Movin' on Up!

After two days in the LBC, Miss Jill and I decided to roll the dice and see where Priceline would take us again. And this time Captain Kirk beamed us to Beverly Hills! (OK, Scotty did much of the beaming but he was an engineer, not a transporter chief) Anyway, we stayed at the Residence Inn Beverly Hills even though it was technically in LA (boo!). I guess that explains the large cockroaches on the street outside of the hotel. Beverly Hills must have evicted all pests.

Commute Bunny made some more friends but that's what she does. I guess she wants to be on TV shows but I prefer if she remains grounded.

Anyway, we're back home, our furniture is all over the place, the wood floors are all polished, and Jill said no rabbits inside for twenty years (at least that's what Cherry Bugg told me). Now where oh where did the carpet/floor guys put the remote controls. Thump.

Summertime in the LBC

What an interesting twist of fate! Miss Jill and I had to leave the Westsiiiiiide because we got our bedroom carpets removed and our previously hiding wood floors uncovered and polished. While the floor will remind me of bowling (currently averaging 208 at Mar Vista Bowl, thank you very much), it poses us with a problem: we had to find a place to stay.

Miss Jill wisely got us a good deal on Priceline and I discovered it was in Long Beach. True, Long Beach is the ancestral home of the Erbs as Mom and Dad both went to high school at LB Wilson. But our hotel was located right there in the HOOD! Yeaah... booooyeeee!

Commute Bunny went hopping into the LBC Hood and made a friend (see right). Fo shizzle!

Ojai: the Venerable Valley of Ventura

Miss Jill and I have been on the move for the last few days. Due to a last minute bone marrow drive, we went to Ojai for the weekend to help register more people onto the marrow registry (long story if I never told you about her job). We hiked for 90 minutes on Saturday morning through decently mild terrain but oppressive 90+ degree heat. We were slightly under-hydrated. The slight problem was when SHOTS WERE FIRED. Yikes, like a scared Cherry Bugg, we hid... but it was just some odd dude with a rifle practice shooting (we hope).

We survived high temperatures, long hikes, psychotic sandwich makers, chatty cashiers, and a one-eyed Saab. Wasn't it Nietzche who said, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Or did he say "Dude, where's my car?" I forget. Modern philosophy makes me think too much.

Oh, last addendum: Cherry Bugg says she's never hid when scared. OK.

Miss Jill and Mister John Yearn for a Safari

2006 seems like so long ago. Miss Jill and Mr. John keep a handle on the six manic rabbits of Dewey Street but sometimes they yearn for the days of giraffes and elephants. They ventured to the San Diego Wild Animal Park a few weeks back and took pictures of some of the denizens of the African wild. Look at those lovely elephants to the right. Mother and son enjoying the sunshine of San Diego. Hopefully they don't yearn too much for the homeland.

They also saw a cheetah, an animal that they never did see while in Africa to begin with. The grass was too high due to an overabundant rain season that fall in Kenya. Maybe the cheetahs are camera shy. But this kitty to the right is not camera shy at all. Of course there still needs to be a fence there just in case Commute Bunny starts chirping to see a kitty.

Meet the Parents

To know the rabbits in the Bugg family, first you must know their parents. Mama Bugg, on the left, is a strong-minded mother who only looks out for the best of her family. She teaches the younger bunnies to groom at an early age and usually they reciprocate in turn. However, the bunnies do tend to rebel as they age and sometimes may even bite her on the nose when in an argument with her.

Papa Bugg, on the right, was not always on hand to raise the children and that has been a problem in their relationship. Luckily, he is done with his tour of duty as a merchant marine and now he is back to keep an eye on them. He often has to keep Cherry Bugg in line and she tends to thump and squawk when she does not get her way. Luckily he has left his merchant marine language back at the docks but he does struggle with his vices of drinking and smoking. Mama Bugg's forceful presence helps out with that. And while Root Beer Bugg is off in Europe participating in jumping shows, it is good that Mama and Papa Bugg have helped raise their grandchildren: Ruby Jane, Root Beer Float, and Chip (also known as Root Beer Junior).

