gone back to the beach, please look there

That's right, I've left this beachwalking space for the place where it all began for me.

I shall hope for visitations there. 

As always, thank you for thinking of me.

Happy year of the Snake!

almost out of the hell created by enzo

This is me, all dressed up with no place to go, to paraphrase Meat Loaf.

 

Hard to believe it's been three years, to the date, since I wrote about his death and that song.

 

I was supposed to have an in-person appointment with my PCP today, but Enzo's frozen Hell caused that to be changed yesterday into a Video type.

 

Today, just about an hour ago, the 6-month check-up morphed into two phone calls, one from nurse Sarah, the other from Ms. Susan Barker.

We're all having a bit of cabin fever, but took time to engage in some laughter.

 

That was good.

 

None of us have seen anyone outside our houses since this all began.

Clearly folks in my neighborhood have been driving, crushing the icy ruts into liquid which will freeze again tonight.

My little Saturn has been shedding its mantle of white, as has the driveway.

That gives me hope of perhaps taking the car on a tour of our environs tomorrow, after the ground has again warmed away the black ice.

I certainly don't want us to end up topsy-turvy like this idiot.

 

CEMA posted this on fb, repeating its warning: stay off the streets!

 

The city is trying hard to make our roadways safe, but Looney Toon characters keep taking their clown cars - with no snow tires, no snow chains - out for a spin.

 

Literally and figuratively.

The transplants from northern states are definitely part of the problem.

 

I watched one of them almost slide into the light pole as they tried to maneuver this turn.

 

They're a bit spoiled, having come from towns that have snow plows and salt trucks, towns that have winter cold from October through May.

 

That's not what we have at 32 degrees N latitude.

 

Moreover, that's not what we want, either.

 

Nor is it what the transplants want.

 

I'm ready to have nights that don't go below freezing for hours and hours... but that won't be until Sunday.

 

I'm ready for days that don't come with a -12 wind chill that detracts from their temperatures during the day.

 

I'm ready to get out of Hell...

please.

day after enzo

This is what it looked like outside at 12:58 AM.

 

I had taken a peek as I was going to bed.

 

Winter Storm Enzo had been circling the house, jabbing here and there with his bony, cold, fingers.

 

My front yard was the only one that still showed grass.

 

My little blue car was outlined in snow, but it was too dark for my camera to see it.

 

When I awakened at 6:37 AM to pee, I peeked outside again.

 

White, white, white, as far as the eye could see.

 

All of my front yard was blanketed.

 

Even the two liriope at the end of my sidewalk were just indiscriminate mounds of white.

Back to my warm bed I went.

At 9 AM, I rose again, briefly.

Time to take Synthroid and check outside.

The liriope had also risen from its covering of snow, its dark green leaves triumphant above the white!

 

Good for it!

 

Even the taller grass of the spiral around the Japanese magnolia was visible again!

 

And what about the back yard? 

 

The bird bath was piled high with collected snow.

 

No worries, that would eventually be water for the aviary bunch that share my property!

 

The yard itself wore a white blanket, but it was lightly glistening.

 

Was it already warming in the sun?

 

Back to my warm covers I went, to await coffee time and a reason to rise.

 

Not so my little great-nieces in Hinesville!

 

They had missed the snow of 2014, so this was their very first chance to make snow angels.

 

The joke was on them!

 

The temperatures had frozen the snow... making them little snow devils instead!

 

Hahahaha!

 

At 10:30 AM, coffee was made and so was soup.

 

The temperature outside was 30 F, with a wind chill that knocked it down to 19 F.

 

That made the 60 F inside my house seem almost balmy by comparison.

 

I'm so glad I put the sheet up on Friday night to block the sunroom off.

I heard that snow devil Enzo scratching to get through last night!

After dining on warm liquids for breakfast, I checked outside again.

It was beautifully sunny, but the temperature was still hovering at 30 F.

The icicles on my eaves were steadily drip-drip-dripping, shedding their frozen dihydrogen oxide.

The snow in my front yard was sparkling with millions of minuscule diamonds, as my car continued to be draped under its blanket of white.

 

As for the rest of my front yard, there had been a change by that time.

 

Even the area in the shade was nearly devoid of its snowy covering!

 

Perhaps the longer grass there, left unmowed since I last ran the Ryobi, had harbored ground heat?

That would explain why mine was the only yard that showed any grass at all.

Everyone else scalps their grassy areas.

That's okay, though.

