Rats, traps, false fears.
This last week I had Rudy, my go-to furnace person, do his annual check on my heating devices. Everything seemed good as gold except I hadn't washed off the filters, but I have now.
Then he dropped a bomb on me. Well, not a real bomb. He told me it looks like I have rats in the basement...and he showed me the evidence - their droppings. Oh no! "Yep, get yourself a rat trap, set it up along this piece of wood, come in and check it daily, and then toss it if a rat gets in it."
My response..."How many rats? I've never set any trap for anything."
His response..."They've made a better rat trap, these days. It's black, it's plastic, and it's easy to set and it even has a place for the peanut butter you put in it."
My thoughts...sure. Right. That's great. Now who am I going to find to set a rat trap?
So it took a few days for me to get to the hardware store because I was so busy. No, that wasn't it. I didn't want to set a trap, or find a rat, or toss the trap.
I'm not one to be afraid of much. Well, maybe not too much (I really need to think that through). I'm actually more fearful than I appear to be.
With the help of others (mostly my dear departed friend and husband):
-I've landed a glider on a plateau in the Nevada desert, watched as Carl came close and then drove away with the glider trailer, because he couldn't find me. I was thinking I would spend the night in the glider..that's what I was prepped to do. He came back just before dark and we drove away together.
-I've had two (out of four) engine failures on the same trip...one on the outbound leg flying a DC4 to land on a beach to pick up salmon, and the other flying inbound loaded with 18,000 pounds of salmon back to Kenai.
-Been thrashed by winds in heavy squalls while racing to Hawaii.
-Have driven across the country with my college age daughter, who was heading to camp to be a counselor (now that was really scary...too much time in a car together - I love you Sutter).
Let's see...now I'm afraid of rats? What is this idea of women fearing rats and mice? I've heard of this for as long as I've lived! My brother had a mouse (Sniffy) in a cage. Everybody liked that animal. But in cartoons the housewives would scramble onto a kitchen chair and wouldn't come down until 'somebody' saved her from the rats/mice.
This doesn't have to be as bad as you think, Marilyn. I bought the better rat trap. I loaded it with peanut butter. I set it. I looked at it after one day.
After giving myself a pest talk.. I took the leap into the semi-darkness of the furnace closet again. Still there. No rat. Each day...no rat. No more droppings either.
One more to add to my list of things to not be afraid of.
Live richly...don't be afraid...it's all in your head. marilyn
Then he dropped a bomb on me. Well, not a real bomb. He told me it looks like I have rats in the basement...and he showed me the evidence - their droppings. Oh no! "Yep, get yourself a rat trap, set it up along this piece of wood, come in and check it daily, and then toss it if a rat gets in it."
My response..."How many rats? I've never set any trap for anything."
His response..."They've made a better rat trap, these days. It's black, it's plastic, and it's easy to set and it even has a place for the peanut butter you put in it."
My thoughts...sure. Right. That's great. Now who am I going to find to set a rat trap?
So it took a few days for me to get to the hardware store because I was so busy. No, that wasn't it. I didn't want to set a trap, or find a rat, or toss the trap.
I'm not one to be afraid of much. Well, maybe not too much (I really need to think that through). I'm actually more fearful than I appear to be.
With the help of others (mostly my dear departed friend and husband):
-I've landed a glider on a plateau in the Nevada desert, watched as Carl came close and then drove away with the glider trailer, because he couldn't find me. I was thinking I would spend the night in the glider..that's what I was prepped to do. He came back just before dark and we drove away together.
-I've had two (out of four) engine failures on the same trip...one on the outbound leg flying a DC4 to land on a beach to pick up salmon, and the other flying inbound loaded with 18,000 pounds of salmon back to Kenai.
-Been thrashed by winds in heavy squalls while racing to Hawaii.
-Have driven across the country with my college age daughter, who was heading to camp to be a counselor (now that was really scary...too much time in a car together - I love you Sutter).
Let's see...now I'm afraid of rats? What is this idea of women fearing rats and mice? I've heard of this for as long as I've lived! My brother had a mouse (Sniffy) in a cage. Everybody liked that animal. But in cartoons the housewives would scramble onto a kitchen chair and wouldn't come down until 'somebody' saved her from the rats/mice.
After giving myself a pest talk.. I took the leap into the semi-darkness of the furnace closet again. Still there. No rat. Each day...no rat. No more droppings either.
One more to add to my list of things to not be afraid of.
Live richly...don't be afraid...it's all in your head. marilyn
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