But in another good sign for the parents, Cherry Bugg helps clean their bedroom as the picture on the right shows ChBu assiduously manning the broom and dust bin in case any bunny leaves a present behind. Good for you, Cherry Bugg! Mister John and Miss Jill are quite fond of rabbits who help with the chores.

Controversial Picture Shows Miss Jill Feeding Other Animal!

Miss Jill, well-known in rabbit circles, as the woman who never feeds rabbits was seen in this picture feeding a lorikeet. The rabbits became outraged when this evidence surfaced. "Miss Jill feeds green flying rats but not us?" queried an angry Ruby Jane. Oddly, Mister John has remained silent about this problem. He's trying to remain neutral as this is the first picture of Miss Jill misbehaving since she was caught hypnotizing Cherry Bugg before the rabbit election.

Bunnies Hunger Strike for Independence Day

The rabbits were collectively trying to stage a protest this morning in a sign of solidarity against the "tyrannical rule" of Mr. John and Miss Jill. They promised a hunger strike that would last until their demands were met. What these demands are remains to be seen but the rabbits remain firm in their demands.

It all started when Cherry Bugg hopped onto Miss Jill and Mr. John's bed last night to state her opposition to the ruling party. Miss Jill was unsure of when Cherry Bugg meant and as a portent sign of protest, ChBu then bit the lion on the nose. Yes, the lion which followed Mr. John home from LMU about two weeks ago. The lion hasn't stated his name yet but he does growl at the other bed animals and he does wear a shirt reading "Somebody at LMU Loves You." The lion was startled at this unbridled act of defiance. After a few loud roars from the lion which startled all in the house (Mr. John even got up from his "evil" sudoku {which truly wasn't "evil" because he finished it in 24 minutes} to see the commotion) yet Cherry Bugg remained indignant. She even charged her father, Papa Bugg, because he was not fully supportive of the rabbit plight. Papa Bugg, who previously in the night was given "smokes" by Miss Jill (she says they were just pretzels with peanut butter inside and she tricked him), appeared unmoved by his daughter's forceful rhetoric and went back to watching more of the Michael Jackson TV circus with Miss Jill, TV Turtle, and Clifford (yes, the big red dog).

This morning the bunnies vowed to maintain a strict hunger strike, only vowing to eat when they are given food by Miss Jill and Mr. John. This strategy does not exactly seem to work because Mr. John fed them this morning and the bunnies barely even paused to display hunger strike solidarity before chomping down hay and pellets. Cherry Bugg called out the other four backyard bunnies as traitors to the cause. Root Beer Float replied, "Achoo!" before going back to eating a second helping of pellets.

Cherry Bugg did pass out t-shirts reading "The Caged Bunny Always Thumps!" Even Princess Jane approved.

The rabbits have admitted that they would continue their hunger strike this afternoon, as long as Mr. John does not open their cages, put down their ramps, and allow them to run free.

For now the rabbits remain defiant and mostly in support of the hunger strike. Root Beer Float, however, was last seen eating her t-shirt.

Chip Says Hi, Leaves Bedroom for Comfier Cage

Although Chip hopped into Mr. John and Miss Jill's bedroom tonight for a nose rub, he quickly left afterward to go back to his cage tucked into the corner of the den. Supposedly a new supply of hay and a clean potty are much better than nose rubs. Meanwhile, Mr. John looked on amusingly and went back to watching the Dodgers beat the Rockies in 13 innings.

Bunnies Have Overnight Picnic

Root Beer Float and Ruby Jane somehow managed to break out of their cage last night (Mr. John has no comment) and sit around and on the outdoor picnic table. They were awaiting some carrot sandwiches and yogurt. Miss Jill was agog at this comment. "Yogurt?" she asked. "We don't have any yogurt." At that the bunnies thumped and hopped off, not yet having their picnic.

Six Months Till Thumpmas

While many bask in the summer sun and think of vacations and relaxation, the bunnies are already planning. Thumpmas, the most important day on the rabbit calendar, is only six months away. Such important planning -- like parades, themes, costumes, carrots -- all arise in the summer season. Such innocent backyard get togethers are actually political committees. Miss Jill and Mister John have no comment as they have not attended these and if accidentally intrude upon one, are unceremoniously thumped.