Sorry for not answering the latest round of emails.  Lets just say
fastpitch softball, sliding foot to the knee, torn cartilage and ligament,
surgery, physical therapy and pain meds.  I have an evil physical therapist
who, while not actually wearing black leather, certainly charges enough for
inflicting tremendous levels of pain and agony.  While I am sleeping more
than usual due to the combination of PT and pain meds (unfortunately during
the day rather than at night when the dang thing seems to hurt the worst),
the real reason I am more or less not doing much at the computer is because
my leg (covered as it is) won't fit under the desk!  So I've been using the
laptop, but I'm too lazy to connect the modem.
 
If it wasn't for Elizabeth, the ferrets would have been neglected as well.
I've found it frustratingly hard to pick up pooie with the damn blue brace
on my leg.  Tui and Silly both think the brace is the tunnel to bunny
heaven or something; I can't convince them to leave me alone.  I don't
think they could actually hurt anything, other than me, but the bite marks
are hard to explain to my Mistress of Physical Torture, ah, I mean Therapy.
Still, she's slightly better than a cortizone shot.  Slightly.
 
Now for the fun part.  Now the semester is about over, I have started
planing my summer trips for research data.  I plan on visiting Harvard
(Peabody Museum), Philadelphia (Carnegie Museum), Chicago (UC collection),
and Lawrence, Kansas (UK collection) during the summer.  In late August, I
will return to Portland and Corvalis (Oregon) for a few weeks with a quick
trip to Alaska for most of the week.  Then, in Feb 2000, I will visit
London (UK) and Paris for a few weeks of ferret-related research, followed
by 2-4 weeks in New Zealand for more ferret-related research.  All I can
say is the trip is science related, ferret related and work, not fun.  I
can say nothing more at this time.
 
I have set no dates for the summer trips, although I expect them to be in
July to August because my daughter Gloria gets married in June, and it
would be bad form to miss it, even if I was obtaining cool morphometric
data to be used for scientific purposes.  Since all my vehicles are stick,
I can't drive at the moment, and I'll have to see how the knee holds up.
I'll post firm dates later.  As always, I will be happy to visit ferret
people, or even attend ferret functions as time and energy permit, on a
first-asked, first visited basis.  I especially hope to do some serious
visiting of ferrets and associated people while in Europe and NZ, and am
more than willing to show off my ability to mimic silly American accents
while telling frightful puns, should the request for speeches be made.
You will have to supply your own rotten veggies for throwing.
 
Bob C and 19 Mo' Leg Pullers
[Posted in FML issue 2671]