[Gpdd] [MISCELLANEOUS] Re: Scarecrow, LAPS, SCAMPS and ISP's!

debjonsara at aol.com debjonsara at aol.com
Tue Aug 26 10:25:50 EDT 2008


At the beginning of August, suddenly and without warning, I got a message from AOL telling me I couldn't access the Internet "from" my usual log-on screen. After several frustrating phonecalls to India, I learned that Carphone Warehouse had bought the British AOL and I had been "migrated", which meant that I could no longer use AOL here in France. No apology - I was just cheerfully told I could still use AOL in Britain, and there appeared to be no understanding of just how useless this sliver of information was to a resident of France!! Mind you, I did have to chuckle when they asked me my security question, as there had obviously been some misunderstanding when I had first set it up. I was asked the name of my favourite "Glamour Pig"! "Do you mean guinea pig?" I asked. But no, it was definitely Glamour Pig!! Soulage was most impressed when I later told her what AOL had promoted her to - I think she much preferred it to Dolly Mixture!!

So, long story short, I have been unable to access the Internet since then, and am only able to do so now because I am petsitting at a place which has it - the poor dogs are being largely ignored as I whistle through the 169 emails which had accumulated, though don't worry, they WILL get their walk and cuddles later! Hopefully I should have a new French ISP on 5th September - there is a waiting list - and as and when I do I will get a new email address and start changing everything - like Penny, I have resisted changing ISP because of this huge inconvenience, but am now being forced into it. I will hang on to my AOL account until I think I've contacted everyone who matters with my new address - which, of course, includes all of you!!

This is my excuse for not having thanked people personally for the condolences they sent on the sad and sudden departure of my precious SCAMP Scarecrow. I don't quite have the hang of managing email on someone else's laptop, so can't reply personally. But you know how much it means to me to hear from people who truly understand, and all your good wishes and support were genuinely appreciated.

Mike, I am delighted that you have set up a blog for the SCAMPS! You may or may not remember that it was me that first suggested this term for our aged piggies. On my computer at home I have a list of SCAMPS that people have told me about, which I will send to you once I get proper Internet access at home again, plus, of course, photos of all my SCAMPS piggies. Can departed SCAMPS be included as well as those still with us? 

Now, LAPS. My Scrabble, who is also a SCAMP, was a LAPS piggie, but has lost so much weight that he would qualify no longer. He also has bumblefoot, which I am treating with antibiotics but is really not getting better. What worries me is that I think his weight contributed to this condition, and I feel other LAPS slaves should be aware of this. My rodentologists tell me it is more common in older, overweight male piggies. Scrabble used to be fairly active, but since Fidget, his cagemate, went to The Bridge in March, he had become less so, and I think sitting around in his own urine, and being so hefty, are what led to the foot problem. Of course, I feel the same old guilt - I should have spotted it sooner, should have kept him and his bedding cleaner (though even now, when I change it twice a day, he manages to sit in his own wee and poops). I will keep a much closer eye on my other boys, but none of them are LAPS, and I will avoid them becoming that big if I can. 

Zebra now lives in with Scrabble, and Scrabs is more active than he was. He has never lost his interest in eating, and seems happy in himself?- but those poor feet are a worry to me, and do impede his mobility, which of course lead to him being even less active. Incidentally, Scoot is now a lone pig, as he just couldn't be trusted not to bully, and Soturi has a new young cagemate, Minstrel, who is a gorgeous little black and white chappy, desperate to be friends with Soturi, but Soturi won't let him near him, just runs away when he approaches. Oh, but I am digressing from the subject - I have missed you all so much, and have so much to say ..... . 

I will post on other subjects separately! But I just wanted to warn slaves of LAPS members to monitor their front paws carefully, particularly as they age.

Debbie and the 11 Dolly Mixtures


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