*sigh*

It's one of those great Portland days where it rains and rains and rains and rains. Kind of suits my mood today though.

I'll get the sad stuff out of the way first. I lost another dog friend yesterday. My neighbor Linda adopted Tony the pug from a pug rescue place a little over a year ago I think. He had been living with an older couple and when the husband died the widow decided she didn't want him anymore. (Which is sad enough by itself... I just can't comprehend it.) Tony couldn't really see anymore (cataracts) and his hearing wasn't great either but otherwise was a seemingly healthy and spry little guy. Linda got him to be a friend to her other pug Boris, who is about the same age -- 9 or so. The best Tony story is that Linda saw something on Oprah or some show about a talking dog who would say "I love you" back to his to his owner when she said it first. Linda decided she'd try it with Tony and sure enough, next thing you know, Tony is saying "I love you" (in a doggie growly sort of way) back to Linda. It was hilarious. That trick was a huge hit at the neighborhood garage sale :)

So yesterday evening as I was about to leave to go to dinner there was some commotion next door. Linda had just come home and couldn't find Tony. So off I went, walking around the neighborhood, yelling "Tony!". (Fortunately he had a name that wasn't to bizarre to walk around yelling in the twilight like Nacho or something.) Linda's sons and friend were all driving around looking as well. After about an hour is got dark and there was no sign of him. Linda went to go put up signs around the neighborhood. The cool thing was I ran into people I knew and/or Linda knew so there were at this point at least 10 people keeping an eye out for him. I came back home, checked online for any "found dog" ads that might be him with no luck and eventually went to sushi over an hour late. (Sorry Jen, Michelle, Annie, and Zarah...)

When I came home, Linda heard me pull up and came out to tell me that she had found Tony dead under her bed. It seems pugs are prone to heart attacks and that's probably what happened. She was obviously very upset so I took her over a glass of wine and we talked for an hour or so. She gave Tony a great last year of his life... I'm sure it wasn't a bad way for him to go but it's hard on Linda. Any dog that I've ever known has died after being sick. At least that way the people get a chance to say goodbye. Whenever this happens I realize (again) that Jackson is getting to be an old man (he's older than Tony and a big dog too) and that makes me very sad. I am going to be an absolute train wreck when his time comes...

Anyway this is all too sad. Friday we had a rainy/sunny/stormy day and a rainbow... I don't know why I like them so much but I do. When I was a kid I almost severed a major artery by putting my hands through our glass storm door while running outside to see a rainbow -- still have the scar. Must be a gay thing :)