Bud, or is it Pete, but no, the blue one is Bud, seems a bit under the weather. As you can tell, if you don�t happen to remember, I have very little interest in the resident bird brains. The only thing worse than two healthy bird brains, however, is sick bird brains. Coming home to dead birds would ruin my day. Someone here, and it sure is not me, loves those birds.

Frankly, if it were Pete, or Bud, or whoever the yellow one is, I would not be surprised. We know Bud has a liver problem that causes his beak to grow at an alarming rate. We�re feeding him lots of vegetables and fruit to try to overcome the problem. We�re also spending money at the vet�s. But it�s not the yellow one. The yellow one (Pete, I think) is doing just fine. It�s the blue one who is all puffed up, refusing to eat, and very lethargic. I don�t think either of them have fallen off the perch all day (but then again, as Kat points out, the blue one�s perching on two feet today). Clearly, something is up.

Luckily, or unluckily (I can�t make up my mind), Bud or Pete or whoever seems a bit better now than earlier. He�s beginning to eat and is a bit less puffed up and a bit more active. The kind part of me thinks this is a good thing. The more evil part of me is disappointed. The birds are dirty and noisy and I would be thrilled to have them gone. Or so I thought until it seemed like a possibility.

Perhaps I�m just worried about the implications of having only one bird. With two birds, they keep each other company. With two birds, they care little for humans and don�t mind a bit of neglect. With two birds, I feel under no obligation to talk to them if Kat or Mr. Philately are away or inattentive. With one, well, I might have to start acting like an adult and up until now they�ve contented themselves with ignoring me and I�ve contented myself with trying to ignore them.

I�d hate to think that I care even one iota about the bird beyond the casual concern I would have for any suffering creature. If I did, I wouldn�t recognize myself. I believe it is against my general principles. I don�t plan to weaken now.

So I�m not going to say, �Feel better, Bud or Pete or whoever you are.� I�m just going to hope that if he dies he does it quickly for his sake and not on my watch for my sake. And yet, I find myself going soft and checking on the stupid thing.

Of all the things Mr. Philately has done to me over the years, bringing home these birds ranks right up there with the worst. They�re dirty, they�re noisy, they require planning when one wants to go on vacation, and now, they have me caring�if only a very, very, very, very tiny bit.

ARGH!

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