Random 5 for July 12 – Snakes, deliveries, mice, restaurants, normal routine

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This sweet little one is no more than an inch long. He morphed about a month ago. This might be dinner for a snake! NO!

He’s back! – That snake that got away in April was back swimming in my pond. By the time I got the stuff out he had slithered under the rocks. Getting him would have required dismantling the flat stones around my pond and I wasn’t up for it. I gave the fish and frogs some advice to avoid him. Not sure what he eats but I don’t want it to be my pond babies.

Hide the package – I saw a hilarious video of a FedEx delivery guy throwing a package to the front porch only it ended up on the porch roof. Later that day I received an email that my package was delivered by UPS. I had to check around because it wasn’t on my porch where it usually is. Our porch roof would be a tough throw. This driver put it directly in front of my garage door where I would have driven over it. This was clothing in a bag. Maybe he was worried that a porch pirate would get it. The FedEx guy who delivers my Chewy packages (cat supplies) puts them in back of our grill which is on the side of the garage doors. Finding your packages is like a scavenger hunt these days.

Mouse motel – We are moused out. After another two were re-homed this week I’m wondering if there is a neon sign advertising our superior hotel accommodations. It’s a good thing that we don’t get all worked up or we’d spend most of our time on table tops.

Our maiden voyage – This week we ate out at a restaurant for the first time since the lock down. I wasn’t sure how it would go. Would my germaphobia take over and make me freak out? It went well. The restaurant required masks if you were anywhere but your table. You needed reservations so they could control the crowd. We ate outside under roofing. The weather was warm but it cools down by suppertime making it pleasant. No one was near us. Service was fast and food was good. We went on a non-busy night and would do that again.

On that thought – My gym has been open a week but I haven’t ventured there. I drove by at my normal time. There were about ten cars. That’s less than there used to be but more than I thought. Most of the people who go at that time are retired and we old retirees are more cautious. Maybe I’ll try it in a week or two. I miss my gym routine. The walking place isn’t open early enough for the senior walkers either. You can walk there after 10 a.m. but I’m usually well into my day by then. I’ll keep walking outside in my neighborhood. Baby steps.

So how was your week?

77 thoughts on “Random 5 for July 12 – Snakes, deliveries, mice, restaurants, normal routine”

  1. The photo of the frog is awesome, Kate! Did you use a phone or camera? Huge belly laugh “spend most of our time on table tops.” We have had fish and chips out by the water a couple of weeks ago. Lots of spacing between the few people there. I was asked for my name and phone number. Contact tracing. Reality check. Excellent fish and chips!

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  5. So glad you got to go out for a little bit! We have been out a couple times in the last month and a half or so, and have reservations for Saturday as well. The couple places we go to have the same precautions in place – I think most places do right now. Good luck with getting the mice nonviolently rehomed!

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  6. Oh my for the snake – I’d never go in the yard again. I was spraying cottonwood fuzz off the A/C unit near the bottom of it and a mouse ran out and I nearly had a heart attack. Today I found a Mayfly on my hall wall – him I could catch and wouldn’t have worried as it was clear and just a baby and they die without 24 hours … it is the moths from the peanuts that have me irked bigtime. You are braver than me who is also a germaphobe. Going to the dentist a few weeks ago wigged me out and I have an eye doctor appointment a week from Friday. We are getting lots of new cases and deaths in Michigan, so I bit the bullet for both of these items … still undecided on my hair, but bought hair-cutting scissors from Amazon and forego the highlights/lowlights for now, so that gives you insight into my mindset. If I wait much longer on the highlights, I might as well just forget about them for good IMO.

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      • I was very nervous, but an odd thing happened while I was there, They had all the precautions, take your temp upon arrival at the reception desk, undergo a questionnaire to see if you had symptoms, then whisked away to the hygienist’s room. In between patients, they spray something in the air to sanitize the room. I had the first appointment. Dentist always pops in at the end for a quick check-up and he was in paper booties and a hospital gown over his usual office attire – I thought, does he do that each time? But I got into the seat and told my hygienist about my reluctance to be there, partly because I don’t associate with many people, plus I’m unmasked. So I’ve had Trina for years … she always asks what flavor of polishing stuff I went and I told her to pick. So she has them in a drawer, divided into cups (about 15 flavors). She picked it up and the little container (sealed and the size of my thumbnail) fell onto the floor. She picked it up, and put it on the tray next to the instruments. I thought “it was on the floor – you picked it up with the gloves which you’re going to put into my mouth?” I waited for her to realize that faux pas and she did not. I wondered if I was being paranoid and didn’t raise the issue … of course everyone I told the story to said “eww – the germs on the floor!” All the precautions and she never gave it a second thought. I had braces as a young adult and had two assistants on either side and the doctor standing over me once a month when I got the braces tightened. That was the old-time metal braces that wrapped around each tooth and attached to wires. I had two sets of headgear and wore them at home/sleep only. And a mess of rubberbands as well. I cannot imagine them poking around in my mouth now.

