Day VII

It was the kind of day where, after talking on the phone for more than 3
hours, I walked to my favorite local fish restaurant, only to have to
walk back through the first rain of the season.

I didn't get as far along as I'd have liked (I won't tomorrow either
because I'm going to a writers' conference in the city), but I did make
it through the rat hot spot. This is what I saw ...

There've been rat(s) there, for sure ... there was a chewed up bag of
jelly beans, a bar of mocha chocolate completely gone, and get this,
half a bar of soap eaten. A very few rat droppings and nothing else.
Defintely not a nest or nest-like, more like a drive-in on a road trip.

I set a snap trap in my fake fireplace, but I should have just built a
small Sputnik monument instead ... It would catch as many rats and have
a deeper meaning.

I've killed (and eaten) several animals in my lifetime and tracked many
many more ... and I always use the same trick: think like them. It
works *really* well. Okay, so I'm up against a critter that likes
chocolate, chews up plastic, and eats half a bar of soap before it
decides "that's a bad idea" (or possibly, "i'm bored now"). How can I
think like that? I don't even understand it.

Bo3b suggested that perhaps I'm not up against rats, but rather, space
aliens in rat form. It would explain:

* Testing different things to see what they are.

* Why they appear to be nowhere after visiting.

* The small probe that I fished out of my anus this morning.

The prime rule of a skeptic is extraordinary claims require
extraordinary proof†. Eating half a bar of soap all but qualifies in
my book. I think I'm up against space aliens.

Today I started playing Tetris in a big way. I'm moving boxes and
things, many of which will have to be moved 2 more times. I also
discovered, for the first time in my life, that I have the tiniest
amount of arthritis in my hips.

Music for the day:

Talk Talk
"Natural History"
(I liked it yesterday and didn't feel like playing Twister to change the
disc.)

"Chicago Blues Guitar Killers"
Japanese import collection

"Green Crystal Ties"
Psychedelic collection - Volume 4

My CD player started skipping so I turned it off. May get a new one
later today.

Ratometer:

Distance ridden on arms/legs exercise bike: 17mi/27km

Expiration date of Gatorade bottle I drank after riding: November 2004

Amount of time bottle had been opened and unrefrigerated, although label
said, "Refrigerate after opening:" 20 hours

# of hand signed first edition books unwrapped for the first time: 17

Most valuable of these: Hard to say, there are 2 Philip Roth's there and
he's a Pultizer winner, but due to pop culture demand I'll bet it's Anne
Rice's "Vittorio the Vampire"

# of BBC Music Magazines unearthed, still in their mailers: 22

Number of glue traps stepped in today: 1

Number of swear words uttered after doing so: 0

Best find of the day: Signed copy of "If Chins Could Kill," by Bruce
Campbell -- star of the "Evil Dead" films.

Rat count: nil

More mail tomorrow. Should finish first pass of the living room.
Things are looking better up front, worse further back in the place as I
play Tetris.

†This is, in fact, the primary problem I have with a vast number of
religions, they support what they believe by the information they
themselves provide. Uh, no.