Hi Everyone!
 
As a result of a third degree hydrofluoric acid burn (lab accident), I've
had my arm in a sling for the last week or so.  (Note to parents: Do not
let your children grow up to be chemists.) Well, apparently, slings were
created not to hold arms, but to give ferrets comfy places to ride around
and nap in.  Alky, who is normally somewhat cuddly, has become a real teddy
bear.  First thing (after the obligatory swim in the dog's water dish) she
does each day is hop into my sling and cuddle up.  She gets very upset when
I leave for school, and upon my return, she jumps up and down on my feet to
tell me to pick her up.  It's actually kind of fun, except for one small
problem.  When I put an ice pack on my arm, she bites into the Baggie and
pulls it off.  Apparently ice makes the neighborhood too cold for comfy
napping and riding.
 
I've also had a problem convincing her that tubes of Neosporin do NOT
contain Nutrical.  So now I divert her with a blob of Nutrical before I put
Neosporin on my own arm.  If I'm really fast, I can get the arm wrapped up
in gauze before she finishes her treat.  I haven't yet managed to convince
her that rolls of sterile gauze are not ferret toys, although we both agree
that the boxes the gauze come in are toys.
 
Now I know that God put ferrets on Earth to keep our spirits up during
stressful times.
 
Take care, everyone!
 
Liesl Fisher
Chemistry Department
Princeton University
[Posted in FML issue 1314]