A few visuals.

I am writing this on Saturday as a thunderstorm is taking place outside—I am watching the trees and bushes in the front garden sway in the wind, and am wondering why my miniature wind chimes which I actually packed and brought with me do not seem to be chiming. Perhaps they need to be relocated for optimal wind-catching.

Serving as a temporary (or perhaps permanent—I rather like it) incense holder in my windowsill is a red brick that has seen better days—a hole angled ‘just so’ supporting my stick of incense makes it extremely functional. In the past 24 hours, I have acquired two bromeliads (see photos), a pink and a red, which are standing-in quite stoically (it’s a trying task) for pets, friends and family. Not at all successfully, but they are quite nice and make me immensely happy.

My small, copper wire bat is on my wall, and my Brazil map and my ‘PACE’ flag (you never knew that it would go everywhere with me, did you Christa?) were fairly jumping at the chance to be hung--this was accomplished with some electrical tape from the local grocery store (no scotch-style tape, but electrical tape--go figure)

I have also, for the first time in my life, bought a new mattress. The cheapest double bed mattress that I encountered at the ‘Shopping del Rey’. I did, however, shell out for some pretty sweet sheets and one down pillow. I decided that a) I absolutely could not sleep in a single bed (even though there is only one of me, I am a sprawler---) and b) that I needed some sweet sheets. One can’t mess around when it comes to basic needs like excellent sleep.

Realization number xvi: buying a dysfunctional corkscrew is worse than having none at all. Rather than beginning the endeavor of getting a cork out of a wine bottle by thinking “damn, this is going to be quite an endeavor”, you are misled into believing that said tool will aid you in getting the cork out of the wine bottle. 15 minutes of a Friday night and three sets of biceps later, I have my wine to put in my chicken and rice and in my wine glass, a grand laugh with my housemates, and a resolution to buy a real corkscrew. One that performs the task it was designed to perform with relative ease.

Other triumphs: I have clean socks and underwear. Though, I went for a long walk along the lake today without socks (which were drying) and now I have some serious blisters to show for my clean socks. C’est la vie. Second major triumph: I successfully cooked chicken. This may seem like a small hurdle for one who enjoys cooking and does it frequently, but as a mostly-vegetarian for the past couple of years, I need a “how to cook meat: for dummies” book. Finally, I ate some oatmeal. Yes, my second-best comfort food of choice in the absence of real, fresh milk for the crunchy goodness that is cereal. A pretty close second.

Oh yes, and the view from my verandah: