I came home from work tonight, and after feeding the monkeys Bob C. dinner and cleaning litter, and changing food and water bowls, and playing with, and hugging, and kissing my terrible children: I took the cats and MY dinner out on the porch. The evening here is still and warm. Crickets chirp, grass smells freshly mowed. Finally a peaceful evening. I try to block out the scratching on the porch door I am hearing because I have not had more than an hour to myself in over 15 hours. I am getting that irritating clawing on the screen noise though-and it does not go away. I turn around to find Sunny Rhino Mud hanging like a bat between the screen and glass door over 6 feet in the air. He slides down and falls: Only to immediately claw his way up over 6 feet in the air. This is a new one. Another birthday present. I go in to play with this utterly depraved creature and his bestest buddy-the loveliest, most gentle ferret I could ever hope to own. They are relentless psychopaths when they are together. They still have not slowed down. But I have to get ready for bed. I leave them to demolish some little ball of fur a friend gave me. The jaws snap, and neck twists and twists, and body rolls. Awesome and powerful. Heaven help a mouse with Sunny here. So in the shower I go. Warm water streams over my back, which is still in that disgusting back pain mode a few of us have come to know. Finally I am alone and can relax after a long difficult day. But no: two fur balls come charging into the shower!!!!! It's Sunny-who is heavy with muscle, and his satin feathery cohort, who is too lovely for me to name yet. They run around, lick my feet, want to nuzzle their faces in my closed hand, and off they go-throwing their sopping bodies into the pajamas I threw on the floor to wear to bed. RELAXATION?? SLEEP???? Who needs that??????????? There is this party going on in my bathroom:dooking, chirping, chattering, weasel war dancing, and hissssssing galore!!!!!! So come on over! Bring a friend. Meet me in the bathroom. I'm having a party! Lisette [Posted in FML issue 3116]