I have no reason to venture outside until Friday, when I have my 6-month check up with my PCP.

 

While the weather song heads for higher notes, I'll watch "The Madame Blanc Mysteries" on Acorn TV.

Thanks, Comcast.

looks like Irwin was correct

Every time I went to the AMC cinema for the past four or five days, Irwin has talked to me about snow in Savannah.

Every time he did, I would protest that we would not be getting snow, not at 32 N latitude.

Nope, nope, nope.

Now, it turns out I was mistaken.

If Pat Prokop says snow will be falling, then snow will definitely fall.

 

The retired meteorologist isn't the only source for that news, of course.

Chatham Emergency Management Agency posted this on fb at 3 PM.

"CEMA Alert:
Winter Storm Warning
WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM TUESDAY TO NOON EST WEDNESDAY
* WHAT...Heavy mixed precipitation expected. Total snow and sleet
accumulations up to one inch and ice accumulations up to one
quarter of an inch.
* WHERE...Coastal Bryan, Coastal Chatham, Coastal Liberty, Coastal
McIntosh, Inland Bryan, Inland Chatham, Inland Liberty, Inland
McIntosh, and Long Counties.
* WHEN...From 5 PM Tuesday to noon EST Wednesday.
* IMPACTS...Roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will
likely become slick and hazardous. Plan on slippery road
conditions. The hazardous conditions could impact the Tuesday
evening and Wednesday morning commutes."

 

Hallie of Louisiana - my sil's sil - tried to inject a note of humor, Cajun style.

Sneaux Bingeaux just may be a game I'd play, too, especially if Thibodeau and Boudreau were sitting in at the table.

I even already have several squares I could fill!

I have milk, I have bread, I'm dripping those faucets, my snacks are ready to be eaten up, and I have several cans of Progresso Chicken & Sausage Gumbo in the pantry.

Oh, yes, and the schools will be closed!

That gives me a lucky seven squares, including the free space.

Not a bingeaux yet, but getting there.

 

I plan to adopt Patrick Young's philosophy, too.

"If you choose

not to find joy

in the snow

You will have

less joy in your life

but still

the same amount of snow."

 

That sounds a lot like that Tibetan proverb I like about worry. 

"If the problem can't be solved, 

there's no use worrying about it.

If it can be solved,

worrying will do no good."

Last time I checked, I had no control over the weather.

I still do not have any control over the weather.

I only have control over my response to the weather.

That's why I watch the WSAV Weather Song, so I can stay in tune.

(smile!)

a day of transformations

I was ready for it, too, and had a game plan in place, but I had lovely surprises as well.

 

I checked the WSAV Weather Song for any changes, but found none.

 

Tonight, the weather goes straight to Hell and stays there all week.

That was right before 11 AM and solidified my goal this morning of making it to church for a live, in-person, sermon.

 

Because of low temperatures, this would be the first time this year for me to be there on a Sunday.

 

I told Rev. Billy when I saw him on Tuesday that I would see him "when the temperatures are at least 50 by 11 AM"... and today they were!

 

That meant I was there to experience the transformation of water into wine, done as only he could preach it.

 

I could practically taste the fruity beverage that the Son had made to please His Mother, Mary.

Afterward, off to the cinema I went!

 

Today is National Popcorn Day, and that's what I was having for lunch... plus, a free refill for this coming week.

 

That proved to be the perfect accompaniment for "Wolf Man", all about the transformation of a kind-hearted man (Christopher Abbott) into a savage creature, albeit one that still knew his wife and daughter.

 

Honestly, I had tears at the end!

That completed my A*List, too.

 

Knowing the days would be too cold this week for matinees, I went ahead and took care of two shows on Friday.

 

That's not to say I watched both of them, mind.

 

I caught the new one with Tilda Swinton - "The Room Next Door" - and found it to be more emotionally intense than I'd expected.

 

Afterward, I bought a ticket for "Sing Sing", as if I were doing a double header, then left.

 

It isn't that I wouldn't love to see it again, and probably will if it remains another week, but I didn't have time on Friday, as I had other plans and needed a hug.

 

So, back to the present, shall we, with making the plans to allow me to ride out the hell to begin on Monday?

 

That meant a trip to Jason's Deli for a Salad Bar To-Go!

 

Barbara is the one I credit with showing me how to appreciate the use of these ready-prepped vegetables and fixings to transform multiple meals into fresh experiences.  

But that's not what I ate first!

