Rest In Peace

**note** the pictures suck because they are taken by a cell phone. I have better ones but they're on another computer.

My bird, Boo died yesterday. I am actually taking it kind of hard. I couldn't sleep and I feel sad that it happened when I wasn't there. He seemed like he was healthy. I had him out the day before and he was whistling and was in a very good mood. I don't know how he died, but I noticed he wasn't whistling when I got home from work and found him at the bottom of the cage unresponsive. It was sudden, which I think is always harder than it is when something is sick and kind of prepares you for the death.

I've had Boo for 8 years. I was 16 years old when I bought him. I had my first job and spent my first entire pay check on him. A whopping $200. It was a lot to me at the time. Leave it to me to buy an animal with my first pay check. I thought he was awesome. He would sit on my shoulder when I was in high school while I did my homework. When I first went to college he would ride on my shoulder the entire 4 hour drive. It's kind of weird to think of that 8 year time period. I graduated high school, went to college in 2 different cities, got married, finished college, and got my first career type job. He was with me during the transition from being a teenager to adulthood. I always thought that he would outlive Ellie & Ozzy because I've heard that some cockatiels live to be 30 years old.

I'm really going to miss him. It's already too quiet in my apartment and I hate that feeling. I'm going to miss him waking me up on Saturday & Sunday mornings with the Andy Griffith song or Yesterday by the Beatles. I'm going to miss him squawk loudly with excitement when I make popcorn (he loved popcorn). Every time I would come home I'd say, "hi Boo" and he would respond by whistling two notes. It's going to be hard not hearing him anymore. But mostly I'm just going to miss HIM. He taught me that birds have personalities, intelligence and feelings.

Now I know this is kind of morbid but I put his body in my freezer so I could wait to bury him at my parents house. Don't worry, he's wrapped up in some cloth and in a plastic bag. I can't just throw the body in the trash. That seems so wrong. He's in the freezer right next to the frozen chicken. I started to think that I wouldn't eat my own bird why would I eat another bird? I don't think I can eat chicken for a while.

Anyway, here is a picture of me and Boo during my last year of college.



Rest in peace, Boo. I love you and am going to miss you.