The Ears

"You wanna go out?"

Everybody talks to their dogs. Of course they cant talk back. But nobody said anything about sign language.

The Gift

Its been 10 months since that day in July. Saying goodbye to Java was one of the most painful things I have ever had to do. The only thing that even comes close to consolation is that it was what was best for him. That's the dark side of having dogs. But this is about the good stuff, so let's start at the beginning...

May 1997
It was my birthday. Hopefully, just another day. Rebekah came over and said she had a birthday gift for me. I noticed she also had a suspiciously devious grin on her face. As instructed, I followed her out to the sunken patio, where she told me to wait. She ran up the stairs to the driveway and disappeared, with me following when she yelled for me. Being a fan of good surprises (and a fan of Rebekah's), I didn't try to guess what it was. I wanted the full effect of whatever she had in store for me. Well, I should have maxed the protection on my photometric Rayban's. Rebekah was walking towards me with a huge paper shopping bag, printed with balloons and confetti with a big yellow bow on it, her smile a mile wide. In the bag, there was puppy peaking out of the top of it.

"You want me to do what?"

  Java at the helm in the Petco lot just before being birthday bagged.

It was a full blown, off the rails, OMFG moment. Heart thumping, I was reduced to a blithering idiot. homina, homina, homina...I stammered "Holy shit, is that a puppy?" Yes, genius. That's a puppy. Rebekah had another shopping bag, purple with ribbons and more confetti with a big purple bow on it. In addition to the small dog, these bags were filled with everything the recipient of a surprise birthday puppy might need. From a tiny puppy crate, puppy food, cleaning wipes, and a dog license form to puppy toys, a disposable camera, puppy food & water bowls, a puppy book titled "Surprise Puppy? - Your Life Will Never Be the Same", a puppy collar and leash, 2 more cameras, a puppy training guide and last but not least, more toys. Something else caught my eye. At the very bottom of the purple bag, almost completely hidden by all the brilliantly colored tissue paper,  was a small white card about half the size of a playing card. On one side in barely perceptible, flowing script was written "If we know ourselves, we're always home, anywhere." On the other side was a smeared black stamp - "this item non-returnable".

It was the beginning of a 14 year saga of love and laughter, comfort and companionship with many adventures and lots of wagging tails and sloppy licks.

Receiving the first of many obligatory "He is just so cute" goochie gooze.

This is all Milton's fault. Had I not been hanging around with him so much, I dont think Rebekah would've had the idea to get me my own dog. Now, I will never be without at least one. They are so much better to be around than most humans.

3 boys

Java doing his best WTF after being restricted from roaming the countryside without adult supervision.