My Room
My favorite place is my room because I have everything in it. I am in the basement which use to be our family room. When it was a family room there were three doors leading into the other side of the basement. One of the doors was my laboratory where I could work and still see the TV in the family room. But we had a problem. We were short one bedroom so one person would sleep in the family room but that would cause lots of problems.
So, we added a new family room in the basement and used the old family room upstairs for a bedroom. That still did not work out because there were two doors in the upstairs family room, and everyone would walk through all the time. So, we changed again and moved the family room back upstairs and I moved downstairs.
The reason I really like it down there is because before my room was on the second floor and my lab was two floors down to the basement so I would have to walk up and down two flights of stairs. Another reason I really like it is because of its history when we first bought this house. We just put in partitions and painted the concrete walls and on the other side we put up drywall with two doors to two rooms for my brother and me to have our stuff in, but we slept upstairs. Then we smashed down those walls and made it storage then I built my small laboratory and we blocked off one of the doors. (A lot more happened to the basement, but it would take me many pages to tell you and you would be bored to death.)
There is only one thing I do not like about it and that is I have everything down there but my theater because that is now travelling. But we might be moving someplace with more room so stay tuned.
A Trip to St. Olaf
On Sunday we wanted to take a ride because my mom wanted to get outside. So, we went to St. Olaf College in Northfield to visit my sister. When we got there, we dropped my brother off at the library while we went to the Lion’s Cage (a snack bar). Then we went looking for my sister. Then we went to the library to pick up my brother and to look for her there. We could not find her any place. So, we decided to have another snack and go home.
Later that week my sister called to say hi and we asked her where she was on Sunday. She said she was back in a corner of the stacks on fourth floor in the library – sleeping!
My Mom’s Surgery
This morning we got up at 5:30 am except for my brother. I tried to sleep some more but could not, so I woke my brother up at 7:00 am because we had to go to an important meeting at school. I got up and cleaned the house because I had nothing else to do.
She was supposed to go into the hospital by 6:30 am for surgery at 7:40 am and be done by about 9:00 am. She would then be in a recovery room until about 9:45 to 10:00 am. So, my brother came and got me about 9:15 so we could see her when she came out. Well, we sat in the waiting room with various assorted relatives until about 11:30 am when a nurse called us to come upstairs. We got scared.
We went up and waited for a few minutes and one of the assistant surgeons came in and told us that she came through the operation perfect. We were very, very, very glad. The nurse said that when he comes out that usually means they are almost done with the operation. It was about 12:30 pm when we went in the basement to have lunch. They would page us if she came out. So, we took our time.
When we went back upstairs, she was in her room. She was moved to a different room where she had lots more space. The doctor said she would be in the hospital for 8-10 days. We went home and took a nap. We came back up to see her and she was still very white and sick looking and all she could say is uh and um. We took her back home and then went to bed.
The Kingdom of Barney
The Kingdom of Barney is a Kingdom in which Barney is the king, along with other people and animals work on a fascinating planet in which things seem seemingly impossible, preposterous, unlikely, unimaginable, and out of this world (probably because it is out of this world).
This is a series of books so sit back relax and let your imagination soar as you enjoy this series of books.
Book 1; Chapter 1
Off the Pacific coast of Maine lies a tiny island. On the island there is just enough room for a small, tiny spaceship. No one seemed to notice it probably because the spaceship was usually gone, and the island was so small that water just splashed over it and no one paid attention to it.
When I got on the little spaceship I went up and up and up until it turned black. I sat back, as the bed-like chair started reclining to a comfortable position. I put on a pair of headsets to find stereophonic music playing. A small keyboard and switch panel came over beside me. I could control music, watch movies, control the chair and everything else. I slowly drifted off to sleep.
When I woke up, I took off the headset and punched a button to bring the chair back down. I opened the door and I seemed to be on a small planet.
