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 Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 7:36 am
Moofuls' Diary Only she should be posting here. -------------------------------------------------------------- Oct 12th- So many trials in life, but Acia has gotten through them as best she could. Finally her body matches the maturity life forced upon her.
Nov 4th- Isn't that always the plight of a scientist? Good intentions into experiements that get misused by someone else? Reguardless Acia's chemistry, mathmatics, skematics, and spacial design skills have super boosted with all the work she does. Let's just hope the poor girl never runs out of things to learn. ^ ^;
Sep 22nd- With intellect and team work Acia made her way through the task wonderfully, and though there has been a bit of a delay, the feat has pressed her maturity to that of the child level. Hmmm.. I wonder if her first words will be chemical names and formulas. xd July 26th- Acia continual grows more and more intelligent in things dealing with chemicals, construction, and basic sciences. Even her social skills have been greatly blossoming, and I can't wait to see if she uses them like a motor mouth in the child stage, or simply speaks when she needs to.
July 1st- Such an adorably impatient one, though I'm sure that'll actually come in handy someday. Your allowing her to toy around with things is really helping alot as well, I think she may grow up to be a very clever little one, not to mention more dexterious. Iris dropped off a little kit filled with science related objects and tiny tools. Maybe she'll find something in there to play with?
June 20th- Ah... this little girl may seem like a late bloomer but looks can be deceiving. She really picked up some strong traits from her times of inventing with you and traveling the world. It seems you've raised a very enthusiastic little one, continue to nuture her needs and I'm sure she'll make you proud.
June 5th- The adventurous sort who wants to take to the sky, and yet still yearns for the safety of the ground? The chest choose a sweet little sugar glider for you. And don't worry, plushies can't fly very high, yet.  General Info:
Name: Acia
Gender: Female
Size: 11 inches tall
Born: June 5
Personality: A mechanical genius in the making! Sure, her thoughts and plans might seem a little strange or even eccentric to others, but isn't that the sign of a real genius? A VERY opptimistic creature with high goals that strives for everything the world can give her and everyplace she can manage to get her eyes on.
Skills:
Gliding: 6/10
Wind manipulation: 4/10
Mechanical expertise: 4/10
Chemistry: 5/10
Electricity: 2/10
Status:
Social: Extremely friendly
Energy: Energetic
Ability: Intelligence, creativity
Mental: Mechanical smarts
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:00 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:01 pm
A tame sugar glider has plenty of personality and attitude, and makes a wonderful, loving pet. Though this social animal lives in groups in the wild, it does well as a single pet. Thoroughly gentled animals do well in pairs, too, and will maintain their bonds with their human caregivers. General Info:Sugar gliders are tiny gliding opossums from Indonesia, New Guinea, New Zealand and Australia. Wild sugar gliders live in colonies of 6 to 15 animals in tree hollows or other nests made of vegetation. They spend daylight hours cuddling in their nest. Early evening and night will find them foraging for food and protecting their tree.
An adult sugar glider is about the size of a hamster or flying squirrel, approximately 5 to 7 inches long from tip of nose to base of tail. Adults in proper body condition weigh between 3 and 4 ounces. The tail is fluffy, often curls on the end and usually is longer than the body length.
A young sugar glider is silver-gray with a black stripe that starts just above the nose leather and extends over the forehead, down the neck and back and joins the black tail. A dark stripe also runs from the outside corner of the eye to the ear. Captive-raised sugar gliders remain this color throughout their lives. Wild sugar gliders are born this color but usually become stained cocoa brown from the vegetation and tree sap in their nests. Their new coats will come in silver-gray after shedding the old coat.
The sugar glider's belly is a soft white, meeting the gray exactly at the outside edge of the fully furred gliding membranes. This gives a unique scalloped effect when they are relaxed. The sugar glider has four fingers and an opposable thumb on its hands and feet. The thumbs on the rear feet are without claws. Toes and fingers have small pads that help the animal grasp food and branches. Each toe and finger ends in a sharp claw that can hook like Velcro to nonslick surfaces.Sugar SnacksIn the wild, sugar gliders have a high energy diet that has a fairly high level of protein. In captivity, they should be offered a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, animal protein (from farm-raised insects and commercial diets made for insectivorous pets), and possibly a vitamin/mineral supplement. The calcium-to-phosphorous ratio of the entire diet should be about 1.5 or 2 to 1. The overall protein to plant matter ratio should be about 50:50.
