Saturday, August 04, 2007

The Week That Was

It hasn't been the most comfortable of weeks at Maison Twilight. We've had a virus bouncing around - well, to be accurate, it bounced from him to me. Pesky nuisance. I haven't been able to eat anything that wasn't white, bland, odourless and tasteless, seriously cramping the culinary style of ChefWhoKnows.

The virus must have sent signals to its geeky counterpart, a Trojan who promptly by-passed the anti-virus software and infected my computer. One day was wholly devoted to investigating a variety of virus removal tools. The free scan, in each case, came up with a completely different and lengthy list of "serious threats", along with the information that in order to eradicate the nasties one must "register", at a cost of $$... Whilst I don't expect anything for nothing, my cynical side surfaced. If this computer had contained all the nasties listed in all those free scans it would have ground to a halt and expired long ago.

(She, scornfully): "I bet this is a marketing ploy!"

(He, sarcastically): "You reckon?"

Eventually, the invader was caught and evicted, along with a gaggle of others, actual or ficitious. Gaggle doesn't sound right. I wonder what is the communal noun for a group of Trojans or viruses? A troop of Trojans? A surge of viruses?
Anyway, all's clear on the western front, at last.

On Wednesday, I turned from the computer to see a big "something" advancing across the living room carpet. It didn't appear to have wings, so I bravely inspected it from above. Little horns, a tail curled at the tip, carried high........

(Excitedly): "Come quick - there's a scorpion! Hurry !!"

HeWhoKnows did a heroic rescue using a big glass jar with a piece of stiff card, and ferried our invading friend out to the field at the back of the house.

In the two and a half years we've lived in this house, a toad, a 4-foot long snake, a field mouse and now a scorpion have paid us the compliment of a quick visit. Word must be getting around - "Hey guys, y'all can go into Maison Twilight, they won't stomp on ya!"

I have no idea which astrological aspects might be involved with this week's inconvenient invasions - maybe the full Moon in Aquarius(my Sun sign) last weekend, lighted the way for 'em all.

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