5:30 AM Obie???

[snowboardmandy]

Well life seems to have turned completely upside down again. My boyfriend of 3 1/2 years (yes, the one I followed up to Alaska) broke up with me a few weeks ago and Obie and I have moved from our nice two bedroom apartment to a smaller studio. Her cage is set up the same, I'm trying to keep her routine the same, but she is NOT adjusting to the changes well at all. She hasn't let me scritch her once since we moved, and she has started getting up VERY early. In the old house, she would never make any noise until she heard someone up in the house. She would even let me sleep in until 9 or so on the weekends! In the new house, though, like clockwork, she has woken me up LOUDLY every morning at about 5:30. Granted, I may have brought it on myself, the first day she did it she was screaming horribly and flapping around, I thought for sure she was tangled in something and so I got up, turned on the lights, and uncovered her. She was just fine. BUT then she did it again the next day, and the next day...its been about a week now. I try ignoring it, but I'm worried about the sound traveling in the new building...I would hate to make enemies of my new neighbors because I have a bird who decided 5:30 is time to be awake!!! I wish I could figure out what it is that's waking her up...new pipe noises maybe? Does anyone have any suggestions???

[kimsbirds]

While it might be upsetting to her in the new place, I have a feeling that your walls and floors aren't as soundproof as Obie is used to, and she's reacting to the voices and noises of people getting up at 530am to get ready for work etc!! Does it happen on weekends too??
I'm sorry to hear about your breakup...guys are blechy LOL

Kimmie

[snowboardmandy]

yep, weekends are the same, but worse for me because i would looove to sleep much later :)


and yes, you said it perfectly. guys are blechy.

[Janie]

Mandy, I'm very sorry to hear about the break-up (jerk!) and have no advice for you with Obie but HOPEFULLY, he'll adjust to things shortly and get back into his old routine. In the meantime, be very nice to your neighbors, maybe bake cookies for them, and give them all a nice set of ear plugs! ;) And, CRY if necessary! :whistle:

[bellarains]

Mandy,

Obie may be missing your boyfriend? It's a possibility, but I'm sure you'll both be over him soon;)

Is Obie's cage covered at night? If so, are you using something dark/heavy to cover him? She may be getting more light where she is now, so that's another possibility.

Whatever it is, keep trying to figure out what's got her going off at 5:30. You know, routine change, etc...... Maybe even cage placement. You'll figure it out eventually.

[DebSpace]

Yes, I'm thinking the same thing Lori is. Not just the adjustment to a new place, but adjustment to life without a person they became used to. The insecurity issue. Is it possible to move her cage into your bedroom, atleast temporarily, and use a dark cover? If she knows you are sleeping it might help. Sorry, I just realized Obie is a male.

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Oh, birds do like to tell us when they don't approve of change, don't they? Sending earplugs and a (((hug))) your way Mandy.

[snowboardmandy]

:) Obie is a girl, Deb

The breeder I got her from just suggested I get a fan to run at night, maybe the white noise will block out what she's hearing. She is covered with a dark sheet, the same one I used at the other house. I doubt light has anything to do with it, I am in Alaska...I think we're up to 8 hours of sunlight a day now :) I do have her in my bedroom "zone" (I live in a studio with no walls, hehe) so that is something new for both of us, as she was in the dining room at the old house.

I wouldn't be surprised if she misses Tyler. She did love the guy, and well OK I did too. But we are coping....one day at a time.

[DebSpace]

(((Mandy and Obie)))So sorry you are going through this tough time. Wish I could suggest something to help, but change is a hard thing especially when emotions are involved. Keep us posted on how things are going.

[Tango's_Mom]

I'll add one more vote to the guys being blechy camp, sorry to hear about the breakup, I don't really have any advice to add, wish there was something I could do to help, I hope you and Obie feel better soon:grouphug1

[Keltoth]

Geez... :x

I'm sorry things didn't work out for you with your boyfriend. Having said that, I'm glad that you found out now, rather than being 10 years into a marriage and THEN finding out that he thinks that you are not The One for him. Hurts like heII now, but it would have only been worse later.

Ever the optimist (ha ha!), let my point out the obvious silver lining to this ominous cloud that just sailed into your life; you are female, and YOU LIVE IN ALASKA! Talk about a target-rich environment! I'm not saying that you should go right out and jump into another relationship, but holy smokes - when you decide to get back in the saddle, there's gonna be a gaggle of men laughing their butts off at their good fortune - AND at the guy that let you slip away... :rofl:

Come on, now - wipe that look off your face! These are pearls I'm handing out here, earned through my own heartache and polished by more years than I care to admit. Things WILL get better. You ARE worthy of a nice man to take care of you the way that you should be taken care of, and that good, decent man is still out there just waiting for you to come along and save him. Don't waste too much time pining away for a guy who just let his future slip between his fingers.

