Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Because it might actually be Mighty

Do you ever see things? I do. I'm forever seeing things out of the corner of my eye. Things that may or may not actually be there.

So when I saw a light brown streak on the floor of my office yesterday, it was hardly out of the ordinary. Something made me look closer, who knows what. I craned my neck a little, looked under the shadow of the desk and there it was, in a small access port in the floor. The little brown body. And a tail. Scurrying down into the floor.

In one motion, from looking, to realizing, to the deep inhale, I was flying in my rolling chair. Back from the desk, across the cube, into the small hallway. The sound I made, when I saw the creature, must have been abrupt. It was the audible gasp, like the one your mother used to do when you were new to driving and she sat in the passenger seat, utterly shocked there wasn't a break pedal on that side, too. Four coworkers immediately appeared in my doorway.

I should back up a little here to say I'm not scared of mice. Scared is a relative term. I am not afraid of them eating my toes off, or crawling near me. It's not scary. What it is, though, is disgusting. I am disgusted by them, just like spiders. They give me the creeps, like shivery creeps. Like dirty old man flirting with you in a bar creeps.

When I saw this mouse, fear didn't go through my mind. Rather, the thought of having to share space with this critter, clearly out of it's element, grossed me the heck out.

Upon some inspection, figuring out yes, the mouse went into the hole but probably had the option of coming out anywhere, we fashioned a blocking device (and by we I mean another coworker because at this point, I am still ten feet away). I wish I had a photo for you, but honestly, convincing my coworkers I've not lost my mind is difficult enough on a daily basis without setting up a mouse surveillance camera. It's an empty Tupperware container, clear plastic so I can see if he comes out, with about seven binders stacked on top. You never know.

And now, I sit at my desk, do my work, talk to people on the phone and act like everything is normal. It's not easy though, because about every 4.3 seconds I have to gaze over to that spot on the floor and keep my mind from picturing a mouse crawling out to get me. Once he moves seventeen pounds of office supplies.

23 comments:

Legs and Wings said...

This story reminds me of a time I went on a fishing trip with my buddy Blaine. We were staying in a very tiny old beat up trailer way back in the woods. I had a hard time getting to sleep because of the scurrying mice (lots of them) scrambling around on my nylon sleeping bag.

JustRun said...

Oh my gosh, Robb, no way. I could not have done it. I would have seen my last moments in that trailer, I think.

anne said...

Oh that is horrifying - I don't blame you at all.

Last week I was convinced I heard a rattle and determined it to be a rattlesnake in my office. I sat on the other side for a good long time until my rational side said that a rattlesnake would not make it all these floors up. Right? Right?

Craver said...

ick is right.

A friend who's office is in Austin has told me that all the rain there is causing a cascade of crickets from her ceiling tiles.

This is not okay. Your mouse in your space is not okay.
Ew.

JustRun said...

e.b. Yes! Right! You are right!

cravey- No, it is SO not. Raining crickets? Ick.

Anonymous said...

I'm not afraid of mice, but they do have that "ick" factor... luckily, I have cats that can generally take care of any that happen to appear. We live in the country and that is pretty much a given that at least once in your life you WILL have mice in your house. Now, we won't talk about spiders...

Bre said...

Once again, we could be twins!

When I lived in North Carolina I encountered a gargantuan cockroach that still wiggs me out - now I "see things" that are nothing - a penny on the floor, the corner of my own shoe - and am convinced that they are cockroaches! yuck!

Aaron said...

Well, this blog IS about running, correct? :D

justacoolcat said...

I'm not real big on the hate, but I hate rodents.

Anonymous said...

sue- That's it, we need an office cat!

Bre- Oh yeah, cockroaches are GAG! I'd be wigged out, too!

Aaron- This might turn me into a sprinter yet.

JACC- Agreed.

megabrooke said...

oh holy hell. you know my experiences with mice, right? eek. i hope you catch the thing. or it stays in it's spot. yuck.

egan said...

Damn, the post gave me chills and that was even before I got to the part you revealed it to be a mouse. Funny though because before you revealed it was a mouse, that would have been my answer. I feel like I see them all the time when I'm in our basement.

Now you've reminded me to fill in some holes in our garage. Those little rodents bug me.

Anonymous said...

I hope the mouse stays away - we had a bird visit us the other day at work! But he flew out the door when we held it open

singleton said...

ewwwwww! That just creeps me out! I'd be inclined to have Maintenance stop by and screw the tupperware box to the hole in the wall.....

brandy said...

Dude. This week I've read a post on a mouse in an office, a snake in a backyard and an alligator close to biting a head off. With summer comes these unsightly beasts I suppose but still- mice give me the goosebumps.

runliarun said...

Did you ever read "1984" by George Orwell?

Anonymous said...

Ok....how old is your building if it has a hole in the ground? Isn't that odd in itself? And I guess I don't mind mice as much as I would mind a rat. I live out in the woods and mice scurrying around the barns and sheds is normal. Now a big 'ol rat...YUCK.

The Exception said...

I would have freaked out. They would have to change my office location quite quickly, not because I am afraid of mice but because I would be continuously wondering when I would feel the thing crawling up my leg or running over my foot or something.

Ginger Breadman said...

Oh, please please, PLEASE set up a mousie cam! That would be such the highlight of my summer. I'm totally serious. But then I'm not sure if it would become mildy humorous to you, or if you would start having nightmares. After reading all of your other comments, I gotta say you're lucky that it's not a rattler or an alligator. We had possums having babies in our basement once, and a raccoon in the living room . . what a wild world we all share.

Ginger Breadman said...

(and okay, I know that the word is 'opossums', but nobody says it like that.)

*kb* said...

I just want you to know that yesterday is the first day I read your blog. Low and behold while I'm brushing my teeth last night I see something out of the corner of my eye and think about your blog and tell myself I'm crazy until the little critter comes scurrying straight at me and then a quick left behind the bathroom sink!! ACK!!!!!!!!!!

Barbara Bruederlin said...

So, what happens when you need those binders? Just asking, I'm sure you have a backup plan.

Appletini said...

Actually, mice are very loving creatures..... gross huh?

I had two pet lab rats in college....HUGE white rats with beady red eyes. I saved them from being eaten by a snake for being born the runts of a litter.

I hope he/she doesn't creep you out any more :)