Thursday, December 06, 2007

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I've spent the last couple days stalking book stores and I'm happy to report that Remains of the Dead has made a showing in all the ones I've poked my head into *yay* Based on the emails and posts I'm getting in the Spot the Book contest, many of you have found the book too so *double yay* and thanks a lot! :)

An update on my life being stinking ... yes, that contest is closed but, hey, that doesn't mean the skunk problem was resolved LOL. After the first skunk was captured in a cage and brought to a land where she can romp freely in tall grasses faaaar away from my home, the exterminator set another trap. Apparently these lil ol' critters don't like to den alone at this time of year. They often have a snuggle buddy. So exterminator set the trap and we caught a ... opossum.

Sorry I was too stunned to get a picture of the guy but you know the look, pointy snout, big beady eyes and long, thick rat tail *shudder* Now my skunk didn't look the type to hunker down with someone out of her species so the exterminator took opossum and delivered him to an area faaaar away from my home. Then set another trap. Sensing a theme here?

Saturday morning I peered out at trap and lo and behold another skunk. This one was huge. Barely fit in the cage and he looked ticked off. One problem. It was snowing. Hard. Where I live things kind of grind to a halt when it snows. People don't drive and we don't shovel either. We just kind of pretend it isn't happening and wait for it to melt. It's denial at a huge level. Anyway it snowed really, really hard and my family was concerned that Mr. Skunky would be buried in snow and die of exposure because exterminator couldn't come for a couple days. Soooo my hubby took a large tarp and tried to sneak up on Mr. Skunky. Not a good idea. Mr. Skunky let him have it. My kids, being compassionate and caring, locked my hubby out of the house 'cause they didn't want him stinking up the place.

Eventually we let hubby inside and he actually didn't get skunked because he was holding the tarp up over his head at the time and Mr. Skunky was well covered and protected until the exterminator could come to get him Monday morning. So on Monday I'm working away at my computer, on the other side of the house from the location of the skunk cage. I knew the exact moment the exterminator arrived to get Mr. Skunky because I could smell it. That skunk sprayed sooo much that the smell permeated both my house and my car. Now, days later, the smell has dissipated a lot thanks to the pineapple express (huge rain showers that arrived from Hawaii--thanks Hawaii!).

So if you come to visit me at my launch signing on Saturday at the Chapters Store out my way and I smell a little ... off. Please try and understand LOL.

P.S. Don't forget to comment or email me the places you've seen Remains to enter to win your chance at a $50 Amazon gift card!

2 comments:

Rachel Vincent said...

We get critters of all kinds at my house too, but it never occurred to me to call an exterminator. We just kind of let them wander off. We've had skunks and possums both in the back yard, and both are much bigger than I expected.

Wendy Roberts said...

Rachel, we get critters in our yard frequently but I'd never had a pair move in under my front porch before! Great to 'see' you :)