In Search for Hoffa

Today my better half told me that there have been an above average number of little flies that she killed in the house. She also said that she smelled something in the lower level. She can't put her finger on what the smell is or where the smell is coming from, but she wanted me to check the vents to make sure that there wasn't a critter that may have died in the vent.

Sorry to sidetrack, but when did it become a man's job to check for dead things in the vent. I have always been the one that killed the bug in the house, but checking for dead things... that's something new.

Getting back to the story... So armed in one hand with my shop vac (one of man's most used tools) and a Mag flashlight in the other I went in search of what I called it... Hoffa. I spent a few minutes prying up the vent covers to get ready for the explore. I peered down the dark shaft and didn't hear or see anything. I shone the high-powered flashlight down the chasm and lucky for me nothing jumped at me.

I spent the next few moments trying to determine if there was any dead body about using both sight and smell. Nothing stirred... not even a mouse. There was all kinds of things that have deposited themselves in the vents. It is amazing how much "stuff" there was. Kids toys, a few dead bugs, and a couple of live ones..(spiders) and a bunch of general rubbish. I then spent the next half hour trying to suck up as much of the debris that I could with the shop vac.

I'm sad to report that I didn't find Hoffa or the origin or the mysterious smell that only my wife can smell. On the good side, my search didn't cost me a quarter of million dollars and it actually netted me 35 cents and a new pencil.