When I was young my parents went out a lot. My brother and I had our favorite sitters. One sitter I especially remember enjoyed reading Dr. Seuss books to me, especially The Cat In The Hat. This book terrified me. Here these kids are alone in their house, a total chaotic mess, and their mom is walking up the sidewalk to the house. They got it all clean miraculously, but I really stressed over this. Since I liked the sitter I never said a word.

So this week, day after the election, in a little town south of me there is a research facility that breeds little monkeys for research. 43 of them escaped when a caretaker, cleaning the area, left two doors unsecured.

I strongly dislike monkeys. I think they are the only animal on the planet I don’t like. There are many I hope not to encounter, ever, like alligators, but I really just don’t like monkeys. In the natural world they have no specific laws relevant to other species. I understand they are fiercely protective of members of their families. But they are chaotic, loud, make huge messes, are mean, and have no regard for or even fear of any other species. Unlike the Cat in the Hat they have no interest in restoring or even creating order.

So this research facility. They have set traps for these monkeys (what a joke), their employees are out hunting for them, the public has been cautioned to keep windows and doors shut so they don’t get in their house, not to try to capture or even pet them but to call 911. There are several of these escapees that are hanging around the facility perimeter fence “cooing” to the ones still in there. Probably encouraging them to make a break for it.

This same facility had this happen in 2016. Nineteen monkeys got out then. No idea if they ever recovered those, either. In the wind. Both are years Donald Trump is elected President.

Maybe this is a lesson in how to get inmates back in the asylum.