In my case the unexpected came with a fuzzy coat and a bushy tail. I was sitting at my computer reading the paper when I heard a scurrying sound in the bedroom. I jumped up to see what was happening and found the noises coming from inside our bedroom wall. It felt kind of good to bang on the wall and yell as I did my best to scare whatever it was out. Running out to the front of the house, I caught a glimpse of the culprit, a squirrel, making his escape through the attic vent. In a non-PD life I would have simply handed this problem off to my husband. I did ask his advice and he was able to make a couple of suggestions on who we might call for help. This was one of those times when I really didn’t want to take charge but someone had to, so I grabbed my phone and started texting and dialing.

I learned a lot through this process, hopefully things I’ll never have to use again. For one thing, handypersons are not allowed to deal with wild animals (like squirrels) due to state laws. Next I turned to Pest control companies and started to get the same story. I think the person I was talking with recognized my desperation and said that if I knew how the pest was getting in they could put up an exclusion screen to keep it and other rodents out. And he was able to send a tech the same day, hallelujah!

It’s not like I didn’t have enough on my plate before the squirrel decided to move in, but actually figuring out how to evict it was a nice diversion. It gave me an excuse to step away temporarily from the stuff I was already dealing with and face a totally new situation. I had several conversations that day that were not about PD but about squirrel eradication. Plus I have a new skill to put in my toolbox and a great story to share next time I get together with my fellow CarePartners. Like I said, it pays to be flexible.