We interrupt this series of five to bring you the following announcement...
I left my heart...
As you all probably already know, this past summer we fled our homeland on the left coast. Claiming ourselves as political refugees, we sought a new life in a new land. Unfortunately for us, not only did we reduce the number of registered Republicans in the Golden State by approximately 50 percent, we also miscalculated and ended up in the only state MORE liberal than California: Taxachusetts, er, I mean, Massachusetts.
...and your tax dollars!
There is much to love about the Great Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The history. The leaves in the fall. The prevalence of Dunkin' Donuts.
I don't eat these. Ever. Really.
We first alit in a 100-year-old barn in Lexington. It was big and drafty, and we were enchanted with the wide plank floors, the hayloft, and the huge backyard.
We were not so enchanted with what we learned also came with the house: Mice.
Perhaps he's a Democrat?
It's amazing what you can adapt to. Just like the frog in the pot of hot water, things get bad so gradually that you hardly even notice until suddenly you're being served up alongside a dish of drawn butter on a nest of escarole.
That's how it was with the mice. Sort of. I hated the fact that we had been invaded from Day One, and would have packed up my laptop and my protein bars and been out the door. But finding a new place to live is a lot of work, and it involves $$ (or rather $$$$) and breaking the lease and a lot of other unpleasantries. So we stayed put.
Until the problem got worse and worse and worse and the mouse count stands at 51 and there are creakings and scratchings at all hours and the kids won't sleep in their own rooms and I have nightmares of being attacked by mice and I can't count the number of times we've been awoken with a mouse caught on a glue trap IN OUR BEDROOM at 3 in the morning and ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
So that, my friends, is why we are moving. A week before Christmas. Six months after we moved the first time.
There's a lesson in this somewhere, but I'll be darned if I know what it is.
Lain, wishing you the best with your move. I know that the timing is taxing, but it is for the best.
Blessings, Sudie
Posted by: Sudie | 12/16/2009 at 08:12 AM
Wow! On the mice and the move. It will be stressful but I am sure you and your family will feel much better in a new home minus the furry "friends". Best of Luck on your move! : )
Posted by: Barbi | 12/16/2009 at 08:19 AM
Oh dear! You poor thing! I know your sense of adventure and wonderful humour will carry you and the rest of the family through. Think of it as giving your family a new home for Christmas rather than looking at the things you might miss because of the move.
Posted by: canadacole | 12/16/2009 at 08:21 AM
I would have been out the door the first week. Good luck with your move!!
Posted by: Jill Sporleder Gilbert | 12/16/2009 at 08:36 AM
We moved into our house a few weeks ago and had an exterminator come out...he did find mouse droppings but either they were old, or we have driven them off. I've never seen one here, thankfully. I totally think that you were right to move.
Oh, so you were the other Republicans in California! :) Really, there are more - it's just harder to find them!
Posted by: Juliana | 12/16/2009 at 08:49 AM
Good luck with the move Lain! I sure hope that the new house won't come with hidden (or maybe not so well hidden) surprises! At least you know that if Santa's cookies are nibbled on on the morning of the 25th, the mice won't be responsible! ;P
Posted by: Nathalie (famille1999) | 12/16/2009 at 08:57 AM
Just make sure you don't take any stowaways. We moved one in from our garage, thanks to some birdseed stored there. I'm still finding sunflower seed shells! (but we caught the one lil bugger).
Posted by: Denise | 12/16/2009 at 10:12 AM
Good luck! You poor thing. I feel terrible for you and your family.
Posted by: Abbie | 12/16/2009 at 10:21 AM
Oh. My. Gosh. I cannot believe you lasted 6 months. I HATE MICE WITH A PASSION!!! I'm so sorry. And I'm glad you are outtathere!
Posted by: AnnieB | 12/16/2009 at 10:32 AM
Barn cat. Nice, hungry barn cat.
- daney
Posted by: Dana Dennis | 12/16/2009 at 10:56 AM
Good luck with your move! You didn't say where you were moving to. Are you fleeing Mass??? Won't it be wonderful with a mice-free house for Christmas?! Take care and take all the time from blogging that you need to move your family and get settled!
Posted by: Ann | 12/16/2009 at 11:41 AM
Take a DEEP breath, and wave "Bye!" to those mice!
When we moved into our house, it had been empty for six months. The mice had been having a fine time! We put out a LOT of mouse poison, and that was it. Now we have several (outside) cats, so they stay away.
Posted by: Michelle Moore | 12/16/2009 at 12:36 PM
Where ya goin'??? I don't need an actual address--LOL--but would hate that you'd leave our wonderful commonwealth! Although, as a Maine native, I'd recommend that state as well--you'll find more conservatives up there too! Good luck with the move--I know a mouse-free house will be the best Christmas gift! Merry Christmas!
Posted by: DianeG | 12/16/2009 at 01:22 PM
Eh, gads, Lain! How horrible to be plagued by mice and to have to move the week before Christmas. Good luck to you and your family!
Posted by: Jennifer McGuire | 12/16/2009 at 02:33 PM
Hey, at least you found somewhere else you could move! It could have been a lot longer than a six month lease as well :-) Hang in there! With your sense of humor, you can make it through a move right before Christmas! You're pretty darn talented too! :-) *I'm starting to realize I use way too many smilies in my writing!*
Posted by: April | 12/16/2009 at 04:18 PM
Eek! Would you like to borrow my kitties for awhile? They used to be great mousers...when they were allowed outside. Now that they stay indoors there aren't mice for them to play with :o(
Posted by: Kelli | 12/16/2009 at 10:06 PM
Oh, my. I wouldn't have lasted 24 hours.
Best of luck with the move, and here's to a rodent-free Holiday!
Posted by: tina cockburn | 12/17/2009 at 04:33 PM
Good luck with the move and here's to a nice restful sleep for you all!
Posted by: Carmel Keane | 12/17/2009 at 04:34 PM
Thats a very good reason to move!!!Our taxes in NJ are terrible and our car insurance is crazy. So I know how you feel!!!
Posted by: Jersey Girl Anne | 12/17/2009 at 09:33 PM
Good luck with the move! Although, Calif has a very liberal reputation, it has some surprisingly very conservative areas. You just chose the wrong area. Though Nor. Calif has some other very redeeming qualities regardless of political affiliation! ;)
Posted by: Margie | 12/21/2009 at 09:30 PM
Oh you poor thing .. good luck with the move
Posted by: Gab | 12/22/2009 at 05:04 AM
Wait until you hear the flying mouse story on the blog tomorrow...
Lain Ehmann
CEO, Ella Publishing Co.
Memorable reads for memory keepers.
www.ellapublishing.com
[email protected]
408-348-2156
Posted by: Lain | 12/22/2009 at 11:28 AM
Mice. I remember hearing them in the walls in my old place. Still have to deal with them from time to time. Ugh! I hope things get better. The lil nasty rascals. LOL.
Posted by: shai | 12/22/2009 at 04:55 PM
whoa... I totally missed this! until I read a recent post about sleeping on the floor in your new house and I was like, what? lain moved! shocked! okay, is it weird that I said all that and we don't "know" eachother? eeks. I promise I'm not as pesty as those pesky mice! seriously, 51???? that's more than enough to send ME packing! my goodness!
Posted by: Crafty P | 12/28/2009 at 10:49 PM