Weekend Update: The "Tail" of a Chipmunk

Our weekend started out super bright and fun!  Dylan and I spent Friday evening tidying the house for Jenny’s birthday lunch on Saturday.  We had a nice meal with Jenny, Greg, and my parents.  Preoccupied with my hostess duties, unfortunately, I failed to take pictures!  My Mama got a few though!

Jenny's delicious Red Velvet birthday cake made by my mom! 

Jen, Greg, me, Dylan, Mama, Daddy

Happy Birthday Jen!

Everyone checked out the progress we’ve made on the house, Jen opened her gifts, followed by great gab sessions and laughter.  Next up, we were on to Atlantic Station to see The Bodies Exhibit.  Interesting, informative, yet a bit gross {there are actual real bodies that have been preserved}.  Then again, some of it just looked like plastic though the curator assured me all was real when I interrogated him. 

 
After our Atlantic Station trip, we headed back to Roswell for dinner at Pastis, a delicious restaurant on Canton Street, then back to our house to continue our visit. We wanted to give Abbey an opportunity to redeem herself from acting like a beast untrained pup earlier in the day.  She disappointed yet again.  She was so excited and still has that crazy puppy spirit. She just couldn't help but to jump up on everyone!  I say jump, but it was more like a dive!  That pretty puppy turned into a wild child with our guests.  Don't worry we had a little talk with her about manners. Dylan and I have a bit more training to do with that lil diva.  Of course, we love her to pieces even when she's not on her best behavior.  : )


Sunday morning rolled in with pretty sunshine, we heard a wonderful, powerful message at Charles Stanley's church, then to Cheesecake Factory for lunch before my parents departure back home.  Dylan and I were excited to get home after lunch to load up the pup and head to the river for a walk.  A much needed walk after her jumping diving antics on Saturday.  Then, da da dummmm!!! Of course, there is a random, ridiculous story coming.  I swear, if anybody is feeling a sense of boredom, please come hang out with us for a bit and something wacky and completely out of the ordinary is bound to happen! 


I was in our master bedroom having just changed out of my church clothes and into my bundled up walking clothes for our date with the river. I stopped for a moment to hang some things in our closet when all of a sudden I hear a noise, which I immediately passed off as Sushi and went on about my business.  Then, I turn around and Sushi's there all right.  There, but not alone.  There is a...CHIPMUNK IN THE HOUSE!!!  I scream bloody murder and jump on top of the bed.  Chipmunk chased by Sushi runs into the bathroom back out into our bedroom and under the corner of the bed {BED THAT I'M STANDING ON!} and hides.  Sushi follows ole Alvin and upon failing to see him anymore, gets bored {yes, the cat who is suppose to kill these critters got bored!} and prissed out of the room.  Me: Screaming for Dylan, alone.in a room.with a chipmunk.   


Finally, after scurrying around to find something to trap it with, Dylan comes bounding into the bedroom. Me: still screaming on the bed.  Dylan: with a pair of garden gloves on and a broom and bucket in hand! At this point, we both realized the hilarity of the situation and laughed {although I had still not yet planned to come down from my safety zone}.


Minutes ticked by and finally I decided the only way I was getting off that bed is if Dylan brought me my rain boots.  He had searched for the chipmunk and couldn't find him so we were beginning to think the chipmunk ran out of the room and I missed it somehow.  Rain boots on and I apprehensively stepped down onto the hardwood floor.  We brought Sushi back into the room just in case the animal was still there hiding. Just knowing our kitten would eventually come around and want to chase and kill this pest.  Now, I hate to sound like I'm not a chipmunk lover but I prefer to love them outside, NOT in my house.  Even so, they dig holes in our yard so I really, truly don't care for the things.  And they are super fast!  This particular chipmunk was Olympic-worthy fast.  Not cute at all.  Smaller than a squirrel, bigger than a rat, looked like a mix of both.  Ick!