 

I've had an intense craving for pizza after being bombarded by Papa John's emails all week.

 

Two slices of this Kid's Meal Pepperoni Pizza from Jason's scratched that itch, with the rest for another time, for just $5.

 

Oh, yes, that worked out perfectly!

Dinner found the broccoli florets and crumbled bacon combined with Cilantro Lime rice for a taste that was fresh and even healthy.

 

Plus, it wasn't soup, as I am sure I'll have plenty of that in the near future.

 

Speaking of that food, that's what "Beauty And The Beast" had for dinner.

 

This is the 2017 version, with Dan Stevens in the transformation role.

 

First, he's a prince by name but not by deed, earning him a change into a creature when he ticks off a sorceress.

 

Then, near the time when he will have to stay a beast for the rest of his life, he finds love and kindness that transforms his character.

 

In turn, that change in his very nature eventually allows him to regain his form as a man.

 

Such kindness that shines from his eyes then... as it did from the Wolf Man's eyes.

 

I'm glad life offered him a second chance.

PULSE me, please!

I had not realized it, but this exhibit parallels my life AD.

 

"Are you meaning to say that PULSE began that first year after divorce?" 

Exactly so. The very first one was in January of 2008. This year's art and technology celebration is PULSE18.

"How very cool for the Universe to gift you this!"

I agree. Some years I've enjoyed more than others, finding sweet spots that I completely identified with. You know, like SWARM. I still find that to be my absolute favorite, though Jim Campbell has a work I very much like. The difference is that his piece is not interactive. In fact, none of his pieces are. When the engineer first started exploring his artistic nature, he did produce works designed for the viewer to actively participate with. The thing is, he didn't like the way people interacted! Funny, right? So, after a couple of years, he changed to a different style. That seems to correspond with his brother's death from cancer. I can understand how he needed a new perspective then.

"Most definitely. Death of someone close does seem to call for change. Back to the art, please. What was the Campbell piece you liked most?"

 

It's called "Eroding Wave". The piece physically consists of 3500 white balls suspended on wires to form a huge, three-dimensional, cresting wave of water. So, that's all static, meaning the balls do not move. Got that image of water that doesn't flow? Now, overlay that with dark images that swim through the light in all directions, sometimes singly, sometimes in pairs or trios. As a scientist, I really appreciated that wave-light particle duality of the piece!

"Very cool! Were the images projected onto the light balls, like onto a screen? Or did he use variation of light intensity in the balls as the image 'swam' over them? Do you know what method was used?"

Those are good questions that I cannot answer. I'd be very impressed if he used a variable current, which I'm sure, as an engineer, he would be able to accomplish. However, I think he had the film of the swimmers running on a screen. I do know that he obtained those images by filming a group of boys in a pool. He even had them clad in long dark suits, probably like the full-length bathing suit that Lauri wore. He spoke of that in his talk tonight after the opening reception.

 

"I take it that's him on the right in the above photo?  I recognize Harry Delorme there, talking with the students."

You're correct! The group of SCAD student council members was about to enter the exhibit devoted to Campbell's works. I was already within, having chosen to view "Thresholds Of Perception" before his talk. For the most part, his works are like watching a fish tank.

"Say what? That doesn't sound like much fun."

Having had fish tanks for a number of years in my 20's, I can tell you that watching the fish is actually quite relaxing. They're always in motion, but it varies. The swordtails are small flashes of color moving quickly at the top of the tank, while the pictus catfish are slow and sinewy as they graze the bottom. All the other fish traverse the whole tank as they swim in their continuous circuits. It's almost meditative!

 

"Hey, maybe you should suggest the bfe get a freshwater tank!"

 

Actually, he has a cat, remember? Odd that you brought him up, though. I think this is definitely an exhibit he would appreciate, as both a physicist and an art lover. I hadn't even thought of inviting him to this, but I don't know that it would have been worth $20 to him. The reception and lecture were free to me, of course, as I'm a member of Telfair Museums.

 

"Well, I think you should mention PULSE to him and invite him the next time."

 

I'll keep that in mind. Now, let me tell you about the food this evening. I made sure I was there at the stroke of 5:30, and such treats they had! That's a Thai Shrimp lettuce wrap on top, with little crunchy bits of peanut for texture - totally yummy and definitely my choice as the servers made subsequent laps in the Jepson lobby. The other is pretty delightful, too, as it's marinated mushrooms on toasted baguette. I had several of those, too!

"Those do sound very tasty!"

