Yesterday was the 1st day of fall, one of my favorite seasons. Unfortunately it did not feel like fall AT ALL. There was 94% humidity and it was sticky, humid and rainy. I'm very much over hot and humid weather. It's been an unusually HOT spring/summer this year. I'm ready for cooler weather, hoodies, jackets. Hot pumpkin spice latte's!

At least the stores are stocking with fall and halloween items already! Picked up some baby pumpkins yesterday at Giant Supermarket. I love baby pumpkins! I got 2 orange and 1 white one this year. For some reason though it turned into a real hassle during check out... it took 2 clerks & a manager (who all appeared annoyed) to ring up my 3 for $2 baby pumpkins?! Really?! Sheesh...

I use Retro Camera for Android

I also found one of the new seasonal creamers from Coffee-Mate! Brown Sugar Maple Latte. I had some this morning, it's good. I love maple syrup and it has that flavor.


Shannon posted on my Facebook the other day because she found Halloween Sally Hansen Salon Effects designs! They are too cool looking! She found hers at CVS, so I checked 2 CVS's on Friday. I got the skull ones & there was only 1 silver spiderweb one left! I had a $1 off coupon, but CVS must double coupons because I got $2.00 off my purchase and $5 in coupons for my next visit! (The clerk at CVS was checking out my nails too- hahaha. I had Sally Hansen Insta Dri: Lightning with OPI  black shatter over it. She had never seen the crackle polish in person!)

Photo Credit

So excited to wear them in October! If you haven't tried the Salon Effects- do try. They last 2-3 weeks without chipping! And when they do chip, they start chipping at the base of the nail, not the tip. They are awesome!

I had been a part of the Rat Chatter forums for almost 4 years. I joined back in October 2007 when I got my first two pet rats Sugar & Spice. Eventually, I became a moderator and got to work with a lot of amazing people, like Brittney from Star's Rat Rescue.

Sadly and unexpectedly the Rat Chatter Forums closed on May 5th, 2011. We have still not heard from our good friends that ran and owned the forums and we hope they are alright.

I mentioned to Brittney it would be a good idea to start a forum for her rat rescue, somewhere to connect with adopters and our friends from the RC forums who we had gotten to know over the past 4 years. It took a few days, but the Star's Rat Rescue forum is now up and running. So rattie lovers and SRR Adopters are welcome to join us over at the new forum!

I am so exhausted! It has been a busy day! I woke up at 7am this morning and my brother Scotty and I went to Starbucks for breakfast. For some reason they were offering Pumpkin Spice coffee today (Whoo Hoo!) so we got two of those. And we also got the new Bacon, Egg & Gouda Cheese sandwiches they have.

Then we came home and got everything ready to repaint my room. The color I picked up at Lowe's is called 'Minty'. I wanted a similar color to what was already on the walls to make it less complicated. Everything just needed to be refreshed. We were done painting around 11am.

After painting I transferred some money out of my savings and we headed off to a 2nd hand store, Big Lot's and Walmart. At the 2nd hand store I got 2 nice comforters, 2 big fleece blankets, and a few pillow cases. At Big Lot's I got two full bed sheet sets for $12.00 and 2 nice big towels for $4.50 each. At Walmart, I got new pillows on sale for $2.50, a rice cooker for $13.00. I also got F.B. a lot of toiletries for his arrival. I spent more than I have ever spent at Walmart, but I got everything I needed. Including a Hane's flannel pajama pants & t-shirt set for him.

All of F.B.'s toiletries.

And I may or may not have spent $21 on nail polish... why oh why does Walmart now sell Essie & OPI... I couldn't pass up these colors!

(Turquoise &  Caicos, Merino Cool, The Next CEO)

F.B. finished up his seminar that was required by the Philippines before he leaves for the USA. He still has to go get an international drivers permit before he leaves. So he can drive over here for a year. (He will need to take the test again for a PA drivers license.)

