On Hamsters, Part Two

So, Alex goes to let Flash out for the evening. She looks up at me, "Uh, the hamster door has been open. We must not have closed it last night."

Guess where Flash was?

Sitting nicely in his cage.

Before you think, "How pathetic. Blogging about hamsters on a Saturday night. Didn't she blog about the hamster last night as well?", let me explain. I've been sick all day. No voice. Splitting headache. Hardly any energy to get this cough out. At least I enjoyed a view of the beautiful sky from my couch. Speaking of laying on the couch...

I promise that my next few postings won't involve Flash. Unless, of course, he does something more amazing than my father, whom is due some limelight soon.

On Hamsters

I’ve blogged on Cousins and Friends this week. So to wrap up the series, I’ve decided to post a few thoughts on hamsters.

The Kramer family evening routine typically involves letting Flash out of his cage while we unwind for the evening. (Hamsters are nocturnal, so as we unwind, he is gearing up for an eventful night life.) As most of you know, hamsters typically travel by roller balls, or they get eaten by cracks, refrigerator undergrounds, open doorways and heating vents. Last night, as Flash sped off to explore the house, we were enthralled in an engaging little flick called “Ghost Town.” The little tinkling sounds of spit-up gerbil food and hamster poopie are pretty much white noise to us as we hear it every night. Anyway, as the show neared the end, a neon static orb on the floor caught my attention. The roller ball. Door busted open. I glanced at Flash’s digs to see if somehow I missed his return home. But no! The cage door was wide open. Flash was gone.

“Uh, anyone holding Flash?” I inquire, knowing full-well that the kids have been ignoring my subtle suggestions to tickle Flash and find his laugh.

Kids fly up. Lights go on. A frantic search begins. As we whirlwind to begin checking the usual places like the laundry baskets, toilets, under beds, we are pleasantly surprised to find Flash sitting under our end table. Apparently, he was enthralled by the movie as well. So, without the usual fuss, Flash was safely placed back into his cage and given a bit of banana for his good behavior.

So. We love our senile dog. We like to watch our flighty cats hiss at each other. But what would we do without the little rat who sleeps most of his life in a little cage in our living room? It’s now been over a year and he’s still kicking. He might be the ugliest hamster we ever owned. But he is certainly the most loyal. Or lazy. Either way, he fits right in.

Next week....on grandpa's.

Flash and Me

So we're on the way home from the movie Marley and Me. No one is saying a word; we're all too emotionally distraught. I'm thinking of John Grogan's (Owen Wilson) soliloquy, reminding us how dogs don't care about material things and how they love us unconditionally. Of course, this is true of our own family dog, Molly, and most dogs in general I think.

Then my thoughts turn to Flash, our hamster.

Flash has been with our family now for, well, longer than any other hamster we've had. But I have prepared myself for his departure -- I know all to well that a hamster today doesn't guarantee a hamster tomorrow.

Flash. So dear to our family. When he or she (we're not sure)is gone, what won't we miss?

...Like fighting over who gets to clean the cage...or trying to lure the panic-stricken motionless mouse out of the cage...or the aroma of the cage that houses poop that could have come from a small cat...or the neurotic grinding of the cage bars in attempt to escape...I must stop, lest I cry.

Hamsters seem to have only one expression, but no one can deny it's adorableness. It's the "are you going to kill me now?" look. You've seen it -- if not, just look at one my many photos of Flash. (I have almost as many as my kids.)

While I write this blog mostly in jest, likely I will be a red-faced, watery-eyed mess the day we lose him. Unless, of course, we find him in the laundry again. If that happens, the family will rejoice upon the reunion, we'll stick him back in the cage, and go back to watching TV.

The Hamster Diaries

May 2007: Cole was the winner today, so we get to care for Eugene, the class hamster, for the summer.

June 2007: Eugene is so cute. I must admit our family has really grown to love him.

July 2007: Something’s wrong with Eugene.

July 2007: Eugene’s dead. The vet had to put him to sleep. I cried like a baby. The kids were much stronger.

Fast forward a year…

August 2008: Cole received a hamster from Grandma and Grandpa for his birthday. Joey is just as cute as Eugene. Maybe even cuter.

Sept 2008: Lost Joey. Turned the house upside down to no avail.

Sept 2008: Grandpa took Cole to get a new hamster. Grandpa didn’t want Cole to feel bad about Joey, so he told him, “I bet Joey got outside and is having the time of his life in one of the cornfields.” Cole looked at Grandpa and replied, “Grandpa, he’s probably dead by now.”

Cole quickly selected a new hamster. Hello, Flash.

When I laid eyes on Eugene and Joey, I was surprised how cute I found them to be. So, when we opened the box to meet our newest hamster, I was disappointed to find something that more closely resembled a rat. It was even difficult for me to hold him at first without feeling squeamish. I think it’s the nose. It’s as if Flash is doing a parody of himself.

Despite his looks, he’s a pretty friendly little guy. And when it comes to rodents, I’d take personality over looks any day.

Sept 2008: Flash is still alive. Only one week left of September. Hope he makes it to Halloween. He could easily go as a rat.