Spring Time Reflections

Well, Old Man Winter I think finally decided to pack his bags and leave the North East.  Today its in the 60s, a slight breeze is in the air.... and as I drove along the Thames River today I actually saw some flowers blooming.  Oh and most importantly- "Ally & Noah" have returned.  Ally and Noah are these 2 swans that stay in the river down the road from our house.  I look forward to them every season... and Josh and I have an inside joke that they are "us" in swan world.

Today is such a nice day I have decided to grill.  Rockin my "Domestic Diva" apron and all!! I put Harper down for her afternoon nap, and headed into the garage to reunite with the grill.  After some pushing and shoving I finally got it out, cleaned the grilling rack things, emptied last years ashes and put the smoke stack thing on.  As I was prepping the grill for the BBQ Chicken I'm going to make tonight I couldn't help but laugh.... about the first time I decided to teach myself to grill.

It was late last September... I had 2 girlfriends over who were more clueless than I about how to grill.  I was equipped with this amazing sounding Martha Stewart recipe and dang her... it HAD to be grilled.  After 30 minutes and a few phone calls to Casey's family- we had fire.  While the chicken cooked, we would go back upstairs and snack on our appetizer, leaving the basement door open for ease of entering and exiting as we checked on our dinner.  Surprisingly dinner was amazing.  It was Grilled Chicken with Lemon and Oregano, with a roasted red peeper and goat cheese salad.  Yes... your mouth should water because its THAT good.  

 

 So after dinner we went and sat in the living room, chatting over "Desperate Housewives"... when all of a sudden we hear this crazy SCRATCH noise!!  We were all like what the freak was that!?  Casey (brave one from Oklahoma) led the way downstairs... something was down there!!  We looked around, didn't see anything and had decided that it was prob a squirrel trying to come in after our yummy dinner.  After they left, I heard it again, and again- blew it off thinking it was OUTSIDE.  The next morning... the basement was TRASHED.  I mean CHUNKS of drywall taken out, my dryer hose ripped out of the wall, boxes scattered, laundry everywhere, the recycling torn to shreds.  I now knew SOMETHING WAS IN MY BASEMENT!!  I called the only other person I knew at the time, Cameron, to come help me.  He poked around, said he saw nothing and we thought maybe it had gone outside.  Its now Tuesday... day 3 of something in the basement.  I called animal control and they said "You  have to know what it is before we come out."  FINE.  I was going to take matters into my own hands.

I went to Home Depot and got a trap.  It was big enough for skunks, squirrels, rabbits, raccoons.... I was sure whatever it was was going to fit.  The trap would close, I would call animal control and they would take it away.  Simple right!? Wednesday night, I conned Cameron into coming over AGAIN and helping me set the trap.  We set it, and not 10 minutes went by and it went off!!  Were we that lucky!?  He goes to check, yeah the food was gone, the trap was closed and no animal.  We set it again, and again and every time the animal escaped.  Crap.  Whatever it was, was so big that the trap door wouldn't close on it!!  What to do next!?  He was tired so I told him to go home, we would figure something out later.

Thursday... I needed to mop the kitchen, and I always yelled down the stairs to my unwanted guest that I was coming down and to hide.  I go down, grab the mop, and I hear russeling.  I turn around to see a HUGE AND I MEAN HUGE 30 POUND SKUNK YES SKUNK WALKING TOWARDS ME.  I threw the freakin mop, ran upstairs, and called Casey.  Son of a gun I knew what it was.  I called animal control and they told me it was going to be $350 and he would come the next day to get it.  I was like WTF!? Noooo way dude... I want him gone TONIGHT!! So Casey stopped at Starbucks and we prepared for a long steak out.  Her grandma had told us to soak cat food in antifreeze and have the skunk eat it.. it would die and we could get it out.  We had a better idea.  We would make a trail of antifreeze soaked food leading out the door.  That way when it did die, it wouldn't stink up the entire house 2 weeks before Josh came home!!  After a few hours of sitting on lawn chairs just watching.... we saw him again.  And he was as big as I remembered.  He starred at us... and eventually followed the trail of poisoned food and came outside.

 

I'm not even sure if he died.  I hope it did.  There are still signs in the basement... and now we all look back and laugh... but holy cow what an adventure.  Every night I remember emailing Josh and updating him with my progress (lack there of for a few days ha ha ha).  I'm more proud of myself than anything... I didn't know I had it in me.  Thankfully I have friends who helped me every step of the way!!

But today- my patio furniture is out, neighbor Jon is cleaning his car, tons of people are out walking, and soon there will be the sweet savory smell of BBQ chicken. 

Welcome Spring.... I have missed you dearly.