...bathroom. But I'll get to that story in a second. First, I have been in "hiding" the past few days. Well not really. I have just been hostaged by my newest electronic addition. I buckled and bought a Kindle. I got it last weekend (finally!) and have been reading like a crazy lady ever since. I am currently addicted to the "Twilight" series. I am on the last book and don't want it to end! I never thought I would like these books, but I am totally a Twilighter now! I can't wait for "New Moon" to come out in theaters!Second...it is freakin' hot here. Like today it was 119 degrees. And I still feel the need to run outside. Because I am insane. Totally insane. And you don't sweat outside when you run. And then you come inside and you sweat your entire run in about five minutes. Gross. I miss humidity. Seriously.
Finally I am just sick of Iraq! I have about five weeks until I go home and it can't come fast enough. I am still having fun and enjoying myself, but I miss home. I miss my house, my cat, my family. I miss my kitchen and good food and weekends off. Okay, enough whining. I'll be home before I know it. Now onto the story.
The picture above is of a gecko. They are EVERYWHERE here, especially at night. They scurry around outside the buildings and apparently they eat bugs. I don't really care about that. I just think they are creepy. Even though they are only about four inches long or so, I freak if they get too close to me.*
I woke up the other morning and stumbled to the bathroom. I was still half asleep and walked up to the sink. I looked down and there was a gecko in the sink. I don't know about you, but things like this affect me more when I am half asleep and can't process it quickly enough. My heart started beating in my chest a million miles a minute and my hands started to shake. I do not do well with creatures. At. All.
Knowing that geckos will play dead when they are "threatened" **, the thing just sat in the sink. I looked around for something to capture it with. As much as I don't like creatures, I can't even fathom killing them either. Don't try to make sense of it...anyway, they only thing I could find was a tampon box. I dumped the tampons out and then tried to convince the gecko to get in the box. And yes, I talked to it trying to convince it to get in the box. Whatever.
The gecko wanted none of the box. Nothing. It started to move around and try to get out of the sink but the slope of the sink kept it from getting out. Finally it went down the drain. It was butt end up and the tail was within my reach. I said a prayer and reached for it. All of a sudden, the gecko disappeared down the drain and part of its tail remained in my hand. Once my heart started beating again, I dropped the tail part in the sink, shuddered a lot, swore, scrubbed my hands, made sure the tail went down the drain and then left the water on. I was going to "assist" the gecko down the drain.
I went about my business of getting ready and the water continued to run. About five minutes into this, I turned around to grab something. When I turned back to the sink, the gecko was in it again. And of course, this surprised me and I yelped. Then I just felt guilty for having the water run, brushing my teeth and washing my hands all while it was being covered in the water! I turned off the water and tried to capture it in the tampon box again. Well, this time it launched off the tampon box and off the sink onto the floor. After more talking to it, I finally was able to corner it, get it in the box, allow it to play dead, and take it outside. I don't know who was more traumatized by the entire event...me or the partially tail-less gecko!***
*Please just try to forget that I am a Marine Corps Captain currently deployed to Iraq when you picture me screeching and running from a four inch gecko. This does not do good things for the image of the Marine Corps. :)
**I guess a six foot tall girl swearing and freaking out "threatens" a four inch gecko.
***Did I mention they are four inches long? I did? Okay, just want to make sure you realize how ridiculous it is that I am afraid of them. Because I totally am!
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9 comments:
haha! I'm afraid of them too ... we had them all over the place in Guam and Hawaii when we lived there. And they still creep me out. Especially when they jump!
Sarah, that is just about the funniest thing ever. Sorry, I know, believe me I KNOW as you reacted the same way I would have reacted. We lived in Tucson, AZ for 5 years and there were geckos there, too. All over the place, especially at night. We had an albino one show up in our place once. How do they get inside? I think it is through the drain system. I think he came up through your sink. Anyway, your story, although it's only 1 p.m., just gave me the biggest laugh of the day, so thanks for sharing it.
I'm the same way, I do not like creatures, really any kind. Okay, I like cats and some dogs, but you know what I mean. The tampom box and all of it were exactly what I would have done in that situation. Well, actually, I'm not sure I would have even tried to grab the thing's tail half way down the drain, but anyway. I hear ya on this one!
Thanks so much for the laugh.
And I hear ya on the hot, too, having lived in AZ, although it never got up to 119. Sheesh! 110 at the most, but now we live in Kansas and I really do think I like the humidity better.
Hang in there, you're right--5 weeks will go by fast. Can't wait for you to get back and 1-be done with Iraq and 2-start baking again! ;) Sorry I was so long winded.
Great story!! I would've done the same thing!!
GIRL! You crack me up! If I was there I would've totally saved you from the threatening four inch gecko. Miss you!
OMG...nothing like a belly laugh to end the day on...ending my day, not yours. Sorry it wasn't such a giggle for you, but then if it had of been...we'd have missed out on this terrific tale! I guess I got used to geckos when ex was stationed in Hawaii decades ago, I'm in rural NC now and they are everywhere. They don't come inside often but one time a crew from Molly Maids was here working and this older lady came running through the house screaming and scared me silly...what in the world had happened...she'd seen a gecko run under the washing machine...she refused to come back in the house! That was the end of Molly Maids here! With two dogs and a cat inside, I really don't see them inside very often and they seem to love to torment the dogs thru the patio doors...luring them with promises of a good chase. Better hope you don't get stationed at Camp Lejuene...or Kaneohe Bay. And yes, picturing this Marine officer shaking in her boots over a 4" gecko was quite the picture...but then since I stumbled across your blog a few months ago from Tuesday's with Dorie, I think it was, I've a new respect for Marine officers with a love of baking...it's only fitting same officer could have a thing about geckos! By the way...let me close this with an offer of my greatest appreciation for you and your fellow Marines and the sacrifices you make for all of us every day! THANK YOU!
Ewww. I understand though - when you're really tired, it's totally different catching a bug (or gecko!) than when you're wide awake.
Wonderful story! I love the mental picture of a 6 foot tall kick-butt marine shrieking at a 4inch gecko, trying to coax it into a tampon box.
I hope the rest of your time goes quickly. And without midnight gecko encounters.
I don't really remember how I got to your blog now (followed a trail of comments I think) but I'm glad I found it. So cute! I went back through your archives this evening and enjoyed the pictures from your deployment (I have a friend there now) as morning runs, sandstorms and sunsets have been a frequent topic of our emails.
I just recently moved from Hubert, NC so imagine how funny it was to find the blog of a Marine officer who lives in my old neck of the woods! I worked at Camp Lejeune for a couple of years and Cherry Point before that (civilian). Anyway, I thought that was kind of cool so I wanted to say hi! I'm sure I'll be back by. Oh and I love your blog design!
omg! I live in South Florida, aka LizardLand, and have similar stories. In fact, I blog about the creatures here often--lizards, frogs, flying bugs, etc. I wish you well and thank you for your service to our country!
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