The fresh diet should be fed in the late afternoon or evening. Pick up uneaten food the next morning. Sugar gliders relish nearly all fruits and some vegetables. You may find that your pet sugar gliders develop distinct likes and dislikes for fruit. In general, however, they do not like bananas, and citrus fruits often encourage diarrhea. Recommended vegetables include broccoli, sweet potatoes, carrots, corn, cooked beans and green peas; thawed, frozen varieites are acceptable. To the fruits and vegetables, add a small amount of hard-boiled egg. Keep the diet balanced, and give your pets variety. For example, low-fat yogurt and cottage cheese are welcome changes one or two times a week.
Sugar gliders have specific requirements for vitamins D and E, calcium and selenium that are not thoroughly understood at this time. Improper diets can cause white muscle disease, paralysis, white eyes and death. To make sure your pets receive enough of these nutrients, offer insects--such as crickets--coated with a zoological vitamin powder. Mealworms also can be fed as an occasional treat but only in moderation.
Water is critical to sugar gliders; if they are without it for more than a day, they can dehydrate rapidly and die. Sugar gliders may need time to adjust to a water bottle. Place a small water cup on the side of the cage with the bottle spout directly over the dish. Eventually leave less water in the dish until you see the level in the water bottle dropping with no evidence of leakage on the catch tray below. Taming TactsIf you acquire a baby sugar glider that has not already been tamed, you will need to handle it gently and patiently. When the baby is handled, it may emit a faint scent reminiscent of a skunk. It is a very light odor of short duration and is usually noticeable only the first few times the sugar glider is handled.
The easiest way to hand-tame a baby sugar glider is as follows: Wear two shirts, such as a T-shirt under a long-sleeved shirt, both tucked in to your belt. Put the baby sugar glider between the two shirts and go about your usual business. If you only use the long-sleeved shirt, the animal's tiny toes will tickle you more than you can stand, as they investigate this wonderfully warm and comfortable new tree.
At the outset of this training, the sessions should be very brief---not more than 5 minutes. Repeat several times a day, gradually increasing to an hour over a two-week period. VOILA! The sugar glider is bonded to you. It can now be persuaded to reside in your shirt pocket or a fanny pack turned to the front of your body. Pocket PetsSugar gliders are, without a doubt, the true pocket pet. A tame sugar glider is delighted to be in physical contact with its owner's body. It will sit on your shoulder, ride in your hair or nap in your shirt pocket. It is an indescribably delicious sensation to feel this warm, living creature lightly move in your pocket as you surf the net, wash the dishes or fix the car.
You will fall in love with the sugar glider's attitude. This animal is not a pushover and cannot be trained to do anything with negative reinforcement. Isn't a shame that all pets do not have the sugar glider's degree of self confidence? Treated with kindness and love, your sugar glider will choose you as the most safe and desirable tree in the forest and treat you as an equal, somewhat larger, sugar glider.
You will love the sugar glider because it is such a unique adaptation of nature. A huge portion of its existence in the wild is spent in trees. Because of this habitat, the sugar glider developed the gliding membrane that allows it to travel from tree to tree without ever touching the ground in its entire life. Likewise, a sugar glider that is bonded to you will glide back to you, its one true and safe haven if placed on a stranger's shoulder or on top of your bookcase.
Properly fed and exercised, sugar gliders can live between 10 and 15 years in captivity. If you're looking for a charming, interesting pet, look no further than the sugar glider.
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:02 pm
  Moo -- The Almighty Moofuls, resident 'mom', though no one refers to her as such. Somewhat eccentric inventor/mechanic, as well as pilot and co-owner/manager of the Jivvin Center. Cheerful to the point of annoying, rather naive at times, snaps from optimist to pessimist and back at the bat of an eye. No one's really sure where she came from, or ever what her real name is.
Pod -- K'podron Van Quil, to be precise, though absolutely no one calls him that, because it usually sends people into a fit of giggles. Pod showed up at Moo's house only recently and seems to know her from a while back.. But exactly how or why, both of them refuse to say. How odd. Pod's happy-go-lucky, always joking around, flirts with everyone and steals from them when their backs are turned.
Jack -- Moo's eldest 'son', as well as the oldest of the bonded Jivvins. Once arrogant, vulgar and rude, he's mellowed out quite a bit since giving up alcohol and is very much the family man, completely devoted to his to-be wife and children. Once Uuthli, now deprived of rank, on shaky terms with the Survivers, but working towards their good sides. Has twin sons, Dariusz and Zachariasz, a daughter, Anastazja, and is engaged to Xbear.
