There’s a mouse in my house, so I am not there.

Alas! It has happened again. I had this happen one other time since living in Texas. It is definitely one of the grossest parts of living in an area with fields and foliage. Yesterday I wanted to relax in the worst way. Some days I come home with energy; but yesterday I was a zombie. I started my day in Quitman at 6:30 a.m. and was on my way to Dallas at 8:15. Dance class was WONDERFUL, but dance classes are natural intense and disciplined. You must focus your mind as well as your body. I went to eat lunch and came back for assessments-which I must liken to taking the GRE with a human judge! They were, of course wonderfully nice and kind, but under that pressure, major YIKES!. It was NOT FUN! I got through it, but I thought, man I don’t think I want to do this again! So talk about major intensity and focus. Despite it being a very nice day with lots of encouragement—especially in dance class where things get easier all the time—it was still emotionally and physically exhausting. However, I would have been okay had I had my usual 1 hour and 45 minute drive straight home. But that was not to be. In fact, in one of the most unusual displays of traffic (anyone who knows me well know how I abhor traffic anyway), I went to enter I-20 and found it backed up for miles. I was shocked because that is rather unusual, especially on sunny ordinary days. So I took the frontage road to get over to I-35-but going south to flip north was also backed up. So I reversed and cut through an underpass and got on I-35 north to o to I-30. There I encountered more traffic a couple miles in, and that extended to downtown almost. So 45 minutes after leaving Shachah I was in downtown Dallas. AHHHHHHH. By then my brain is the ultimate in fried because in bumper to bumper traffic for that long you have to constantly stay aware because of the stop and go movements and people cutting in and out. I finally got through downtown, and was approaching empty in my gas tank, so I exited at 64 in Canton because I wanted a cold drink too. I did not even end up getting gas there, but I decided a nice country drive the rest of the way home was fine. I did not want to see mounds of cars anymore. So I got on 64 south and within minutes I saw signs for road work. It was now 5:30 on Saturday afternoon, but they were working on the road. Loose gravel was everywhere so I had to slow down big time to avoid the car in front of me. Then in another minute or so, we were stopped. The line of traffic grew longer by the minute as we sat maybe 10 minutes waiting for one way traffic to come through. I probably do not need to explain my physical and mental state at that point. I had zero energy left and I wanted to be home like nothing I can explain.

Once that traffic finally cleared, I got home in normal time; however. I arrived home at about 10 after 6 and I had left Shachah at 3:24. I flew in my apartment and took a long hot bath. After a day of leotards and dancing I felt gross! Then I sat down to relax, write email. I had just had a snack and was sitting at my computer, completely enjoying myself when I saw a mouse run from behind my dresser towards my bathroom.

I am sure the scream could be heard all the way to Dallas.

Of course there went my peaceful evening! After screaming I cried. I think I cried from exhaustion and wanting to relax. The idea of little Mousey running across me as I sat was too much. Yes, I have a mouse phobia. Rodents actually. That is one thing I cannot stand. Snakes, spiders, I don’t lose it. Crickets get to me, too (fast and jumpy), but mice are the ultimate (well, except the rat I saw in Jamaica!). I called Robin—you know when your brain is on overflow… That helped and then I called my landlord and left quite the message. I am afraid my very human, very unspiritual side came out because I was fed up. I had an issue with red ants a few months ago and they would not exterminate—though she let me deduct a chemical cost from my rent. And many nights after I go to bed the dog next door barks, jerking me back up, so the mouse kind of took me over the edge. No word from her yet.

Meanwhile I leave for New York Thursday morning. And then I remembered something. I remembered my last mouse encounter. It was a day I had taken off work in 1999. I needed the day to relax and rest because I was overtired and stuff and, get this, the next week I was leaving for New York. So this seems to be pattern: Go on a ministry trip to New York and see a mouse invade your home.

Some people will think it is stupid that I won’t stay in a house with a mouse there; others will understand. You are never sure how people will react to this. I called Beverly (who has a spare room) and she fully understood because her mom was terrified of mice. Anyway, the gist is that Lisa and Jonathan tried to help me set traps but we could not get the cheap things activated. I left some sticky ones in the house and left. I came to Robin’s for Saturday and Sunday and will go to Beverly’s Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday I will leave for Dallas to avoid an early drive to the airport Thursday—I would have to leave at 5:30 or so. I am believing that by the time I return home it will be settled. That is a week from today, Sunday. The I am only home til Friday. And the creepy thing is that I have been sharing space with this guy and not knowing it—NOW I understand the things I saw that were Mouse Evidence.

Anyway, I will admit it has been wonderful to sleep last night and be out in the country again. I slept until 10:15 this morning—which I usually physically cannot even DO, but that is how tired I was. It was wonderful. It is a GORGEOUS day here and totally silent and beautiful. And the great benefit is that I have been wanting video footage of Quitman to go in my Texas video and now I am here on a beautiful day to get it. And adding to that is I have felt a draw to my old prayer spot for the last week or so But since it gets dark so late, it would involve me getting home very late after praying. Now I can go tonight. So it has been a blessing in disguise for today.

My state of mind regarding the other issue is much more settled and sure. I think the definitive changes will be this week or next. Unfortunately that puts us at the end of school—and I do need to settle the rest of my life first (Mouse Land), but I am feeling good, certain, visionary even as a new idea has come to me that may be God. It may just be a good idea; I am not yet sure, but for now I am thinking of it and figure it will open up if it is God. It always does. My other big hold up has been financial, but I know I have to learn to trust there, too.

So I guess all is coming together. This week will fly, and in 12 days I will be back in Los Angeles.

Mouse-less. Definitely mouse-less.