He also booked his plane ticket! He will be in Philadelphia on March 6th at 10:25am!!! Lucky boy doesn't even have to stopover in Hong Kong or Shanghai or even Tokyo, he gets to fly from Manila Philippines straight to Los Angeles, CA. Then to Dallas, TX and finally Philadelphia!

It's going to be a very busy 2 weeks. I spent all evening cleaning and organizing after the paint dried and I still have some more to do tomorrow. The new bed arrives next weekend. I was approved to take March 7th-11th off so I'll have a week off work to spend with F.B. and help him get settled in.

Also, on March 5th, I will be getting my 2 boys and 2 girls from Star's Rat Rescue in SD! They will be traveling 1,500 miles to Philadelphia! There are a few others adopting rats in Philly too we'll be meeting our Rat Train driver at a Petco in the area.

3 years ago I decided to get pet rats. I had had a pet Ferret for 4 years but she passed away from adrenal cancer.

After our Ferret passed away, I wanted another small animal pet. I had always loved mice and rats, even as a kid, but I never owned any as pets. Our Ferret was litter trained and after reading about rats online, I found out they too could be litter trained which was interesting to me. I didn't know too much about pet rats at all 3 years ago!

October, 23rd 2007 I purchased my first two pet rats. Sugar and Spice. Sugar was a PEW, Spice was a Himalayan. Sugar was shy & sweet. Spice was outgoing and spunky.


Care:

3 years later I've owned 20 rats. 8 have gone to the Rainbow Bridge. 3 are rescue rats, 17 have been from various pet stores in my area. (As of 2017 I've owned over 50+ rats.)

The number one con about owning rats is their short lifespan. Rats only live approximately 2-3 years. The other big con is females are very prone to developing mammary tumors. (Typically they develop around or after 1 year.) I've had 5 females that developed mammary tumors and 3 of my girls had to be put to sleep because of them. They are usually benign but tend to impact quality of life as they grow. Not all females get tumors, but they are very common.

This is the downfall of owning pet rats. Pet rats are so susceptible to tumors, cancer, abscesses, respiratory infections, etc. (Rat Health Guide). But when you're a rat owner, you take the good with the bad. They have so much personality, are so smart and have so much love and affection to give, that it makes up for the short time they are with us... any rat owner will tell you that. It's also the reason most rat owners have more than 1 rat. They definitely get into your heart even though they aren't with us for very long.

And just because they are so small doesn't mean they are cheaper when it comes to the veterinarian. I've had tumors removed, had a rat spayed and neutered. Each costing in the triple digits. So anyone that says a rat is a cheap "pocket pet"; they are quite mistaken. Owning a pet rat is definitely a commitment, like any other pet. Cat or Dog, etc.

Females are more active and outgoing, hyper even! Male rats are more laid back, lazy and tend to like being cuddled or pet. Female rats are about half the size of a full grown male rat. Male rats do have a musky odor that can be controlled with bathing or by neutering. (Males or Females?) Hairless males do not have any odor.

They are very clean animals. If you've ever seen a cat bathe him/herself, a rat bathes itself about 10x's more a day than a cat! They don't generally need to be bathed but light colored rats can get red streaking around their neck or on their body from grooming or other rats grooming them. This is because their saliva, tears, (even snot!) have a red pigment called porphyrin. and after awhile even if you do keep your cage very clean you might want to give your rat a bath occasionally if they smell a bit. (I usually bathe mine with baby shampoo every 2-3 weeks or so in the sink.)

There are so many different colors and varieties of rats it would take forever to describe them all. (AFRMA Rat Varieties.)

Why multiples? 

Rats are very social animals. They do best in pairs or groups. Especially if you're out at school or working for a certain number of hours each day. Having a pair of rats is ideal, because they keep each other company when you can't be around.

