Dec. 28 - Wildlife

Friday morning (Dec 27) I got up to feed Watson and discovered that the ants were back. They found his food dish.  So while he was stomping around wanting his food I was stomping around doing the ant elimination dance. I fed him in the bathroom... which he didn't like...while I got the ant spray out and went on attack. This was a minor skirmish compared to last time but they are persistent. I finally got things back to normal so Watson could return to his routine.  He is a slave to ritual...everything has to be done in a certain way in a certain order or else he is upset.

Lunch was Gnocchi soup...made with Italian sausage and chicken broth. It was really good and not hard to do.

I went to the library to return my movies and one book and get some new movies. I'm really unhappy with my Dish Network programming. I can't wait to get rid of it. So I got some mysteries to watch when there is nothing I can watch.

Kaktus Brewing was having a music night with a group called Bohemian Sol. No one knew what to expect but they turned out to be OK. I had my three porters and a pretzel bun with dipping mustard. It was a full house...biggest crowd I've seen there. If they can have a few days like that every month it will be easier to keep it going.

The guy sitting next to me was named Bjorn and he was from South Africa but lives in Placitas. He does special computer generated effects for motion pictures. He worked on the Shrek movies. Right now he's at a turning point. The industry was moving to Albuquerque but now it seems like his kind of work is being outsourced to Malaysia or China. He says most of the people he deals with now are Chinese. He's in his mid 30s and no wife or kids so he is mobile....except for his property that he bought in Placitas that he likes but might have to sell and move away. Sounds familiar.

Bjorn was an interesting guy. We talked about wildlife that we both have and he identified my mystery animal as a pack rat. He rides a dirt bike "through the bush" from his house in Placitas to Bernalillo and the brewery.

Today, Saturday, I decided to work around the house. I was supposed to go to a Meetup at the Nexus brewery for the craft brewing group but decided against it...I went through my beer budget last night.

I went to Lowes and got a few things including some solar lights to put out in the front. Sometimes it is dark before I go out to get the mail and it is a little tough. Also I put one by the waterfall to maybe discourage the pack rat. My luck...the pack rat will take the lights.

Today was leftovers day...more gnocchi soup and I finished off the ham steak. It was also laundry day so I'm caught up.

I met two new neighbors today...Karl and Donna live across the street and a little ways down the street. They are my closest neighbors across the street. They have kids (!!!) although I've not seen any. They are teenagers and keep to themselves...Samuel and Joelle. I met the couple briefly months ago at Wal-Mart when I asked them about their FIAT but didn't realize they were my neighbors until later.  I met the neighbors on the other side of Rod and Terry a while back (Nate and ?? - can't remember wife's name) and Jerry and Dorothy who live across the street from Rod. 

Watched Mizzou beat NC State in basketball in the last couple of minutes after trailing the whole game.