Sunday, November 23, 2008

I'm Not The Only One Who Hates Winter

It's really getting cold in Chicago. When you listen to the weather forecast on radio or tv, they always talk about the windchill now. Because even though the thermometer says that it's 28 degrees, that nasty wind blowing right through you and freezing your bones makes it feel like it's only 16 degrees. And it's important that we understand this difference. Why, I haven't yet figured out, but it must be important or they wouldn't remind us so often, right?

I've started my appropriate layering. I've moved out of the long sleeve t-shirts and blouses and into heavier sweaters and sweatshirts and fleeces even. I'm burrowing in, spending as little time outside as I possibly can.

And I'm not the only one.

Pshaw, you say. It's winter. It happens every year; get over it.

I've got proof though. Honest to goodness proof. I heard it tonight. Or rather, I heard them. They're back.

We live in the suburbs with a nature conservancy behind us with lots of nice trees and such. Even when the leaves are off the trees in winter, there are no houses to see behind us anywhere. It's really quite nice, except for some of the wildlife.

I've figured out how to deal with the deer. The mice, however, confound me. This is the second winter that they've realized how good people have it and snuck into our attic. I hear them scritch scritching around above my head when I'm sitting in the family room and when I'm in bed trying to sleep. They're nocturnal creatures, apparently, so they don't bother me during the day -- only when I'm trying to relax.

Last year, I hired exterminators in November when I first heard the noises. The nice man came and placed poison in the appropriate places around the attic (the kind that makes them thirsty so they run outside). We waited until I heard no noises for two weeks before he came back and filled in five holes into the attic that they found. They have a six month guarantee, which unfortunately I had to utilize. Twice. They found some more holes the second time but not the third. Fortunately, April arrived, and they went back outside and left us alone.

Until tonight. Little did I know how much mice hate winter. I'll be hauling out the yellow pages again to call a pest company. Given the success the folks had last year, I may be using a different company. Of course, those folks actually called me back. The first company I called couldn't be bothered.

Add this to the list of reasons to move out of the frigid north.

8 comments:

Melisa Wells November 23, 2008 at 10:11 PM  

EEK! Maybe it's not the cold, but that you keep too much...uh...cheese in your house?

Okay. It's the cold. Ick. Good luck with that! Better get them outta there before the kids want to name them Mickey and Minnie...

Michelle November 23, 2008 at 10:22 PM  

Melisa - Before you freak out too much, let me clarify. 1) We have two cats. Who sound like they want to be really good hunters whenever they see critters on our deck. 2) The mice are in the attic ONLY and not in the living space. THAT would necessitate much more severe measures. 3) The wee ones don't know about the mice. And if they saw them, it's likely they'd totally freak out! No worries on getting pets, no matter how you look at it!

Aly @ Lip Zip November 23, 2008 at 11:07 PM  

We had those buggers at our old house, which is thankfully 300+ miles north of here. Our winters now are 40 degree weather at the coldest and the only mouse we've ever seen was one field mouse floating in our pool. I rescued him and sent him on his way...the snake that was found in the pool a few months later was not rescued. My husband boxed him up and drove him far away from here to let him go. I refused to be involved since I suffered a trauma because I was the one who discovered Mr. Slithery.

I don't like creatures in my stuff, indoors or outdoors!

MaBunny November 24, 2008 at 7:27 AM  

LOL Michelle, the Texas critters don't like it when it turns cold here either. Yes I know the difference between Texas cold and Chicago cold, lol, but the critters here still don't like it and still try to find cozy spots to hide in.

Unknown November 24, 2008 at 10:32 AM  

I've often suggested to my husband that we move from the Windy City to escape the winters. Unfortunately, he complains about the heat of summer, too!

Cookie November 24, 2008 at 6:47 PM  

Brrrrr... We had frost this morning and I had to force my kids to wear winter coats. They insisted that winter hasn't started yet. Who taught them how to read a calendar anyway?!

Karen November 24, 2008 at 8:23 PM  

I'm sorry that you're being overtaken. Vermin have a place, and it's out in God's world, not in mine.

Michelle November 24, 2008 at 9:15 PM  

Aly - Poor Mister Mouse! See, it's ok because you found him outside. Inside... not so ok.

Mabunny - Oooo you make a good point. Our critters aren't quite so ummm dangerous at least. Way to find the silver lining!

ElleBee - Well yeah ok so maybe it's possible that I also complain about the heat of summer here, too. I just need to live in a biosphere. I'm not having too much like with that though! And how did I not figure out that you were in Chicago before?

Cookie - Yeah.... the wee ones tried that calendar thing on me (ok, really it was just Mister Man). I sent him outside for a single minute. He changed his mind ;) Here's hoping you warm up a bit soon!

Karen - You've summed up my thoughts exactly! If only I could get them to understand that. I really mean them no harm. Except when they're in my house!

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