Adventures in the Legionary Corps

Yesterday I checked my traps first thing in the morning. No mouse.

I kept my eyes out for quick, furtive movements along the baseboards while I worked. No mouse.

I checked the traps one more time before I headed to bed. No mouse.

I went into the bathroom to pee, and guess what ran along the base of the vanity and behind the toilet while I was in there? That f*cking wee mouse. He's tiny, about the size of a cotton ball. But still, I do not like encountering vermin while I have my pants down around my ankles. I was hoping to drop a bucket over him when I got my pants back on, but he zipped back out the door and under the washing machine. Speedy little f*cker.

I ordered more mouse traps yesterday. I plan to win this season of Julie vs. the Mouse.

I don't know what possessed me, but I took a look at houses in Lowell on Zillow tonight.

I found one rather nice house in my price range. Then checked the map, and it's withing smelling distance of the town sewage plant. Which always smells rather pungent when I drive by, and is strong enough in the summer that I always close my car windows when I pass it. I can smell it just writing about it. No, I do not want to buy a house in a one block radius of that stench.

I found another home that looked nice, a 1950s vintage ranch. It's within a block of U Mass Lowell, so too close to campus to be a quiet neighborhood. I'm a good four miles away, and I'm still too close to campus.

And I looked at a townhome. Same size as my condo, but it's nice and sunny because it's not underground. And the neighbors would be on either side of me, not over my head. And I would have access to a tiny back deck and a backyard. But it costs three times what I paid for my condo. For basically getting some sunlight and a little bit of grass with the same square footage.

* le sigh *

I don't know why I bothered looking.