Rashes come, rodents go, and mum tones up.

Had to go back to the quack today. That annoying rash on my thigh has reappeared and is annoying the hell out of me. Apparently it is most likely some sort of food allergy so now it is down to a process of elimination by progressively depriving me of all my favourite things to eat one at a time and noting if it stops. I wouldn't mind but apparently this is just the cheaper option as there is a nice expensive laboratory blood analysis which would do the job without me being deprived of any nourishment whatsoever. I know we are in financially tight times but you would of thought that the odd 90 euro blood test was not beyond the means of my far from underfed or deprived parents. If that new iPad appears on my dad's desk anytime in the next few months I shall have something to say about it, you can be sure. In the meantime I will continue with the above or something similar to ease the itching.





However, the good news is that we seem to have cracked the rodent problem. No nocturnal activity in the roof and no bait being taken anywhere. Total tally is so far three with an unpleasant odour in the neighbour's shed which suggests a possible fourth! Glad to see all my advice has paid off.



Mum is currently on this fitness drive. She has got herself a Wii Fit box and now spends an hour or so each day in front of the TV doing yoga, step ups, hula hoops and running round the island (whatever that is). By the way, that is not her above - she has not lost that much weight!

Whilst I am all for her getting fit, it is rather disturbing my morning kip, and with it raining cats and humans at the moment, I can't even retreat outside for a bit of peace and quiet.

However, all is quiet at the moment so I will just have to start catching up on my kip right now. See y'all.

"Of rats and dogs" (sorry to John Steinbeck)

How many of them are there up there?


It seems that my earlier optimism about the cessation of rat activities was rather misplaced. I realised this yesterday morning when mum and dad emerged from the bedroom end of the house looking more ragged than usual. This was on account of having had very little sleep because of further attic rearranging activities going on above their heads all night long (apparently! - not that I noticed). Now as we had already removed one of the little so and sos, this implied the presence of at least one more.

Not wanting my reputation as Chief Vermin Control Officer tarnished any further, mum and dad were promptly dispatched for reinforcements and returned a short time later with more poisons and traps. Having distributed same generously in the roof space, we all settled down rather tentatively last night to see what would happen. The night was, however, once more disturbed by noises from above, although this time less mobile and intermittent. Some sleep was achieved by all.

This morning dad inspected the attic once again to check traps etc but to no avail. We were all baffled. Imagine my surprise, then, later this afternoon when I rounded the corner of the house to come face to face with another one - this time stone dead. It seems at least some of the preventive measures had been successful.

However, even as I write this more sounds are emerging from above so god knows how many of them there are up there. I will keep you posted.

Infestation update.

Good news! Further to my news below about our war on the vermin in our roof space, I am pleased to report that my advice seems to have worked. At just before 4am today my dad was woken by a loud bang in the attic which turned out to be our humane trap springing. Obviously the local vermin are very partial to the bait of Werthers chocolate and dad proudly emerged from above this morning bearing a rat in a trap. Mum then insisted that he drive it a mile up the road and release it in the vines. I was all for having a bit of sport with it but that was apparently frowned upon. Still, now, hopefully, we will no longer have the patter of tiny feet overhead all night long. A dog has to sleep after all.