Friday, August 15, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
Some Changes
So, I'm going to be making some changes to RiP soon. One problem I'm having with this blog is that it doesn't really have a dedicated purpose. I thought I had a purpose for it, but I don't like the idea of using Rats in Pants for rants and such. Unfortunately, the name "Rants in Pants" (and the url rantypants) was taken, so I'm going to be trying to think of a new name for my ranty blog.
What Rats in Pants is going to be for is documenting my life - specifically my life involving my rats (although I will mention other things, like school, meds, and the like). I know that's what I use it for now - so there won't be any changes as far as the rest of you are concerned.
A content change that I am going to include is information on rats in general - health care and the like - as I learn it and incorporate it. I may also add some information on other small pets, but don't bet on it.
Some of the other changes I'm going to be doing is changing the color scheme and such, as well as the image at the top of the page (hopefully to a photo of my new girls once I get them :) ). I'll be removing the BlogLog, but will be keeping the friends and family blogs, as well as the sister sites (my new blog will probably not be listed in the sister sites section).
In other news, the new cage is almost complete! For those who don't know, a few weeks ago I bought a cage from Martin's Cages. The cage is HUGE! :) It's 30"x18"x36", and has a decent drop pan (3" high sides - which means my floor will stay clean :) ), a full middle section, and two balconies, with ramps attaching all of them. I had a cage of almost this size (24"x14"x26") before, also from Martin's, but learned the hard way that plain Galvanized steel is very very bad for leveled cages. That cage rusted within a few months. As a result, I spent a few extra dollars to get this cage powder coated, which is supposed to completely eliminate the smell problem.
The cage comes separated, which I don't mind. Less shipping costs for me, and the cage is pretty easy to assemble - especially since Martin's sends you everything you could ever need to put it together. Like, four times over. Now, there was just one thing I wanted to do that I had not done on the original cage.
The flooring of the cage is wire, which is okay, but could be potentially dangerous to the rats small, fragile feet. There are plenty stories online of ratty feet getting trapped in the wire - and of sprained and broken bones. This is especially dangerous for smaller, younger rats (like what I'm getting ... ).
So, I decided, in my infinite wisdom, that I should make a tray for the full middle level. First, to give my rats something to rest on without having to go all the way down to the floor level. Second, to make the cage safer for the rats. And third - to make it less messy. Well, the tray is being made out of plexiglass and solvent glue. I was planning on having a full bottom layer, and four sides. This ended up not working. So, what I have now, in pieces, are 3 pieces that make up the bottom of the tray, and the 4 sides. It isn't pretty, but it will do what it's supposed to.
In the course of this project I did learn a few things.
- You can buy large sheets of plexiglass from Lowes. They will not custom cut things for you, however.
- Solvent glue is easy to find ... the hard part is finding a local seller, and then finding their building (I was lost for half an hour trying to locate the dang place)
- You cannot cut smaller squares out of plexiglass. There is no way to make a cut that only goes 5" in, and have it not break the entire piece of material.
- "Scoring" means using a knife to cut the plexiglass, not two or three times, or even four or five, but, like, ten. Anything less and it doesn't snap. Also, they need to be on both sides of the plexiglass. It helps it break straighter.
- Don't expect a straight edge. (I can only hope I can fix the problem this caused)
I hope to finish the cage by this weekend, and have contacted "Skye" (a local rat breeder).
What Rats in Pants is going to be for is documenting my life - specifically my life involving my rats (although I will mention other things, like school, meds, and the like). I know that's what I use it for now - so there won't be any changes as far as the rest of you are concerned.
A content change that I am going to include is information on rats in general - health care and the like - as I learn it and incorporate it. I may also add some information on other small pets, but don't bet on it.
Some of the other changes I'm going to be doing is changing the color scheme and such, as well as the image at the top of the page (hopefully to a photo of my new girls once I get them :) ). I'll be removing the BlogLog, but will be keeping the friends and family blogs, as well as the sister sites (my new blog will probably not be listed in the sister sites section).
In other news, the new cage is almost complete! For those who don't know, a few weeks ago I bought a cage from Martin's Cages. The cage is HUGE! :) It's 30"x18"x36", and has a decent drop pan (3" high sides - which means my floor will stay clean :) ), a full middle section, and two balconies, with ramps attaching all of them. I had a cage of almost this size (24"x14"x26") before, also from Martin's, but learned the hard way that plain Galvanized steel is very very bad for leveled cages. That cage rusted within a few months. As a result, I spent a few extra dollars to get this cage powder coated, which is supposed to completely eliminate the smell problem.
