February 10, 2005

•  I had a little visitor today in my kitchen......and it wasn't Mickey but it was a mouse! I was watching "Singing In The Rain" on the movie channel and  saw something move out the corner of my eye. There was a gray mousie stepping out from under my stove. 

  
  

  I have nothing against mice in general, and am not afraid of them, but really don't like the thought of them trotting around my apartment. However, I do admit that I would rather have mice than cockroaches. Now if mice ate cockroaches that would be perfect!!

  
  

  Having chosen my apartment to infest, if one mouse can be considered an infestation, I suppose he must be a fairly literate mouse with impeccable taste. His ratty (pardon the pun) grey fur probably belies a sophisticated soul. I should probably put some brie or port salut in the trap instead of mere cheddar. Perhaps a sprinkling of grated parmesan?

  
  

  I wonder if he is related to the mouse that came to visit earlier this year? Perhaps I am on their list of "must see" apartments as they pass through the neighbourhood. The fact that mousie is present at all could be looked at in an optimistic light. Pliny the Elder states that "When a building is about to fall down all the mice desert it." I guess that means this ghetto apartment will stand for a few more years yet!

  
  

  In honour of my uninvited houseguest I will include yet another mouse quote:

  
  

  ...But nature does not say that cats are more valuable than mice; nature makes no remark on the subject. She does not even say that the cat is enviable or the mouse pitiable. We think the cat superior because we have (or most of us have) a particular philosophy to the effect that life is better than death. But if the mouse were a German pessimist mouse,  he might not think that the cat had beaten him at all. He might think he had beaten the cat by getting to the grave first. - Gilbert Keith Chesterton

  
  

  I am keeping my camera handy and hope to be able to get a shot of him for posterity. Do you think my little self imposed exile has gone to my head?

  
  

  Apart from this little "hiccup", things are quite calm. I dropped my beloved blue caddy off  yesterday to have it fixed and will hopefully have it back by Friday. New front bumper, new rear bumper....ouch!  It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, and it will be worth it to see her looking beautiful again. In the meantime I have taken three glorious vacation days from work, hence my self imposed exile.

  
  

  I have been on a movie watching marathon. Matrix 2 and 3 (thanks Sheila!) and The Human Stain yesterday. Today (this morning) Singing in the Rain. After I go for a walk and do some chores I want to watch Quills (about the Marquis De Sade) and Dead Again with Kenneth Branagh and Emma Thompson. Normally I rarely even turn the tv on, but I do like movies and this is a good opportunity to get my fill.

  
  

  It is odd being so secluded and more or less "marooned". Usually I am out and about, always around people and always doing something. Now I am forced to slow down and simply be alone with myself. It is a good opportunity to do nothing, to just "be". That may sound odd, but I sometimes find it hard to sit still and do nothing. I feel guilty, like I should be accomplishing or "doing" something. For the next few days I plan to do very little. Its just me, mousie and the pigeons!

  • 11:17 am
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