Domestic Geek

Yesterday our mail and web servers went down and Marcus was still getting them back online when I went to bed. I was checking the email backlog before I left for work when I heard a horrible ruckus out on our back patio. I thought maybe some cats were doing it out there or something, so I turned on the porch light and peered out the blinds to see a gaze of raccoons (yes, that's what a group of the damned things is called). The light didn't scare them off and pounding on the door by me didn't scare them off. There was one that was sitting on our porch rail pulling at our siding. Apparently, they were after the bugs that were hiding in our siding. My pounding and yelling rousted Marcus out of bed and he was also witness to this little band of hooligans. They finally strolled away and I was explaining to Marcus that I was awoken twice the night before by these creatures fighting outside our open bedroom window. It was then that we heard big thumps on our roof as these raccoons had decided to climb the huge tree next to our house and drop onto the roof. They were running around up there and making a huge racket. It felt like one of those horror movies where the humans are trapped inside a structure and the evil animals are outside, trying to get in (ala Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds). I was afraid to go out the front door for fear that one would jump off on my head. It was only after the rain started coming down heavily and the running noise ceased that I had the courage to venture out.

This is the first time since we've lived here that they've been this far down the block. I know a family of these things live under the abandoned trailer two spaces West of us now. Marcus wants to kill them. He obsessed about it all day. He's talking about rat poison. I said no. I don't want him to run the risk of accidentally poisoning Skippy (or some beneficial raccoon predator).

It gets better. When I got home and sat down to watch television, no dish signal. The other receiver had a signal. Now it appears that their roof frolicking either pulled a dish cable loose or they chewed through one. Either way, I called Marcus at work to inform him of this most recent development and he is not a happy guy. The suckiest part is there is no one to compain to. The crappy park owners won't do anything about it. They already know we have a cat problem that they refuse to deal with. I wouldn't be concerned if they were just a nuisance like the skunks around here. Raccoons can be vicious, though. They also carry rabies. I don't want one tangling with Skippy. The city of Aurora won't do anything about it. Adams county won't do anything about it.

Yet one more reason to move.

UPDATE: Well, Marcus got the dish fixed. Not sure if it was related to the raccoon romping, but he said the cable ends are pretty old and brittle. He'll have to replace them all when he gets some time and parts. He's such a handy guy!

He also showed me this really funny story he found today about some poor guy's struggle with a raccoon problem. At least our problem is not as bad as his was (yet).

Oh, no...NOT AGAIN. I'm sitting here eating some dinner trying to relax at the computer before heading off to bed and I hear a dog barking outside. I look out and the stupid neighbors have a little dog chained up outside. This better not be a repeat of the Tucker incident or I'm really going to lose it. I'm praying that it just belongs to somebody visiting there and that it will be gone shortly. Once again, right outside my window. WHY? These people have absolutely no consideration for others.

Man, I hate days like today. This stupid infection is getting worse and I don't get paid until Wednesday. I hope it doesn't get to the point of putting me in the ER before I can get to a doctor. I tried to rest when I got home from work this morning as I had really bad chills and I'm getting achy, but I started coughing really bad and ended up puking the broccoli cheese soup I ate for lunch--all over the bathroom counter, the walls, the floor, the mirror. It was totally disgusting. I even ruined Marcus' toothbrush. I finally got it cleaned up and tried to go back to sleep after my stomach settled and the cough subsided, but then the stupid family next door kept me awake. I guess it was their turn to host the weekly family gathering. Nothing like listening to grown men fighting in spanish right outside my bedroom window to Mexican polkas and screaming children on a trampline. Yay. The party has been going on all day. The neighbors and the other side have been trying all day to get this car working that hasn't ran since they moved here. There was absolutely no place I could go in my own house that was quiet. I'm tired, I'm crabby and I can't concentrate on anything to actually get anything done. *sigh*

I want nothing more than to move away from here. I'm tired of rude neighbors and barking dogs and ferrell cats. This is going to be one long freaking summer since I'm going to be working nights/early mornings at the pizza place, days at my new job and I'm going to need to sleep from about 6pm to 2am. When the neighbors let the kids jump on the trampoline until it gets dark and allow them to scream constantly to boot, my temper is going to be really short from lack of sleep. Fun stuff. Not.

Well, the damned kids have finally quieted down. I'm going to bed and try to get some rest.

Current mood: infuriated
Got a nice surprise on my door when I got home from work today. Asshole landlord raised lot rent by $15 with less than 30 days notice. Jerkwad. With our dog, rent is now $505. That doesn't even include our house payment. ARGH! He's not going to have to worry about getting everybody to move once they start working on that exit ramp, he's going to run everyone off well before that. MUST MOVE SOON!

Current mood: ambitious
So, the great house cleanup is underway. My neck cooperated long enough yesterday to get half the living room carpet cleaned. I'm taking a break from working on the other half (I'm waiting for some water to boil). Figures I'm going to have to stop to go to work in an hour or so. I hate it when having to go to work interferes with my industrious moods.

Cold Stone Creamery is having the World's Largest Ice Cream Social on Thursday, July 29th from 5 - 8 p.m. They did a segment about in on WB2 News this morning. The cake they're having sounds good. I might go--depends on the size of the crowd. That place is always really busy.

Oops, water's boiling. Gotta go.