Seriously, Though

In addition to the much-too-expensive tooth business (honestly, if I had known that one tooth was worth that, I'd have pulled some more and sold them on the black market, or eBay, or wherever) guess what?

A couple of* weeks ago, I started hearing scratches and chewing in the hall walls.  Did any of my three animals alert to the sounds?  Was any one of them willing to protect the homestead?

Call to my pest control service: guy comes out, says he doesn't see any recent evidence of mice or rats, which is as big as their services go.  Service call fee.  He gives me the name of a "wildlife guy."  Call the "wildlife guy" and he can't get here for a week.  Meanwhile, I'm banging on the walls with books, my hands, my feet, putting dents in the walls to very little avail.

"Wildlife guy" comes in yesterday.  It's mice and/or rats, he says.  (!!)  He can start a three-week long process of sealing the house's foundation to keep critters out while setting traps to catch any that are already in.  He cannot start until next week.  Fee, and steep upcoming charges.

"I'm sorry --- what?"

Then today, it feels like the AC isn't working.  Tap is panting and panting, and the thermostat says the temperature is creeping toward 80.  Call my AC/HVAC people and am told no one can come out until tomorrow, bringing along an emergency out-of-hours fee.

But I'm old, and I have animals here.  Yes, I  said that.  Well, the second part for sure.  Many phone calls later, there's a technician who can squeeze me in.  And you know what?  Everything checks out as perfectly fine.  Service fee, please.  

I'm really tired of all this, Tap is tired of people coming around and having to bark at them, and I am seeing my proverbial rope running out.

*Whoever started this "couple" without "of" makes me crazy.  It is not "He was talking to a couple friends " it's "a couple  OF."  Not that hard.