Maybe this will help

[Bombalurina]

Went into uni today. Was nearly killed by a senile driver, but had a good meeting with my lecturer to explain what on earth a literary review was and how I should write it. This is what I get for choosing the hard assignment.

On the way back I stopped in at the RSPCA and fell in love with the three little rats there, most especially with a 2-year-old black hooded called Tooey. I picked him up and he licked my face in such a friendly manner. :D I want him to come and live with my old boys Jekyll and Hyde, and the other two 9-month-olds to come and live with my younger boys.
Tooey belonged to a man who one day left him with his mother and went off on holiday, then never came back to collect him.
The little ones were bought from a petshop, then the owner decided he didn't want them. He was keeping them in a horrible cramped little plastic birdcage. :(

I know I could look after all three of them - I have the cage space, it wouldn't be any extra cleaning since I clean every day, my vet bills per session, not per rat, and they wouldn't take much extra food. I also cuddle and exercise them all together. It would be easy - I just have to convince my parents.
At the very least I think I may be able to persuade them to let me get Tooey. The little ones could be harder. All three of them have been in the RSPCA more than 2 months, though, which is a large portion of a rat's life...

My mum also put an outright ban on me breeding killis in my bedroom. :(

[Bombalurina]

Oh, I want those ratties! Can't stop thinking about them.

Hyde's bumblefoot looked terrible last night, poor little man. I cleaned it and put cortizone cream on it, and did the same to a scab on his lovely belly (no idea how he got that). Despite all his aches and pains and general disability, he is still the loveliest, sweetest, happiest rat. :) I just have to pick him up and he'll start foofing away at me and bruxing and boggling, like he's saying, "I love you too, mum."

Started my literary review on The Importance of Being Earnest today, arguing that it wasn't just a nonsensical romp (although it was partially, at least). Time for a lunch break, now, though. :)

[Bombalurina]

Well, I appear to have caught my sister's cold. Not fun, because it involves a sore throat...one of my least favourite cold systems. Give me a runny nose any day! At least you can blow those.

Halfway through my Oscar Wilde essay, but now my brain has packed it in for the day. I don't think I'll go to my tutorial later (we get two absences for free) because I don't think my little head can handle it.

Found some tasty looking recipes I might cook for the family this weekend on the Vitasoy website.

Still want the rats.

[Bombalurina]

Well, I can't get the two little boys, but I can get the older rat. :D This makes me super happy - I didn't actually ask, either, just dropped copious hints, so my wonderful sympathetic (to the rat, not me) parents told me this afternoon that I could pick him up on Saturday. :D
I'm sad I can't get the 2 little ones, but their need is not quite as great. At 9 months they still have plenty of chance of being adopted, and they are in a cage together so they are recieving rat socialisation as well as human. The older boy is in his cage alone.

I really hope someone gives the young ones a home soon, though. 2 months is such a long time out of a rat's life to be spending in a shelter, however loving it is.

[Bombalurina]

I brought home my new rat today! He seems like a Darcy (as in Mr, from Pride and Prejudice), but we aren't sure yet. He's not used to living with other rats so he's acting a bit wierd around Jekyll and Hyde. Hopefully he'll settle down, because I have to go out babysitting.

Hyde has to have surgery on his foot.

[Bombalurina]

Well, after having Darcy, Jekyll and Hyde on my lap all morning and a good portion of the afternoon, I think Darcy has finally realised that the other boys aren't going to eat him. It must be scary for him, though - he is barely 8 inches long, if that, and only weighs 380g. Jekyll and Hyde are about 4 inches longer and both weigh more than 620g. No wonder he is still a bit nervous in the cage. He's very sweet to humans, but so unsure about rats, since he's been living alone for 2 years.

On that note, Jekyll and Hyde have lost so much weight recently. All of my boys have lost some on this new diet, which is good, but 6 months ago Hyde weighed 200 grams more than he does now. Proof that my precious boy is getting old. :( I want to get 3 years out of them, though - I can't imagine life without my squishy man.

Darcy got a quick check whilst I was at the vet yesterday and he is in amazing health. Extremely sprightly - you'd never know he was only a few months younger than Jekyll and Hyde.

I should probably post their nicknames, because it is a massive effort calling them by their proper names all the time:
Jekyll = Belly, JekyllBelly, BellyBoo, Boo, Bubble, Jellybelly, JellyBekyll
Hyde = Fatman, Smoosh, Blob
Richelieu = Squishelieu, Squishy, Squishlet (many variations of Squish, basically), the Squirmese Python, pliable one
D'Artagnan = Darty, Chachypoo, Dartypoo, Darty-darling, My Little Gentleman
Willoughby = Willow, Squillow, Squibbly, Squibbles, Wibbly, Wibbly-wobbly-woo, Squirrel, Pillowby, Webbles, Webbley

Darcy doesn't have any nicknames yet, but I'm sure they will come.

I feel rather guilty - in the flurry of new-rat-ness and with all the pressure of assignments, I have been rather neglecting my poor fish. Odysseus has been two weeks without a water change and the girls have gone a week. I put some Prime in the tank today as a temporary measure, but I must clean it ASAP. I also haven't been keeping the Pesticles' (that's Richelieu and Darty, and sometimes Wibbley) half of the cage as clean as I should. I am supposd to clean it every day and I've just had so much work lately that I've done it every second day at best. :( I did a big clean today, though.

I'm cooking tonight - Roast Vegetable and Couscous salad followed by Cranberry Cinnamon Poached Pears. :D

[MaisyDawgThirteen]

I'd love to see some pics of your ratties! Would you mind uploading some?

[Bombalurina]

Sure wouldn't! ;) Love to show off my boys. I'll have to steal my sister's camera and wait for her to upload some recent ones, but I'll have a look for some on my computer too.

[Bombalurina]

Well, dinner last night worked rather well, if I do say so myself. Serves four my right buttock, though. Serves 4 Hagrids, maybe. I had some for lunch. The dressing is so nice - milk, yoghurt, mint, cumin and garlic. Yum yum. Tastes like that Indian stuff that I can't spell.

I am very tired as a result of sleeping on the kitchen floor last night so I would hear if any fighting started between Jekyll/Hyde and Darcy. None did, but I woke up every two hours when a rat decided to chew something/bounce on something/rearrange the cage/take a drink/throw lab blocks out of the cage at me.

English essay due tomorrow. :(

[MaisyDawgThirteen]

Oooh, sounds tasty. :D
I love a good curry. lol