Isto -- One and only metal-armed Skullmonkey, younger than Jack by less than a week. Ignored and excluded throughout his childhood (due to, he thought, his arm), nearly committed suicide, saved by a chance meeting. Later fell in love and married his 'rescuer'. Has one blood-child (Kailee), a few adopted (Faust, Violet, L'aven, Cody, and two on the way xD; ), and is married to Slush.
Banda -- Another Skullmonkey, Moo adopted him when he was abandoned by his previous owner. Completely deaf due to an accident in infancy, and talks a bit funny at times becaue of it; reads lips. Extremely sweet and good-natured despite his situation, very patient and rarely angry over anything. Paints in watercolors, and plays part-time guardian of Lyrus.
 Scion -- Moo's second Jivvin, a Daewl. Creepy little blighter. very stand-offish, cool, calculating. Quiet, cunning, generally avoids the English language as much as possible, speaking in something loosely related to Drow. First through the Future Door, first to survive the Fifth Floor. Specializes in Illusion. Sometimes goes by Asios.
Kama -- Newest Jivvin addition to the family, adopted when previous owner abandoned him. Arrogant, sly, not bothered in the least by his abandonment. Still getting to know him, and vice versa. Olplyn.
Tia -- One of the newer family members, Tia is some kind of little tea fae...thing. She's incrediably sweet and always offering to help out, but also often...very, very hyper due to her habit of drinking only over-sugered raspberry tea. She and Acia are like two peas in a pod...and near the same height, as well. Cool beans.
Tayn -- Tayn is.. a Cortlin. A fuzzy purple bear Cortlin who always, always wears a tutu. Tayn has no regard for peoples personal spaces, and is far too affectionate for his own good. Often the butt of many 'fruit' jokes...which only makes things more amusing when you're see him. He means well, though <3
Acia -- Mini, overly eccentric Moo. Sugar glider Velveteen, chemist, pilot, mechanic, has the abilities to manipulate the wind and electricity. Extremely friendly and optimistic, easily offended but quick to forgive and forget. Spends most of her time in her labs working on various projects, but often comes out to entertain the younger 'siblings' while Moo is working.
Jaxom -- A Guardian child, self proclaimed leader of the 'second generation' at Moo's household, meaning the children from his age and down. Jax is a born leader, and a good one at that, always working towards the wellbeing of himself and his 'followers' without flattening everyone else. A sweet kid, sometimes a bit too haughty for his own good. He had a black cat 'guardian' that keeps him in line.
Adroi -- Wonambi (type of Australian snake) Boundless, still rather young. Adroi is very, very quiet--he's only ever spoken once, and otherwise only hisses softly on occasion--and terribly independent, preferring his own company to that of anyone else. Despite his young age and lack of legs, Adroi has already worked out almost all of the secrets to Moo's house, and will frequently vanish for days at a time...but always returns occasionally for a good snuggle.
Lyrus -- The household's resident villian, Lyrus will only like you if you happen to meet him on a good day and quickly win him over. Lyrus doe snot like people, particularly happy ones, and is more often seen in the company of his firelizard or cera. This antisocial child has a horrible temper, is quick to place any blame of other people, and threatens and bullies frequently. He has abilities centering around glass, and has no qualms with using them against people.
Coen -- Coen is adorable. Just adorable through and through. The baby of the house, Coen spends most of his time hovering along behind people and babbling as much as possible to them in babytalk. He takes any distress to others as a personal harm to himself, and the slightest harsh word or mood will set him crying and trying to make people happy again.
Miire -- Miire is Acia's lab partner, a Dralaxy whose abilities center around the element mercury and the manipulation of various metals. Despite her young age and tiny size (only 4 inches), she's extremely sarcastic and snappy, easily offended and angered when she doesn't get her way.
.Extended.
   Lenta -- A spunky, bipolar girl with a tail and ears. She's got several children, and lives at the Jivvin House with Moo. Lenta's odd, to say the least; however, she's dedicated to the upbringing of her 'children', and is friendly to most everyone. (Desc by Lenta)
Mauli -- Skull Monkey Piratess, Extraordinare. Mauli's all about pirates, action... and cute guys. She had a bit of an, er, accident with Isto, that resulted in Kailee... However, she seems to have forgiven him, for the most part. She has angry spurts from time to time, but is quick to come back and ask for forgiveness. (Desc by Lenta)
Kailee -- A quiet, shy Skull Monkey. Daughter of Isto and Mauli. She's got no idea that Isto's her father; as far as she knows, Mauli got her for a song at a bar near the docks. Kailee is NOT a pirate like her mother. She enjoys cooking, building, and reading. (Desc by Lenta)
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:03 pm
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:04 pm
Acia's gift from Iris n_n A beginners chemistry set. Whoo, does she love this thing! Thankfully, the chemicals in it can't do -too- much...she hasn't blown anything up yet.
