Sigh . . .

You know how those of us of a "certain age" have occasional "senior moments" ???

Well, I've apparently pretty much had a senior DAY starting yesterday.  For starters, I insisted yesterday afternoon that Joey's therapist let me know immediately whether she would have an empty cage for him today since he had an appointment for a recheck by the dermatologist over at LSU and I wanted to drop him off there on my way to work so I wouldn't have to drive all the way home to get him.  She said "sure" so I dropped him off there this morning and went back right on time for his 11 AM appointment, hoping they would also be on time so I could make it to the Paralegal Association meeting at noon over on the other side of town.  Instead when I tried to sign in, they informed me that his appointment wasn't today, it was tomorrow!  Good grief!  So I cancelled that one and rescheduled him for next Friday so that (I hope!) Mark can take him over there and I won't have to take time off work AGAIN. 

Okay, so once I got that rescheduled, I raced out of there and drove across town to the meeting.

NOT.

Turns out that meeting isn't until NEXT Tuesday.

Sigh.

Wish we were rich -- I'd hire a chauffeur who's young enough to remember where I'm supposed to be on what day!  As it is, I think I'm going to have to start carrying a calendar around with me constantly so I can write everything down immediately whenever it comes up!  Or maybe there's an Android app I could use for that since I (usually) have my cell phone with me -- although I do sometimes forget THAT, too!

Hmm.  Maybe I better check back with Jan to be sure we're actually planning on "mule shopping" THIS weekend!

Actually, I'm sure about that one.  I think it's the stuff I'm not particularly excited about that I don't necessarily remember accurately.  We're all going down to Covington this weekend to meet the woman who started the Facebook group called "Mule Sense (and Other Equines)" and check out "Sippi" (short for "Mississippi"),  the mule she has for sale.  Here he is in the photo she's using for her profile picture on that Facebook page:

Is he adorable or what?  (And apparently pretty tolerant, too!)  Here's a video of him being pulled around by a dog!   There are a number of other videos of him on YouTube as well, if you click on the "7 VIDEOS" tab at the top of that dog video.  (That tall mule she's trying to get on in the "vertically challenged" video is NOT Sippi, thankfully - it's their other mule.)  

Oh - speaking of YouTube videos, I sent one to Lizzie's vet and then asked her to come out and see if she could figure out what the heck was wrong with her.  She started standing in the corner of her stall and panting and then flipping water out of her bucket  (there's an example of that at about 4.25 minutes or so on that video).  She doesn't drink, she just sticks her nose in there and flips some water up onto the wall.  I thought maybe she was in pain for some reason.  She obviously did not have colic, thankfully.  And she wasn't limping.  So I had no idea what could be causing it except maybe arthritis.  I put her on Cosequin + MSM a couple weeks back but it didn't seem to be making a difference so I thought I better get the vet to look at her.  I also wanted her to do her Cushings blood tests that we've been putting off until the proper time of year.  So the vet came out yesterday and checked her out.  No pain.  No temperature.  No limping or leg problems.  But possible neck pain from a spinal problem (boy, I can sure identify with THAT one!)   She did a blood test of some sort, too, where they draw blood, then give her something or other, then come back for a second blood sample exactly 19 hours later.  It's to confirm Cushings / insulin resistance.  But she does definitely seem to be a Cushings horse, because she has very, very, VERY thick, long hair.  So the vet said she might just be overheated.  What?!  She's been panting for the last month and a half.  It's been warm, true, but it hasn't been all THAT warm.  But she convinced me that she should shave the entire bottom of her neck so that her veins and arteries would be cooler.  Okay.  Go ahead.

Well - I NEVER would have believed all that panting would just be because she was too warm.  But since her neck has been shaved she has stopped panting!  Sharon - you have GOT to take the vet's word for things from now on.  (I think I'll tell myself that about 500 times and see if I can get it to sink in!)

So anyway - I've ordered horse clippers.  She's about to be shaved everywhere except her mane -- and maybe even that at some point.  We'll see.  Better she should be comfortable than gorgeous.  And we will be installing a barn ceiling fan over her stall, as well.  Mark kids me that I'm going to ask him to air condition it, but that's going TOO far -- even for me.

Okay.  I think I remember that I need to get back to work now.  ;-D