Here I am, for the second night, in a hotel room only a couple of miles from my house. I will be here again tomorrow night. Period. There has been no sign of the bat for the past couple of days, but really, what signs are we looking for? If the damn thing isn't flapping around the house, I don't know what would indicate that it is even there! When K comes off of night shift, I will go home and we'll take things from there. What more can I do?
This is the third or fourth bat we've had in the house. I guess that isn't too bad in over 30 years! The first one was in the breakfast nook and I spied it from the living room. K managed to get it out quickly. I don't remember if there was another one before the last one, though. A couple of years ago, while K was on night shift, a bat flew through the house. I went and sat out in the vehicle for the rest of the night. We left the house for a short road trip later that day and when we got back, the bat was clinging to the breakfast nook wall--and K got a bowl and 'walked' the flying rat out of the house. And now this one.
I have no idea how these things get in. I was positive that the last one came in when I was bringing in groceries after dark, but now that we have another, we think they might have come in through the basement. See, we live in a very old house and no matter how many cracks, crevices, and holes you fix, there are always more, and critters of all kinds will find them--and come into the house. (This is why we are having such a problem with the yellow jackets.) Right now, we THINK the bat may have found its way out of the house, but this brings up another problem: Is it going to come and go as it pleases? I shudder to think.
I realize that bats are very beneficial with their bug-eating ways, but that doesn't mean they should live with people--as in, living in people's homes. I think one of the reasons we actually HAVE so many bats around our house is that the neighbors have bat houses hung between our yards. yay! There were/are so many bats flying around in our back yard that you couldn't/can't be outside after dusk for fear of being hit by one! This does NOT make me very happy. And, because this is nothing illegal, we can't DO anything about it--unless we want to start a war with said neighbors. And believe me, I've seen them war with other neighbors and I want no part of that! So, I have to live with bats.
My exile from the house hasn't really been all bad, however. I have used my time quite nicely. When I AM home, I get all of my work done in record time, because I know I'll be leaving in the afternoon. Each evening I've gone to a store and wandered around, took my time, and looked at whatever changes have been made. I usually run in, get what I need, and leave as soon as possible, so this has been nice. This time has also been good for me because I've lost a lot of my 'I can do it by myself' attitude in the last few years. K and I DON'T need to be attached at the hip and I am seeing that again. Both nights now, I've gone to restaurants and sat alone--something that I never thought I would be able to do. However, with the NOOK, and me spending the time reading, it doesn't seem as awkward to be alone during my meal. When I finally have gotten back to my room, I then spend a bunch of 'me' time. I've used this time to do some body maintenance--no, I WON'T go into details--that I have been neglecting lately. For example, tonight I did a manicure so that I'm ready for the concert on Friday night. (At least THAT wasn't TMI--like a lot of what I could have written. ;))
I WAS feeling quite guilty about this whole thing, but a couple of things have made me feel better. First, K has been an absolute saint about everything. He actually is the one to encourage me to get a room. He's one damn good guy--I am very lucky and blessed to have him. Secondly, I was able to use up some 'points' that I have accumulated for this particular hotel chain, so I'm not spending NEARLY as much money on the room as I thought I would. I'm actually getting the room for $50 less per night--which is great.
Many people, I'm sure, would find my attitude horrible--they would tell me to 'grow up' and act like an adult. I really thought about 'sucking it up' and staying at home, but the anxiety I felt was too intense. This was a way better solution to the problem, cause if I would have forced myself to stay in the house, I'm sure there would have been some medical complications to arise--whether it was a new medication for me or a complete breakdown, I don't know. (And I'm NOT kidding about a possible breakdown!) This, too, shall pass--and, when it finally does, I will be a bit less anxious for doing things this way.
The Saga Continues...
