Hey Everyone, Yep, it's me, the loudmouth Southern broad. I am still alive and kicking in Columbia, just been extremely busy with school. Lots and lots of reading and writing. Even a murder mystery set here in Columbia, after all, they say write what you know. Got some damn good short stories going. Looking into some wonderful graduate programs too. Keep the collective fingers crossed. The fat boys are no longer hobs. Got dem boys clipped last week. I got tired of picking them up only to have them dribble on me. Just like a man. humph. They are doing just fine and haven't as yet noticed the change, as near as I can tell. Just shovel them raisins their way and they are just happy as clams. Speaking of, well, it was rather hilarious. I took dem boys to get fixed and after it was all said and done, the vet called. The conversation went something like this: Margie? Yep. The surgery went fine. In fact the boys are doing great and would probably appreciate coming home now. Actually, could you come and get them RIGHT NOW? They are stinking up the whole office!! :::::cackle cackle::::::: OK, oh ferret goddess, you can stop laughing any time now. After I went to pick them up, we had them on the exam table scanning the chips. Well, I had this small carrier with a wire top for them, it was open and a couple of inches of the top were hanging over the edge of the table. William promptly walked onto the wire, sqatted and peed all over the place. hehe. I had to laugh again, even in great fear of my life. Actually, I have a wonderful vet who is going to come here to give shots and to microchip the whole crew, rather than making me haul them into the office. I can't ask for more than that. I have decided to chip them in case of illness when they are in the care of a sitter. No sitter or vet knows them as well as I do and having so many I feel a responsibility to take such precautions. I have been a way station for ferrets of late. Shelter ferrets have adopted my house as a meeting place for get together with new owners and such. What cuties!!! I just love playing with all the new ferrets, and it is very rewarding to have even a little bitty part in helping them find new homes. Plus it gives me a good excuse to eat pizza. ;-) As for the name, my name that is. Right before I decided to move to Missouri to go to school, I was seeing a marriage counselor who helped me to redefine myself. Part of that redefinition was choosing a new name for myself, from an old song that I loved from my teenaged years. I felt Missouri was a new start (even if I have a long history of relatives and friends here, my ex got two degrees from the school. It is still so cool to me to look up his graduate papers on the school library system) that I needed a new name. But I really didn't. The two biggest loves of my life, my father and my ex, both called me Margie. I miss it, especially since talking to Alan alot lately. I have decided that she never actually left and it is much more me than ever. Also, silly as it sounds, I call myself Margaret. As do my closest and oldest friends, the ones that have known me since before I moved here. I also seem to have gotten a new nick name. Saint Margaret of the Five Pussies. No, I won't say who did it but she is a chosen sister who lives behind the Zion Curtain. hehe. Why you ask? Well, I may be taking in two older Siamese, bringing my total to five. My big sis just lost her father and she is unsure what will happen to them. So she may bring them here. And the above nick name is in reference to an old English comedy, "Are you being served?" And yes, got tired of arguing with the school server. I was the only person that I know that relied solely on that exercise in frustration. So I gave in. I can still receive email there, but the more reliable is the new one. Give all your fuzzets hugs from their Auntie Margie. Margaret Marie [Posted in FML issue 2593]