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]