After replying to comments and playing a bit of Borderlands 2 (Ultimate Vault Hunter Mode), I don’t have a whole lot to do in the mornings here. Michell is usually at work – doing the “graveyard” 11 PM – 7 AM shift – so when I get up around 5 AM, the house is relatively empty. I say “relatively empty,” as usually I get to share some quality time with the local indigenous wildlife. This morning, my early morning coffee was shared with Moe, Larry, and Curly, three of the little gecko lizards that are so common to any tropical climate around the world. These particular geckos like to hang out in our sink, and for some reason they sport an unusual whiteish coloration. If you haven’t seen geckos before, they are actually rather cute. They like to eat bothersome insets (like those horrible man-eating spiders that Michell usually has to deal with for me) and just like to hang around the walls waiting patiently for their next six (or eight) legged snack. When we were living in a pretty much open air house down in Dauin, the little guys liked to hang around the light sconces along the walls, as the bugs would unerringly fly towards any source of light. Get em, guys!!
We also had a tuko lizard in the house down in Dauin, which is pretty much a giant mutant gecko. They are also pretty cool, but their sheer size can be a bit disconerting. They will also bite if handled, but I would think the only people trying to handle them would be trappers seeking to smuggle them up to China and collect the $3-6,000 bounty on them. (The Chinese use them in medicinal remedies – probably something having to do with rigidity or longevity, which they all – like tiger cojones and elephant tusks – they all seem to address.) For that reason, tuko’s are considered endangered in the Philippines and there are civil and criminal penalties in place for trapping and/smuggling them. Heh – and try to explain that one to the guys in the hoosgow…….
The geckos also used to provide some amusement when they were getting into territorial disputes around the light sconces, chirping maniacally and chasing each other in circles around the walls. Every now one would grab the other’s tail and a chaotic miniature wrestling match would ensue. The only downside to having them in the house were the little poops that they would leave behind. Actually, the gecko poops weren’t all that bad – the tuko crap piles on the other hand were pretty nasty, and if you weren’t watching your footing, you could find yourself sliding across the floor atop a lenthening patch of green tuko leavings. Yeah, I did that more than a few times……
My dad saw the video on our sink geckos and reminded me that back in 1985, I had named three lobsters (set for dinner) Moe, Larry, and Curly as well. I grew a bit attached to the lobsters (I hadn’t learned that you never give dinner names, yet) and started a campaign to free them. It didn’t go over that well, and – despite my most impassioned pleas – they still ended up in the pot. Ah, well. At least my heart was in the right place!
Dad was also kind enough to dig out a photo of me holding up two of the trio. I think the paper sign that is taped to my chest says something like “Free Moe, Larry and Curly!”
Oh dear god – the Eighties. I think I was 17 in this. Not sure.
