Unwanted Guest(s)

I'm taking a brief break between my research on mouse killing and nursing to blog... So much going on in my head right now!

We got back Tuesday at noon, were home by 1, and arrived to kitchen counter tops covered in mouse dung. I use the term "covered" loosely; in all, I counted 13 terdies. Remember that post about feeling bad about it? Those feelings are over. No longer are they cutesy, lil' furry four-legged creatures just looking for my stale crackers or old rice or that 9-pound bag of flour I bought a year ago at Costco and have only used once. 

Now, they are diseased pooping machines that I am on a mission to eradicate. PETA people? My sympathies are over. Mice are not humans. Humans do not poop on counters. Humans, the good ones, at least clean up after themselves! I am getting in touch with  my inner predator. Die, mice, die! 

It was only a tiny tease when all of the traps we set before we left only caught one mouse in our pantry. Apparently the "poor thing's" hind leg got stuck in the trap and he must have died either of starvation or exhaustion. (Animal lovers, save the complaints. Think about how bad humans are treated in jail or starvation in Third World countries before you feel saddened for this creature.)

While the rest of the family stayed home and unpacked, I went off to the grocery store to stock up on what has become the essential list around here... Ya know, milk, bread, fruit, and mouse traps. 

I went to bed last night after having my super-duper savior Manny set 9 traps in our kitchen alone. We woke up this morning to find not one dead mouse, but 2 terdies on the counter. It was as if this monster was laughing in my face! Like that fat, freckled kid who terrorized us on the playground in grade school during a game of tag or after he stole one of our toys, "Neener neener neener! You can't catch me!"

My morning has been spent researching and calling those with prior experience, and we have our work cut out for us. It will require the purchase of lots of expanding foam, rubber gloves, a container of Clorox Cleanup, finding new places for what we (until now) kept on our pantry floor (like paper towels, etc. - apparently they can use it to climb onto our pantry shelves - GASP!), moving our stove, emptying the bottom cabinets, and searching high and low for how they are getting in. I am thisclose to getting a cat. And I really don't like cats.