Deep Fried Mouse, Anyone?

     As a wedding present in 1998 my husband Brian and I received a deep fryer.  I never specifically asked for one on our registry so I was surprised we got one.  I was a new wife who was not very talented with cooking in the kitchen.  I welcomed any gadget that might help create something edible and different to eat at the dinner table.  I was excited to try it out. 

This is exactly what my deep fryer looked like.

     We never had a deep fryer growing up.  My mom would toss french fries or tater tots in the oven instead.  We never complained.  We ate them and enjoyed it.   It was what we knew.   I read the instructions of our deep fryer tried it with french fries.  I was impressed on how crispy and tasty they turned out to be. Even the color was that of a golden hue.  It was a lot better than fries coming out of the oven that is limp and squishy and of pale yellow in color.  I used it quite often instead of the stove and it didn't heat the whole house up which was nice in the summer time.  I had my special metal slotted spoon to help dish out the fries as I placed it in a paper towel lined bowl.  I felt that my cooking skills were really something special with my new deep fryer. 

     In 2004 we moved up to Osceola County from Allegan.  Of course my precious deep fryer came with us.  It has been used much in the 5+ years that I had had it and it started to show.  Part of the flimsy lid melted one time as I set it too close to the hot deep fryer.  The lid still did it's job for the most part when it wasn't in use.  Or so I thought.

     One summer evening Brian and I were fixing hot dogs and tater tots for dinner.  I fired up the deep fryer.  It wasn't long after that a foul smell perfumed the area.  We couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from.  We began to think we picked up a bad batch of hot dogs from the store as we were boiling them.  We would walk over to the store and smell over the boiling pot but the smell wasn't coming from there.  We walked in circles around our kitchen with our noses up in the air trying to locate them foul order but we just couldn't do it.  It seemed like it was from all over.  We tried to grin and bare it the best we could. 

     I put in a handful of tater tots.  In a few minutes I pulled them out and dumped the golden tots into the glass serving bowl.  I tossed another handful of frozen tots into the hot oil.  The hot oil crackled and snapped as it cooked the tater tots.  I grabbed for my silver slotted spoon and fished out a few tots.  I stuck my spoon in again and recovered some more tots that were hiding under the oil.  As I pulled out the spoon I looked down at the tots.  Lying across my metal spoon was a dead mouse.  The little bits of fur on it was soggy from the oil.  I gasped as I stared down at this deceased little mouse trying to think of how it met its demise.  He must of been hiding out in my cupboard and probably ran across the top of my deep fryer and slipped through the side of the lid and eventually drowned in the oil.  It didn't look like it happened that long ago as he wasn't too badly decayed. 

     I walked over to Brian and showed him my mouse discovery.  He wasn't as interested in seeing the deep fried mouse as I was.  Right away he started dry heaving.  Trying not to vomit Brian said nauseated,   "Get....rid....of....that....MOUSE!"

     Looking around the kitchen I had no where put the hot deep fried mouse.  I couldn't toss him into the garbage because the oil on him would melt the bag.  I didn't want to toss him in with the already cooked tater tots.  It just didn't seem right.  I wasn't sure how to dispose of him.   Brian couldn't handle the sight of the mouse on the spoon anymore and he quickly grabbed it out of my hand and tossed it back into the deep fryer.  He unplugged it and wrapped a towel around the deep fryer so he could pick it up without burning himself.  He yelled for the door to be opened.  In a mad dash he ran out of the house holding the deep fryer, complete with mouse, and ran it across our field and tossed the whole deep fryer as far as he could. 

     Window's were quickly opened in the house and dinner was cancelled.  Just looking at the frozen bag of tater tots left an ill feeling in our stomachs.  Even though the tots in the bag were good, mentally we couldn't eat it even if we did put them in the oven.  We tossed everything out.  I knew we would never use our deep fryer again.  The memory of the mouse was too horrible to try to reuse it.  I was crushed because I really liked my deep fryer.  It was hard for us to eat anything deep fried for a long time.  The word deep fried reminded us of that darn mouse. 

