I am still fighting the flu that I reported here on the 7th. The symptoms have varied somewhat, and have generally been less during my waking hours than when I sleep. Most days have seemed to represent gradual improvement, but this morning was very wretched. My throat was especially sore and it hurt quite a lot to swallow. I had other symptoms, typical of a flu: headache, fever, sinus and nasal congestion, and body aches.

Last night, I got some saline solution with which to flush my sinuses. Because I wanted to do that, instead of just to moisturize my nasal passages, I needed an ærosol. At the Hillcrest CVS/pharmacy, the only ærosol saline with the right sort of nozzle for spraying the stuff into one's nose was mentholated. I cannot say that I enjoyed the experience of a mentholated solution in my sinuses.

Also, the can had some blatting on it about homeopathic principles. I was especially amused by the note that, since the ostensible curatives were only present in homeopathic amounts, there would be no side effects. Indeed. I figure that, because of the hydrological cycle, if homeopathic principles were correct, then we'd all be in perfect health.

As I was buying one thing of saline to spray in my nose, it occurred to me to buy some saline for my mouse first-aid kit. Fortunately, I didn't need a special nozzle for that.

I went to the La Jolla PetSmart to-day, planning to buy yet another habitat module to include in my mouse complex, and hoping to find the mouse for that complex.

In the event, there were no mice at that PetSmart, and the cashier said that she didn't expect them to get any in the near future, as they have many other rodents in stock. (I'd not bothered to call ahead, as I was expecting to buy a module in any case, and also wanted to stop at the World Market in the same shopping center.)

I did buy a module. I'd originally been thinking of getting another CritterTrail Mini 2, but ultimately decided on a CritterTrail 3, which just provides a lot more space.

I'm planning to visit my parents in Tucson, for Thanksgiving, and that argues against getting a mouse until I have returned, since it would be best if the mouse and I had a well-established relationship before I take it on trips of any length. None-the-less, I went to La Jolla yester-day evening, to take a look at a mouse. He wasn't, in any case, what I really want, in part because he looks fully adult, and I'd like to get a juvenile.

The trip wasn't a loss, as I stopped at the World Market site in La Jolla Village Square, and found red stacking coffee cups and stacking large mugs that match the stacking espresso cups of the Woman of Interest. (Some of the sets of large mugs were still in their shipping boxes, and a young woman at the store was kind enough to find for me a set of the coffee cups likewise still packed.)

I also found various seasonal rubber ducks, the best of which had a kippah and Chanukah vestments. I got one for a neighbor who has an extensive collection of rubber ducks.

Critter-Cages sent e.mail to me last night, announcing that the Habitrail Mini and accessories that I had ordered from them on 20 October have shipped. UPS reports that the package was given to them earlier in the evening. Given that it's coming from the Los Angeles area, I would expect to receive it to-day.

I am very glad that I'm apparently going to be able to include Habitrail parts in the home that I will give my mouse, mostly because of the Mini Loft — I remember how Bob and Ray used to sleep in their loft (which was hamster-sized, because Hagen wasn't making mouse-sized Habitrail things back then), which was apparently where they felt most secure. It may prove that the Crittertrail is where the new mouse will want to spend its time sleeping, but I wanted it to have the option of the loft.

Up-Date: The package indeed arrived this after-noon, and seems to be quite in order.

I learned yester-day that PetSmart, at least in this area, does not sell mice of both sexes at any of its stores. The store on Murphy Canyon Road sells only female mice; that in La Jolla sells only male mice; and so forth.

I guess that this practice is to avoid any accidental pregnancies. Certainly, some customers would be very unhappy to find Minnie producing an unexpected litter.

The vendor from whom I originally ordered a Habitrail Mini and some accessories has failed to deliver.

I'd placed an order on 08 October with Fresh Marine, I was provided with a URL for checking on the status of my order. When, after ten days, the Mini and accessories had not arrived, I went to the page and discovered that the order status was simply blank, so I sent an e.mail query. To-day I received e.mail stating

Unfortuantely your order is cancelled as we do not have an eta when hagen will have the items.

