Woke up uncharacteristically early today, with the helpful urgings of Bear, just so i could get stuck into my work for the maximum amount of time today. Needless to say, with a recent wedding, house purchase and immigration papers to sort out, not to mention all the other usual stuff that needs to be done, my phd work has... not so much suffered as stagnated. And there is of course no better motivation to restart the engine than an upcoming meeting with one's highly driven supervisor!
So here I am, bleary but awake, sitting at my desk, no one else here, all quiet and peaceful, perfect conditions for working, and I can't stop thinking about pies!
This weekend, we are helping Bear's mum with her Mother's Day flower stall, which, serendipitously, will be held in our backyard since we have an enormous backyard and it faces onto a busy road.
Mother of Bear and her partner will arrive tomorrow sometime crazy early like 6am, needing help setting up and etc. Which is why Bear, nearly three hours ago, strongly suggested that we both go to bed, because we needed to get up early tomorrow.
We? said I.
Well actually there was more like a pause where I looked at him in silence and then Bear said, "We? says Suyin."
In other news, just randomly googling my name with Bear's, I find out that the author, Han Suyin, after whom I am apparently named - does it count as being named after someone if your mum just decided she liked the name? Anyway, turns out Ms Han Suyin had an affair with an Ian Morrison, on which her book and the movie Love is a Many Splendoured Thing was based.
Tadah.
She didn't marry him though, but she did marry three different men! And had a rather full life.
Our Alfie, the smartest, stubbornest and most irrepressible rat we've had the honour of knowing, passed away on Friday afternoon.
He was approximately 2 and a half years old, and had been battling through bumblefoot, kidney disease and a large abscess. I brought him to the vet that morning to have the abscess lanced, successfully, but perhaps it was all a bit too much because that afternoon, when I came home from work, we found him passed away, halfway through climbing out of one of his favourite nestboxes.
I wish so much that I'd stayed at home with him and I hate that he isn't with us anymore, but I think he'd had enough and was ready to go.
Alfie was a really great rat. I could have sworn at times that he understood, or at least guessed correctly at everything we said. He was so smart, he figured everything out, even how to open the yoggie jar, and then he taught Monty how. He was an adult rescue, and had never been a pet rattie, so he was pretty aloof and never really cared toooo much for cuddles and such, but he listened to us, and was friendly to us, and I think he appreciated all that we tried to do for him. In the last couple of weeks, he had to take this horribly yuckky tasting medicine and even though we mixed it with yummy peanut butter ice cream, he still didn't like it, but we told him it was important and so he took it. Twice a day. He was a really great rat.
Here is my favourite video of Alfie, when we used to give him a yoggie to distract him from getting his bumblefoot treated. He asserts his dislike for being put on his back but realises in the end that he might as well just sit it out and eat his yoggie. The sound lags behind by about a second. Not sure why it does that:
Here is another one of Alfie enjoying a rub:
And a blurry one of Alfie being cute (he was incredibly cute) but then squirmy:
I'm glad we took Alfie in - he's testament that even the most frightened, unsocialised, bitey rescue ratties can become great friends, and it was also amazing to see how much they bloom with the right care and love.
We miss you Alfie! We miss you so much!
Remember our love and take care. Stay comfy my love.
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