Acia's pet! A gift from Huni, Acia has affectionately dubbed her Pip, because... dunno o_o But she has! Ain't she cute?
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:14 pm
Sunday, June 6th, 2004
Well, lesse, where to begin... Life might have just gotten much more interesting. Not that it was dull to begin with, what with everything between my over-large family, gnome attacks, and running the Jivvins center, but after today...well, who knows. Today started just like any other. Our fridge was empty, so I went shopping. Jack was the first to the door, so he came with me. And we walked...
The walk wasn't bad. Actually, the day was rather nice, so it was much better than it would have been otherwise. I don't own a car yet. I don't really plan to. See, I'm working on this sort of hovercraft thingy, but...I can't get it to hover. So it's rather useless. But once I get it working, it'll be brilliant!! Just wait! Anyway, back to my story...hmm...
Yes, well, Jack and I were walking for the grocery store when he notices a sign for a toy stop. I honestly hadn't known he could read. Isto must have taught him some words. Well, within a matter of seconds Jack was in the shop. I figured I should probably get him out before he stole or broke something. The place was PACKED when I entered. There was some sort of contest going on for four keys. Interesting, yes? So I entered....and won! A key! Mmhmm, a key. And I still had no idea what the key was for.
So...I excused myself and went grocery shopping. We had to eat, after all. And so, after shopping for a couple of hours and delivering everything home, I finally returned to the toy shop. One of the shop owners, a woman named Iris, explained the prupose of the key. Apparently it unlocked a chest, and within the chest would be... a plushie. But a special plushie! One that would soon turn into an animal! And the plushie's species was designed to fit your personality! I was hooked.
I then learned that I was the only one of the winners left to try the chest. One got a skunk, one a squirrel, and the other a chameleon. So I opened it and got... a sugar glider! She is absolutely darling! I think we're going to get along well. I've named her Acia. It just sort of...popped to mind. When we came home, no one seemed the least bit surprised that I had returned with a plush glider instead of take-out. Must be used to new arrivals... I haven't told them what she really is yet, but I think Jack suspects something. Merf, I'll write a bit more tomorrow. Jack's dragging me off for dinner...
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:15 pm
Tuesday, June 8th, 2004
"'Tis quite simple really. We're almost done now...I think. Just connect this thingamabobber to the doohicky and voila!" Moo stepped back proudly, arms thrown wide in her gesture towards the finished hovercraft. Positively beaming with happiness, she glanced to the glider plush carefully set in one of the seats. "So, whadaya think?"
Acia sort of...wobbled.
"You're absolutely right!" And with that, Moo was off again, wrench in one hand and a hammer in the other as she practically attacked the vehicle. She tossed open the hood, casually chatting with the plush in the front seat. "Final check of the engine, an’ then we’ll go for a test flight. ‘Course, ‘tis only a hovercraft so it won’t go very high, but it’s quicker than a car.” She paused and shrugged, mumbling, “Saves us the trouble of having to buy one, too. And no traffic!”
Moo could have sworn her glider nodded in agreement.
She stepped back and carefully closed the hood, wiping her hands clean on a conveniently placed rag, eyes surveying the craft. With a nod she dropped the rag-she could pick it up later-and stepped around to the door, opening it and sliding into the drivers seat. “Ready?” Acia just sat there, so she took it for a yes.
The engine roared to life, accompanied by many odd bangs and clanks from beneath the hood as the craft lifted from the ground. Moo let out a whoop of excitement; Acia rocked backwards; and the invention shot off over the dirt road. Both hands had a death grip on the steering wheel; Moo'd never been a very good driver. Actually, by this time, she was rather relieved that Acia was still a plushie. At least plushes couldn't die...right?
Well, that wasn't important right now. This was FUN! "WOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO!" The hovercraft whipped around corners, darted through trees, and nearly crash multiple times in an effort to avoid real cars, all the while slowly gaining speed. "Erg...mebbe we should head home now, aye?" Moo glanced down to the glider plushie, returning her eyes to the road almost immediately. That was yes enough for her. She slammed a foot on the brake and spun the wheel to the right...then went right into the forest. Crap, brake was broken.
"I KNEW we forgot something! Weaving around trees, she kept up her chat with the plush, lightening her foot on the gas. "Now don't look at me like that. You didn't remember either! We'll be fine! We'll just...coast to a stop..." But the craft wasn't slowing.
