Ever wonder what it is like to live with 29 ferrets and 5 cats?  Here is a
small glimpse:
 
Bedtime at Maggie's:
 
- First I sit up way too late and write silliness like this.
- Then I get way too tired around 4 a.m.  or so (did I say that life as a
  43 year old student is catching sleep when you can and reading the rest
  of the time?)
- Head off to the bed, after checking all the food bowls, and water bowls,
  and water bottles.
- Brush teeth with ferrets taking their final potty for the night next to
  your feet, on the floor.
- Have Siamese yodeling at you from the bed, telling you to hurry up
- Climb onto the mattress at the far end to avoid walking on ferrets,
  around 10 or so running around.
- Move several more out of the way so you can lay down.
- Fluff pillows, remove ferrets from pillowcases
- Move more ferrets so you can lay down.  Move cats too.
- Lay head on one large king sized pillow, place smaller standard size
  pillow at right angles to that.  Tell yourself it is for your back.
- Close eyes.
- Open eyes burning from stares of Siamese one inch from your face
- Take Siamese place him on side (he can't do this himself of course)
  adjust him on your pillow, with his head on large pillow and body on
  smaller.
- Lay your head down.  Pull up covers to allow other cats under the
  comforter.
- Wrap legs around cats under covers.  Adjust cat on pillow.
- Feel tongue licking your feet, then hear cats hissing.
- Cuss out cats that scratch you when they run out from under cover.
- Pull ferret out from under cover.
- Adjust cat on pillow.
- Feel ferret crawl under covers by your back.  Feel pinch on back of
  knees.
- Reach under cover and pull out ferret, dropping ferret on floor next to
  bed.
- Hear scrabbling of ferret *in* the comforter cover.  Feel ferret
  scratching  you through cover.  Get up, reach up into cover, drag out
  ferret, drop on floor.
- Move ferrets and cats to lay back down.
- Repeat adjustment of cat on pillow.
- Move legs to get away from ferret pinching back of knees.
- Cat on pillow jumps up and leaves when ferret tries to pin him down to
  clean ears.
- Submit to ear cleaning.
- Roll over for more ear cleaning.
- Pray for sleep.
[Posted in FML issue 3031]