I studied psychology. It turns out everyone's crazy.
The iguana looks somewhat like a snake, a turtle, a frog, or other animals. I hadn't noticed the resemblance as much until having an iguana as a pet.
I'm thinking of naming the iguana "Iguana", or "Mama Juana".
I think the iguana is giving me stress relief. At least comic relief. I often think of the absurdity of the situation.
An iguana makes for a convenient pet. They don't constantly run around, make noises, make messes, or do the other annoyances of some other animals. On the other hand, they don't seem to have much personality. Nor are they that appealing to play with.
There's tons of work involved in satisfying human needs!
Seeing yourself from a more scientific or objective perspective, you can see some of your own faults. Seems to indicate that we can enhance our results by working harder, giving more.
I think that the weather at different times of day makes for the typical moods for those times of day.
I predict that in the future, I'm likely to feel comparable frustrations to what I often feel, but with different specific stressors. Seems like even when you make progress, it results in an approximate return to normal.
Instead of expecting some total satisfaction, we can work for partial satisfaction, then take satisfaction with that.
Iguana's still here. Left a mess all over the bathroom. Including its food waste (from whatever it's eating), plus knocking things over.
Cleaner supposed to come, still hasn't arrived. Laundry machine still hasn't arrived. Repairs still haven't happened.
I guess we're on Caribbean time.
I took a nap, and when I woke up, heard some sounds in the bathroom. As I suspected, the iguana's there now. Not sure what it's doing. Drinking water? Finding insects? (Do iguanas eat insects?) Trying to get out by the window?
Kind of funny that the iguana went to the bathroom in the bathroom. :)
The iguana seems to have an aversive/fearful style, somewhat understandably given its genetics and situation.
Monday: "Is it the weekend yet?" :)
Often the things that I worry about turn out not to matter so much.
Prevenge (n.): Enacting justice before one has been harmed.
As the iguana has expanded its range, I now look around before walking to different areas of the apartment, to avoid stepping on or near it.
An iguana doesn't make for much of a pet, behavior-wise. But they're attractive to look at. Juana Iguana has been posing on the bike, then in the bathroom.
Delay continues. Package hasn't arrived yet, slow responses from the delivery business. Rainy anyways, so I'm not sure that I'd want to go quite yet.
With the iguana in the kitchen area, I was worried about eating. Now with the iguana in the bathroom, I'm worried about going to the bathroom. Two vital functions!
Another episode of things not going according to plan. I had thought (already far off from my earlier planning) that by now I'd be riding through other countries. Instead I'm staying in an apartment in this country, with an iguana! I guess we have to adapt, deal with what actually occurs.
The iguana sits motionless for a while (hours). If I approach too close, it (not sure of sex, how do you sex an iguana?) scurries off into a corner, often with its head or tail sticking out somewhat.
Maybe!
Maybe I haven't been making enough time for fun activities lately? I've often made too much time for fun activities. :) Recently I've run out of some fun things to do here, become more worried about some issues, and focused more on work. Also, feeling somewhat stuck. Maybe have more fun?
Intelligence, maybe social intelligence more than some other types, has evolved considerably from iguanas to mammals!
The water came back on (it remains on-and-off while the town redoes its piping), which shocked the iguana in the bathroom. It's now cowering behind the toilet.
Iguanas look somewhat fierce, but I think they're actually more like small grazers.
The iguana seems to be giving up. I've put more food near it, but the iguana barely seems to move.
Iguanas seem somewhat developed for reptiles.
Still, reptiles.
Apparently people in Mexico and the US eat iguana meat. Not sure that I know (or want to know) how to clean an iguana.
Some animals have mirrors in their eyes instead of lenses. If you look into their eyes, you see what they see. What would happen if two of these animals look into each other's eyes? They must have some intense flirtations or staring contests!
As a human, maybe our eyes SHOULD have correction? Maybe it's more "normal" to wear glasses or contacts, or have surgery?
I'm working to see things more "as they are" (more realistically, for what that's worth) in a useful, reliable manner, rather than to react out of anxious emotions.
