The early bird gets exterminated

I write this today as a person who is living in what I hope to be a mouse free house...although I'm not counting chickens. As promised, I won the war this morning (or was it just a battle?).

Thanks to a kindly man at Walmart I was able to locate the mouse traps and to my amazement, they had just the thing. It was a neck snapping trap enclosed in a little black box! It even came with a money back guarantee. Just the ticket...except that the first one was broken...and well, it would have been much better if it had entirely closed around the mouse instead of me being able to see in it at all. But I bought a second one, baited it, and placed it last night.

It was a scary thing to go to bed. What if I had to wake up to a screaming mouse as the trap snapped his neck? But I hoped against hope that I was a much harder sleeper then that, and went to bed anyway. Funny how things never work that way for me.

I had woken up early this morning to open the dorm doors so the girls could go to work and was back in bed, tottering on the edge of sleep, when BAM! loud snapping noise in the kitchen shook me wide awake. Thank goodness there was no screaming. How in the world did he know I was awake? Couldn't he have come out some other time? Stupid mouse.

Two hours later I was pulled from sleep once again to retrieve a girl from bed and make her go to work. Remembering what had happened earlier, I entered my kitchen to find a trap with a small tail protruding out of it. Death confirmed, 6:31 am. So like the grown up that I am, I ran back to bed and pretended it didn't happen.

But let me tell you it's hard to sleep with a dead mouse in the house, and so me, myself, and I, walked back into the kitchen grabbed the trap, took it to the dumpster and disposed of the varmint. You would have been proud.

by the way... if any other mouse should think my house warm and cozy and want to try this stunt, let this serve as a warning; I am armed, ready, and waiting.

Declaration of War

Those of you that take an interest in my blog may remember the late Mr. Dead. I'm here to tell you he has a cousin. And this cousin is GOING DOWN! You see cousin dead did something that no mouse should. He crossed into forbidden territory... The kitchen.

I was standing at my counter chopping veggies for what should have been a splendid vegetable lasagna, when I saw out of the corner of my eye, something grey streak up my wall. Hoping it was only a figment of my imagination, I began to look around. But when I moved my microwave to one side, I knew this grey streak was the real thing. You can only guess what was residing on my kitchen counter. And I will leave it at that because it's just too much to outright say it.

Suddenly my kitchen has become the most disgusting place in the world to me. You don't understand how hard it is to make it in there and cook, and now that I've got a couple days off and the energy to cook, I'm scared to even step foot in the place.

Against my better judgment I took one of Rosa's glue traps and stuck it in cousin dead's living space. All night I dreamt about the suffering that Mr. Dead had succumbed to. Even if cousin dead HAD crossed into forbidden territory, I didn't feel like it was right to treat him in such a manor. There must be a more humane way! So this morning I crept, with one eye open, into the kitchen to learn the fate of the little guy. Yes, he had been of the same intelligence level as his former comrade, and had managed to avoid certain torturous death. To be happy about this or not to be happy about this? That is the question.

Again seeking something good to eat, I managed to make myself enter the kitchen for some raspberry muffin making. This went very well for awhile, until, you guessed it, Cousin Dead when screaming across my stove top! I have never screamed at the sight of a varmint before, but today, let me tell you I did. This was not just any scream however; THIS was a scream of pure anger.

So here I stand on the verge of all out war, quite uncertain of my next move. Callie I have considered the neck snappers, but you would have to come clean that up cause I'm sorry; I'm not up for it. Ryan, baseball bat clubbing just isn't very humane either. Besides, who wants bloody snow? I have also considered moving out... but find that alternative rather disagreeable as well. So it is to Walmart I go in search of a better solution. If you find me covered in a rash displaying flu like symptoms, please take me to the hospital, for I am most likely dying of lyme disease. (yes I've looked this up) But have no fear, I WILL win this war, even if I have to get the Pied Piper to come do it for me.

Bringing Home Baby

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved stuffed animals more than life itself. Collecting only the best and the cutest animals became a life long passion until they took over her room. And then one day, someone much smarter then Einstein himself thought up the bright idea for a store called "Build a Bear." They should have called it heaven. For years the little girl dreamt of the day when she would be lucky enough to visit the most wonderful place on earth. But no one ever took her there. She thought of building one for herself but somehow it didn't seem as special and so she waited...and waited...and waited... And then one day, she opened a Christmas present from her housemate Rosa, and found a build a bear gift certificate! Words could not describe her joy.

And so Travis was born!

Quite well dressed in his PJ's and matching robe.
And the little girl's life was complete.

Paralysis

I'm not one for pet peeves. I tend to think people should get over them and move on in life. However it occurred to me that I have one. Well, other then the other one. Now that I think on it, it also occurs to me that they are both deeply rooted in childhood. interesting... but I digress.

