Start off by saying this contest is not for someone who would resell, only for someone who has been looking/saving for a Doost for a pet.
Let me know what pet you're looking to add the little guy to below, link them if possible. I'll pick someone to give him to in the next couple of hours.
I'm not even surprised or impressed anymore. I've been feeding the hyper intelligent bastards for too many years for that.
I go to my parents almost every day and have been for years and years. They have a huge yard and have owned the house for 30+ years with good relations with neighbors. Thus, perfect location for my obsessive (literally diagnosed OCD) bird feeding. My parents quickly grew attached as well, and will feed/water them in my absence. I have grown a paticularly close bond with a mated pair of crows, and a few magpies in the flock.
My fiance and I moved about 4 months ago for ease of life, we are now half a block away. I always walk, why drive at that distance. They know the general direction I come from and what time I tend to arrive, they follow me from a certain point to the house.
Well fuck, today I made the mistake of talking to a neighbor to check in on their 16 year old dog that was my dog's late buddy. He's great for a 16 year old large dog, btw.
But I messed up. I was too obvious. A couple of magpies followed me the full way home to our townhouse/apartment.
I saw one peaking in through the window and thought, huh, don't see magpies here that often.
Then another.
Then another. Huh, that one looks familiar.
A couple more, well shit, those are my magpies.
Then the female crow that I instantly recognized.
One by one the little bastards were peaking in and confirming.
But like... how did the magpies tell the crows? I KNOW they weren't around when I walked up, just a couple little pies. And it took them about half an hour after the magpies started.
I will.. never know peace again.
I have to now buy peanuts for two households. Fuck.
Pictures of the dickheads in question for reddit tax.
But I wanted Olive Garden Breadsticks sooooo bad 🤤
They came out okay for a first time, I think.
Give me any advice you have!!
I love watching fledges figure out life. They bring me great joy. 🤭
It looks like it will heal, no visible deformity or infection. He just favors one leg a bit, he can still operate the other, though.
He has discovered that his siblings are much less likely to take advantage and steal his fresh opened peanuts if he sits half a foot from me.
One tried and I politely told him it's not nice to steal from your siblings and **he left** 🤣🤣 fucking birds are learning English
She knows she's beautiful with an aura I am in awe of. She knows she deserves all of the peanuts, boiled eggs and chicken I can provide. She knows she is worth dedicated allocation of my income.
Little lady has had me wrapped around her talon for 6 glorious summers. (They migrate in the winter here.) Allowed me the pleasure of babysitting countless fledglings while always making sure to provide payment in the finest of twigs.
She uhh.. kinda has my heart. And she damn well deserves it.
Lost my job decorating cakes after 7 years due to company buyout. Took the first job I was offered. I am... so much happier.
Let's just start with, I loved cake decorating. I only got into it as a favor to an old manager who had a new decorator flake on him, and he knew I used to do weekend orders for him if needed (it wasn't.. great back then, but adequate lmao). I have always been very creative, so he figured I could do it with a little time.
He was a salt of the earth human being. Like heart of gold, cared for his staff deeply. But he was into his 70's and retired 3 years in. We got a new manager, she had a very different management style. A lot of people left because of it, but managed to have a really lovely relationship with her as well, when her father passed, she came in crying and ran to me for a hug first. Told me she wished all of her staff were like me, where I can work independently because I care about what I'm doing.
This is all to say, I loved my old iob. I loved my coworkers, my assistant manager and I are still in contact a year later..
The owner sold the store with staff contracts intact, this was a specification in selling. He only gave us 2 weeks notice. He did not want his staff left without jobs. But the guy who bought it only wanted his family working there, so he just cut everyone's hours substantially, while fostering a wildly abusive work environment. Every single one of us was pushed out, I was the only one to fight for severance and constructive dismissal, and was only able to do so as my doctor gave me stress leave for a few months to let me make some calls.
Anyways. It was devastating. I mourned, I literally grieved what felt like a massive loss of a major security and sense of confidence in myself. The money wasn't great, but I enjoyed every day I went into work.
After sick leave and getting severance, I had a minor but needed surgery that kept me off of work for another couple of months, by the time I had to start interviews again.. I felt so useless and beated down, I felt unwanted by my old job that I did so well at, never even give a chance to prove myself...
I had one crappy interviews, a couple of okay ones. I put in an application to work for a local organic farm in their meat shop. I was not officially qualified for what they were requesting experience wise, but I sent them a long message explaining my love for animals and ethical treatment of the food we eat, my desire to learn, ect. The hiring manager got back to my within 10 minutes. We had a wonderful chat, and he asked me if I was available for a call the next day. Call went wonderful, we mostly just chatted the whole time. Called me in for a in person interview the day after that, hired me within 15 minutes of leaving the interview telling me that him and the other manager were very impressed with me on a personal level. Wow!
