This conversation would be a lot harder for me to take if I had a terrifying pest incident of my own to share. I guess there was the one time that Irvine was taken over by mice, but my roomie and I somehow managed to escape from that one mouse-free.

I very strenuously sat around this afternoon. And ate what I consider the island's best fried fish. It takes a long time to prepare, but they do walk the fish in right from the dock for you. And then you take it out to an uninhabited cay¹ where you eat and drink for a couple hours under the sun.

I want ita's day.

So my DH is once again spending the night at the hospital with his mom, so the kids are piled into my bed. I hope I get to spend NYE with my husband, but I fear that will only happen if his mother gets discharged from the hospital tomorrow.

I want ita's day.

Me too.

Highlight of mine was a pedi with Peace on Earth. Burrell, you might really like this one. It won't fix things, I know. But it's a pretty color and a really nice ideal too.

And grocery shopping was accomplished at Trader Joe's. Fooooooooooood.

Ooo, that is very pretty, Cass. I did my nails today too. Since the sun is out again (but do not be fooled it is ASSCAP COLD outside!) I decided to try my blue holo. If it looks sparkly tomorrow, I'll try to take a picture.

And ate what I consider the island's best fried fish. It takes a long time to prepare, but they do walk the fish in right from the dock for you. And then you take it out to an uninhabited cay¹ where you eat and drink for a couple hours under the sun.

So when do I spend christmas with your family?

I don't think the desert really lends itself to bad bug stories, as msbelle notes. Dryness not so much with the slimy yuck.

Somewhere bon just cracked up and has no idea why.

HA!

My new job starts on Monday, guys. Tomorrow I'm helping someone move (which I'm oddly looking forward to).

20 car pile up on an icy hill in Colorado Springs. Skip to about 5 '45" to cut to the chase: [link]

Argh. Just into my flight from Vienna to Frankfurt, I realized my ears were stuffed up. OW! Took four sudafed, but ear did not pop until back on the ground. Is still dodgy. Am hoping to avoid java-esque situation. Or six hours of pain. And then five more.

Someone entertain me? Im stuck in Frankfurt for two more hours.

• does a dance for meara* *shimmy* *glitter throw*

I don't mind mice, at all, but one of our cats occasionally kills them and brings them to us, so we must have them in the house. The other cat catches them but doesn't know what to do with them, so she just holds them ever so gently in her mouth until we take it away from her.

I have some bug stories from growing up in Malaysia, but I won't repeat them.

We had mice one winter, set traps and apparently caught them all. The traps were reset and not bothered, but I kept smelling dead mouse. If you've ever smelled it, you know what I mean--it's a unique odor. It faded away in a few days and I forgot all about it.

A few years later we remodeled the kitchen. When we tore out the sink cabinet, there was a nest under the cabinet with four tiny skeletons in it. That still haunts me, a bit.

In this house (which we've lived in 2 years now) we've had fleas, roaches, ants, squirrels, and possums all inside the house. The roaches and ants are endemic; short of bombing the place with icky chemicals there seems to be nothing to be done. We sealed the possum entrance after the second incursion, and the roof work going on should be sealing the squirrel entrances. Oh, I also had a bird try to build a nest in the laundry room.

In other houses I have had mice, bats, and cave crickets. Vermin don't really bother me much anymore, although the possum with a pouchful of babies was a little alarming. As I think Ginger said, "sheer hissing evil." MAN are they ugly.

I've had ants, but not for a couple of years. The main vermin I have to deal with are camel crickets. [link] Those buggers can jump as high as my head and try to move in when it's too dry (most of the summer) or too cold (most of the winter). Luckily, my cat thinks they're the best toy ever, so while they may come in they don't stay long.