Hey Everyone!
 
Thought I would get back on the list and see what was going on.  I finally
got my email switched over and have decided that the problem is not with
Mizzou, Macconnect or even ATT, it is Columbia.  No matter what I use, I
have problems.  I conceed defeat.
 
On a personal level, have been very frustrated with my Chronic Fatigue.  It
hasn't reared its ugly little head in a few years and now seems deteremined
to put me in my place, which happens to be either the bed or the coach.  On
the good note, I have stopped taking my antidepressents (which ironically,
can make the CFS worse) but my depression is gone.  One of the side effects
of taking the meds I was taking is it making the depression worse after
taking them for a period of time.  Think I reached that.
 
But the extreme pain and fatigue with my mental clarity is forcing me to
catch up on my computer work and such.  This is a good thing, and I will be
fleshing out the New World Ferret Organization web site soon.  It is bare
bones right now.
 
I am also checking into finding a doc to check me out for Long QT Syndrome,
or Sudden Arrythmia Death Syndrome.  Saw a special on it on telly, and it
looks exactly like what my father had.  So I am curious about it, don't
really want to drop dead from hearing the alarm clock.  Depending on the
doc's, may actually travel out to Salt Lake.  OK, so I am anyways.  Also to
the Pacific NW.
 
Miss Pookie is doing great.  As are all the babies.  I have been buying mass
quantities of kitty malt at the pet store lately, I can give an entire tube
in one evening if I get all the ferrets and the cats.
 
I do have a new resident.  My vet called me the other night, had a client
who needed help with a viscious ferret.  She said since I was her own
personal ferret goddess (I made her promise never ever to say that again
YUCK) she referred them to me.  Turns out the guy really thought it better
to find a home for the biter, saying he had gotten her from friends in
Kansas City and had owned ferrets before.  But he didn't know what to do
with this one.  And since he was only a few blocks away, he brought her
to me.
 
Picture this-pickup pulls up, young cute red haired guy gets out with
leather gloves on.  Has plastic laundery hamper with solid lid with ferret
inside.  We carry the whole thing into the house, and I reach in and pick
her up.  I hold her on my shoulder for the half hour or so he is there,
showing him the house and other ferrets, so he would know where Natasha was
now going to stay.  Learned he was studying wild life rehab, specializing in
wolves.  It was obvious he felt badly, but didn't feel he had enough time to
work with her.  Brought good food and raisins for said beasty too.
 
Natasha is as big as Pooh Bear. She is still nervous about a new place, so I
have weighed her yet, but am guessing she is around 2.5lbs AT LEAST. She
makes Miss Elsbeth look small, and she weighs 2.2. Natasha is also the same
color as Pooh, black guard hairs and almost white undercoat. A short, fat
short faced weasel, she seems to get along with all the other ferrets just
fine. She still has very young teeth, barely showing in back, so I am
guessing her to be around 6 months old. No tattoos.
 
So I am standing by my dresser yesterday when she decided she wants to play
(I think).  She does a kamakazee hit and run on my right achilles tendon,
three times.  Drawing blood every time.  But she came to me when I got down
on my hands and knees to call her.  I felt bad because I scared her when I
yelled out in pain.  She comes out from under my bed, and promptly grabs the
fleshy part of my right thumb and tries to walk off with me.  So now my
ankle is bleeding, my thumb is soaking her scruff (where I grabbed her when
she let go).  I put her in the cage for a time out.  She was fine when I let
her out.
 
About 5 minutes later, I pick her up, she doesn't try to bite me.  I hold
her making silly noises and try to kiss her.  Well, she pierced my lip.
Although I am planning some more piercings, my lips were definately not on
the list.  I honestly think she just hasn't been socialized.
 
Other than that, I have been doing a lot of writing and am submitting some
fiction and non fiction to various magazines.  Perhaps soon everyone can see
my name in print somewhere.
 
I hope everyone is doing ok.  Me and the ferrets are enjoying the weather
here.  We like this being able to open the windows up stuff.  Give all the
little ones, ferrets and kids, hugs for me.
 
Margaret (aka Maggie Mae, or formerly known as)
[Posted in FML issue 2290]