The cage comes separated, which I don't mind. Less shipping costs for me, and the cage is pretty easy to assemble - especially since Martin's sends you everything you could ever need to put it together. Like, four times over. Now, there was just one thing I wanted to do that I had not done on the original cage.
The flooring of the cage is wire, which is okay, but could be potentially dangerous to the rats small, fragile feet. There are plenty stories online of ratty feet getting trapped in the wire - and of sprained and broken bones. This is especially dangerous for smaller, younger rats (like what I'm getting ... ).
So, I decided, in my infinite wisdom, that I should make a tray for the full middle level. First, to give my rats something to rest on without having to go all the way down to the floor level. Second, to make the cage safer for the rats. And third - to make it less messy. Well, the tray is being made out of plexiglass and solvent glue. I was planning on having a full bottom layer, and four sides. This ended up not working. So, what I have now, in pieces, are 3 pieces that make up the bottom of the tray, and the 4 sides. It isn't pretty, but it will do what it's supposed to.
In the course of this project I did learn a few things.
- You can buy large sheets of plexiglass from Lowes. They will not custom cut things for you, however.
- Solvent glue is easy to find ... the hard part is finding a local seller, and then finding their building (I was lost for half an hour trying to locate the dang place)
- You cannot cut smaller squares out of plexiglass. There is no way to make a cut that only goes 5" in, and have it not break the entire piece of material.
- "Scoring" means using a knife to cut the plexiglass, not two or three times, or even four or five, but, like, ten. Anything less and it doesn't snap. Also, they need to be on both sides of the plexiglass. It helps it break straighter.
- Don't expect a straight edge. (I can only hope I can fix the problem this caused)
I hope to finish the cage by this weekend, and have contacted "Skye" (a local rat breeder).
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Medicine Changes, and So Do I
It's been a week since I went off of my crazy meds completely, and I've noticed a few changes, bad and good.
Bad or lingering effects
- Disinterest in everything
- Anxiety attacks
- Insomnia and trouble waking
- Apathy
- Temporary numbness in fingers and hands
Good effects
+ I am coherent
+ I actually remember and recall things
+ I have written more, although none of it has been very useful or interesting
+ I want to want to do things things (drawing, writing, etc), although I'm apathetic when it actually comes to doing them.
+ I feel ... normal. Mostly.
In all, I am feeling better, but I am still having problems adjusting. I'm suspecting that I'll get better soon, but will take some time.
Bad or lingering effects
- Disinterest in everything
- Anxiety attacks
- Insomnia and trouble waking
- Apathy
- Temporary numbness in fingers and hands
Good effects
+ I am coherent
+ I actually remember and recall things
+ I have written more, although none of it has been very useful or interesting
+ I want to want to do things things (drawing, writing, etc), although I'm apathetic when it actually comes to doing them.
+ I feel ... normal. Mostly.
In all, I am feeling better, but I am still having problems adjusting. I'm suspecting that I'll get better soon, but will take some time.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Nothing Creative Comes to Mind
Good Happenings
- I am enjoying my job
- I am lowering my Lamictal, and should be completely off of it within a month - which means I'll be completely CRAZY MED FREEEE!
((HAPPY DANCE!!!))
- My new Nalgene water bottle is BPA free, which I didn't know until 2 seconds ago :D (But have been worried about all day ... )
- I'm starting to get to a place where I can do the things I want to with my life
- The new cage is almost complete, and I should have 3 new girls in the next week or so
Not-So-Good Happenings
- I am nervous about school starting in a month
- My anxiety attacks haven't gone away yet :|
- I may need to get a second job, but really don't want to
((the raise I was expecting to have a few months ago [after I was done "training"] still hasn't come my way ... ))
- Gas prices suck
- Still can't draw or write decently at all
- I broke my laptop
All in all, I'm doing good - I can't really complain much. Most of my problems are manageable, or will go away with time :) Which I'm grateful for.
- I am enjoying my job
- I am lowering my Lamictal, and should be completely off of it within a month - which means I'll be completely CRAZY MED FREEEE!
((HAPPY DANCE!!!))
