I've also managed to survive the Great Lizard Rebellion of Aught Eight and recaptured my son's house gecko that escaped it's cage for almost a week... during which time my son refused to sleep in his bedroom where we had said lizard trapped. My husband really is an intelligent man in most regards, but why on Earth he thought it would be a good idea to leave the lid off the cage while he and son changed out the water bowl is beyond me. When he called me at work to tell me what happened, the first thing I asked was "Why didn't you use the net I bought to avoid this exact thing from happening?" At which point hubby asks, "What was I supposed to do with the net?" "Trap the lizard in it and hold it against the side of the cage so it can't climb out. It seems rather self evident to me how it should be used." Fortunately the lizard eventually moved back in on his own and my son was able to move out of the living room and hubby now understands the concept of the net.
More than the lizard, I also survived my German in-laws. I did get a wonderful day at the beach in San Diego (the water was the warmest it's ever been in 17 years I've been going down there to visit with hubby) and a trip to Ikia, which is usually the highlight of any trip to southern California.
