Thursday, November 29, 2007

The Score

Pepino , oh, you little mouse
Oh, won't you go away.
Find yourself another house to run around and play.
You scare my girl, you eat my cheese, you even drink my wine.
I try so hard to catch you, but you trick me all the time.
--Lou Monte, "Pepino, the Italian Mouse"

After a day of no mouse sightings (living or dead), but some evidence of a mouse's existence (e.g., peanut butter clearly licked from an unsprung trap by a very small, very stealthy, lightweight tongue), I woke yesterday to find an ex-mouse in the clamp of sprung steel and wood behind the stove. I was happy to see an end to our mouse problem, but a bit disturbed that I had to have a direct hand in the end of this little rodent's life. After all, he (or she) was just doing what comes naturally, right?

So, with a heavy heart, I cleared the trap. While dropping the body unceremoniously into the garbage, I spied another former mouse in the snap of a trap behind the garbage. I was very surprised. For some reason, even with ample experience with rodent infestation and removal (don't ask), I was not expecting two. And so, "the holocaust was complete." (Please refer to The Great Gatsby).

Until this morning, when I awoke to find another one behind the garbage can. I now have three little meeses on my conscience. How will I sleep at night?

4 comments:

AMVB said...

Ravaging guilt + no sleep = super fuel for the last NaNoWriMo push? Some source of inspiration perhaps?

Speaking of inspiration, I simply must *thank you* for this. As I had predicted at the time, you provided much-needed inspiration for a November birthday gift for one papa Pasquale. And give it we did, just last week. He LOVED it! Thanks, Reda!

Even better, I just mentioned to P the lyric from Lou Monte on this here blog. P, of course, recognized him also as the singer of this. It's all new to me, but - regardless - I think we now may have a Christmas gift idea for a certain Pasquale! (I'm not kidding.) Thanks, Reda! Please continue to awe, inspire, and scare us with your old man prowess.

And as we enjoy some of the many treasures from various European cultures, I'll have you know that right now I am enjoying my very first ever Irish coffee! Exceptionally good isht. How have I never had this before? I might soon be having my second one ever.

qnlgow!

Anon AMVB

Anonymous said...

Your first Irish coffee! Your Irish friends are appalled!

AMVB said...

Monkey, you got a CentStand red phone?! I just done posted! :)

(You're right - I'll have a second Irish coffee in your honor.)

Anon AMVB

Anonymous said...

I gotta red phone, girl! Yeah, another Irish coffee!!!