One of the brilliant things about hovercrafts it that they hover. Well, doi. But hovering means no wheels moving on the ground. And no wheels significantly reduces friction, and therefore enables one to move at much higher speeds with much less force. In a case such as this, coasting didn't help much. Actually, one would wonder how a brake would work at all...there weren't any wheels.
The casual test-run joy ride had transformed into the worlds worst roller coaster: a high speed, ground level track with no chance of stopping. But she had to admit, it could make some pretty sharp turns. Sharp turns were FUN! "We'll be home in no time at this rate," Moo commented, affectionately patting the dashboard. "And no, I don't know how we'll stop," she snapped, cutting off any sarcastic remarks from the plush. A tree effectively solved that problem.
Some time later Moo came to, helped along by a rather large pinecone dropped on her head. Still groggy, she absently waved a fist at the vicious rodent, free hand groping around on the seat beside her for… Good, Acia was still here! Carefully she lifted up the glider plush and set it on the dashboard in front of her. No rips…no tears…. eyes were still there… “Good! You’ve survived!” As if there was any out… Moo was certainly not the irresponsible type who would let their Velveteen get hurt before it was even alive! Heh…
Leaving the glider on the dashboard, she forced open the door and climbed out. Sore muscles protested from being cramped in the craft for so long, but those could wait. Her creation was…. Well, it likely wouldn’t fly again. The front had collapsed in on itself upon impact with the tree. The windshield had completely shattered, the craft itself was held at a strange angle, front end lifted off the ground by the tree.
“Well….back to the drawing board…”
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:16 pm
Wednesday, June 9th, 2004
Dear Journal Log Thingy,
Yesterday was rather disappointing. Don't get me wrong, it was fun and all, but my hovercraft was NOT supposed to crash! Er..perhaps I should start from the beginning?
I had spent most of the morning in the shed behind my house, adding the finishing touches to my newest creation--a hovercraft. Hovercrafts are good because they never actually touch the ground, and therefore you get the sensation of being much higher than you actually are. Especially when going at high speeds impossible for any car. That was the idea, at least. I don't like heights. Hovercrafts don't go high. It all works out.
I brought my glider plush with me for a number of reasons. One being that I thought she would enjoy the experiance, another simply that I wanted company. Most of my family have long since learned to stay away when I get a new idea... I think my ideas are good! They're just boring. Boring little snotrags...
Anyway, it started off well enough. It actually worked this time!! We got pretty far before I realized the brake didn't work. Not that there really could have been a brake...it hovered, after all. So, we tried coasting to a stop. Heh...that didn't turn out to well either. It's alright, though, 'cause a tree decided to be a volunteer brake. So...we crashed. Acia was alright though! Wherever these plushes come from, they sure do a good job of making them, 'cause she hadn't torn a bit. I got off with a few minor scratches, nothing too bad.
Got some of the family to help me drag the hovercraft home... I think I can fix it, but I'm not worried about that right now. I'm planning on building a zip-line through the woods to the House. Won't go in to detail on that right now, though. It's still a work in progress.
I'm not sure what to say about Acia... Those few moments that she's not with me, someone else is chatting with her. Not everything thinks I'm insane, you know. They seem to accept that she'll turn into a living, breathing sugar glider sooner or later, which is good. At least no one'll freak out and attack her when she comes to life...
Hmm, she's sitting next to me as I write this. Well, next to my arm on the table, at least. I have so many questions about what'll happen... I suppose I'll have to wait and see. Can't be too far away, after all.... Either way, I can wait. Cute liddle plushie... 'Til we meet again, Journal.
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:18 pm
Thursday, June 17th, 2004
Well, I'm home! Two more weeks until my next trip....Merf, do I have to go?
Oh well, couple weeks of freedom at least. And it's not as if I didn't have fun. The trip was GREAT! It was nice to have a few days away from the family. They get frustrating after a while... Just for some background info, I went on a five day choir trip to different locations in Texas. After debating long and hard on who to bring (I couldn't bring everyone, after all), I finally decided it would be best to just bring Acia. She should be coming to life soon, I think, and I didn't want it to happen while I was gone. So my glider came with me.
It's hard to describe the trip because, all in all, we didn't do much. A lot was driving, a lot was singing, and a lot was wandering around various different malls, but it was still a lot of fun. Plus it gave me a lot of oppertunities to talk to Acia, even though I couldn't take her everywhere. Not that she ever talked back, but...eh, maybe it'll make an impact once she's alive. Mmm, lesse...I'll do it by days.