And once you've owned 1 or 2 rats, rat lovers are very susceptible to GGMR (Gotta get more rats!) Rats are nocturnal but they easily adjust to your schedule. Occasionally at night time, I might hear a few squabbles or some chewing, but for the most part they are pretty quiet at night time.

Rats aren't just social with other rats. They are extremely social and curious about their human owners! In the morning when I wake up, or when I come home from work, there will be a dozen little faces peering out the cage at me, waiting for attention.

Having been a rat owner for 3 years now, in my opinion; rats are the most well rounded pet. They are as affectionate and loyal and sociable as any cat or dog. And smart! Rats are one of the most intelligent of the rodent species. You can teach a rat to respond to its name, just like any dog. It always gives me a smile when one of my rats is at the other end of the sofa or bed and I call their name and they come running over to me. It's just amazing what they are capable of! You can even teach them tricks! They are extremely versatile and adaptable to any situation.

Oh boy and the agility of a rat! A rat can jump vertically almost 1-2 feet and horizontally up to 3 feet! They are great climbers too. Rats do not have paws. They actually have individual fingers. (4 fingers and a nub thumb on their hands. 5 toes on their back feet.) And they love to climb! They will scale the inside of their cage and sometimes even hang from the ceiling in the cage. I call them "little monkey's." They actually use their tail when it comes to climbing. Their tail also helps them to balance. When you're holding a rat, it will probably try to wrap its tail around your arm to steady itself. (That Wonderful Rat Tail). A few of my rats that love to explore have even climbed to the top of my 5 story bookshelf!

Nutrition:

Rats are similar to dogs in another way. You can actually feed them certain types of dog food. You want the protein to be between 15-20% and the fat to be between 5-7%. Lower is better. (Article on Rat Nutrition). Rat's are similar to humans in that they also have a sense of taste. They can taste salty, sweet, sour and bitter.

Of course they need a well rounded diet. A staple diet of either dog food or rat lab blocks. I use Nutro Natural Lite  or Harlan Teklad 2014 lab blocks for their staple diet. (I don't use Nutro anymore- they changed the protein content) I am currently using Native Earth 4018 Lab Blocks (not available any more since petfooddirect was taken over by chewy.com in 2016) I currently feed my rats: Oxbow Regal Rat as of 2017.

Added to that every few days are fresh (or frozen) veggies and fruit and sometimes even baby food or baby rice cereal. Some people make their own well rounded mix. (I used to use a mix similar to Suebee's more for treat purposes that I fed once a week.)


Rat's can pretty much eat anything humans can, though it's not always good for them. It's always best to check the Forbidden Food List before feeding any new food to your rats.

Rat's love treats. A few treats I keep on hand for my rats are: Banana Chips, Yogurt Raisins or Peanuts. Gerber Graduate Puff's, Milk Bone Dog Biscuits, Spiral Wheat or Tri Color Pasta, Yogies.

They also love to chew! Anything and everything if you don't keep it out of their way! I always say, "Pet rats will teach you not to be materialistic!". And it's the truth! They will chew on ANYTHING! I've had many a phone charger, laptop wire, headphones, lamp wire, book bindings, etc; chewed by one of my pet rats. (Thank God for Ebay!) If you're not comfortable with something being chewed- it's best to place it out their reach! I actually get most of my sheets, pillow cases, comforters from a 2nd hand store. If you let the rats hang out with you on your bed, they will indeed chew a hole in your blanket!

Playtime:

Speaking of hanging out on the bed or sofa. Once your rat gets used to being handled by you and trusts you. You can pretty much let them hang out with you around the house where ever you are. I'm usually walking around my house with at least 1 rat on my shoulder! When I watch TV, there's usually a few hanging out with me, same goes for when I'm on the laptop or reading in bed. And surprisingly once your rat is litter trained you shouldn't have many accidents at all! Even better if you provide a place for them to relieve themselves when you have them outside the cage. I usually have a plastic carrier open on the sofa, etc for them to retreat too. I've had a few brats though that won't stay with you and just want to get down on the floor and explore! We used to have a ferret Super Pet Ball for my rat Nutmeg who loved to roam around the house!

