Faithful Friend

We lost our steadfast pal, Odin, today, three weeks to the day after his brother Max's passing. At the risk of undue anthropomorphizing, he couldn't get over Max. They were best friends for life. Odin was a Great Pyrenees/Retriever cross and going on 15. He got cancer of the lungs. Nonsmoker. Never chased cats, always a model citizen. You couldn't ask for more in a dog or friend. He was always there for us - protected the pad without being an asshole. Did bite a jogger on the ass once.

Leslie called me with the news after lunch and I came home and we buried him next to his brother. Near the giant oak that Tom Pecore and I planted as a sapling twenty years ago. Last week, Willy/Lilly, the gender conflicted black cat, walked off into the sunset for a final exit.

I have a fleeting thought as to the pharoah's death where they put all members of his household into the tomb with him for his journey on the ship of the night. Wife might want to stay on her toes.

I am almost navajo in my feelings toward dead things. I feel the chindi or ghost of the being and have a really hard time touching corpses. Could never go into medicine.

It's been a strange surreal week. Coupled with a nagging feeling that I am going to run out of money is a sudden huge spike in blood pressure. The urologist couldn't get a hold of the cardiologist and I had to put out fires all this morning. All has now stabilized and things appear to be moving along. On Doctors orders, all liquid diet until the surgery with a minor amount of cheating. Leslie will be the bad cop gatekeeper so please arrange all hospital visits with her.

We had a wonderful meeting with the R&L club in Rancho Santa Fe last night - a great moroccan meal, some good red wine and wonderful friends. I discovered the secret identity of my blog reader in St. Thomas.

I slept until nine this morning - unusual for me. Storing up energy for the day's events. Made it to the gym for a cursory workout. Someone threw white paint all over the window of my shop which I had to clean off, mostly.

Dogs and cats are such a value in today's world. Fresh water, a bowl of food and a pat on the head will give you exponential returns on your investment. But they can also break your heart.