Success!

After yet another sleepless night inhaling cigar smoke, I investigated behind the stove and discovered a 4 or 5-inch hole. It looks like it was an exhaust pipe for some appliance long gone. Presuming it had no other function, I decided to close it up.

After a dance class in which I realized that I'm my own worst enemy, I headed to Home Despot (no, that's not a typo) to pick up a piece of wood to nail over the hole. I wandered around the lumber section for a while, staring at what seemed like miles of wood not even resembling what I needed. I finally found some 2x2 sheets of hardwood, but they were much too big for my purposes. I asked the man at the "Pro Desk" for help, and he sent someone over to cut lumber for me.

This large, bearded, blue-eyed man walked up with one of the brightest smiles I've ever seen a retail associate wear. It made my afternoon. And he followed up that bright smile with guidance to the right products and techniques I needed to use to patch the hole. He was friendly, warm, and knowledgeable. I unfortunately didn't catch his name, but I'm writing them a letter tonight to thank him.

So I did exactly as he said, making a huge mess in the process, and now...now I'm waiting for it to dry. And hopefully tonight I won't be plagued by eau de cigar or taco salad surprise. Too bad I discovered this so late in my occupancy. Well, if nothing else, it's a gift for the next occupant, and I'm hoping they never know it was me. :)