- My new Nalgene water bottle is BPA free, which I didn't know until 2 seconds ago :D (But have been worried about all day ... )
- I'm starting to get to a place where I can do the things I want to with my life
- The new cage is almost complete, and I should have 3 new girls in the next week or so
Not-So-Good Happenings
- I am nervous about school starting in a month
- My anxiety attacks haven't gone away yet :|
- I may need to get a second job, but really don't want to
((the raise I was expecting to have a few months ago [after I was done "training"] still hasn't come my way ... ))
- Gas prices suck
- Still can't draw or write decently at all
- I broke my laptop
All in all, I'm doing good - I can't really complain much. Most of my problems are manageable, or will go away with time :) Which I'm grateful for.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Things I Learned: How We Learned to Love Distopia
So, I finally get around to telling all about my adventures at Penguicon. I'll be posting one of these a day, on weekdays, until I'm done. So, enjoy! :)
Also, I apologize, but this first one is going to be choppy, I'll try to edit it in the future.
Title: How We Learned to Love Dystopia
Presenters: Sarah Monette, William Jones, Daniel J. Hogan, and Elizabeth Bear
Date and Time: Friday, April 18 at 8:00pm
Utopia has no plot. It cannot have plot. Plot come from two sides of a conflict fighting with one another. There are few Utopian stories, because there is nothing really to tell. The happily ever after ending is not pleasing. It doesn't feel true to us as humans, because life is full of strife and hardship, but in a Utopia everything is perfect. There is no hardship to be suffered.
Dystopia, on the other hand, is full of stories. The stories of where the dystopia began, how it grew and took hold. The accounts of those oppressed in the society - the freedom fighters and those they fight for. The tales of how the Dystopia ends.
Dystopia stories often incorporate the Utopia as well - the place where everyone is happy and content, where there is no suffering or sadness. In the end, however, all of these stories are revealed to be about a Dystopia disguised as Utopia. The people are oppressed, but do not realize it (The Matrix, Brave New World). They are controlled by forces outside of their control, and they don't try to stop it. They are happy, but not truly. A happiness caused by lies and drugs.
A true Utopia - one where there is no pain, no suffering, everyone is happy with their lives and themselves - is no more possible to our minds than Santa Clause or the Tooth Fairy. The belief and faith needed for a Utopia to be believable does not exist any longer. Not with all the pain and suffering we witness in the world around us.
For each story that dystopia gives rise to, there are different takes that they can be portrayed through as well - The people who become legends because they get out. The cautionary tales and the fairy stories. The metaphors, written 15 years in the future - about the world here and now, that we live in. The stories that are epiphanies. Where the character and/or the reader come to an "aha" moment by the end.
Also, I apologize, but this first one is going to be choppy, I'll try to edit it in the future.
Title: How We Learned to Love Dystopia
Presenters: Sarah Monette, William Jones, Daniel J. Hogan, and Elizabeth Bear
Date and Time: Friday, April 18 at 8:00pm
Utopia has no plot. It cannot have plot. Plot come from two sides of a conflict fighting with one another. There are few Utopian stories, because there is nothing really to tell. The happily ever after ending is not pleasing. It doesn't feel true to us as humans, because life is full of strife and hardship, but in a Utopia everything is perfect. There is no hardship to be suffered.
Dystopia, on the other hand, is full of stories. The stories of where the dystopia began, how it grew and took hold. The accounts of those oppressed in the society - the freedom fighters and those they fight for. The tales of how the Dystopia ends.
Dystopia stories often incorporate the Utopia as well - the place where everyone is happy and content, where there is no suffering or sadness. In the end, however, all of these stories are revealed to be about a Dystopia disguised as Utopia. The people are oppressed, but do not realize it (The Matrix, Brave New World). They are controlled by forces outside of their control, and they don't try to stop it. They are happy, but not truly. A happiness caused by lies and drugs.
A true Utopia - one where there is no pain, no suffering, everyone is happy with their lives and themselves - is no more possible to our minds than Santa Clause or the Tooth Fairy. The belief and faith needed for a Utopia to be believable does not exist any longer. Not with all the pain and suffering we witness in the world around us.
For each story that dystopia gives rise to, there are different takes that they can be portrayed through as well - The people who become legends because they get out. The cautionary tales and the fairy stories. The metaphors, written 15 years in the future - about the world here and now, that we live in. The stories that are epiphanies. Where the character and/or the reader come to an "aha" moment by the end.
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