Wednesday, April 29, 2015

My Casanova

One year ago yesterday, I lost my English Bulldog, Casanova, due to respiratory failure. It was absolutely heartbreaking to make that decision to let him go, but I did not want to see him struggle to breathe anymore and be so sick. Sometimes I still wonder if I made the right decision, but when I remember all the tubes in him and them working on him, and knowing it could happen again and again, I know it was the right thing to do, even though it was so very painful.

I miss Casanova every single day. How can you not love this face?


So, to my sweet puppy, I will always remember:

Your dear, sweet, sad, serious, loving wrinkled bulldog face looking at me

The way you planted your face in my leg when you wanted a biscuit at night

How you'd look at the "cookie jar" and then back at me, wanting me to give you a cookie, sometimes going to stand in front of it in case I didn't see it, looking at it then at me then at it then back at me

How when you would even hear the word"biscuit" or "cookie" and your ears would perk up and you knew exactly where they were

How you'd sit on my right side during dinner, knowing I would give you something off my plate, and barking at me in case I didn't realize you were there

How you would hurry through your dinner so you could hurry over to Paxil and wait for him to finish his dinner, hoping he left some on his plate so you could eat it. Then you would go to the front door and bark, like you needed to go pee, but really you wanted to see if Spot had been fed outside and left some on his plate for you to eat.

How happy you were when I'd get home from work, and wiggle your butt

How excited you'd get when I'd say we were going "bye-bye" and you'd prance around while I'd put your harness on

How you would get into the car and then stand up in the middle between me and the passenger seat, just looking out the front windshield (even on the day you died)

How you'd wait for a biscuit at the top of the stairs and then for the last one on your pillow when we'd go to bed at night

How you would sit and "say 'please' " for a treat

How you would snuggle with Hector in his chair in the basement

How excited you would be and start looking at the doors when I would say "Daddy's home!"

How you loved to eat snow

How you hated water and that time Sean Michael dropped one drop on your back and you jumped up like you had been shot and you ran around the yard and then into the house and thru the kitchen, dining room and living room and back out the front door.

How you loved licking some of the whipped cream from my Sb macchiato off my finger

How I'd share a lot of cookies with you, I'd eat down to a bite on each one and then give you the piece left

How you were just such a good dog

How you would lay at my feet in the living room

Your snoring

How in the mornings if we'd turn on the light you would turn your back to us like you weren't ready to get up yet

How in the mornings (or anytime) while I'd be putting on make-up and you'd sit between my legs, knowing i was going somewhere. Every pair of pants I owned had your slobber on the knees.

I don't even mind the scar I have on my big toe from when you attacked my foot in the middle of the night. My fault though because I startled you and it was dark and just did what a dog would do. So I have a daily reminder of you.


Oh Cas how I miss you so much my puppy.







Sunday, April 26, 2015

That California Feeling

As Sean Michael and I were going to Starbucks this afternoon, I just kept thinking I wish I were back in California. It is so different here, all green and lots of trees, and just a different feel to it than California. I know it is dry and gets hot in California and Fresno isn't the same town I grew up in, but not so deep inside I am still a California girl trapped in Virginia.

I mentioned it to Sean Michael and he said that was how he felt about NC, and that he liked the feel down there rather than here. Now personally I don't think NC is quite that different than here, but then again, I suppose it is. I know I wasn't happy the first year we lived here and it did feel different than NC, what with the faster pace, all the traffic and rude drivers, and just in general. I would have gone back to NC in a heartbeat back then, but eventually I got used to living here and while it isn't that bad anymore, my heart is still in Cali.

Being home for a month was really nice and I think had I been offered a job I might have just stayed. lol I think too just having a lot of people there that I know and love makes me want to go back, whereas I don't have that here. Yes I have a couple of friends here in Virginia, but I only get to see them sporadically as we all live miles apart and not just within a quick driving distance (especially when you factor in that dang traffic!).

Who would have thought at this age, and after living on the east coast for over 25 years now, I would be feeling homesick for California. They always say you can't go home again, but you know, I disagree with that. Because it always makes me happy to be there and wish I lived there again. And maybe, just maybe, I will.

In the meantime, I'll keep The Mama and The Papa's "California Dreamin'" playing in my head.

Friday, April 24, 2015

The New Year Begins Today

Today I turned fifty-eight years old. Fifty-eight. Wow. So, even though it is kind of an odd number and not a mile stone or anything, I decided earlier this month that this would be the beginning of the new year for me. And since it is the New Year, I have made resolutions to go with it:

1) Keep up with my blogs. (Yeah, I know. Been there, done that, and failed. Well, here we go again anyway.)
2) Lose weight. (See above in parenthesis.)
3) Take a picture every day and post to Facebook or to here, and technically keep a Project 365 for the year.
4) Start writing. Whether it be about my past or observations or whatever. But write.

That's it. Short and sweet and should be doable. Just like every resolution I've made...but let's see if I can make it stick. Here's keeping my fingers crossed.

Here is my first picture of the new year, of me and Sean Michael at Fujiyama, a Japanese restaurant that they took me to for my birthday:


And away we go....