For their chewing habits you can provide wooden chew toys from the pet store, give them tissue boxes to hang in or chew, empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls, rawhide chew sticks for dogs, I also give mine Super Pet Chilly Chews or 8 in 1 Cheese Chews. And you can give them cooked and cleaned chicken bone legs to gnaw on also. (Rat Toy Ideas).

You can take your rats outside with you if you're brave enough! If I do take my rats outside I never put them on the ground unattended. If I walk around I might have 1-2 on my shoulder. If I go to the park I use a Plastic Carrier or my Marshall carry sack. (Leashes made for small animals aren't ideal, rats can wiggle right out of them!) I love taking animal and nature photographs so I've taken quite a few of my rats to the park with me to get pictures. If a rat is well handled and trusts it's owner it will not run off. My rats usually stick quite close to me. Being outside usually intimidates them. (I only take 1 rat out at a time, when outside. The others stay in a carrier.)

Cage Care:

Wire cages are generally better than aquariums for pet rats. Wire cages allow air flow, while aquariums restrict ventilation. (Which can lead to heatstroke or even respiratory infections.) The only problem with wire cages, is the flooring. If the cage has a wire floor you will need to cover it with fabric, metal pan, etc. (Wire floors can cause bumble foot infection if not covered.) Rats can also get a foot caught or tangled on a wire floor which can lead to sprains or broken bones.


I own a Ferret Nation 142. The cage comes with two big plastic pans that cover the wire floor in the cage and can be taken out and cleaned when necessary. You also need at least 2 cubic feet per rat. (Cage Calculator). Bar spacing is also important. 1/2" bar spacing is ideal but most cages usually have 1" inch bar spacing.

My Ferret Nation cage has 1" inch vertical bar spacing and for the bigger rat's it's not a problem. But for smaller younger rats, I've had two escapees! The solution to this problem was to cover the outside of the cage with hardware cloth and zip ties! (Choosing the right cage article).

For the inside the cage, I myself use fleece or baby blankets from the Dollar Store to line the cage floors with. This is cheaper and cleaner than using Yesterday's News, Aspen or Care Fresh. (Care Fresh can sometimes contain mites- one way to prevent this is to freeze it before using.) Using fleece or fabric is a greener way of taking care of your rat's cage. It's also cheaper because you're not constantly throwing away used cage lining. I usually do one load of laundry a week (unscented detergent) just for the rat's stuff. I only get rid of the fleece or baby blankets when there's so many holes chewed in them it doesn't look like fabric anymore! (Do not use pine or cedar shavings. They are toxic to rats.)

Using fleece or fabric is also more cozy to your pet rat. They love to burrow deep down in the blankets or fleece when sleeping. I also put plastic igloos and plastic houses in their cages for them to sleep or hide in. (You will usually find all of your rats piled on top of each other sleeping!)

I usually do a full cage cleaning once a week with hot water and a little bleach. I empty their litter pans every few days. (I don't use litter or anything in the litter pans.) I will also change some of their sleeping fabric or blankets in the cage during the week if they begin to smell. (Rat urine doesn't have an odor in small quantities).

Overall:

If you've never owned a pet rat before you would be surprised how each one has a completely different personality. Some are shy, some are outgoing, some love to be cuddled, some don't like to be held, some over eat, some are lazy, some are playful. They are just like people with their own individual personality.

And yes some rats love to be pet just like a cat or dog! When they are happy (or nervous). They will make a teeth grinding noise and boggle their eyes. This is like purring for rats! They also love to be scratched behind their ears or nose. They are extremely social, curious affectionate creatures. Once you have owned one rat, it will probably not be your last! If you decide to get more rats, here is a good article on introducing new rats to your current rats!

