May/June 2023 Wrap Up

And the delays continue. Life has been super hectic. I went to the wedding of a good friend at the beginning of May. Then Kevin and I had our Morocco trip starting in May into June. And once I got back, work has been utterly consuming most of my life (and not in good ways). I had lots of messes to clean up and nonsense to deal with. It's been, frankly, ugly. We had to put one of our rats, Eros, down right before we left for Morocco, which was sad but definitely the right choice. Then we lost Dion shortly after we got back and Apollo had a weird cancer that he needed pretty big surgery for. Then another friend's elopement that I was able to attend. Lots of good things and some bad things, too. But with all of that, I also have not had any energy to work on my blog. I have still been reading though. And there have been other things going on, which I do plan to share, just not quite yet.

I feel like I have some sort of excuses for being late every month (or every two months as the case may be). I want to keep my blog going and I have some other posts started (not finished). Life has just been crazy. Maybe that is just how life is now? Is this what it means to be a grown up??

I will try to give some quick reviews of the books I read in May and June here. Due to the tardiness of my post, I will keep them very breif.

Title: Dreams Lie Beneath

Author: Rebecca Ross

Narrator: Chloe Dolandis

 

Synopsis/Thoughts: This was an Owlcrate book and I listened to the audiobook some of the time and read the physical book the rest of the time. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit, maybe more than I expected. Every new moon, nightmares stalk the streets in the kingdom of Azenor. The magical wardens are tasked with collecting information on nightmares and defeating them each new moon. Clementine is posed to take over her father's warden-ship when a couple of brothers take his position. To get revenge, Clem disguises herself and becomes the assistant to one of the brothers, Phelan. But the dreams they are fighting are more complicated than they realize and they may need to join forces to uncover the truth.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

 

Title: The Raven Cycle series

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Narrator: Will Patton

 

Synopsis/Thoughts: OK, I know I just read these back in March. But I just wasn't ready to leave this world. And I may have some Ronan obsession problems. I even have a character playlist. I don't know if I want to talk about it. But I just love these books.

 

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: The Sun and the Star

Authors: Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro

Narrator: A.J. Beckles

Synopsis/Thoughts: I really like Nico and Will and I was glad to see the story of Bob re-visited and completed. I was exciting for this book, but there were some things that I didn't love. There was some dragging and repetitiveness. Maybe a side effect of dual authors? I don't know. I did enjoy it overall and if you are a fan of Rick Riordan's books, this is worth the read. I'm sure I will re-read it in the future and maybe my thoughts will change.

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

Title: Jay's Gay Agenda

Author: Jason June

Synopsis/Thoughts: This was a quick enjoyable read. Jay is the only gay teen (maybe gay person) in his tiny hometown. So when his parents announce they are moving to Seattle, he is ecstatic to experience life as a gay teen with other LBGTQ+ people around. He does a lot of growing up. It is sweet and funny and sometimes sad. But it is a good, happy story in the end.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Title: Call Down the Hawk

Author: Maggie Stiefvater

Narrator: Will Patton

 

Synopsis/Thoughts: Another one I just read a few months ago... I just needed to re-read the Dreamer Trilogy, too. I still really enjoyed this book. I like seeing more of the Lynch brothers (and of Ronan, obviously). It holds up.

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

 

Least favorite book read in May/June: All of them were good, but the Sun and the Star has the lowest rating.

Favorite book read in May/June: the Raven Cycle books

As of the end of June, I have read 44 books toward my goal of 75.

I promise that I will try to be better in July. Thanks for sticking with me anyway!

December 2022 Wrap Up

December has been quite a month. Normally it is my favorite month, but it really got off to a rough start until closer to the end of the month. Mostly because of work. Because work is hard and frustrating and all-consuming. So that is all I will say about that.

December means Hanukkah, which I celebrated by getting new electric candles for my little menorah. That was lovely. December also means my birthday, which work almost ruined, but I managed some days off and had dinner with friends, went to see a play with Kevin, and some other fun things. 

Kevin and I went out to Connecticut to visit his family for Christmas. Our flights were some that got totally messed up so we were stranded out there longer than planned, but it was a nice time. We went to see Mark Twain's house, which was very cool. And we went to the Harry Potter Forbidden Forest Experience, which was awesome. I posted photos and videos of that on my Instagram if you are interested in looking.

