New Roommates

I really want a dog.  But every time I decide to just do it Mom talks sense into me.  I am allergic to dogs.  I am never home.  I wouldn't be able to bring it with me when I leave to make a trip to Gallup or wherever I am going.  So I decided to go for something else.  I have 2 new roommates.  Their names are Franklin and Squirt.  If you can't tell they are turtles.  They are baby turtles and I am hoping I have better luck with them, then I had with birds. 

When I lived in Flagstaff I had a friend that was going into the Walmart training program for 12 weeks.  He had 2 parakeets that he couldn't take with him so I offered to keep them.  I did pretty good with them for a month and then one day when I came home for lunch I noticed something different in the cage.  One of the was spread eagle dead at the bottom of the cage and the other was flapping around yapping like crazy.  I couldn't believe it I killed my friends bird.  I was devastated.  To make matters worse I'm kinda scared of flying things so why I offered to take care of 2 such things is beyond me.  Now I have to stick my hand in there to get it out.  I decide to use my kitchen tongs.  Reach in get the bird out freaking out the whole time.  I put it in a trash bag and take it out to the dumpster.  When I get back to the store I tell my Best Friend Adrianne and some others what happened.  I'm crying and they are laughing.  They ask me if I flushed it or buried it.  I told them I buried it in the dumpster which wasn't what I should have done I guess.  Anyways as I said I was devastated.  How was I going to tell my friend I killed his bird.  I was sick about it for a week.  Anytime he would call I would almost get up enough nerve to tell him and then I would chicken out.  Well after about a week of this one morning as we were doing our morning tour of the Store he called.  He said he was glad to have a weekend off finally to come home and he and his wife were wanting to stop by and see the birds.  I wanted to die right then and there.  After catching my breath and my heart started beating again I told him I had something I needed to tell him.  I told him one of the birds died.  There was a long pause and then he said he knew that, the Store Manager (who at this point with one of the assistants were practically rolling on the floor laughing)  had called him and told him what happened and that I was afraid to tell him so they came up with this little joke.  He told me he really didn't care about the birds and that if I hadn't offered to take them he was just going to release them.  Hahaha! I can't tell you how I could feel relief, anger, and gratitude at the same time but I did.  I decided no more pet sitting for me and gave the other bird to my friend Adrianne to have. 

Fast forward to my first year in Farmington. I don't know what brought it up but I told my current Store Manager that story.  In January his wife's mother passed away and they left town for a while.  He called me and asked me if I would go feed his fish and check on his bird.  Sure no problem.  I go to the house feed the fish, go to check on the bird and found it dead at the bottom of the cage.  Are you kidding me! This can not be happening again.  Only this time it is a whole lot worse because they are already dealing with a death in the family.  I called the other Co-Manager and told him he had to get over there and help me get it out because I couldn't do it again.  He shows up with a plastic fork and knife.  I asked him if he thought we were going to eat it.  What a goober.  Anyways we send the Store Manager a text telling him the bird is dead.  Right as were are getting the bird out my phone starts ringing (Disturbed, down with the sickness).  It scared us to death.

Needless to say I do not pet sit anymore and I hope I can keep my turtles alive.