     I think maybe a year or two later my husband purchased me another deep fryer.  This one is far better than the old one.  The lid wasn't of flimsy plastic but of a hard lid where a person has to pop a button to open it up.  It was larger and bigger than the old one and it had temperature control along with a timer.  I was eager to put it to use.  It took us a while to deep fry tater tots again but we used it for french fries, egg rolls, corndogs and homemade chicken nuggets.  This one is surely mouse proof. 

15 Year Anniversary of the Grand Rapids Mega Storm

     It was around 3am on a Sunday morning when our alarm went off signaling for my husband to get ready for work.  He was a company driver working for B&B Trucking based out of Kalamazoo.  The semi he was using was parked near the Grand Rapids Airport.  The company was contracted to haul the mail from one bulk mailing center to another one.  I had preplanned on visiting with my mother that day.  I told her I would be there very early and I would try to be quiet as I entered her home.  Slowly we drug ourselves out of bed.  I woke up our 3 week old daughter, Elizabeth, and sleepily I fed her before we left for the hour drive from Gobles to Grand Rapids.  Before we left Brian picked up our one year old son, Christian, and carried his sleeping body to his car seat in the Chevy Astro van.  Brian slipped behind the driver's seat and I slid into the passenger seat feeling like a walking zombie.  Early mornings were not my speciality. 

     On the way up Brian nudged me awake, "Look at that!"  he said pointing to the northwest.

     I strained to open my eyes.  They just didn't want to open.  Somehow my eyelids pryed itself open and before my eyes was a series of lightning strikes.  From the glow of the lightning you can see the massive cloud.  That caught my attention and woke me up.  I love thunderstorms and this one seemed like it was raining lightning. 

     "We better hurry so we can meet up with my truck and I can do my pretrip before that storm hits."  he drives a little faster going north on 131. 

     At that time in the morning on May 31, 1998 it seemed as if no one was around.  The streets were eerie silent.  We would get into a few batches of rain and then it would stop.  We could hear the rolling sounds of thunder angerily snapping at our heals.  We made it to the 44th street exit and it was a straight shot to the airport.  Most of the lights were still blinking yellow.  Some we did get stopped at by a red light only to see the storm heading for us in the rearview mirrors like it was angry at us for trying to outrun it. 

     At last we make it to the parking lot next to the airport terminal.  The cloud let out its rain like a bucket was dumping over the edge of it.  Instead of getting out of the car to run around to the driver's seat I just slid myself across looking at the heavy rainfall through the windshield.  Poor Brian was out in the rain looking over his truck to make sure everything was good to go for his daily trip.  Then I started to hear a thunk, thunk, thunking noise on the roof of the van.  I looked around to see what it was.  It was raining so hard I couldn't see out the windshield.  Brian quickly hops in the van dripping wet.  "It's hailing!  I am going to wait in here until it lets up a bit" 

     We sat in the van for a moment listening to the tinking sounds on our van.  I looked behind to check on our children.  They were both fast asleep unaware of what was going on in the world around them.  After a few moments the hail slowly started to let up.  Brian kissed me goodby and told me to be very careful as I drove to my mom's house.  I insured him I would.  He got out of the van and made a dash for his truck.  His headlights flashed on and off at me.  That was his way of saying he was good to go and I could leave.  I turned the van around and headed towards 28th street.

     I could feel the wind pushing against the van like it was trying to stop me.  I was determinded enough to continue.  I was amazed at all the lightning that lit up the pre-morning sky.  I was so engrossed with the lightning that I wasn't paying much attention to what was going on around me.  I suddenly realized that I haven't seen any street lights.  As I was crossing over Breton I looked up and in the flash of the lightning I seen the yellow light signal swinging madly over me.  I looked back in my side rearview mirrors.  No lights! I thought to myself.  Power must be out.  I need to slow down, pay attention and stop at the intersections.  Having worked as a waitress on 28th street on that side of town 4 years prior helped me navigate my way west on 28th street.  I remembered where the major interestions were and knew when to stop.  I was thankful that traffic was sparce that morning and no one came from the other side streets and ran through like I did and hit me.  I couldn't get over at how hard the wind was blowing.  The trees I could make out wanted to topple over in the wind.  Light poles in parking lots swayed violently.  To me, this was exciting. 

