Vet Check - Guy Version

The boys, that is Baxter and Ridge, completed their annual check-ups last night.

Despite Baxter's complete vet-visit neurosis (though he absolutely loves Dr. Wagner, he hates the office sounds and smells), they both checked out fine.

Ridge weighed in at a just-right-for-him 86 pounds (we like him to be right around 85 pounds). Oh, and because he's in tact, he got to have the 'ol rubber-gloved finger test. Yee haw. I'm sure the over-40 guys out there are wincing about now. It was the only time during the entire visit Ridge stood absolutely still and stopped panting.

Poor guy. (hehe)

:o)

But, get this,...Baxter, the Big Galoot, weighed in at 111 pounds (yes, one-hundred-eleven). Yikes!

And he doesn't even look overweight!

He still has a tummy rise, and you can still see the slight hour-glass when you look at him from above. He's no tank like Elsie or Kenya. He's just tall and long.

But I'll admit it; he's our couch potato. And when it comes to retrieving, if he's with the gang, he lets them do the work (lazy boy).

But 111 pounds? Geesh. The most he's weighed before was maybe 103 or 104. No wonder I feel squished when he wants to be my lap dog!

I guess we'll have to start more exercise and less food.

See! Regular vet visits really are good. By looking at Boos, I never would've noticed his weight gain (if only I could say the same for myself). But numbers don't lie. And 111 pounds is too much for him. He could lose a good five.

So it's back to work.

That'll be good for Baxter.

And it will be good for me, too. I need my Labs. I need them more than ever.

I've been out of the Lab loop for the last few weeks because I've been focused elsewhere:

• planning DD's June wedding
• planning DD’s bridal shower (happening next weekend)
• getting Mom home from AZ (finally, last week)
• getting DFS home from college (two weeks ago)
• AND (the big thing) supporting my dear sweet identical-twin sister whose husband of 24 years asked her for a divorce, with no explanation and with complete unwillingness to see a marriage counselor with her
  

Silly me! I've been so buried in human-family-land that I forgot my Lab family! How could I?

• They're my giggle factor!
• My gazillion-smiles-a-day gang!
• My life-is-always-good encouragers!
• My noogie-nudge nuzzlers!
• My heart-warming-perspective givers!
• My eyes of eternal hope and optimism!
  

Yup...I need my Labs.

I love my Labs -- all five of them.

Oh, and lest you think we're neglecting the girls by taking just the boys to the vet, the girls (Elsie, Kenya, and Pinot) get to visit Dr. Wagner next week. It's just a bit much to take all five at once, no matter how much we love them, so we split the visits up by gender.

I suppose I'd better wrap this up; I should get Baxter off the couch.

It's time for exercise (for him) and heart warming (for me).

:o)

'Til next time,
Joan