Achieving Your Childhood Dreams: The Stumble Upon Edition...

When I was a lad, I recall having a short list of things that I wanted to do in life tucked away in my dresser's middle drawer.

I'd pull the list out of its safe-keeping spot and glance it over, occasionally scrawling a new desired life goal in waxy crayon and scratching out the ones I didn't like anymore. I hadn't actually thought of this list in decades, but I stumbled across it recently and decided I'd check in with my spelling-inept six year old self and see how I was doing...


1. A puppy of my very own.

I've co-owned a small handful of animals throughout the years, usually resulting in having to surrender them to the ex-girlfriend once our relationships would end. Usually they were the ones who'd bring the pets into the relationship, so it was logical that they would go with them after things were over. I think in one or two cases, I missed the animals way more than I did the owners.

I'm one who definitely gets attached to the cuddly beasties and I'm not afraid to admit that.

Then I met Katy, the golden retriever puppy I adopted while on a business trip to Houston. She was my puppy and she was awesome. I still miss her, she was a hell of a dog. She'd be the first dog I ever brought into a relationship and when that relationship was going to end, I knew she was coming with me! Heh.


2. Be a seal trainer.

Behold!



Alright, so that wild career in working with my favourite animal in the world didn't exactly take off. Turns out I needed more of a marine biology background and tons of experience with animal training to even think of doing this for a living, but this was the next best thing.

I found out that Sea World offered these "Sea Lion Interaction Programs" for an additional fee. I was surprised on my birthday with the opportunity to jump in with the sea lions, which I looked forward to. Then I had my surgery this year and had to wait some more.

Until July.

104 degrees that day.

In a wet suit.

Still, totally fucking worth it. It was even more awesome than I ever imagined it'd be. I'll probably post about this adventure later on, but it was definitely the coolest thing since swiss cheese dipped in awesome sauce.


3. Yep, this happened this year as well. Not by real design because I was looking more at the sticker prices and condition of the vehicles I was shopping for, but I have to admit that I did finally get my cool blue truck. Yay, TARDIS!


4. I'm never going to be President of the United States, nor the President of the United Federation of Planets, nor President of the local Rotary Club. I still may be president of my own company some day, but I believe in this case that ascending to the political path of the office of President was a childhood dream I came up with after watching Reagan on TV passing Jelly Bellys to his cabinet.

Having thought about it a bit more, I am actually the head of state of a nation in Cybernations, a game I play online. I rule my country fairly without any real world consequences and I can be President of my beloved Nachoburrito while eating Jelly Belly's if I so choose. Yes, I can nuke the crap out of my enemies while eating very cherry beans and lounging around in my pj's, thankyouverymuch.

So, I'll call this one good. :)


5. Make millions of dollars... Hrmmm. Work in progress. I'm happy making tens of dollars for now, but I'm keeping my eyes open.


6. Yep, went to California by myself, with friends and with ex-girlfriends several times since I was a kid. Last time I went was years ago, but I'm about due to go again. Done and done!


7. Beating up my brother M for tormenting me all those years. Truth be told, if I hadn't been so obnoxious, he'd probably have left me alone most likely.

I didn't quite kick his ass, but I do recall being bigger than him and pinning him to the floor during a good natured brotherly brawl in the living room. I think he still won that one or perhaps we ended in a draw if I recall, but I think being able to actually knock him on his ass helped us learn that we were both too old for that shit. Heh.


8. Rosie, sweet Rosie. I had the biggest crush on her when we were in Kindergarten together. I used to let her borrow my fingerpaints and she'd sometimes share her snacks with me at lunch. I loved her so much that I named my favorite stuffed seal after her. Ahhh, such young love.

If I recall correctly, she was in love with Jason though so we Rosie and I were only just friends, destined to never sit on the swings next to one another.

I never heard where she ended up, but I hope she is well. Although if she is single and still just as sweet after all these years at age 33 as she was at age 5, tell her to meet me at the swings after recess.


9. No and no, unless you count Halloween costumes. Not that I'd be interested in the godless Michael Bay Transformers one whit. Original series for the win.

I heard there's a DJ named DangerMouse, but I doubt I'd impress him/her with my awesome Penfold voice impressions.

"Oh, crumbs, Chief I bungled it again, eh?"

See? Nothing. No phone call or anything. Philistines.


So, that's part one of mine so far. How are y'all doing on yours?

Comments drop below in the bottom-hand side, yo!

