Regaining Feeling in My Formerly Stony Heart

Well, it's a bittersweet day for me. I gave away Jasper and Sunshine today. I tell you, pets just become a part of the family. Even if I didn't see them much after moving out. And even if they were a nuisance to take care of.

The good thing is that they went to a good home. One of my friends from high school's parents own a pet shop, so I gave my parakeets to them. I am under the impression that these are going to be the pet shop owners' personal pets. I hope so, anyway.

I was sad last night, and a little this morning, but on my way to the pet shop, I was strangely at peace. True to form, Sunshine kept falling off her perch. Both birds seemed kind of keyed up, so I turned on NPR, which was playing Classical music, to calm them down.

On the way to the pet shop though, a wave of loneliness hit me and has been tearing my heart to shreds all day. I've only been away from him for about 2.5 weeks, but I miss my boyfriend like crazy. I really don't think I've ever felt this way about anyone before. And after I told myself I'd never allow my heart to become tender again. Suddenly I'm just all emotional and I'm actually really surprised with myself.

Anyway, then I did okay as I dropped off the birds. I didn't even say goodbye to them--it was just as though I was leaving them at the vet or something. But when I got back in my car without them there, it hit me too. My eyes teared up, and I'm not one to cry much. I tried to "man up" as much as a girl is expected to be able to do and went on with the rest of my day.

However, I then realized that it was Paul McCartney's birthday, which made me wish I could have been at Paul's 64th birthday in Liverpool (which I could've gone to, had I taken advantage of a study abroad opportunity that very summer).

Anyway, about the birds. Last night when I was cleaning their cage up all pretty to give them away, Sunshine managed to get out. She's the really paranoid one, so catching her and getting her back in the cage wasn't the easiest thing I've ever done, but it wasn't as difficult as I'd expected it to be, either. I might write a humorous piece detailing it at some point, and how I had to close the door so that the cats didn't get in and eat her and how she kept squawking and flapping, and almost getting behind my TV stand, but that's for another time. When I finally did get her back in the cage, Jasper let out a squawk that sounded for the world like, "Ja wohl!"

Why did my beautiful Jasper have to start speaking German the night before I gave him away?