Clean out mouse nest in cabin air filter in my car: $69.12
Replace cabin air filter in my car: $30.19
Install screen to prevent mice from making nest in air filter: $95.27
A dozen cats: WORTHLESS!
I'm still marveling at the nearly $70 they charged for removing the nest in the air filter they were going to throw away anyway. I have a picture in my head of two service techs in their hazardous waste removal suits arguing about who has to touch the mouse nest. Geez, it was just a mouse!
Although maybe it was a dead mouse? Ewwww! But that could explain the smell in my car about a month and a half ago that I couldn't get rid of. I cleaned and cleaned. The smell came back. It was a little less strong every time I cleaned, and then disappeared completely. I wasn't sure why it was gone, but I was happy. Now maybe I know why... /me prefers not to think too much about this!
As for the worthless cats... to be fair, they aren't outdoor cats. Spaz and Shira are hunters who do get to go out sometimes. But apparently hunting for mice in the garage -- and in my car -- is not nearly as exciting as hunting for them in the tall weeds in the someday water feature spot in our yard. I do think they might be spending more time in the garage in the future though.
Moving on.... This morning's weird discussion in the EOC... The Overlord gave us his annual quarterly (yes, that's what he said!) lecture on doing the dishes instead of just putting them in the sink. My work husband replied, "Fine. I'll do the dishes this morning. I do them at home, I might as well do them here, too. And where's the washer? I'll do the laundry, too!"
Night-shift Dan then says, "I've got a pile at home this high" while holding his hand about five feet off the floor.
Really?
The Overlord didn't quite buy that, to which Dan replied, "I don't have a washer, so I only do laundry once a month. I have a LOT of clothes." (Yes, ladies, he's single!) This led to him announcing he had 40 pair of underwear at last count and had bought more since he counted.
At this point, the Overlord declared that this was TMI. I couldn't help but point out that after hearing Dan say he only did laundry once a month, that I was glad, perhaps even relieved, to know that he had more pairs of underwear than there are days in the month.
The conversation deteriorated badly after this -- comments about going commando, making three pair of underwear last for an entire week, other things I don't want to think too much about... Except for the lack of mention of the impending zombie apocalypse, a normal conversation here in the EOC.
So I've talked about two things that were kind of disgusting -- I know, let's chat about flowers! I'll end this post on a better note.
Our growing season here in Helena is depressingly short. While the rest of the world is welcoming green grass, lilacs, and buds on the trees in April, we're still watching it snow. Or it's gray and dismal and winter... with no snow. :-( So I LOVE when things start turning green and blooming. Some of my favorites are the old-fashioned roses on the south side of our garage. They only bloom once each summer, but when they do, they are magnificent. Every year I go out and take some pictures, as if by doing so I'll extend the pleasure of their beauty a little longer.
While I was taking pictures of the roses, I decided to take a few of my favorite flower, the columbine. We are slowly turning one of our flowerbeds into almost all columbines. As we add or replace plants there, all we put in are columbines of various colors. Still, my favorite colors of my favorite flower are the traditional blues and purples.
Ken and I like a "natural" look to yard and flower beds. I'm not big on formal, neatly lined up plantings. It makes me happy to see the columbines reseed themselves all over. Same with the pansies. But from time to time, they choose places that just aren't all that suitable. Case in point:
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| Columbine growing between the steps up to the deck. |
This beauty sprouted in the dirt underneath the steps to the deck and is thriving. I know I should move it -- and I will -- but for some reason it makes me smile every time I see it there.But it's going to get trampled. If not that, then it's going to become a casualty to our deck cleaning, sanding, and restaining project later this summer. So it has to move. Probably five minutes before the project starts!
I occured to me the other day that some background on our house and gardens would be useful if you don't know me (ha! like strangers are going to bother reading my blog!) so I'll close with a link to some pictures and comments about our home. Our New House (It's not so new now. It was new to us almost six years ago, and built in 1984.) The pictures on the page are thumbnails, so click on them for larger images. But I apologize -- there are a couple pictures on the site that are HUGE and take FOREVER to load. I should fix that. Someday.
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