Year of the Rat Continues

Since my last post on the four mice killed on my watch, the Rat King has been fairly quiet during his year of reign. No droppings, no nibbles - only empty traps to leave me wondering if mice will eat peanut butter that has been out (on the traps as bait) for weeks.

Because I live by myself and only eat lunch in this house, I don't have to take out the trash very often. Today just happened to be the day when I decided to empty the trash; lo and behold, TWO FRESH MICE, dead on the traps behind the trash can. Rigamortis had yet to set in and there was no smell (it's amazing how such a little animal can produce such a big stench when rotting under your sink), so I knew the mini massacre had just happened hours, if not moments, before the discovery. Some points of interest:

1. Next time I will have invested in a pair of tongs or one of those long-reaching trash pinchers so I don't have to put my hands so close to their dead bodies (just in case they decide they're not done living and have to bite one last thing - a.k.a. my hand - before they really cross over).
2. I read that the Black Death/Bubonic Plague has reared its ugly head again - I furiously washed my hands before, during, and after the disposal, even though I was using two disposable bowls to scoop up the trap and victim (therefore, never actually touching the possible contamination site).
3. Peanut butter does not go bad as far as mice are concerned. Unless their eyes deceived them and their last meal was terribly stale.
4. I did not cry this time. Guess I'm toughening up.

Kentucky Rain

This week has been one bad hair day after another. With all the rain we've been getting, there's no practical point in wasting electricity on the hair dryer, leaving style by the wayside.

Little did I know that Elvis sang his own sad tune about Kentucky rain. Poor Elvis, "walking in the rain, thumbing for a ride... Kentucky rain keeps pouring down." I imagine The King had his own hair troubles searching for his woman in the Bluegrass State. I can relate, believe me. A single trip from the car to the nearest shelter risks a complete drenching and creates an absolute necessity to carry several pairs of pants and socks with you throughout the day.

On a related note, my obsession with the TV show "What Not to Wear" continues, and I recently watched the transformation of a 29 year old from Seattle, where it rains more than it does in Louisville, although I'm beginning to wonder. The very cute girl and I must be related because she loved fleece and hated umbrellas (me too!). The WNTW hosts Stacy and Clinton convinced their subject (and by association, me) to find new ways to weather the weather. I'm actually wearing heals today - and the hem of my pants is dry!

Now, what to do about this hair...

Did You Know? Kentucky State Flag, Motto & Flower

Why does it say Commonwealth of Kentucky, not State of Kentucky?
Please refer to FAQs.

Who are those two people?
A pioneer and a statesman, who represent all the people of Kentucky.

What are they saying to each other?
"Hello, friend! United We Stand, Divided We Fall" (Kentucky's State Motto, minus the "Hello, friend" part).

What are those yellow, scraggly weeds at the bottom?
Kentucky's State Flower, the goldenrod, which is native to the state.

UK wins against UVA

No, they didn't play a game against each other, but UK definitely won a spot on all of the televisions at our favorite brewery last night during dinner. The UVA game was on one tv when we sat down, and all of the rest were on the UK game. I don't think the UVA game had gotten into double digits before someone changed the channel to UK, making 100% of the tvs show the UK game...

"Cavs" is so close to being "Cats" - close, but no cigar.

Famous Louisvillians - Part III

Sean Young
Actress

Thomas A. Edison
Inventor

Heather French Henry
Miss America 2000

Edwin Hubble
Astronomer, namesake of the Hubble Space Telescope

Joe Jacoby
Former offensive lineman for the Washington Redskins
(you know it’s either a big game or there’s nothing else on TV when you watch the Redskins in Kentucky)

Spring is in the air - and so are the birds

For the last two days, we've had a touch of spring in Kentucky. With temperatures in the mid to upper 60s over the weekend, even the birds came out to play, singing their songs of happiness to welcome in spring.

Shelby & I missed most of this weather because we were visiting his grandmother in the arctic of Michigan. Driving back on Sunday, we experienced a foot of snow on the ground at our departure, and sunny and 70 when we arrived back home. We didn't miss the birds, however. Shelby's grandmother loves cardinals, and judging from all of her cardinal decorations, I assumed it was the state bird of Michigan, like Virginia and Kentucky.

It turns out that it is not the state bird of Michigan, but just a bird Shelby's grandmother likes. Nevertheless, the birds in her house reminded me of both of my home states, past and present, and I hope to hear their songs more and more as hibernation comes to an end! Hooray!