Sushi struck out yet again.  Abbey wouldn't even come into the house for fear of what us screaming fools were doing.  No sight of the stupid chipmunk anywhere. 
Night fast approached after all this time checking every nook and cranny of our bedroom and the entire house.  Pulling every article of clothing out of the closet to check there.  Exhausted and irritated, we had no other choice than to believe {or pretend to} that the animal had either gotten out of the house somehow or was wounded or dead and we'd smell him days later.  Nevertheless, neither of us was sleeping in that room Sunday night! 

So husband, me, Sushi and Abbey all slept on the couch in the living room.  I mean, this 'aint a really big couch either.  I slept with one eye open just knowing that something could potentially happen in the middle of the night.  Night quickly turned to morning with not so much as the sound of a pine cone hitting the roof, let alone the sounds of a live chipmunk in our home.  We went about Monday morning as usual, at this point, believing {or again pretending to} that the chipmunk was either dead or had gotten of the house somehow. 

I headed to the kitchen to pour my usual to-go coffee while Dylan is in our bedroom getting dressed for work.  All of a sudden..."KE-LAAAY" Dylan screams.  At that moment, I knew the chipmunk had emerged from hiding.  Frantically, I scream and run directly into the kitchen table!  I'm talkin full speed into the table. I suppose I was trying to get on top of it as I did the bed the day before!  Bruises today from that incident.  Then, the inevitable, ole Alvin the chipmunk darts from the hallway into our living room.  Dylan is in the hallway looking into the living room while I'm on the opposite side in the kitchen looking in as well.  From Dylan's vantage point, he could see me and the chipmunk.  "Kelly, you have got to stop shaking. Get it together. We've got to keep him in this room.  Go get the broom and bucket now, okay."  I did as I was told and came back with these "weapons."  Dylan with pillow in hand ready to swat at the mongrel if he decided to run back into the hallway. 

So there we were, ready to trap the chipmunk...but how???  Teamwork holds a whole new meaning to me now.  The quickness and agility of this chipmunk was too much for one person, too much for even two people to be able to trap.  Sushi failed yet again-chased him under the tv table then got bored when he couldn't reach him.  Walked away again!  Dang cat!  This back and forth lasted forever-the chipmunk running rampant all over the living room.  Finally, to our dismay, he scurried past Dylan and his pillow barricade and ran back into the hallway and into the guestroom. 

"We've got to get in there and close the door" I shriek.  We did so and then the real chaos ensued!  Mental picture: Dylan and I screaming and jumping around like kangaroos {insert: any sort of jumping animal that comes to mind}, in a small bedroom, with the door closed, and a crazy chipmunk running to and fro with lightning fast speed!  {Edited version of these next declarations!} "Just hit him hard and knock him out then we can trap him with the bucket!" I yell.  Didn't work. "Forget this, I'm calling animal control!!!"  I yell again as Dylan tries to gain some composure and trap this hellion. "No! We've gotta handle this. I'm gonna look like a moron if I can't catch him!!" retorts husband.  

The chipmunk continues to jump, run, dart, dash around the room. We have had no luck of even getting close to trapping him.  We actually stopped for a second and laughed hysterically because of our ridiculous situation!  Then, as if to say "I'm tired of taunting you two crazies and would like to go outside now" Ole Alvin jumped onto the daybed, onto the windowsill, then in btw the window and blinds.

I reach over and lift the blinds and of course the chipmunk flies off and back onto the bed. Husband and I jumping and screaming yet again!! Dylan decides our only course of action at this point would be to raise both windows and try to get him to jump back onto the windowsill then out the window into the front yard.

Bless him for this idea!!! The chipmunk jumps back onto the windowsill and I push him out the window with the broom {or maybe it was a mop, can't remember}.  Success!!!!  Alvin has left the building! 

My entire body is sore today from all the craze...ribs, arms, legs, and my bruises from running into the kitchen table {yes, I'm an idiot}.  Ouch!  I have to say though, we have laughed and laughed over this "tail" of the chipmunk in our home.  This weekend, I'm pleased to announce that we will be putting our new BB gun toy to good use!  These chipmunks are out of control in our yard and by our words "will NEVAH get into the house again."  My apologies to PETA in advance : ) 

Picture by Wikipedia

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