Strange, strange goings-on today at the ol' house of Val.
Such oddities. Perhaps explainable, if only I could decipher the code. It started with a noise. Think of a teenage boy standing outside the undoored door of your dark basement lair, clacking two remote controls together. That's what it sounded like to me. So I called out, "Pony! What are you doing?" And he answered me. From the couch at the other end of the basement.
"Nothing! What are YOU doing?"
"Nothing! I thought you were making that noise."
"I thought YOU were making that noise."
We heard it again. Once. Twice. Seriously. WHAT WAS THAT? It was not outside on the porch. That's a thumping sound we hear from the wrasslin' dogs and the tread of delivery men. It was not inside my office. It was just outside the door. Just past the NASCAR bathroom. The Pony ran over. He stepped into my office.
"Are you SURE it wasn't you?"
"Yes! Are you sure it wasn't YOU?"
"Uh huh. I know it was over here." He walked around, looking for items that might have fallen off the shelves. "It didn't sound like it was inside here. Maybe it was these empty soda cans out here on the desk." He stepped back out, to the aluminum Coke cans awaiting crushing after waiting to be stashed in an old Walmart bag after waiting to dry out after rinsing. He squeezed one. "That's what I thought it might have been. These cans expanding due to a change in air pressure. But none of them have been bent. And listen, that's not the sound." He squeezed another.
"And even if it was, how come they have never, ever made a noise like that before? I don't know. Listen. There it was again!" By this time, The Pony had stepped back inside my office. We could clearly see that neither of us was doing anything to cause the sound.
I give up. I have no idea what it was. After that last one, it stopped. Quite odd. In broad daylight in my dark basement lair.
And the noises that used to occur overhead in Genius's room at night, right after he moved off to college...the ones that stopped about a month later? They returned this week. It sounds like someone is having a hoedown after hours.
I know of what you speak. I worried about a family member as I stood in the bathroom NOT TOUCHING ANYTHING. Debating as to whether or not I should call this person. My late mother, I think gave me my come uppance. First my toothbrush landed in the tub. Then my razor, my bar of soap. I said, "Okay, I'll consider it. Now stop." Dang! then the squegee I wipe the shower down with came flying off a hook. I yelled, "Okay, Mom." Hubby said, "Talking to yourself, in there?" If I told him the truth...
ReplyDeleteGenius--perhaps--seems to want to continue to bother you, even though he's away at college.
ReplyDeleteI'm voting for that mouse in the fan light.
ReplyDeleteSpooky!!! I wonder where those noises are coming from.
ReplyDeleteLinda,
ReplyDeleteQuite dramatic! My little invisible prankster has not yet reached that level. The darkening of a single ceiling light bulb within one second of me thinking, "Don't you go off again" was the most nose-thumbing I ever got. Now I am careful not to challenge.
******
Sioux,
If there's a way, that boy will find it. Today is his birthday. I sent him a text singing Happy Birthday. Well. I typed the words. I think he knew what I meant.
******
Eileen,
Funny you should mention mice. Only yesterday, I saw a chess game made of stuffed mice. PETA will not be pleased.
The bathroom ceiling fan light mouse was...erm...DISPATCHED a while back, along with his buddy. I saw the evidence. Besides, that bathroom is all the way upstairs. I have not yet found a logical explanation, but I DID bag the soda cans for Genius to sell for scrap money.
*****
Stephen,
Last night, right after I hit the "publish" button for this post, I heard that exact noise again. Right outside my dark basement lair portal. Only once. Everybody else was in bed. I was not amused.
I had a similar incident today. After unloading groceries form the car and then getting them into the house from the store, I heard a rattling noise coming from my sewing room. Thought it was the cat, but I could see him atop the bait fridge eating his kibble. The room is dark and it was with great trepidation I flipped on the light to discover Toni Louise happily going through the trash can under my sewing surface. She keeps us on our feet.
ReplyDeleteKathy,
ReplyDeleteMaybe I should let Juno in so she can be a possible explanation. She does take on the scapegoat role fairly well.