My Pet!

There are many reasons why some couples decide to remain childless. Perhaps they feel that their lives are full enough without the responsibility of children or there may be a medical reason that decides for them. In any case, the addition of a small pet can supply a much needed focus for distraction. A pet is a friend without blame, a comic source of entertainment, and a receptacle for motherly (and fatherly) instincts.

One such couple bought a young yellow latino parakeet. Other than changing the automatic roller paper once a day, little Bully Bachman was no trouble at all and provided endless hours of comic antics. Learning early on to mimic the speech of his owners, Bully bird seemed to enjoy greeting his mistress with “Fat wifey, FAT WIFEY!” in the morning. This male taught greeting was followed by whistling Happy Birthday to You and tapping his foot in time. A favorite pastime was watching Bully play soccer with a tightly rolled up ball of foil. Bully would stalk around the cage, eyeing the ball, suddenly side kicking it toward a paper cup. Misses would be followed by a frantic whirlwind of kicking activity, his bowed legs working maniacally. A successful dunk was followed by a mad flapping of wings accompanied by screaming on the top of his avian lungs and performing a squat bob winner’s dance. At night he would declare, “It’s time to go to bed, good night, good night”.

I presented a similar parakeet to my mother on her sixtieth birthday. A recent separation from her marriage partner of thirty years left her moody and sad. This yellow bird was allowed to fly around the house, lighting on any head available. Some guests did not appreciate this feat and panicked at Tweetie’s dive bombing techniques. My mother explained that Tweety just liked hair and not to worry. Strict and clean to a fault, she, however, allowed Tweety to peck at the butter on the table, bite her nose, and lay on her back in her hand to be stroked. The therapeutic value of Tweety was not to be minimized. My mother soon became her cheerful self.

Now, parakeets can live quite a long time but are susceptible to various colds, mysterious ills and can die quite suddenly. Unfortunately, Bully Bachman’s master passed away first, leaving his wife with a pet parakeet that could mimic her deceased husband’s voice to a T. These eerie phrases were treated with a sad shake of the head and a sigh at the memories evoked. But the love she had for her little pet overcame any feelings of sadness.

A retired portrait photographer, I enjoy writing, bicycling and computer graphics.

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Berber carpeting is carpet with a continuous loop. Unlike cut pile carpet one carpet yarn will run from one end to the other. Traditionally it was a hand woven wool carpet but today it is machine made and can be made from any material from Olefin to Nylon. It has become a very popular carpet but is it right for you.

The benefit of Berber carpet is that it is somewhat resistant to foot traffic. The loop makes it resist crushing and it doesn’t show vacuum marks or foot steps like a cut pile carpet. It is great for those who like a clean look to their flooring. Another benefit of Berber is that it can hide soil very well if you choose a speckled pattern. With this pattern any spots you get on the carpet will tend to blend in with the pattern.

Berber does have many negatives. Because of the loop construction it can be tough to clean and to vacuum. The loop tends to hold dirt and the tight construction makes it hard for vacuums and carpet cleaning wands to clean in between the fibers. If you have pets you have another potential problem. If they pull up a tuft they can cause a run along the hole carpet. This is because the yarn runs the entire length of the carpet. The last drawback is that it is a harder carpet so if you are looking for plush comfort you should stay away from Berber.

Choose your carpet wisely. Whatever purchase you make will be in your home for the next 5 to 10 years. Try to find a carpet retailer who tries to fit a carpet to you and who doesn’t just push the carpet special of the month. Good luck with whatever type you choose.

The author has a website on Pennsylvania carpet cleaning. Find facts and information on Philadelphia carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning.

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We all want our carpeting to last as long as possible. We do everything we can to make it last longer and look better but are some of these things hurting our carpet? Read along and learn the 5 biggest mistakes people make with their carpet.

1. Keeping your furniture in the same place. You need to move your furniture around to spread out the wear. If you keep it in the same place, the same strip of carpet is getting worn down all of the time. So try to rearrange your furniture at least once every 6 months.

2. Burning lots of candles. Candles produce smoke and the smoke will settle around furniture and walls. This is essentially smoke damage and can become permanent. Try not to burn candles as much and if you do cut the wicks down so they produce less smoke.

3. Rolling office chairs. Every time you roll back and forth on them you are wearing the carpet. You may think that a chair mat will help but they seldom cover enough of the floor and the carpet around it will still get worn. When you pull up the mat you will have an obvious line where the mat was. Use a chair without wheels to limit the damage.

4. Not vacuuming. Soil is an abrasive and must be removed as soon as possible to limit carpet damage. If you do not vacuum you do not remove this abrasive and it can over time cause extensive permanent damage. Vacuum your carpet at least once per month.

5. Playing chemist. When you get a spot on the carpet, resist the urge to play chemist by using different chemicals from under your sink. Use only those chemicals that say they are safe for use on stain resistant carpeting.

That’s it, those are some of the most common mistakes made with carpeting. Avoid them and your carpet will surely benefit.

Learn more about Carpet Cleaning Philadelphia at the authors website. Information on carpet, upholstery and rug cleaning in Philadelphia.

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