My heart bleeded, girl

Buster died last night. He just turned 17 in May. I was at the pet store where we got him yesterday and we were talking about him. The woman who sold him to us said he was the oldest chinchilla she knew. He hadn't been eating much the past couple of days, and I think he just went to sleep and didn't wake up. Ashley got him when she was 13, and she'll be 30 next month. That's a long time.

His cage has been in the living room for 11 years, since Ash went off to college. In spite of my occasional complaints about vacuuming up litter, and Nev's insistence that chinchilla poop makes a tasty snack, I miss him. I used to say he would be happier living with his original owner, who HAS A HOUSE OF HER OWN, but Ash thought he was happier with me. (Fred was hers, too. I see a pattern here.) But it's very quiet in here now, without him rustling around.

My Big Bang is pretty much done. I'm twitchy and want to poke at it, but Ashley keeps telling me to leave it alone. I may have to do just one more read-through, though. Or maybe two. :)

I'm leaving soon for the airport to pick up Adam and Colleen. He's been feeding me flight information one morsel at a time, and I still don't know what airline they're coming in on, only that it arrives at 1:20 from Dulles. It's apparently on a need to know basis and I guess I don't need to know.

Larry got a ride to work today from his partner, and he's being very casual about it, so I'm guessing that means he's coming home with a new car. Adam and Colleen are going to New York to spend Father's Day with her dad, so Adam's going to need his car.

I'm very anxious to see him. This isn't the homecoming I envisioned, but it's been 19 months and I'm glad he's coming home. Colleen said on FB that they're fine, they just want to be with people they know and love.