The rats are getting along in years. Festus and Dion turned two in November. Eros turned two this month and Apollo turns two in January. Festus is having respiratory issues, but we have tried so many antibiotics and treatments and nebulizers. I think it is just a matter of keeping him happy until it gets to be too much and we need to put him to sleep. But he's doing OK. Dion is still on heart meds and not exactly healthy, but also fine. Eros might have some sort of autoimmune or genetic something? He has lost some fur in weird places and not grown it back and one of his feet occasionally swells for a day or two. Otherwise he seems happy and healthy. And Apollo has never had a health crisis and hopefully never will!

Mallow had his second Gotcha Day on New Year's Eve. Little demon. I guess he's OK mostly and we kinda like him. Sometimes. He's cute though, so there is that!

I did alright with reading this month. I am going to try to keep reviews very short so I can touch on goals for the coming year.

Title: Landline

Author: Rainbow Rowell

Narrator: Rebecca Lowman

 

Synopsis and thoughts: I don't need to review this one, right? It is one of my all-time favorites and yes, I read it more than once this December. I always love it so much.

 

Rating: 5 stars out of 5 stars

 

Titles: Magic Steps and Street Magic

Author: Tamora Pierce

 

Synopsis and thoughts: The first two Circle Opens books about Sandry and Briar becoming teachers. I have read these books many times over the years. These are comfort reads and I do enjoy them.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

Title: The House in the Cerulean Sea

Author: TJ Klune

Narrator: Daniel Henning

 

Synopsis and thoughts: This was a re-read for me. After I finished Under the Whispering Door, I wanted to revisit it. It is a lovely, sweet story and I definitely recommend it.

 

Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: Eight Nights of Flirting

Author: Hannah Reynolds

Narrator: Emily Lawrence

 

Synopsis: Shira is determined to return from winter break with the perfect boyfriend. The only problem? She cannot, and I mean cannot, talk to boys without being totally awkward. Enter Tyler, her old crush and master flirt. They strike a deal where he will teach her to flirt and she will introduce him to her uncle for an internship. That will work, right?

 

Thoughts: A Hanukkah story! Yay! This was pretty cute actually. I didn't totally love everything (maybe because I am older than the target audience), but it was an enjoyable and easy read. And I am always interested in Hanukkah stories.

 

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Title: The Matzah Ball

Author: Jean Meltzer

Narrator: Dara Rosenberg

Synopsis: Rachel, good Jewish girl and Rabbi's daughter has a secret: she ghost writes Christmas romance stories. She loves Christmas, the magic of it. But she is about to lose her job if she doesn't come up with a Hanukkah romance. In her search for inspiration, she gets in with Jacob who is running the biggest, fanciest Hanukkah event: the Matzah Ball. Rachel just needs to get in and she is sure she will find her story.

Thoughts: A Hanukkah story! I always get a bit excited when I find Hanukkah stories. This story was cute and fun and chaos happens. The ending was definitely cheese-y, but you have to know that is coming when you go in. It was a nice story and worth a read if Hanukkah romances might be your thing!

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Title: A Christmas Carol

Author: Charles Dickens

Narrator: Tim Curry

 

Synopsis and thoughts: Another one I read nearly every year that I probably don't need to really review. I still enjoy this every year, this is a great version, I still picture them as Mickey Mouse characters.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge

Author: Charlie Lovett

Narrator: Tim Gerard Reynolds

 

Synopsis: What happened to Scrooge after his life-changing Christmas experience? Well here is an answer for you. And he sets out to save other people like himself.

 

Thoughts: I was worried this would be bad. It was maybe a bit cheese-y and I didn't think that him needing to save the first and third people were really true to the story, but that's OK. It very much keeps the style and tone of the original story. It was a fun, quick read.

 

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Favorite book read this month: Landline? Always? I can't help it.

Least favorite book read this month: The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge, only due to it having the lowest rating.

 

I read a total of 91 books this year. My goal was 60.

Now for the new year!

My reading goal will be to read 75 books.

I also want to make a real effort to get through more of my Owlcrate books. They are almost always fantasy and I so rarely want to read fantasy these days, but I need to either read them or stop subscribing!

In non-reading goals:

• I want to be better about saving money. I have already been good about contributing to my retirement (at Kevin's insistence). 
• I want to cut down on the number of emails I am subscribed to. That sounds silly, but I am so tired of having to delete 50 ads in my email every day. I have already started this process. 
• I haven't been great at keeping my journal the last few months, so I'd like to get back on that wagon. Part of my problem was adding book reviews into my journal. Doing them in there and on this blog got exhausting and then I didn't want to do it anymore. I just need to modify how I journal. 
• I want to cut down on the number of stupid games that I play on my phone. 
• Lastly, I want to go through things that I have and get rid of anything I am not using. It is something I have been working on and I sometimes do well and other times don't.