I thought that the iguana was dying last night. It's been several days since it's been here, and I haven't seen it eating. Also, it was moving lethargically, even for an iguana. It didn't react nearly as much when I approached as it had before.
When I woke up, though, the iguana scurried through the room. It's still somewhat avoiding me, but I think less apprehensively than before. Now it's walking about slowly, which it hadn't done much before (only scurrying or staying motionless).
I read up a bit on iguanas. Seems that they're vegetarians, kept as pets in some places, seen as pests in other places. This iguana's growing on me some more. At the least it's an interesting experiment. Maybe some stress relief.
I think the iguana may have finally eaten some of the lettuce I left out!
I think the onion remains untouched.
I put out some more lettuce.
Maybe it's finally hungry?
I guess it's an experiment on me, too. I notice myself developing an emotional attachment to the iguana. :)
An iguana is about the size of a cat. But much more timid. An iguana looks sharper than a cat, which looks fuzzy, but cats act savagely, while iguanas act timidly.
The iguana has become more outgoing again. I heard it scurrying around while I napped, and I think I could even see it up on a table. Now it's standing still again.
Iguanas can remain motionless much better than humans, or for that matter many other animals, even other four-legged animals that have the addition of stability. Iguanas are low to the ground, with large, spread-out feet. I think they have different internal systems, too.
I only see four toes on each foot, with maybe a fifth as an opposing digit that I can't see?
"My" iguana's body is about a foot without counting the tail, plus about three feet of tail.
I think it's looking better than before.
It moves either in startlingly rapid bursts, or quite slowly. I think that its feet are adapted for much different ground than the tile floor, which it seems to have trouble gripping.
I don't see any indication that the iguana has gone through my groceries, which are out.
One of the pieces of lettuce looks maybe touched, the other not.
In a sense I feel like the iguana is more of a roommate than a pet. :)
A sudden noise. A can falling over (WD-40). The iguana on a backpack. It's becoming more of a normal pet. :)
Iguanas are better at climbing than I had thought before. Also better at running that I had thought before.
It must be funny to watch rats (or other test animals) in optogenetic experiments. You press a button (or however you control it), and the animal starts eating, or stops eating, or whatever. Like having a robot-mouse.
I don't think iguanas have much of a sense of humor. :)
From a different angle, I can more easily see five toes, on a back foot. They have a funny distribution of sizes, compared to human digits.
The iguana is now standing on a different backpack. I'm not sure if it just wants my company now? It seems more comfortable, anyways.
Iguanas aren't that social as animals. They don't look after their own young.
I feel like we're learning about each other, the Iguana and I. I'm learning to see it as an individual. :)
Do iguanas clean themselves? "Mine" seems to stand still, not doing much. Maybe they don't need to? I guess much of cleaning involves removing parasites from fur/hair? Do they just shed their skin instead?
I like having a pet iguana. It's like having a pet dinosaur or something.
Now the iguana has climbed up onto the stove!
Maybe it's walking over to the kitchen counter where I left some food out?
Thud! Iguana on ground. Did it jump down? Fall? I think it jumped.
It's entertainment, company, science. I can see why people like iguanas as pets!
If the iguana's leaping about, then I think it's finding some food source.
I think that the iguana's feet are adapted for climbing, walking, and running on rough surfaces (e.g. dirt, bark). It seems like the iguana lacks grip/traction on tile, metal, or other smooth surfaces.
I think the iguana's now fairly used to me, but remains somewhat wary of sudden movements. I accidentally approached closer than I usually do, and while the iguana flinched, it didn't back off.
The iguana seems to have some favorite areas. It likes the rear wheel of my bike. Also, short spaces that it just fits under, like under the fridge. Now it's on my bed, where I haven't seen it before, but I've seen it beneath the bed.
I feel like the iguana's learning its way around the apartment!
I'm no longer as worried about it biting me, dying, or doing other nasty things.
It's somewhat agile, somewhat clumsy.
French cheese is like a warm, delicious ice cream sandwich! :)
More iguana adventures to come!!!!! :)
