Last Monday started off with a gas leak. This Monday started off with chaos of another sort.
First off, the weekend went by so fast that I didn’t even realize it was over. Waking up around 6:15 this morning, I carried on as I would on a typical Sunday — screw around, do nothing, read blogs, only to hear the alarm on the phone go off at 7:00.
Why is the alarm going off on a Sunday, thought I.
I only set the alarm to go off on Monday, Wednesday, Friday as a reminder it’s a workout day.
Good thing I do because the alarm caused me to rethink what day it was. I suddenly realized Oh Nooooo! Today is Monday, not Sunday, I’d better get going — make the bed, run bath water, start breakfast, tune into Good Morning America.
Having sorted all that out I went about my business until I spotted a lizard (geico) sunbathing on the edge of my patio.
As previously posted, the lizard population around here is out of control. They’re lining the walkways and rarely can be motivated to move out of the way when I approach, prompting me to turn around, walk in a different direction.
On day, walking back up the stairs, I was startled into almost falling backwards by a lizard relaxing on the steps.
Those tiny little dinosaurs are hideously ugly and not a creature I appreciate being all over the place.
Over the last two days, I’ve twice seen a lizard on the wall by Next Door Neighbor’s patio, making its way to the roof and, around 9:00 this morning, I spotted one relaxing on my patio wall.
Can’t have that. Far too close to slipping inside, so I tried to encourage it to leave by banging on the wall.
It didn’t budge.
Grabbing a water bottle, I tried to spritz water to encourage it into leaving.
That noise you heard was the patio screen being knocked off its hinges as I tried to quickly slam the screen shut so the lizard couldn't get inside. It’s down, a plant got tipped over, but at least the lizard is no longer on the patio ledge. He’s on the roof somewhere.
Damn lizards, terrorizing me.
My attempts at getting the screen back on its tracks have failed so, no fresh air for me — with the patio window open, but the screen letting in air while blocking outside pests, unless and until I can get the maintenance guys to fix it for me.
I walked down and put in a work order with Assistant Manager but, a downed patio screen is not the level of emergency a gas leak taking down the building was, so I'm thinking I'll be old and gray before maintenance gets around to fixing it.
I took the long way around heading back to my unit, so I could check on that black box/lock.
It's still there, but someone has paid a visit to the unit since last I checked, because the blinds are now completely closed.
I don't mind lizards. but that's easy for me to say because it's too cold for them to live here in Canada. However in Maui once, I saved my terrorized Rare One from a gecko in our bathroom (all of maybe 1/2 inch in size) by scooping it up in a little soap box and throwing it out the window onto the grass. And in Mexico, I once saved two British girls who were so scared of iguanas they wouldn't walk down a path, so I went first. Of course the iguanas scattered like I was Moses parting the Red Sea (as I knew they would because iguanas are timid) but I still felt quite heroic.
ReplyDeleteSeems we need some cold weather to get the population down.
DeleteYour videos made me laugh. That lizard didn't want to move and then when you gave him some water he must have thought this was a spa. LOL
ReplyDeleteI like lizards and would have had an iguana as a pet if Ken had been ok with it, he was not. I'd be trying to catch them. I'm so weird. I had one in the apartment a few Summers ago and actually touched it on accident at 4am in the dark when it was on the door when I had to take Falcor out. It ran out when I opened the door. A wild mouse got in and ran out another time when I opened the door.
Now that you mention it. He probably was enjoying the water and thought I was cooling him off rather than trying to get rid of him. Yikes! stepping on one and then a mouse.
DeleteI'm not giggling but I picture you and the water bottle and the screen door and, well, I giggle.
ReplyDeletePerfectly understandable, LOL.
DeleteOh my gosh! You are gonna get injured avoiding nice little geckos. It got some drum music. I thought you were gonna hit him with garden hose force water. Oh no, you gave him a lovely spa spray. He's comin' back for more treatment ya know? They aren't gonna hurt you! Some even sell insurance! They eat the insects that aren't coming into your apartment.
ReplyDeleteA friend living in Hawaii said they had a "pet" gecko. It slept on top of a picture frame. They could rub it's belly to make it happy. We had one come into our ground-level cottage room at a Maui resort. He was on the door frame. We just put a big glass over him and slid the glass down the frame and towards outside.
You may be able to fix your screen door: grasp on both sides and lift it up, then put it in the correct track. The more expensive ones have little band springs and a skinny wheel. Ace-type hardware stores have jillions of screen door parts.
Bet your new friend Gary Gecko can help you. Linda in Kansas
Drum music must have been something on TV. I think I need a new screen. I managed to get it in place, but it doesn't close all the way now and looks like it will fall again if I'm not careful.
DeleteDon't smash the gecko in the track. Probably bad luck. Linda in Kansas
DeleteEeek! That would be gross.
DeleteI'm sorry you fear the little Dinosaurs since they are excellent Hunters of Bugs of all kinds and keep those from becoming an infestation. There are some big ones here in Arizona, they can hiss and act ferocious but most of the Little Dinos are completely harmless. We used to have a lot of them on our property without Tails becoz they will drop their Tail if chased by a predator and the Tail will keep moving as a distraction until the rest of it can escape safely... our Cat was responsible for Tail-less Lizard population. *LOL* They do grow it back, Amazing little critters.
ReplyDeleteThat may be why they scare me. I remember crossing a field walking to school and some kid had a lizard by the tail. I saw the lizard drop its tail. Scarred me for life.
DeleteKinda funny, your footage of the water bottle treatment. Seemed to mainly make Mr./ Mrs. Gecko curious.
ReplyDeleteAnd the plot thickens with the lock box!
Yes, the water turned out to be a mistake. He liked it and came forward for more. Should have used a broom. And you have no idea how the plot has thickened with the lock box. In fact, I'm thinking of that as the title for my next post.
DeleteI just realized that black box could hold a key so that if a caretaker or family member couldn't raise the occupant, they could open the door using the lock combo to get the key out.
ReplyDeletePS I don't mind the lizards or frogs - but let a roach come anywhere in my sight and I'm up on the furniture. Damn, I hate those things.
ReplyDeleteALL creepy crawlies give me the heebie jeebies.
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