I would like to share with you all two funny stories that happened to me over this holiday season..... Robbie, my newest fuzzy, given so lovingly to me at the Frederick Show by Slinky the Moondancer accompanies me quite frequently around and about when I have things to do.. My daughter and I were at the mall Xmas Shopping and, yes, of course, Robbie was with us in her brand new carrier that I bought at the show. It is the kind that looks like a backpack with beautiful flowers all over it, but you wear it in the front. Manna was showing me something in a jewelry store, and the clerk asked me if "it was a backpack". You see, because we eat when we are out, and because most malls do not allow pets, Robbie stays in hiding most of the time, sleeping comfortable on me as we make our way through the stores. I hesitated, said, "uh, no"....The clerk got very embarrased. Her face turned red and she started stammering for words. Poor thing, I read her mind. I thought, "I cannot let this go, this woman is mortified!"...I said, "it's my ferret, Robbie".....Relief spread all over her face, and sure enough, as I expected, she thought at first that it was something "medical". That my bag was a medical problem of mine. Naturally, what comes next? "OHHHHHHHHH can I see her?"...My response: "IF YOU ALL DON'T KICK ME OUT...I have shopping to do"....Robbie was a super hit in the jewelry store, and three more people were educated on the joys of fuzzies. 2nd story....My boss, so beautiful, talented, so "unlike" me in respect to animals, (she loves them, yes, but her's and my lifestyle are so different....) has wanted to meet my fuzzies for months and months on end. Four dogs, (at the time) 4 fuzzies and 7 g.pigs is not her idea of a social circle. Nevertheless, Xmas comes along and because there was a big party at the clubhouse where I live, and because I am so actively involved in the county, "we *had* to go. Well, what better time then for her to meet them? Right down the street from where I live... She came over, I let my fuzzbutts out, and she is "oh, awwing" about them, but a little bit afraid because she says they look "mean". Education time, goes on and on, and the fuzzies are running around the house like it's wild kingdom in here...wardancing, playing...... Earlier in the day, a picture was taken of all of us county people, and my boss had the film in her pocket. There was a deadline to meet to reach the paper and it HAD to be turned in the next day....Need I say more? My boss left about 2 hours later, and called frantic from her cell phone. The FILM was missing. It is a bit difficult to get 200 some people to stand in front of a courthouse to have their picture taken, and to have to do it again would be next to impossible....you see, my office arranged the whole thing. Well, my wonderful little fuzzbutts found their way into her coat pocket, confiscated the film and decided that it was a treasure for their hidyhole. Thank goodness I found it before it was lost in never, never hidey! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 Karen and the 4 + 1 now, thrifty theives! [Posted in FML issue 2169]