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Every summer, when I have the house open and the fan drawing air into my bedroom while the light is on, some species of flying creature tries to adopt my room as its habitat.

For some reason, these invasions seem to be generally limited to a single species per year. For example, I've had Miller moths, and the local, spiky beetle, mosquitos, and of course wasps once.

This year a strange, pale green insect something like a lacewing has chosen to be my invader. These beasties are surprisingly hard to kill. A good whack with the fly swatter only seems to stun them momentarily and I'm forced to crush them by hand with a kleenex.

Until this evening: I noticed my invader beating his little brain out in the lampshade. Taking up my weapons, I waited for him to maneuver out of the lamp to a locale where I could get a good swing going. I never got the chance. While I watched, my flying friend landed on the inside of the shade, then appeared to try to take a step, stumbled and fell down, apparently unconscious, to the base of the lamp.

I watched him for about a minute, but he never moved even though he was lying on his back. I applied my standard remedies to make sure of his state, then lay back down to consider the implications.

I considered claiming, for dramatic effect you understand, "fell down, stone dead, to the base of the lamp" but I suffered a sudden bout of intellectual honesty and had to forgo that.

I juggled outside today and then sat down under a tree to eat lunch and watch the scenery. (Classes started on Monday.) When I sat down I noticed a squirrel up in the tree.

A few minutes later friendly squirrel came down and squirreled around behind the tree and me and started sniffing up to my chips Tupper. I did your basic, "No!" and covered the bin with my hand and off he scampered.

Then he sniffed around my juggling bag, climbed up on it and sniffed at the sandwich I was eating. I told him that he wasn't getting any, so he got down and wandered off behind the tree.

And came back to my chips bin. We repeat the "no", cover, scamper routine, but this time he just ran around my drink and went to sniff the Tuppers that held/hold my sandwiches. I didn't chase him off since he can't get anything from them, (not while I'm watching anyway) but I kept the chips covered since he's about 6 inches from them.

Then he went right behind my back and up my left side looking for a way to get at the sandwich. Since the space between me and the juggling bag is barely squirrel wide I chased him out.

It's a good thing that I still had my hand on my chips because I immediately felt his tail run up my forearm. It was time to repeat the "No" routine, except that he just ran around my tea and went for the chips from that angle.

So I said, "No" and hit him on the nose.
So I said, "No" and hit him on the nose.
So I said, "No" and hit him on the nose.

So I picked up my chips and really swung at him. He was finally discouraged enough to go off looking for someone else to feed him.

Being unsuccessful, he came back. I didn't have to hit him this time to get him to go away. But he came back again when I was eating my cookies. Since I had sealed up all my Tuppers (and they only had scraps) I let him play with them for a few minutes. He gave me this look like, "I could really go for some of that cookie," but I told him what I thought of that idea.

He went around my back again and started looking at my cookies closely, so I told him, "No" again. He ran around my back and in a six foot circle until he was in front of me. Then he started doing the squirrel stealth walk. I looked him in the eye and said, "You aren't going to be able to sneak up on me that way." He walked away again and I finished my cookie and got out of there.

Sometimes you just gotta go back an fill in a missing something, even if it is trivial.

More than a year ago in my Thoughts from 1999 page, I mentioned in the November 7 entry wishing I had a digicam to take a picture of a brief optical effect.

Well, I have a digicam and the brief optical effect occurred again, so I digi'ed it. (Ok, I guess there is nothing in the term photography that is specific to film, so I'll drop my attempt to make new vocabulary. "I photographed it." There, you happy now?)

Here's the photo.

Ok, so I am a terrible geek, both computer and Star Trek.

I use those free AOL CDroms that I keep getting as coasters. And when they aren't keeping hot stuff from my computer desk, I fiddle with them, spinning them, flipping them, etc., etc.

Well, I also have a TRGpro with a HotSync cradle.

Suddenly an idea occurred to me. I put the CD into the cradle and thought, "Sure, luv. What's library?"

What is it with people giving directions these days? Last summer, in early September, I was being treated to lunch at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse, but because of my work schedule, I was going to have to make my own way there.

I hadn't been there before, so I asked the person treating me for directions. He told me that it was across from the field where they hold the Flea Market in the Spring.

So, after finding the Teahouse, I would know where the Flea Market would be held next Spring.

Today, we were going to be holding a farewell luncheon at the Oasis. Again, I asked for directions.

I was told that it was across the street from where the Library used to be. And it was two blocks down from something else that doesn't exist anymore.

So I looked it up on the map. For the record, take Broadway north to Canyon. Turn left on Canyon. The Oasis is two blocks down on your right. Parking is just behind the building.

After the luncheon I wasn't in any hurry to get back to work, so I took an alternate path back to work, just to see if it was any nicer than trying to bicycle on Broadway in Boulder. I took a wrong turn off the creek path and ended up, TA-DA! at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse.