RIP stove

Earlier this week, the stove/oven/range was pronounced dead. Technically it still works. But not in this house. We are so cheap that you have to realize that it must be an odd story if we are choosing not to use a working stove any longer.

It's a gross story and one I probably shouldn't share. Ah well.... :)

You see, a mouse has taken up residence in it. Dustin took it apart. As in, all.the.way.apart. Under the stove and on top of the oven, in all that insulation, a mouse has built quite a mansion.... and left lots and lots... and lots of... damage.

I'll spare the nitty gritty details, but there is NO POSSIBLE WAY that this stove will ever be rid of this mouse's "evidence". It has been living there for quite some time. I'm grossed out just thinking about it. We were aware when we used the stove that there was something 'off'. We didn't expect what we found though. It seemed to come and go so we ignored it for longer than I care to admit.

So, we currently have a stove in pieces on the back porch..... see above pic :)

A hole in the kitchen where a stove belongs.....

And, we are eating things that can only be cooked in the microwave or on a camping stove that Dustin has. We made a big batch of tortilla soup tonight. Chicken got cooked on the grill while the soup simmered on the camp stove. This is something we will be eating for about 3 days. And, let me tell ya.. as someone who has to force myself to eat dinner because I'm blessed with morning sickness most of the day, it is a fun challenge to find things that I can eat that meet the criteria of no stove/oven.

The plan is to see how much it will cost to have a gas line ran into the house. Then, we'll head to the scratch and dent and get a gas cook top and a separate electric oven. Oh yeah, and cabinets and a piece of counter. I really, truly believe we are AT LEAST two weeks from having a stove again. Dustin thinks that's a dramatic estimate... I think it's more realistic though. Things just always take longer than we originally think.

So.... there goes our "rip up the living room carpet and lay the farmhouse wood floors" fund. Thanks, Mousey.. Too bad Sophie didn't get retribution for us :) She was so excited that as soon as she smelled mouse, she grabbed a mouthful of insulation and ran through the house growling. She's a good little mouser... just apparently not a super intelligent one.