Mort à la Souris

This past weekend is what I consider a golden holiday.  A holiday that we as American celebrate, thank you Dr. King, but Europe is clueless to.  This means that everyone is at work, school, or doing normal everyday things while we are on VACATION.

So we took advantage of that and went to Park Molenheide.  Park Molenheide is sort of a soft-camping (cabin) indoor waterpark and playground children's paradise.  It is really close to Holland and in the woods but really only about 45 minutes from our house.

We got there at 10, played in the pool and waterslides for two hours with some other Americans.  Then we got some lunch that was overpriced and slow but, you know, I am getting used to this pace, and even liking it.  Once the kids ate up they played for another two hours in what could only be described as child paradise.  Philippine friends think 12 Active Funs, American friends think 20 Chucky Cheese and 12 Little gyms wrapped up with so many giant climbing structures that you can't climb them all.  It was paradise, and we were the only people there.

Awesome.

I came home buzzing.  I have sort of had a happy buzz since Christmas.  Things have been great, so great I was nervous something was going to kill my buzz and it did.

I went into the garage to let the kids jump on their bounce house, yes folks, the bounce house still lives in Brussels.  Anyhow, as I moved it I found mouse poop.  RODENT POOP.

Bigger problem: my food storage is mostly in the garage.

Now, as of yet I do not see any mouse evidence that they have gotten to my food storage.  It is on shelves up high.  However, these little buggers are smart and it is only time before this mouse or one its progeny figures out how to climb my food storage shelves.

I did what any reasonable trailing spouse would do.  I gave my husband a very loud and clear message to get the work order into the embassy STAT.  Which he dutifully did and received a response in less than 10 minutes with a message that it is my problem.

In my mind the message went as follows:

Ha, ha, you have a mouse.  And you have to deal with it ALL. BY. YOURSELF.  Welcome to Europe $!^#*, BWAHAHA.

The reality is it was an auto-sender email.  We are going to petition the real people and find out if they really mean it.  But until I get a human who comes to my home with traps I am an unhappy camper.

Of course this is not welcomed news.  Just as I was ill-equipped to deal with a calcified spigot, I am even more ill-equipped to deal with a rodent problem.  Maybe I don't give myself enough credit but I don't want that credit.  I don't like killing mice, spiders, or other vermin.

 A mouse is a pest that causes a lot of destruction.  They eat through things, they eat walls, and they proliferate.  It frustrates me beyond all belief that they think they are saving $10 for a few traps when they might really be causing thousands of dollars in damage by not taking care of it.

Boo.  And it was such a good start to the week.