going down

I have finished three boxes of Tension Tamer tea since May.

Last month, waking up was met with a layer of mice droppings around the kitchen. This month, we have smartened up. One night, late, after I had seen two mice meandering around the kitchen Dennis and I decided it was time to figure out their strategy. We pulled the oven out from its spot to the horror of seeing two sticky traps with nothing but turd clinging to them and tons of dog hair, mice droppings, food bits and debris. We vacuumed and swept and laid the area thick with poison pellets. Then we set traps on both sides of the holes around the outlet where the mice had chewed so they could come and go, using the stove as their own personal condo. Two mice the first 12 hours. Two more followed. Did I mention we were starving them out too? Dishes are now done regularly and we keep trash in a tiny bag which gets taken out into the frozen every night.

I have been thinking of this idea of time. All philosophy is now met with a pure, unadulterated fantasy of driving West or South until I can’t feel the sting of this coast’s weather and actions. But, I would miss the mice kills, the street corner (44th and Locust) which I claim as my own. I would miss walking Fia past all her favorite places. I can only hope though that somewhere and sometime soon I will be owning one of those houses with a porch that has a nice set of chimes on it, instead of walking past back down to the Walnut mansion where mice and stove condos are in heavy supply and demand.