Sun Square Uranus

I knew there was going to be an Appointment in Samarra element to today when I cancelled my original plan of going to Big O Tires after tennis lesson to get the front left tire checked and came straight back to the house in a pitiful attempt to avoid the consequences of having the Sun square Uranus right at the time I'd have been at Big O.

I avoided those consequences all right but what I didn't avoid was the reappearance of the snake from yesterday, smack in the middle of the living room, where it went to ground under the ottoman, leaving me feeling sick, shaken, panicked and most of all clueless.

I mean what do you do when you have a snake under the ottoman in your living room? None of the advice columns I've read ever touched on the issue, presumably, of course, because no one ever asked them the question, but still...

First thing to do was remove Good Girl, down on her belly sticking her front paws as far under the ottoman as she could reach. That was easy. Put cat in addition, close door. Call friend 600 miles away and explain predicament. Get increasingly panicked while explaining and hang up to call Animal Control. Cannot find Animal Control in phone book, call High Desert and ask for number. Given number of Gila Wildlife Rescue who saved me once again from the perils of living on a dirt road off a dirt road in the middle of nowhere.

Very simple solution, really. Get a broom, get a box, sweep snake into box, take outside, go as far away from house as possible, release snake. Piece o'cake. Spend rest of day feeling sick, shaken and panicked but - aha! - no longer clueless.