Anyone else have good goals for 2023?

August 2021 Wrap Up

August went so fast. I was not at all prepared for this blog post. Which is why it is so late. Sorry about that.

The wedding is only two months away! We are trying to get everything squared away. I feel like there is so much to do, but I don't know what all those things are.

September has been exciting so far. I will tell about my bachelorette party and bridal shower in the September post! And we get to go to a friend's wedding this month. And maybe I will have a couple of good stories at the end of September.

This month I got to have tea with my lady scientist friends at work which is always lovely. We have done this a few times and its fun to get dressed up and hang out outside of work. And the tea and food is always delicious.

I took Poseidon to the vet for some skin issues he was having that seem to be doing better now. And Hephaestus was neutered this month. I hope that will help the new boys calm down. But I might need to have Eros neutered.

I actually got through quite a few books this month, so lets talk about those. Sorry for the not-so-great reviews. I decided to sacrifice some quality in order to get this post up sooner.

Title: Get a Life Chloe Brown

Author: Talia Hibbert

Narrator: Adoja Andoh

 

Synopsis: Chloe is chronically ill which makes having a life difficult. She decides to come up with a list of things she should do in order to feel as if she has really lived. And her apartment handyman, Red, gets enlisted to help her, though they seem to be complete opposites.

 

Thoughts: Chloe was my favorite of the Brown sisters and this book was my favorite of the three. I'm not big on reading the smut portions, but I really enjoyed everything else! It was sweet and cute and made me feel warm and fuzzy.

 

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: Act Your Age Eve Brown

Author: Talia Hibbert

Narrator: Ione Butler

 

Synopsis: Eve has had a difficult time finding her place in the world and her purpose in life. Faced with being disowned if she doesn't get her life together, she sets out to get a real job and decide what to do with herself. She ends up taking a job as a chef at a bed and breakfast owned by a prickly and finicky man named Jacob. But this job and place might just be the best fit.

 

Thoughts: I didn't love this one. I'm not entirely sure why. Again, the smut didn't appeal to me. But I was interested in the autism aspect of the story. It was alright overall, but this may have been my least favorite of the three books. But who doesn't love a happy ending?

 

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: Celtic Mythology

Author: Philip Freeman

Narrator: Gerard Doyle

 

Synopsis: This is a collection of gods, myths, and heroes from Celtic mythology. But very little is actually known of their whole culture. This book pieces together some of the stories and characters from ancient Celtic times.

 

Thoughts: This book was just interesting and fun. I listened to it but I wish I had the physical book in front of me as the names were way beyond me. I wish I could have seen the spelling and the names as I listened. It was informative and neat to listen to. Definitely recommend if you are into mythology.

 

Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5 stars

Title: The Friend Zone

Author: Abby Jimenez

Narrators: Teddy Hamilton, Erin Mallon

 

Synopsis: Kristen is her best friend's maid of honor in her upcoming wedding. And Kristen is determined to make it memorable. And then the best man, Josh, moves into town and the two start to fall for one another. But Kristen has a secret that is a deal-breaker for Josh. Can love overcome such differences?

 

Thoughts: I started this book and then stopped. It took a while for me to get into. Parts of it were good and interesting and sad. Other parts I guess I just didn't care for. Some things felt a bit forced maybe? Or maybe this just wasn't meant to be a winner for me. Overall it was still a decent read.

 

Rating: 3 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: Felix Ever After

Author: Kacen Callender

Narrator: Logan Rozos

 

Synopsis: There is one thing that Felix would like to experience more than just about anything: love. He wants to know what makes it so wonderful and so worth the risk of having your heart broken. But he has had a difficult time finding people to date. Being black, queer, and transgender makes the task seem impossible at times. Then a troll exposes his dead name and posts photos from before his transition. To make matters worse, the person starts sending hate messages on Instagram and Felix is obsessed with figuring out who it is. As he becomes more obsessed with finding the answer, he ends up falling in love with a couple of people. And he starts a quest to discover more about his own identity.

 

Thoughts: I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. But it was very charming and definitely won me over. I was a bit nervous for Felix at times, but the good won out! Also, I love his friendship with Ezra soooo much.

