Today is my birthday. Another Birthday, another year older. Thursday my birthday package from my husband arrived from the Philippines. He got me some cute little rat/mouse items! Sachets of one of my favorite Philippine shampoo's: Palm Olive coconut, and 2 Nivea Star Fruits lip balms: Cherry & Strawberry. (The USA version is called 'A kiss of flavor'. They are hard to find & are too waxy feeling.) The ones F.B. sent me from the Philippines are made in Thailand.



































I treated myself to some L’Occitane. :) Verbena Perfume, Shea Butter Lip Balm, Verbena Ice Hand Gel and Exfoliating Almond Soap.

I think for sure my favorite (early) birthday gift this year was my 3 new girls from SRR!

Spent the day relaxing and we ordered in for dinner. Philadelphia Cheese steak! And Hesh's Bakery chocolate chip cake for dessert. Mmmm.
























My parents got me the purse I wanted from Hot Topic. Hello Kitty at 28... lol. Gotta love it. :)

About 3 months ago I posted about Star's Rat Rescue and the massive rescue they did. Since then they have adopted out about 50 rats, but there are still tons of male & female rats in need of forever homes.

They recently did a rat train that traveled from South Dakota all the way up into Michigan and Canada! There were 13 rats on this current train. And we had one driver drive from Philadelphia to South Dakota. He also dropped off rats in Ohio. And my 3 girls traveled all the way from South Dakota to Philadelphia, PA! They traveled approx 1,500 miles to get here! There are still even more rat trains being organized as we speak. For more information click here.

I have known Brittney of Star's Rat Rescue for about 3 years now. She has worked with me as a moderator on The Rat Chatter Forums. So I was very excited I would finally get the chance to adopt from her rescue since South Dakota is pretty far away from Philadelphia.

I was little nervous this afternoon when I couldn't get ahold of our rat train driver. He had called Monday from Ohio and we had planned for me to call him at his house Tuesday at 12pm. No answer. I called again at 1,2,3pm and left 2 messages. I even called Brittney to get her opinion we were hoping he had just zonked out though after his long trip and had made it home safely. On the way home from work around 3:30pm my phone started ringing and it was our rat train driver sorry that he had overslept. And no wonder- he left Thursday for the drive to South Dakota and didn't get back to Philadelphia until around 3am Tuesday! He adopted 2 male rats.

We met a little after 4:30pm at a Petco parking lot near my work. We chatted for a bit about rats and I got to see my girls. Was so excited to see them after nearly 2 1/2 months of the travel plans being organized and finally getting a driver. :-)

Please meet, Honey, Clover & Hazelnut! Honey is an fawn self, Clover is beige hooded and Hazelnut is a black berkshire.


































































Clover is soooo curious! She is like a little energizer bunny! When our driver handed me my cage all I saw at first was Clover my other girls were hiding and you could just see their little noses.

I put some of their little fleece pieces from the travel cage into their cage to make it smell more like home. Then they had some nice refreshing coconut water after their long trip, and mini marsh mellows were passed out to all 11 rats!

Honey is very shy and a bit frightened right now. She cries a bit when you pick her up but all of them were really handled well and are used to people. Honey will come towards me when she is in the cage to nibble my fingers a bit.

Hazelnut is also a bit shy and scared, but she also will nibble on your fingers. She is also a flying rat! She flew off the chair and onto my shoulder about 2 times when taking photos. She is very quick and hard to get photos of!

Photo Credit

I found this recipe online and wanted to share it. This is so easy to make!

(I edited the recipe).

Ingredients

-3 tablespoons flour
-3 tablespoons sugar
-3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
-1 egg
-3 tablespoons milk
-3 tablespoons oil
-Small splash of vanilla extract
-1 large mug.

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

Cooking Time: 3 minutes in microwave.

(Cake will rise over the top of the mug, don't be alarmed.)

I added powdered sugar on top of mine when it was done. So yummy & quick!!!

Also, here is a low fat version of chocolate mug cake. I haven't tried this out, but if you do let me know in my comments how it turned out!

For non chocolate lovers: Yellow cake in a mug recipe.

(I tried the vanilla version and it is just as good!)

My beautiful Holly rat has gone to the rainbow bridge. I had to take my baby to the vet this evening to be put to sleep. There was a noisy dog in the waiting room and I had to keep petting Holly because she was frightened. Holly didn't go quickly... like Ginger she didn't want to let go...

I just lost Ginger & Saffy 3 weeks ago... and now this. I've only had Holly since January. She was around 8 months old. She loved to give kisses. She was the youngest rat I've had develop a mammary tumor. She didn't even know she had a tumor. But she began to develop an abscess and sore on her tumor and I didn't want her to suffer... goodbye my baby. I know Lily & Rosie going to miss her also, as they've been living with her since I brought them home 3 weeks ago.

I do a lot of posts about my travels in the Philippines. I thought I would share today some of my favorite Philadelphia treats and treat places!