The first day, Saturday, we left at 6:30 in the morning, and drove for four hours...all to go to the zoo. But it was a nice zoo. Actually, we stopped at the IMAX and watched a big long movie about coral reefs first. Very interesting, but kinda sad. The whole movie was about how quickly coral reefs are dying out. In thirty years, there may not be any left. I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure what my glider thought of it...if she can think yet. She was sitting on the chair next to me for the whole movie. Some big, fat guy nearly sat on her before it started. I freaked out and nearly bit his head off. He changed seats.
After the IMAX we walked around the zoo for a few hours. I'd like to take Acia back once she comes to life. She may feel differently than I do about them, though. I have mixed feelings about zoos...This one I liked, because all the animals had large cages and seemed happy, you know? They weren't just sitting in a corner and sulking. They were playing, or napping, or...Dunno, they just seemed happy. So I liked that zoo--especially the Reptile House. Don't think Acia liked that much, though..
We left the zoo and drove a couple more hours to our hotel, where we had just enough time to dump out bags in our rooms before we were off to the mall. Spent the evening walking around the mall. It was fun; didn't buy anything. Went back to the hotel, went to sleep. End of day one ^_^
The next day we drove some more...and had our first choir performance. It went -very- well, in my opinion, mostly because of how happy it made the people we sang for. See, we went to this place called Brookwood Community, which is a center for mentally...slow people. It's just a place where they can do things together, or work in the cafe, or make ceramic stuff...a bunch of different activities. The people really enjoyed our performance. We got to talk to them for a while after it, which was fun. Afterwards we went back to the hotel and just spent the afternoon there...
Monday was very eventful. We spent the morning hiking through the Natural Bridge Caverns. They were BEAUTIFUL! 'Twas absolutely amazing how minerals and water can make these formations. The Caverns are another place I would like to take the family, though I think the noise would probably frustrate anyone hiking with us... The Caverns are one of those places that just seem so much more magnificent when its silent. And with a family of 17.... It's hard to stay silent.
After we left the caverns, we performed at a nursing home, than drove a few more hours to go to the second mall of our trip. Once again, I didn't buy anything. Not that I didn't see anything I liked, but...eh... Didn't like anything enough to buy it. So ends day three...
Tuesday was the only day I didn't spend with Acia...and only because I was scared to get her wet. See, Tuesday we went to Schlitterbahn, which is one of the biggest water parks in the United States. As awesome as that day was, I think my finest moment was coming home without a sun burn. I went on about twenty different water slides, including one that lasted for over 45 minutes, not counting the line before it. The water was FREEZING. It was all fed by a natural spring, so... they couldn't adjust the temperature.
Wednesday we were supposed to go to a pool party, but it rained, so we went to another mall. At that mall, I bought a pillow. Yes, a pillow. It's orange. ^_^ Then we had our final concert that evening, and drove home. So... That's it! And my next trip in two weeks....Ugh.... Well...g'night....
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:20 pm
Sunday, June 20th, 2004
Yesterday was rather uneventful... Well, uneventful to a normal person, I suppose. It's hard to have an uneventful day at my house. For example:
That morning I'd planned on getting alll the laundry done, because I'd taken most of my clothes on the trip. Things started out well enough; Acia, Corr, and I managed to get all the clothes sorted and ready to wash without much trouble. (Or, really, I did. Acia's still a plush, and Corr's too small to actually be helpful.) We got through the first couple of loads, before...oh, how should I put this?
It turns out Jack had stolen something of Ron's, and Ron..well...wasn't happy about it. So he was trying to get it back. Picture this scene: A human, and plushie, and a five inch tall anthro caracal are sorting socks when a large dog, lizardish thing comes tearing in, pursued by a young, bright green gargoyle. This, dear journal, is typical of my home.
Well, Ron (the gargoyle) chased Jack (the dog thing) around the room for a while. Corr (the caracal) was nearly stepped on three times, Acia (the plush) was buried under a pile of laundry, and I (the human) was running around screaming for them to stop. Heh, since when do they listen to me? They didn't stop, but they left after a while. It took Corr and I the next 45 minutes to find Acia beneath the strewn laundry, and another hour to sort it all out again. But we got it done, which was the important thing.
The afternoon passed without incident...but that evening Isto came home. He'd been at the skull monkey HQ all day, you see. He spends most of his time there. Anyway, he came home and...he'd grown!! He's an adult!!! I'm so proud! (*tear drops all over paper*) But, um, he didn't seem to happy about it...Well, that's not entirely true. For a while he was in an exceptionally good mood, but then he sort of...drooped? Got all sulky again, wouldn't talk to anyone. Of course, that's his typical behavior, so I didn't press the subject.