Sing Through Me, Muse, A Song Of Fluff...

I received an interesting request via e-mail from someone I know the other day. Apparantly, the sender is assembling a potential collection involving pictures of dogs and the songs created for them by their owner. If successful, this will possibly turn into a book of some sort.

Quite honestly, I wasn't sure if I wanted to participate in the project or not. After all, my Katy's been gone for five months now. I personally do not currently own another dog to sing about, though I supposed I could craft a ballad or two about teh Kate and the other dogs I've been with through the years.

So, let's start at the top:

Katy I

She's my golden retriever
Yes, my golden retriever
And I love to see you every day.

Oh, my golden retriever,
Yes, my golden retriever
You eat my steak, you'll pay.

Katy II

Fluffy tail and big ol' feet
Loves the water and uncooked meat
Fetches objects, leaves fur on my car seat
With the Kate, my day's totally complete.

Oh, yeah, she's my Katydid.
Oh, yeah, she's my Katydid.
And she'll make your Chiuahua into mince meat.

Heart of gold, fur colour matching
Soft ears, she is a scratching
Mischief is what this dog is hatching
My furniture now needs patching.

Oh, yeah, she's my Katydid.
Oh, yeah, she's my Katydid.
And she'll make your Terrier into milk's meat.

*drum solo*

Floating down the river of blue
Chasing squirrels to make a stew
Greatest dogs they might be few
Katy's one, but what else is new?

Oh, yeah, she's my Katydid.
Oh, yeah, she's my Katydid.
And she'll make your beagle into potted meat.

Lisa

Lisa is so frisky
So hyperactive and frisky

Frisky, frisky, frisky, frisky, frisky
Frisky, frisky, frisky, frisky, frisky.

Lisa chases shadows and reflections
I have a flashlight, will she make the connections.
She'll chase and bark and bark and chase
She's a nutty kid and that's my case.

Oh, Lisa is so frisky
So hyperactive and frisky

Frisky, frisky, frisky, frisky, frisky
Frisky, frisky, frisky, frisky, frisky.

Lisa is so frisky
So hyperactive and frisky

Frisky, frisky, frisky, frisky, frisky
Frisky, frisky, frisky, frisky, frisky.

Oh, yeah!

Heidi

Weiner dog, oh weiner dog.
You are so short and rotund.
Oh weiner dog, oh weiner dog,
You are so much like a hot dog.

---+---

Yep, truly classics, aren't they? At least be thankful that I wasn't including mp3's of my actual howling of these masterpieces...

If The Song Is "Shiny Happy People," Then Why Am I So Damned Sad?

On the way to work this morning, I picked up my little girl at the vet.

She wasn't really there, of course, just the contents of what she had been encased in a porcelein urn. Where she really was at the moment is a subject of debate in the realm of theologians or those more highly trained in the psychic arts than I.

It's a strange thing, cremation. Cremation is a process, whereby an individual is reduced to the basic elements in a matter of a few minutes. Just a close of a door, push of a button, *whoosh* and that's it.

I didn't actually know how I would feel when I picked up Katy. The wait for her return seemed to drag on for a painful stretch of time. I had thought that perhaps I would have been able to move beyond the grief or the pain, but I realized just this morning that I had denied myself the basic truth that I hadn't fully let go.

I had stopped being angry about the circumstances already, but the feeling of lonliness had lingered. Compounding the feeling I was having was the recent revelation that one of my best friends (and Quality Television co-conspiritor) was seriously considering a move out of state with his girlfriend and also is considering hanging up our collaborative creative efforts altogether.

Granted, we hadn't done as much with QTV this year as we should have. We both looked at how events in our lives this past year have prevented that.

At least his reasons are ones that he chose in the path to happiness that he is on. I cannot fault my pal for his decision to be happy, nor would I attempt to throw a stumbling block in his way. If he's ready to move on to other things then so be it.

Seeing him with his girlfriend just really throws into light how extra squishy happy in love he is. I'm happy for him, sure, but at the same time I feel a little like one of the other Beatles when Yoko arrived on the scene. Maybe not to that degree, but I do admit that I feel a bit like Ringo sometimes.

Apart from this single post, I keep my mouth shut around the house about how I'm feeling. What would be the point otherwise?

I've been learning a lot about letting things slide off my back. I try not to stack up a lot of emotional baggage, but sometimes the conveyor belt runs a little faster than I can move to throw each new piece of luggage onto a connecting one-way flight to Anchorage.