All-in-all, this is markèdly poor performance from Fresh Marine. The order status page could have reported that they were waiting on word from Hagen, were that the case. It appears that Fresh Marine were completely inert until my query.

I have found another vendor, Critter-Cages, offering the same products, and at lower prices. And, fortunately, I do have the Crittertrail Mini Two, and I even recently acquired Expansion Kit 3; so there will be much for the mouse when I get one, even if I don't have a Habitrail.

For what it's worth, my orders from Better Homes & Gardens (Crittertrail Mini Two), UPCO (water bottles), and PetCo (expansion kit) have all gone well.

I went to various PetCo and PetSmart locations to-day, to get more things for taking care of a mouse. I have or am awaiting receipt of almost everything that I want except for the mouse itself.

While I was at a PetSmart, a girl came over to the area where rodents and birds were kept. Shortly thereäfter, a couple of employees appeared, and told her that they would not sell a rat to her, because they feared that she was going to give the rat to a snake. Apparently she was known to own a snake, and had bought a rat not many days ago. The girl responded with a dubious tale of having given away the snake. She was politely told that no rat would be sold to her. As she was leaving, I thanked the employees.

There was also an older man working there who kept pulling out a picture of his dog to show to people. This behavior was both amusing and charming.

The Crittertrail Mini Two that I ordered arrived to-day, as did the two water bottles that I ordered for use with the larger of the two carriers. I am pleased with the way that the Mini Two packs-up for storage or shipment. In any case, I could now in good conscience buy a small rodent, as I have a decent home in which to put it.

(The Mini Two has a handle such that it too could be used as a carrier, but I think that it would be best if the rodent felt that its home were stable.)

Unfortunately, I haven't found a local mouse breeder. I can buy a mouse from one of many pet stores, but I'd prefer to buy one from a breeder, as there are much the same issues with the breeding of exotic pets as with dogs and with cats — inhumane breeders and all that. Which is not to say that I would refuse to buy a mouse from, say, PetSmart, but that at least ceteris paribus I would rather buy from a breeder who allowed inspection of the environment in which the animals were bred and housed.

I have ordered both a Crittertrail Mini Two and a Habitrail Mini. That might sound absurd, but it should be possible to connect the two, creating a relatively large habitat. And I could take just one or the other with me when I visit my parents. I also got a loft for the Habitrail, as my mice Bob and Ray used to like to sleep in the loft of the (hamster-sized) Habitrail in which I kept them. And I got a little side-chamber, as I'm going to see if I can coax the mouse into using that as a litter box. (If not, well, then he'll just have a side chamber.)

Although the rodent that I most want is a fat-tailed gerbil (Pachyuromys duprasi), they are illegal in California. In that context, I have been thinking increasingly of getting a mouse (Mus musculus) for myself.

I have some experience with keeping mice as pets; I had four when I was a teenager — first Aristotle, then Jacques (who was disliked by Aristotle and returned that dislike with hate), then Bob and Ray (brothers who loved each other). The Woman of Interest also had mice when she was a child, and she's offered some helpful advice, from her own experience.

In fact, I've started assembling things so that I will be prepared again to keep a mouse. I got a couple of carriers — one suitable for very short trips, the other large enough to serve as a home for a few days (or longer if the mouse doesn't spend all of its time in it) — a couple of water bottles for the larger carrier, a Silent Spinner wheel, and a clear ball in which the mouse can be placed and allowed to exercise out of the cage.

I still need to settle on whatever I will use as the regular home for the mouse. I like mouse-scaled Habitrails, but I notice that Super Pet (who produced the carriers and ball) makes available many sorts of replacement parts for their habitats, which can be connected to Habitrails.

I also want to have a first-aid kit at hand, though I obviously hope never to need it. And I think that I may get some rodent harnesses, such as those used for laboratory mice, to facilitate airplane travel.