Quick update
It’s been a busy few days around here, even though it feels like I’m still in a bit of a haze. I’m not sure just when I will be leaving for Charleston yet for the viewing and the funeral, but I do know I’ll be there for a bout two or three days, split up over the week. Richard’s funeral will be on Saturday, but the viewing will be on Monday. His boyfriend wasn’t sure of the times when I talked to him, and I told him we’d talk about it later. He’d had a pretty good morning with Richard’s father getting the arrangements made and I didn’t want to ruin it with details. He sounded pretty good, so I hope that continues.
Thank you to one and all who have given their condolences. I’ve been saving them up to pass along to Richard’s family as well.
We did go to the circus yesterday and enjoyed it. Lots of pictures, though a few I don’t think came out that well. It was what we needed as a distraction. For a few hours at least.
Once I hear back from one of the Troop leaders, the Youngest and I will be going to Thinking Day today with her troop. Originally I was going to get the info from her yesterday when we were to have sold cookies with her, but since we didn’t go, I didn’t get the info. It promises to be fun and another distraction for us. I’ll have to see about making arrangements for the Youngest to be able to go to the booth sales next Saturday, since we are signed up, but I wont be there for it. Not sure how the Hubby would feel about going with people he doesn’t know. But there is still time to plan it out.
And for the few that asked, yes, Richard is ultimately responsible for me getting my puppy, Vader. The end of June ‘08, I had gone over to his place where his roommate's dog Shadow was not looking too good. Richard had mentioned that they couldn’t feed her enough sometimes and I checked her out. She looked VERY pregnant. I asked the roomie about it and he said she was just fat. If you’ve been around a pregnant dog, then you know what to look for, and she didn’t look fat. Her belly was big, but the rest of her was very gaunt. I let it rest with a whisper to Richard to sneak her some extra food. Well, about two weeks later, on my birthday I get a phone call, “You were right!” Shadow had thirteen puppies, thought the youngest two didn’t make it. They kept asking if we wanted one or more of the pups, and I kept saying no. We didn’t have the room and the money, considering these were the babes of a Chocolate Lab (we figured that out later) and a Husky.
Fast forward a little over a month. My BFF was still living down here at this time and we had decided to make it a girl’s day out for us girls, Youngest included. We went shopping, had lunch, and a lot of fun. Not long after lunch I’d gotten a call from Richard. He’d just had a seizure and was really out of it. I mean really out of it. We rushed over to his place, to find he’d hit his head pretty hard during the seizure, enough to make him bleed, and it was a lot. I had the BFF and Youngest look after the animals (the roommate and his family were out of town) while I assessed Richard. Finally I put my foot down with him and told him he was going to the ER, no matter what he said. He was in bad shape, and I was getting worried, especially when he could barely remember anything. So off to the ER we all went, with the Youngest echoing how the puppies loved her and could she have one.
Richard spent that night with us at home after we were finished at the ER (we would learn later he’d had a stroke with the seizure), because I didn’t want him by himself. Even with him out of it, he knew not to mess with my ‘mommy voice’ as he used to say. The next afternoon, Hubby went with us to Richard’s and he and the Youngest took care of the animals as I got Richard settled in and we were able to make contact with the roommate. While that was happening, Hubby was being sucked in by the cuteness of the puppies… I knew my days were numbered… The pups were only about four weeks along, but there were so many and Shadow could not keep up with them. So it was decided that next weekend they would be giving them away during a planned yard sale. Hubby had already picked one out, and made it clear that this would be his truck dog when he became and owner operator. So I gave in and said yes.
That week after the yard sale and we had Vader home, I had taken a vacation because of family things and a surgery I needed to have done. Well, that started the down fall of me and not wanting to get attached to this puppy. Yup, we all know how well that one worked out :). Thank you Richard!