Philadelphia Soft Pretzel




Oh my, there is nothing like a Philadelphia soft pretzel! (Usually get them from Jim's!) Whenever I'm in the Philippines, I end up craving one of these by the end of my trip, and Auntie Anne's just doesn't cut it! A Philadelphia soft pretzel is usually longer than a regular rounded pretzel. It has a crunchy oven baked outer layer and the inside is soft and doughy and delicious!

Philly Cheese Steak




You can't come to Philadelphia without trying a cheese steak! You can get them from pretty much any pizza place in the area besides a few places that just specialize in cheese steaks, like Steve's Prince of Steaks. A Philadelphia cheese steak is usually served on an Italian Amoroso roll. (Another Philly company!) It will have thinly chopped beef. Some people like cheese whiz, I rather have American cheese on mine. And don't forget fried onions and mushrooms! Mmmm! Though you can have a cheese steak plain or with any or as many toppings you want.

Hoagie's




You might know a hoagie by another name if you're from different parts in the USA. A Hoagie is a sub, grinder, hero, etc. In Philadelphia the most popular hoagie, is the Italian Hoagie. They are almost always served on Italian Amoroso rolls. With, Genoa salami, capicola ham, provolone cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions. Yum!!!

Tastykake



Tastykake is truly a Philadelphia food! The company started in Philadelphia back in 1914! In Philly you can find Tastykake's in the supermarket, drugstore, Walmart, etc. Love their butterscotch krimpets and the peanut butter kandy kakes. And in the fall they have mini pumpkin pies!

Rita's Water Ice




Rita's Water Ice! This is another East coast chain. They open in the Spring and close just after Labor Day. Though there are a few mall locations that are open year round. Gotta love their vanilla/chocolate custard! Mmmm heaven!!!


Herr's Snacks



Herr's Snacks, is another East Coast favorite. Potato Chips, Pretzels, Cheese Curls, Popcorn, Corn Chips, etc. My favorite are the Fine Cut Ripple chips. They are similar to Ruffles.

Wawa




Wawa is like an upscale 7 Eleven. There are only locations in: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. Gotta love their breakfast sandwiches, salads, wraps, coffee & fee free ATM machines! (And my cousin would say their meatball sandwiches!)

Scrapple




Scrapple is a Pennsylvania thing in general. People either love it or hate it. I love it! Scrapple reminds me almost of sausage. Only without the casing. It's formed into a loaf and cut into very thin slices, then fried in a pan. It's usually served at breakfast time along with scrambled eggs.

Sooo... 2 weeks ago I mailed our immigration lawyer the packet containing all our financial paperwork and I-864. Then nearly a week after I mail it I remembered... "Oh crap! I didn't include my employment verification letter!"

It took me a heck of a time to even obtain that paper. My job sent me in loops and hoops trying to get a paper that says I've worked there the past 8 years! And then I forget to send it to the lawyer! Ugh! I did scan & email our lawyer a copy of the letter, but he really wanted the original to submit to immigration.

I drop the original letter in the mail exactly a week later by USPS Priority. Never a problem... usually arrives at our lawyers office within 1 day. Another week goes by- nothing. It was lost. Never arrived. Did I get tracking or delivery confirmation? Noooo.... idiot me!

This past Saturday morning, I go to the post office when it opens around 9am. I spend $13.00 for express mail so we'll have tracking and I send off a copy of the letter. They write on my receipt will be delivered AUGUST 9TH.

I check tracking early this morning and what does it say?!

We attempted to deliver your item at 7:48 am on August 08, 2010 in PHILADELPHIA, PA 19102 and a notice was left. You may pick up the item at the Post Office indicated on the notice, go to www.usps.com, or call 800-ASK-USPS to arrange for redelivery. If this item is unclaimed after five days then it will be returned to the sender. Information, if available, is updated periodically throughout the day. Please check again later.

WHAT THE HECK?! When does the United States Post Office deliver on Sundays?!

I email our lawyer. By this time it's around 10am. He says he was actually in the office on Sunday, but the Post Office did not knock, etc. It hasn't been redelivered. So he says, "I think we'll have to use the scanned image you sent." About an hour later though, he emails me back and says, "Package arrived! We'll submit the I-864!"

So... no thanks to myself for forgetting and USPS our immigration process has been delayed 2 weeks... arrgh. I'm using Fed Ex next time! :(

Here is our completed steps and what we have left.

NOTE: Our lawyers Peter J. Gonzales & Shanna Stanton have changed firms. They are no longer with Kahiga Tiagha. They are now with Green and Spiegel LLC, but still located in Philadelphia.

So.. my naughty ratties Pepper and Poppy have chewed on the lid of my laptop in several places and nicked it pretty good. I was going to replace the whole lid but it's $30-40 dollars for a new lid from Parts-People.com. So I started looking around and found a neat website that has laptop skins. Actually they also have skins for your phone, e-reader, game system, ipod, etc. Pretty neat!

