Day One: Home We Go

First of all, the name is Loco. That’s right…Loco it is, because Loco we are. But, I have to say that if all nights with little Loco the parrot are like the first night, we are going to be just fine. He is relatively quiet. I view this as a good sign. It is better he get quiet when stressed rather than start squawking. There have been a few chirps/squawks, but they are really not bad.

Here were some of the adventures of the first night. Oh, and ignore the extra bullet points. Slight problem with blogger.com. Oy vey!

• Large birdcages are hard to move up the stairs. If you are doing so, make sure you are the one ahead of/above the birdcage. It hurts when they fall on your face. You are talking to someone who learned this lesson the hard way. And, I like to think Shlomo is the one who is not smart. He got me there. But, at least there are no bruises or permanent imprint of the bars of the cage. (Note to Shlomo: when we are halfway up the stairs carrying some heavy object and we have been working 10 minutes to get to that point, there is no need to say, “You’re gonna have to help me now.” Yeah, I was helping…a lot. I was not picking daisies. Everytime you paused, all the weight fell on me.)
• Creepy bird store…while creepy…is actually pretty good. They have a much better selection of most things for birds than your typical Petco/Petsmart. Again, lesson learned the hard way as we visited two Petcos and a Petsmart before finding the perch stand we wanted.
• If you are going to a salad bar at the grocery store to get some chopped fresh fruit and vegetables for your new parrot, make sure the grocery store has a salad bar before you go. We finally found some prepackaged broccoli florets and baby carrots mix. I guess it will do.
  Bird toys ain’t cheap. No need to expand on that.
• Don’t joke with your hairdresser that the day after your last day of work you want to bleach your hair white with one electic blue streak. I kind of think she viewed it as a “Challenge Extended” proposition. Yes, I always wanted blue hair as a kid, but I don’t think I have the courage to pull it off. I know that is not related to Loco, but it did happen last night.
  

So, I guess I am now one step closer to my dream of riding around on a Segway with my parrot perched on my shoulder. Now, all I need is the Segway and to teach Loco to perch on my shoulder. He is fine with the finger, but still skittish on the shoulder. He will get used to it.

And Away We Go...

My partner Shlomo and I are on the horns of a dilemma. He blames me. I blame him. This is how it started.

We went to the creepy (I am not lying…it is) bird store on Saturday to pick up some supplies for the finches. We got what we needed and actually bought a couple of finches to replace a couple that we had lost (we were down to 16 and can house up to 20). It happens. Circle of Life. So glad Elton John explained that one to me.

So, we get home. We put the new birds in the aviary. All is well. We are talking about the birds at the store. Blah. Blah. Blah. Then, Shlomo says, “I wonder when we will break down and get a parrot.”

WWWWWWWHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTT? Shut up. In 7th grade, I was obsessed with parrots. I always swore I would have one as a grown up. In many ways, I am still that awkward 12 year-old. Behind the row of finch cages at creepy bird store is a row of parrot cages. I had spent a large portion of our time there bonding with a little white-bellied caique. He/she looks like this.

Now the debate is do we get him or not. On the one hand, I think it would be great. I have always been a bird lover. I think he is super cute. I have named him Gilda (red hair like Rita Hayworth in my favorite movie and it might be a girl the only way to know is a DNA test). On the other hand, I realize what a pain a parrot can be. This is a quieter type, but I am sure there is still some squawking. They are messy. This I knew from the parakeets and cockatiels I had growing up and it has been reinforced by the finches. But, I will have some time to devote to it and its socialization.


It would be nice to get it while we are relatively young since they live 30 years. You read that right, people, 30 years. And, I just picture it sitting on its perch bobbing up and down as I blast “Play That Funky Music White Boy!”

We just don’t know what to do. This morning, before we fell asleep at 1:00 a.m., we had decided to do it. When we woke up, we both had second thoughts. Now, we have had second thoughts about the second thoughts. We already have a zoo. What is one more creature? And, did I mention that everywhere I turn today I see a parrot? In the newspaper, on the TV, everywhere. Oh yeah, and on all those caique sites I keep checking out.


I think it is important to not rush into a decision. It is a big commitment. We need to take it very seriously. I will let you know when Gilda comes home.


***********************U P D A T E **************************


My friend Zilla and I were leaving for lunch. We were going to Barnes and Noble after a quick stop at Petco and Petsmart to look at cages. I know. I am bad. We are driving out of the parking garage when my phone rang. It was Shlomo. He was at the creepy bird store.


He had held Gilda. He had picked out a cage for Gilda. He thought we were foolish to get Gilda. But, was there anyway that I could drive down to the creepy bird store to see Gilda and see the cage? It was then that I knew. She was ours.


Zilla made the sacrifice. She said she did not mind. I know the place gives here the heebie-geebies. We walk in the door and there is Shlomo with Gilda perched on his finger. I know that this is probably not a good analogy to use in a bird store, but he had a "cat that ate the canary" grin on his face.


I held Gilda. I looked at the cage. We got food, toys, a playstand, all the necessities. Gilda comes to her new home this evening.


There is one problem, however. They had had the DNA testing done. Gilda is a boy. Now, we have to come up with a name for him. My list right now consists of: Loco (because we are), Tango, Tamale, Rio, Guapo, etc. If you have a suggestion, leave it in the comments section. Hopefully, we will have a name by nightfall.