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          • I should have said something Kate. Yes, it was sealed like when you open a jar of peanut butter, a foil seal but no outside lid on it. I have since stewed on it a lot. Had it been a regular appointment, I would have said something, but I was anxious about the whole appointment, so wasn’t thinking straight. I worked at a diner all through college – my manager was pretty fastidious about germs. He would have one of us monitor the side door when deliveries were made to ensure flies didn’t get in. And if one did escape our watchful eye, he made it a mission to seek and destroy it. 🙂 However, one of my good friends got a waitressing job at Big Boys the same as me, the Summer we graduated from high school. Waitresses were told if something dropped off a plate where the customer couldn’t see it, like the kitchen area when the girls picked up their finished order, they should re-assemble it on the plate, ensure it looked good and that was it. Sheila dropped a Slim Jim after it slid off a plate her first day – thought she’d lose her job, but nope, she was told “no problem” and what to do. She was pretty horrified – so was I.

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            • Maybe it’s a difference of management. My hygienist uses the same little tubs. Since she changes her gloves while working on me, I’m sure she’d throw it out. Maybe next time you go you could mention it to her if it’s still on your mind.

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                  • I know – I’ve played the scene over a hundred times since then. I like the dentist and my hygienist and all the staff. I’ve thought “would they be mad and act differently toward me or do something unscrupulous because I complained?” What was she thinking? Great you use this special spray machine to sanitize between patients. And the dentist comes in with booties and a paper gown. I was numb. I usually say something if I don’t like something, but my worry over the whole appointment as to COVID-19 made me jittery and that trumped common sense.

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  7. Not the snake! Noooo. Not the picturesque wild life preferred.
    Maybe you guys have become the Uber for the Mouse world…they do talk.
    Glad you are doing well. We are pretty much staying in since we are at the edge of big city and resort area with tourist – tourist who don’t want to wear masks despite state mandate (Frownie face inserted here)
    I’d love to venture out on a patio for lunch, but just too risky right now…too darn hot anyway. (But I will be really cranky if things are better by fall and nice weather!…not that I’m in a hurry to get any more pumpkins…)
    Gyms are closed here again. Some places said they were wiping down everything…only to find out they were using a homemake concoction with toxic ingredients that can cause death and blindness AAARRGHHH.
    Be careful out there people

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    • Homemade ingredients that are toxic? That’s scary. Since soap and water washed it off your hands, I often wonder if that would be just as effective to wash everything. We still can’t get Clorox wipes but I still have some. I buy in bulk because I have barfy cats!

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      • Soap and water is all that’s needed. Dish soap in spray bottles works just about everywhere. Kid just halted gym membership ( another state, a chain though) as they are using a mixture of pesticide and cleaners “to kill the bacteria”…uh, it’s a virus…not a bacteria. Different…like talking to a brick wall. Simple cleaning yes, pesticides, no.
        When they start talking Shut down, the first thing I think of is cat maintenance/clean up items! Any new house has to have storage capacity for critical bulk items…..

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  8. We don’t dare go to a restaurant and for sure not a gym! It’s a little too spiky here in Arizona, and even before, when it hadn’t hit Arizona hard at all for the first few months, we didn’t go. I don’t know how long we’ll hold out about the food. I am so sick and tired of 3 meals a day for 4 months now. Ugh. But if I give in then will I want restaurant food so often it becomes more of a risk? Hmm

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  9. I really don’t understand deliveries that are placed in front of the garage door. I don’t usually check before I get in and it’s inevitable that one day something will be crushed.
    We keep toying with the idea of eating outdoors somewhere. Probably off hours when there would be more space. I’m working up to it..:)

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  10. Sounds like the circle of life may be alive and kicking around the pond. Haven’t ventured out to a restaurant yet and feel badly for all those small restaurants and cafes that are struggling to stay in business. I hope the majority of them make it until things return to somewhat more normal existence. As for the mice visitors, are ou sure you’re just not recycling the same pair over and over? It happens with the squirrels around here. I think they get back to the neighborhood before I finish parking the car in the garage. Have a great week!

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  11. My life is nowhere near normal … although admittedly at this time of year most of my activities would have been outdoors anyway. I do miss meetups with friends though. I’m afraid I’m turning into a hermit.

    While watering my front yard last week I discovered 3 tiny, tiny bunnies hiding under my hydrangeas. They were so small, I could have held them in the palm of my hand. Now I’m extra cautious about Theo being outdoors, encouraging him to stay in the backyard. It’s been so hot outside that he’s happy to comply, napping away the day under a shady shrub.

    Bunnies = good. Snakes – NO.

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  13. I do love to eat out. I get tired of my cooking. and, living alone, it’s nice to socialize. Last week I ate in my sister’s yard while she ate on her deck. That’s the closest I’ve come to eating out.

    Another outing: I finally went to the dentist to replace my broken crown. While I was there, someone dented my fender and didn’t leave their name.

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  15. Ick on the snake. I hope he doesn’t eat all your fish and frogs. My mom has a snake that likes to sunbathe on the bush by her entrance, I wanted to have my hubby tend to it, but she said leave it alone so I guess I won’t be visiting on sunny days.