     I finally made it to my mom's driveway.  The rain had let up a bit but it was still raining.  I turned around in my seat to cover Elizabeth's car seat with a blanket to protect her from the weather.  I looked over at Christian.  He was still sleeping.  I got out of the car and popped Elizabeth's car seat out from its base just enough so I can grab it with one hand.  I lifted Christian out of his carseat and put him over my sholder.  The rain on his face woke him up a little bit.  I grabed Elizabeth's car seat with my other arm and dashed quickly to my mom's garage.  I set Elizabeth's car seat down so I can work the door to enter my mom's house.  As soon as I did that the door started to open.  My mom was on the other side relieved that I made it there okay.  We all enter and made our way to a screened in porch.  There, looking at me from the other side of the glass, was my older sister with her daughter. 

     "What are you doing here?"  I inquired with a smile.  She lived about a mile from our mom's house.

     "It felt like our apartment was about to fall over.  I wasn't sure if there was going to be a tornado"  she said.  She doesn't like storms a whole lot. 

     My mom's power was out also.  I told them that most of 28th street is without power.  We sat and rocked the children watching the storm work its way to the east.  The sun was trying to work its way through the clouds to bring on the day and to illuminate the destruction that was left behind.  In my mom's yard a few small trees fell over and Brian came a few days later and helped remove them. 

     Several hours later we were all starting to get hungry.  We couldn't cook anything because the power was still out in our location.  We decided to drive around and see what was opened.  Denny's over by 131 and 44th street was open.  The parking lot was packed.  Chris, my mom's husband, went in and set our reservation.  It was over an hour wait.  We sat in the car and waiting for a while before we made our move inside.  Elizabeth woke up and wanted to be nursed.  I looked around at the busy resturant.  Being a private person that I am I just couldn't nurse at that moment.  I did, however, carry around the premade 2 ounce bottles of formula that the hospitals give out after you have a baby.  I opened up the bottle and that was her first time taking a bottle.  She was done nursing after that day.

Area affected by the May 30-31, 1998 derecho event (outlined in blue). Curved purple lines represent the approximate locations of the "gust front" at three hourly intervals. "+" symbols indicate the locations of wind damage or wind gusts above severe limits (measured or estimated at 58 mph or greater). Red dots and paths indicate tornado events.  http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/casepages/may30-311998page.htm

     Looking back and gathering information about this storm Wikipedia says, "860,000 people lost power in Michigan. This derecho (wide spread windstorm associated with severe thunderstorms) would go on to break the record for biggest power outage ever in the state of Michigan (but later surpassed by the 2003 North America blackout)."   This storm spread from Montana to the Atlantic Ocean.  It went through Michigan in 2 hours.  Wiki also said that Grandville had extensive damage which led to the city being closed off and no one could leave.  I didn't find that to be entirely true since we were able to head out to Denny's and I was able to pick my husband up later on that evening with no problems.  But there was damage all over Michigan and smaller tornado's did pop up sporadically.  Trees did topple over and roofs were blown off of homes and buildings.  In fact, over 12,000 homes were damaged and 34 homes were completely destroyed.  Over 800 businesses were damaged and 34 businesses were destroyed.  This storm was so bad that 5 of Consumer's Energy 345 kilovolt transmission towers were blown down between Ludington and Grand Rapids.  They were designed to stand up to gusts of 110 miles per hour.  "Overall, the derecho traveled 975 miles from southern Minnesota to New York in 15 hours at an average speed of 65 mph. It became one of the most damaging derecho events in North America's history, causing $300 million in damage."http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late-May_1998_tornado_outbreak_and_derecho) 

Red numbers are maximum measured wind gusts in mph. Orange numbers are estimated maximum gusts in mph, based on a damage survey by Grand Rapids NWS Forecast Office meteorologists. Thirteen Michigan counties (noted in black lettering and within light blue border) together were declared a Federal Disaster Area by the Federal Emergency Managers Association. The purple "S" represents where a "seiche" took place on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan.
http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/casepages/may30-311998page.htm



And there I was driving straight into the monstrous storm totally unaware of its magnitude. 

She Entered This World On TV

     The year was 1997.  Life was going great.  Our only child, Christian, was between 10 and 11 weeks old.  Summer was in full swing and we were enjoying being parents.  We thought our lives were complete. 

