October 28, 2008

Intrusion

When I was about five years old, I was rudely awakened after falling asleep on the sofa. My Mom was screaming, running in place, and grabbing me before I knew what was going on. The next thing I knew, I was being thrown on top of the dining room table as my Mom quickly grabbed one of the ice hockey sticks my dad had chosen not to take to his game that night and joined me on the table.

We had an intruder. It was a mouse.

I remember my Dad coming home very late at night to find me sleeping on the table and my Mom occasionally whacking at the floor frantically as the mouse would go charging across the room. My parents had moved into a new construction area and mouse traps in the house were just a way of life for quite some time.

Tonight I grabbed a couple bottles for recycling and headed out to the garage. I flipped the light on and could have sworn I saw something go darting from under my car to under Lil C's bike. I stood completely still and waited on the step. A couple seconds later, the darting intruder made itself known as it scampered across the garage floor to the pile of broken down boxes and disappeared.

I screamed a scream I wasn't aware I had in me, slammed the garage door behind me, and did the Flashdance running in place moves my Mom had done so many years ago. "There's a MOUSE in the GARAGE!" I screamed. "Ahh" and there it was again, my Mom's scream coming out of me.

Mr. BBM got up from the dinner table and with testosterone overflowing, he proclaimed he was going to the garage to do what needed to be done.

There was much slamming and noise in the garage, and when all was said and done, he entered the house empty-handed. He couldn't find it. He didn't even see it.

I won't sleep tonight. I'm terrified to go out to my car. Yes, the 1st kyu brown belt is afraid of a little mouse. And just for good measure. . .

(Insert flashdance running in place action here and just one more "EEEKKKKKKK!!!!!"

I'm going to the store now to buy some traps. I'll have Mr. BBM carry me to the car. How he wishes I was kidding.