I spoke months ago about how my personal Phoenix was going through the rebirth process. I thought I had just about figured through that and was enacting a new plan when I find out now that even THAT plan has altered substantially.

Life is funny like that.

Even the newborn Phoenix is apt to go up in flames, so it seems. Good thing there is another rebirth that follows!

I drove to work listening to REM's "Out Of Time" album. While one of my favorites of long ago, this album inevitibly drags out memories of when I was a sophmore in high school. Oddly enough, I usually skip "Losing My Religion" and "Shiny Happy People" and just headed straight for the deeper cuts of the album.

The first was simply played out too much in my brain, the second ... just too happy for its own good. Too goddamned "Shiny Happy" for my tastes.

And yet this trip in to work I listened to Shiny Happy at least three or four times. I don't know why, I just did.

Perhaps it was my brain trying to cheer me up because of the 'passenger' in the seat next to me.

Perhaps it was my emotional nerve center trying to inject some happiness in my skull to prevent me from drifting into the realm of one of those whiny emokids that you hear so much about. The ones who thrive on drama because it gives them a boost to their self esteem to be so depressed and break into tears because someone dipped their long hair in an inkwell in the third grade. (Heh. Not a bit likely.)

Or, just perhaps, it was my brain trying to tell me to just shut up and enjoy the song. Let the world sort itself out for awhile and savor the moment. You may not exactly enjoy hearing the happy annoying tune, but it sure is a whole hell of a lot better than sitting here alone in the silence.

The Dream Is Over... Or Has It Just Begun?

Well, it's been quite a month, hasn't it friends?

Went from extrasuperhappyCaliforniaadventuregoodness to whatthehellamIdoingwithmylifeomgIlostmybestfriendandIamsickofnevergettingaheadinlifeandIhatefeelingliketehsuckbadness. I also realized that the previous sentence could have used a lot better spacing since the comedy is somewhat lost behind the not so thin veil of grammatical murder writ large.

Meh. Them's the brakes, kousin.

Anyway, let's start with the basic SitRep for today.

1) The weather hasn't made up it's damn mind yet. It went from 45 to 89 today. Tomorrow is supposed to be hot then the temp is due to drop another 30 degrees on Sunday.

Therefore, my allergies are running rampant (thanks also to all the surrounding molds, ragweed and whatsis that is in the air) and that is evil.

2) I'm just about flat broke. This isn't likely to change anytime soon, but I would gladly pay anyone Tuesday for a hamburger today. It's depressing for I have positioned myself in a situation where I cannot make more money in my career without going out on my own, and I can't go out on my own without making more money. Equipment costs money and sadly that money is pretty much going to bills at this point with little left over.

What frustrates me the most is that Austin is supposed to be this "Third Coast" hotbed of video and film production. It's a falsehood. A lie that they tell the rest of Texas so that Austin maintains the ideal that it is the nexus point of creative film endeavours.

Apart from Robert Rodriguez, there just isn't much else besides art school films and independent (read: work for cheap as free) films. Hollywood imports their own.

Grrrr... I would just love to be proven wrong.

3) I'm bitching a lot to myself about my situation, but bitch out loud to only a select few. I need to bitch less because while I do enjoy the orgasmic release of hurling a few well crafted complaints into the air and shooting them down with .45 caliber colorful metaphors, oaths and slogans, it's not solving a thing. Bitching in the old blog doesn't solve much either and...

Oh. Never mind.

Happy news, happy news... Hmmm...

4) I'm Photoshopping again, as you may have guessed from the picture above! I'm also writing and while I may not be writing a lot of happy fun stuff lately, I'm at least back on the horse again. That feels good.

5) I'm digging the new season of Galactica. It'll be sweet to see how they get off New Caprica. What a fine mess!

6) I had crackers & cheese for lunch today. That may seem simple; that's because it is. I'll take my victories where I can! Heh.

7) I dusted off my copy of Jeff Wayne's War of The Worlds for this year. Joy! I so less than three that album and I am so happy to note the arriving Halloween season with another tradition observed! Huzzah!

Other than that, sun has come up and is about to go down. I'm just waiting for The Call so I can go pick up my little girl from the vet. It's hard to believe that it's been a week and two days. Time doth fly when you're having... Whatever.

And that's it for now. Be sure to visit my previous post to view an old Star Wars parody that still brings a smile! Until next time, have a spiffy weekend.

A Wake For An Honoured Guest...

