He looked at the dollar again and again, turned around and could see nobody, then proceeded to put on the other shoe; when to his great surprise he found another dollar. His feelings overcame him. ... He knelt down and offered aloud a prayer of thanksgiving, in which he spoke of his wife being sick and helpless and his children without bread. ... He fervently thanked the Lord for this bounty from unknown hands and evoked the blessing of heaven upon those who gave him this needed help.

"The boys remained [hidden] until he had gone." They had been touched by his prayer and felt something warm within their hearts. As they left to walk down the road, one said to the other, "Don't you have a good feeling?"

Gordon B. Hinckley -Some Lessons I Learned as a Boy -April 1993 General Conference

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

A Bittersweet Treat

He's gone.
My inspiration for my story.
My hamster buddy, I put on the floor yesterday.
:(
I'm super sad to see him go. I mean....he inspired everything about that story!

Yet. I was super blessed as well.
For I was able to sell him to his new family.
A cute young couple. Probably newly married.

Instead of coming into work tomorrow morning and finding him gone.
I know who he went to. :)
The girl seemed obsessed with him lol.
So I know he's in good hands. ^^

It's amazing how I was able to do this though.
For he got sold right before the dinner hour.
And I usually work mornings.
But this morning my Reth asked me to come in.
For a single hour.
Because she couldn't find the number of her coworker she had in mind to come in an hour early.
So she could leave an hour early for a family matter.
I had no problem coming in again.

So totally a blessing for me. That missing phone number, meaning that my coworker wasn't called to come in an hour early even though they could have come in then. If the number had been found...I wouldn't have been there, and my little inspiration buddy could have been sold to who knows who.
Yet for the blessing of a single hour, I was able to come in at just the right moment, when that couple was looking at hamsters and chose him based on my recommendations. :)

I'm glad I was able to see him go. Even though it was bittersweet. :)
I didn't have much time to mourn though,
as a mother and daughter were right behind the couple wanting to look at other hamsters as well.
I had a great time talking to them and selling them the long-haired Syrian that was in the cage next to my inspiration buddy. :)
^^ They were very satisfied with how I had helped them and even told Cinres so. ^^
Woot! That's like my first time having a customer compliment me on helping them. ^^ Yay!

A good ending to my hour, especially right after losing my inspiration buddy. :)

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

The Dream

For those of you who who've read Knife of Dreams -book 11 of the Wheel of Time...I dreamt about the chapter with Tuon's perspective in her perspective before waking. odd that.

The DM Visit

You know....
I really do believe that the world of Starsmet barely keeps from going totally chaotic when I'm not at work.
Totally prideful of me to think I know.
lol but it is the way I think.
I'm a bit...protective I suppose.
I want the animals in our store taken care of and very happy, fed, and healthy.
And without me being there....I do worry.
Wonder.
I've mentioned before that it is a bit of a surprise coming into work in the mornings.
As animals that have been there for forever are suddenly gone.
And possibly more have filled and empty cages without me ever seeing them.

Today, you could say I was a bit more anxious then normal coming into work.
Why?
Well we had our new DM (Distraction Man) coming in today.
Since he's new....nobody really knows his style or how....much of a stickler he is for rules and regulations and yadda yadda.
Well I came in and was like O.o
Of course I checked the handy dandy info book...bleh. Nothing totally helpful there. Tantalizing  hints at what's happened the past couple of days....but not much beyond that.

Still. It must have been a busy weekend.
For the frogs especially.
Those are...less popular and suddenly three of our long staying residents are gone. O.o 
Plus a bunch of hamsters which is understandable.

In any case...I found a lot of empty cages and I was like O.O
GUYS!! Where are the signs saying the cage is EMPTY?!!
Turns out we have only like....10 of those signs....
and 11 empty cages.
Luckily I rectified that a bit, with the hamster/guinea pig area. Getting rid of four signs right there. :) Can't do anything for the reptiles or birds though for a bit.

In any case.
It was a bit of tear jerker moment for me at the small pets.
Why?
You remember that story I'm working on with animals and how one -a hamster- inspired me to write the story?
Well....
He died.

;)
lol kidding kidding!
I couldn't resist sorry. :)
No, he's totally fine now. :)
The wounds on his feet are healed and I was able to place him out onto the floor.
Bittersweet.
While I'm glad he's healed and healthy.
I really want to take him home with me.
Because he was my inspiration for this story.
Unfortunately my place doesn't allow hamsters. :( *sniff*
So he's going to be going to a different family.
For all I know he's already gone.
The short-haired Syrians are popular here (at least when I'm on the floor. I like them lots. :D)

Yah....I hope he's still there tomorrow. I like seeing him. :)
in any case I couldn't just sit there. :( boo.
Nope. :) For Distraction Man's visit would be later in the day!
I would be long gone by then of course.
But I wanted to do what I could.
And....I did alot.
Windows. Food, Water, Fish....Bins, Sweeping....
But no bedding changes. :) The managers wanted to focus on everything looking perfect so those were done yesterday. I basically got done before the store opened. :) yay! Pretty good for opening by myself lol.
And then Reth showed up. :)
Yah. Feel the tension from her.

She asked me at one point when I got off and I brightly said "This time!"
Cus...like the last few times the higher uppers have come I've been scheduled to leave when the store opening.
And usually she's happy to hear that I'm not leaving right as the store opens.
Not today.
lol No I think she nearly fainted.
Basically her next words went something not totally at all like this. "NO! I CAN'T BELIEVE THEM!!! HE DID NOT SCHEDULE ME ALONE FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG WITH THE DM COMING IN TODAY!"
Yah....that would be hard if you're the only one in your section and the DMs show up. :S
Needless to say, Reth disappeared for a bit and came back asking me "Do you mind staying for three more hours?"
lol. No I didn't.
Of course I had to smile. I had planned to leave at my normal time....therefore I didn't. At least I brought something to do on my breaks this time. lol.
I was a bit on edge though.
I've been having fun thinking myself this 'mystery person' at work to the higher uppers...you know in case the managers mentioned me or something and I'm never there when they show up. :) lol.

I don't think Reth should have worried though.
The DM didn't show up until about lunch time. When I had a partner show up.
So Reth wouldn't have left her section unattended.
But she probably would have been more flustered at getting everything done and clean....
Who knows. :)

I did meet the DM. He seems nice enough. Confident. But not somebody to go running away in terror. I didn't say more then a few words to him though as I my extended shift had ended soon after they showed up. :)

Still twas a fun day. Full of ups and downs and mini panic attacks to make sure that everything and all the cages looked good and the placements inside the cages were right and all there.
Yep.
Chaos is fun. ^^
I'm just glad that the stress levels are going to go down after today...you know...until the next visit. :) lol

Side note! I got 11,112 pageviews guys! Grrr for not looking in time to see 11,111 :( Oh well :)

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

I don't remember what I dreamed...but I woke up half convinced that my brother had died from food poisoning. It wasn't a happy dream whatever it was...I think taking a lot of cues from the Warm Bodies movie. :S