You can also find me on Star's Rat Rescue Forum. I am a moderator there under the username: christianchickslc. Come over and share with us about your pet rats, or just pop in to learn about them!

Fall is here and that means all things pumpkin! I love pumpkin!

Besides the traditional Pumpkin Pie...


Or Pumpkin Bread that I love to bake...


There's a few other pumpkin treats this time of year!

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte!


Wawa Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino!


Tastykake Pumpkin Pies!


Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins!


 Coffee-Mate Pumpkin Spice Creamer!


International Delight Pumpkin Pie Spice Creamer!


And this is a new one... but I want to try it! Pumpkin Pie Pop Tarts!

Even before my Cinnamon passed away, I had been thinking about getting two new female rats. It's been tough losing two rats within two months, I wasn't expecting to lose my Cinnamon so soon. Sugar had been ill and it was expected, but losing Cinnamon was so unexpected...

Friday night I went out to a few pet stores looking for female rats. Two of the stores, just had male rats, the other 2 only female PEWS. I was really hoping they would have other colors, but since they didn't I decided to get two new PEW girls.

Since all of them looked alike, they let me put my hand in the tank at Petco and I just waited to see who would come the closest. The first two girls I grabbed, didn't squirm so much or try to get away so they were the ones that came home with me. I named the larger girl Holly and the smaller girl Ivy

When I got home and gave them a bath, I discovered Holly was missing a good bit off the end of her tail. It's healed over now though. This actually turned out to be a good thing, because my Saffy, who I got back in May is also a PEW, but the tip of her tail is broken on the end. And Ivy, has a perfect tail, so it will be easy to tell them apart even if they all look similar!

Holly's Tail:
Holly & Ivy:
Holly is very curious and was even accepting a bit of people food the first night. I've owned 8 rats all together now, and I've never had a rat accept food or be so trusting the first night home.

Ivy was very scared and jumpy her first night home. She's starting to be more curious, though she is much more timid than Holly.

My Ginger rat, I have to schedule her an appointment at the vet for either this week or next week. So we can get her in and figure out how much it's going to cost to remove the tumor under her right arm. With Spice it was around $200 something, so it will probably be similar.

Sugar was doing very poorly the week before I left for the Philippines. She got progressively worse the night before I was to leave. She had 2 large mammary tumors and was losing a lot of weight and getting very frail.... my poor girl. I spent as much time as I could my last night home with her. When I woke up around 1am though Sugar couldn't move and was taking shallow breaths... I think she had had a stroke. I had to leave for the airport around 3am, so my brothers kept an eye on her while my parents took me to the airport for my flight. Around 5am I got a call from my brother at the airport, that Sugar had passed away.... she was around 2 years 1 month old. She lived a long life for a rattie. Sugar was my first rattie. When I went to Petco over two years ago she was the one standing up against the glass looking at me. I adopted her and her sister Spice back in October 2007. Sugar lived about a year longer than Spice. I will miss you so much my girl.... goodbye Sugar... 10-23-2007 - 11-24-2009

Less than 2 weeks until I leave for the Philippines. So crazy! I have to start packing next week & then I will just have last minute stuff to throw in my suitcase the night before I leave. I already have some stuff that I'm taking already in my suitcases, it's just not organized & I don't have any of my clothes packed yet.

The 20th, I believe I'm going to have my "Thanksgiving/Christmas" with my family. I think we may go out to eat for dinner and then exchange gifts before I go away. This will be the 2nd year I won't be home for Thanksgiving. Last year since I arrived home a week after Thanksgiving, my Mom froze me a plate of Thanksgiving dinner. This year I won't be home until the end of January. (This will also be my 2nd Christmas & New Years in the Philippines.)

I think F.B. & I are going to do what we did last year for my Thanksgiving. (Since it's an American holiday.) We'll have dinner at Gerry's Grill, go to Trinoma Mall, pick out some Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider, get some mashed potatoes from KFC & watch a movie at his house. Hehe.

