We've got a little bit of a rat problem in our neighborhood, in part thanks to the heaps of large trash that sit in the alleys around us day after day, as well as the dog feces that sit in piles uncleaned, the food in trash bags left out of the can, and just general crap all over the place. We had an exterminator out to deal with some that had made a home under our back porch, and haven't seen them since; but it's been a warm winter, and there's plenty of other places to go hide and breed around here.

This doesn't go over well with my eldest son, who recently read a kid's horror book about giant evil rats coming out of a New Jersey landfill for a book report; he now has a fear of rats. He whined about taking the trash out the other night because it was after dark, and he thought he might get bit by a rat with rabies and die.

Okay, the problem isn't that bad. And maybe that's just an excuse from my 11 year old, who would do anything to get out of doing his chores. But you get the picture.