Earlier this summer I started to write down things that happen in my life because I find my life funny. I was debating posting some of those online, would that be mildly entertaining to people or would that just me rambling? I like rambling, it has a good rhythm and gives me something to do. Maybe what I'll do is post one "chapter" a day. That way I can hook people and sell my ideas for millions of dollars muah ha ha! It will be akin to the Harry Potter phase and cocaine in the 80's. Alright so today's the first chapter boys and girls. Actually it is chapter 3 but we won't hold that against it. These are of course actual events in my life and all of the people are real, I have omitted their names so they don't kick my butt but if you realize who I am talking about you can make fun of them at your leisure.

3. The Mouse Hunt

“WE HAVE A MOUSE!!!! IT JUST RAN OUT OF MY ROOM!!!” I hear shouted from the second story, I am in the basement. There is alarm. But does anyone else see this mouse? No of course not. The mouse-seer must be crazy. He is imagining things, we have never had a mouse. He sleeps with a blue towel shoved under his door so Mr. Mouse cannot return. A week later I am in the kitchen, alone, doing dishes. AHH!! There is a mouse under the sink, between the soap and sponges. I bend down to look at the little mouse. He is very tiny, and kind of skinny. Almost close enough for me to touch. I, of course, try and touch the mouse. Not really thinking it through.. just sticking my finger out and fully expecting to poke the little soft and fuzzy creature. I blink, and the mouse is gone… he ran over my foot and then under the dish washer. I did not realize things could fit under our dish washer. A couple days later I am still debating telling the roommates that I saw the invisible mouse. I do not want to tell for two reasons. One: I hate to see any living thing killed, and I live with spider killers. They would kill Mr. Mouse for sure. Two: Everyone is calling the original mouse-spotter crazy because obviously there is no mouse and he was seeing things, which I enjoy because I know he is not crazy. Finally I break down and admit to seeing the mouse. In the next week others have had mouse sightings. One night we were all in the living room and it is discovered that Mr. Mouse lives in the pantry. He is also apparently related to spider-man because he is on the third shelf when I spot him. Spidey-mouse. Cool. I respect this creature. Regardless of respect the Great Mouse Hunt of Campo Court begins. We start small. The initial chase involves some Tupperware and a mixing bowl. We miss. Then the plot thickens. We can put tape all over the entire kitchen floor sticky side up, this will catch the mouse! (this is a suggestion from the now not crazy mouse-spotter) Thankfully, our floor is not taped. Instead a makeshift trap is put in the corner by the fridge. It is made of an orange juice carton, which is in turn taped to the floor. (Tape is an important part of mouse trap making.) The next morning nothing is in the orange juice box. I made sure of that before the others woke up. A few nights later Mr. Mouse is once again seen in the pantry. We plan our attack cautiously. We think of everything, we have boxes, we have Tupperware, and there are four of us versus one of him. Oh, we will win, this is certain. The mouse slips through the crack between the panty door and the wall and is gone under the couch before we knew what happened. Grrr… there are three engineers in this house and one art student. We should be smarter than something whose brain is the size of a grape nut. We rush to the couch. We know he is there. We flip the couch, no mouse. Maybe under the other couch! We flip that couch too… again no mouse. But we see something moving in the side of the couch. MOUSE! So we start to hit the bottom fabric of the couch to scare it out. No luck. Here we are, four college students, all in their 22^nd year of life, chasing a mouse and being out smarted. If we were a bunch of 6 year olds this would not have been a problem. But we have Tupperware, we will still win. An hour later our living room is destroyed. Couches are flipped, pillows are everywhere, and we are panting and frustrated. Grrr.. Dumb mouse. Wait.. the mouse spotter sees the mouse again! He is a mouse radar! Mr. Mouse has been watching all of our craziness from inside the air vent. He was not under the couch, or inside. Mr. Mouse is gonna die before he tells all of the other mice what dumb humans we are. We get ready, we get set…we rush the vent to catch the mouse! He runs. He runs to the kitchen and under the stove. We have lost. Our massive brains were no match for his tiny mousey feet. We all go to bed defeated. The next day we will pick up the couches. Tonight I don’t mind if the whirlwind leaves open the cupboards because the mouse has earned his free food. A few weeks later when most of us are gone, the two remaining roommates catch the mouse. They actually catch him in a plastic mold of the human brain I have left over from my job in a biology lab. HA! The human brain wins! They let him go in a field out by the reservoir a few miles from our house. Such a happy ending except that it was the middle of winter when he was let go.