Yes, this is my baby. Isn't he cute? He loves that hat. I got Sammy shortly after September 11th. I had been planning on getting a guinea pig all summer long (the apartment company didn't allow pets at all, but I figured a caged rodent couldn't do much damage), but since I didn't get my act together til mid-September, that's when he arrived at Smurf Village. I like to think he helped me cope with the changing world, the terrorism disaster, the new threats to our health and security, but honestly I don't think I was really upset by the current events. Except for my dreams of seeing glowing bombs through my bedroom window. In any case, last winter I learned just how much I would do for him as I racked up vet bills on my credit cards and nursed my baby back to health. He'll be four years old on August 12th, and he better live another four years, that's all I got to say. In the meantime, I'll put up with his 5 am pleas for breakfast if it means another day of snuggles, unbelievable cuteness, and fits of pouting in his castle. People don't give guinea pigs enough credit. They're smart and cuddly and they know when it's dinner time--traits that dogs and cats exhibit as well. Yes, they're rodents, but Sammy had been known to kick some mousey ass. So there. Cats barf and shed on your stuff and dogs need to be walked no matter if it's raining or snowing or 50-below-zero or hot as an oven. Don't get me wrong, I love cats and dogs too. For now, I'll keep my piggie, thank you. Yes, I know people in South America eat guinea pigs like we eat chicken. But this is Chicago, and when in Chicago, do as Chicagoans do. Hmmm, could I walk him on the Lake Shore Path like a dog? ......