 

Rating: 3 and 1/2 stars out of 5 stars 

Title: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky

Author: Sandhya Menon

 

Synopsis: Pinky has always been a rebel with a cause. She is out to make the world a better place, no matter what anyone else (like her mom) thinks. But after being blamed for an accident that was not her fault, she makes up a story about having a boyfriend that even her mom would love. Enter Samir, whose summer internship tragically fell through. With nothing to look forward to, he plans to go home when Pinky texts him. If he will pretend to be her perfect boyfriend, Pinky can get him an internship with her mother's law firm. And Pinky's mother is a very prestigious lawyer. But he and Pinky can't stand one another, so how can this possibly work?

 

Thoughts: This book was a re-read. I wanted something easy and lighthearted to read because I am having problems getting through larger, heavier books at the moment. I adore this one. It is fun and sweet. And I love the fake dating and enemies to lovers tropes.

 

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 stars

 

 

Favorite book read this month: 10 Things I Hate About Pinky

Least favorite book read this month: Either Act Your Age Eve Brown or The Friend Zone

 

I have read 31 books towards my goal of 50. I am still about two or three books behind, but I made good progress this month! I usually read a bunch at the end of September and through October because it is time for spooky reads, but I don't know if that will be the case this year. Oh well. If I can fit it in, I will try to get up a post about spooky reads for this year.

 

That is all for August. I will see you all in September! And I will try to be more on top of the September wrap up post. Thanks for your patience!

May 2021 Wrap Up

Alright, I was trying to be more prepared for the end of May than I was for the end of April. So lets see what happened this month.

On the wedding front, I am still waiting for my dress to come back. They were scheduling pretty far out so even though my alterations are simple (they are taking about 2 inches off of the length), I can't pick it up until June. But I want it back so I can make my petticoat! I did get my shoes though and got some ribbon shoe laces to dress them up some. They are swing dance wedge shoes. I am looking at decorating them, too. Maybe I will document and have a blog post about that in case other people want to see.

Our venue is booked and paid, as is our DJ and photographer. I have been practicing some makeup and hair on myself (I will be doing my own hair and makeup). Flowers are ordered (we are also making our own bouquets, boutonnieres, and corsages).

I got to see some friends and family earlier in the month, which was great. And I picked up the new rats from Smol Beans Rat Rescue! I did not like the names they came with, so we changed them to match the Greek gods theme. Their names are Hephaestus (aka Festus), Eros, Hermes, Dionysus (aka Dion), and Apollo. They are still timid and getting used to being handled. It is a work in progress. They aren't biting as much or as hard now, so... small steps.

And now books! Here is what I read this month.

Title: The Silvered Serpents

Author: Roshani Chokshi

Narrators: Laurie Catherine Winkel and PJ Ochlan

 

Synopsis: Séverin is obsessed with finding the Divine Lyrics which will make him an immortal god and bring back his brother, Tristan. Laila, Zofia, and Enrique want to find it because they believe it will save Laila's life. Their search takes them to Russia where a series of muses or muse-like goddesses and girls must lead them to the answers. But it might not be the journey and savior that they expected.

 

Thoughts: I really liked Gilded Wolves, so I immediately wanted this book. I may have enjoyed it a little bit less, but not a lot. It was different and it's been a while since I read the first one. But I still love the characters and their stories. Especially Zofia, I think she is my favorite. I am looking forward to the next one!

 

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars 

 

Title: Night of the Dragon

Author: Julie Kagawa

Narrators: Joy Osmanski, Brian Nishii, and Emily Woo Zeller

Synopsis: Having lost the pieces of the Dragon Scroll, Yumeko and her friends have to travel to stop the Master of Demons from summoning the Great Dragon. Meanwhile Tatsumi has made a truce with Hakaimono, the demon sharing his body, but evidence of demon possession are evident in his features making it more difficult to travel among humans. And just when they think they might have it all worked out, another mysterious player enters the game and changes the stakes.

Thoughts: I mostly enjoyed this series. Admittedly there were a few things that I did not like about this book. I don't want to spoil anything. But I did cry at one part (and not during at least one other part that I thought I would/should cry at).

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Title: The Obelisk Gate

Author: N.K. Jemisin

Narrator: Robin Miles

 

Synopsis: This season appears to be one that will not end for another thousand years. Alabaster has returned to train Essun to succeed him. Meanwhile, Essun's daughter has been taken by her father to another com where she continues training and develops unique powers.

