May
31, 2003
So
i have a new monitor. Himself took me shopping last
night and we took the plunge - bought a 15" flat
screen. It's so tiny!
And so bright i feel like i should have sunglasses
on. i had no idea how dark the old monitor was
getting - and i had it up to its highest brightness
level.
i'm having a challenge getting used to the smaller
resolution. i feel like i should be wearing my
glasses used for distance. (yes i have them - even if they
are a few years old and probably need to be renewed and i
don't want to wear them anyway) Actually it kind of
feels like working on a laptop - yet the actual screen
size is equivalent to the "old fashioned" 17
inch monitor i was using. But it's not as
"crisp" as the old one, i think, hence why it's
at a smaller resolution size.
Okay, so i'm having some adjustment problems. i'm
just not willing to admit that the problems are probably
due to the fact that my eyes are reminding me daily about
the bifocals in my future. Yuck.
On the upside, i have all this SPACE on my desk now.
AND, i can turn this little puppy at just the right angle
so that Himself can't read it when i'm trying to do
journal updates. Which means i can work with Him
right beside me now. No more sitting here getting
all antsy when there's something i want to write and can't
because He's sitting here. Of course this means i
now have one less excuse for not updating more regularly.
So my haircut has proven to be a big hit. i think
the only people who haven't liked it is - Himself and
me. Well i shouldn't say me entirely. More and
more there are moments when i glance in the mirror and go
"hey, that's kind of cute..." i think my
quickly fading angst was more driven by trying to learn
how to work with it, and the fact that i look more and
more like my mother. That was not a goal i had ever
set for myself.
Himself is coming around slowly. i think the big
thing for Him is if i have happy hair, then He doesn't
have to listen to me having unhappy hair. Did that
make sense? The new cut definitely is more
conservative - and He's not a conservative type of
guy. On the flip side, He did always like my hair
pinned up, which is close to the same look if you face me
head on. Ah well. Even i have to admit it
looks healthier - well after i wash it in the morning
anyway. For some reason, short hair on me always
stands straight up from the top of my head during the
night. What a fright that is in the morning!
The missing cat hence mouse wars continue. However,
i'm winning. In fact, i'm doing better than the cat
ever did. And being humane in the process.
Well sort of.
The other day i heard a rustling sound coming from the
garbage pail. Lo and behold, a rather small mouse
had managed to climb up the computer and dive in, but
since the pail is round and about 2 feet tall, he couldn't
get back out. The lure was a stale bag of peanuts in
the shell, and a few cookie crumbs.
After carrying the mouse-filled pail to the back laneway
and letting him free, i decided to place it back exactly
where it was, complete with the same bait. Sure
enough the next day another mouse was inside. And
the day after that. By now i was becoming convinced
it was the same mouse, and maybe letting it free wasn't
necessarily wise. But the fourth night proved me
wrong.
Himself and i had gotten used to the idea that a mouse
would probably end up in the pail - and we usually didn't
hear it happening. On the fourth night however, it
woke us up. i just rolled over and went back to
sleep, knowing i could deal with it in the
morning.
Morning arrived, and as usual i peeked inside the
pail. A tiny face with very round eyes and quivering
whiskers gazed back up at me. i carried the pail
outside and back into the lane, where a cat was
lingering. i admit to suffering a twinge of guilt at
that moment - knowing full well if the cat got a chance,
the mouse was doomed. But i tipped the pail anyway
and out fell the mouse - and another one right behind
him! i felt like i'd scored the big one! i
went back inside and was in the process of telling Himself
about it, when i looked down and saw gazing back at me
from inside the pail, yet another mouse! i swear it
wore that kind of forlorn look that says; "lady, let
me out too!"
Back outside i went, tipped the pail again and discovered
there were actually two more mice in there! A major
score on my part - who knew?
i finished getting ready for work. As Himself and i
came out of the house and closer to the car however, one
of the mice suddenly streaked out from under the car and
dashed toward the fence. i gasped, but just as i
commented; "where's that cat..." all of a sudden
the cat came running out from behind a board leaning
against the fence. i started laughing and said to
Himself that maybe we should just let mother nature work
this one out.
When i got home that night, Himself told me of how a
neighbours is having a mouse problem as well. He of
course told her about our garbage pail trap and how well
it is working. She insisted on seeing said pail - i
imagine she'll be getting one of her own now.
Since the fateful 4-banger morning, we haven't seen or
heard from any more of the mice. i'm going to assume
i wiped out the entire family. The pail however, is
still fully baited and ready for the next round.
Heh.
