Sleepless in Vallarta (11:45PM)

This is the second night in a row that I haven't been able to sleep. Maybe it is the full moon tugging on me or the change in the weather which we all feel is just around the corner. I just don't know. Tonight I read about the lunar eclipse that is supposed to be happening in this part of the world tomorrow night so maybe that's it. Maybe it is just the car alarm ringing downstairs or the guy screaming down the street or the cricket that sounds like a little bird chirping outside my door. Quien sabes?

I should probably explain that the "windows" in my bedroom are actually 90" x 90", without screens, inlaid with an elaborate wrought iron grate painted white. The only thing between me and the great outdoors is the grate and a lot of huge plants. BTW, these plants make any attempt at growing houseplants NOTB lame by comparison. The leaves on these suckers are larger than dinner platters -- at least 20" in length. The stems on these plants are reminiscent of Jack's famous stalk.

I hope the plants aren't holding up the house. It's an old house and we are up on the second floor, I think. It's sort of hard to tell because the stairs wind up and around. Maybe we're on the third floor. I know there are people above us and below us. Did I forget to mention the huge tree that crashed into the neighbours' house the other morning at 5AM? We thought it was an earthquake. I guess the termites took one too many bites out of that tree! :) We also have an avocado tree growing just inside the gate that frequently drops fruit. Anything we don't salvage is mysteriously half eaten the next morning.

These huge plants provide me with some privacy but the bugs are still getting in. And unless I position myself strategically behind a huge leaf, I could probably been seen from below; that is if anyone was looking up or even cared (remember I live in a predominantly gay neighbourhood). Anyway, I feel safe and secure here and not too exposed but I am thinking of buying some sheer or gauzy curtains to cut down on the mosquito feeding frenzy in my room every night but now I'm thinking that something a bit stronger might be in order.

I had a visitor tonight. A rodent-like creature climbed onto the window sill outside my smaller bedroom window. I could hear him coming so stealth is obviously not one of his strongpoints. Judging from the noise he was making, I thought he would be a lot bigger. He is possum-like; bigger than my teddy bear but smaller than me. I wanted to scare him off so I yelled (not really a girlie scream --more of a "Hey you, get the hell out of my bedroom!" type scream) and he calmly turned his back on me and sauntered away. This leads me to believe that I didn't really frighten him but merely interrupted him on his nightly sojourn to another part of the jungle.

So I can't sleep now. Quel surprise! And of course, as I'm lying in bed, I can see bats flying maneouvres outside my window. These are probably big fat fruit bats since they are light in colour and just a little bit bigger than the mosquitoes lying in wait for me. I came out to the kitchen because the computer sits on a table right beside the kitchen counter. Did I mention that the power went off earlier? I felt compelled (OK, can you say obsessive/compulsive?) to go around resetting all the digital clocks, including the one on the microwave. I've held off on the fixing the one on the coffee maker so that the gecko languishing on the counter could finish eating up the sugar grains in peace. Did you know that geckos have TONGUES? This is a frightening thought for some reason ...

Anyway, I found a big stick and it is now sitting beside the dresser beside the window where Mr. Possum (or whatever the hell he is!) appeared earlier. If he should decide sometime tonight that I am way more interesting than whatever is on the outside of my window, I want to be prepared. Although if he ends up on the bed with me, I'm afraid the stick won't help at all. Goodnight to all of you, wherever you are ... sleep tight and don't let the ... well, you know. LOL