Soon, not after a too long of a wait, someone came over and greeted me. He said “Welcome to our planet! We are 13.6824 light years from the planet earth, in the Milky Way solar system. We would like to take you back to some of the adventures in our kingdom. But first here is a map of our planet.”
He showed it to me and here it is:
A – Zaberienkaki. The area in which residents establish a place to live.
B – Koklenbaum. The bigger area for residences.
C – Gacelyvouobee. Files and records of everything in the Kingdom are stored here along with tapes and films of all history.
D – Transoramant Komconsky. The area just for transportation from earth and to this planet.
E – Barneyville. The capital of the Kingdom in which the government is and the throne of Sir Barney (Bernard) Google Erdman.
F – Monestscaliais. The area filled with money for the Kingdom.
G – Computoror Zetionooner. The area which contains controls for the entire Kingdom that anyone can use from their dorm.
H – A:N. The area devoted just for animals and the only one allowed in there is animals which include the king, Sir Bernard (because he is a dog!)
I – Garzelage. The smallest of all the areas and the one that keeps the Kingdom neat. It controls garbage but it is not a dump, but a modern disposal system. Here is how it works. On each island there are several chutes in which people drop papers and other things that go under the water and to this island where they are made into useful products such as fertilizer. To generate electricity for the Kingdom there is a large power generator which is run by processed garbage.
Book 1; Chapter 2
Here in the Barney Kingdom we have a different type of learning system. There is a large building that looks like this:
A – where some people live in dorms. The dorms are for people really studying hard to become someone.
B – is the heating, air conditioning and ventilation room.
C – is the main center in which all the learning is brought about.
D – is the gymnasium.
In every dorm room and house in the kingdom is a television in which learning can be brought about. The set looks like this:
A – is the visual screen.
B – is the input for papers and objects.
C – is the output for paper and objects.
D – is the control panel.
E – is a plug in for F.
F – is a separate control panel that is the same function as D, but is for taking to a chair or bed.
G – is the main power cord and transportation tunnel for papers and objects.
In every classroom is a television camera and a master input and output to distribute papers to and from students. In the area called Commuter Computer Center (CCC) a master computer looks for signals and then assigns each one a room number which is shown on the selector knob of the television set. Also there is a microphone on each television for group discussions or just talking to other people in the room or at your home.
In order to send papers and objects through the transportation tunnel they must first be run through the confabulator and at the other end you use the deconfabulator. This is like having a camera on one end and a printing press on the other end so that you don’t send the real thing through it.
Thrump
I have a footstool in front of the window in my room. Under the footstool is a purple blanket and a heat register. Next to that is a black director’s chair covered with cat hair.
Rina sleeps under the footstool soaking up heat, while Cucumber sleeps on the chair acting as if she was a movie star. The footstool acts as a neutral area.
Rina is Cucumber’s mother. They are identical gray, white and black. Rina’s nose tells the weather by changing colors. Cucumber’s nose is black and she baa’s instead of meowing. Otherwise, the two of them are just regular cats.
Cucumber jumps off the footstool, gives me an innocent look, lowers her head underneath the stool and tilts her head. Carefully she lowers her paw and bats Rina across the face. Rina suddenly awakens and hisses at her. Cucumber pulls up her paw and jumps on top of her. The two of them hiss and thrump out to the living room. They stare each other down as their tails wag. Suddenly…attack they hiss and fight for a while then walk back to their original places while Cucumber gives me an innocent face.
Cat Advice
Heat
To tell if a cat is in heat, see if they pump. To help it scratch the cat’s belly and scratch under its neck. Don’t let them outside or they will have kittens. That’s bad.
Taking care of your cat
Feed your cat twice a day. Feed your kittens three times a day. Milk is nice too. Tuck them in no later than 8:00 o’clock on weeknights, on weekends, though, 10:00 o’clock is OK. Make sure they have a nice warm beddy-by to sleep in. After all, pussy cats get cold too. And above all, don’t forget to make them say their prayers.
