I'm Such a Girl

Let me start by saying that there's absolutely nothing wrong with being a girl. It's just that I don't tend to lean in the direction of being a girly-girl. However, I did learn something about myself this weekend.

Me + dead animals = a bit of a hissy fit.

My Saturday was a pretty lazy day, but I did commit to pulling the weeds in my yard. It should have been a fairly harmless activity. I even had extra help because my roomie was determined to help me out. Wow, did he end up having to help me out in ways that I could not imagine.

If you recall, I had a bit of a rodent problem in my front yard several weeks ago. The pest control folks came out and put down a couple of contraptions that would catch/kill the little bugger. A couple of days after they put down the traps, I had noticed that one of them went missing. I considered plenty of possibilities and was going to call my pest control people to see if they came and picked it up, but I was lazy and never bothered - mostly because I noticed that the hole next to my house had not reappeared. Whatever the case, my rodent seemed to stop digging.

I can now most assuredly tell you that they did NOT come pick up the trap. I was pulling weeds in the front yard and was making my way around the corner to the side of the house. There it was - the trap. I was afraid to approach, but I had weeds to pull! I very quietly and nervously got close enough to look at the trap - I had a sick feeling in my stomach because how on earth could a trap make it from the front of the house to the side of the house without some kind of animal "moving" it? I didn't see any immediate signs of death, but there was something kinda sticking out. It almost looked like dead leaves, but I wasn't convinced. I finished pulling my weeds in the front, leaving the trap behind and running into the backyard to tell my roomie what I had discovered and that he had to go check it out. Right on cue, he laughed at me and told me I was being a baby. So what! I don't care! He checked it out and sure enough - a head! Only the head? What the h#&@! My roomie proceeded to pick the head up and threaten to chase me out into the street with it. I didn't have my running shoes on and I hadn't run in months, but I was prepared to run to Tucson if necessary! After my begging and pleading, he put the head in the garbage can. Damn, damn, damn! The garbage doesn't come until Friday - is it weird that I'm now afraid of my garbage can?

I eventually came down off the ledge to continue my weed pulling in the back yard. Actually, my roomie was doing the weed pulling and I was following behind with the Round-Up. So we're methodically making our way through the back yard and I turned around and almost stepped on a big lizard! Are you kidding me? The lizard didn't move an inch but I think I managed to jump four feet into the air and squeal like a little school girl. My roomie couldn't figure out what my problem was until I pointed and freaked out a little more. Yes, I live in the desert and should expect to find lizards every now and again but I wasn't prepared. I was still recuperating from the dead animal head found in the front yard.

My roomie proceeded to poke at the lizard. As it turns out, there's a reason the lizard didn't jump when I did. It was dead. Huh? My house is surrounded by death. Now, I had had a teeny tiny lizard in my garage when I first moved in - about 3 inches long maybe. This lizard was a foot long - no, not a $5 footlong (insert annoying Subway jingle here). What I wouldn't give for a turkey sandwich on whole wheat in my backyard! With my eyes wide open and my nerves completely shot, we completed the weed pulling and I happily went inside where I would be safe. My roomie said he would dispose of the lizard later in the afternoon. I'm not complaining, but it's still there. I'm fearful that my roomie thinks it decorative yard art now. I'm not so sure. I may have to get my shovel and dispose of him myself - the lizard, not the roomie. However, I think I'm going to wait until garbage day so the head and the lizard can be gone.

Exercise and food?

Friday - baseball game, chips & cheese/chili, chicken tenders, ice cream and beer.
Saturday - ate out for all three meals (yikes!), no exercise, plenty of trauma.
Sunday - went to the gym, healthy breakfast and lunch, dinner was hamburgers on the grill with a small side of baked fries and two Coronas.

Here's hoping for a good week!