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]