Gather around and hoist a cold one of your choosing, for it is time for me to toast the memory of teh Kate.

*pours a cold Sierra Nevada into the glass*

I remember the time when we were going to entertain guests at the house. I had spent a few hours marinating some steaks and when they were almost ready for the grill, I left the bowl containing the steaks on the counter while I went outside to double check the grill's readiness.

I remember coming back in two minutes later to find an empty bowl and Katy was suddenly not anywhere around. I found her in the bedroom, laying on her bed with one of the biggest guilty looks I have ever seen.

It didn't take me more than a second to catch a whiff of steak breath to know without a doubt as to where the evening's feast went to. I was so mad at first, but just seeing that priceless look on her gob proved that I was truly just a softy at heart.

"How'd it taste, brat?" I grinned at her as she sunk down as low as she could. Then, she gave the slightest of burps and I couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, ok. You're still grounded, kid. No fetch for you this evening!"

She gave me a sigh that practically said, "Sorry, Dad. It was just too much to resist."

She'd snatch the ocassional dinner every now and then, so I learned that if I was going to make something tasty like hamburgers, I'd better make her one as well. Just hold the pickles! was the unspoken request.

Salut!

*Downs a sip*

Now, my brother reminded me last night of the time when I used Katy to help me play a prank on a SO, who was a pre-k teacher. The SO had been cutting out huge die cuts of letters to use in her classroom. I remember taking a picture of Katy standing over a pile of one letter that I had arranged on the floor in particular.

"Sorry, dear," I aplogized as I passed over the picture I had taken, "Katy 'P'd on the floor earlier and I thought you just had to see..."

Yep, I had taken a pile of die cuts of the letter P, spread them on the floor and had Katy stand over them as I took a picture.

Good times!

*Downs another gulp*

I remember when Katy had puppies. She had been a 'teenage mom', getting with a black lab during her first heat instead of the golden retriever that I had in mind for her when she had her second heat.

Even then, I still remember that long day and into the night as I stood vigil with her. If one ever wants to experience the joys of new life and hasn't had a kid, helping to bring puppies into the world is probably the closest thing.

She was so brave and I had never been prouder of her. The experience of raising puppies, while messy, was one of the cherished pet memories I've had. I remember Katy being with me as each puppy left for a good home. If she wasn't happy with the prospective owner, no deal. Judging by the homes that her kids went to, Katy had a good sense of who were truly Good People.

It's a lot of comfort to me that my folks have one of her puppies. At least I can still see something of her in Cocoa. Think I'll pop down for a surprise visit to give my grandpuppy a hug this week!

Cheers!

*Another one down the hatch*

When we had the house fire that essentially made us temporarily homeless, I remember how much I relied on Katy for support. I know it seems strange to some, but I know that she knew that things were very amiss and her reaction to it was to try to be strong.

She stuck by me that whole time and no matter how depressed I was or whatever else I was going through in life, she was always there to snuggle right next to me and let me know that she was there. That she cared.

That meant more to me than I think either of us realized. We may have lost our home and the cards may have been stacked against us for awhile, but she was there to see me through.

I remember how she was after my grandmothers died, both a year apart from each other. I didn't want to leave the house, let alone crack a smile, yet Katy always found a way to make me chuckle by her antics.

Big hearted kid, she was.

Here's one in honour of my friend in thick and thin!

*A long gulp for the love of that big, strawberry blonde clown!*

I remember that some of the best times were floating down the river. She'd get her own tube and while she seemed to spend half the trip happily swimming circles around the tubes, she was having the time of her life.

Some of the other best times we had were usually rides that we'd take in my truck. She loved nothing more than a long car ride because it meant that we were going on an adventure. Even if that adventure was to boring places such as the bank, or unwelcome places, such as the vet for her annual checkup. It was still something fun and exciting in her eyes.

Here's to those who find amusement in the most ordinary of circumstances...

*Another long sip*

Finally, here's a final toast to her memory. Thank you Katy for your lessons in taking things easy in life and for your love. I will never forget you. Fair winds and all the medium-rare steaks you can eat to ya kid.

Here's to Katy, the best friend a guy could have!

*Drains glass*

In Memory of My Best Friend...

Katy
4/25/00 - 10/11/06

It's hard to describe to non-pet owners about how it feels to lose a pet. Most pet owners would say it was like losing a best friend or family member.

For me, Katy was both.