Actually, I have a good idea of what was bothering him, but I won't go into that here. This is, after all, Acia's log. Isto has his own, which is currently right next to me on the desk. Go figure. Well, hmm... Isto's log is calling to me, and there's really not much else to say of yesterday, so..until next time, journal thingy.
Oh, apparently another Velveteen is alive now. Acia should be growing soon n.n heart heart
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:23 pm
Monday, June 21st, 2004
ACIA'SALIVEANSHE'SSOAMAZINGOHMYGOSHICAN'TBELIEVEIT!!!!
Ah, I couldn't resist ^_^ Yes, Acia is alive! She's real!! It happened last night. Sadly, I didn't get to see it myself. I was asleep, I'm afraid. This morning I woke up expecting to find Corr, because someone was crawling around my head. Instead, I came face to face with Acia. I screamed. She gave me this vague expression, and I could practically hear her saying 'Wimp' before she jumped off my bed and ran out the door.
So, our first impressions weren't that great. It didn't matter. Acia's terribly friendly; I've already learned this. Apparently she'd been up for hours before I was, waking up the entire household and following each one around for a few minutes. No one really minded after the initial 'we're waking up three hours early' thing, I believe, which really surprised me. Quite the contrary, Alao was able to talk Ron, Jack, and Isto (who's decided to stay home) into helping her cook breakfast! We never get hot breakfast here. I have officially declared Acia good luck.
This entire week I will be working at a music and arts day camp. Because this was Acia's first day..alive, I decided to take her with me. I didn't really trust her, or any of the family, to make sure she stayed out of trouble. She didn't mind, though. Actually, I don't think she would have stayed home if I'd tried to make her.
We arrived at the day camp around 8:10 am, and our first group didn't arrive until 9 ish. I work in the art room, you see, so I just wait for groups to come and then tell them what to do. Easy enough. While I got to work setting up my table, my little glider decided to explore the room. And the building. She's terribly curious, I've noticed. I had a terrible time trying to get her to sit still. Eventually I just let her explore. I was a bit worried at first, but she turned up not much later in much better spirits and started digging in my box of craft supplies.
The classes went well. Each had a slight different project, which I won't go in to, as they weren't that interesting to explain. It kept the children entertained, though, and that's what we were going for. When the first group of kids arrived, Acia, who had been sitting on my shoulder, immediately glided to this little girl in the front of the line. She, well...freaked out and started scraming about a flying rat, which I think confused Acia a bit. The little girl flatly refused to sit at my table, but I really don't care. Serves her right for calling my sugar a rat.
I'm not sure who was enjoying themself more; Acia, or the children at my table. They were absolutely fascinated with her. This I know, because it took me forever to get their attention to explain the project. My glider was nearly as excited. She would scramble around the table from child to child and hold a conversation full of giggles (on the child's part), chitters and squeaks. I think she enjoyed being the center of attention.
Eventually, though, I believe she grew bored with the children. In any case, she went back to my box of craft supplies and resumed digging through it. I thought nothing about it until I went to get some glue and found that she'd made some sort of nest with the yarn and popsickle sticks. She stayed curled up in there for the rest of the morning, occasionally peeking out and glancing around as if searching for something. I later found out she had been playing with paperclips. Made some sort of giant paperclip ball and wouldn't let me anywhere near it. Whooo, boy.
The rest of the day was rather uneventful once was got home, unless you count the fact that countless small odds and ends went missing. They weren't important, but I think I'll search for them nonetheless. Tomorrow. I'll search for them tomorrow. For tonight, I'm tired..and it sounds like someone just broke another plate. Over and out.
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:39 pm
Thursday, June 24th, 2004
Yesterday I took Acia for the first time since she's grown. It started out well enough, which I took as a good sign. Acia was her usual hyper, adventurous, overly friendly self, but no one seemed to mind. Quite the contrary, the two people present, Naraka and Yume, both liked her very much. She hung around them both for a while before growing bored and deciding to explore the shop. It was at this point that I..er...dozed off, and things turned bad.
See, as much as Acia likes to explore, if there aren't enough intricate little details to keep her occupied, she grows bored quickly. That’s one way she’s a lot like me. If I run out of things to mess with, I find something else to do somewhere else. She’s just naturally curious, I suppose. So it’s not her fault she went in the basement.
Yes, while I slept, Acia decided to explore Naraka’s basement. He wasn’t happy about it, but he let her go. After all, she’s only about a foot from nose to tail tip. It’s not like she can get in that much trouble. And she didn’t, really. It could have been much, much worse. All she did was knock over a few boxes!
