---------------------- Forwarded by Tracy Geaccone/GPGFIN/Enron on 02/05/2001 02:20 PM ---------------------------


"Jack Hurst" <hurst@intur.net> on 02/05/2001 01:29:01 PM
To:	"Wayne Guidry" <Guidry_Wayne@emc.com>, <Tracy.Geaccone@enron.com>, "Lou and Kathleen Dionne" <lkdionne@olypen.com>, "Hurst, Julie A" <Hurst.Julie@emeryworld.com>, "Dianne Costa" <gdsown@airmail.net>
cc:	 

Subject:	Fw: The Hamster Story


Hi Janet. This is hilarious! Jack
----- Original Message -----
From: "karellmd" <karellmd@email.msn.com>
To: "Janet Tanner" <jtanner_1953@yahoo.com>; "Karen Key"
<karenkey@swbell.net>; "peggy berry" <peggyberry@hotmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, February 04, 2001 11:09 PM
Subject: Fw: The Hamster Story


>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Don & Awyn Combs" <combs@ecentral.com>
> To: "Jim & Glenna Loomis" <loomis@cysource.com>
> Cc: "Ray & Phyllis Barber" <rb75@telepath.com>; "Lowell & Karen Snyder"
> <karellmd@email.msn.com>; "Marvin Thomas" <MARVARCH@aol.com>; "Katie
Wirth"
> <wirthIRKM@aol.com>
> Sent: Sunday, February 04, 2001 9:29 PM
> Subject: Fw: The Hamster Story
>
>
> >
> >
> > ----------
> > From: Don Belden <dbelden@chisp.net>
> > To: Ginnie Sperry <ginsperry@aol.com>
> > Cc: John & Jean Sperry <pooka@dstream.net>; Frannie Davies
> > <FODaviess@aol.com>; Awyn&Don Combs <combs@ecentral.com>; Sondra
Bolinger
> > <saph-dan@juno.com>; George Sperry <gpsperry@aol.com>; Anne Sperry
> > <aasperry@aol.com>; Robbie and Ben Sweiger <waboom123@aol.com>; Marge
> > Belden <mbelden@chisp.net>
> > Subject: FW: The Hamster Story
> > Date: Sunday, February 04, 2001 5:30 PM
> >
> > Sister Barb sent this to me. T00 good not to share.
> >
> > Don
> >   -----Original Message-----
> >   From: CRAZO@aol.com [mailto:CRAZO@aol.com]
> >   Sent: Monday, January 22, 2001 6:15 PM
> >   To: RBeer@mediaone.net; patricib@flint.umich.edu;
> > questrist@earthlink.net; delliestm@c-b.com;
> > rderra@mediaone.net; CLGutowski@aol.com;
> > k.hammon@NotesMail1.csuohio.edu; StephenHilker@cs.com;
> > thissong@mail.adrian.k12.mi.us; RKOURTJIAN@prodigy.net;
> > Mary2Earth@aol.com; AnthonyManna@aol.com; wmr@MNSi.Net;
> > Joyin2it@aol.com; RReid@umich.edu; GSMITUB@aol.com;
> > dvictory@raex.com
> >   Subject: Fwd: The Hamster Story
> >
> >
> >   "  The Hamster Story"
> >   >
> >   > If you have raised kids, and gone through the pet
> >   > syndrome including toilet-flush burials for dead
> >   > goldfish, the story below will have you
> >   > laughing out LOUD!!!  This is a true story....
> >   >
> >   > I had to take my son's hamster to the vet.
> >   > Here's what happened:
> >
> >   > Just after dinner one night, my son came up
> >   > to tell me there was "something wrong" with
> >   > one of the two hamsters he holds prisoner
> >   > in his room.
> >   > "He's just lying there looking sick," he told me.
> >   >
> >   > "Oldest trick in the book, son," I informed him.
> >   > "You go in to see what's wrong with
> >   > the sick one and the other one sneaks up behind
> >   > you and bonks you on the head.
> >   > Then they change into your clothes and
> >   > escape."
> >   >
> >   >  "I'm serious, Dad. Can you help?"
> >   >
> >   > I put my best hamster-healer expression
> >   > on my face and followed him into his
> >   > bedroom.  One of the little rodents was indeed
> >   > lying on his back, looking distressed.
> >   > I immediately knew what to do. Call the
> >   > professional.
> >   >
> >   > "Honey," I called, "come look at the
> >   > hamster!"
> >   >
> >   > "Oh, my gosh," my wife diagnosed after a minute.
> >   > "She's having babies."
> >   >
> >   > "What?" my son demanded.
> >   >
> >   > "But their names are Bert and Ernie, Mom!"
> >   >
> >   > I was equally outraged. "Hey, how can that be?
> >   > I thought we said we didn't want
> >   > them to reproduce," I accused my wife.
> >   >
> >   > "Well, what did you want me to do, post a
> >   > sign in their cage?" she inquired.
> >   > (I actually think she said this sarcastically!)
> >   >
> >   > "No, but you were supposed to get two boys!"
> >   > I reminded her, (in my most loving, calm, sweet
> >   > voice).
> >   >
> >   > "Yeah, Bert and Ernie!" my son agreed.
> >   >