     I came down with a severe sore throat combined with the flu.  I couldn't function.  I didn't want what ever was ailing me to pass down to my son.  With Brian working long hours it was hard to take on the mom role when I couldn't take care of myself.  I took a trip to the hospital to see if they can figure out what was wrong with me.  They asked if I was pregnant and I told them no.  The doctor said he would still test for that among other things that could be making me oosie.  Negitive results for pregnancy but positive for strep throat.  After a quick prescription I was quickly back on my way home. 

     A week goes by and I feel somewhat better.  I wasn't totally 100% but I could function.  I remember I was in the process of browning up hamburger when a familar smell loomed in the air.  I recalled that smell when I was pregnant with Christian.  It was the horrid smell of browning hamburger when I was pregnant.  My stomach started to do loops and twirls.  I could picture a light bulb flashing on above my head, I AM PREGNANT!  I thought back to the week prior when I took the hospital test for pregnancy and it came up negitive.  I kept telling myself that my nose was playing tricks on me.  It had to be something else.  As I was debating with myself my stomach told me that it was time for the mad dash to the toilet.  I think my body just confirmed what my brain was denying.  Shortly thereafter I went to the store for a home test.  I passed with flying colors.  It is now confirmed.  Christian was going to have a sibiling.

Christian was 11 months old and I was 8 months pregnant.

 

     This time I wanted to be ready for this labor.  I knew what to expect but I just wanted to better prepare my body for it.  We took a lamaze class.  It really did help me learn how to breath with contractions, the different stages of labor and delivery and how to make it a more pleasurable experience.  My body is going to do what it is going to do but anything to help it along, to me, is a benefit.  Our due date was set for May 11, close to 2 weeks after Christian's birthday.  We had an ultrasound to see if we were having another son or a daughter.  With Christian we never had an ultrasound so this was something special to see.  The tiny little butterfly heartbeat and the outline of the head was so facinating to watch.  I could just lay there all day and watch the screen and feel the movements inside of me.  When it came time to finding out the sex of the baby we couldn't do it.  Not that we didn't want to know but the legs were crossed in a way that the lady running the ultrasound machine couldn't tell.  I wanted a girl so bad that I told everyone that she is just a modest female.

     One main concern I had with my doctor was Brian working long hours and the trip to the hospital was an hours drive away.  There was a country hospital near by but I was still new to country living and I needed the city for comfort.  I wanted to go to a place that knew what was going on.   The doctor informed me that generally the second labors are quicker than the first one and he was worried too.  We both didn't want to have this baby at the Wayland exit.  He decided that it would be easier to induce.  The doctor told me he would check his schedule and possiblythe following week we would induce.  He would call and let me know.

     I was on pins and needles all week.  I kept the phone lines open waiting for the doctors call.  Nothing came.  I guess we don't induce.  Sunday night about 11pm the phone rings.  It was the doctor.  He apologizes for the late call but remember that he forgot to call me.  He wanted me to induce me that next morning and if that would still be okay.  I was numb.  The next evening I could be holding my new baby.  I told him that would be fine and we would see him there.  I dash back to the bedroom to wake Brian up.  He was already asleep waiting for his 3am alarm to wake him up.  I told him he needed to call into work because we are going to have a baby the next day.  That woke him up.  He also called his friend to watch Christian for the day.  He had a little boy also and it would be nice for him to have a playmate over for the day.

     The next morning we were rushing around getting both diaper bags packed; one to take with me to the hospital and one to drop off with Christian.  I left a message on my mom's answering machine, "By the time you listen to this message you will have another grandchild."  My mom, her husband and my sister's family took a vacation to Florida and wasn't due back to late that night.  When they left they had no idea that we were even talking about inducing.  This was a time before cell phones were popular so there wasn't a way to contact them to let them know.

     We had a girls name picked out but we couldn't think of a boys name.  We were racking our brains trying to come up with something.  I was so nervous thinking if we have a boy he will be nameless because nothing we thought of we liked.  Our minds were totally blank for a boys name.  We tried to think of a boys name before but now we were pressed for time.  We had 9 months to think of a boys name.  We can't have a baby then tell the nurses that we don't know of a boys name.  The drive was quickly ending.

