5 Ways To Stretch Your Pet Rat Budget

I have another article published today and would love it if you would read it. 5 Ways To Stretch Your Pet Rat Budget.

That's the picture I used for my article, it's of two of my rats...Jasper and Ares. Don't they look comfortable?

Las Vegas

I've been living in Las Vegas now for more than 25 years and when I first got here I went to all the Hotels and casinos and did the buffet thing, the gambling thing, the people watching thing and put up with the crowds to see the outside shows like the Volcano at The Mirage.

I don't do those things anymore because it got so boring. It's the same old thing every time, I guess it's great for tourists but the locals say once you've seen it a dozen times it kinda loses its appeal.

I used to enjoy the buffets..I mean what's not to enjoy about an all you can eat dessert bar? Right? lol But the desserts are usually cake and pie and I can make that at home. Yep, I've become a fuddy duddy.

I don't gamble, I don't go to clubs, I don't go to bars or Hotels and I don't like crowds. I would rather rent a movie On Demand and eat my own food. lol

How Do I Find The Yahoo News Articles I've Commented On?

I remember before Yahoo changed the way they did things it was easy to find all the different articles I had commented on, but now unless I bookmark the page...I can't ever find the articles again. But...did you know that there is a way to find some of the articles you've commented on if..and I do mean if you have gotten at least one thumbs up on your comment.

Here's how.

Go to your Yahoo mail page and look at the top right hand side. There should be a little bell right next to Go mobile, Try Y! and Yahoo with a little house next to it. Now click on the bell and there will be a drop down menu of the recent comments that have gotten a thumbs up. All you have to do is click on the one you want to see.



Still don't see it? Look at my picture below. I have a little black arrow where the bell will be. Click on that bell, and then click on the article you want to read. It's that simple.

Pre Ordered Books

Time Untime by Sherrilyn Kenyon (A Dark Hunters Novel) Not available until august 13

Kiss The Dead by Laurell K. Hamilton (A Vampire Hunter Novel) Not available until September 10th

Dark Storm by Christine Feehan (A Dark Series Novel) Not available until September 10th

Now all of these are available in hardcover which I like, I know some people don't like paying more for the hardcover but I like it. I pre-ordered all of them a few days ago and do it with these three series because these three series are my all time favorite series. So I wanted to let you all know if you haven't been reading these series *And what's wrong with you? o.O* you really need to take a look at them if you like Vampires or paranormal romance.

The Keeper of the Pictures

I am known to my family as the keeper of the pictures. Mostly because when I was 12 my mom and dad gave me the box of pictures they had of the family when they divorced and told me it was my job to keep them safe for my family. To me it seemed like a huge box of pictures but when I bought my very first photo album all the pictures fit into this one huge photo album. So it was a lot of pictures just not as many as I had thought it was. Now with digital cameras I have a lot of pictures on the computer and after getting a virus a few years ago and losing all the pictures I had on the computer. I learned to back them up by putting them on Photobucket and some on fb.

That way there are some place if the computer decides to get a virus and I can't get to them again. I know I should back them up on disk but I like photobucket. So here are a few of my family pictures to get to know me better.

My mom, step mom and dad.

And here I am.

My younger brother, Billy and his wife Lynnece.

My older brother, Bear and his wife Melissa.

And this is my nephew Billy Jr. This is what I can do to the digital pictures when I have time. LOL He just loved this..:P

My beautiful daughter Elizabeth this past Halloween.

My dad caught off guard. lol

My hubby.

My mom and daughter on my daughter's 20th birthday.

My little brother Billy...relaxing with the cat in the back yard.

When my mom passed away last year I inherited all her pictures and there are a whole bunch that I have no idea who the heck they are, but I'm keeping them because maybe a cousin will come around some day and I can show them to him and he can tell me who some of them are. Plus, they are old...like really old black and white pictures that are at least 50-70 years old. I figured out a few of them and wrote who they were on the back of them. Ya know, I actually wrote on over 600 pictures that I got from my mom...my hand still hurts.

But all these old pictures are going in their own photo album named "Old pictures of people who could be family members" lol

One of the last times my dad came over I pulled out that very first photo album I made with the pictures when I was 12 and asked him about 4 pictures who I found out were his grandparents. How cool is that, I had pictures of my great grandparents all this time and didn't even know it.

My Rats

As most of you already know I have 4 male rats and I write articles about small animal care. I thought I would share a couple of pictures of my boys with you today.

