what's that noise?

so somebody is going to be staying at my place part of the time that i'm gone over the coming couple weeks.

and since ibu hasn't worked for like a week and a half now and there have been 3 cats living in my house, i decided it was time for a good clean.

first step, kick the cats out. they're old enough now. i put a sarong in the bottom of a box and put it in a place that will stay sheltered and dry in the alley behind my house. i'm not entirely coldhearted. and it was christmas, after all.

then the cleaning started. and as i was cleaning, i kept finding curious little sticky yellow puddles under, beside, and behind everything i moved. (yes, mom, i even clean behind things!) my house didn't actually smell like cat pee until i cleaned it. and then i couldn't get rid of the smell no matter how much deodorizer and floor cleaner i used. i swept and then mopped three times. then i used a rag and hand scrubbed the floors. i finally ended up having to use a toothbrush to bleach the floors then open all the doors and windows and turn the ceiling fans on. that seemed to do the trick. my house is really really clean now.

i was getting ready to start cleaning the bathroom when i heard what sounded like voices outside my house. at first, i thought it was a couple of the guards stopping for a chat on their rounds. but it sounded like they were singing. sometimes the guards do sing... but it wasn't them. it was call to prayer! so i checked the clock. definitely 4 AM. wow, i got really into cleaning.

in retrospect, that was kind of funny. i had gone to sunrise service that morning in town. at 4 AM. so on the biggest Christian holiday of the year, i both woke up to and fell asleep to the 4 AM muslim call to prayer.

leaving for the islands in less than 12 hours. i haven't even packed yet.