Pesky Neighbors!!!!

OK, so yeah.... it's Golden Week, yay! A 3 day holiday this weekend, four days off next weekend! The weather is warming up, trees are unfurling their spring green leaves and the farmers are all starting to turn over the dirt in the rice paddies. Winter is (I pray) gone for good, and I will not miss it one bit.

My rickety uninsulated non-flushing toilet, apartment is also undergoing some spring changes... My (t)rusty (ha! stole that from you, Bryn) hot water heater in my kitchen died a miserable death on me the other day... I pushed the big white button and the whole thing shook violently against the wall for about 10 seconds and then sputtered to a stop. Dr. Gas Repairman informed me that the heater was 18 years old and they did everything they could, but they don't even have parts that old to fix it. So I got a brand new beautiful MODERN hot water heater for my kitchen sink (instead of installing a new hot water line TO the sink).

Also with the start of the new school year, I have some new neighbors- a new first year high school boy now lives next door (my apartment building is also the "dorm" for students whose families live too far away for a convenient commute) and suddenly tonight, I was awakened by some frisky, squeaking noises and little scampering feet above my head. Now, I live on the 2nd floor of a 2nd story apartment, so what gives?

Yes.... I have.... mice. or rats. or some sort of horde of freaky claw footed squeaking little bastards running inside my walls, floors and ceilings of my apartment!!!!!!!

Oh my God.... this is a nightmare. I woke up to this awful screeching and echoing of little bodies thumping and running around, like mere inches from head. OK, so yeah, I live in the countryside. I can deal with the occasional frog or lizard in or around my apartment, boars and monkeys rooting around in the backyard, colorful spiders and their ginormous webs, and eagles soaring overhead- but this is TOO close for comfort! Even in New York, I haven't had to deal with rodents except for seeing the occasional one in the subway or streets!

Thankfully, they haven't gotten INSIDE my apartment, YET....