Man, Am I Glad She's On MY Team!

(Jude, I am giving you fair warning...this one might be slightly overwhleming for you!!)

I remember once, my oldest sister, Jill, and I were driving along on a dark road, late at night. We had a conversation about what we would do if our car were to break down along this dark road that we knew was lined with small, alligator filled ponds on both sides. We talked about how we would just be stranded, waiting in the dark in the car until someone came along to rescue us, because neither of us were brave enough to get out and walk. We discussed how we should put some sort of bike or scooter in the trunk. That way, in the future, if this were to happen, she could pedal and I could ride on the handle bars. That makes perfect sense, right??

So, then a few months later, Jill and I had told our other sister, Tracy, about our genius plan. Tracy laughed at us. She was surprised. She said:

"Don't you ever have those stray thoughts where you picture an alligator attack you?? (Which, by the way, is a very common "daydream" for those of us living in alligator infested territory.) What do you do?"

Jill and I both said we would do something like jump up on top of the closest car, cry like a baby and scream for help. Tracy laughed again and then proceeded to tell us that in those little daydreams, she kicks the alligator's butt.

Apparently, Tracy is much braver than either of us. She proved that this past week.....

Tracy and Jill live together.

A few days ago, Jill was outside smoking, late at night. Tracy came and tapped on the sliding glass door.

Tracy: There's a mouse, in a box, in my bedroom.
Jill: WHAT?!?!?!
Tracy: There's a mouse..... In a box...... In my bedroom.
Jill: WHAT?!?!?
Tracy: I caught a mouse. It's in a box in my bedroom.
Jill: How??
Tracy: What do you mean how?
Jill: How did you catch it??
Tracy: With a box, in my bedroom.
Jill: Didn't it run??
Tracy: Oh, it ran. I ran faster.....

You see, they have been having mice issues. The apartment people had laid traps. They had put out poison. They had laid more traps. Finally, they ended up having to call in the exterminators, who laid bait all over the place to try and get rid of them.

Apparently, Tracy was laying in her bedroom watching TV, when a small, grey mouse came scurrying in under her bedroom door. She flipped on the lights quickly and exclaimed "OH NO YOU DON'T!!"

She then proceeded to chase the mouse around in her room, but lost it. She heard it in the bathroom, so she went into the bathroom and chased it around. It ran back into her bedroom where she, you guessed it, chased it around until finally, she caught it under a clear, plastic, Rubbermaid container.




They had to put something on top of the box to weigh it down because the mouse was jumping and scampering all over the place. They knew they needed something stiff to slide underneath the box so they could move it, so they used my sister's CAT scans. Smart, huh??

They ended up sliding the entire contraption through the apartment, picking it up and tossing the mouse out close to the pond (although not so close to the pond that they made themselves easy gator bait!) They knew the little mouse would be doomed, since the Orkin man had baited the entire perimeter of the building the day before. Plus, Florida is home to an abundance of rather large birds. So, odds were definitely against the little guy. But, as Tracy pointed out, if they just stayed outside she woulnd't mind them. But once they cross that line and come into her home, they declare war!

Note to self: Don't make Tracy mad. She might chase you around and capture you in a little, plastic box.