Spencer is TWO!

Today is my little crab’s birthday.

My little bug is two.  Two whole years with this little one.  I couldn’t be more grateful for the time I’ve had with this little crab.  I’ve been preparing for his birthday for a few months now, giving him pre-birthday treats along the way because you never know with these pets.  In the wild they can live for decades, in captivity it could be months, so you really don’t know how long you’ll have together. 

Of course that’s terrifying, but at some point the fear becomes customary enough that you can think about what it really means.  I live in the present with this crab.  Who knows what tomorrow will bring so I might as well enough now as much and as fully as possible.  And all I want in life is someone consistent to love, so it’s been a joy to spoil this little crab.

He has three water dishes (purified, salt and electrolyte), two sponges, two food dishes (he keeps outgrowing them), currently he has four extra shells in his tank (but we’ve definitely been through at least a dozen), a climbing branch, his hermie hut (half a coconut with a carved out entrance), a humidity gage and temperature gage, a humidifier and heat lamp, two kinds of food, two kinds of dirt, and a giant plastic tree (the one he was in when he was missing), 

So what else is there to get him for his birthday?

- A new kind of food

- A new shell

- Organic maple wood rings that I’ve read they like to chew

- TWO reptile hammocks

- An extra sponge

- And a new food dish (which is glass so it’ll be easy to clean and he can’t get too big for it and I’ll be able to hear when he’s eating and clawing for more food) 

We also have activities: a photo-opp with the three little hats I made for him, as well as an art project: I got acid-free, non-toxic, pens and I’m going to tape them to him and have him walk across canvas for special Hermit Crab Art.  It’ll be great once my nocturnal bug wakes up.

Today Was Actually a Good Day

I had the day off today.  I got to sleep in for an adequate amount of time, but didn't have to choose between rest and being alive (my body wants to sleep 16 hours a day and that's just not possible to do while also having time to be a human).

I went to get two of my nails fixed (somehow those broke off) and the kind guy at MJNails (go there!) did it for free because I had been there just last week.  And when I in a panic mentioned that I didn't have any cash on me for a tip, he very simply said it's fine and next time.  It seemed he honestly hadn't thought of it, he really was just being giving.

Moving on to other kind souls, I went to a doctor's where I haven't had the time to go recently.  It's a place that does acupuncture, massage and chiro all in the same office, so there are a lot of friendly people who work there, and that's always part of the treat.  It's been about a month since I had the time and energy for an appointment and I'm grateful I did.

After that I headed over to a pet store to get just a single lightbulb for Spencer.....and of course I purchased $35 worth of hermit crab treats.  It only cost me $23, however, because the kind fella to whom I asked sooo many many crab questions and told even more stories - found a way to give me a major discount.  He knew so little of my story, and still decided to help :) He also could tell that I'm a writer (lately everyone can tell I'm an artist and it's very reaffirming) and also...when I was inquiring about the food they feed their hermit crabs and sheepishly asked if I could have a sample to see if Spence likes it....he came out with a big tub of their food and just GAVE IT TO ME.

I'm just in awe.  Good people.  There are good people in the world who want to help make life easier.
This is the world I wanted.
I grew up with an angry woman.  She was mean to everyone but blamed it on everyone else being awful.  I remember the first time I went somewhere alone and how easy it was to have kind interactions when you are kind to everyone.  I decided then that that's who I would be, and that that's the kind of world I want to live in.

And at least for this one day, I lived in that harmonious world.

I also had to take an über back to get home safely, and my driver was a clever and worldly man from Germany, and it was so incredible to talk about Europe and share what I learned from being abroad and hearing a native's opinion on some of my observations.  I miss traveling and different cultures and people so different that I can't even imagine something as simple as their daily routines.....and it was such a treat to end the night with a reminder of how important that is to me and a taste of what I've been missing.

So I would call that a good day.  (....finally)

I Got An Ōlloclip for Spencer

Spencer's Birthday is coming up and I've been dreaming of getting a camera lens to take some close-ups of my little one.
Here are the first of what will be a glorious photo project:

Spencer is here and scratching away

I am so unbelievably happy to have my crab back.  I've still yet to see him, but I've felt him in his hallowed tree, and you can hear him if you watch this.  Wow pets are stressful.

My friends are of the magic variety.

Knowing that after spending night after night in the hospital, I am of course missing my perfect baby #spencerthecrab, my friends got me A SHELL HAT/PILLOW/SECRET SORAGE UNIT OF HAPPINESS. And a heart. 

They win at life. 

Happy Earth Day

Life Story: Hermit Crab Housing Exchange

Queues aren't just a British thing. Hermit crabs line up in order of size to exchange and upgrade their shells...#LifeStory

Posted by BBC One on Thursday, November 6, 2014

And the Journey Continues