 

Thoughts: The first book was amazing, but I read it several years ago now. I probably should have brushed up on some things before reading this one. Despite that, the author managed to catch me up again pretty well. And this book may not have been quite as intense as the last book, but it was very good.

 

Rating:  4 out of 5 stars

Favorite book read this month: Probably the Obelisk Gate

Least favorite book read this month: Night of the Dragon

I have read 18 books towards my new goal of 50 books for the year. According to Goodreads, I am two books behind schedule... Such is life though. I'm enjoying the wedding planning instead!

Rat Tattoo

Yes, you read correctly. I decided to get a rat tattoo. I had been thinking about doing something like that for quite some time (even before my boys died, though I never thought too seriously about it until recently). I had seen some rat art/tattoos that inspired me, but nothing that knocked my socks off.

A little over a month ago, I stumbled across this on Pinterest:

(Try as I might, I could not track down the original posting or the artist. I scoured Pinterest, DeviantArt, and Google and came up empty handed. I hope the original artist will forgive me! This was the only link I found: rat art.)

This one hooked me, so I decided I wanted something similar and I wanted the rats to look like Romulus and Remus, obviously.

Even after the last several months and having new rat babies to love, I still miss them like crazy. They are so often in my thoughts and dreams and always in my heart. Their absence weighs so heavily on me. I would have been happy to have the two of them forever. They were so special and I felt inspired to show that. Plus, I feel like I really am the crazy rat lady, so why not make it official? Extend the crazy, as it were.

So I showed them the above image and sent a few pictures of Romulus and Remus (like I don't have enough, right?) The guy who owns Fallen Owl and did my first two tattoos was, once again, booked through August! (WHAT?!?) And the lady who did my Labyrinth tattoo is no longer at that studio, so Adam (the owner) made a few recommendations for me based on what I wanted and pulled out portfolios. I actually ended up liking the portfolio of a visiting tattoo artist best for this type of thing. So we set up an appointment a couple of weeks out.

That gave me more time to solidify my decision and make sure of the placement. Tattoo placement seems to be the hardest thing for me to decide on and I am amazingly picky. I aim for places that won't wrinkle/stretch too much over time, as well as places that I can cover them up (in case I ever want a job... actually, at my current job, no one cares! Awesome). I had been thinking about my collar bone area. I carried them around on my shoulders so that seemed appropriate. And then I could put it close to my heart. Because I am a cheesy person.

And that was that! I went in Friday before work to have it done. The guest artist who did it was great-very nice and talented. Plus he keeps everything really clean (a must in my world. Fallen Owl always keeps things clean, though). It took not quite two hours and it hurt like the dickens (all of my others were either done in one hour or one hour sessons).

I was happy with the way it turned out. But I couldn't take any good pictures right off because the artist covered it with a special bandage. It was clear, but blood and ink pooled inside of it. It was pretty nasty looking!

So I waited the 24 hours and took off the bandage. Carefully, so as to not get blood everywhere (again, nasty). I washed it and tada!

It obviously needs time to heal (and boy is it tender!), but it looks pretty good, right? I got several compliments on it when I went into work. My kind of people on night shift: nerds with crazy hair colors and tattoos. I feel like I fit in!

I imagine some people will find me very odd for getting my rat tattoo. But I am happy with it! It's a nice reminder of my boys. I love how they are all curled up together. It reminds me so much of how they always curled up together when they were alive. I think that is part of why the original image made such a strong impression.

Now to heal and contemplate future tattoos.

General Update

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.

I just started a new job at a lab (finally!) but life has been completely hectic. First off, it is a night position, which took some adjusting. On top of that, I have still been helping out at the auto shop in the mornings, Tuesday through Friday. And, of course, I am still tutoring. Which means that I hardly have time to sleep, much less do anything fun or hang out with friends. Plus, I find it difficult to find time to read, unless its the weekend. So I am listening to lots of audiobooks, which is great, but not the same.

Adjusting to a night schedule is strange and has been pretty tough. It will be much easier when I am all done at the auto shop so I actually have more of my day free to sleep and get things done. I am hoping I will be finished with that by the end of this week at the latest. Three jobs is at least one too many! And I get headache-y and nauseous when I don't get enough sleep and have to stay up all night.

It has made it a little difficult to see and spend time with Isaac. We just kind of see each other in passing and on weekends, when one of us isn't sleeping, that is. I seem to do better if I stick to the night schedule all of the time, even on days off. I hope once I am really adjusted, that I will be able to be more flexible on my off days.

