The exterminator came to my place yesterday. I know this because he (or she) left a calling card and a smell so bad I thought I was going to be ill. Fortunately, by the time I got home yesterday evening, I had already planned to spend the night at Sarah's to help her procure and set up a Christmas tree. I knew she was going to end up wanting one!

I will give it to my rental office liaison. She was responsive, warm, and empathetic when I told her about the mouse. Apparently, other residents with apartments in the same vicinity (within the building) as mine have also complained of seeing mice recently, and as we talked more and more about the particular point of entry (the building's construction is such that there are entryways behind the stoves, which in colder months can lead to this kind of thing), she became more concerned, and suggested that she get the exterminator to come out specifically to treat my place. Under normal circumstances, the company comes out only once a month, and they had already been to my building this week, unbeknownst to me.

I really hope this will take care of the problem, because knowing that rodents are lurking about is seriously messing with my ability to: 1)have any peace of mind when I'm at home in what is supposed to be my sanctuary, and 2): to feel any kind of pride or joy in all that I'm working to accomplish regarding realizing my vision for the kind of home I want.

Because I spent last night at Sarah's place, I rode in to work this morning with a coworker (L) who lives pretty close to her. L's boyfriend drove us both in, and I so enjoyed their couple banter. He is one of those effortlessly funny guys, and I felt immediately at ease. I liked him right away. We mostly listened to talk radio for the bulk of the drive, but at one point he switched the station and a song came on, and both he and L began to dance in earnest (as much as possible while sitting in a car). They definitely have a nice vibe going.

As for me, I'm just looking forward to leftovers for lunch (spaghetti carbonara) and class tonight.