Escape!

My vacuum broke about ten days ago.  The beater bar end melted after 5 or 6 years of use, and the vacuum was kaput.  So I jumped on the Bissel web-site and ordered a new one, thinking it wouldn't take but a day or two, but I was wrong.


Why, no, what, does this have to do with a story about Pepper the wonder glider escaping?  You will see, my friend.  You will see.


Last week I got the new beater bar for my vacuum, and I was very excited.  Very excited that my daughter could resume her chore of vacuuming, and that it wouldn't seem as if I was picking up debris on my socks as I walked through my family room carpeting.  The new beater bar part fit like a dream, and the vacuum sat waiting for the weekend when Hannah was free of soccer practice and homework.  She promised to vacuum the WHOLE house.


Hannah also cleaned (took it outside and scrubbed it) the sugar glider cage and on Sunday night I went downstairs with her to check to make sure the cage and gliders were back in place.  


Hannah and I checked the cage as Chili was doing his favorite thing in the world, riding his wodent wheel.  We assumed Pepper-le-pew was napping in her shoebox, or lounging in her pouch, but I did not lay eyes on her.  The doors to the cage were closed and locked.  All was well.


On the way back up the stairs I had a Psych moment and flashed on a little black thing on the freshly vacuumed stair.  We walked up to bed, and I tossed this little black thing from the stair around in my head, thinking that I probably should have actually laid eyes on Pepper before leaving the basement.  Curiosity got the best of me and I drug Hannah back downy he stairs to lay eyes on Pepper.  


No Pepper.  But where could she be?  The cage was closed.  Upon further investigation, we noticed that the condo in the sky part of the cage (a second cage on top of their cage that has a dryer vent tunnel leading to it) was not connected correctly and one of the clasps was not hooked together.  


Long about then Chloe saunters down the stairs.  Chloe starts freaking out, chasing something...oh crap.  Pepper.  She is loose.


Grab the dog, throe her upstairs, and the squirrel hunt ensues.  A half an hour later after dancing with a large Christmas tree and almost crushing Pepper with a stack of luggage Pepper was found, and back in the tightly locked cage.