However, I generally enjoy my new position. It will definitely provide me with opportunities to learn and grow. And I like the night shift. My coworkers are pretty awesome. To my utter horror, I broke a tube in my centrifuge for the first time ever, but one of the gals who is training me came to help me out and my manager walked me through the reporting of the incident. It sucked, and I felt like crying, but I am glad that no one freaked out. They know that such things happen and were willing to lend a hand. (I was still miserable for a couple days, and I'm sure I will be nervous when I go back Monday night).

In other news, I am trying to spend time with my rats. Being so short on time is hard. I make sure to spend some time with them every day and I clean their cage every week. But we get the most time together on my off nights while Isaac is asleep. They get to run around and get into trouble and climb all over me. I am just part of the scenery, really.

But the girls are all doing well. They are all very playful and super full of energy. I don't think they ever get tired of running around and climbing. And, of course, I spoil them rotten with treats and snacks. My main failing has been my complete inability to litter box train them. I never managed to really train the boys, either. It might be something that requires me to have a lot more time with them than I have. I read articles about litter training rats, and I do follow the advice, but I can't be here all the time to monitor. Oh well. I suppose that won't be the end of the world.

As of right now, that is my life. And man, do I miss hanging out with my friends! Top priority once my schedule calms down!

The Naming of Rats

See what I did there? As in "The Naming of Cats." I thought it was funny. I am also sleep deprived because I am trying to switch to a night shift schedule. Let's move on.

We picked names for the ratties!

Here is Nova. She is shy and timid, but friendly. Fun fact, both my sister and my mom dreamed that I got a white rat with a black head! My sister had her dream months ago, before I was even ready for more. My mom had hers after I got the rats, but before she knew what they looked like. Must be destiny!

Her nick name is Masked Bandit.

This is Carina. We originally figured on naming her Gamora, but we just didn't think it fit and didn't think it was pretty enough. On the plus side, she gets into so much that I can scold her like The Collector scolds her namesake in Guardians of the Galaxy.

She is very adventurous and tries to get into everything.

And this little one is Nebula who is our resident acrobat and monkey. She can and will climb anything!

Nebula is the dwarf rat so I often call her Little One.

All of them have settled in pretty well. They are all interested, active, and adventurous (though Nova is less so than the other two). They are quite a handful! Quick and little! But it's been a fun couple of days and I am looking forward to spending tons of time with them!

New Ratties!

I would like to introduce our new rats!!

These two are actual sisters. The one on the left is a dwarf rat. They are nearly two months old.

She doesn't like to hold still, even for pictures! She is nearly 3 months old.

We haven't decided on names yet. I wanted to go in a similar vein as Romulus and Remus and voted for Medusa, Sthenno, and Euryale. Isaac voted for Guardians of the Galaxy theme: Gamora, Nebula, and Nova (as in Nova Prime). I'm still looking for names that pop out at me that will fit them.

Anyway, you know me, TONS of pictures and updates will follow! Especially if you follow me on Instagram. I think most of my pictures are of rats already.

I got them home and into their new big cage. They are already getting settled and starting to feel comfortable. Romulus and Remus took longer to start acting normally, but the girls are doing great. Just the little dwarf is still acting timid and unsure, but she is starting to explore! All of them have found food and water and like the wheel.

Once I decided to take steps to get more rats, I have been so excited and I dreamed about rats a lot. Then I picked the three girls and I could not wait to meet them! And here they are!

Once again, I adopted from Camarattery. She is a local rat breeder (among other things). I got Romulus and Remus from her and they were so wonderful, I had to adopt through her again!

New Rats

Some time has passed since I lost my boys. I still get sad, but I have plenty of fond memories to return to.

About a week or so ago, I decided that it was time for a couple more rats. I contacted the breeder I got Romulus and Remus from to let her know that I was interested in adopting and had my eye on a couple of her litters.

The babies in both litters that caught my attention are only a couple of weeks old and not old enough to determine gender and such, so I cannot pick out my new boys yet.

Even though I know it will be a little wait, I am practically a creepy stalker on the breeder's page. I am constantly looking for updates on litters (even the ones I am not planning to adopt from) and perusing the rest of her website (which I already familiarized myself with the first time around). It's like a horrible habit that I just can't kick. I check the two litters at least once per day and then I sit and look at the other litters and pictures and diet pages and articles. Like I haven't done it a million times before. I suppose it is just restless energy.

