Well, actually in my basement.
We had a very busy weekend. I was away Friday night and Saturday at a church retreat, then spent Saturday night and early (6am early) Sunday morning preparing for the very intricate Passover Seder worship service our creative team had planned. Brian took care of the kids all weekend. Around 11pm, exhausted from our weekend, we were preparing for bed. And then I spied the 2 coolers I had taken with me over the weekend (to hold foodstuffs for the Seder service) sitting in the front hall, still needing to be washed out and put away. Grff.
I yelled up the steps and asked Brian if he would please, pretty please come do it before bed (he's the only one who can get them back where they live under the basement steps). He let me know rather grumpily that he was not going to do it tonight. Not wanting the coolers to get all icky inside from sitting closed up unwashed I carried them down to the basement and turned them upside down open on the back patio. Turned the lights out and got ready to go upstairs for bed.
As I was coming up Brian was coming down muttering and grumbling about "might as well get it over with" and stomped down into the basement. And about 30 seconds later a sound issued from the basement the likes of which I have never heard my husband make before. I can only approximate it in writing as "Aaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiigggghhh!!" Suffice to say my heart nearly stopped as I couldn't imagine what had happened. While removing my heart from my throat I became even more puzzled as this strange yell was followed by hysterical laughter.
Ooooookaaaay.
Utterly perplexed, I cautiously opened the basement door and yelled down to ask if Brian was all right and what on earth had happened? He yells "Shut the door we've got a bat in here!!"
Slam the door.
Open the door a crack - "We've got a WHAT?!?"
"A bat!!"
My overtired brain tries to process this (whatwhenhowwherewhyhow?)
Brian meanwhile managed to shoo the bat back outside. He said it was simply sitting and fluttering on the basement steps and after he opened the door it silently shot out the door like, well, a bat out of youknowwhere.
However, we spent at least half an hour trying to figure out when and how our erstwhile houseguest stowed away. Came in Saturday afternoon while Brian and the kids had their (rather drizzly) cookout? Snuck in while Brian cleaned up the grill Saturday night? Pelted in unseen while I ran back up to get the other cooler? Somehow flew right past Brian as he went back outside?
We still have no idea.
The coup de grace? I'd forgotten to tell the children about it this morning, but Chris was reading this over my shoulder which reminded me. So now Charlotte is crying because we didn't save the bat for her to see.
Sheesh.
3 comments:
Ahhh! Crazy! Glad you didn't save it for Charlotte.
Wheee! You can tell Charlotte they look a little like mice with wings, and really don't do well cooped up in a box...they need to go back outside right away to find their family, and besides, if the bat stayed in your house, Simba might have eaten it.
Yes, we do have some experience with bats in the house, bats in boxes, bats in cats' stomachs...bleahh!
Yes, Simba was suddenly *very* interested in the basement. He was sitting on the back of a chair ready to pounce right through the basement door with a let-me-at-it-oh-please-let-me-at-it look on his face.
I (fortunately) did not see it. If I had come upon it this morning when I stumbled sleepily down to get the cat's food Brian would have been visiting me in the hospital. I have nothing against bats, just not in my house.
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