I spoke some time ago of the day we met. Myself, the struggling photographer stuck in Houston for a summer who just happened to drive by one day, Katy the sleepy golden puppy who seemed to have not one care in the world.

The polar ice cap surrounding my heart melted as I stared into those sweet brown eyes that day. I knew that we were going to be best pals through thick and thin.

Flash forward 6.5 years later.

I received a frantic phone call last night as I was attempting to finish an order that I had due out early today. "Get here quick," the voice pleaded between sobs, "Katy's been hit by a car. I think... I think she's dead."

It was one of those moments when time stops. The only thing you are aware of is your breathing as the primal instinct of protecting your loved ones takes over. The car runs on automatic, using only the small part of your brain that is not otherwise occupied.

I arrived to find my little girl in the trunk of a car. She had been moved from the scene of the accident the only way that the person who called me could. The police had come and gone and I briefly recall myself asking why no one had tried CPR on her, forgetting briefly that I was talking about a dog and not a human.

I opened the trunk and there she was, still warm yet limp and lifeless. Her eyes were opened slightly and I could see from the lack of any movement and by the condition of her rib cage as I picked her up that she was indeed gone.

The next thing I can remember is cleaning my garage. Somehow I had moved her from the trunk to my truck to the garage without even realizing how long it took.

I had fetched her bed and laid her on it, having gently wrapped her up in her favorite blanket. It was then, as I stared at her when I finally lost it. She looked like she was just taking a nap, that she would hear my voice and would somehow spring to life again.

Since it was late, the vet was closed. I had to make arrangements for her... Funeral? Burial? What, I didn't know.

I rent, so I knew right away that I couldn't just pick out a nice spot in the back yard for her. I had briefly thought about asking my folks if I could bury her on their property, but a part of me knew fairly well that they probably wouldn't be amused by such a request. They might grudgingly agree, but I just don't think it was worth the drama.

I called the emergency number of the vet and contacted the local shelter. My choices were few. No one could take her in until 8 AM the next day for the purposes of cremation and the only other option that the people who answered the phone gave me was to take her to the shelter and place her in the dumpster they use for animal body disposal.

Dump my Katydid in a dumpster? I think the words "fuck" and "no" seemed to follow one another in rapid succession.

So, I did the only thing that I could do. I had a few beers and a big cry.

The place was littered with little reminders of her everywhere. A picture here, a tennis ball there, her leash hanging silently from the peg on the wall.

I don't remember sleeping more than an hour or two last night. I had a long talk with my brother, who above all I knew would understand. I chatted with my friend Trystera on teh Internets well into the wee hours until I finally managed to pass out, going out to the garage one last time to wish Katy a good night's sleep. As ridiculous as that may sound to some, it's hard to break the habits of 6.5 years. Anyone stupid enough to tell me that I'm nuts for that can go die in a fire.

Also, the assholes in this world who smack into beloved family pets and don't even bother to either move the animal or attempt to call the owner by looking at the tags on their collars can ALSO die in a fire. To hear it correctly, the fucknut didn't even bother to stop. Just *thump* and "What was that? Oh well..." hit and run dickshittery.

Harsh? You're absolutely goddamned right. I'm grieving, so suck it.

Somehow, 7 AM creeped upon me and I rose to get ready for the unwelcome task ahead. I put on my grubby housework clothes and walked into the garage.

"Morning, Kate," I choked back a few tears when I realized that she wasn't jumping up to see me, tail wagging all the time, "it's time to get ready to go for one last ride in the truck."

I snipped a few hairs from her fluffy tail. I thought I'd wrap a little ribbon around them and put the bunch in with a picture I had taken of her a year back. I got the idea from after my grandmother died. The funeral home had clipped a few hairs from my grandma and placed the lock of hair inside a little picture frame and gave it to my grandfather after her cremation. I thought the idea was sweet.

After that, I wrapped another blanket around her. It needed to be done, let's just leave it at that.

With one big heave, I lifted her, dog bed and all, into the back of my truck. The ride to the vet was a short one. The people were very kind and helped me to bring her inside.

They placed her on an exam table and it was time to say my goodbyes. The vet left me alone with her for a few more minutes and I scratched her gently behind the ear one last time.

Goodbye, Katybelle. I will always love you, my fluffy friend...

Since the day we first met, Katy and I have seen quite a few times, both good and bad. We've survived a house fire, we've chased tennis balls like there was no tomorrow, been there during the trials and emotional upsets that life throws at you and we've gone on more rides in my truck than I can recall.

