So ...one migt ask oneself...how does one end up with a hamster named Jack and a rabbit named Arthur. The answer is actually quite simple--one is s sucker! Actually, the answer is not quite that simple :) Yes, one is a sucker, "rescuer of animals" "defender of the underdog" ....okay, and maybe a sucker. One ends up with a hamster named Jack in the following way. One day, one gets a phonecall from a co-worker who needs to get rid of this one-eyed thing her kids have...and after several serious attempts of standing one's ground and repeatedly saying no...one ends up with a one-eyed hamster who otherwise would have met his fate in a field somewhere in less than five minutes. And once one gets the hamster, and he only has one eye since he lost the other in a fight with an evil hamster....one names him the only logical name possible which is Jack....because he also has red hair and reminds one of a pirate which is one's favorite thing...pirates that be :) So that is how one ends up with a one-eyed hamster named Jack....and thus begins a quest to find a Pirate Ship Habitrail complete with a water bottle that says "rum", complete with scull and crossbones of course because one has heard tales that there is such a thing. And naturally a one eyed pirate hamster named Jack deserves to have a ship :)

And when one has a hamster named after a pirate....and one also loves knights...well...the following happens. One takes one's 17 year old "baby" who is getting ready for college and who is...along with her sister...the love of one's life...to the Agricultural Fair to "look" at cows, and sheep and ride some rides and eat funnel cake, because one's baby is leaving for college soon and one wants to make the best of the time one has left. And the two unsuspecting mother and daughter happen upon a bunny exhibit, with a little black bunny who comes up to the cage....gets picked up....cuddles up to one's neck....and it's all over. And he reminds the mother and daughter who are trying to talk themselves out of buying this rabbit of the black Knight in Monty Python...but Monty is not a good name and then the mother and daughter figure that if one has a pirate hamster one ought to have a knight rabbit and the obvious choice becomes Arthur as this is one's favorite Knight. And after some funnel cake, lots of water, getting lost in the funhouse, almost getting kicked of the carousel for changing horses repeatedly :) ...one's thoughts keep going back to the little bunny ...and that's how one ends up with a bunny. On one hand one could say....sucker...on the other one could say....going to the fair $50 with food and games--one cute little bunny $10--one really cool bunny house $70....having a bunny named Arthur and spending time with one's "baby" ---priceless :) 

I say the phrase "in my world" a lot. I also spend a lot of time driving, I prefer Pink Floyd's The Wall on long trips on I 95. For anyone who hasn't spent time on I 95 in Northern Virginia, say, on a Friday afternoon going South...or at this time of year ...going anywhere...the experience varies between feeling like Mario Andretti and hanging on for dear life in one's car, or spending a lot of time moving five miles an hour reading license plates and counting the leaves on the trees. The good thing I guess is that there are still trees to look at, which normally you don't get to see when 95 is in it's Indy 500 phase. So I spend a lot of time thinking, in between listening to the wall, and turning up my Bagpipe music just to tick off the guy next to me who's music is annoying me :) and who just happens to be in a convertible, and who just happens to think he is "all that" and who just can't understand why a woman in a Volvo Stationwagon blasting Pink Floyd or Bagpipes isn't gushing all over his car and his bad choice of music :) And those are the little moments when I think...in my world:?

In my world, my chariot may be old...but it is surrounded by steel and could plow over your little pretty chariot. In my world, wearing chainmail is perfectly normal...in any social circumstance. In my world, I would have a dragon....and yes I would pay the farmer for the occassional missing cow. :) In my world, women would say...."hey nice sword--is it new?" instead of "oh I love your shoes". In my world I would have a castle. In my world, I would shop at a store with a name like "Castle's R'Us" and there would be sales on Tapestries and all the essentials to keep your drawbridge from fundtioning properly. In my world, everyone would say things like m'lady, because I like that. In my world, one would be allowed to invade the neighboring cubicles or companies...wherever one may work and plunder for staplers and pens...and then maybe sign a peace treaty after one has agreed to make an offering. In my world, talking like a Pirate would be normal, and expected in certain situations and one could take one's vacations learning how to be a Pirate ending on a deserted Island with Captain Sparrow and a whole lot of Rum!!!

There's more in my world....but one must go back to the real world...where's my sword??