What Can I Possibly Say?

I'm sitting here crying. Absolutely. Crying. My friend Hannah, the vet tech who usually was with Bacchus when he visited, Oly's Mom, just called. She offered to give Oly to us.

She loves him dearly, adores him, but thought he'd be the ideal match for us. He's well trained. He's no longer just a puppy but by no means old. And he's a Saint. She had everything answered. When we wanted to travel, with our old kennel closing, she'd keep him. If something happened to us, he'd go back to her. Even my vet, at lunch the other day, said if we got another dog and something happened to us she and her husband would give him a home. Wow. If you wonder why I've thought so highly of these people, there is no better explanation than this.

No. There are two that have to be in concert with this decision and there aren't. Hub has made up his mind and there is no changing it. There is our age. My medical condition, whatever it is. The expense. Not immediately but as we age and the dog ages, the expenses increase. Just like with us. We were fortunate to be able to give Bacchus the very best care available. But it was expensive. Very.

And the heartache. The final months with Bacchus were bittersweet. We knew we were going to lose him. We just didn't know when or how. It was difficult. It was more than difficult. I was a mess. I'm more open with my feelings, but Hub, too, hurt more than I knew. And still does.

As much as I miss having a dog in the family, the rest hasn't faded to the point that I'm ready to look down a similar road again.

Oly has a wonderful, loving home with two Labs as playmates, and humans much younger and more energetic than I will ever be again. I couldn't, wouldn't, remove him from that. It's where he belongs. It's his home.

But the thought, the gesture is unlike anything I've ever experienced. I will never, ever forget it. Thank you Hannah. From the bottom of my heart. What more can I possibly say?

This Was My Dog Day Of The Summer!

Remember that little fuzz ball? The one on the right not too sure about the big guy next to him? It was about this time last year and I haven't seen him since. His Mom and I and Dr. Prince had lunch together and talked mostly about dogs. What else!

How I've missed that over sized bundle of joy that is a Saint Bernard! The scent of the fur, the softness of it. Even "the look" of saintly tolerence while receiving hugs for which he really wasn't in the mood. Too hot!

Sigh. It was a great change of pace for a summer day. Great memories and a short nonsensical piece of video by which to remember a close encounter with a furry kind.

Charlie The Wrangler

In a last ditch attempt to save face it's reported Charlie Rangel agreed to a last-minute plea deal which will probably go nowhere, nor should it. I'd like to think Congress doesn't even need an ethics committee, but of course they do. It is one arena where partisanship cannot be claimed. Both sides err. Even the likes of John McCain faced accusations during the Keating five investigation.

What irritates me is the contempt shown to we, the people, who elect them, put our trust in them. I am especially irritated by a man like Rangel who has been in Congress for 40 years! I'd think he'd have the 'can' and 'cannot dos' down by this time! But no. And when caught he drags his feet for two years all because he's worried that his legacy and career may end on a "tarnished note". Well, it should if he's indeed found guilty. And since he's been dragging it out I'd cautiously assume he will be.

Another thing that irritates me, my I am irritable these days, is the plea deal ploy. That's like trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear! Why should he even be allowed? After thirteen, thirteen violations! He even gets to choose which violations he will accept!

I have absolutely no sympathy for members of Congress who get themselves into these pickles. To blame their accountants or even their wives is nonsense. I had to laugh when Rangel chided young Luke Russert last week about showing him a lack of respect. I'd say the one with the lack of respect is Rangel toward his constituents and the public in general.

He should step down. He won't. Fortunately the ethics panel is made up of an even number of Democrats and Republicans so the Democrats can't bail him out. It's probably naive on my part to think if the evidence against him was truly shaky, he'd not be in the position he finds himself and even numbers wouldn't matter. Heck, he wouldn't be in this position in the first place.

His legacy? Tarnished? He should have thought about that before he decided to shine up to the wrong side of ethics.

If We All Looked The Same We'd Still Have The Illegal Immigration Problem!

Is anyone besides myself disgusted with the way the illegal immigration problem is playing out?

I find it thoroughly offensive that the Mexican President dare take us to task for the way his people, here illegally, are being treated. How dare he! This country that prints "how to" comics for those who wish to leave. I find it thoroughly offensive that U.S. citizens of Hispanic descent, attorneys, stand before judges defending illegals by claiming they're just people like the rest of us. No they aren't. They're breaking the law.

I find it thoroughly offensive the Federal government won't enforce the law for political reasons. I find it even more offensive that no one in Congress has the guts to shout it out!

Profiling Hispanics is not a personal affront; it's because they are the ones streaming across the border! Just like people of middle eastern descent are the Islamic terrorists. If they were French or Canadian or Chinese they'd be the ones we'd be scrutinizing! Or should be.

Why must we play politics with everything? So Obama can win the Hispanic vote? What's the matter with the Hispanics? The ones who are here because they did it the right way? Again, it's like the American Muslims. Why aren't they putting together a loud cohesive voice condemning radical terrorism? The Hispanics condemning the illegals? I say hooray for Arizona for their effort. That parts of their law have been shot down isn't surprising. It won't be surprising either when the government's promises don't play out.

Why is it we can't accept the simple truth as reality? There aren't two truths we have to decide between. Why can't the House ethics committee go ahead with their trial against Charlie Rangel rather than playing politics with it? What kind of country have we become?

Totally political. Totally dysfunctional.

Vets Lose Their Pets Too

I weaned myself from that infernal Facebook zoo game last night with the express purpose of visiting the pages of my friends. Most are far better at posting on them than I am. A one sentence snippet of what I'm cooking for dinner doesn't strike me as being of much interest to anyone - so I play zoo.

I should check the pages of my friends more often though. Good, bad or indifferent, there is usually news. Last night it was bad. Both Bacchus's local vet and his cardiologist have both lost "kids" of their own in recent weeks. I'd not met any of the dogs but I found myself tearing up anyway. I know their Moms.

It got me to thinking about what wonderful, special people my veterinarians have been. I can't think of a one that I had a long term relation with that didn't develop into a first name basis. I treasured those who seemed to love my dogs as much as I did. Of course they didn't, not on the same level. It was my dog, not theirs. Empathy seems to come naturally to them, even though they see sick animals day in and day out and must harden to the losses that inevitably occur. It's that they love animals, pure and simple.

I don't know of one who didn't have pets of their own knowing full well that they too would one day lose them. Lucky dogs - and cats, horses, fish, mice, birds - whatever. They received the very best care in the world.

As the person belonging to my dogs, I had the responsibility for their well being and quality of life. We always sought the best vets we could find and in turn placed our trust in them. Sometimes it's easy to forget they too are people like me with the same sense of responsibility, the same fears, the same emotional range. What they have that I don't is the expertise to do more than I could.

I know that both these ladies did everything possible for their dogs. And they agonized, just as I did with Bacchus. This time I had the empathy because I still bear the pain of loss. As bad as it remains, I know Bacchus had the best care we could give him because of the dedication and guidance of both these professionals.

I just hope they know they are the best and nothing better could have been done for theirs than they gave. It has to be a question that occurs, a question that penetrates grief. Rest easy ladies. Your "kids" had the best Moms in the world. They surely knew it. You need to know it too ~ and believe it.