They were! Linda of the Lucas days came downtown from Georgetown and joined me, as did one of her former SCAD colleagues, Michael. I was able to cue them in to these delights, making sure the servers knew that our table was glad to help lighten their platters! Michael enjoyed the mini BLTs best. I liked them, especially those layered, buttery, biscuits used as the base, but they sure made a mess! Then again, maybe that's just me. (smile!)

"Well, it sounds like a lovely dinner and lecture for you. I'm so glad the weather held for you to go to this!"

Me, too!

i thank You, God.

... and out the door i went!

Today promised a high in the mid-60's by 2 PM, and I took it at its word!

 

I started off with inside work, dismantling the Island of Misfit Toys under the Element.

Back into the plastic storage bin with all of them!

The other decorations in the living room joined them, there to await December again.

 

Did I take down the Christmas tree, too?

That 12th Day of Christmas was yesterday, and the Epiphany does mark the end of the Christmastide time.

But, just look at it... isn't it gorgeous?

Even with the lights off, it's just so pretty and makes a cheery focal point in the room.

So, it stays for now.

Maybe I'll take it down when the Tulip Tree lets me know spring is soon coming!

 

What else did I do while waiting for the day to come up to temperature?

I set up my new calendar from AARP with the special dates of my loved ones, that's what!

Some of the little Post-It slips were transferred, some were replaced from the package I still have from my days at Armstrong.

I finished off all of those, but still have yet another package from back then.

Pretty amazing, as I'll finish my seventh year of retirement this May!

By the time I'd completed this task, it was time to go to my first A*List movie of 2025.

I'd chosen "A Complete Unknown", at 1:15 PM.

By the time it was done, I was ready to be gone from it.

It wasn't that the film was bad, per se, it's just I've never been a Bob Dylan fan.

The best parts for me were the scenes with Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

The years covered were 1961, when Dylan was just 20 years old, up to the 1964 Newport Folk Festival, when he showed all what an ass he could be.

Nice to know he's been consistent with that ever since.

At least I've crossed that off my list!

And what was on my list?

Feeding my car with gasoline, then shopping for groceries!!!

Cheeses and apples and cinnamon and squash and other stuff at Aldi's!

Then, back toward home and Food Lion for soups on sale!

 

Not only did I find plenty of heartwarming soups at BOGO prices, but also Cinnamon Cheerios, beans of all kinds, ziti and rotini and corkscrew pastas, even ham slices!

I spent $60.95 and saved $34.98 - wow!!!

Right place, right time!

But I already knew that.

As I'd walked into Food Lion, I spotted a coppery gleam in the parking lot -

a 2021 penny for me!

I was even home before sundown, before the warmth was gone from the day.

i thank You, God.

getting ready for the new year!

First order of business: preparing "Dance At Bougival" for its new home in Hinesville.

That meant taking it off the wall, dusting it off all around the frame, across the back, down the front.

I am so glad to be passing this along at last, with no death involved.

Next order of business: washing clothes.

My winter wrap had developed a smell and that needed to be removed before the colder weather comes tonight.

I haven't yet put the clothes away, but it's comforting to know that I'll be starting the new year with clean attire.

Third order of business: my last A*list dance card, completed on this final Tina Tuesday of the year.

I'm glad the last two films, both new ones, were seen with loved ones!

Fourth order of business: prepping a new batch of jumpsuit-clad men with marching orders.

Now tattered and torn, these seven have been taking care of business all year long for me.

Another squad of dancing Elvis secretaries are now standing by, awaiting their turn on the kitchen cabinets. 

Fifth order of business: washing dishes.

Counting coffee cups, there are six, though it's only been five days since I last cleaned off the counter.

That's because I have a new one - Yoda! - from Tony and Laura and I'm using it tomorrow.

(They actually gave me two, but I shared with Michael.)

Now, I have another Christmas movie lined up and ready to go.

"A Holiday Spectacular" is set in 1958 and is about a young woman's quest to dance as one of the Rockettes!

Right time, right place for this girl!

First, though, time for a shower so I start the new year clean, too.

I'm ready for 2025 to begin!

a*list with tailz

Note: That is -not- at typographical error.

That's how the alien being spells its name.

For real!

All the other aficionados at the special screening would agree with me.

That's Tailz in my hand here.

Actually, it's just the critter's head, designed as a keychain reward for those who came to the "Sonic The Hedgehog 3: Fan Event" at the 3 PM showing in the Big-D room.