You know the thing I loved most about the Kate?

The fact that no matter how horrible a day I had, no matter who I had pissed off or offended in some way or another, whenever I walked into the house, she was always there to greet me. She was always genuinely happy to see me. She was loyal, always happy to lend an ear (providing I scratched it, of course :) ) and just the sweetest dog you'd ever meet.

I always felt loved when Katy was around, even if my pitching arm grew tired of lobbing tennis balls hither and yon. She was happiest when we were together and I just couldn't foresee a time when we wouldn't be. Six point five years was too goddamned short.

I will miss my fluffy golden, more than anyone could understand. If there truly is a dog heaven, may she have all the bones and steak that she can eat, chase all the tennis balls that she wants and swim in the big, blue river in the sky.

G'night, my dear. I hope that wherever you are, you're happy.

Not back on it, Joe, still on it.

Almost six years ago, I met Katy in a parking lot in front of a Houston Petsmart.

I was working in Houston for the summer and just happened to pass by on the way back from lunch. Not sure what possessed me, but I stopped to look at the puppies that were playing and sleeping behind temporary chicken-wired fences beneath a shady oak.

There were three different fences, each containing a group of puppies sorted by breed. The first group were beagles and since I had grown up with a beagle-type dog as a child, I spent a goodly amount of time playing with them before I even looked at the other breeds.

I had wanted a dog of my own for quite a while, especially now that I had my own place and the beloved beagle mix that I had grown up with really belonged to my folks and one of my brothers. I have to admit, I was rather biased towards the familiar.

Then, my eye caught the glance of one of the puppies in the adjoining pens. The puppy laid there, head on its paws, with an expression that practically screamed, "when are you going to come play with me?!?"

I regarded the puppy for a few moments. It had the sweetest brown eyes that contained a glint that said, "I'm a little mischievious, but I swear to God that I'll love you more than the air that fills my little puppy lungs."

I stood up and its eyes seemed to follow me as I approached its pen. I am reminded of Anne McCaffrey's concept of Impression, where you look into the eyes of of the freshly hatched dragon and you are paired for life, except that the 'dragon' I was staring at was a baby female Golden Retriever.

I picked her up and began to scratch her behind the ears. The puppy closed her eyes and leaned into my hand, almost cherishing each stroke. I sat down beneath the tree and began to pet her and say various things that people seem to say to puppies or kittens that they deem adorable.

She yawned sleepily and began to curl up into my lap. The breeder noticed that this puppy seemed to have taken quite the shine to me and smiled. "I think she's found herself a friend," she chuckled knowingly.

"I wish," I replied, "I don't know if my apartment will allow big dogs or not."

The breeder considered this for a moment before asking, "Well, when's your lease up?"

"Three months," I mumbled as the puppy closed her eyes and yawned again. I couldn't decide if this cuteness was something that the breeder had taught her puppies, or if the particular one I was holding was using her little puppy wiles on me just because I'm a sucker for things cute and adorable.

"Well, I suppose there are other places that would be more big dog friendly, huh?" the breeder grinned. She could tell that I was going to have a hard time letting this one go.

I thought about my situation for a moment. The place I was living in at the time was indeed a hovel and not really the type of place that I imagined living in beyond my lease. A temporary stop between Points A & B, I suppose.

But a Golden?

Those cute puppies grow up to become cute biggie-sized dogs. How could I possibly think that I could manage a big dog? In an apartment?

"Well, I could get off my lazy ass more and go for walks," I chastised myself as I regarded my slowly expanding waistline, "A Golden would be good for getting me out of the house..."

Just then, the puppy put the icing on the cake as she burrowed deeper into my stomach and gave this little sigh. That sigh wasn't just one of content, it was one that said, "Can we go now, Dad?"

Awwww, damnit...

I became the proud owner of Katy, who quickly became my best four-legged friend. While we may not always see eye to eye on matters of behaviour and whom exactly that steak on the counter belongs to, I wouldn't trade my Golden pal for anything.

We've been together through some tough times, some good times, and a lot of times either playing in the water, playing fetch for hours at a time or just falling asleep watching TV.

While I've been through some personal crises of past years, she's been there to see me through. If the loyalty of a dog counts for something, then mine deserves a metric tonne o' cash.

We've been through a lot together and have moved to different places over the years. As we prepare to move again, I'm glad that she's with me. I wouldn't have it any other way.