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(happy birthday, natalie!)

if there's anything worse than mouse poop, its got to be mouse pee. it stinks! amazing how such a small creature can produce such odious urine.

i came back home last night hoping that the family would have lived up to their promise of cleaning my hut for me before i got back. they didn't. the place was filthy. thank goodness it was dark by then so i couldn't see just how dirty it was. nice and lizards have taken over and i spent the night (after sweeping in darkness) hiding from them in my mosquito net. a mouse ran up my leg and i screamed like a little girl in front of everybody -- what a homecoming.

but actually it wasn't as bad as i feared it would be. mamasou was waiting on the road for me and screamed her little lungs out when i got home. dame, the baby, remembered me and learned how to say my name while i was away and wrapped his chubby little arms around me. overall we were all happy to see each other again. i brought home a ball for the kids and they were very excited about it (i can hear them bouncing it around right now) and cookies and kola nuts for the adults. the kola nuts have served me well as this is the first time i actually have something to give when asked for a sariche (gift).

i spent the morning cleaning my hut and setting everything back up. it was a lot of work and now i'm really tired and i also seemed to have forgotten how freakin' hot it is here out in the bush.

pedro has gotten huge and is developing some fancy tail feathers. he's also finally getting feathers on his neck! good for him. he struts around now like he's bmoc (big man on campus) and doesn't get beat up so much anymore.