squirrely monday

if you haven't noticed, squirrels are really annoying. i won't say they're stupid - because i've seen a number of them outsmart my parents' squirrel-proof bird feeder by hanging upside down from its roof. that takes at least a little deductive reasoning.
but despite their perseverance, i've never really liked squirrels. i've always been an animal lover, but they are pesky and annoying and destructive. not only did they destroy my attempts to grow basil and cilantro this spring, but they broke my cute flowerpots in the process. and this weekend, the squirrels really secured their position on my list by trying to burn down my landlord's and my houses. when i got home on saturday afternoon, there was a fire truck parked in front of my house. after a minor panic attack, i noticed my home was still standing, but apparently a squirrel felt the need to chew a power line in front of the house, causing not only a fire on the actual power line, but sparks all the way down it as well. it created quite a surge, knocking out power (which is always fun when it's 95 outside) and, as i discovered a little later when power was restored, frying my dvd player, my ethernet box and wireless router, and (worst of all) my air conditioning. awesome. it's a little unnerving to know that such a small animal can inflict such damage. but it's also nice to know that the squirrel that chose to do this probably spent the last  few seconds of his life in a giant ball or flames.