I think we're also going to get our I.D. Photos taken at the mall when we go out, we will need them when we apply for our marriage license. We'll have to wait until probably November 30th to go to the USA Embassy to get my 'Certificate of Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage' because the US Embassy in Manila will be closed on Thanksgiving. Unless we go on November 27th. I'm not sure yet. I know the week of the 30th we will be applying for the marriage licence, because there's a 10 day waiting period & we may or may not have to take premarital classes.

NOTE: If you are getting married in the Philippines and you are a US citizen these requirements from the US Embassy in Manila Philippines, will be helpful: Getting Married in The Philippines.

Today I did some baking. I love baking Pumpkin Bread, etc around Thanksgiving and Christmas. This year I tried baking Iced Pumpkin Cookies! I found the original recipe here, but I altered it a bit. I left out the chocolate chips (didn't have any!) and the walnuts (I don't like them.) And since I didn't have Pumpkin Pie spice handy, I put in a 1 tsp of cinnamon & a 1/2 tsp of nutmeg.

Here is the altered recipe that I used:

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1tsp. baking powder
1/2tsp.baking soda
1/2tsp. salt
2 sticks butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S 100% pure pumpkin
2 large eggs
1tsp. vanilla extract
Vanilla Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease baking sheets.

Mix wet ingredients together and dry ingredients together in separate bowls, before combining & mixing well. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Spread or drizzle with vanilla glaze.

Vanilla Glaze:

Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well.

Yum! They turned out well! I put the icing in the fridge to firm up a little while the cookies were still baking.

Today my Sugar, turns 2 years old. 2 years ago I went into Petco looking for pet rats. I ended up getting Sugar and her sister Spice. My girl is getting older. Sugar has 2 large mammary tumors and another small one starting. She also suffers from abscesses on her front paw. But, she is still enjoying life for now. This morning I had an early birthday party for her. All the girls got to enjoy some peas and applesauce. And of course, yogurt peanuts!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Sugar!

I haven't posted in a few weeks. July 3rd, I was finally able to visit the Mütter Museum after wanting to go for years. I went with my cousins. We took the train down to 30th Street and walked about 3 blocks or so down to 22nd Street where the Museum is located. Definitely better than driving in downtown Philadelphia traffic or looking for parking! I wish I had pictures, but photography is not allowed inside the museum. It is a medical oddities museum. They had Siamese twin skeletons, babies with birth defects in jars from the 1800 & 1900's. A full wall of skulls from people that passed from different diseases. They had animal brains in jars, rats, ferrets, cats, dogs, etc. Any organ you can imagine. The world's tallest man skeleton, a dwarf skeleton. Human leather... some of the stuff makes you go "Ew!" or "Wow!" but it's a really interesting museum. My mom & brother want to go some time so I will definitely be going back!

About 4 more months until I am off to the Philippines. I can't believe it's already July! In September I have to apply for my visitor's visa from the Philippine Consulate in New York. I am still making copies of everything for our immigration process next year. It's slow but I'm getting there!

Sugar's two tumors are growing very large. She has one under her right armpit and another near her right back leg on her tummy. She is still able to get around but I've had to learn to pick her up differently now by supporting her bottom in my hand when holding her instead of picking her up around her waist. A few years ago I bought a carrot shaped calcium chew for the rats but no one would touch it. Then Spice developed a mammary tumor and she would chew and chew on the calcium chew. After Spice passed no one touched it again. Until Sugar developed her tumors... I am thinking with the tumors sucking nutrients from her body she needs the extra calcium and vitamins. I've been buying her calcium chews at the pet store. (Never salt chews! Salt is bad for rats as it can dehydrate them quickly.) She really loves these ice cream shaped ones.