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  16. Yikes, mice and snakes!

    I was out on a few of errands yesterday, and all of the sudden nature started calling. I was right near our gym, so I figured it was probably the best of all the available options at that very moment. It was my first time in there since early March. I was impressed that nearly everyone was wearing a mask, including those on machines. Still, I’m not tempted to go back. I can appreciate your own reluctance right now. – Marty

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    • There aren’t many places with open bathrooms right now except gyms and restaurants that serve meals. Our Starbucks bathroom is closed and so are many in stores. Target is usually dependable though.

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  18. Our gyms are not open yet but I managed to get a haircut and feel more human. My hairdresser had a visor and gloves. We also had our first restaurant meal. We have to leave our name and address so we can be traced and asked to isolate if necessary. The restaurant had disposable menus and a one way system but otherwise seemed pretty normal. We are going to be given money off vouchers for restaurant meals in August so will be looking forward to “eat out to help out”.

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  19. No restaurants (not that we went much normally) or gym (never went anyway) for us. We do take-out now and then but I guess the desire to sit and be served just isn’t strong enough. I have arranged for my hair stylist to come to my home and give me a trim next week, which makes me very happy. We will be masked and outside so I’m fairly comfortable. My last appointment with her was Feb. 24th so she has more than usual to deal with 🙂

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  20. I always said that when we lived on the Tiny Ten that we were the renters and the critters owned the place. Why wouldn’t the snakes, mice, and other critters want to live at your place? It’s a 5 Star Resort! Yep, baby steps when it comes to your gym, Kate.

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    • There are things that we can’t grow that our neighbors 4 blocks further away can. They don’t get the deer we do. When I was a kid I lived in a very small village (maybe 10 to 15 houses) outside of a small town. We didn’t get near the critters I have living just outside of city limits. Of course back they they sprayed with DDT so everything died!

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  21. Perhaps the snake is responsible for chasing mice into your abode? For your sake, I’m glad that the mice are “in” and the snake is “out.” Here’s hoping your pond babies aren’t Sunday Brunch for that snake!

    Did you find going out to eat relaxing? Worth the hassle? Once the weather is a bit cooler here (i.e., in November), we might enjoy dining out (outside) . . . as long as the food is as good or better than our “at home” fare.

    I think you’re wise to exercise outside a bit longer, Kate . . . unless your gym has invested in a special filter to capture airborne viral toxins.

    Our week has had ups and downs ~ including dealing with Identity Theft issues (new account in my name that I did not open) and a fridge on the fritz (that might be behaving itself again). On the plus side, finally got the movie “Knives Out” from Netflix and loved it!

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    • We did find it relaxing. It was Mexican food which I rarely make at home and the change in scenery was great. ID theft bad. Glad you caught it. We had Knives Out. I lost interest early but my husband watched the whole thing and liked it.

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  22. I’m still nope, nope, nope when it comes to the gym. Outdoors in sun and wind and with a mask? Minimal risk. Indoors with heavy breathing?! Could not be worse. Our membership will be on hold for another year.

    We may have to invest in some dumbbells. Already I can tell my arms muscle mass is decreasing–especially noticeable when dog sees squirrels on walks.

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  23. Although I did go to one restaurant and ate outside…it was a small place, I know the family and trust them. I am not ready for anything else. I am still even hesitant about take out. I am not now or really ever, have been a gym rat. Many years ago there was a woman’s circuit workout “gym”. I was a member and found myself having one case of bronchitis after the next. Finally came to realize it was from handling the gym equipment. Kind of really turned me off to gyms.
    Snakes love mice. Um, I’d rather have a mouse then a snake any day!

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  24. I’m beginning to wonder if some of these gyms are going to survive the shut down. I certainly want wouldn’t feel comfortable going to one anytime in the near future. Several have closed in our area. They weren’t a big chain gym, so it’s kind of sad.

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  25. We haven’t tried dining out yet… sounds like it’s not a bad idea. Bill is missing the gym. He used to go 3 days as week but they say a gym is one of the most dangerous places for the virus. He too drives by at his regular time but there are only 1 or 2 cars.

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    • It is one of the worst places and that’s what’s keeping me away. Only 1 or 2 cars isn’t bad. If I saw that at my gym, I may try it. It’s closer to 10 and that’s a little scarier. I’m sure they are disinfecting but still.

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  26. Glad you enjoyed your meal out. We aren’t venturing anywhere in town with all the holiday makers here and everywhere is open now.
    Got my new laptop coming on Monday, so today will be spent taking off my stuff onto a key.
    Take care Kate

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  27. EEK on the snake – to bad you can’t introduce him to the mouse motel crowd – might be the answer to one thing but also might encourage the snake to hang around for subsequent meals! We haven’t done the restaurant thing yet – we actually feel like we could handle outdoor eating so might try that out in the next week or two. The gym or rec center – no thanks – not yet. Life is so weird right now.

    Hugs, Pam

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  28. You are braver than I am about restaurants. I will do take out but not ready to eat out at this time. Too many people from everywhere under the sun visiting Hershey Park and eating out in this area for my comfort!

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