Friday, December 6, 2013

I Need a Drink - by Karen McDaniel

This was written by a friend of mine, and I could not keep all the laughs to myself! So, I had to share!

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6 am, 20 degrees. 7 am, 20.1 degrees. 8 am, 20.3 degrees.
Start the dishwasher. It's leaking slightly. Curse, mop up. Discover mouse is looking at me with interest from next to the dishwasher bottom plate. Yell. Curse. Entertain mouse.
Husband comes down to see what is the fuss. Mouse runs across kitchen and into another part of the house. Husband chases. Mouse eludes. Mouse is somewhere laughing...
Dig out trap from last use. Discover dead mouse in it. Many days dead. Take mouse outside in 20 degree temp to dispose of. Stuck to trap. Pick up frosty stick and disengage. Curse. Entertain dog. Tell dog under no conditions is she to attempt mouse retrieval for morning snack.
Return to house, spend several minutes cleaning fur off mouse trap using hot water, toothpicks, and bathroom sink. Reset trap. Meanwhile husband has been working on dishwasher, leaves for work announcing it has stopped leaking.
I'm not sure who won this round, but I'm positive it wasn't me.
9:45 am 23.3 degrees. Dishwasher did NOT stop leaking, leak was redirected. Instead of a flood in the kitchen, I have wet sheetrock on the basement ceiling and puddles of water down there.
So the mouse wasn't taunting me... he was complaining to the landlord his apartment was flooded...
Hole cut in basement ceiling so the joist is drying out. Hole cut in wall so the sill plates are drying out.  Mouse nest cleaned out behind dishwasher, insulation repaired.
1:50 PM  32 degrees.  Heat wave.
And I've been reported to the Rodent Housing Authority.
Start pouring.  I'll let you know when to stop!

2 comments:

  1. Hello, j l mo!

    Nice little story. Snapshot of a typical day for the author, perhaps. Are mouses a problem in your neck of the woods? For me, it's only when my cat Pepper brings home a catch that's not quite dead and lets it go in the homestead. She'll get it a couple of days later. Maybe. So I can feel the author's pain.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, we got mouses(ha!) problems. On one occasion, the home of my father-in-law remained empty for three months. Mice had moved in.

      Sticky traps were laid, the house locked up, and remained so for two weeks. Yeah. Bad idea.

      When the door was next opened, the odor hit us like a physical force! Ugh! It was too gross.

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