14 More Days before I leave for Wisconsin and "The Lake"

I'm not going to panic. I have everything under control. I have my list. I'm right on schedule. Maybe I'll start the panic attacks next week.

Yesterday my son and I took our two dogs to the vet for their annual shots. They shed all over me and my son. Since my son was wearing black he looked like he got the worst of it. I prefer wearing neutral colors. Desert camoflage would be ideal but I didn't have any of that in my wardrobe. One should never wear black while taking dogs to a vet. Dogs shed even more then usual when they're upset. Our dogs really hate going to the vet so they were really upset. I can sympathize because I'm not too fond of going to the doctor (or the dentist for that matter) either. So you just grit your teeth and go and do what you gotta do. I needed a full set of vet records to bring on the trip to Wisconsin and the dogs needed their annual shots (though some say that you really only need that annual shot once every three years which sure would be a blessing but if you have to kennel the dogs for some reason kennels won't take your dogs without the annual shots and the paperwork that goes with it). I now have two sets of paperwork to show to anyone who will ask me for them if I get stopped at the borders of various states ( This hasn't ever happened but they do have that right to check on your dog's vaccination records and take away fruit and produce) and I'll have the papers if I need to put the dogs in a kennel for some reason. I have the records now which means that I will never have to use them. I go by the premise that if you carry an umbrella it will never rain. Anyway, I thought I'd pass on the following "funny" that someone sent me a while back. I thought about it as I was paying for my vet bill.

Subject: Limp Parrot

A woman brought a very limp parrot into a veterinary hospital.

As she lay her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, " I'm so sorry, Polly has passed away."

The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure? I mean, you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something." The vet rolled his eyes, shrugged, turned and left the room returning a few moments later with beautiful black Labrador.

As the bird's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the dead parrot from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet led the dog out but returned a few moments later with a cat. The cat jumped up and also sniffed delicately at the ex-bird. The cat sat back, shook its head, meowed and ran out of the room.

The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry; but like I said, your parrot is most definitely, 100%, certifiably. dead." He then turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill which he handed to the woman.

The parrot's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$150!" she cried. "$150 just to tell me my bird is dead?!" The vet shrugged. "If you'd taken my word for it, the bill would only have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan....... What did you expect?