What's that smell..?

This is the first weekend since splitting with the ex, that I have been completely alone.   Up until now, there had been a million things that needed doing.  Hell, there are still a million things that need doing; the difference is that these things will wait.  Dad dying wasn’t going to wait.

How did I fare..?  It was a long day.  I was up at 7 awaiting the air conditioner guy who took one look, at how high the first story window was before shaking his head and saying he would have to come back.   After that, I did some cleaning before deciding to investigate what the smell was coming out of my pantry.  The girl had said last week "It's the spices!"  I wasn't so sure.  I’ve been cooking with black rice of late and when I noticed it spilled across the white shelving, I wondered how I’d done that without noticing and cleaning it up.  Then I noticed it was everywhere… and that it wasn’t black rice.  I have mice!!!!!  And the smell is furry rodent smell!

So it was off out to buy bait which I’ve strewn about the place.  Strewn… Ha!  It’s lucky I don’t have a pet because I’ve spread four packets of the stuff around!  Then it was remove everything.  Throw what was gnawed or even remotely suspect.  Wash with mint oil and hot soapy water.  Put anything not touched into large plastic tubs before vacuuming and washing the floor and bottom of the pantry.

I even went so far as to change the vacuum cleaner bag to try to get rid of that awful smell!  The box said it could take DAYS to kill them.   I saw the mouse this morning.  The mess it left made it seem like a dog sized rat had rampaged through my pantry.  In truth, it was a tiny grey field mouse.  I still want it gone; now.  I’m thinking about going to get another type as well to strategically position that. 

After the mouse/clean I looked around and wondered what I would do then.  This is the moment when loneliness strikes.  I can only imagine how my Mum is coping now that she has lost her husband of 59 years.  They eloped when my mother was seventeen.  How do you get over that...?

The girl was out for the weekend and so I sat, holed up in my house; alone with a mouse and a glass of wine.  It made me feel much lonelier than I have up until now.  It also made me feel stronger; because I can do this.  I am woman, hear me roar!  I had a moment of self-pity that I eliminated with a power walk followed by a book in the bath.  I was in bed with my book by 9pm and I suspect out like a light by ten!