I was there early this time, having missed out on the Lego rewards at the Fan Event for "Wicked" a couple of weeks back. 

This time, AMC had plenty of the rewards, with four buckets of the character keychains, allowing patrons to choose which they wanted: Sonic, Tailz, Knuckles, or Shadow.

My first choice was Sonic, but Alicia let me swap him out for the foxy yellow guy with the ability to fly.

As it turns out, Tailz was a perfect fit for me!

He's the nerdy analytical member of the trio formed in the second movie, you see. 

I'm the nerdy analytical member of any trio I'm in, too!

Well, most of the time, but not always!

 

 

Speaking of trio, this upbeat movie, filled with puns and inside jokes, was the perfect one to complete my dance card this week.

"The Order" and "Homestead" were a bit scary, given today's political climate in the USA.

The first one was real and the other was not, but both dealt with homeland terrorists.

Neither are anything I would see again.

But this movie today?

That had everyone there cheering on the good guys?

With everyone laughing at all the silly parts with Dr. Robotnik?

Plus lots of applause as each character entered the story, especially for Stone?

And everyone staying in their seats until the very last credit had rolled so they could see what would be forthcoming in the next adventure?

This was absolutely delightful!

I just may see it again tomorrow!

Meanwhile, I have a new Christmas ornament gracing my tree, right next to Melanie's snowflake and Mama's gingerbread house.

Isn't that smiling yellow face so cheerful?

Right place, right time!

(smile!)

pack attack + 2!

Time for a little something different!

I'm not just talking about the charity event we helped with, either!

Yvonne - that's her, talking with her hands, like I do! - and Toni and I had expected the Operation Thanksgiving Pack Attack to busy us until about 7 PM this evening.

Nope!

Thanks to the large turnout of volunteers, and the orderly method of the process, we were all done, and out of there, before 6:30!

That even included carrying the tote bags out to the cars that will deliver the food tomorrow!

Trust me, all that effort had worked up an appetite, too.

But, where to dine?

It was Monday, so the nearby King & I was closed.

How about Cici's or Chili's or Jason's Deli?

No, no, and no, were Yvonne's responses.

Plus, I know Toni prefers to go to locally-grown businesses.

Then, it hit me: The Narra Tree!

I've been wanting to go to this Filipino place since it opened and cannot ever seem to find someone to go along.

That wasn't the problem this time!

Both of them were ready, willing, and able to take a taste!

So, that's where we went, eventually closing down the place.

That was funny, as they were open until 9 PM!

 

We each ordered something different, then tried a little bit of what each ordered.

You know - like we all would have done at Chinese restaurants in our younger days.

What a lot of fun!

I had the vegetable-only Chop Suey, Toni had Pancit with chicken, and Yvonne had roast meat with fried rice - such a great variety.

Then we each ate every bit of the food.

I mean, every - last - bite.

No doggie bags for this bunch!

Then Yvonne surprised us by paying the entire bill.

Say what?

She was buying Toni's since her birthday was coming up, so she treated me, too.

Many thanks, g'friend! 

We'll have to do this again soon!

a visit with SamJ

Honestly, it took me a few minutes to find him.

I have it in my head that his gravestone is in the third row from the lane, but that is wrong.

His is in the second row, and only about halfway down the lane.

The photo is taken looking toward the lane.

That big rock was most likely placed there to help others find him, as I do not remember having seen it in the past.

I straightened up the area, taking away a huge bag of debris from the area.

Those little glass beads were scattered across another grave, but I collected them to brighten up his name plate.

Samuel Marquieth Johnson, gone fifteen years now.

He would have been 58 this year, just a year younger than my youngest brother.

I've surrendered my post as administrator of his facebook page.

Bob WIley and Perry Foster are still administrators, so he will still have someone to make posts and check on fb status updates.

I just cannot have that responsibility anymore... but I will still tend his grave from time to time, just to make sure his name can still be read by those who love him.

He was a good friend, and I still miss our Thursday outings.

eek...

Having seen no sign of the rat since Tuesday morning, I thought it was maybe gone.

I'd even started cooking at home, instead of only eating packaged foods from the store.

Just in case, I've been turning off the heat in the kitchen when I went to bed, too, and blocked off my bedroom door so none of that heat escaped.

Plus, I've kept up with the peppermint oil refresh every night.

My house smells like a candy cane bakery.

(smile)

Last night, I decided to move the electric rat trap from the sunroom to the kitchen.

