Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...

...yeah right.

There are definitely mice stirring. Well, at least there WERE.

Over the past week or so we discovered that we had mice. We found little nibbles out of our chocolate Christmas calendars and the cookies in our treat cabinet. Even little turds in almost every drawer in the kitchen. YUK!

After disinfecting EVERYTHING we own in the kitchen and catching the culprit we thought it was over. And then we discovered the smell.

It was faint at first. Every time I walked past the stove I could smell it. We have a range with removable plates so you can insert a grill surface. I took it apart and cleaned it REALLY good thinking that the leftover grease was creating the stink. The next day it was still there, and getting WORSE.

Then I started to wonder if maybe we had a dead mouse under the appliance. So we moved it out but found nothing. However, we did discover how the mice are getting in. We have a downdraft and it goes directly out under our deck (which is enclosed so we can't get to the vent exit without pulling apart our deck). But it must have happened to the previous owners also since we think we found an old mouse trap under there.

We were frustrated because we didn't find the source of the smell. I thought maybe a mouse could have died in the wall behind the cabinets. But Andreas pointed out that the smell was the strongest in the front corner of the range. I put my nose in the corner and sniffed. OH MY DEAR LORD!! YUP.....that's definitely where it's coming from. It's a dead mouse alright, and it's right under the cook top. G-R-O-S-S!

So I called Nodak and made an appointment for the next day. But as the day went on I couldn't take it anymore. The smell was nauseating and the thought of a decomposing animal in my kitchen was too much. I called around and found someone who could come and check it out TODAY.

A man from Appliance Pros came out and started to work taking apart the range. After a while I heard "there he is!". HOORAY! The source of the stink has been found, right in the very corner we assumed it would be. It appeared as though it got electrocuted since he was right up by the wires and didn't seem to be trapped.

Of course the man needed a bag to dispose of the critter which meant I had to go into the kitchen, and I was really hoping to avoid that. I went in to give him a garbage bag and [GAG] there it was, clinging, dangling....all dead and smelly. [GAG][GAG].....[still more gagging]. I couldn't handle it, with my arm stretched out as far as possible (I'm talking Elastigirl here), I threw the bag at him and ran away. I just couldn't do it. I was going to help out and put the bag under the critter so he could drop him in but every ounce of my being was telling me to run....just run away.

Anyway, the mouse is gone and the stink along with it. It's pretty much the grossest thing I've ever seen. And it still turns my stomach to think that I've been preparing food in the same area as a rotting animal carcass. BARF-O-RAMA! Needless to say, Andreas wants to eat out tonight and I am ALL FOR IT!