mostly notes to myself

[the_siobhan]

I think the stay-up-for-two days nuclear option I landed on saved me from jet-lag when I travelled to Europe, but holy crap, am I ever suffering from it now after my much gentler return. This has led to me falling asleep on my desk (and on BC's couch) at something like 9 pm and having to be pried out of my chair and poured into bed. Last night I went to see SLF with Darrell and spent most of the night being propped up by his very patient ass.

I returned to a kitchen full of mouse shit. I bought a bunch of traps but for some reason the companies that make snap traps have decided that the consumer public really needs to see something new and different on the market. So the ones I bought have these "panels" and I cannot for the life of me figure out how to set the fucking things. I must have slammed it on my fingers about six times. I finally sorta' succeeded with one of them, and of course the mice just ate the bait right off of it.

I was thinking I might make some soup tonight, because that's good food for making a big batch and grazing on it later. This will require that I (1) Buy the ingredients on the way home (2) Do the dishes so that I have counter space for prep and (3) Cleaning the mouseshit off the stovetop. Then (4) Cook. That probably means I won't be finished before I start to slide out of my chair tonight so I should (5) Make some space in the fridge so I can throw the whole pot in there and finish it off later.

Oh, and (6) Laundry tonight for sure because I'm out of clothes.

Other things I need to do this week;

Carlin is still at my nephew's place, I need to find an evening to get him back. Maybe I can get Axel to do that.

Hit a couple of stores to replace the stuff that got stolen. Shit on toast, I fucking hate shopping.

Make sure insurance claim gets submitted. (Paint damage on the rental car. North-American sized car in a German-sized parking spot. Long story.)

I have a new prescription for glasses, so I need to get around to picking out frames. Uh - come to think of it I'm not even sure where that is so I should probably locate it.

I have to follow up with Health Services at work about my accommodation request.

I started going through the piles of paper on my desk on the weekend and I chucked a lot of stuff, but what's left needs to be filed before I lose track of it all again.

One of the credit card statements isn't adding up, investigate that.

Fix the library.

Figure out what's going on with that company investment thing that has never worked right.

Follow up with the work that needs to be done on the front porch.

There is a tree, I swear, a genuine fucking tree growing out of our eaves-trough, so I should probably get that cleaned out.

Some of the neighbourhood folks have been talking about a new Yoga place in the 'hood that is fairly conveniently located for my trip home from work. Maybe I should check them out one day soon.

Comments

[hobbitbabe]

I killed several mice this year when the weather outside got cold. The method I used was neither painless for them nor pleasant for me. But most of them are dead and the rest of them seem to have been chased off. So I don't care, much.

[the_siobhan]

I hate hate hate the glue traps because they are such a horrible way to die. I feel like a monster for using them. But it seems to get rid of mice faster than any other method - I'm convinced the poor fuckers scream so much it scares all the other mice into abandoning the house, so it actually works better than traps that just kill them outright.

[hobbitbabe]

That may be true! I know that one was still alive and running through my house when I started catching the others, but I never saw it again. Maybe it is now tormenting my neighbours.

I, um, didn't leave them in the glue to die slowly, I killed them myself once they were caught. I tried other things first and none of them seemed to work at all. So, yeah.

[hobbitbabe]

Meanwhile, I had more than one person on a dating/meetup app ask me, "what are you looking for?" and I felt like saying, "I am just looking for a man to come kill rodents for me." But I didn't. I killed my own damn rodents.

[greylock]

Am I mis-remembering, or did you once have an aversion to mouse traps that killed?

SLF? I feel like it should be obvious but...

I returned to a kitchen full of mouse shit.
Oh.... my.
That is.... not good.
I know you have the train line and such, but if I saw that I'd either set fire to the whole mess or call in an exterminator.


I've decided that cheap traps suck, but the great ones I loved, which used to set well and work a treat no longer do either, and in fact a baby mouse was trapped alive, by the tail in one. I had to kill a few over winter and all I had at hand was a mattock.

It makes me feel like the worst human ever.

There is a tree, I swear, a genuine fucking tree growing out of our eaves-trough,

Are they what we call gutters? Because, that is not surprising. I had a weed the other day (last night) which I swear was not there a week ago that was at hip height last night, and things that are (I think) gum trees, when they survive seedinghood, are almost as bad.

Some of the neighbourhood folks have been talking about a new Yoga place in the 'hood

I saw a place tonight with the slogan "Yoga Mat'ters". I wanted to Frank Castle them.

[the_siobhan]

Am I mis-remembering, or did you once have an aversion to mouse traps that killed?

That wasn't me. I would do humane release if I thought it would get me anywhere, but since we're the only house on the street without a cat they would just come back inside.

Are they what we call gutters?

I think so. Here, gutters are the area on the road where the drainage openings are located to catch the rain water.

[greylock]

I would do humane release if I thought it would get me anywhere,

Maybe I am remembering a time when you tried that.

but since we're the only house on the street without a cat they would just come back inside.

They might come back anyway. Mice are brave like that. Brave, or stupid.

Here, gutters are the area on the road where the drainage openings are located to catch the rain water.

And here, for lack of anything else to call them.