     We made it to Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids.  The best of the best hospitals around.  I was ready for the inducing gel and the cups of ice chips.  I wanted this to go fast.  I even had my search-a-word book to help keep my mind busy.  The doctor comes in and says channel 13 WZZM is doing a segment of what to expect in births and wondered if they could talk with me.  I thought that was thrilling so I agreed.  Time marched on and no one from channel 13 WZZM showed up.  Then a few contractions hit. 

     I remembered my breathing.  They weren't real bad but enough to know that our new baby was on its way.  A nurse came in and I told her I was having contractions.  She walks over to the beeping monitor that keeps track of the baby's heartbeat, as well as mine, and the contractions.  "Nope," she tells me, "you must be having braxton hicks (false labor) because nothing is showing up."  Then she leaves.

     The contractions are coming more frequently and a few more times when the nurse comes in I tell her that I am in labor.  She assures me that it is in my head because nothing is showing up on the monitor.  I start to doubt myself but I know something is happening with my body.  Another nurse enters the room.  This time I was having the contraction.  She looks at me and asks if I am having a contraction.  I told her I have been but the other nurse didn't believe me.  This nurse looks over at the monitor and gets a puzzeling face.  She places her hand over my round belly and just feels for a moment.   A pain surged underneath and I started doing simple breathing to help ease the pain.  To confirmed that I was indeeded in labor.  She looks back at the machine.  Nothing was registered.  She apologized and said that the machine must be broken and they quickly exchanged it for another machine.  After having a few straps placed around my belly and wires hanging off of me I was starting to feel like how Frankenstein's monster must of felt like. 

     Labor was getting intense.  I totally forgot about WZZM channel 13 news coming to interview me.  I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing.  I laid on my side.  One hand grasped the side bar while the other hand looked like it was conducting an orchestra.  My wrist and my fingers were moving in rhythm to my contractions.  For some reason helped ease the pain.  I am sure it looked funny but I didn't care.  My eyes were closed so they couldn't see me.   Soon I kept hearing a strange beeping sound.  It wasn't coming from the monitors but it was nearby.  I could hear my husband telling the nurses that his work is paging him.  Oh he better not take a load! is all I could think.  I wish I had the muscles to talk to give his company a piece of my mind.  Brian reaches over to use the hospital phone to return the call.  Marv, the dispatcher and knowingly full well that we went into the hospital that day to have a baby, was calling to see if Brian wanted to take a load out that night!  Brian alerted Marv, "My wife is in full labor and is about to have a baby very soon!  NO!  I CANNOT TAKE A LOAD TONIGHT!"  I am so glad my husband chose the right anwser, as if there was any doubt.

     For a quick second I opened my eyes long enough to glance at the clock.  It was near 6pm.  I remember thinking that I could be holding my new baby in time for Jeopardy, one of my favorite shows.  It was time to push and in a matter of no time we added a new baby to our family.  When the doctor announced it is a girl a great relief came upon me.  I no longer needed a boys name!  She was a girl, just like we prayed and hoped for.  A beautiful 6 pound 11 ounce, 19 inche long girl. 

My sweet Elizabeth May 6, 1998



     I looked up at Brian to see his reaction when something caught my attention right over his shoulder.  There was a man standing there with a camera.  I gasped in shocked.  I looked around the room and there were some of the staff from WZZM in my room!  I am a very private person and I had no idea they would be there during the delivery.  They must of entered the room while I was concentrating on my breathing and my contractions.  I wanted to quickly look for that button on my hosptial bed that would make the bed fold up in half so it can hide me.  I was so embarrassed.  I think the look on my face spoke a thousand words and the camera guy knew what I was thinking.  He said, "Don't worry.  I didn't video anything private.  It only shows your daughter being lifted up and handed over to your husband."  That wasn't the point.  Obviously I know they are not going to show anything personal on TV.  It was the fact that HE was in there and could see something personal. 

     Throughout our stay at the hospital our daughter was known as the little tv star.  I have to admit, after looking over who is there during her birth, it is neat to see crew of WZZM Channel 13 News.  It aired on May 20, 1998.  They interviewed someone else but it showed our daughter being born into this world.  I thought our life was going great.  It is now only getting better!