This is Brodie. he's my smallest boy. he only weighs 1/2 lb. He lost a little weight when he got sick a month ago, but I've been giving him anti-biotics and he seems to be doing much better. He's more spunky again and eating more, so I'm hoping he will gain a little weight back. But he's always been my little guy.

Here's jasper. I just love his little face. he weighs 3lbs. He's a huge rat! When people come over they cannot believe how big this guy is. He's my lover boy, he loves to cuddle with us.

Here's Hades. He's just under 3lbs. He's my second biggest rat and he is by far the laziest. When we take him out he just lays down wherever we put him and waits to be petted. Unless there is food invloved and then he is as fast as a cobra. I kid you not.

And this is Ares. He's my antisocial boy. He doesn't like to come out of the cage all that often and doesn't like to be held. But if you come over to the cage he will let you pet him, give him food, play with him..just as long as you don't try to take him out.

And there you have my 4 boys. Aren't they cute!

My Articles

Since I have a few new followers I thought I would put the link out to my articles. For those of you that didn't know, I'm a Freelance Writer. I mainly write about small animal care because I love my little furry guys. I've got 4 little rats right now and so I use their pictures in a lot of my articles. So if you're interested take a look at my articles on the Yahoo Contributor Network and let me know if you have any comments or questions.

Update: Yahoo Contributor Network is no longer around.

Review: Neuragen Gel

My husband has been suffering from neuropathy pain in his feet for over a year and his doctors said they could get rid of the pain with a prescription medicine called Gabapentin. The prescription medicine worked for a little while but when the pain from the neuropathy got worst the prescription medicine stopped working, even when the dose was doubled.

So I went looking online for something, anything that would work and I came across a website for Neuragen. They claimed that their product would relieve the shooting pain, burning, tingling and stabbing pain associated with neuropathy. At the time they were giving away a small sample of their Neurogen PN liquid and so I signed up for the sample. When it came Ken used it on his feet and almost immediately it started to work on the pain he was having.

I visited the site and saw they also had a gel form of the Neuragen for $32.99 for a 0.28 oz jar. I checked Amazon.com for the product and they had it for $22.00 and eligible for free super saver shipping. So of course I ordered it from them and saved myself a little money.

I wasn't sure I wanted to spend that kind of money for such a small amount but when it came and we used it on hubby's feet, I could see you only need to use a tiny amount on the area that's hurting. So this small jar is going to last a while, but I plan on buying another jar just to have on hand.

This product, works really well. The gel is easier to apply to targeted areas that are bothering you and you don't have to run in it a lot because it absorbs right in and starts working almost immediately. I highly recommend this product to anyone who is suffering from neuropathy pain and hasn't been able to find anything that seems to help. Hubby is even going to bring this product with him the next time he goes to the doctor so the doctor knows to tell his other patients who have this problem what to get.

Bad Porn

Yep, it really is about what you think it's about...bad porn movies. Hey, I may be sweet but I watch them just like everyone else does. lol

But really what's with the bad camera angles where all you see for 40 minutes is the veincam getting a shot of what we thought was going to be a well endowed member plowing into a sexy bitch and ends up being some old hooker looking girl getting suddenly rammed with a not so well endowed guys member while he says oh yeah you like that and she moans louder than anyone you've ever heard in your life.

Should be erotic...but it's not. It's nauseating.

Who the hell wants to see some overly made up chick smearing lipstick all over her face as she snarls in what looks like pain as he tries to ram himself into what he calls her sweet ass, all the while looking like he's having a seizure and she does her personal impersonation of a rag doll screaming oh baby oh baby give it to me baby. (say that slowly with absolutely no enthusiasm and you'll know what I mean)

I don't know about you but I don't want to see some idiot pleasing himself while pointing his one eyed monster at her face and her making strange mewling noises as her nostrils are soaked with his seed. *Yeah that will give you nightmares for days won't it?*

I really don't want to see up close shots with the veincam looking at someone's idea of sexy when in actuality all we get is filming of his or her pubic area that actually looks a 3 year old tried to shave it because it's red and inflamed and in need of medical attention. Yeah sexy baby!

Lets not forget the the 10 minute shot of the one eyed monster thrusting home in extreme veincam closeup. Ahhhhh! They are so close you can tell whether or not he wiped really good the last time he used the bathroom. Oh what to much for you?...too bad.

Why is it that most porn producers make loads (excuse the word) of money but can't seem to make a porn movie worthy of watching?

Random Facts About Me

Random facts about me

I've read every book by Christine Feehan.

In High school I was in a play Called, Oklahoma * I sang in the choir*

I will not give up my morning coffee.

I remember my dreams.

