Hi all.

I think some of you already know, but I've all but abandoned my LiveJournal these days in favour of a blog on Tumblr.

Last night, at around 5pm, we lost Joey.

Earlier in the afternoon, we noticed Joey was being unusually still, sitting in the litter tray. He wasn’t moving much at all, and didn’t come up to the bars to see if we had any food when we went close. We thought it was very out of character for him, and I think we were both secretly worried.

Later that afternoon, whilst Maxi was preparing dinner, she called me through and said Joey had collapsed. It looked like he had tried to jump out of the tray, but fell on his side. I knew then that he wasn’t going to be with us much longer. We got a towel, wrapped him up, and sat with him on the kitchen floor for around an hour or so.

We snuggled him up in the towel and he rested on my lap, being stroked and kept warm.

He barely moved, and didn’t once lift his head up. He had a few fits, almost like he was running, and a couple of times I felt all his muscles tense up. His eyes were ever so dull, and Maxi and I already knew his spirit had left, but his body was still going.

Joey let out a little squeak and with a final run, he left us to be with our other bunnies we’ve lost – Amile, Charlie, Earl, and Sun.

His sweetheart, Fae, seems to be very confused and lonely. She follows us around the kitchen, either begging for food or begging for Joey – I don’t know which. She doesn’t show any symptoms of the virus that has now claimed three of our buns, but we need to keep a close eye on her to make sure it stays that way.

Since my phone, Outlook, LiveJournal and even my iPod reminded me - Happy birthday peterb!

New blog post: http://tinyurl.com/6yeay2

Last weekend, Maxi and I went up to Mansfield to see friends & family, and go to Zöe’s 18th birthday party (expect she was 18 a couple of months ago (don’t ask me)).

There was a bit of family-related drama which I’m not going to get involved in, but it ended up that we (Maxi, her mum and I) left after just 30 minutes.

Anyway, that’s besides the point. When we arrived in Mansfield on Saturday afternoon, we went in to a pet shop with the intention of buying two mice. Since we lost Sun, things seemed to be rather empty in the flat. We didn’t want another rabbit because whilst they do give a lot, they also take a lot too. A few mice would be perfect, since they’re easy to look after, smaller, and much neater.

I was surprised at how small they were, so I suggested we get four instead of two. They would easily live in the same space we were going to get anyway, and it wouldn’t be any more effort or hassle. Once the chosen four were out of the cage and in to a box, we noticed there were only two girls left from the same litter, huddled in the corner and missing their sisters. Well, we thought they were anyway.

So, we had to.

We got six baby girl mice, a good sized tank, and a wheel. They’ll eat our food scraps (since we’re vegan we would only give them fruit & veg anyway) so they will cost next-to-nothing to keep.

They’ve settled in well, and they love running on their wheel, investigating, and snuggling up in a mouse-pile in their nest-box. We’ve given them all names, but I can’t remember them yet! Although they all look and act differently, they’re hard for me to tell apart. I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it eventually though!

So, Sun went to the vets on Monday with a range of symptoms, including rapid weight loss, dizziness and disorientation, and loss of bladder control. Her personality was also severely affected - she appeared very scared and needy, begging for attention which is really out of character.

We diagnosed it ourselves as a virus that affects the kidneys first, then spreads to other areas including the brain. The damage done is irreversible, and the only medicinal path open is a lifetime treatment to prevent further damage, but chances are it will only be for a limited time.

The vet agreed with our diagnosis and started to prescribe the treatment to prevent any further damage. We accepted it, but sat outside the vets with Sun and talked about the options.

We both knew treatment is only a chance of preventing further symptoms and not a cure. And already Sun was so out of character for such a dignified lady.

After a lot of soul-searching, Maxi and I agreed the best course of action would be to let Sun go gracefully, loved, and aware. Somehow, that morning, Sun seemed to ask me for help. I remember Charlie asking me the same thing the day she left us. In some way, I had already made peace with the idea before it was a clear option.

