V's Thoughts

Friday, September 07, 2007

Our last day

Our last day

Well today I said goodbye to my old friend as I was holding her. As weird as it seems, I think she knew it was time.

I came home from work after lunch and lost it bad. We spent the afternoon together. We went into the backyard for the last time (with our lab Abby) and then she heard it, a squirrel. Now, back in the day, she was Johnny the Jet like (without the gas station issue) with her speed and moves and would catch squirrels and rabbits (hands down a great jogging dog). Today, she took two steps, stopped and turned and looked at me. I absolutely knew at that point it was time.

We then said goodbye to Abby and went to Towl Park for the last time. We spent a lot of time there over the years. And in some last acts of defiance, let me know were she wanted to go, not were I wanted to go. Then we went to the Vet.

I will not go into to much detail, other then I truly think she knew it was time. She ALWAYS would shake when we went to the vet. Even if I changed vets, she knew the smell of it. She did not shake at all, and had an unusual calm to her.

I held her at the vets for quite a while, always looking at the atomic clock. Cherishing each second as it ticked away. All, while crying like my 5-month old…uncontrollably.

I know now that she is in a place were she can run, play catch (she loved that), chase animals and know there will never be a thunderstorm or vacuum cleaner to scare her. She was loved by all who met her and got to know her. When I would bump into ex-girlfriends over the years, one of their first questions would always be about Mayte.

Mayte, you were loved by many and I will miss you for the rest of my life.

# posted by V's Thoughts @ 7:27 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Goodbye to my old friend

Christmas of 1992 my brother made a trip to the Nebraska Humane Society to get a dog. He came home with a beautiful Black Flat Coated Retriever. I was renting a room in my brothers house and I was as close to her as everyone in the house. Mayte was a little more than a year old. It became very apparent that she had been abused by her prior owner. She was very afraid of men, and the bigger the man, the more afraid she was (It took her almost 10-years to get over this). I moved out two-years later. A year after that, my brother decided to go to grad-school in Lincoln and Mayte became mine.

She has been one of my best friends over the years. I always said, “She does not care where I have been, who I have been with or what time it is. When I come home, she is just happy to see me.” She has always been there for me. When I would get serious with a girl, I would always tell them that Mayte was here before you and will be here after you. That one never went over to well. She was there for me during break-ups, deaths in my family, when I was losing my hair, when I lost jobs, my wife losing a pregnancy, and losing my mother earlier this year. She always had that sense that something was wrong and always came over with that, “Pet me, you will feel better. Then you are going to throw the ball and I am going to run, get it, and bring it back. It will be fun.”

Mayte has been the subject of many stories of my friend’s children here in Omaha and over the U.S. I have truly never met anyone that did not like her. She does not have a bad bone in her body.

Unfortunately, her body is now failing her. I finally came to the conclusion tonight that privately everyone has known but me. It is time to put her down. Her spirit is there, but her body is not. She stopped eating and has been having problems walking. And her sphincter has been working in slow motion and that has not been going over to well lately. My two-year old has even picked up how “Mayte poop?” We have another dog Abby (who is 11). When Abby goes out she always waits for her. When Mayte is gone, Abby is miserable and comes to life when she returns. I tell them they are the best doggie friends in the world.

So in the last six months I ordered the morphine to speed things along with my mother on her final night and tomorrow I am going to schedule my dog’s final ride in the car to go to the vet. Knowing it is the best thing for her is no consolation. I will have to explain this to my two-year old and that is not going to be easy.

# posted by V's Thoughts @ 9:29 PM 0 comments

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Domo's Baby Brother....

Giovanni Antonio arrived on March 14th.

# posted by V's Thoughts @ 9:21 AM 0 comments

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Domo's 1-year pictures

Well, we had the photographer we liked and his pic's turned out great. Especially with the UNO hockey jersey:

# posted by V's Thoughts @ 10:19 PM 0 comments

Saturday, May 20, 2006

First birthday (and a 40th and a 38th)

Well Dominic turned 1-year old on May 11th (I turned 40 on the 2nd, and Di turns 38 on the 23rd). Here is the picture we turned into the TV station for their first birthday segment:

I cannot believe he is a year old, here is his newborn picture:

# posted by V's Thoughts @ 10:11 AM 0 comments

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Drunkin' Ozzy stage has begun....

Well, Domo has been on the verge of walking for about 4-6 weeks now, walking against anything he can hold onto. On Wednesday, March 1st, he took the first step without holding onto anything. He stopped and looked at us both and I said, "Get the video camera going." After we got the camera going, he then took his first multiple steps. Two days later, he is walking everywhere, changing directions, bending over to grab toys, we are in big trouble. Today he got to show off to his cousins Nick, Jake, and Kyle. Yesterday, he got to show off to cousin Nat'.

He is a walking fool and already fell and bonked his head. Now, we basically are going to be saving his life for the next 12-months.

# posted by V's Thoughts @ 11:58 PM 0 comments

Saturday, February 18, 2006

My 9-Month Pictures

Well, Dominic was in a great mood when we arrived at the photographers to take his pictures, and there is no other way to put it, she sucked. Domo's personality did not come through during the session. There are a couple of good photo's, but nothing like his Christmas pictures.

BTW, my company's website is up, click the link left or follow this link: www.americanresearchprofessionals.com.