Bite Me!

I set my alarm for 6:30AM this morning so that I could arrive at the gym by 7AM. I haven't been going because (1) I was sick for over two weeks and (2) I became a sloth in that period of time. Anyway, after noticing that my uniforms had "shrunk" in the last month or so, I decided to get back into my workout routine. Since it is so "cold" here in the mornings, I figured I could stay warmer by wearing a hat. I grabbed my favourite ball cap (the one that says "Canadian Girls Kick Ass") and prepared to head out. Imagine my surprise to find a nice hole, the size of a quarter, chewed in the middle of it!

I know I've mentioned a lot of the wildlife I deal with here on a regular basis but I have failed to tell you about the termites! They are everywhere. Everything that is wood here is likely to succumb to their voracious appetites. In my room alone, the dressers, the night tables, the doorframes and the wooden screen that hides the laundryroom, are all tasty morsels for these pesky creatures. I never realized that they wanted variety in their diet (ie. cotton!) or I would have bought them a stick of dynamite to chew on! Grrr ... anyway, after I returned from the gym, I dumped the entire content of my drawers on the floor and sprayed them all inside with bug spray. With my luck, they will probably inhale the stuff and mutate into something that eats hair! LOL

So Christmas is finally over. Thank the Goddess! I used to have fabulous Christmases when I was a kid but the ones in my adult life have never quite measured up. The frenzy experienced NOTB is somewhat muted here but working in retail allows me to see the best and worst of people when they are shopping. December 23 was a great day in the store -- we were incredibly busy and everyone was in a generous mood. By December 25 (one day before the full moon), people were definitely in a different frame of mind and it was hard to maintain my enthusiasm while working. I spent Christmas Eve at a friend's house, enjoying her hospitality and a wonderful homecooked meal. Dinner on Christmas Day proved to be somewhat of a disaster since the restaurant I chose was overbooked and understaffed. I would have been happier at home with a bag of cheesies.

Next comes New Year's and this is a much happier "holiday" for me. I never feel the pressure to have a date for New Year's Eve, either here or in Canada. December 31, 1999 saw me celebrating the millenium with two girlfriends, drinking champagne in one of the unfinished penthouse suites in my brand new condo building. I think I stayed home alone the next year and it was wonderful. Last year, I spent New Year's Eve on Los Muertos beach, drinking margaritas, watching fireworks with the ocean and palm trees as a back drop and then dancing the night away on Olas Altas. I swear every gay guy in town was out that night. What a blast! Some old friends will be missing this year (and yes Medina, I'm talking about YOU!) but there are always new friends to fill the void.

I don't expect this December 31st to be the same as last year but I am hoping for a few giggles anyway. Then I have a two day weekend afterwards. I can hardly bear to think of what I'm going to do with myself! LOL It will probably take one whole day to recover from my hangover. Whatever you do on December 31st, and with whomever you do it, please be careful and mindful of those around you. The world is a fragile place and we must look out for one another. All the best to you and yours for 2005. I'll be here for a while yet.