Bête Noire

fear

   /fɪər/  [feer]

noun 
a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid. Synonyms: foreboding, apprehension, consternation, dismay, dread, terror, fright, panic, horror, trepidation, qualm. Antonyms: courage, security, calm, intrepidity.

pho·bi·a

   /ˈfoʊbiə/   [foh-bee-uh]

noun
a persistent, abnormal, or irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid the feared stimulus.


a strong fear, dislike, or aversion.

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If you happened to pay attention to my facebook posts from a few years ago when the Hubby and I moved into our house, this post should come as no surprise. Fall 2010 was a bad one for mice...and we discovered our house had hollow, non-sealing closet doors instead of regular doors.  We were catching the buggers almost daily.

I hate mice, and am the stereotypical Mrs. Two Shoes when I see one.  (Think Tom & Jerry)

Though I'm not even brave enough to wield a broom!

Why yes I do stand on chairs and scream!

I do pickup my children and make them stay huddled on the chair with me....

Yes I have called my Hubby in the middle of the night begging him to stop the tractor, get home, and rescue me!  

I have called my BIL when the Hubby was gone (for Army schools) to empty sticky traps. 

I have cried at the thought of them in my home and considered moving into a hotel or getting a different house until the problem was under control.

I have hurled and thrown away items I thought they might have touched.

Yes, one of my biggest concerns that I shared with my husband before he deployed is "What am I going to do if there is a mouse?"  "Well I'm not coming home from Afghanistan every-time you need a mouse trap emptied. Just keep the door shut and the mice will stay out" {rather heartless reply actually}

I can't be in the same room with them...I actually grabbed the toddler (while pregnant with the Big D) and bailed out our front door (the one without steps) to avoid walking past the sticky trap in the kitchen....and waited several hours until I had received confirmation that the mouse had been disposed of before I would go back into my home.

The cold evil beady eyes staring at me, the squeaks, the moving the darn trap all over in trying to escape that it could be anywhere!  It sends a chill right through me.  What if I accidentally stepped on it....and then the trap would be stuck to my sock and the mouse...and erweadkahfdjhajgsd!!!  I can't handle the thought.  They are vile, dirty, disgusting creatures that only Walt Disney could love.

Before we replaced the indoor doors with the proper outdoor doors I did a visual scan and count of sticky traps before entering.  Bless the Hubby's heart he would empty and replace any in the morning so I didn't have to know.  After the door was replaced we have had only 1 mouse in our house....because I went to work and left the door open until lunch.

Truthfully though, this goes beyond simple fear and the common disdain for mice. I have self-diagnosed myself with mice-a-phobia, though a quick google search taught me the proper term in musophobia.  But, I prefer the former. The latter makes me think of moose....or mousse...now I am hungry and want to go hiking....but now I remembered we are talking mice.  Food no longer sounds good, and the outdoors unsafe.

But I digress.  Evidence has been left indicating a mouse has made its presence/possible home in my car.  I have vacuumed 3 times in the last week and little droppings keep appearing, on the front passenger floorboard.  I placed a sticky trap there last night, and today no signs or mouse caught. But I do still have a dilemma.  What the hell do I do if I catch it?