> >   > "Well, it's just a little hard to tell on some
> >   > guys," she informed me.
> >   > (Again with the sarcasm, you think?)
> >   >
> >   > By now the rest of the family had gathered to
> >   > see what was going on. I shrugged, deciding
> >   > to make the best of it. "Kids, this is going to
> >   > be a wondrous experience," I announced.
> >   > "We're about to witness the miracle of birth."
> >   >
> >   > "OH, Gross!", they shrieked.
> >   >
> >   > "Well, isn't THAT just Great!" what are we going
> >   > to do with a litter of tiny little hamster babies?"
> >   > my wife wanted to know. (I really do think she was
> >   > being snotty here, too. Don't you?)
> >   >
> >   > "Well, when my parents' dogs had puppies, I took
> >   > them up to the grocery store in a cardboard box
> >   > and gave them away," I recalled.
> >   >
> >   > "So what are you going to do, go up with a pair
> >   > of tweezers so people can pick out their hamster?"
> >   > she asked. (Gotta love her!)
> >   >
> >   > We peered at the patient. After much struggling,
> >   > what looked like a tiny foot would appear briefly,
> >   > vanishing a scant second later.
> >   >
> >   > "We don't appear to be making much progress," I
> >   > noted.
> >   >
> >   > "A breech birth," my wife whispered, horrified.
> >   >
> >   > "Do something, Dad!" my son urged.
> >   >
> >   > "Okay, okay." Squeamishly, I reached in and
> >   > grabbed the foot when it next appeared,
> >   > giving it a gingerly tug. It disappeared.
> >   > I tried again, with the same results.
> >   >
> >   > "Should I dial 911?" my eldest daughter
> >   > wanted to know. "Maybe they could talk us through
> >   > the trauma." (You see a pattern here with my
> >   > females?)
> >   >
> >   >  "Let's get Ernie to the vet," I said grimly.
> >   > We drove to the vet with my son holding the cage
> >   > in his lap.
> >   >
> >   > "Breathe, Ernie, breathe," he urged.
> >   > "I don't think hamsters do Lamaze," his mother
> >   > noted to him. (Women can be so cruel to their own
> >   > young. I mean what she does to me is one thing,
> >   > but this boy is "of her womb", for God's sake.)
> >   >
> >   > The vet took Ernie back to the examining room
> >   > and peered at the little animal through a
> >   > magnifying glass.
> >   >
> >   > "What do you think, Doc, an epidermal?"
> >   > I suggested scientifically.
> >   >
> >   > "Oh, very interesting," he murmured.
> >   > "Mr. and Mrs. Cameron, may I speak to you
> >   > privately for a moment?"  I gulped, nodding
> >   > for my son to step outside.
> >   >
> >   > "Is Ernie going to be okay?" my wife asked.
> >   >
> >   > "Oh, perfectly," the vet assured us. "This
> >   > hamster is not in labor. In  fact,
> >   > that isn't EVER going to happen... Ernie is a
> >   > boy."
> >   >
> >   > "What!?"
> >   >
> >   > "You see, Ernie is a young male.
> >   > And occasionally, as they come into
> >   > maturity, male hamsters will,
> >   > master, er, er, ah..." He blushed,
> >   > glancing at my wife.
> >   >
> >   > "Well, you know what I'm saying, Mr. Cameron."
> >   >
> >   > We were silent, absorbing this.
> >   > "So Ernie's just ... just
> >   >  ...Excited?", my wife offered.
> >   >
> >   > "Exactly," the vet replied, relieved
> >   > that we understood. More silence.
> >   > Then my lovely wife started to giggle.
> >   > And giggle. And then even laugh loudly.
> >   >
> >   > What's so funny?" I demanded, knowing, but
> >   > not believing that the woman I married would
> >   > commit the upcoming affront to my
> >   > flawless Manliness.
> >   >
> >   > Tears were now running down her face. "Just ...
> >   > that ...I'm picturing you
> >   > pulling on its ... its ... teeny little ... "
> >   > she gasped for more air to bellow in laughter
> >   > once more.
> >
> >   > "That's enough," I warned. We thanked the
> >   > Veterinarian and hurriedly bundled the hamsters
> >   > and our son back into the car. He was glad
> >   > everything was goingto be okay.
> >   >
> >   > "I know Ernie's really thankful for what
> >   > you've done, Dad," he told me.
> >   >
> >   > "Oh, you have NO idea," my wife agreed,
> >   > collapsing into laughter as I gave
> >   > her a dirty look.
> >
> >
>