I partially blame my sister. I knew I would want rats again and for my birthday gift, she told me when I got my next pair, she would buy them for me! And that is an offer I would be stupid to refuse, right? It was good timing though. Isaac and I had discussed getting more rats and that I needed to clean out/organize the second room before that happened. I am proud to say that the second room is much improved and nearly ready! Isaac developed an allergy to Romulus and Remus (of course), so we had to make some changes and lay down new ground rules for future rats. Because I really want to be a crazy rat lady, but I also don't want to kill my boyfriend.

The floor in there is carpet, so I will be laying down a mat, like the ones you use for desk chairs, to help keep bedding et cetera out of the carpet and easier to clean up. I can use the second bathroom shower for cleaning when it is cold, though I still have to go outside to dump the bedding because aerosolizing the bedding and urine during dumping bedding will set off those pesky asthma attacks. It is a unique and challenging situation, but I am definitely willing to work around them.

Until then, I will be perusing the breeder website and making sure I have all of the supplies I need!

Pet Rats

We all know how much I love(d) my little ratties. I still think about them quite often. Sometimes I get overwhelmingly sad that they are gone, but I also have plenty of good memories.

Babies in a hammock!

Big ratties in a hammock!

I decided that I do want more rats. I think I am starting to get to a point where I will want more soon. I knew I wasn't ready for a long time because every time I thought about getting rats, I couldn't picture having any others but my Romulus and Remus.

I follow several people on both Instagram and Tumblr who are rat owners and lovers. It is so fun to see the pictures and I can't help but think that there are so many other sweet, cool, and cute rats out there that I haven't met yet. That sounds silly, but it has helped me move on from needing to "replace" my rats and to a place where I would like to form new bonds and relationships with other rats.

Do I sound like the crazy rat lady or what?

Big old rats on top of their house.

Baby rats on top of the same house. So tiny!

The point is, I really love rats. I think they are so fun and cute. I like to follow people who have pet rats and see what happens and what things they do together. And I know from experience how much fun rats can be. And I think, sometime in the near-ish future, there will be rats here again. I have started stalking the page of the breeder that I got my boys from, and will probably apply for adoption in a couple of months. I will keep you posted.

Rattie Remembrance

I went to the Facebook page for Mesa Veterinary Hospital here: Mesa Facebook Page and dug up a few treasures.

Remus after his surgery in his collar. Which he hated.

He was a big boy!

Aww, look at this big cutie!

Yep, vet pictures. Gotta love it. My vet sent me a card following Remus's death (actually, following the deaths of all of my critters) and both of his vets wrote nice messages and they included a picture of the gal holding Remus in his collar. Which was so sweet and made me cry all over again.

I miss my ratties. Life is sad without them. I still look over to where their cage was. I catch myself walking towards their table before I remember that there isn't anything there. I don't have to save noodles and snacks anymore. It's just sad and a big adjustment for me. I am so used to worrying about them or thinking about them that it is hard to break that habit. I would give just about anything to have those things back.

I love and miss my rats. I just hope that they are together again and happy.

Two Years

It's been two years (tomorrow) since I brought Romulus and Remus home.

Itty bitty ratties!

Baby Romulus!

Baby Remus!

Understandably, I still really miss Romulus. I think about him a lot and my heart still aches for him.

I'm still happy to have Remus. And we have gotten closer. We do alright on our own. But I can't help but think that we would both be happier if Romulus were still with us.

One of my very favorite pictures of them.

I'm a lot less angry now, but no less sad to have him gone. It surprises me how often he crosses my mind. The silliest little things will remind me of him. Like buying coffee. Yeah, long story.

I still have my mopey, sad moments where I sit and remember him and cry for a while. But I do try to focus my energy on good things, too. Like spending time with my Remus.

But Remus seems to be adjusted and doing well. I try to spend even more time with him. We have some fun and sometimes he will even play games with me.

I still think about getting him a friend, but I am reluctant. I have looked at a couple of male rats up for adoption, and I haven't found any that make me feel like it would work out. He really would have to be the right rat. And while I don't want Remus to be lonely, he also seems to like being the only child in many ways.

Who knows. Maybe I will find that rat, maybe not. I hope to have more rats in the future (possibly after Remus has passed on) because I love them so much. But right now, Remus and I are doing our best together! And I love the silly little guy to pieces.

Missing Romulus

Today I am really struggling with missing Romulus.

His memory is still so vivid that it is hard for me to comprehend him never being here again. How can he not be here when I can see him so clearly in my mind? If he were on the couch with me right now, I know exactly what he would be doing and where he would be going and where he would curl up to nap. And it's hard for me not to imagine him being here when we have been in this exact spot so many times before.

