"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road. Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go. So make the best of this test and don't ask why, it's not a question but a lesson learned in time. It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right. I hope you had the time of your life..."

Monday was Jessica's birthday. Her "big" birthday gift this year was to be a chinchilla she found in Wells, Maine. Wells is a good hour away from where we are here in Augusta/Gardiner, and Jessica was making a big deal out of it because it meant so much to her. The picking up of her chinchilla was going to be the biggest part of her birthday, and so she invited me along.

I feel really great that she invited me along because she went as far as telling Heather Lawrence that it was a "mother-daughter" thing, so that only she and I could go.

Jessica picked me up around 10:45 and we started our trip to Wells. When we got there the lady selling the chinchillas came out of her house and met us at the car. It was there that she gave us the bad news.

Apparently the chinchilla that Jessica had already chosen and named "Bryan" had gotten into an accident the previous night. Bryan's ears had been chewed off by his mother when he was still a baby, and so his balance was off because one ear was shorter than the other, so when he was dancing around in the top of his cage, he lost balance and fell to the bottom, breaking his neck.

Jessica was heartbroken and started crying, but stopped herself and went to look at the other chinchillas the breeder had. When we left we had a white chinchilla named Jerry.

On the way home, Jessica in the back with Jerry on her chest, said, "Wouldn't it be great if he peed on me right now?" And not long after said, "Oh my god guys, he peed on me! Jerry peed on me!"

She went into The Paris Farmers Union and The Kennel Shop with a large wet spot covering the middle of her Goonies shirt :-)

Last night I went to the Kennel Shop and bought myself a beta fish. I named him Bryan after Jessica's chinchilla that passed away. May you always rest in peace Bryan. We will miss you.

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� PAST MEMORIES
RIP Bryan - Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2003
I'm being stalked again! - Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2003
I'm back. - Monday, Aug. 18, 2003
Gail, the bitch. - Monday, Aug. 18, 2003
Rahhhhh!!!!!!!!! - Sunday, Aug. 17, 2003