OF MICE AND SCARED MAN

While the character George in John Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men (a required read for any teenager in the California school system) has a troublesome penchant for stroking soft little creatures, I do not! While we throw an extra log on the fire or pull on our sporty winter jackets to stay warm on cool winter days, mice like to come inside (apparently) to escape the bitter cold. Because I can't insert myself into a giant bubble to escape them, I have to find creative ways of keeping them out. Poison is out of the question as our curious George puppies might eat them, so we're forced to find alternative ways to keep the critters at bay. To fill the various holes in our house leading to dark, dreary areas I'm sure the mice have set up as their very own Four Seasons, I headed out to pick up wire sponges (mice can't eat through them), came home, chopped it into tiny bits and stuffed it in the 67 holes I found around our house. Hopefully it will keep them away at least for the season!

TIME TO COMPLETE TASK: Fifteen minutes

COST: $1.00 for brillo pads

STRESS LEVEL: HIGH until I'm sure the mice are gone!