Random Oddities

I just have a few things I wanted to chat about - things of no consequence really but I thought I'd put them all together in one great big blog. We'll see how it goes and maybe you'll have to read this one in segments or I'll try to keep my ramblings to a minimum.
1. We have little geckos running around the house. I love having them visit because they are fun to watch run about as my children try to catch them. A few have lost the end of their tail but that doesn't bother my kids (but it might the gecko). Most recently though, I have been finding their dead, dried bodies around my house. Now that's a little strange and more unlikeable.
2. Speaking of dead things... If I was a better house keeper then maybe it wouldn't be that big of a deal but since I'm not, we have a bit of a problem. See, I hate having ants in my house. Unfortunately, they like eating the remains of other dead bugs and those dead geckos that I have lying around my house. So, I guess the ants think they have an open invitation to come eat at my house since those things sort of gather in the corners and things. I really should clean up better so that maybe the bugs wouldn't find us so inviting.
3. I wanted to let you all know that my husband is now carrying around a machete in his backpack. We found a small towel to wrap around it so it wouldn't cut the inside of his pack and the handle sticks out the top so it's easily accessible. For some reason, incidents of crime have been happening more frequently so even though he's on his bike, he likes to know he can pull it out if he needs to.
4. We have come to the wet season. Did you know it's also the hot season? Some how that just doesn't make sense to me because it is supposed to be cooler when it rains. I don't know but I'm not looking forward to hurricane season, which is also part of the wet and hot seasons.
5. The biggest down side to wet season is that it's harder to get my laundry dry. You know, I can have it all clean and hanging on the line but I can't put it away if it rains all day. Luckily it hasn't gotten that bad yet so I've only had to rehang the laundry the next morning once so far.
6. It was actually cool this morning and despite my headache I was able to enjoy laying in bed with the sheet wrapped around me and the cool air blowing on my face (with the help of my fan, of course). It was really enjoyable and I wished it would stay all day. But it does give me something to look forward to throughout the day - it does cool off at night!
7. I was outside talking with some visiting friends the other night when I told them about my hunch that bats lived in my roof. I turned to point and we all saw three bats fly out of my roof. I guess that's all the proof I need. I wonder what kind of camera I would need to get a picture of that?
8. Funny thing, I am trying to figure out what kind of camera I need. Well, need may not be the right word for it. Since my Rebel isn't taking pictures, I'm having a dilemma. If I were in the states, I'd take it to a shop and see if it could be fixed. I'm not, so I can't. I could ship it to a friend and have it looked at and see how much it'll cost but is it worth it? I love my camera, so should I try to fix the 5 year old beauty? Or order a newer model online and have it shipped to my friend who will bring it in August? Do I get a digital SLR to replace my old Rebel or do I get the simpler kind that can go into the water too so I can take shots of the sea world that I love to visit now and again? Then again, my video camera seems to be taking pretty good pictures so maybe I could just buy the waterhousing unit so that I can take that into the water and then I don't have to get a new camera at all (until I get back to the states and can have my old one looked at and decide that I do need a new one then). Ugh. Any suggestions?
9. Sometimes I just want real juice because water and flavored sugar water just don't cut it. I guess I could buy some the next time I'm in town - I just need to remember.
10. The only problem with solar powered showers is that on cool days, when you want a warmer shower, you only have tepid water. On hot days, when a cooler shower would be nice, you have all the hot water you could ever want. I guess that's more manageable because I can just use more cold water and I'm fine. What do I do on the cooler days when I'd like just a bit more hot water and it isn't there? Deal with it, wash quickly and got to bed. Yes, that's what I do.
11. Seriously, I think I have ant issues. Today, I found ants in my pants - my dirty ones! Yes, I had ants in my dirty laundry. There is no limit to where these bugs will go. I have been fighting them all day. Really, I'm telling you the truth. I found two tracks of ants in the playroom. I found another track in the hallway bathroom, and another one outside the house, coming from the lawn, up the wall to the roof. Maybe they were going from the roof, down the wall, and to the lawn. They were actually doing both. Either way I'm tired of them and I really will stop talking about them, eventually.
12. My son is quite the thinker/would-be inventor. His most recent project: roller blades. I asked him what he's going to make them out of and his response was, "wood." Okay, how do I help him with that one? He's always coming up with ideas and trying to figure out what he can invent. It's great and hopefully he'll just keep learning about stuff and figuring out how things work so that some day he will be able to create and invent and help the world be better.
13. It is worth the time and effort it takes to put butter on my hot pancakes, before I pour my homemade syrup (sugar water with maple flavoring) on them. I stopped doing it because all my kids wanted butter on theirs and so by the time I got to mine, they weren't hot anymore. The other morning I decided to do it and I can't tell you what a difference it made in the taste of the pancakes! Butter makes everything better!