Allie's Archives: a recovery journal

[Blueberry]

Sorry about your mouse problem. I had one of those once, just in the basement and that was bad enough. It triggered all kinds of stuff.

Sending compassion for overwhelm. I know it well unfortunately. I'm sorry your h didn't do the laundry when you asked him. May I be angry for you?

[alliematt]

Thank God I don't have mouse phobia. I'm handing the situation with copious amounts of snark. But then again, I'm finding myself peeking around corners when I go anywhere in the house, and my entire first floor smells like rat pee!

The exterminator company is supposed to clean and sanitize when they come.

[alliematt]

The cavalry arrived this morning! As I write this, the exterminators are sealing entrance points and will set traps for our unwanted guests. I've named the two I've seen Ben and Willard. (Bonus points if anyone knows where the names come from).

[alliematt]

Our heat went out on Sunday, I've developed a sore throat, my son saw a mouse this morning, and we have a cold rain at the moment. So how is everyone else's day?

I'm sitting next to a space heater. For those worried, I turn it off when I leave the room and anywhere that has a space heater, we do NOT run it at night.

[Blueberry]

I lost my Internet and phone connection late last week though fixed again now, obviously. Or I wouldn't be typing on here rn.
Over the weekend my electricity went on the blink. My neighbour is an electrician and he sort-of-repaired it but told me to not use too many appliances at once e.g. turn the heating off if I want to put the electric kettle on. LL sent his own electrician on Monday so I can use appliances again but still be careful. We in central Europe are meant to be going easy on power too and anyway the costs are going up by the month. Oh yeah, our heating was gas central heating but that's all been turned off at the mains because of renovation going on in the building so I have one electric heater for my apt. It's in the living room where I'm now sleeping and where my furbabies are. I don't have it on all the time though.

Sorry a mouse seems to have escaped the extermination.

[alliematt]

Good grief, Blueberry! I'm sorry you've had to deal with all of that!

The exterminator did a return visit yesterday (they will keep coming back until all the mice/rats are gone.) There was a dead rat in the attic. At the risk of regretting it, I asked to see it.  It was about 6-8 inches long, gray, ugly, and most importantly, DEAD.

The evening before, my son had run upstairs yelling, there's a mouse! I saw it in the kitchen and then it went to the dining room!

I couldn't find it but I did see the, ahem, evidence it left behind. So I left the "evidence" for the exterminator to show where the mouse/rat had been. He set some more traps and even vacuumed up the mouse poop before he left. 

This morning, I discovered a fallen bag of split peas in my pantry with holes in the plastic and copious amounts of "evidence" left behind. The peas are now in the trash and the pantry shelf has been cleaned. I may end up writing a piece called "The Rat Chronicles" before all of this is done!

[alliematt]

Sad. Sad today and overwhelmed. It may be medical fatigue. I have so much wrong with me and so many problems to solve, and I have work that needs to be turned in by tomorrow at 1.

[Blueberry]

I'm sorry you're feeling sad and overwhelmed. Good luck with your deadline tomorrow.

Thanks for commenting on what all I was dealing with, btw. The situation has improved somewhat since then.

[alliematt]

Everything got turned in on time. Barely on time, but on time, and I did get an email telling me about mistakes I made. (That is something I need to know so I won't mess up on the same things.)

I still feel sad, and today I got a phone call from Social Security about my son, and when I said, I'm his guardian and you should have that paperwork, well, they didn't. I get to see them at 9 on Monday so they can make a copy of my guardianship papers. Then I get to talk to them on the phone at 7:15 a.m. - you read that right - because they "need more information". Is it against the rules here to say that I hate Social Security?

[alliematt]

Had a difficult day; started with learning that a shooting took place in a grocery store parking lot in my neighborhood; the second shooting in my neighborhood in under a month.

And after a question I posed in an online writing group, I've learned that part of the premise of a novel I've been trying to write will probably have to be scrapped.

I think I'm having a reaction of some sort to my inner wrists; they are red and itchy and the only thing I can think of is that they're reacting to either the plastic on my computer or the plastic on the tables I've used in the living room to put my computer on. I've ordered two pairs of fingerless gloves to use on my hands; it's the only way I know of to cover up the areas that are breaking out. I'm so tired of health problems and other problems. 

[Blueberry]

Two shootings in your neighbourhood in a month

I'm sorry it sounds as if your novel won't / can't go ahead. At least not now. And I'm sorry about more health problems. We are here for you when the going is tough.

[alliematt]

Blueberry, I'm late in responding, but thank you.  As if things weren't "bad enough", I had COVID (again) about a week ago. The day before I tested myself and found out I was COVID positive, I was in a horrible mood with horrible thoughts. After I tested, I thought, 'Oh. Things make a little more sense now. I always feel worse mentally when I'm ill."

I slept a lot that week and that helped.

And I'm still slathering lotion on my legs and wearing my old lady stockings; I see the doc for a follow up next year (actually, next month. :-) ) The inside wrists do look better. I'm convinced they're from resting against something my skin is reacting to.

And after about a week of peace, I saw a mouse/rat poke its head out from behind our couch. I said, "Oh, no you don't," and it ran back behind the couch.  Tell me, is it legal to burn down your entire house to get rid of vermin? (That is a joke. Although I admit it's tempting. Obviously, I'd remove all items of value before I set the fire and tell husband and son to get OUT.)

I just saw your emoji reactions to "two shootings". I agree with them both!!!

[Blueberry]

You're welcome, allie. No need to apologise, you come on here and write when you can. Your needs come first.

is good, especially during a bout of Covid. Hope you're doing OK again now.

A pity the mice/rats don't go down with really bad, fatal Covid.

[alliematt]

I agree; the mice should go down with an incurable, untreatable version of COVID!

[Not Alone]

Allie, I'm sorry you are dealing with so much including rodents. Ugh!
I wish I could send you an explosion to get rid of those critters.