Mortifying

I had an experience a few nights ago that I don´t know how to describe except as mortifying.

It gets chilly in the evengings here during this time of year. By chilly I mean 60-70 degrees; I know, we are total wimps but that´s cold when you are used to mid 80´s and no a/c all the time. We were getting ready to head down to the main house to have dinner with our family so I figured I´d throw on my sweatshirt. My sweatshirt was hanging from a wire that I strung across the ceiling so that we could put up towels to dry and hang a couple jackets and sweatshirts for easy access. I pulled down my favorite VT hoodie and threw it on. I walked across the room to put away a few things before leaving and I noticed that it didn´t feel quite right. I quickly noticed it was my right shoulder and when I reached around to adjust it I felt a soft lump on the back of my shoulder inside of my sweatshirt! I totally freaked and instantly knew it was some kind of animal. Instinctually, I clenched it with my left fist so that it couldn´t scurry across my back or bite me. While still squeezing the fist-full of soft lump and sweatshirt I threw it off of myself and onto the floor as fast as possible. I stared hard at it waiting for something to come crawling (or flying) out of it. Nothing happened. I poked and jabbed at it a little but still nothing. Then I carefully shifted it around and pulled one arm inside out. Still nothing. Then I shifted it some more and saw a furry brown and white mouse tucked into the folds. It was already dead. I had crushed it with my bare hand in the heat of the moment.

I still can´t believe a mouse got on the inside of my sweatshirt while it was hanging on a line in the middle of the room. The little rascal had nibbled a good sized hole in the left arm pit and then cuddled right up at the top of my right sleeve. He had to crawl up a vertical wall then across a smooth metal wire about 2 mm diameter to get to my favorite sweatshirt in the middle of the line. Of course it was my favorite one. He had good taste, it is the coziest. Even Marcio and Alejandra shuddered a little when I told them what happened. Marcio consoled me with a little advice: He went into his room and came out with his jacket in his hand and said when ever I take clothes off the line I give them a good shake (snaping his jacket in the air) before putting them on. Thanks alot for the tip.

Now I have a new chore; I have to shake out Jenny´s sweatshirt whenever she pulls it off the hanger. It was pretty freak having a mouse on the inside of my sweatshirt with me; but I figure I got the better of the deal than him.