I discovered Pet Discounters through a Yahoo Search. Their prices are unbelievable! I pay $5.99 at Petco for Sugar's calcium chews. For some of my girls other treats I pay $3.99-$4.99 each. I bought 9 items at Pet Discounters and only paid $30 including shipping! I would have spent $50+ for the those same items at the regular pet store. Fast shipping too! Everything arrived this morning and I ordered on Monday!

What else have I been up too? I finally caved and purchased The Sims 3 during my mini vacation from work. (Love The Sims!) Thought it might be a bit much for my 3 year old PC. But it runs really well actually on my 2.0GHz Duel Core Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, 256MB video card PC. (Even with the graphics set to medium & high on some options!) The biggest issue I have with my laptop is space. I only have a 87GB or so hard drive. (Originally 100GB but system hardware & Windows XP take up some of that space.) I have about 23GB left. I uninstalled some other programs, but I do still have The Sims 2 and all it's expansions, plus 2 stuff packs installed. I want to get an external hard drive at some point.

Actually, at some point down the road I want a whole new laptop from Dell. I asked F.B. when we're married if we get a new laptop can I have it and I'll give him this one, haha! He said since he likes older games my laptop would run his games perfectly with my specs so he would love mine. I really want a higher 2.0GHz processor. Probably Core Duo 2. (It's the fastest processor for a laptop.) Windows 7, 4GB of RAM would be nice and a 512MB video card! A bigger hard drive too. Anything from 200 to 500GB. Sigh.... Haha!

Last Saturday we had overtime at work and I worked 8 hours. I was exhausted by the time it was Friday. Lucky for me Monday is a holiday and we aren't having any more overtime for awhile, so I get a 3 day weekend, yay!

My Valentines was okay... I started with another cold this week a sinus head cold and by Friday I was feeling worse and F.B. & I had a misunderstanding and I was upset with him so I just slept in on Valentines Day and didn't meet up online with him for our "date". This morning I didn't either, but I was just feeling so sick I took some NyQuil and went right back to bed and didn't get up until the late afternoon.

F.B.'s mom had some personalized sheets and pillow cases made up for my parents and a set for me too. They arrived on Valentines. F.B.'s Dad had mailed the package. He's a ship captain and happened to be docked in PA so he mailed the package while he was in the USA. My sheet set is purple. The 2 pillow cases match the sheets.











I texted F.B. and told him they arrived and then I got a text message back from him later asking if there had been anything from him in the box. I hadn't noticed it way at the bottom of the box under the sheets. Turns out he had enclosed a package in the box with my valentines cards and a letter as a surprise. He even sent me San Mig coffee & lemon mint Closeup toothpaste in sachets and a Watson's mint lip balm, because he remembered I just ran out of mine. That was sweet of him, I wasn't expecting a package. Too bad I didn't look in the bottom of the box until Sunday morning! I would have gotten my Valentines gifts on Valentines Day, haha!













Cinnamon turned 1 years old today. She's had such a full year. Getting to know her sisters Sugar & Spice, getting an emergency spay in May, losing her sister Spice in December and gaining 2 new sisters Ginger & Nutmeg. We had a little party for her, I bought ice cream cake for the family and the ratties enjoyed a slice too for Cinnamon's birthday, they really enjoyed themselves!

















































Saturday I also gave my new car a wash and discovered some scratches along the front of the hood... like someone almost brushed against it by walking by with something or I don't know what! There's 4 actually. 2 were very light and came out when I rubbed compound on it and then wax. The other 2 are quite deep and look like 2 fine white lines against the black paint. I'm hoping it's not very deep but it's not coming out with rubbing the compound with my hand and the white scratches are distracting against the black. My dad has to get a new pad for his buffer & is going to try buffing it out. I guess if it doesn't come out I'll have to take it to the dealership for repair. Sigh. Saturday after I came out of work from overtime someone has scraped their door against mine and there were 2 big scratches on it then! I had to use the compound on that too, but it was just in the wax coating. What the heck?! I don't make any payments on my car until March and it's already getting scratched by morons in parking lots! Arrgh!