The Moocher
About once every 2-3 months or so, while sitting at my computer at night, I'll get a glimpse of a flash of little darkness under my desk. The few times I get a decent look, I definitely confirm my suspicions as it is a mouse....despite having two cats in the house (one being a known mouser)..he still mooches off my room.
Tonight, I got the flash of darkness below my desk near my feet. I immediately snatch a look and get a bead on where he's going. Make sure he's not doubling back...quick, skip to my closet and grab my mini-maglite hanging on a nail inside and proceed to seek out my prey...really, the first time I've ever had a good chance at seeing where he goes.
FLASH! He's off across the room again the far running board, my light shines right over, following him to the corner, my lamp, into a tangle of christmas light wires and under my dresser.
I take a moment to clear some middle-of-the-room rubble away to limit the escape paths, and start flashing my light under the dresser...maybe a minute later...ZOOM, back across the way he came and into my hive of computers next to my desk. Damn, no finding him in there...
Sit back down to surf a bit more, I decide to buy a mousetrap tomorrow. Enough fucking around with him, eh?
Movement. I Look down, there's his nose poking out from under my desk...bold fucker tonight...slight movement must have spooked him as he shoots back out.
Down on hands and knees, light in hand...oh my god, there he is again! I shine the light in his eyes, keeping him both illuminated and somewhat blinded to what little movements I prsent. He moves about, and I actually follow him around...out from under desk, over to a stack of tool boxes...he's peering up into an open but tall fast food bag...ducks back under...guess I moved too much again.
No way I can catch this little guy...he's fast as lightning and light too. I'd end up tearing my room up and spooking him in the process...he'll hide for a long time if I spook him too badly.
Garbage can! I take the flip-top lid off of my white plastic garbage can and throw a leftover cheesebuger from dinner inside. Movement...yet again!
I follow him around, and this time I see a new trick: he climbs up my cables behind my computer, my KVM cable to be exact...kind of a hunching, pulling sort of climb, up onto my desk! I'm too close to move, no cover either...but I move the new trap up to the edge of the table. FRENCH FRY! OH DAMN...he spied the fry just a second before I did, so I had to let him have it..he grabbed it and back to the cable and down it again. I look back behind the computers...even if I do spook him, god I want to know where he's coming from or hiding...it's got to be back there.
OH FUCK! I'm typing in chat and a rustle followed by a foot high jump only 2 feet from me reveals my. mouse again, back on my desktop and we both kinda startle each other...he's gone in an instant.
Waiting a few minutes does not pay off so I set the garbage can down on it's side below me...shining the flashlight down as I sit crosslegged, flashlight in the back of my knee...
...I see movement, his nose three times, each time he darts back. Man, what a score that he's being this bold and open today! A fourth time, he just stares...I make no moves...I wait, watching, unable to shine the light in his eyes anymore as I'm not holding it...waiting, knowing I can outsmart this animal...
...he makes a casual break for the garbage can, moves out of my sight as I'm over it. Foot on can, tilts up, I hear furry muffled attempts to jump out, but clamp the lid onto the garbage can, knowing I got him.
I open my fire escape door (converted house into four apartments, so it's kind of a makeshift wooden door that leads to a wooden landing and fireescape). I upend the can outside the landing and I hear the three thumps of quarter-pounder, carton it comes in, and mouse. Just so I don't get more racoons than I already get, I shove the food off and sit back down in my chair, victorious.
And no, the thought, although funny-sounding, never crossed my mind to violently shake the bejeezus out of the little guy.
I bested him, and that's that.
About once every 2-3 months or so, while sitting at my computer at night, I'll get a glimpse of a flash of little darkness under my desk. The few times I get a decent look, I definitely confirm my suspicions as it is a mouse....despite having two cats in the house (one being a known mouser)..he still mooches off my room.
Tonight, I got the flash of darkness below my desk near my feet. I immediately snatch a look and get a bead on where he's going. Make sure he's not doubling back...quick, skip to my closet and grab my mini-maglite hanging on a nail inside and proceed to seek out my prey...really, the first time I've ever had a good chance at seeing where he goes.
FLASH! He's off across the room again the far running board, my light shines right over, following him to the corner, my lamp, into a tangle of christmas light wires and under my dresser.
I take a moment to clear some middle-of-the-room rubble away to limit the escape paths, and start flashing my light under the dresser...maybe a minute later...ZOOM, back across the way he came and into my hive of computers next to my desk. Damn, no finding him in there...
Sit back down to surf a bit more, I decide to buy a mousetrap tomorrow. Enough fucking around with him, eh?
Movement. I Look down, there's his nose poking out from under my desk...bold fucker tonight...slight movement must have spooked him as he shoots back out.
Down on hands and knees, light in hand...oh my god, there he is again! I shine the light in his eyes, keeping him both illuminated and somewhat blinded to what little movements I prsent. He moves about, and I actually follow him around...out from under desk, over to a stack of tool boxes...he's peering up into an open but tall fast food bag...ducks back under...guess I moved too much again.
No way I can catch this little guy...he's fast as lightning and light too. I'd end up tearing my room up and spooking him in the process...he'll hide for a long time if I spook him too badly.
Garbage can! I take the flip-top lid off of my white plastic garbage can and throw a leftover cheesebuger from dinner inside. Movement...yet again!
I follow him around, and this time I see a new trick: he climbs up my cables behind my computer, my KVM cable to be exact...kind of a hunching, pulling sort of climb, up onto my desk! I'm too close to move, no cover either...but I move the new trap up to the edge of the table. FRENCH FRY! OH DAMN...he spied the fry just a second before I did, so I had to let him have it..he grabbed it and back to the cable and down it again. I look back behind the computers...even if I do spook him, god I want to know where he's coming from or hiding...it's got to be back there.
OH FUCK! I'm typing in chat and a rustle followed by a foot high jump only 2 feet from me reveals my. mouse again, back on my desktop and we both kinda startle each other...he's gone in an instant.
Waiting a few minutes does not pay off so I set the garbage can down on it's side below me...shining the flashlight down as I sit crosslegged, flashlight in the back of my knee...
...I see movement, his nose three times, each time he darts back. Man, what a score that he's being this bold and open today! A fourth time, he just stares...I make no moves...I wait, watching, unable to shine the light in his eyes anymore as I'm not holding it...waiting, knowing I can outsmart this animal...
...he makes a casual break for the garbage can, moves out of my sight as I'm over it. Foot on can, tilts up, I hear furry muffled attempts to jump out, but clamp the lid onto the garbage can, knowing I got him.
I open my fire escape door (converted house into four apartments, so it's kind of a makeshift wooden door that leads to a wooden landing and fireescape). I upend the can outside the landing and I hear the three thumps of quarter-pounder, carton it comes in, and mouse. Just so I don't get more racoons than I already get, I shove the food off and sit back down in my chair, victorious.
And no, the thought, although funny-sounding, never crossed my mind to violently shake the bejeezus out of the little guy.
I bested him, and that's that.VIEW 5 of 5 COMMENTS
zelda:
pictures?
mysticeyes:
Hey babe.....just wanted to say hello to you!