Getting Better

After several busy weeks and abnormal schedules, I've finally been able to catch up on cleaning and laundry. As exciting as I know that sounds, it has made this weekend a breath of fresh air. As a part of my cleaning spree, I put up all of my Christmas things from last year and have either purchased, or figured out all of my Christmas gifts.


I've also been getting along better with the Land-family. Not that we ever didn't get along, but for a reason even I couldn't figure out I get beyond nervous around them and when I'm nervous, I cannot speak Spanish. I got my electricity bill, payed this month's rent, and have chatted with them on several occasions during the weekend. They invited me to dinner on Saturday night, but I had a birthday dinner for one of my coworkers, followed by a goodbye drink for a good friend who's moving back to Denmark. The landlady also invited me to Christmas even dinner, but I'll be in the States, but I think I can actually go to the New Year's event they're throwing! Today, I went down and talked to them for a while. I showed Jonathan, their 5 year old son, my new turtle (I'll get to her!) and we talked about Christmas, the improvement of my Spanish, and school. I'd say it's a big improvement! I've always been able to understand them, but my hesitance or difficulty in speaking made them uncomfortable and unsure about what I would understand. Which, in turn, made me even more nervous talking. Now, I think we'll both do better with communicating. Also, this week I should be getting new cabinets above my sink, which are full of termites and drop droppings all over the kitchen.

And...I have a pet turtle. She's a hatchling red-eyed slider, which aren't legal to sell in the States when they're smaller than 4 inches because of salmonella risk. Usually kids get it, because they aren't good at basic sanitation measures. I keep a bottle of purell next to the tank to help keep things from going poorly. She's currently still nameless, but considering one of my friends took 3 weeks to name her son, I figure my turtle can wait a little while. It's an important decision!

She's living in a small, shallow pool that's perfect for her current size, but as a water turtle, I'd like to give her something with more room to stretch her legs. Cathy, my boss, has a 10 gallon fish tank that she doesn't use anymore because every time the power goes out, one of her fish would die. She said I can borrow it. I haven't yet figured out what I will use to line the bottom--something heavy so I can build a land area, and something round and hard so it's easy to clean. I've started building a floating island for basking. It's made of Popsicle like sticks, which float on their own, but sink when something's on them, so I've fastened pumice stones to the corners (I got those in Belize). I don't have the tank yet, but I'd like to be ready when it gets here. 

Today I learned that, as well as her food pellets, she'll eat insects I drop in her tank.  When I first got her, I dropped an ant in to see if she'd hunt, but I guess she was still too uncomfortable to hunt.  I bought her a lamp for basking, and in the last few days she has started nap-basking during the day, which is good, healthy, and a sign of comfort.  She also jumped on the three small beetles I put in the tank after I found them in my beans.  I'll be careful because I read that hatchlings that eat shrimp sometimes choke on the shells.

I'm still welcoming name ideas.