I just got off of starting 3 month probation on June 23rd, my promotion into lead of one of our markets goes through next weekend. I will be replacing one of our \*owners\* managing our busiest market as her children are transitioning into operations and she will be retiring. My operational manager (the one who hired me) told me that he believes I have the work ethic, personality, organization and dependency that he thinks I would be able to replace our owner, and find a way to fill her shoes in a way that certain other people couldn't, since she is an absolute darling woman, with a hell of a work ethic ontop of the kindness. (She is, I have met her lots, she hugs me like I'm family).
I wasn't "qualified" to apply for a position in the shop, but have somehow proved myself enough that he would rather move me into the position than hire someone "more qualified" to take it.
Our company values are amazing, our staff are beautiful human beings, the owners are what you would dream the owner of a company to act like. They acknowledge my strengths and are always willing to teach and share.
I miss my cakeys, but I'm... happy. I'm making better money. I feel appreciated, noticed, valued and confident enough for the first time to grasp upwards. (I have OCD, self doubt is terrible and I have a very hard time trusting my own abilities)
I recently spoke with my old A.M, and she is also doing amazing for herself.
Sorry that was so long. I uhm, dont have many friends that aren't birds. They're proud of me, though. Or just happy for the increased peanut fund...
EDIT: I honestly thought like 10 people would read this, and I would have been stoked at that outcome. I did not expect so much kindness and so many uplifting comments. Thank you guys, thanks for being the best of reddit! It made my morning to wake up to! 😁
I'm sorry! I'm new here. I have pretty severe OCD, and when I was having a full on break down, I unfortunately couldn't keep up with friendships very well, so I have no one I can tell this to with the exception of my fiancé 😅
This feels unreal! I worked as a cake decorator for 6 years until our store was bought out and the new owners essentially just tried to push everyone out by being extremely abusive and cutting everyone's hours to nothing so he could bring in his family and friends to replace them. The stress of this, mixed with having a very traumatic passing of our dog (internal bleeding) caused a terrible OCD breakdown. I had a very supportive doctor who gave me 8 months off medically so I had time to figure things out and try to fight for severance because it was essentially constructive dismissal. (I got it after going through government complaints)
8 months of not working, followed by another month off due to surgery. I had done a lot of CBT and counselling, but I was at this point not used to working. I was terrified to get back into it, and have always had terribly low confidence, with my counselor telling me I have held myself back from success due to fear of reaching out to the unknown. So I listened to her.
I took a job I wasn't even sure I was prepared for. Started working as soon as my surgery area was healed. Went in to "fake it till I make it" despite having the experience for the job, I had no confidence in success. It is a very physical job, but the morals and values of the owners are incredible, and the staff were amazing. It's a small local buisness with a few locations in the city.
One and a half months in I got pulled into the operational manager's office to "sit down'. My face went white, that was going to be it. They would fire me.
He instead told me that he sees something in me, that I have amazing work ethic, and the ability to put my own crap behind me the moment I step into work... He then told me that one of the lead managers at one of our locations was retiring at the end of June. He asked me if I would be interested, because he wanted me to be a face of the company.
I start training tomorrow.. I am very nervous. But for the first time in my life, I believe I can do this.
I feel so lucky to have found a place where I am able to fit in and be myself. I am proud that I have worked to heal, and move forward.
I'm also scared I am going to fuck it all up. But that's.. what it's like to do something new, right?
Sorry for all of that. 😅
But doubt it will happen 😢
Just got a promotion right out of my probationary period, wanna celebrate with Olive Garden sooo bad.
But between our cat nearing her end and the expenses with, and a very unexpected move, promotion celebrate is a no go 😭
Birthday in a few months. Making a dream meal as we speak 🤣
Hopefully the custom does the name justice!
By the way, the last letter is not a L, it as a capital i.
I know one of these years, they won't come back. Enjoying every minute with them.
This year they brought back another crow couple. Maybe a baby from last year and their mate?
The new guys are very shy, but seem to be informed on how things work around here.
Helena still looks amazing after so many babies. Hope she has some beautiful fledges this year that I can babysit again.
These birds own my heart.
Got way too baked and decided to pipe it into a cloud top.
Soooo much surface area for crispy brown potatoes 😋
It's one of my mom's safe foods as she has some food sensitivity. I usually head over there and cook it up for her one a week or so.
Hello, I am so sorry to have to come here.
Our cat needs euthanasia, as her cancer has progressed significantly. There is a post a picture of her in my feeds, to show this has been a struggle for a while.
We can afford euthanasia, and will no matter what to save her pain. But we would really like her ashes back, and sadly cannot afford it due to moving expenses. If there is any chance someone could help just a little, it would be wonderful..
It is time sensitive.. but I thought I would try.
Her name is Chi Chi. She would talk to me on the phone for years when I would call my fiance. She took over the dang call, and only for my voice. She is wildly special, kind and loving. I will include a picture and send anyone who donates the vet bill as proof after.
Creation is 170, but anything helps.
Paypal is included