My trip was cancelled last minute last year, but this year I finally get to go to Europe. The downside is that I was told last night and I leave in two days.

[QUOTE=rogue;455607]My trip was cancelled last minute last year, but this year I finally get to go to Europe. The downside is that I was told last night and I leave in two days.[/QUOTE]

If I may please share a true story...

I was flying out of San Francisco International Airport a few years ago, and I was stopped at the last security check. A security agent didn't draw her gun, but she did hold it unclipped while I was instructed to sit down and be searched.

They searched everything I had on me.

I went into deep meditation during this process, and haven't returned to the US of A since.

[QUOTE=chalsall]They searched everything I had on me.[/QUOTE]
That sounds unpleasant, indeed.

[QUOTE=rogue;455607]My trip was cancelled last minute last year, but this year I finally get to go to Europe. The downside is that I was told last night and I leave in two days.[/QUOTE]
Do you know where in Europe you will be visiting?

[QUOTE=Nick;455636]Do you know where in Europe you will be visiting?[/QUOTE]

I will be staying in Menen, Belgium.

[QUOTE=rogue;455642]I will be staying in Menen, Belgium.[/QUOTE]Belgium man! Belgium!

[QUOTE=rogue;455642]I will be staying in Menen, Belgium.[/QUOTE]
Here is the weather forecast for Belgium:
[URL]http://www.meteo.be/meteo/view/nl/65239-Home.html[/URL]
Maybe Jacob has some tips for visiting Brussels?

If you have the time and inclination to travel further afield, it would appear that you will be roughly equidistant from Paris, London and Amsterdam.
(If you plan to come to the Netherlands and would like to try and meet up, just let us know.)

Whatever you do - welcome to Europe! :smile:

Thanks. The only thing I have on my "must do" list is to go to the monastery where they make Westvleteren. It is about an hour from where I am staying.

[QUOTE=rogue;455690]Thanks. The only thing I have on my "must do" list is to go to the monastery where they make Westvleteren. It is about an hour from where I am staying.[/QUOTE]

If you happen to travel near Milan, just let me know :smile:

We recently became aware of rodent-style depredation in the apartment. Our first thought was of mice. But bait, small sticky traps, and snap traps didn't permanently catch anything but a lot of hairs in the adhesive. We realized that we had a larger problem, or problems. Late last night I wandered into the kitchen and saw a rat make its retreat.

Today, I went to a big box household and construction supplies chain and got large sticky traps and big snap traps. I put one of each in the heater closet which is part of the central utility shaft which runs up through this 1920s building. There is a hole in one wall, and I strongly suspected that this was their route of entry.

In an hour or so, we heard scraping and scrabbling and discovered a rat bound up in glue. I used a long-handled grab tool to pull the trap out and drop into a heavy plastic shopping bag (from big box establishment not named above.) This I slammed repeatedly into the floor, until there were no signs of activity. Then it was easily conveyed to the outdoor garbage cart.

Then, just after Dan had gone to bed, I heard an odd sound, looked in the closet, and found another rat breathing its last under the "kill bar" of the trap. That area still has a spring trap and a glue trap in it. We shall see if any more turn up.

Still, I am extremely gratified to have reduced the number of unwelcome guests in such short order. :beatdown:

(Cats are not an option. Dan is allergic to them.)

[QUOTE=kladner;455802]We recently became aware of rodent-style depredation in the apartment.[/QUOTE]
Hmm. Rats may require some professional assistance, if only to devise effective physical barriers to prevent further incursions (I believe "exclusion" is the term of art). Who pays, depends on who owns the place.

Good luck!

There is a pest control service paid by the management company. I have coordinated with the techs for a long time, mostly fighting rats outdoors. We have had some success, at least with burrows on this lot. This is a recent situation, so I will be talking to the current guy soon. Finding where they get in will almost surely involve the basement of this 3 flat building. We occupy the top floor, which is why the utility shaft is the obvious route they are taking.

Thanks for the good words!