The Big Clean, Part 1

Basement Before
Originally uploaded by kckellner.

Yeah, this is the best (or should I say, least bad) photo of the current state of our basement. This (and the other photos in this set) are after 10+ boxes to Goodwill and 5+ boxes to Mom & Dad's for the yard sale. Simply put, Josh and I have an incredible amount of, here it is, crap.

The good news is that we've reached the tipping point. We were hit by the spring cleaning bug, but it was just a mild case. Like the flu. Our medicine was to clean the kitchen, and that's when it went horribly wrong (or seen in a better light, started to go right.) We now have full blow Spring Cleaning-itis and here's why:

Scene: It was Saturday night, we were cleaning the kitchen and boxing up things to take over to my mom and dad's. Bottom kitchen cabinets on the right:

K: Josh, what are those? Those are bigger than mouse dookie.
J: No, it's just a big mouse.

[Interlude #1: We take everything out of those cabinets, which thankfully, have stayed in rubbermade totes. Get the wet dry vac and discover nesting area #1, which consists of a copious amount of big mouse dookies and food illegally taken from Melo's, my precious Melo's, food dish. Various upset states of being and swear words, then finding of steel plates to cover each and every hole between various cabinets to prevent further passage/movement of big dookie maker. Then decision to clean out the bottom kitchen cabinets on the left is made.]

K: Why do we have so much alcohol, we never drink any of this stuff.
J: I don't know, let's clean it out.
K: Okay, I'll pull out the ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

[Think loud, high pitched girly-girly scream, which is later confirmed as having been heard by neighboor, as a RAT (aka a big mouse) scurries from behind the box I'd been pulling out of the cabinet into the open cabinet under the sink. Then add another one because I was seriously freaked out, and at this point, standing on a kitchen chair refusing to get down--ever. I think Josh may have even screamed, but in a much more baritone, manly sort of WTF??? sense.]

[Interlude #2: (WIth UB40's Rat in Da Kitchen playing in the background.) Basically another Benny Hill like episode, reminiscent of the Great Squirrel Incident, whereby we try to capture the rat bastard in a rubbermaid tote but eventually lose the bugger. Discovery of nest #2 (more poop and Melo food.) Call to Pete's Pest Control at 11:30 PM Saturday night with apparently desparate sounding voice mail and a promise of first born child if they will come out tomorrow.]

Next Scene: Mother's Day. Pete to the rescue, setting of traps, long discussion on possible entry sites (and identification of the likely one) and plan o' attack. Discovery that Portland has the worst rat problem in the US, recently made much more visible due to the Big Dig going on downtown. Suspicion that formerly boarded up house down the street recently raised for the pouring of a new foundation may be involved, as is the decided lack of cats since the great cat boat house eviction when we moved in years ago.

Update: No more rat. 95% sure it was just one, and the little bugger is gone. Much cleaning done to basement (not the point of entry, but I don't want ANY where ANY more furry little rodents could hide. Melo's food moved permanently upstairs. Later learned our neighbor also had a rat a month or so ago - bugger probably got evicted to our place. Picture is of current state - more to come. We get a dumpster for Memorial Day weekend and there shall be much dumping. Much much dumping.