But there won't be anymore cuddles, licks, pictures, games, snacks, naps, and shenanigans. He was the best at getting into everything that I didn't want him to get into. And when I held him and scolded him, he knew I'd let him go if he reached out and licked my nose. Made my heart melt every time. I miss that. But I miss everything.

The vet called a few days ago for me to come pick up his ashes. And after three days, I still can't bring myself to drive all the way down there and walk through those doors again. It might make it all too real, and I can't decide if that is good or bad. I do know that it will hurt either way. That place is part of what made losing him so surreal. I never went to that office before, but ended up there three times in one week. The first time, my vet didn't have anyone available so they recommended I take him to this place to be checked out. A week later, I was rushing Romulus to their 24 hour emergency room at almost 9pm. I didn't leave until after 11pm. The next morning I went back to say good-bye. So the whole situation and the place don't seem quite real in my mind. I'm afraid to go back because it makes it all real again. And I'm not sure if that will help me come to terms with his loss or just make it worse.

His second birthday is two days away. I will have to do a little something for Remus, but it makes me feel Romulus' loss that much more.

My little heart is still so broken and there is not much that I wouldn't give to have him back. I know time will dull the ache and ease the pain. But for now, it still hurts and I still have to remember and cry. And apparently avoid that vet office. Maybe I will find some courage and go later. Seems better than going on his birthday, which is my next day off. Definitely not a good birthday chore.

Missing My Rat

Yesterday I had to put down Romulus. He got a respiratory infection, but his symptoms did not seem to indicate that. So I waited too long to bring him into the vet. We got him started on antibiotics and after several days, they weren't working, but I thought they just needed more time. So I didn't take him in until he was having severe trouble breathing (suddenly). I rushed him to the emergency room, crying and panicked. I kept him on my lap and basically refused to let go of him until someone finally came to put him into an oxygen box. That seemed to help and we added an antibiotic.

The next day he was struggling to breathe, even with the oxygen. Despite the care and drugs and oxygen, he was fading quickly. I had to make the horrible decision to put him down because I didn't want him to suffer anymore and there wasn't a chance of him getting better.

I feel like that was the right decision, even though it was a big one and I felt like I really shouldn't be the one to decide that. But it's hard. And my heart is broken.

The whole 24 hours or so seemed so surreal. I spent so much time in the ER waiting room and exam rooms and Romulus faded so, so quickly. It all happened so fast that I didn't get time to really adjust to his life ending and him being gone from my life. Usually when pets age, they decline slowly and you have time to prepare.

I put him down exactly two weeks before his second birthday. He didn't even make it to his second birthday. And that just seems horribly unfair. And I actually feel angry. I am used to my pets living a pretty long time and he should have had at least another year. So I can't help but feel that he is supposed to be here. I still expect him to be here. He was so cheerful and loving all the time, even when he wasn't feeling well (which is probably part of why I didn't realize how sick he was earlier). It is very hard for me to see my life without him. It was too sudden. And I know life isn't fair, but this seems so cruel.

To top it off, I feel horrible for Remus. He has always been with his brother. And I can tell that he is OK, but kind of mopey. I think it will be hard for him. And I feel like I should look into getting him a buddy (after some time), but he is really going to have to be the right rat. Romulus was SO easy-going and happy. Remus is sweet, but neurotic, anxious, and the dominant rat. I am pretty sure the only reason he was dominant is because Romulus let him and didn't care enough to fight for it. I would have to find a rat that would fit with him. Remus is kind of anti-social; its possible he will be OK on his own, but I don't want him to be sad and lonely.

Romulus and his little "meeps" when he was getting into trouble.

I keep expecting Romulus to be here. I miss him licking me all the time and playing with me. He was always the social one who wanted to come out and run around and be in the middle of everything. I will miss him trying to help himself to my food and drinks (Remus is too polite for that, the sweetie). I just miss him with an acute ache that makes my stomach tighten and my heart hurt. And I cry a lot. Sometimes randomly when a thought sneaks up on me. I also haven't been sleeping very well. I lay there for hours and just think about him. I feel lost without him.

 

Romulus kisses.

I'm glad I still have Remus and he still has me. I make him come out and sit and cuddle with me more (which he tolerates pretty well--he's not much of a cuddler). It's going to take a while for me to bounce back from this one. I try to keep myself distracted, otherwise I just cry all of the time. He was the best rat and he is sorely missed.