Mr. John and Miss Jill Return from DC

Miss Jill and I returned from DC after a seven day sojourn to the Capital. Excitement and crowds overwhelmed us for the first few days as every school-group and miscreant child ran amuck through the city. We did manage to see almost all of the important buildings in the city.

On our first day there, we decided to take a visitor trolley through the city which ended up being poor planning. Everyone in the city took it that day and it was quite crowded. Even more crowded were the Smithsonian museums. However, we did manage to make it out to the National Cathedral (right) in the morning before trekking out to the National Mall. While Jill and I have no problem taking on insuperable amounts of walking distance, we do hate the throngs of ill-behaved crowds.

We made it out to the Washington Monument many times in our daily ventures (see left).

A side note: that Metro system was so efficient that it left me wondering why LA is still dragging its feet on such a thing. We made it to most of the city. I guess the city subway planners strategically placed the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial a distance from the Metro stop to force those silly tourists to make a concerted effort. Of course they could have crowded onto a trolley. Yeah.

We only managed to climb the steps to see Lincoln (see right) once but it was definitely a great view of the Mall as well as the Capitol so far away on the opposite site.

Along with all of the Smithsonian museums, we did make it to the Supreme Court, the Capitol building, the Newseum (highly recommended), and the Folgers Shakespeare Museum. Yes, that is where I, the British lit teacher, sneak off to pay homage to the great bard Bill. Somewhere around here I have a t-shirt which I bought there. We got to DC and the only trinkets we get are the oddities.

When Jill told me that the NCAA hockey final was to be played that week in DC, I jumped at the opportunity of going. Many years back I attended the Frozen Four semifinals in Anaheim with Jeff but never made it to the title game (stupid Easter!). This time I had the opportunity to see the Miami/Boston U final which went to overtime before BU won, 4-3. It was quite an exciting game and even though Jill and I had no vested rooting interest (I represented with my North Dakota jersey), it was quite enjoyable.

Jill and I also made it to the National Zoo where we said Hello to the pandas as well as some elephants, cheetahs, and seals. Our first hotel was within a mile of the Zoo. Our second hotel in Foggy Bottom (what kind of stupid name is that?) was a little more distant from the Metro. But it did have larger elevators.
In paying due respects to our Catholicism, we rode out to the Basilica in northern DC for Easter services. Wow, that place held over 2500 people. At least that congregation was a bit more orderly than the masses in the Smithsonian.

Anyway, we spent a very spirited week seeing all the sites. Now it's time for us to settle down and relax before besieged by our respective occupations again.

Chip Dutifully Waits on Bed

While Miss Jill and I are in DC meeting with the Prez, the bunnies were to stay behind and celebrate Bunny Liberation Day without us. Last year, they set fire to half the neighborhood -- those rebellious rabbits. So this year we hired a bunny sitter but Chip had other ideas. He snuck into our bedroom and sat on the bed for two days... waiting... for Mister John and Miss Jill. I feel bad for poor little Chip Chip Cherie. He shall be rewarded upon our return.

Meanwhile Cherry Bugg has been quietly patient.

Bunny Day Is Coming!

While some people call it Easter and others call it Passover, those in this household call the big spring holiday BUNNY DAY! Indeed, the Christian masses have usurped the glorious Bunny Day with their own hackneyed version with their own bastardized form of an Easter Bunny. The gall of them!



In clockwise order starting from the upper left: Jane, Root Beer Float, and Ruby Jane all caucused over the upcoming Bunny Day. What should be done, what weeds should be eaten, when to thump... all the essentials. Phillip remained in his tower throughout the meeting knowing that the women might just get it wrong. Meanwhile, Cherry Bugg was not allowed into the meeting as she would stir up animosities over the previous Bunny Election and then lots of butt-biting would ensue. Lastly, Chip stayed inside the house and hopped around looking for a comfortable couch.

Bunny Day is coming! Be prepared!

Bunnies on the Ides of March

Luckily none of our rabbits are named Caesar although they would be quite the imperial name for Princess Jane. Hopefully she hasn't read too much Roman history.

Anyway, the bunnies are out and about today and it's a good time to photograph them. Alas, only Phillip wanted to have his photo taken. Jane was too busy eating weeds while RBF was trying to hide and Ruby Jane was on the run.

New pictures of Chip!

Chip has endeared our hearts greatly. While we have kept him away from the others (mostly from their jealousy of his young spriteful self), Chip has bounced around quite well in the house.

As you can see to the left, he is still quite a small bunny as he is dwarfed by his sisters Root Beer Float and Ruby Jane who still tend to pick on him like a younger sibling.

