Squirrel that one away!

Yesterday morning, I'm having breakfast in the kitchen, eyeing the TV and attempting to keep cat Pyewacket from confiscating my cereal bowl milk until I'm finished with it. Loud boom and all the electricity is gone.

We have, alas, been there, done this before. It's a transformer outside the kitchen window. Dutifully, I find the phone number of the electric company, unplug all computer equipment less there be a surge later on, and find the one landline phone which doesn't need a current to dial. Electrical provider gives me the number of the delivery provider and as I'm dialing, I'm recording it. Might as well skip that step next time.

Less than 15 minutes later, a truck is at the side street (must have caught them going out the door) and I have electricity once again. I bounce out to give my thanks and find the serviceman kicking something in the street over to the curb.

"You need a BB gun," he tells me. "Too many squirrels."

Ah, yes, our usual problem. A bit of bare wire or a particularly clumsy squirrel, whichever, but the result is the same. Transformer tripped and squirrel dead.

"I can't argue with that," I tell him.

"Know anyone's hungry?" he asked with a malicious grin. "He's hot!"

I suppose that would be flash-fried?