I placed it right up against the cabinet, right in front of the doorway out to the hall.

A noise in the kitchen had brought me in, while watching "Ghosts", but it quelled after I banged on the cabinet doors and barked.

Yes, barked, like the big Year of the Dog person I am.

No more noises was reassuring, but not by much.

I slept pretty well, even so, snug in my secure room.

This morning, I got up late, as the temperature dropped to the 40's last night.

As the coffee was brewing, I noticed a flashing green light on the rat trap.

I made a mental note to contact my brother and ask about it, then turned on the heater and made a cheese and egg wrap for breakfast.

Then, as was eating and watching "The Price Is Right", I heard a noise.

The crowd was cheering, so I thought it might have been a high-pitched person...

but I knew it wasn't.

I continued eating my breakfast until I was done.

Then I got dressed and went into the kitchen.

 

Yes, there was definitely a rat tail sticking out of the electric trap, just as Smitty had said there would be. 

The green light that had been flashing was off.

It must have been signaling that the creature was within.

I unlocked the front door and pulled it ajar, then I very carefully picked up the trap and set it outside on the front porch, then closed the door.

Ugh.

Now what to do?

I contacted Smitty to let him know the trap had finally done its job.

I think I was hoping he would come and deal with its contents.

Nope, that didn't happen.

So, I dealt with it, emptying the rat into the kitchen trash bag, then depositing the whole thing into the garbage can outside.

I took the trap back inside and placed it again by the cabinet.

Then I washed my hands.

Hopefully, that ordeal with a house invader is done...

but, just in case, I'll keep an ear and an eye open for the net few days.

luncheon with chem nerds!

I almost said "nerdesses", but I think it would be regarded as non-PC, so I didn't.

But I don't believe that Yvonne or Lea or Nicole would have objected one whit!

I have no photo of our group, so my dining choice will have to do.

That's the BEP Wrap, one of the specials at the kayak Kafe Midtown today.

In other words, the black-eyed pea pattie, with avocado and other healthy options, in a tortilla and served with a side salad.

We met just before noon, meaning I'd had breakfast not an hour earlier.

That meant half my entree went home with me for later!

And the conversation?

It started out with talk of children between Yvonne and Lea, but by the time we were all finishing our meals, we were firmly entrenched in chemistry matters.

That went on for an hour!!!

Even after we paid our tabs, we sat and talked and talked!

I very much enjoyed that... and was glad, once again, that I retired 6 years ago.

Yvonne is still very new to retirement, but I hope she'll find her joy soon.

Suzy Carpenter retires at the end of this semester.

That will make Lea the lone female chemistry instructor on the Armstrong campus.

Wow.

How very different from the days when I was there.

update on the unwanted visitor

So, when we last tuned in, the rat was still leaving a mess for me.

That was on Sunday.

Monday morning found another mess, but not quite as bad.

The mess was also in the sunroom, not the kitchen, so I counted that as progress.

I placed an empty peppermint oil bottle by the back door, in case it had used that as a egress from my house. 

I also made the hallway redolent of that oil, to dissuade the vermin from entering that area.

Tuesday morning greeted me with this sight, again in the kitchen.

No sign of the beast on the counters or the stove, so that was reassuring.

No sign of it having gone near the bathroom or hall or open Ocean Room.

Good, good, and good.

I made sure to stop by Food Lion on my way home from appointments at the Savannah VA with my optometrist, Peter Urban, and my nutritionist, Elizabeth Carley.

I bought four more bottles of the peppermint oil.

I came home, after seeing a movie, and heard no little rat noises.

That's because I left the TV on, as well as lights in the sunroom and kitchen.

Good tip for the future.

Then I pulled out the cotton batting and threw it away.

It looked like the intruder had left its scent all over it... ugh.

Taking a clean cloth, I laid a double layer of lavender-scented anti-static sheets in its center, along the length, then folded the cloth by thirds.

Perfect for laying under the kitchen cabinets!

I also sprinkled some peppermint oil on the fabric, too.

Then, I reinforced the placement of the cloth with plastic yogurt containers from the recycling bag, then braced the red plastic container at one end and the heavy glass bowl at the other.

I'm hoping to wake up and find no change to this barrier.

I'm also going to leave the bathroom light on all night.

What about the electric rat trap?

The rat hasn't touched it once.

I've moved it to other areas, but I'm leaving it in the sunroom.

Here's hoping for future peaceful nights.

That would be a nice change.