I was going to tell you about the traps I baited with peanut butter; how a vole got its neck snapped in my garage, but I never got around to it.
Then I decided I’d share the story about my student who threatened to kill himself last week; how he held a razorblade to his throat in contempt of a transfer notice. He was in the process of GED Testing and didn’t want to leave our facility. I’m not sure why I passed this up, why I failed to tell you.
I made myself a deadline—Saturday, February 21, 2009—I would do a two-for-one, I’d write about the vole and the student, my way of making up for lost time. I’d dispense this information like so many other bloggers—one detail after another.
Unfortunately the weekend has passed. So much for deadlines. Call it procrastination. I have my reasons. How about this one: Saturday night my 84-year-old mother-in-law tripped over a piece of duct tape on a dance floor, fell, and broke her arm and hip. My wife coordinated a 3-hour ambulance ride from a hospital in Clare, Michigan, to Detroit where my mother-in-law could have surgery closer to home. I cleaned out her refrigerator, stuffed five bags of mini-carrots, two rotten apples, some apricots, moldy pita bread, and cottage cheese down her garbage disposal. She’s not coming home any time soon. Rehabilitation will follow. “Don’t you put me in a nursing home,” she warned. I stayed out of it. My wife will handle the arrangements. It’ll probably be a 3 to 4 month ordeal.
Today I’ll retrieve her vehicle. I’m sure her senior citizen friends will miss their designated driver.
17 comments:
Life has a way of interfering with our plans - hope your mother-in-law is doing okay. My Mom is the designated driver for her "group" - her chauffeur services will one day be missed as well.
JR, I HATE mice and we had one at our cottage that was positively ballsy coming out when we were in sight, and resisting all trapping efforts. He was huge and we called him, "Ratsey". Absolutly gross. One day he just vanished. Thank God!
No more mice here. Yuck.
So sorry to hear about your MIL. That's got to be hard on here...it sounds like she is an active woman if she was on a dance floor at age 84. I hope she heals quickly.
So what happened to the guy that tried to kill himself? Did he get put on suicide watch?
Meadow mice. Can produce a dozen at a time with those females being able to produce after only three months. The exponential increases become staggering. Happy trapping. They are prime food for owls and hawks. Impressive grill. MW
I hope she comes through OK. Broken bones are awfully tough. My 92 year old mom was in the nursing home for a few weeks this fall but is now back home again and doing pretty well.
And another one bites the dust.
I can understand why the inmate didn't want to leave and start the GED testing process all over again at a new facility.
So JR if you're down this way visiting you MIL, (glad she is going to be ok, old women are tough as hell) wanna get some coffee? Hit the email if so.
Sorry about your mother-in-law. Best wishes to her for a speedy recovery.
We're fighting some mice in the house right now, ourselves. Last time we had a problem, we sealed up where they were getting in. This time I'm not even sure where that is...
We had a pet shrew when I was a child. We used to feed him live spiders. *yuck*
I hope your mother-in-law is okay. It sounds as if she is in good hands.
I hope the student is okay too. Sometimes people get tough breaks, just when they start to feel hopeful.
Geeze, what a week! I'm sorry for your mother in law! Poor thing. And for all of you, it's going to be a tough road! You'll need to find a way to keep the humor flowing with all of the turmoil flying at you every which way! Somehow I know you will...
Sorry to hear of your mother-in-law's misfortune, JR. The cleaning out of her refrigerator cracked me up, though! My mother-in-law does the same thing. She has more food in her refrigerator with only herself to buy for than I have with five, well, four since one is away at college! We always check the dates before using the condiments! lol
Brutal, man. And -- good luck ;->
Are there weird energies or what? I've seen an AWACS overhead, the dogs of three farflung friends died, my wildest uncle has lung cancer, and two other friends are pregnant. That's life, I guess.
Oh, dear. Been there with the mother in law. A little different story, but close. Also with the grandmother--and that one lasted more like 6 months. I hope I do better when I'm in my 80s. I hope I live to BE in my 80s! D
Oh no sorry to hear about your mother-in-law. Can't be easy for any of you right now.
Well you've got us waiting for the next instalment- your post is like a teaser trailer...
Maus in der haus?
Rattenfaenger!
Quick,play your sax. They'll all line up behind you.
Isn't it just like an in-law to ruin one's plans?
(Hope she's OK!)
Wow- death, attempted-death and near-death, all in five paragraphs. You've had a busy week. ;-)
Good choice. The snap trap is the humane ending for sure. We tried sticky traps, and the poor mouse died a slow and painful death after half of it's fur was ripped off when we tried to release it. I know because it was released in the field nearby and recovered - stiff - in our backyard. Returning to the scene of the crime?
Here's wishing you all (prisoner, MIL, and you) a speedy recovery from what I'm sure was a wee bit of the week from hell.
As for the vole, it's in greener pastures...
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