I have Nightmares most night and have since I was too young to remember when it started.

I find Irish and Scottish accents a HUGE turn on.

I can only fall asleep on my back, with the covers tucked tightly around me. I don't know why.

I sometimes sit up in my sleep.

I wear a size 10 shoe.

I wrote 250 pages of a novel and then got brain freeze and couldn't write any more. That was 10 years ago.

I can't drive a stick shift.

My favorite book as a child was "Where the Wild things are"

I like the smell of gasoline

I have a huge collection of books and Book marks.

I only got one question wrong on my written driving test.

I had ½ point taken off the Driving test because I didn't signal when I pulled into the parking space to park the car.

I prefer the toilet paper to roll from the top. I will change it if it doesn't.

I'm afraid of water where you can't see the bottom.

I've never had a driving ticket or parking ticket.

I was paid to write an x rated story and it was published in a smut magazine a few years ago.

I suffer from insomnia.

I suffer from stress induced Migraines.

I like cold rainy weather over hot and sunny any day.

I like cereal for breakfast more than eggs and bacon.

I hate bee's. I think they are the demon spawn that will undoubtedly cause m to have a heart attack and end up in an early grave one of these days.

I like receiving snail mail, I don't know why, it just seems more personable than an email.

I a terribly at sports, I can't hit a ball if my life depended on it.

I love pumpkin flavored desserts. Yum. Especially if they have chocolate in them too.

I don't believe in spanking children.

I love watching re-run shows like Roseanne, Home Improvement and Becker.

I slammed both my thumb nails into a truck door when I was 11 years old, they never grew back right.

Nightwish is one of my favorite goth rock band.

I think guys with long hair are sexy.

I think everyone should have a pet rat. :)

Lies and Potatoes

Well let me start out with the liar. I have tried talking to someone who keeps telling me that they are never online and that's why they haven't emailed me back.

Really?

Is that why your FB page has something new on it everyday for the past three days that I've checked?

I am not stalking this person..I'm not..really! Stop looking at me like that. O.o

I also noticed that they read several yahoo articles because it's posted right to FB over the past three days, but they don't have the time to email me?

Yeah. If ya don't want to talk to someone,...just frickin say so. Don't lie about it.

Lying is the worst thing you can do in my book. At least to me.

Oh and if you say you want people to tell the truth to you, you have to keep in mind they might actually do that. So you can't get mad at them when they tell you, you need to brush your teeth before you get a kiss because you have sewer breath. Ok, just thought I would mention it, not that it has happened to me or anything.

Ok, maybe it did but it a long time ago and teenage guys seem to really get annoyed when you tell them they stink like sewer water, who would have guessed. *shrugs*

Now on to the potatoes.

I recently bought a 10lb bag of russet potatoes, a tub of sour cream and some real butter. I planned on having baked potatoes for a few nights with dinner in the coming weeks.

Only when I went to open and use one of the potatoes tonight I noticed it was...well...rotten, disgusting-smelling like a decomposing body ...awful smelling.

Now usually when you get one bad potato you will find that some of the other potatoes have gone bad that are sitting right next to the offending foul spud. So I picked up a few next to the odoriferous potato and wouldn't you know it...they were leaking spud juice as well. Just like a bloated corpse after it bursts from the putrification of rot. Yep, it smells just like that and there's not enough sour cream or butter in the world to make that taste good.

I looked a little more even though the smell was really starting to get to me and ended up throwing away the whole bag of potatoes because a few potatoes had leaked rot juice all over the other potatoes and I wasn't going to cook them and have to smell rotten potato gut smell all over my place.

So now what do I do with all that butter and sour cream?

I know, I'll go get a few potatoes..lol

Animals In Romance Novels

I was wracking my brain the other day trying to figure out what I could write another article about. I only write about 1-3 articles a month because I just can't seem to figure out things I want to write about. I've covered everything I can think of pertaining to caring for rats and hamsters and so I was thinking how can I bring the two things that mean the most to me together? The two things being reading and animals. So I can up with, Animal Characters in Romance Novels.

I love reading about animal shifters and how the author does as making me believe the character is really a wolf, or lion or whatever shifter they are using in their book. Most times I think they do a really good job at bringing aspects of the underlying animal to the surface for the human side to deal with.

My Newest Article Was Published

I always get so excited when I published another article. Even though I have over 200 articles published right now, it never gets any less exciting for me. I would love to share my latest article with you. Can Rats Have Allergies?

If you read this or any of my other articles, please let me know what you think. As always I thank you in advance for reading what I write.

