5/6/08 6 On The 6th (Better Known As 10 on Tuesday)

I know we normally do 10 on Tuesday, but I'm a bit swamped today, so we'll have to limit it to 6. Maybe call it 6 on the 6th or something. That works, right?

One- So the grades have come back for my thesis dissertation, and I have an A! (Okay, technically an A-, but let's not get caught up in all the pluses and minuses...an A is an A!) Woot! Throw your hands in the air! And wave 'em like you just don't care! This calls for a celebration! Preferably in the form of brownies! Or more Rice Crispy Treats, because I made short work of the ones from the wedding party.

Two- Speaking of marshmallowy goodness...the raccoon wins. We give up. We have been outsmarted by an oversized rodent. The traps have been on the roof for more than a week, and the raccoon just isn't biting. So we're taking the traps down, sealing up the spots where he is getting in, and just keeping our fingers crossed that coming home to find the locks changed will be enough incentive to move on as opposed to say, ripping a new opening into the roof. More fingers are crossed that he won't be in the attic when Trapper Joe comes to seal it up. (He's very good at hiding, our genius raccoon). I guess we'll know soon enough if we hear lots of banging and crashing noises overhead after the holes are closed up.

Three- In other fun homeowner news, there's a mystery smell in the living room. I swear it's mildew, like the carpet got wet (which it did when I scrubbed it trying to get out the mystery smell), but I have no idea why it would still be lingering. Tony thought it originated when the cat knocked over a glass of milk and he put the SpotBot on it (if you don't have one of these- get one! They are lifesavers!) but that should have stopped the smell, and since then, it's only gotten stronger. It's in one corner of the living room, and nothing looks or feels wet (with the exception of when we try to clean it) so I'm at a loss as to what it might be. It's bad though. Next step is calling up Stanley Steamer or something to see if they can get it out. If that doesn't work, we may be replacing carpet soon. (Not really an expense I've factored in for just now). Ah the joys of being a homeowner. If it's not a raccoon on the roof, it's a mystery smell. (And no, I don't see how the raccoon could be causing the smell...we went up and sniffed the attic just to be sure).

Four- My hot tub is on backorder. They were going to ship one from the distribution center, but I guess this particular model is a popular one, because they're out and are now having to build mine. (At least I know that it's made just for me!) They're supposed to call me at the end of this week to tell me when it will ship. Normally I'd be mad at the delay, but I still have to get an electrician out there to run my 240v line, so it won't do me any good to have it now anyway. Maybe the electrician, the wildlife trappers, and the carpet cleaners can all just get together and have a house fixing party at one time.

Five- I had my annual checkup with my lady doctor yesterday. You'll be glad to know that I haven't lost any parts, and they all still seem to be in working order. I know some people have men "lady doctors", and I'm sure they work out just fine for you, but I'm not one of those people. I've gotta have a woman doctor. I guess it's kind of like having a mechanic. He may know the manual inside and out, but unless he's actually owned a car at some point, he's not touching mine. And call me picky, but if you're planning on diving in up to your elbow in someone else's hoo-ha, you best be able to at least commiserate.

Six- Speaking of the lady doctor, is it just me, or does everyone else hide their underwear at the bottom of the clothes pile when they're changing into that paper gown? Can't have the doctor seeing my underwear. Oh no...she may be poking around at all kinds of personal places down there, but to see my underwear? THAT would just be embarrassing!

Update: Living room smell has been resolved. My super wonderful hubby got down on his hands and knees and scrubbed the entire area again until the smell went away. (We think the milk spilled further than we thought, so he cleaned a HUGE area, just to be sure). And now the smell is no more! Isn't he just super wonderful?