slug

I'd stepped out for a bit of morning sun and air, and saw this loooong dark thing, multiple inches, crawling on the wall of the house. Instinctively I knocked it off. On the ground it shrank to under an inch, and I realized it was a slug, not some horrifying centipede. I confirmed this with a poke, and then picked it up to move it to some bushes.

Man, they are slimy. And the slime is sticky. Soap does nothing, just vigorous scrubbing.

Lol, oops:

If you accidentally come across a slug's trail or handle a slug in the garden, your first instinct is likely to run for water so you can wash off that disgusting mucus. Resist this urge. Slugs use their mucus to help prevent dehydration. As such, slug mucus absorbs water -- meaning the mess on your hands will get worse if you try to rinse it off.

If you've been slimed, wait a few minutes for the mucus to dry. Then rub your hands together briskly to roll the dried mucus off. Once the mucus is gone you can wash your hands with soap and water. If you're having trouble getting the dried slime to rub off, try using a dry powdered borax hand soap or rubbing a paper towel between your hands. If slime gets on your clothing, treat the area with white vinegar before washing.

Oh well, next time.

owner of a new folding bike

For the first time in 7 years, I own a bike. For the second time in 7 years, I've ridden a bike. (First time was a rental in Vancouver.) I'd thought about it for a while now, but with my constantly hazy future, I never wanted to commit -- certainly not to the $660 new bikes down the street that I might have to abandon when going nomadic again, or commit my life to really cheap Target bikes, and I never got around to seeing what was on Craigslist.

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