It is all my father-in-law's fault that I have two Guinnea Pigs!

I know, that sounds very strange, especially considering that as I write this he is not even aware that I HAVE the 2nd one, but it is completely true.
Let me explain.

Many years ago, maybe 13 or so, he and I used to read Robin Cook stories. One of us would get each of his new books and pass it on to the other. We both loved these stories. My FIL also, about this time, began to listen to books on tape, or audio books. I was appalled. How could one be so lazy as to need to listen to a book? I refused.

I refused, that is, until he bought the new Robin Cook novel on Audio Tape and I, as a newlywed working for like $6 an hour could not afford to go buy the book myself. So I had to borrow his book-on-tape.

I was horrified. Books on tape were for old people and the blind. For the lazy. I couldn't believe I was stooping to this level.

But I needed my fix, so I started listening on the way to school in the car. And it was good.

How does this have anything to do with me having pet rodents? Wait for it....

So, the story was good, and I realized, books on tape were a great way to make a drive go quickly. It was multi-tasking at its best! I can recall days when I would be sitting in my car, listening to a story in the parking lot at school, and the students would be knocking on my car window. "Mrs. Krassan, the bell rang, you're going to be late!" I just had to finish the chapter!

So, I caved and loved books on tape. It was my FIL's fault.

But that still doesn't explain this


So, the story continues....
The entire family all got hooked on Books-on-Tape. We would scour the local flea market on Sundays for the best deals and then pass them around. My in-laws strike again. One week they found The Green Mile by Stephen King.

You may remember the movie. It was a long movie. But not as long as the books. The books were released as a series of short books, about 8 of them I think, and there was, of course, a wait period between each new book. Building suspense. Think of the Harry Potter thing. It got to the point that when a new book was released, whoever listened to it first had to pass each individual tape along, because we couldn't wait for them to finish the entire book!

It was bad.

If you loved the movie, The Green Mile (with Tom Hanks) you should read the books. It is 27 times better.

and in this story was a mouse. named Mr. Jingles. And I loved Mr. Jingles.

Well, shortly after I finished reading this series, I began teaching 4th grade. As a brand spanking new 4th grade teacher, I needed a class pet. All the other young new teachers had class pets. Julie had a hamster. Nina had a fish. Shawn had a lizard in his room. So I wandered the aisles of the pet store and chose can you guess...a what? are you seeing it? Yup, a guinea pig and I named him Mr. Jingles. I did this for the kids, I said, but realy, it was for me. Naming him, the name was 100% because of that stinking book. I loved that book. I was so upset when I finished the books and that the story was over, I needed it to go on somehow. So I honored my love of all things literature, and gave myself a daily reminder of a story that truly reached my heart by naming my class pet after the mouse character (who played a bigger part in the book than he did in the movie, by the way) Mr. Jingles.

And you know what happened? I found out I loved Guinea Pigs. They are very cute and lovable little creatures. Sociable as well. Mr. Jingles would sit on the kids desk while they worked. When our custodian cleaned my room every night, Mr. Jingles would toss the food bowl around the cage until Bill came over, and opened the cage and pet him and brought him a treat. He was awesome.

Fast forward 100 years. Mr. Jingles retired from class pet life to spend his golden years with a former student. My daughter comes home one day and tells me her friend has to get rid of her Guinea Pig because her mom is "allergic" to it... after a year. {snort} Her friend wants us to take Miss Piggy, we are the only ones she trusts. I am sold, but can we convince daddy?

No.

Fast forward 2 more weeks. Miss Piggy comes home with all her treats, toys, cages, brushes and paraphanalia. . The girls are that good. A few months later, we are all enamored with the little thing. She is a doll, even daddy likes her.

But she is lonely.

I like things in twos.

Two children.

Two dogs.

Two Little Piggies.

When I mentioned it to my wonderful husband, in a would-you-mind-way, he responded, "Absolutely Not!"

He better be careful, or I will have Two Husbands, as well.