The smell of death
2007-Aug-05, Sunday 22:46![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
texxgadgetIve been meaning to get back to posting, and I thank the "Doppleganger" for prodding me back
into it.
I have been fighting an off again on again with the mice in the basement.
Considering the size of some, we might have some rats too.
The house was built with housekeepers quarters in the basement including a kitchenette.
Now used mostly for storage, the spare kitchen has been helpful while the main kitchen was
remodeled and during parties etc. Its also been used as a pantry and the quantity of stuff there
forgotten until I started trapping mice.
I thought we had things under control.
I hadnt realized how mice squeak when they come upstairs in the jaws of the cat,
who in turn releases them to catch them again and again.
Sometimes, after a play session, a severed rodent head is left on the dining room floor,
eliciting another squeak or scream from a human.
Last time, when the cat wasnt looking, I swiped thew rodent and flushed it, realizing that turning
cat loose outside with her quarry did not ensure its death and there fore might reappear in the
house.
Meanwhile there has been a funny smell in the basement....
A few weeks ago, we dumped water down the shower to make sure the trap was full.
When the pool of water in a trap dries, it lets sewer smells come up. That didnt help.
The smell was getting worse.
Finally, I realized we had 3 more traps to refill.
Downstairs kitchen sink, lower bath sink & toilet.
Well the toilet hasnt been used in over a year, Im sure but the water in the bowl was like
a grayish brown. I could barely breathe, it was so bad. I flushed it.
As the water swirled, I saw a couple tiny rodent feet and a couple tails going down.
Over the day, the smell miraculously dissipated.
They say the smell of dead bodies is a smell that never leaves your memory. Memory of
college chem reminds me that the magic chemical is called "putriscene" (aptly named!)
Indeed, several weeks later, the smell still haunts my memory.
I now realize, I will likely never ever forget it, just as they say.
Meanwhile, Im on a poor paying contract, doing UNIX admin, but it still pays better than my
full time last job. Its interesting, at the colo. There is this huge cage there,
I always wondered whos it was. Well its mine now ! Im spending about 1/3 of my time at
Savvis SC8.
I survived the Marin Double Century bike ride. Its actually an event with multiple options.
50k, 100k 200k, 100mi & 200mi. We brought up net control at 4am and the last rider was in
around 10:30pm. I spent the whole day as radio op in SAG24, patrolling the route. Lots of
flats but not too many injuries. Considering that we had 3000 riders out, we did well.
Early afternoon, my radio was not cooperating with the repeaters, but I could do well running
simplex to another SAG & having them relay my message. Interestingly enough, my tracker transmitter worked fine all day.
I was going to wear my kilt but the predictions said it would be cold.
As it turned out, I wish Id worn it anyway.
I slept all day today (Sunday)
into it.
I have been fighting an off again on again with the mice in the basement.
Considering the size of some, we might have some rats too.
The house was built with housekeepers quarters in the basement including a kitchenette.
Now used mostly for storage, the spare kitchen has been helpful while the main kitchen was
remodeled and during parties etc. Its also been used as a pantry and the quantity of stuff there
forgotten until I started trapping mice.
I thought we had things under control.
I hadnt realized how mice squeak when they come upstairs in the jaws of the cat,
who in turn releases them to catch them again and again.
Sometimes, after a play session, a severed rodent head is left on the dining room floor,
eliciting another squeak or scream from a human.
Last time, when the cat wasnt looking, I swiped thew rodent and flushed it, realizing that turning
cat loose outside with her quarry did not ensure its death and there fore might reappear in the
house.
Meanwhile there has been a funny smell in the basement....
A few weeks ago, we dumped water down the shower to make sure the trap was full.
When the pool of water in a trap dries, it lets sewer smells come up. That didnt help.
The smell was getting worse.
Finally, I realized we had 3 more traps to refill.
Downstairs kitchen sink, lower bath sink & toilet.
Well the toilet hasnt been used in over a year, Im sure but the water in the bowl was like
a grayish brown. I could barely breathe, it was so bad. I flushed it.
As the water swirled, I saw a couple tiny rodent feet and a couple tails going down.
Over the day, the smell miraculously dissipated.
They say the smell of dead bodies is a smell that never leaves your memory. Memory of
college chem reminds me that the magic chemical is called "putriscene" (aptly named!)
Indeed, several weeks later, the smell still haunts my memory.
I now realize, I will likely never ever forget it, just as they say.
Meanwhile, Im on a poor paying contract, doing UNIX admin, but it still pays better than my
full time last job. Its interesting, at the colo. There is this huge cage there,
I always wondered whos it was. Well its mine now ! Im spending about 1/3 of my time at
Savvis SC8.
I survived the Marin Double Century bike ride. Its actually an event with multiple options.
50k, 100k 200k, 100mi & 200mi. We brought up net control at 4am and the last rider was in
around 10:30pm. I spent the whole day as radio op in SAG24, patrolling the route. Lots of
flats but not too many injuries. Considering that we had 3000 riders out, we did well.
Early afternoon, my radio was not cooperating with the repeaters, but I could do well running
simplex to another SAG & having them relay my message. Interestingly enough, my tracker transmitter worked fine all day.
I was going to wear my kilt but the predictions said it would be cold.
As it turned out, I wish Id worn it anyway.
I slept all day today (Sunday)
