Today's illustrious band:

Other Duties As Assigned

Brought to you by Señor Editor, Media Headquarters' very own version of the Crocodile Hunter.

In the atrium here at MHQ, we have a nice little gardeny area. A greenery service maintains, according to horticulturist Skeeter, a few small beds of crotons, umbrella trees, creeping ficus, peace lilies and liriope (say it: "lir-RYE-o-pee"; it's fun). Workers come to water, prune and periodically replace the plants. And sometimes, when they bring us new plants for old, they also bring reptilian stowaways. Every few months there's a snake sighting in the atrium.

Today's sighting carries a unique twist. Our slithery visitor spotted an empty screw hole in the threshold plate of the doorway leading to the advertising department (no jokes about our ad reps being snakelike, please!) and thought he or she would slip into the dark hidey place for a long winter's nap. However, efforts to fatten up for hibernation proved too successful; it got halfway in and then got stuck. Since these things have no reverse gear, there was a good foot and a half of garter snake sticking out of the doorframe.

All together now: EEEEEUUW!!

Señor Editor, friend of small creatures and a handy fellow with tools, grabbed a power drill and strode to the rescue. While Slim Jim kept a grip on the snake, Señor removed the threshold plate and the door jambs (which rest on the threshold plate, holding it in place). The liberated snake, about a yard long, whipped angrily about during its short journey to the back door. It's now safe outside, where it can regale its fellows with its indoor adventures.

Reptile wrangling is not exactly part of Señor's and Jim's job descriptions, but it probably beats a budget meeting.