So, no big, right? Yeah. Nothing major. So I went to NY, had a fabulous time (future entry) and came back to pick up my car on Sunday night. We had previously arranged that I would drive the rental back to the dealership, drop the keys in the drop-box and pick up my car w/ my spare key. The invoice would be in my glovebox. So I looked at it and was duly sickened by the amount of money charged by labor, etc., but what really caught my eye was the charge for "Removal of dead rodent from air filter". WHAT?!!?!! I had a dead what in my car?!
Yeah. So the next morning, I call my mechanic and the first words out of his mouth were, "Two field mice and part of a squirrel. I thought about keeping them for you, but I decided against it." Gee, thanks. What a gentleman. So that would explain the low air-pressure from the blowers in my car. Ick. But the question remains...how the heck did they get up in there? And excuse me, but part of a squirrel -PART of a squirrel was found in my air filter?! How the crud did part of ANYTHING crawl up there? My only possible explanation are the cats that hang out in our parking lot...think it's possible that one of them was just being kind and bringing me a gift? There is one that I've made friends with. Perhaps he thought this was the best way to show me he cared. But how did he get in there? According to my mechanic, that's not a very likely scenario.
My only other explanation is that two mobster field mice had been hired to bump off a neighborhood squirrel-bookie and were looking for places to hide him. They must have figured that hiding him in pieces would throw off suspicion. Sadly, they underestimated the effort it would take to pull him up into the air filter of my car and when they got there, they decided to take a short nap... Bad decision, mousies. RIP.
Not so cute when thought of in that way, are they? Hey, no sympathy here! They made my car into a sarcophagus!!So, ever find anything "out of the ordinary" in your car before? What about your house, etc.? Do tell.
21 comments:
Sadly, I've never found animals -- whole or part -- in my car before. We took our dog in my mom's car a couple of times, but that's about it. I take it there was no dead mousie/squirrel smell emanating from the blowers? Curious...
I look forward to the promised NYC post as I've never been, but will be going in February to visit my brother.
Oh, and it's nice to see you back, Masa.
Nice entry. I think you win on the "weird items found in air filter"... but I do think the cats that prowl your lot have something to do with it. they have a really curious way of brazenly hanging out underneath cars that never fails to incite my curiosity. How is it that they aren't terrified out of their wits when an engine starts and instead, calmly walk out and park themselves underneath the next car? They were probably using your engine as food storage. Bad luck for them.
Yay! You blogged!
Okay, this one time in high school, I was taking my subaru in for an oil change. I saw the mechanic-guy open the hood of the car, and he kind of did a double-take and then started laughing and called his buddies over. Then THEY all started laughing, and I was thinking that's never a good sign.
So the guy comes up to me and says, "Uh, miss, were you aware that there is a bird's nest under the hood of your car?" No, I was not aware.
Long story short, some crazy bird had built a nest in the car. The car mechanic did his best to clean it all out, but for about a year afterward, everytime I'd turn on the air vents, pieces of the bird's nest would fly out at my face.
I really loved that car. Good times.
First of all, let me say that I've been waiting for this day. The day that you blogged again... I'm glad i checked! And second of all... I've personally never had anything (that I know of) in one of my cars, but I have heard of people getting little rodents and sometimes cats as well. But PART of a squirrel is disturbing... I like resolution that it was the field mice... they did it.
Brandon - No, no curious smell. I found that odd too, but they were small creatures, after all. And the NYC post is coming. I hope you have a great time! It's a fabulous city!
AK - Those cats really are brazen little things, aren't they? Maybe I shouldn't have made friends w/ any of them. I've been paranoid ever since I got my car back that the cats will strike again...i wonder if there's a cat-proof grill I can put on the undercarriage of my car. Hmmm.
Michelle - Yes, I'm back! Wow. A whole nest. Crazy! See, I knew I wasn't the only one out there!
Heather - Yes. Good thing those dirty mice got their justice.
Best. Post. Ever.
Welcome back! My grandpa has a vendetta with all squirrels. They attack his garden and during his open by-pass surgery a squirrel gnawed through the hospital's electric line and shut down all the hospital's electricity (thank goodness for generators)... The list goes on. I, on the other hand, am a champion of squirrels (and mice) -- sabotaging traps and leaving little tidbits for squirrels to survive a cold winter. Really, how can you not fall in love with a lil' guy like this:
http://static.flickr.com/31/53923575_31aa4e77ee.jpg
But, now I just might have to re-think my stance with your crazy experience... Mice taking over the world? First, the car...then the world. Sounds somewhat familiar...
Shark - Wow. Thanks.
Wendi - Thanks! I'm slowly working my way up to reading everyone's blogs again and keeping up on my own. Sigh. I guess I just let it all become a bit of a chore. Silly me.
I kind of wonder if this is karma for my interaction w/ mice on my mission. I would relate the story here, but I think I'll save that for a continuation on this post. (too long to write here) Suffice it to say that I too was against mouse-cruelty...until things had gone too far. This theory of them being devious little creatures is making more and more sense. (What're we gonna do tonight, Brain? NOG!)
you write entire blog entries as comments on your own blog. you're one of a kind, christina!
i second jen's response. at least it wasn't one of those creepy parking lot cats.
Who would have known that your car constitutes the equivalent of a lonely dark alley in the rodent world?
The cat scenario is a possibility. Someone else I know had a cat crawl up into the engine of his car. I think it was an ineffectual kamikaze attempt. I'd be careful in the future of this so-called 'cat friend'.
I can't wait to blog about our metropolitan rendez-vous or to read yours!
SHE POSTS! It is a miracle.
I don't think they got up there with help from a cat. I think it was ants. Giant ones. And they were using your air filter as a larder.
Actually, on second thought, I think you have a secret admirer.
"On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
Two field mice,
and part of a squirrel in my car's air filter."
What I want to know is what this freak will give you the other ten days of Christmas...
(this is me chanting...) NEW YORK POST! NEW YORK POST!
Ilgojos pec Christinai..
Hello. This post is likeable, and your blog is very interesting, congratulations :-). I will add in my blogroll =). If possible gives a last there on my blog, it is about the MP3 e MP4, I hope you enjoy. The address is http://mp3-mp4-brasil.blogspot.com. A hug.
I don't have your email address, so I have to do this here...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :)
So--you are officially dead, aren't you? Or just the blog?
For all of my devoted readers...[SNORT!] I will be resurrecting le blog as soon as I can finish writing crap for school. Pray that I will survive the rest of this week...
blurgh.
You REALLY need to make another blog. I loved this story and I want to hear more like it. So get to work, will ya?
Tabbi
Interesting that I was already knee-deep in posting when you wrote that, Tabbi! And I'm back!
Hey, you're amazing new post disappeared before I could comment on it! It was wonderful! Welcome back! Sounds like things are VERY adventuresome for you! Love the pics, you are gorgeous beyond belief!
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