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22 abril How do you get rid of the rats?They say there is more than one way to skin a cat; apparently there is also more than one way to get rid of a rat. I have talked to four different pest control specialists and each has given me a different story and a different price estimate.
The first one wanted to take out all the floor boards in the attic and install new insulation pads, set rodent traps everywhere and seal up all the little openings in the roof to rodent proof the house for the total of 3600 dollars. I had a small heart attack when I heard that price.
The second one said he wanted 125 dollars just to come and inspect the place before giving us a price estimate. I figured if I had to pay 125 dollars just to get him to come down here, I probably couldn't afford him.
The third one said that he wanted 250 to get rid of the rats and 56 dollars per month for a year to come and keep checking to make sure we won't have nay more problems with the rats.
The last one said that the rats were coming from underneath the house as well as from the roof. He wants to poison them, set traps for the ones that won't die of the poison and then seal the openings underneath and on top of the house. He will then clean and deoderize the attic and the crawl space and guarantee that we won't have any more problems for the next two years. All for the price of 1200 dollars.
Should I keep asking more people? Should I choose one of the above? Should I buy a cat? How do I get rid of the rats? 19 abril The Rodent SpecialistIt took him less than half an hour to search through our attic, take some floorboards out and rummage through the insulation pads to find the rodent nest and the baby rat that had died in it and caused the aweful smell. It cost us three hundred dollars. He tells me that it will cost another 3600 bucks to make our house rodent proof by closing all the openings where they are coming through, cleaning and disinfecting the attic and installing new insulation pads. We have a huge rat infestation problem. I am trying to get some other quotes as I choked on the price estimate he gave me, but I can't live with these rats either. Last year we had the voles, this year we have the rats, I am wondering what it will be next year. He tells me that our neighbors had called him in for their racoon problem, so I guess next year is the year of the racoons. If the snakes come, I am leaving town. 15 abril Ratz! How does that saying go again? When the cat is away, the rats will play? It doesn't really matter. We have RATS people, RATZ! My brother has left traps all over the kitchen and in the living room as well and we've caught two mice and one big rat already. One of the traps had gone off though and the rat had escaped. I think it went and died somewhere in the attic. We have not been able to find the body yet, but the stench comes through the vents and is pretty nasty. Tonight we had a search party in the attic but we couldn't find anything. That stench though...it's driving me nutz! Is there a CSI unit for rats and mice? I guess I need to call pest control. Yes I did see Ratatouille, but these rats are not cute and they certainly don't cook. They steal our food, leave their dirty droppings and are pretty nasty. Maybe I should buy a cat? 09 abril What happened at Camp? Johnson's Camp Baby Report Day 2 and 3What started with a great session on the mystery of getting your baby to sleep by Dr. Jodi Mindell bright and early in day 2 ended with a generous Johnson & Johnson product expo and sampling right around noon on the third day. In between sleeping tips and sampling picks, we learned about the Johnson's commitment to the environment and the safety of their products, The InfantSee program which provides free vision care for infants and children, The dirt on germs, emerging lifestyle trends for moms, nutritional advice and tips on healthy cooking and eating, as well as a discussion on sensitive gynecological issues and a fun hair braiding session. Stop right there! No, the gynecological session and the hair braiding session were two different sessions and had nothing to do with eachother. They even had a session dedicated to get feedback from bloggers on their products and the company as a whole.
For entertainment, we got to go out to a nice and trendy restaurant in the evening of day 2 and had a wonderful breakfast at J and J plant in the morning of day 3. GM provided transportation for the bloggers to the restaurant and the J and J plant as well as rides to and from the airport in rocking brand new cars (we love our Saturn), and Nintendo brought out Wii stations to the restaurant so we could play before dinner and they also gave away Nintendo DS to every single one of us. Woohoo! (We are soooooooooo buying a Wii)!!!!
J & J might have needed a refresher course in sending out invitations, but when it came to planning and executing the event, they certainly had it hands-down. They certainly spared no expense in making sure that the bloggers got there in the most convenient way possible. Once there, we were treated courteously and with the utmost care and respect. The hotel was modern and nice, the beds fluffly and soft, food and refreshments were available frequently and plentifully and the sessions were informational and enjoyable.
What I enjoyed most from the event though was the opportunity to meet and bond with so many amazing women who happen to be mommy bloggers. I hope that J & J continues to do more Camp Babies, and allow more individuals (other mommy bloggers, more women of color, even daddy bloggers too) to enjoy the incredible experience that we had last week at Camp Baby. Special thanks to Lori Dolginoff and team for treating us to such an amazing experience. Milan might not be the new face for Johnson and Johnson but he certainly has been using Johnson and Johnson products from the first day he came home to us from the hospital. Thanks! 02 abril Johnson's Camp Baby Report, First Night, Wine tasting session Johnson's Camp Baby's first night was quite a hit with charming and funny Ted Allen, from Top Chef leading a wine tasting session and answering questions about his stint at Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, what's happening with Top Chef and what future projects he is working on. While teaching us tips about different wines, and what foods they should go with, he had us laughing with impromptu funny remarks, but he got the whole room roaring at the end when he said, now that I have answered all your questions, I have one for you: Sooooooo what's twitter? I guess celebrities and experts can learn a few things from bloggers too :) I don't drink much; I am not a big fan of white wines, but I like a little red wine now and then and yet the Chardonnay from Clos Du Bois Collection that they had us taste, Calcaire was amazing. And so here is what I learned, 1) Sauvignon Blanc tastes better with Lemon chicken as the citrus taste in the wine complements the chicken's flavor, while plain chicken tastes better with Chardonnay as the buttery taste of Chardonnay adds to the chicken's flavor. 2) Merlot is better with Spagetti and tomato sauce while Cabernet is better with Steak, because it can cut throught the richness. 3) Zin tastes good with Chocolate. 4) One shouldn't pay too much for Pinot Grigio 5) If you are going to a dinner party and want to pick up a bottle in the grocery store, you can be safe with a 18-20 dollars bottle of Robert Mondavi or Gallo wine. Meeting Mommy Bloggers, listening to Ted Allen, and being wined and dined has been fun so far. Thanks to Johnson and Johnson for paying for this trip and hosting us. I am looking forward to the full day of session and activities on Thursday. Will report more tomorrow night. 01 abril New Baby Face for Johnson & JohnsonWe are here in New Jersey a day early for Johnson & Johnson's Camp Baby. Although the actual camp starts tomorrow, some of the executives and PR people wanted to meet with me earlier. They have asked me to keep the contents of the meeting confidential until further notice, but I just can't hold the secret in any longer. Just walked out of the meeting and Johnson & Johnson wants our baby to be the poster boy for all their baby products. Milan's smiling face will appear on all the baby products including the Shampoos and baby lotion and baby oil and powder. The have been looking for a baby with that multi ethnic look to represent the many faces of babies growing up in the US. I love Johnson's products; have used them long before I ever had a baby and will continue to use them now for Milan. In fact we are getting a life time supply of any of our choice products now that Milan is Johnson's new baby face.
Although I have been already rewarded so much for coming to Camp Baby, I can't wait to see all the Mommy Bloggers and hang out with Johnson's team during the next couple of days. At any rate, just wanted to share the good news, say hello from Jersey to you all and yell out April fool's! |
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