Magic Trips

So I've decided that I'm not meant to be a magician 'when I grow up'.
I've been remembering back to this summer and some of the interesting experiences I had. One of them resulted in this decision I previously mentioned. I was downstairs with my Aunt Nonnie and her adorable little (now 3 year old) daughter, Boo. And, to entertain her, i decided to do a 'magic trick.'
You know, the first time, it actually turned out really well. I had some strange little water-glitter-pillow-tube thing and I told Boo that I would count to three, lift it over my head, and it would disappear. So I shook it in my hands as I counted, and on three, I easily tossed it over my shoulder into the next room. She was very surprised and had no clue where it had gone. I then managed to pick it back up without her seeing. I stuck it in under the hat my brother was wearing and, after she'd searched around for some time (in both my hands, my pockets, etc.), told her to look there. She lifted the cap off and was thoroughly impressed with my skills. It was some sweet moves on my part.
Unfortunately, I didn't stop there. I should've learned by now that, if something actually does happen to go right for me once, I shouldn't push my luck- just be happy with it. But Boo thought it was so cool, she wanted me to do it again.
I tried.
But the second time, I threw the stupid thing too high and it whacked into the low ceiling and thumped onto the floor directly behind me. Boo raced under my legs and picked it up, smirking in triumph. The little devil.
She then told me that she wanted to show me a magic trick. She held the toy, waved it around for a bit, chanted some string of kid-babble and threw it across the room.
"Where'd it go? Magic!" she proclaimed like a true entertainer, as my aunt laughed uproariously at my expense.
Hmph. So yes. I've decided that I'm not going to be a magician... ever.

Dr. Do-Less

Carsten, pops and I were reminiscing on some of our attempts at raising animals. These included the mauling of our poor bunnies and their babies. What kind of animal can skin a rabbit and never actually get it out of the cage?
We talked about the various chickens we've owned. Some we hatched and raised from their incubated eggs. Others we bought at Big R as little fuzzy, newborn chicks. They all produce very few eggs (total of 5 or so a week, from a dozen chickens) and have had rather traumatizing lives/deaths. One batch was attacked and eaten/scattered by a bear. Some would get out of the pen, wander into the woods and most assuredly were eaten before the next morning. One poor chick got caught in between the netting and the covering that were pressed against each other, when it was already sleeping at the bottom of the yard-deep box (we haven't a single clue how in this wide earthit managed that Houdini act). The rest ... well, they eventually ended up in the freezer.
I believe the oddest thing we ever produced was Clara's duck. We all went to Big R and picked out a chick. But the super-random 6yr old had to insist on the ugly duckling. As the only non-chicken we didn't really give it any special care. It ended up thinking that it was a chicken. It made the strangest, most pathetic quack. It wanted to walk like a chicken, with a duck's anatomy and ended up shuffling around on its stomach, constantly tripping and face-planting. It would get attacked by the actual chickens, so we had to separate it and then it would pace up and down by the separator and rub the tip of its feet raw.
I felt bad for the poor, confused thing.
You know, I think the only animal we've actually had any luck with are goldfish. We had a batch of 10 goldfish about 5 years ago that are still alive. How did that even happen? I didn't even know they could live that long! Don't goldfish usually die after only a few days?