The Marionettes: Down the Tube

It's finally happened. After nearly 9 weeks, the marionettes have found me! I had nearly forgotten about the pesky buggers, when all hell broke loose.

I was practicing my evening ritual last night; removing make up, brushing teeth, admiring my new beard growth in the mirror, and scrubbing my giglio fiorentino with a toothbrush, when out of the corner of my eye I noticed a blur of something bright and colorful. It was one of the marionettes zipping down the ladder-shaped heating register right next to the pedestal sink at which I was standing. In a flash he was at my elbow reaching out his little plastic pink hand to bat my 18k, white gold, giglio pendant purchased in Florence, right out of my hand and down the drain! I was horrified! My special giglio purchased on that wonderful and memorable trip to Florence with Terri!!

I immediately did what I always do in cases of extreme emergency: I got dressed. Somehow life's little mishaps always seem to occur while I am in a state of semi-nudity (feel no need to picture that in your mind's eye). After dressing, I tiptoed back to the sink and carefully wiggled out the drain cover and peered into the depths. Fortunately the sink area is well-lit with neon overhead lights which make me appear pasty with cadaverously dark under eye circles, and I could just make out the tiny, sparkly giglio turned sideways about 6 inches down, in danger of slipping even further into the depths. I tried inserting a tweezer but it simply wasn't long enough. I remembered something magnetic in my purse the other day, which a battery had affixed itself to, but could not remember what it was or if gold is even magnetic. I gave up on the magnet idea and went to the kitchen area for a long pairs of scissors. Opening the tip a tiny bit, I inserted them carefully into the drain. When I could see I had reached the jewel I closed the scissors a fraction and was able to bring the giglio safely up out of the dank tunnel. In celebration of my good fortune, I proceeded to clean the drain of large, black, smelly, clumps of hair with a butter knife. Major yuck!

Since I am leaving in less than two days, I have begun to STUFF my suitcase, but I am zipping it and hiding it under the bed when not in the room to ensure those horrible dolls don't climb in for a free ride to Strasbourg. With any luck, I will be back in Italy before the little cretins even know I have left Germany. Ha ha!