Today in Homeownership

We got a fair bit of snow over the weekend. V and I stayed on top of the driveway and sidewalk shoveling like the good citizens that we are. But overnight, the city plows kinda effed a big part of that up, as they are wont to do.

We live on a corner lot. So sidewalk ramps are our responsibility. We had, of course, cleared it yesterday when we were doing the rest of the shoveling, but alas – overnight, the plows came, and left a very compact frozen block of snow in their wake. So I spent a good few hours this morning huffing and puffing and clearing that out. I am but one not very strong person. My arms are k i l l i n g me.

But wait, the fun continues.

Over the past few days, V and I noticed an increasingly foul smell in the room we use as an office. After turning the room upside down looking for the culprit, we worried that it could be natural gas, so we did what you’re supposed to do and called MG&E. We evacuated the house, Isis in tow in her little carrier, while a guy inspected and informed us that it was probably a dead mouse. Hurrah!

This morning in the middle of my shoveling extravaganza, we had a pest removal company come by. He drilled a small hole in an expertly chosen area of the ceiling to reveal a little mouse tail, attached to a very dead mouse.

(On the positive side, the pest control guy was super nice and we bonded over being in interracial marriages – he’s Cambodian, married to a Caucasian woman).

So it’s been just a banner day in homeownership, friends. Between all the excitement I have eaten three things thus far, two of which are Super Bowl party leftovers: two (three?) brownie bites, a handful of jalapeno ranch Ruffles, and a clementine. I am now going to go take an unreasonably long, extremely hot bath. It’s only 1:30pm; who knows what fresh horrors – or joys!? – the day may yet bring.