We walked back in the vets, and booked another appointment in 20 minutes time with the same vet. We headed back outside and sat with her for a while. She ate some dandelions and leaves, and sat in the warm sunshine. Time came, and she went peacefully and happily to be with Charlie, Earl and Amile. She left us around 17:30.

We were obviously devastated at her loss. She was the last of the "original three" rabbits and she had such a strong character. She always got up to random acts of mischief (such as squeezing under the hutch and digging the carpet where we couldn't get her, and running round and round the flat at breakneck speeds). She was also so very pretty, with plush red fur and questioning hazel eyes. She was always very prim and ladylike in every action and motion, from grooming to using the litter tray.


Maxi and I struggled that evening, and I decided it would be best to skip work the day after (Tuesday) to grieve properly and recover.

Tuesday came, and we both felt a little better from sleeping on it. We came to terms with the decision, but it will take a long while to fully adjust to not having Sun around.

We decided to have something positive and do something fun. So we bought a Wii. Which we played a rather lot that day.

And it really helped. It helped not to forget Monday, but it did help to brighten our moods and not to overly dwell on the situation. Of course, we're both still very upset about it all, but I think not as much as we would have been. It's all about trying to balance the bad with the good, and coming out somewhere in between for now.

Hi guys.

I know, I know - it's only been a week or so since I did a previous redesign.  But I couldn't help myself!

http://www.scottfreeman.net/

Just been playing with Tumblr a lot recently. And, for a blogging platform, I think it's way better than LiveJournal.

It's easier to use, faster, and seems to have a load more features.

I plan on using My Tumblr a lot more from now on. I strongly recommend you check it out, and if you like it then be sure to add me!

Last night, whilst giving the rabbits their supper, I noticed Earl wasn't hopping out of the bedroom area of the hutch to scoff the fresh hays.

I opened the door, and saw what I never expected - he lying motionless, dead.

I called Maxi over and after a little time of getting over the shock, we moved his body to a box.

Sun seems okay, which is a relief. Earl was living with Sun for about a month, and they absolutely loved each other. We thought Sun would never bond again after the problems with Macy and with Charlie passing away only a few months ago. But Sun really took to Earl and they were often seen grooming each other or snuggled up extra close.

This leaves Sun on her own again. The poor girl has been through quite a lot in her life!

A very sad end to the day.

Lately, I've been listening to a fair big of online music from theSixtyOne.com.

You listen to free music and 'bump' songs you like. The more bumps a song gets, the higher it is rated. It's a cool way of showing your appreciation to artists for releasing songs to listen to for free.

I think it's better than traditional 'flat' Internet radio, where you listen to what is played at you. With this, you can skip tracks or elect to never hear them again. Best part is that it's mostly unsigned and unpublished stuff, so a great place to hear some new things.

I've just completed and published a new version of my website.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

http://scottfreeman.net/

It's been an age since I've last updated here, so I guess it's about time! I'll try and split things up to make an easier read.

Being married is going fantastically. Maxi and I are getting on perfectly as ever, and having fun. We've set up some big plans for our life together, so now we have something solid to aim towards, we're really excited and impatient.

Work is going really well at the moment too. I've learnt a whole lot lately, especially with Javascript and DOM-related stuff. I've also learnt a lot of design skills, like how to create layouts and designs that actually work. I'm currently working on a major project at Fasthosts. I can't really go in to details, but it's going to shape the future of the company for a couple of years to come.

The rabbits are all well. We have five now: Sun, Fae, Joey, Luna and Earl. Yesterday we bonded Sun and Earl, and they're now living together in the hutch outdoors. Fae and Joey are still living together in the living room, and Luna is on her own in the hallway.

Internet life has evolved a little. I don't often blog much at all these days. Instead, I Twitter a lot more, and post a lot of stuff on my Tumblr. I'm also on Facebook too. Why not add or follow me on those services?

I think that's it really.

Just a quick message to say hello!

Maxi and I are back from our honeymoon in Cuba - I'll post more later on, but just to say we're safe, we had an amazing time, and we're now husband and wife!