You mark my words Mandy, because I expect a wedding invitation at some future date and I want to hear you say that I was right: you are going to look back and realize that breaking up with your ex-boyfriend back in 2007 was THE luckiest thing that ever happened to you. I've met you, and if I am anything at all (besides an anal-retentive poster and a know-it-all), it's that I am a fairly decent judge of character. I'm not gonna sit here and run your ex-boyfriend down, because not only do I not know anything about him, but I suspect he may be a decent guy because you obviously still care for him and are heart-broken. My point in all of this is not that you can do better than him; it is that you are now able to go find that person that was put on the planet just for you, and you alone.

I know you are hurting, but I can't feel too bad for you because I know the pain will be a temporary thing. You are a strong enough person that the pain from this relationship is not going to sour you on life or happiness; it's not going to keep you down. It doesn't seem like it now, but you are an incredibly lucky person; you found out sooner that this man was not your soul-mate, rather than later.

You're gonna be alright, All your friends here are thinking of you.

- Eric

P.S. - Didn't you say something about a bird? :rolleyes:

Don't worry, Obie will be alright too. I suspect she's missing him just like you are. Help each other...

[Kathryn]

((((Mandy)))),
You hang in there girl! You and Obie will find that soulmate one day.
Eric said it all....you listen to him!!
We're thinking of you and Obie as you make the adjustments to being single wimonz!!

[graushill]

Hi Mandy,

I'm sorry about Obie being unhappy at the moment. And while it's true guys are blechy, I know it still hurts :grouphug:. My lovies share my bedroom with me and while most of them are heavy sleepers I have two that are almost as light sleepers as their mamma :roll: and they will sometimes wake up in the wee small hours of the morning. They don't really scream but they call out. I've found that sometimes they will calm down if I call out quietly to them "shhh Piccolo (or Bubblan as the case might be), go back to sleep baby". Sometimes it doesn't work, but it could be worth giving a try.

Gloria

[Eliza]

Lots and lots of ((((HUGS)))), Mandy.

I don't have advice to offer re: Obie. I think that in time, she'll settle into her new home, just as you will.

-e-

[snowboardmandy]

I tried to update this thread a few days ago but I couldn't post at work, and my internet at home is not working. Let's see if it works this time....

Firstly thank you for all of the kind words Eric and everyone else :) I'm trying to hang in there.

WELLL I bought a box fan and it does not help. I figured out that the noise Obie is hearing at 5:30 is my upstair's neighbor's shower. Looks like I'm becoming an ealry riser, kindof. I found out that if I uncover her, talk to her for a minute, and turn her light on, she will quiet down and let me go back to sleep for another hour or so before I have to get up for work.

When it rains it pours, though....I seem to be running into kenundrums left and right. I found MUSHROOMS growing in my carpet 2 days ago. YUCCCKK. The maintenance crew found a leaking waste line in the wall...I think they repaired it today, but I definitely have moldy carpet. I'm worried about Obie in all of this, and am going to have to find someone who can take her for a few days when my carpets are being "defungified". Anyone have experience de-molding carpet? Any birdsafe ways to do this?? Keep in mind I am in Alaska and can't really leave my windows open...

Normally my "go to" if I need one is Obie's breeder, Tammy...but she's having her own share of troubles. Please keep her flock in your thoughts...her pineapple conure hen died unexpectedly about a week ago and is undergoing a necropsy to find the cause. She is very worried for her flock and the possibility of disease...I can't even go up for a visit right now until she hears the test results.

SIGH So I'm taking it a day at a time, hoping Obie can hang in there with me...

[Kathryn]

I'm glad you've found a partial solution to the early rising.
Sorry to hear about the carpet ahd Tammy's hen. Will be keeping you in good thoughts!!

[linda040899]

Hi Mandy,
If you are living in rental apartment, it sounds like the carpeting will either have to be cleaned or most likely replaced. Cleaning is the better option, as new carpeting gives off toxic fumes that take about 3 months to dissipate. Have you spoken to your landlord? Mold is unhealthy all the way around.

[Susan27]

(((Mandy and Tammy))) That is aweful about your breeders flock problems, I hope all works out ok for her.

Maybe one of those ambiance cd's put on repeat, with water noises will block out the shower noises....or make Obie want to take a bath REALLY BAD. Being woken up before you want is NOT FUN.

I have no idea how to birdsafely defungify a carpet...hopefully someone here can help you with that.

I think that what Eric wrote is first rate advice. It's logical and a good way to look at things. But hey, I am in the camp of a couple of chocolate martinis and a ritual photo burning session first!!!;)

[snowboardmandy]

Obie's at work with me today while they are defungusing. I think they're just going to use bleach to try and kill it all. The pipe will be fixed on Monday. Still no word from Tammy, I do hope her flock is OK. I just had Obie up there for 2 weeks while I was in Montana in the middle of January, so if they find ANYTHING abnormal, it's off to the vet with my lil girl...