I just got my decal skin today and applied it to my laptop. It's like a vinyl skin sticker. It's pretty thick and durable so you can wipe it off to clean it. Plus you can remove it in the future without any damage.

The one I ordered for my Dell Inspiron 1545 was $12.99 plus shipping, can't beat that! (Tip: Their ebay store has cheaper prices! That's where I ordered from.) Their official website is called: Decalskin.com. I think I'm going to order one for my blackberry sometime soon too!

Here's my laptop with the new skin (ignore the junk in the background!)

The skin I ordered, is called: Abstract Neon.
BTW: Even if you order the correct size for your laptop you will still have to trim a tiny bit around all the edges once applied to make a snug fit. Then you just smooth it all out so there are no bubbles.

And no- I'm not getting paid for this post! I just really recommend these skins, it looks awesome on my laptop! And if I get bored I can always order another style. My Mom already said she might want one for her laptop for Xmas. :)

Please meet my newest baby girls Lily & Rose, (Rosie). Lily is tan/beige hooded and Rose is a PEW. They are very tiny and have baby faces still, so I am assuming they are only around 5-7 weeks old. Rosie is very cautious and Lily is an adventurer. Ivy and Basil are a bit territorial with them so currently they are in the upstairs part of the cage with Holly. Basil wants to "fight" with them and they are so very tiny I'm afraid he will hurt them. So they will be kept separate until they are a little bigger and able to fight back when it's time to establish the cage pecking order.

Rosie thinks my cup handle is a place to lounge, lol!

I still have 3 girls waiting for me at Star's Rat Rescue. SRR is currently organizing the rat train. I know the South Dakota to Michigan trip will be very soon. Then transport is being planned through Ohio to Philadelphia. Please click here to get all the information. There are still tons of ratties that need forever homes! My potential girls are: 16K,16N,18C. (Clover,Honey & Hazelnut!) SRR also still needs donations (especially food.) to care for all these rats until they are able to find forever homes.

I had a scare with Basil last week, when he fell off my bed onto the wooden floor rather hard. I checked him all over for bumps and bruises and noticed he had 2 lumps below his "bits". Since he was neutered, I didn't think it could be a tumor. But I was afraid it might be an abscess or hernia. Basil went to the vet last Thursday and the vet looked him over. Turns out those lumps... they are a part of his body, lol! They are called Preputial Glands. I said to my vet, I've had so many girls with tumors, that when I feel a little lump I tend to panic! He didn't charge me for the visit!

Today was a really hard day. I had to take Ginger & Saffy to the vet to be put to sleep. My Ginger's body was giving out before her will to live. She always had bright eyes, was always looking for a treat. But she had very large multiple mammary tumors. She couldn't get around very well anymore, she was getting frail, losing her eyesight and she started getting scabs on one of her tumors. It was her time...

Saffron also had a tumor in a bad area near her urethra. For awhile she was doing pretty good, then it seemed overnight her tumor got very large. She was unable to go to the bathroom. When I came home from work Thursday night she was huddled up, her fur puffed her eyes clouded in pain, her tummy was bloated. She was still in a lot of pain this morning when we went to the vet. Saffy went very quickly... Ginger held on a little bit longer.... I will miss you my girls...

It's been a month since the NVC took the fee's out for our affidavit of support and immigration fee's. Our lawyer emailed me our I-864 (affidavit of support) the other day and I had to sign them and prepare copies of my 2007,2008 and 2009 income tax returns, along with my W-2's and 1099's. I will be dropping everything into the mail later! So we are finally finished with another step! Once the NVC is finished reviewing our paperwork they will forward everything to the Embassy in Manila and F.B. will need to prepare for his interview!

Here is our check sheet for our immigration process. The strike through's are completed steps.

1. USCIS will send our lawyer a receipt notice sometime in the next few weeks confirming they received our I-130.

2. In approximately 3-5 months the USCIS will make a decision on the I-130 and will forward our file to the National Visa Center in New Hampshire.

3. The NVC will then send a packet with instructions to complete our I-864. (There will be a fee.)

4. Once the packet is returned to the NVC, they will review everything and within 45-90 days they will forward the packet to the U.S. consulate in Manila.

5. The Consulate will send a packet with instructions for F.B. to complete a medical examination & obtain a police clearance certificate prior to scheduling his visa interview.

NOTE: Our lawyers Peter J. Gonzales & Shanna Stanton have changed firms. They are no longer with Kahiga Tiagha. They are now with Green and Spiegel LLC, but still located in Philadelphia. 

Last summer I won the 1st Asian Aisle blog giveaway! I wasn't expecting such a big prize package! Because I wanted to thank Cindy for the great prizes, I picked out a few treats for her while I was in the Philippines. Today she featured 'Dried Mangorind Candy'. Head over to Asian Aisle to check it out!

Other Asian Aisle Posts:

Clover Chips Feature

Choc-Nut Feature

Taste Testing

Wow!