Beware the Dog

Wow.� It�s been awhile.� Here are the Friday Five and an itty bitty update.

1. What's the last place you traveled to, outside your own home state/country?� I went to Savannah last week but that was in Georgia.� Before that I went to Boston and or Chattanooga.� I can�t remember which was most recent.� Probably Chattanooga.� Nah.� I am wrong.� I bet it was Pawlie�s Island.

2. What's the most bizarre/unusual thing that's ever happened to you while traveling?� We got lost last week in Savannah.� And like � two hours of lost.� B and I almost killed each other!

3. If you could take off to anywhere, money and time being no object, where would you go? All over.� I would love to travel all of the U.S. and all over Europe.� There is very little that I don�t want to see and/or experience.� How�s that for a non-answer?

4. Do you prefer traveling by plane, train or car?� Depends on who I am traveling with and where I am going.� I could take a hella� road trip with my friend M.� Or the plane and get more places quicker.

5. What's the next place on your list to visit?� I don�t know.� Anywhere I am invited to go.

Last Wednesday evening I got home from the weekly staff meeting and Atty was pacing and panting.� There was not a cloud in the sky and it was strange for him to stress like that.� I was concerned and around 9:45 p.m. he laid down, jaw clenched, heart racing and I lost my mind.

I have wonderful parents to take the call, find me a vet and calm me so late in the evening.

Atty had a stroke or a severe onslaught of the degenerative nerve disease that had been taking the use of his back legs for over a year.

The next morning he was still stressed and when I served him breakfast, he wouldn�t eat.

We were at the vet�s office alone for one and a half hours.� He calmed down after the first hour and I knew.

Thanks to B and T for helping make it so easy.� Because I loved � no, love � him and was glad that it was so painless.

I have been out of work for a week.� Atty died last Thursday and B and I went to the Chris Isaak concert that night, to Savannah the next day and then came back after fighting, getting lost and saying mean and cruel things to each other.

I cried drunkenly at the concert.� I demolished seven glasses of wine.� Was touched by the rainbow arching over the concert arena and missed my dog.� Chris Isaak�s songs of heart break made me think of Atty.

I cried in the car on the way to Savannah, in the car on the way back, in bed that night, the next morning and more off and on for the next few days.�

We picked up Atty�s ashes Wednesday and then met with his old family to trade stories and give them half the ashes.� Then, I stopped crying.

Good Bye Atters.� You are the best dog EVER.