Pooches don't fret

We went to the new Hunger Games movie Friday night - Catching Fire. I liked it! I read all the books on my Nook E reader a couple years ago - that's when we saw the first movie, in sunny Marco Island with seester Cindo. It took seeing the movie this movie for the plot to come back of course. It's that Bookheimers I have...they all the plots start to run together.

I must admit I was a little distracted at the movie. We had been with Odie to the vet late Friday afternoon. The poor girl has that anal gland problem. The stinky glands fill up and need to be squeezed out. I know - it's TMI and icky. But they must be uncomfortable because she starts scooting when they're full.

My lil buddy is squeezed in by me while I type this blog...

Odie rode along with us when we took Amy to the airport last after our fab Thanksgiving holiday. As she sat on my lap, I felt some bumps on her chest that aren't supposed to be there. So at her vet, um - treatment, I asked the vet to check that spot out. Dr. Jessica Merk ended up doing a needle biopsy on that bumpy area. Unfortunately, the cells weren't recognizable and the growth needs to come out. It's some kind of tumor.

Of course I'm heartsick with concern. Odie's my baby puppy. She'll just be 9 years old in January - just middle-aged. I'm hopeful this is some type of benign growth.  Our longtime college vet friends have been consulted. It pays to have veterinarians as groomsmen in your wedding. Yes - it's probably hard on them to do consultations sight unseen - but we needed their opinions none-the-less.

Odie is going with us to Colorado on the Saturday before Christmas. Therefore I have postponed her surgery until January 2nd. At that time they'll remove the thing (as must as possible at least) and biopsy it. Until then I'm going to spoil her rotten (like usual). Her anal problem is much improved and it wasn't even too hard to talk her into going outside in the frigid cold tonight.

The good news is that dogs don't fret about surgery scheduled in January. (Okay their mommy's do...)In the meantime, send evil tumor zapping thoughts Odie's way - would ya? Thanks!

Saturday night we went to the Big 4 Classic - Basketball at Wells Fargo Arena. Too cheap to pay $8, we parked at St. John's Lutheran Church west of the arena. ISU was playing the UNI Panthers. Our seats were past the basket but were down low - not nosebleed seats for once. Sometimes it pays to be an athletic donor - even though we're not real high rollers.

Those UNI Panthers came to play - and the Cyclones dug themselves into a deep hole before a furious run pulled them close. The Cyclones ended up winning in overtime - phew. I was afraid it was going to be a Panther state in hoops just like football! We watched the first half of the Hawkeye vs. Drake game and headed through the chilly night to our car. This is what we found. Revenge of the birds! Let's hope the right birds come out on top (Cy) when ISU plays Iowa Friday night.

That will teach us to park under a tree - with the Lutherans...we hit a car wash on our way home. Damn crows!