But Chip, whom Jill calls "My Boy," will grow large enough to push around his sisters in a few years. Good for Chip! But for now, he can hop around in the living room and watch television with us.

New Edition to the Erb Household!!!

Chip is here! One of the long lost children of Root Beer Bugg has found his way to Dewey Street! Root Beer, Jr., who goes by Chip has been here for a few days. He does not have a picture yet as Miss Jill has not downloaded anything this week.

Chip is definitely a "chocolate chip off the old block" and he is a hungry little guy. He already has figured out that hopping up onto the couch is a good thing, loves nose rubs, and will eat anything placed in front of him (including Mr. John's shoe).

Hopefully, he is kept aloof from the politics of the backyard. While that whole bi-party commotion in the back yard has kept it rabbit versus rabbit, the beloved Chip seems too happy for such things.

We'll have more on Chip in the upcoming days.

Cherry Bugg: Up Close and Personal

Cherry Bugg tends to feel like the under-appreciated rabbit in the household. To the left of her outside cage are the happy couple, Phillip and Jane. Across the way from her are the sisters, Ruby Jane and Root Beer Float. So she is all by herself in her cage with her purple plastic igloo shaped plastic house she likes to hide under or perch atop during the day.

Chee, as she is often known in the house, also sleeps indoors frequently. In fact she will sleep on the bed for a few hours every night. And she actually hops up on Mr. John's side of the bed between 5:20 and 5:30 every morning in search for her carrot. She's better than a rooster.

A Brief History of Flowers and Miss Bugg

Now that Miss Jill and I have a scanner, we realized that we cannot have a Bugg blog site without the two initials monarchs of the Bugg realm: Flowers and Miss Bugg.

On Valentine's Day in 2002, I adopted Flowers (left) and gave him to Miss Jill as a present. When I went to the pet store in South Pasadena that day, all the other bunnies were disinterested but not my Flowers! He hopped to the edge, looked up at me, and asked me if I had any food. How precocious! So I selected him as the first member of the Mister John/Miss Jill collective.

Miss Jill gushed with happiness but was unsure as she had never been rewarded with a rabbit before. So Miss Jill decided that Flowers should have a partner. We returned to the pet store and selected his sister, an even more precocious girl by the name of Miss Bugg (right). At first we thought that Flowers was a girl but as the vet later told us, Flowers was just hiding his wares.

Cherry Bugg is the younger sister of Flowers and Miss Bugg. Root Beer Float (RBF) and Ruby Jane are nieces, as they are the children of Root Beer Bugg who is currently touring through Europe on a hopping tour. We are currently looking for Root Beer Junior in case you find him anywhere.

Possible Joint Sharing of Rabbit Power

Alas, no definitive decision has been made regarding the controversial tie in the Bunny Election in November. Princess Jane and Cherry Bugg reached a tie in your overall voting which makes things even more confusing than your typical Minnesota re-count, Alaskan senatorial trial, or even your Illinois gubernatorial shakedown. Both sides have not resigned themselves to any sort of lower position for backyard rule. Jane still clings to her mantra of "Divine Right of Rabbits" while Cherry Bugg still clamors for "Change You Can Hop For."

As the stalemate drags into the New Year, this also affects the magistrates of the neighboring edifice. Mister John and Miss Jill cannot understand why both parties cannot compromise in any detail. Both parties claim that the two humans are either supporting or hindering their positions. Cherry Bugg claims that she never receives apple sauce when she is inside while Princess Jane claims not to have her cage and never gets to sleep on the same bad as Miss Jill and Mister John at night. (Miss Jill and Mister John could not be reached for comment about either accusation.)

Currently the edifice merely hosts "lesser" dignitaries such as Ruby Jane and Root Beer Float. The ever-hungry Root Beer Float currently is sitting in the den cage eating every last pellet in the food bowl; conversely, Ruby Jane camouflages herself behind the brown curtain and rests patiently on the grey tile floor. Neither of them have any comment. Personally, I think they are both anarchists who want neither candidate to succeed and leave all the carrots, grass, and hay to them.

Ironically, Root Beer Float wishes everyone a Happy New Ear!!!

Thumpmas for the Rabbits

The bunnies are quite pleased as it that time of year again, the celebration of Thumpmas when the bunnies thumped at the Maji for presenting such crappy gifts.  They wanted carrots, lettuce, and hay.  Guess those wise men weren't so wise, were they?

Princess Jane wants a larger tiara this year.  Phillip wants more dance music CDs.  Cherry Bugg would like a getaway vacation.  Root Beer Float and Ruby Jane both would like a buffet filled with bananas, dead leaves, and dictionaries (go figure).

Have a hoppy Thumpmas Day everyone!