When I was in grade school there was a certain boy in my class that loved to ask me "what's up?" I hated it. There's only so many answers that you could say to that, none of witch I even thought sounded half interesting. School? Nothin? The roof? The sky? Frankly I just ended up flustered every time I saw him which resulted in me saying absolutely nothing in response but instead leaving me standing in the middle of the room, looking confused and well...dumb. Or so I felt.

I approached my teacher about my dilemma one day. She really didn't see the problem, as most people don't. But she decided that the best answer would be none other then, *drum role please* ...Carrots...yes carrots...Carrots? Right. ok. According to her this would stop him from saying the stupid phrase all together! Fantastic! So being the trusting individual that I am, I tried it. "Why in the world would you say that?" "Cause teacher told me to! ha ha, yah know it's kinda funny really cause what if carrots really were up... ha ha. uh..ha?" Yeah that went over like a lead balloon. Should have just stood in the center of the room and looked dumb.

To this day I still have not found a suitable answer. And to this day it still seems to be the question that everybody still likes to ask. Just the other day in fact, "hey Stephanie! What's up!?" "errr uhhh *mind goes 800 mph* nothin much!" and they keep walking while I stand there in the middle of the room paralyzed in thought, looking none other than...you guessed it, dumb. Friendly gesture I suppose, but quite honestly I don't think they realize that it leaves me in shambles.

I wish somebody would erase it from daily vocabulary. But unfortunately I don't see that happening. So I suppose I am destined to the cruel paralysis that it brings...

Gingerbread Madness

For the second party of the night, Sharon and I took our RA's to the Grove Park Inn for the Annual National Gingerbread House Competition.

Some of these things are made by kids. Everything on them has to be edible. I couldn't believe it! I was feeling very uncreative after then end of the night. that and rather hungry. :)

Some of them weren't houses. There was actually quite a variety. I just was so amazed! How do these people do that!?

And the Grand prize winner is!

I wish you could see all of the detail in this. They made individual bricks out of who knows what with frosting in the middle. That gate is perfectly designed. The green bush things are made out of parsley flakes.

Do you see the design on the doors! Most of them if you could see in a window they had furniture and stuff in them too.

Dean Sharon is such a good influence.

Hey guys! Let's make this thing stop on every floor!

Some Santa lovin.

I'm a big kid now!

After years of being a student and wondering what goes on at staff party I finally got to attend one!

After eating we played the elephant gift game.

Nancy found a golfing set made to be played while on the toilet. Everybody was laughing so hard we cried. Luckily the right person got it. He remarked that he just couldn't wait to get home!

This was Josh's shocked reaction that stayed on his face for a good ten minutes.

When Callie and I went shopping last week in Gatlinburg we found these. They're magnetic salt and pepper shakers. I told her to buy them for the party so I could have them and viola! I do! Aren't they the greatest?

Oh Christmas Tree

In light of the fact that A: we're moving the day after Christmas and B: I'm working for Christmas this year, (don't worry it actually worked out best that way. They aren't making me a slave.) I decided that I had to have some sort of Christmas in my apartment. So we stole one of the dorm trees and bought ornaments.

It's a themed tree. Red and white candy cane! I LOVE it.

We have silver snow flake bulbs too.

Hands down (no pun intended) these are my favorite.

Now just go ahead and admit it... I have the coolest tree EVER.

Christmas Banquet

I've decided I'm not much for banquets. OK yeah they're fun but way too much work if you ask me. And I wasn't even one of the ones that did most of it. Sunday night was boy's club christmas banquet and Girl's Dorm open house. The girls compete for best hall and best door.

100 Hall

200 hall did the 100 acre wood which won them the best hall.

Smokey (sharon's cat) fell asleep in the "snow"

My favorite dress.

The spiffiest couple around.

The table decorations. Those swans are made out of a pastry and cream. Pretty cool really.

Sydney

One of the guys had these two girls on each arm. Pretty lucky huh?

Shawntese and Me. well I think so. Could be her other twin. :)

I am an honorary mountain goat.

Sabbath afternoon Brian and I took some kids hiking.

Brian the manly driver.

A good part of the hike was straight down and then later straight up.

Sometimes you had to just slide.

Once you got there it was definitely worth it.

The boys

Jacob and Lina

Kaneesha and I were very tired and hot after climbing back up the mountain.

Relics

I know these photos are terribly old but Heather took pictures of our Halloween fun for me and we've finally managed to coordinate and transfer. They were too priceless not to share.

We started off with a costume contest.

Then came the pillow fight.

I tried to stay out of it...

...but that didn't work so well.

There were of course a few injuries.

And those that collapsed in battle.