OK, this is one of those times when I REALLY hate not having a man around the house...
11:30pm - TV and lights off, relax into blissful slumber. Aaaahhhhh......
1:11am - Come slightly awake, listening to the faint sound of dog tags jingling. Dog tags should not be jingling. Dog tags should be quietly attached to sleeping dog. Jingling of dog tags means that dog is awake and moving. This is not a good sign. It usually indicates that dog has forgotten about going out and now has pressing urge to pee. Sometimes dog tries to alleviate this need by finding and chewing up yesterday's mail.
1:12am- Get up to try and see if dog has chewed mail. Find instead...two cats sitting by bedside table, tails lashing and growling a little to themselves.
"Hey, do you think it's a fat one? Huh, do you? Do you?" (five month old kitten) "I don't know, kid. Shuddup a minute and we'll whack him." (two year old cat)
1:13am - 1:35am - various animals chase live mouse around bedroom. Dog tries in vain to help, cats chase but can't quite figure out the trick to working as a team. After removal of all items from under bed and various petrified leaps in the air (me, not pets) mouse is finally trapped in bathroom. Helped by 12 year old daughter, who had fallen asleep in my bed while doing homework and is now wide awake and a little concerned that a MOUSE can climb (ie into bed with her) finally trap mouse with clever mouse-catching device (upside down garbage can) AFTER mouse has spent several minutes in the bathroom, hiding behind the toilet, while the younger cat pats at it but can't quite figure out what to do next and the older cat, looking at me as if to say, "Hmm, I'm bored with this" lets the mouse WALK OVER ITS PAW, which mouse does while looking at cat as if to say, "Hey, man, aren't you, like, going to catch me and eat me? No?? Gee, thanks, man!" Mouse is ultimately trapped in plastic trashcan liner, after some deft maneuvering (is it possible I have spelled that right, in the middle of the night and with my nerves frayed? Go, me!!) by the one person who knows that no matter what, she is going to have to vanquish this mouse in the middle of the night all alone or die trying.
1:45am - Overcome by a PETA moment (wait a minute, didn't you just whack this mouse over the head with a broom trying to beat it senseless and possibly kill it?) mouse is allowed to live by virtue of a thrill ride known as, "Open the front door and toss the plastic bag as far into the yard as I can." Perhaps not as popular yet at Expedition Everest, but give it time. Mouse might be planning to try again, but cats on duty if that happens. Oh, wait, that didn't work out so well the first time. Note to self - next time tie a knot in the plastic bag and put in garbage can.
1:50am - With Diet Coke in hand, retire to DIS to share story of deadly mouse attack, focusing on bravery of main character (me) and emphasizing cowardice of two animals ADVERTISED to kill mice on the spot.
As I said, sometimes I REALLY hate not having a man around the house....
11:30pm - TV and lights off, relax into blissful slumber. Aaaahhhhh......
1:11am - Come slightly awake, listening to the faint sound of dog tags jingling. Dog tags should not be jingling. Dog tags should be quietly attached to sleeping dog. Jingling of dog tags means that dog is awake and moving. This is not a good sign. It usually indicates that dog has forgotten about going out and now has pressing urge to pee. Sometimes dog tries to alleviate this need by finding and chewing up yesterday's mail.
1:12am- Get up to try and see if dog has chewed mail. Find instead...two cats sitting by bedside table, tails lashing and growling a little to themselves.
"Hey, do you think it's a fat one? Huh, do you? Do you?" (five month old kitten) "I don't know, kid. Shuddup a minute and we'll whack him." (two year old cat)
1:13am - 1:35am - various animals chase live mouse around bedroom. Dog tries in vain to help, cats chase but can't quite figure out the trick to working as a team. After removal of all items from under bed and various petrified leaps in the air (me, not pets) mouse is finally trapped in bathroom. Helped by 12 year old daughter, who had fallen asleep in my bed while doing homework and is now wide awake and a little concerned that a MOUSE can climb (ie into bed with her) finally trap mouse with clever mouse-catching device (upside down garbage can) AFTER mouse has spent several minutes in the bathroom, hiding behind the toilet, while the younger cat pats at it but can't quite figure out what to do next and the older cat, looking at me as if to say, "Hmm, I'm bored with this" lets the mouse WALK OVER ITS PAW, which mouse does while looking at cat as if to say, "Hey, man, aren't you, like, going to catch me and eat me? No?? Gee, thanks, man!" Mouse is ultimately trapped in plastic trashcan liner, after some deft maneuvering (is it possible I have spelled that right, in the middle of the night and with my nerves frayed? Go, me!!) by the one person who knows that no matter what, she is going to have to vanquish this mouse in the middle of the night all alone or die trying.
1:45am - Overcome by a PETA moment (wait a minute, didn't you just whack this mouse over the head with a broom trying to beat it senseless and possibly kill it?) mouse is allowed to live by virtue of a thrill ride known as, "Open the front door and toss the plastic bag as far into the yard as I can." Perhaps not as popular yet at Expedition Everest, but give it time. Mouse might be planning to try again, but cats on duty if that happens. Oh, wait, that didn't work out so well the first time. Note to self - next time tie a knot in the plastic bag and put in garbage can.
1:50am - With Diet Coke in hand, retire to DIS to share story of deadly mouse attack, focusing on bravery of main character (me) and emphasizing cowardice of two animals ADVERTISED to kill mice on the spot.
As I said, sometimes I REALLY hate not having a man around the house....
You are a braver soul than I. When I lived alone, a mouse in the house necessitated a call to Daddy. I am not proud... 
so I will play too 