Naraka was furious, though. I thought he was going to strangle her for a moment. Acia apparently thought the same thing, because she bit him pretty hard; hard enough to make him give her to me, and hard enough to make his finger bleed. I got her out of the basement, then went back to help Naraka clean up the mess. It was just a bunch of junk, in my opinion. And luckily, Acia hadn’t broken anything.
We didn’t stay much longer. I didn’t want Naraka to change his mind and behead my glider. The afternoon passed without incident, but that evening…ah…. It was scary, to put it simply. Isto was struck by lightning by the lake at Skull Monkey HQ… Two of the infants found him, luckily, or he probably would have been out there all night. We got him to the hospital, and he was able to come home today, so I’m not terribly worried. He’s rather frustrated, though, mostly due to the fact that the doctor took off his metal paw until he heals.
Acia has taken it upon herself to keep him happy. She’s postponed all of her adventures and explorations, and now spends all of her free time hanging around my skull monkey, trying to keep him entertained. She’s been very helpful… She may not be the brightest thing in the world, but her heart’s in the right place.
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:44 pm
Monday, June 28th, 2004
Things are looking up! For one thing, I've finally found someone who shares my interest for mechanics and love of all things flight. And it's Acia. Which is great! But also kind of frustrating because she's so small. We'll work around that, though.
I already knew about the flight. It's pretty obvious, you know? What with her being a sugar glider and all. And I think she's as shakey about heights as I am. At least, when she tried to glide down from a tree yesterday, she sort of spazzed out and nearly crashed into another one. It was actually very funny. Reminded me of myself skydiving.
But the mechanics is new. I always thought she was simply curious. Very smart, but at the same time with no common sense to speak of. But then yesterday I caught her playing with Isto's paw. We had to have it removed temporarily when he was hit by lightning, so it's just been sitting on a shelf until his shoulder could heal.
Acia found it and dragged it down, and I found her attempting to take it apart in the kitchen. The problems are 1) it's nearly as big as she is, and 2) it's very hard for her to take anything apart with those tiny paws, let alone trying to use tools. So she didn't succeed...but not for lack of trying. I found her and was just about to help when Isto happened upon us. Boy was he mad...it was funny. I laughed. Acia ran. Isto threw a pot at my head. Life is good ^_^
Yesterday afternoon I finally relented and took Isto to a Healer... they cost a bit more, but it's a lot easier on everyone than waiting for six months for something to heal. She fixed Isto's should in about three seconds, then Acia and I were giving the task of putting his arm back on. We stalled as long as possible because we were having so much fun messing with his arm. But he eventually got really frustrated and made us hook it on.
Today was rather uneventful....Very uneventful. I've just been sitting around, bored out of my mind, vaguely wondering if I could possibly make my hovercraft work again. Maybe I'll tackle that tomorrow. Toodles, then.
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Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:52 pm
Wednesday, June 30th, 2004
Well, we leave on our trip tomorrow. Today's the 30th, and we won't be back until the 18th. Terrible pity, really... But the trip should be fun, and I'm sure Acia'll enjoy it. She loves to explore anywhere she's never been before...hence the accident in Naraka's basement. But that's not what this entry is about!
Yesterday, Acia had her first meeting with another Velveteen. We dropped by the shop for a bit, and she met the unicorn, Nayati, and the chameleon, Anastasia. I can't really say they talked... They can't talk, after all. But she did seem to enjoy Nayati's company, at least. She ignored Anastasia until she noticed she the dogtags he chameleon wears on her tail. ArFaen (Anastasia's owner...guardian..thing) left soon after that, and I've no idea where Nayati ran off to, so we went home.
Acia has been 'speaking' to me more than she used to. No actualy words, but pictures of where she's been, or people she's met. Usually some sort of emotion accompanies these pictures, explaining what she thought of them. It's sort of...a mind link type thing. I wonder if all of the Velvets are like this? Maybe it's just stronger with Acia because she's so..clingy. I'm starting to think it's a good thing that she never talks, because I'd probably never get her to shut up.
Oh! But I have found something that shuts her up. Yesterday evening I caught Acia messing with the radio. She'd listen to one station for a little while, then bat at the knob until it changed stations. She kind of..sway whenever she found a song she like, and got rather upset when the song ended. This didn't surprise me. What surprised me was the huge variety of songs she liked. Her favorites seemed to be rap and classical...of all things. She liked country a lot as well. Odd combination, but... Eh, let her have her fun. At least while she's listening to music she's not tearing up things.
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