As I sit on my sofa with two of my three dogs, half watching a “Twilight Zone” marathon while trying to keep paws off my keyboard, I have to marvel at a year gone by so fast, at a year during which I have worked too hard and not written enough. It was a year seemingly unremarkable, and yet it was marked by milestones.
Early in 2012, my great guy and I left Victoria Park and moved to the beach. We loved the two-block walk to a quiet beach. We couldn’t believe our good fortune to have a beautiful manicured and fenced yard for the Boston pups. We made a tentative peace with our duplex neighbors who parked in our spots and routinely woke us up at 5 a.m. with their drunken idiocy, and we only called the police three times on the back-door neighbors who only know how to communicate by screaming and throwing household objects at each other.
Just goes to show, no matter how nice the neighborhood, there goes the neighborhood when it’s SoFla and you can’t afford $3000 a month in rent to live a block away on the Intracoastal.
Today our beach is closed, thanks to hurricane Sandy who didn’t come within 300 miles of us. At least I don’t own a million-dollar home on that now virtually nonexistent strip of sand.
On May 1, I was promoted to private event manager, promptly took 4 days off to enjoy the experience-of-a-lifetime Kentucky Derby, and then became buried in weddings, retirement parties, baby showers, and any number of surprise birthday celebrations. Mine is not a store with banquet captains, linen service, or high-end events. It is, however, an incredible learning experience every weekend based on usually great and sometimes horrible clientele. Mostly, I have learned that when reasonable and decent people host events, the events hardly feel like work; and when a bride vomits on the dance floor, a four-hour reception feels never-ending and never ends well.
This October, I was determined that my beloved Bostons would win a costume contest at their vet’s office. They did, as portrayed in my last post, dressed up as “Boston Baked Beans.” The prize included treats, a shout-out online, and a free office visit. In an incredible and incomprehensibly sad turn of events, our younger Boston Angel fell ill mere days after the photo was taken and the prizes won. On November 3, we made the surreal and so difficult decision to allow her to rest in peace.
One day your dog is seemingly fine, and the next you’re shown an X-ray riddled with splotches that mean inoperable cancer. The vet’s office applied the office visit prize to her last visit. Her ashes now rest on a shelf in the dining room, surrounded by photos of her in happier and healthier days.
Rouletta seemed dazed and aloof after Angel’s passing. My great guy perused every pet rescue Web site in Broward County, trying to find an angel to make us feel better. I worked hard to forget Angel’s last visit to the vet, which resulted only in my constantly reliving it. Our little family was, in a word, a mess.
Then a funky Pug/Boston/Beagle/Corgie and everything-else mix named Mr. Bow came to our home for a trial visit. Rouletta perked up, my great guy stopped his online searches, and I could finally let Angel rest. Once-abandoned Mr. Bow, with his turned-out paws and meat-loaf body, was all too happy to call our house his home.
And that would be the end of the story, except for a call I received while my great guy and I were watching the ponies race at Gulfstream a couple of weeks ago. “You’re on a list for a Boston Terrier and we have one. Can you come by today to see him?”
“We’re on a list?” I asked my great guy.
“We were on every list, before Mr. Bow,” he answered.
“Well, one of those lists still has us on it and they have a Boston for us to see.”
You don’t just go “see” a dog at a shelter. You kid yourself if you think you won’t walk out with a wriggling, too-skinny bundle of long legs and a slobbery face.
And now there are three.
Mr. Bow
Rouletta celebrating her 10th birthday.
Rufus, the skinny Boston, who we hope to fatten up in no time.
I saw both my kids on Christmas, the Redskins beat Dallas to win the division, and I am off tonight, New Year’s Eve. In my world, that’s a pretty nice way to say goodbye to 2012 and welcome 2013.
Happy new year to all.
Comments
27 responses to “2012–Over Already?”
You cannot replace a beloved animal companion. It just doesn’t work that way. BUT, I firmly believe that when a new chance to love shows up so completely unexpectedly, as did Mr. Bow and Rufus, there is a reason, and I KNOW Angel had a hand in bringing that new love into your lives.
I am SO happy 2012 ended on such a positive note, and as always, am SO happy to see you post. Hugs and good wishes for the new year to you, your great guy, and your kids, both the furred and non-furred. π
PS BTW, you’ve heard of the new tag line for Tony Romo’s cologne? “You use it, but the other guy scores.” π
Jennifer–Thank you. And thanks for continuing to check in with RG. Hopefully, more posts in 2013. Happy new year to you! (Love the Romo joke!)
Happy New Year! So sorry to hear of your loss, but am glad to meet the new members of your family. Glad that Rouletta has new friends to keep her company. May you and your great guy have a most wonderful 2013. Looking forward to hearing more of your adventures in the upcoming year!
So glad you checked in, Gal. A happy 2013 to you and your man and your canine pals…
Echo–Thank you much! Happy and wonderful new year to you.
Leah–Glad you checked in! Happy 2013 to you as well.
Happy for the new post, sad for the pup news. Sorry.
I LOVED the posts from WAY back in the Wa DC days of people behaving badly (and sometimes exceptionally well) at your restaurant. Sounds like we might be in for some new posts on the same from your new gig? Hope so!
Be well, keep writing, and best wishes that 2013 will be the best yet!
Shannon
Happy New Year back! Hope you are having a good time at work – I look forward to some stories of brides and events that don’t go as planned (or do and are just as bad)
Shannon–Thanks! Stories about naughty guests…I have many. I also have many about decent folks. But somehow, they seem repetitive and unoriginal. Nothing and no one, so far, has dangled the muse in front of me. We shall see. Maybe.
Joeinvegas–All good and happy new year to you! As for those stories–see my comment to Shannon.
Doesn’t matter if they aren’t original, there is still some minor variation. Working at the Sands Convention Center, each event seemed to be just a repeat but if you look closely there were differences, and we still like to hear the same good stories over and over.
Happy New Year RG!!!
Hope 2013 is a good one for you, your man and the dogs π
Happy New Year!
I am sad – and slightly concerned to not have seen you twittering or writing since 2013 started – hope all is well. I treasure your writings so much. Much love from slightly springy-ish Colorado!
Just wanted to say thanks
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