Nothing new

...just another day where I go off to work while they get to just lie around and be goofy.

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A tail is a terrible thing to waste

Tails are very useful. Why let a warm fluffy canine one go to waste?

Mojito doesn't actually encourage this behavior on Rumi's part. But Rumi is very persistent, and eventually Moji figures that resistance is futile.

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Busy busy

How can this be comfortable?

And it really must be, because this has been Mojito's preferred position for relaxing since Day 1.

On the other hand, Fennec makes me sleepy just looking at him.
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Between my health stuff, Moji's stuff (update below), and my work (teaching Spanish in groups, teaching Spanish privately, teaching art in groups, teaching art privately, and medical interpreting--I am constantly driving all over town, with back-to-back appointments, I have developed Texting Thumb and I am soooo tired.... whine...

Anyway, a Mojito update: The vet said his two new tumors feel just like the old one and therefore are almost definitely just benign fatty tumors. I just have to keep feeling them now and then and make sure they don't get much bigger or change character. 
He also developed a limp lately, apparently from running too hard and too much (his fervor for fetching never wanes). The vet said it's either a sprain or a partial tear in his ACL, and that he has to be on-leash only for two weeks. He is not going to be happy about that. But if it allows us to prevent surgery, it'll be worth it. That's what I'm telling him, but he doesn't seem to believe me.

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Moji as sphinx

Rumi loves his brother, but won't share his private sauna.

Note Fennec's white leggie being used as a scarf by Gadjo.

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Health update: Well, the current working theory, according to the endocrinologist I saw, is that I have Cushing's (metabolic) Syndrome (but not Cushing's Disease), caused by insulin resistance.

I started taking the drug metformin yesterday, at one-fourth the eventual dosage. It tends to cause a lot of digestive issues, but supposedly fewer if you start very slowly. I think the jury will be out for a while.

By the way, I have decided not to take statins.
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Moji health update: He now has a total of three tumors along his ribcage. The first one that appeared was tested and is just a benign fatty tumor. I suspect the other two are as well, but just to be sure I'm going to have them tested this coming week.

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Baby, it's cold outside!

Yikes. (International readers: this is Farenheit!)

Must find your brother and stay warm...

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Gadjo has been quite naughty lately. He's been doing a lot of this:

And opening the pantry doors at night and chewing open the dog food bag. He doesn't eat it, he just seems to find it a fun activity. Every time he did it, I had to add another piece of duct tape...and then I ran out of duct tape. And then he started chewing through the duct tape. And then I had to bungee the doors shut...which is working so far. But I have no doubt he'll figure out how to remove the bungee sooner or later. 

Probably sooner. If you have a Siamese, I bet you know what I mean. They are the border collies of the cat world.

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Rumi origami

How do cats sleep like this??

I have the urge to just pick Rumi up and fold him into a soft little square.

I should have named him "Origami" instead.

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Struck down by migraines

Near-constant migraines lately. Don't know why, just wish they would go away. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to when or why they strike. Today is yet another migraine day, but I didn't want you all to go too long without a dose of my animolecules!

You can see how Moji's chin is turning gray, now that he's a "senior" Golden. Awwww. It's so hard for me to believe he's almost 8 years old (this spring). In my mind, he's sort of permanently around 5 years old, who knows why.

He hasn't slowed down much yet though, in terms of fetching tennis balls! 
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So I got a few more lab results back. My cholesterol and triglycerides are atrocious and the numbers terrify every doctor that's ever seen them. But it's always been high, and my father and brother also have always had high cholesterol. I have a theory that if it's a genetic thing, it's not necessarily gonna kill ya. But of course I could be wrong. 

(The odd thing, to me, is that my blood pressure has always been totally normal.)

The doc at the clinic wants me to take a statin. Any of you have any experience with them? The last thing I want, frankly, is to add yet more meds to my regime, with yet more side effects.

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