I've received some encouraging responses on my idea for a NY/NJ/CT
get-together (now renamed NYC Metro.  Area Get-together, since all
respondents were from Pennsylvania!) Here is my latest thought: why don't we
have our get-together at a local amusement park, since there are so many in
this area?  I'm even willing to propose a tentative date ....  Saturday, the
22nd of June.  I picked this date more or less at random, so it is very
flexible.
 
If you are interested in participating in the get-together, please email me
and let me know 1) if the date works for you 2) if not, which date would
work better and 3) whether you like the amusement park idea (or have an
alternative suggestion).  I was thinking of Great Adventure primarily, since
I believe it is fairly centrally located, and is also fairly large and has a
variety of attractions.
 
Also, cute story.  I was plugging away at my computer this morning before
work, when I heard a faint rustling sound in the kitchen.  Knowing my
fuzzbeans' propensity for mischief, I immediately hopped up and hurried into
the kitchen, only to see Paddington in the middle of digging up a large
asparagus fern in a windowsill flowerpot.  He had climbed all the way into
the flowerpot, and had a fine coat of dirt all over his fur, with a really
large clump of dirt on the tip of his nose.  It was so cute!
 
I immediately ran over and snatched him out of the flowerpot, and proceeded
to scold him.  THEN ...  I totally lost it!  Realizing how cute he had
looked in the flowerpot, I thought, "I have GOT TO get this on camera." I
proceeded to put Paddington right back INTO the flowerpot, where he gave me
a somewhat puzzled look, and then kind of shrugged his fuzzy little
shoulders and happily went back to uprooting the fern.  I got the Polaroid
and managed to snap a couple of pictures before the poor asparagus fern was
totally destroyed, and Paddington was a very happy camper.  Ferrets are
SOOOOOO cute ...  and I am a lousy disciplinarian!
[Posted in FML issue 1533]