buddy

Last night my friend Amber who sell Premier Designs jewlery had a meeting in my parents town so she asked me if I wanted to ride along. Of course I did!

I text my mom to see if she had to work, she didn't (yay!!) and she told me that if they weren't home when I got there that they (mom & dad) were meeting at Lakeside (a bar by their house) for a drink after work. So Amber dropped me off at home, no one was there, so I walked down to Lakeside to have a drink with them. Then the future Mr. came and met us there too. While we were there, Dad told us that he had cried that afternoon. My dad is not a crier. So we looked at him kind of funny and asked why. He told us that he had called the vet and made an appointment to have our dog, Buddy, put down on Thursday afternoon at 1:30. Then dad started to cry in the bar. Not like sobbing and gasping for breath, but glossy tears in his eyes and rosy cheeks. Then we went home to grill burgers for dinner and I was petting Buddy and I lost it. I just started crying and couldn't stop (and I'm starting again as I write this).

You should know that Buddy is a 15 year old black lab. Labs don't norally live that long. He is an old man. He has trouble standing, Dad told me that he has had to pick the dog up at least once a day for the past week. And that sometime's Buddy back legs will go out and he can't stand back up, and then we're not sure if he gets frustrated or what happens but he loses his bladder control and goes #1 and #2 wherever he happens to be. He can hardley see or hear any more. It is time to put him down but we were all hoping that the would go naturally this past winter.

I didn't think that I would cry when this day came. I didn't think that I would be that attached to our dog. But serioiusly, how can you not cry when you realize that this cute face won't be a part of your life any more?

How cute is he in the sidecar of the Harley? He loves to ride with Dad. He even had Doggles to keep the wind and bugs out of his eyes. A few winters ago Dad took his motorcycle down to Mississippi for a mission trip and he hit a deer on the way home. The original sidecar was ruined (the dog wasn't in it, Dad was by himself) so instead of ordering a new sidecar from Harley, Dad built one out of wood that has a door and a step stool that hooks onto the side so that it's easier for Buddy to get in and out. If that isn't love, I don't know what is.

Or how can you not cry when you know you won't see this face any more?

He was convinced that the ice cream man had a treat for him too.

I told Mom that they should grill steak for dinner on Wednesday and make sure that they share with Buddy. And Buddy's favorite is hamburgers from fast food joints. Just the burger. He wants nothing to do with the bun (cuz those carbs will get you!!), all he wants is the burger. So that's where Dad is going to take him before they go to the vet on Thursday. Might as well make his last few meals good ones.

It's been a great 15 years Buddy. We'll miss you.

Love, a future Mrs.