Knorr® Homestyle Stock

Knorr® Homestyle Stock: Thx Knorr 4 my free sample. Get great Knorr Homestyle Stock recipe ideas at http://bit.ly/sDRUdc

I received a free sample of Knorr Homestyle stock and a free soup ladle from smiley 360 and loved it. I used my free sample in a stir fry dish that I make a few times a month and it came out tasting even better with this new addition to it. If you would like to sign up for smiley360, you can do so here.

If you would like to try my recipe here's what I did.

What you will need:
Stir fry meat either boneless chicken breasts or stir fry beef, I like using chicken.
4 cup of cup up fresh vegetables. You can use whatever vegies you like. I used broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snow peas and water chestnuts from a can.


Directions:
slice the chicken into bite sized pieces and stir fry in a hot oiled pan until almost done. Remove meat from pan and add all the chopped vegetables at once. Cook vegetables over med heat for a few minutes until they start to get done and add meat back to the mixture. Add the Knorr homestyle stock to the pan and lower heat a little, cover pan and let cook for about 7 minutes. Stir and serve over white rice.

I have a rice steamer and the rice that I get from this is so much better than anything else I've ever had.

The Knorr Homestyle stock really makes this dish pop and I will be using it from now on in my chicken stir fry dishes. Chicken is the only flavor I have tried but since this was such a hit with the family, I'll be trying the beef next.

Super Points: Another way of earning free amazon gift cards

Earlier this month I was introduced to Superpoints through a friend on a chat forum. At first I thought it was not going to be as great a place to earn as SwagBucks, but after just a few days I have already earned a lot of points and will be able to cash out for an amazon gift card soon.

It has become my second favorite place to earn after SwagBucks. The key is to complete your profile, be patient with slow days and build up five to ten active referrals beneath you.

Once you sign up be sure to fill out your account information (to earn more spins) and verify your email address so you will start receiving daily bonus point emails. After filling out your profile and adding a picture you have 30 free spins on the super lucky button which has been giving me as many as 25 pts a day.


The Super Lucky Button is the easiest way to earn. With each spin you have a chance to earn points (but mostly I win 1, 2 & 5).

The higher your member level the more daily spins you will receive. At Gold and Platinum you will earn the wins from your referrals' spins also--there is no limit at this time as to how many points you can earn from referrals.

Members receive 25 points for each referral that reaches a basic membership.
You can also do surveys, watch videos and complete offers for points, much like Swag Bucks.

If you would like to sign up for either Swagbucks or Superpoints, here are my referral links and I would love it if you used them to sign up.

Swagbucks referral link

Super Points Referral link

Restaurant Bans Crying Kids

I read a story here, that a restaurant has now posted notices that if your child starts crying to take them outside. The new rules posted states:

“Dear all present and future patrons: GCP is proud of its reputation as a family restaurant, a title that we will work to keep. Unfortunately a number of our diners have posted unpleasant experiences because of crying and unsupervised children. To ensure that all diners have an enjoyable lunch or dinner with us we respectfully ask that parents tend to their crying tots outside.”

Now I have to say, I don't have a problem with this rule at all. If you are going to bring your kids to a public place you should have to make sure that they don't bother others who are there.

When my daughter was little I got so tired of seeing other people's kids acting up while I made sure mine behaved and their parents did nothing to stop the tantrums, throwing things, and screaming. The few times my daughter did act up....we left. There was no second chances and I think if your child knows that right from the get go, you will have less problems in the long run. If my daughter started acting up in the store, we left..I went back later while Ken watched her. If we went to a place she liked, let's say peter Piper Pizza and she started screaming because she saw other kids doing it and didn't stop after the first time I told her to..I took her by the hand and we left. There was no going outside for a talk and letting her go back in..What does that say to them? It says I can get away with being a brat a few times and laugh about it, but if you take them out of the situation each and everytime, they will know the next time that they have one chance and one chance only and are less likely to act out.

There are too many people out there wil kids who cannot control them, in my opinion.

I've had a few people come to my home with their kids and they just let them do whatever they want. And then get mad at me when I say something to their kids. I had a person come over with their 3 year old and mom went outside to smoke...the three year old screamed, kicked, banged on the door and threw a temper tantrum from hell and all the person holding her did was hold her. I could not understand why she didn't take the kid outside...it would have stopped the crying and tantrum throwing and then while at home teach the child they cannot act like that when they are out...or keep them home!

If you know you have a brat...don't subject said brat to other people...keep them home until you teach them how to act when outside because no one wants to be around that and it shows what a terrible parent you are.