What cats are afraid of
- teddy bears
- vacuum cleaners
- loud noises
- yelling
- when you throw them
- when you chase them
- hairdryers
- mice
- birds
- other cats
Play
The cat is a playful creature. Give her a lightweight ball or simply some crumpled cellophane and she will be amused for hours chasing it around the house. She also likes to hit objects dangling from a string. A catnip mouse makes a wonderful toy which you can attach to a string or just give the cat to batt around. However, if she tears open the toy to get at the catnip, then just feed her some in a dish.
A place to scratch
Cat owners soon discover that their pet is single minded about scratching. It boils down to this. If your cat is confined to the house, either provide a scratching post for her or expect to see your furniture shredded. The cat wants to sharpen her claws, clipping them will do little good. First of all, it is not wise to render your pet defenseless when out of doors. Second, it won’t stop her from scratching, although it may cut down on the damage. By far the best protection is to provide a slab of tree trunk with plenty of bark still on it for a scratching post. It should be tall enough so the cat can scratch to full length without reaching the top. Fix it securely so as not to topple. If puss still prefers furniture to his scratching post, try to dissuade her by tying a small bag of mothballs to the back of those pieces of furniture she usually attacks.
Fits
A cat throwing a fit is an alarming sight, but usually there is no cause for alarm. The source can be worms, but it can also be teething, indigestion, loud noises, sudden changes in environment, or simply too much play. The frantic cat should be cornered and placed in a darkened, quiet room until she subsides. If the cat suffers from frequent fits with no apparent cause, take her to a veterinarian for diagnosis.
Collars
It may make the neighbors feel better if you provide your cat with a collar and a tiny bell. The collar can also carry an identification tag and it will come in handy when you trace her. But it does raise a difficult question. There is no doubt that a cat is happier and better off without a collar. It can be dangerous if she is snagged while climbing a fence or tree. If you try to solve that problem by buying an extra large collar, you run into another problem. She can entangle her mouth or feet in a too loose collar. And be badly hurt. The best safeguard is to buy a collar that is fairly snug, but which can slip over the head in an emergency. It might be well to keep an eye on the collared cat when she is outdoors.
Grooming
Although cats have earned a reputation for cleanliness, short haired as well as long haired varieties can benefit from daily grooming. It’s a good idea, if only for the reason that it prevents hairballs from forming. Cats will enjoy a daily head to tail brushing with a bristle brush if it is done with affection. If your cat should dispute this, try paying special attention to her favorite spots under the chin, along the cheeks and on the back between the shoulder blades. A small comb is advisable for kittens because of their fine fur and tender skin. Since most cats keep themselves clean without outside help, don’t wash your cat unless you absolutely have to.
Feeding
Feeding a cat can be as easy or as difficult as you make it. You will run into cat owners who complain that their pet will eat nothing but sautéed chicken livers and golden Guernsey cream. The truth is, of course, that they started the cat on the road to luxury eating and are secretly proud of it. As for the cat, she’ll eat what she’s used to if not spoiled from the start. What doesn’t make sense?
When your cat is sick
On the subject of cat ailments, there are two schools of thought. Every cat has nine lives. There is nothing as sick as a sick cat. It is best to chart a course between these two extremes, remembering that a sick cat deserves the very best care in the hands of an experienced veterinarian. If it becomes necessary to handle a large and angry cat, you may have to pick up the animal by the scruff of the neck to quiet her down. This hold immobilizes her completely, but should only be used in extreme emergencies. A full grown cat is too heavy for that kind of treatment. When you pick your cat up, use two hands, one under the front legs and the other under their rear legs.
Dangers to avoid
- Falling – by open windows
- Burned – by kitchen appliances
- Poisoned – by paint cans
- Imprisoned – by closets, drawers or trunks
- Electrocuted – by extension cords
- Strangled – by cat collars
- Gagged – by fowl bones
- Impaled – by head caught in an empty can or bottle
- Stranded – by a tree or telephone pole