News from Shakes Manor + Programming Note

As Thursday is Thanksgiving in the U.S., we will be taking the next few days off and see you back here next Tuesday.

I'm going to put up the Virtual Pub shortly, but I wanted to briefly explain the longer break than is typical for me at Thanksgiving.

I've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow (nothing serious), and then Olivia has surgery on Monday. Unfortunately, she has been diagnosed with mammary cancer, which is a pretty grim diagnosis.

The good news is that her x-rays have shown that it hasn't yet visibly metastasized into her lungs. Yay! So, if we managed to catch it before it spread microscopically, the surgery to remove the tumor that led to her diagnosis will theoretically delay the inevitable for a meaningful amount of time.

What I want to tell all of you who care about the Furry Residents of Shakes Manor is that Ms. Olivia Twist is still the happiest girl. Aside from the tumor impeding on her ability to jump on the kitchen counter, she is her same old self. In the past two weeks, she has managed to steal half a cheeseburger from my dinner plate and an entire flounder sandwich. LOL ASSHOLE!

As long as her surgery goes smoothly and without any major complications, her recovery shouldn't be tough or lengthy. From there, we're just going to do whatever keeps her happy, no matter the trajectory of her disease. And if there's ever a cat who can beat the odds, it's our feisty little bundle of glorious naughtiness who flew into our lives at 60mph and hasn't slowed down since.

Who's such a good girl? OLIVIA IS!
For all her shenanigans at home, Livs is just extraordinarily well-behaved (and relaxed, as you can see!) at the vet. She will be in the good hands of a person whom she likes and trusts, and I can't ask for anything more than that.

As I'm guessing has long been abundantly clear, we love this girl with one million hearts. We're not ready to let her go, and we won't until she asks us to.

Keep your fingers crossed for Livs, and I'll keep you posted.