I live in the country. Country like surrounded by cornfields country. We moved here almost 6 years ago. Over the years we have learned the good and bad of country living.
We are on about an acre of land. We have one neighbor and they are separated from us by a stream. It's quiet (except when it's cropduster season). My son has plenty of room to run and play. I don't have to worry about him running into the road because we spend all of our time in the backyard. It is so peaceful.
And then nature rears its ugly head. As I said, we live in the middle of farmland. We live in an old farmhouse. I have learned to accept certain things. We have learned to keep our windows closed in May when the wind blows. No matter how nice it is outside the windows stay shut. Why? Because we get constant wind in May and it blows all of the fine black soil that our area is known for into our house. It covers everything. It's a pain in the ass to clean up. I have also learned to accept that we get critters. We've had our fair share of snakes, deer, raccoons, opossum, ducks, and mice. I hate the mice. The mice mostly stay downstairs and in the shed. We put poison in the shed and set traps in the basement. They pretty much stay in the basement. And they get into your car. Did I mention I hate these little bastards?
Flash forward to today. Normal day. I started my a car a few minute before we were to leave. Nothing out of the ordinary. We leave. A few miles from home my battery light comes on and my lights are dimming. Hmmm, that's not right. So I turn around and head for home. Then the battery light goes on, goes off, my ABS light goes on and off, other various lights on the dash do the same. Less than 3 miles from home and all of my instruments stop working, the car dies, and I try to pull over to the side of the road. As I said, we live in the country and live on backroads where people drive 70 mph even though the speed limit is only 55 mph. But that's another rant for another day.
I don't make it to the side. I'm stuck half on and half off the road. No juice in the battery means no power for the hazard lights. We wait for Chris to pick us up. Try to jump the car several times but it immediately dies. We finally get it started long enough to get it into neutral. Go home and get stuff to tow the car home.
Let me tell you people, that was the LONGEST 3 miles I've ever driven. We chain my car behind the Jeep and Chris pulls me home. No power to the car means no power steering and no power brakes. I will never take those for granted again!
We get home...5 hours later Chris get the alternator off. Damn mice had made themselves a nice little home behind the alternator. The part was all stuffed with leaves, tree stuff, and seeds. Finally he leaves for work at 3:00. Poor guy.
Destructive little bastards. Last summer they made a nest in our central air unit. We didn't know until our a/c quit running.
I've learned a few things today...I'm grateful for a wonderful husband who fixes things like this for me...I'm EXTREMELY grateful that the road I was stuck on has light traffic in that direction in the morning...I'm grateful for the two people who stopped and asked if I needed help...and I'm blessed that I have a patient son who just sat there the whole time telling me dad would help us and that I needed to get gas so my car would start. He sat quietly in the warm car while me and hubs sat in the freezing rain trying to hook the car up, jump start it, etc. He even helped us push the car into the shed. I'm blessed to have a boss that is understanding when I have to take 2 emergency vacation days off of work. And I'm extremely lucky to have a great mom who will find a ride to work so I can borrow her car for a few days.
And the mice? Not only do I hope they die but they owe me $190 for a new alternator and a few other parts Chris had to break to get the part out.
