Brr! Whew! Brr! Whew!

I know my posts are getting further apart from each other, but that's because there really isn't any excitement going on that's worth writing about.  But just to let you all know that I'm still kicking, I thought I'd write something, even if it puts you to sleep.

(this is the part where you close your eyes and drift into snooze land)

We just over a cold spell.

How exciting is that?  Well, it's not really.  But the temperatures dipped pretty low, and it's been a long time since we've seen them this low.  If we lived in Fairbanks, this would be pretty normal, but thankfully, we do not live in Fairbanks.

So what do I do to stay warm in the cold dark days of January?  Well, for starters, I wear lots of layers.  But of course, since I am a middle-aged female, those layers sometimes gotta be spontaneously peeled off, and stepping outside in the sub-zero temps can feel like a nice cool breeze from heaven on a hot sweltering day in the deep South.

I know you other females know what I'm talking about.

When I'm not desperately trying to cool off, I'm desperately trying to stay warm. Seriously, my fleece jacket that I wear around the house is on - off - on - off - on - off........

I know it sounds crazy, but that's the way it is when your personal inner thermostat goes on the fritz.

So, when I'm trying to stay warm and my fleece jacket is on, a hot bowl of soup is appreciated, and a cup of coffee becomes my best friend.  I'm also going through lots and lots of hot herbal teas (with a dose of Black Cohosh).

Cuddling up on the couch under some blankets with my purring puddy tat is also very nice.

That is, until I get a spontaneous and very desperate need to cool off again.

Then I'm frustrated when I can't whip the blankets off me because there's a calm, peaceful, purring puddy sitting on them. 

I don't like disturbing the special bonding moments with my kitty, so I try to take off my fleece jacket without moving her too much, and I break out into a sweat anyway, because she emits a lot of heat into my legs from her furry little body.

(Oh the joys of the age of transition!)

When Bossy isn't on my lap inducing these "heat waves", she likes to stay warm by the fireplace.

"Who me?"

Speaking of Bossy, she had a hard day yesterday.  I took her to the vet.  The whole experience is always "torturous" for her psychological well-being.  Listening to her howling in the car, you'd think she was going through the worst agony ever.  She makes noises I didn't think was possible for a cat to make. And then to be poked, prodded, and manhandled by a strange man - what an ordeal!

Anyway, she wasn't technically due for a routine checkup yet, but I noticed she was losing weight.  Of course when an animal (or a person) is losing weight with no apparent explanation, the first thing that comes to mind is the "C" word.  

But Bossy wasn't acting sick, nor did she act like she was in pain.  She still plays and has energy (when she's not "chilling" by the fire), so I wanted to know why she was losing weight.

After an expensive blood test, we found out that she has hyperthyroidism.  Luckily, it's something that can be easily managed, but the vet said if we do nothing about it, she will continue to waste away.  So, as long as she's still lovable and enjoyable and easy to live with, she's still a "keeper".

But now I have to get into a new habit.

I have to give her one of these little pink pills twice a day.

How do you make a cat swallow a pill?  Well, it can be done, but if this is going to be a continuous never-ending thing, she will quickly learn to run away from me twice a day if I have to force it down her throat.  So what I do instead is crush it between two spoons and then stir it into a spoonful of soft food.  She gobbles it right down.

Normally we only give her dry food, but sometimes we give her soft food for a "treat".  I guess this means she will start to think she's a really special kind of kitty getting "treats" twice a day.

I hope it doesn't go to her head.

We have to do this for a month and then check her blood again.

Oh yay, another ride to the vet in that "torture chamber" on wheels we call a car!

Anyway, I'm just glad I can still enjoy her for awhile yet.

She's 14-1/2 years old, so I know her time is coming.

But as long as she's not peeing on my couch, she's more than welcome to stay and cuddle with me.

Stay warm, or stay cool! - whichever one fits you at any given moment.