smells so good outside

Summer vacation has commenced and I have embarrassingly little to show for it. It started off in classic fashion: my car ran out of gas in the drive-thru line at In ‘N Out, requiring an employee to help push my car through the line (while I stayed inside, steered, and accidentally braked a couple of times. Woops!), and then into the gas station! It was super embarrassing and I felt like it would be downright gauche to then order a meal from them (while being pushed through by an employee), but I WAS hungry, so I completed an act of self-hatred and went to the McDonald’s down the street for the first time in years.

Since then, I’ve had my debit card declined at several establishments, prompting me to indignantly insist that I was going to “call the bank right away” (I’m sure you’ve seen this before, right?). But the thing is, there WAS a snafu and I DID have enough money! Apparently, a $1.38 charge in Indiana caused my card to be cut off and fraud declared. Fair enough, but it’s annoying to have to have the bank on the phone so that they can “turn on” your card to complete a transaction at the local ROSS Dress for Less and then sit with you on the phone while you look for an ATM.

In addition, I’ve put up my first craigslist ad (FREE Red Composting Worms), watched a lot of True Blood and Keeping up with the Kardashians (Khloe!), made (and consumed) a lot of sun tea and taken Albert to the dog park. I also started reading Cadillac Desert, as my summer reading list is devoted to books chronicling the struggle between man and nature. What have I not done yet? Cleaned my house for my parents’ impending arrival or seen any movies, though that might change tonight with Mother and Child.

My life partner recently brought home some carnivorous plants, given to him by the parent of a student. They take more care than our animals. The carnivorous plants can ONLY drink filtered water, and need to be sitting in (filtered) water at all times. It’s really annoying, because every time I see them I think, “Oh god, do they have enough water.” Or “Oops, I drank the last of the Brita water, I’d better fill it up for the plants.”

This one is really sticky-it's digestive enzymes will attempt to conquer anything.


This one is pretty classic: water in the pods attracts bugs, and it's lid traps them, before slowing digesting them. I haven't seen it work yet.