Part-time Pets

Stan is on his fifth iguana. This one likes to climb up and sit on the fireplace mantle. Stan always lets it sit on his arm if he’s watching TV and strokes it. It rides on his back and across his shoulders. He takes it to his office during the day and it’ll sit in the sun on the windowsill. We gave him his fourth iguana, which Dawson had named Striker.

I’ve often said someone needs to start a business called “Part-time Pets”. All kids want to experience so many pets, but get tired of them and want to try another pet. Once they find out cages need regular cleaning, and some smell worse sooner than other kinds of pets, they get tired of them. Or once they find out it sleeps all day and only plays at night, it’s no fun. Or it scratches … or bites … They just need to get it out of their system and then pass the pet on to someone else. The only problem is this business needs to develop the technology for "Honey, I shrunk the pets", because everyone wants a puppy or kitten first - a baby whatever, or see them born.

Dawson has had SO many pets! Travis and Heather had dogs, cats and gerbils. I had a rabbit and got sick of taking care of it. Our chickens are gone and only one dog left. But Dawson has even had two ferrets (very fun, but smelly), a Madagascar hissing cockroach, tarantulas, snakes, including a python, and lizards and the iguana (none of these cuddly soft!).

I couldn’t imagine this iguana getting big and living in cold Evergreen. Stan was living in Washington at the time and we were heading up there to do some speaking, so we asked him if he’d like Dawson’s iguana (we had it a year – been there – done that). He said he’d have to keep it at his office. So we traveled with the iguana in its large glass tank. We had to speak in Idaho first, so left it in the hotel room. We have so much fun imagining the maid who cleaned our room.

Striker ended up being a female cuz when Stan moved back to AZ, it laid a bunch of eggs. Stan and Striker really had an affection for each other, so when it got sick and died, he was really heartbroken. So now he’s got another one.

I'm back at my sister Kelli's now, staying for the night, and we're about to go out to eat a fun lunch.