magical peanut butter

Saturday's excitement involved a trip to Plaza Lama, which can best be described as a Dominican Wal-mart Supercenter. (It wasn't really Wal-mart because you know I do not shop there.) I had originally gone to get some Dominican outfits, but upon walking into the clothing section, I realized there might be a slight problem with finding something that fit properly (read: covered more than a bra). One, I could see the tops of 90% of the other shoppers' heads. No, I was not wearing stilts - everyone was under 5 feet. Also everything was hoochie mama to the max. Not to say I don't have a few skimpy shirts in my wardrobe at home, but really the pale pale skin and straight hair get me enough attention, and they are impractical for work - people do wear some low cut stuff in the office, but they must be freezing in this AC. So after that all failed, it was time to do some grocery shopping.

Liam, you officially win the bet - on Saturday night I went with the roomies Laura and Christina and Christina's visiting dad to our downstairs bar. It was actually very depressing since I could only sit and watch everyone merengue between the tables, and I don't really look forward to repeating the experience until I can take this stupid brace off my leg. Oh well at least the disability means I never have to be the one to get up and get the next round of cerveza.

Yesterday was a day-long cleaning blitzkrieg in our apartment for the Peace Corps dinner party of sorts we had last night. I think I used an entire bottle of bleach trying to get the embedded soot out of the bathroom... my head still feels funny. Despite sweeping, swiffering, and mopping, the floors were dirty again after about 5 minutes - gotta love the filth that just comes in through the windows which of course are open 24/7. But Laura and I did catch another mouse within 24 hours of putting out a new trap. Apparently the magical lure is a little dab of peanut butter. (As little as possible, that stuff is like $6 a jar here and an integral part of the un-paid intern and PCVL diet.) It was probably the highlight of our weekend. And yes, it also got put in a plastic bag and put on the curb. We are considering getting the kinds of traps that just kill the mice but they probably cost more money.

While cleaning, we turned up Christina's iTunes to drown out the bar and its drunk patrons who were singing along to the 80s soft rock in the mid-afternoon. I guess they got started on the communion wine at morning mass. But there was no competing with the bar later last night, when they turned the music on so loud, the floors were shaking, but I'd rather have that than the thunderstorm noises. As soon as the bar turned off the jukebox, it was time for deafening claps of thunder to shake the building instead. Again, miraculous that we didn't lose power, and that anything is still standing after hurricanes.

Do we think my coworkers would judge me for keeping a jar of peanut butter at my desk for eating with a spoon? It was basically a requirement for sanity in another office I worked in... and oh wait I don't have a desk. So much for that idea.