Here i was . . drifting in that near drooling state that is bliss . . . we'd engaged in a rematch of the tickle fight (he won since he's more ticklish than i am so i don't use my advantage, see) and other activities . . . i was tired . . . relaxed . . . happy . . . floating . . . and then, suddenly, from the living room -

CRASH! BOOM! BANG!

i now i'm tense and startled and grumpy and ready to bite something and i jump up to see who is intruding upon my sleep.

I whirl into Roni's room - she's snoring, sprawled out on her bed.

oh.

i stalk out into the living room and the front door is closed.

oh.

i look at the table where an adorable brown rat is bouncing his cute little head at me, front paws on the edge of the table, neck stretched fully as far as it would go.

oh.

Hey! Wait a minute! ONE rat? ONE?! i ask him where is brother is and he simply butts against my hand petting him self since i'm not doing the work. i look in both houses, i examine the snowdrifts of paper bedding stuff, and check in the hiding spaces under the second aquarium. No Burt Reynolds (a/k/a Turd Freguson). Only an irritated Alex Trebek who doesn't like to be ignored.

i crawl around the floor on my hands and knees in my plaid flannel robe looking for Turd. Finally, i find him under the couch and he wiggles away from me and hides behind the desk only to trot out the front of it and saunter up to me like, "Heeeey! Fancy meeting YOU here!" and i deposit him back on the table and get a handful of nice cold wet baby carrots and stick them in the snack bowl to occupy them while i throw the lid on the cage to curb his adventurous spirit.

grrrrr!

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confessed on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2002