Sachi Memorial

Sachi is with us no more. He was blind, deaf, could barely walk, and had even lost his sense of smell. He couldn't find his food. The end was gentle for him.

He is the only dog I've ever had that we paid for. He was a puppy when we got him and our children were young. Shiba Inu was a new breed to us, one we had picked from a book. Very independent. He never learned to "come". Simply would not do so. If he got outside the yard he was off to explore. Wouldn't go far, but might bark at pedestrians. He was just big enough and nicely built with a broad chest to intimidate people. Once he got of the backyard when no one was home and scared the post woman enough that the postmaster suspended mail delivery to the entire block until I signed an acknowledgment that he exhibited vicious behavior and that I would keep him confined. Ha ha. What a trip. He was very handsome and frequently drew comments from strangers.

Unfortunately, he was plagued with health problems. Skin problems that left him itchy, scaly, mangy looking. Stones in his bladder that cost $1100 to remove. Cushing's Disease which we controlled for years with low doses of a chemotherapy drug. Rather, Kathy controlled it by carefully monitoring his condition and being involved in his care.

He was a fantastic guard dog and would rush to the front door any time anyone knocked and bark fiercely at them. Once they were inside and he understood that we accepted them as part of the pack, then he was o.k. with them. He was a fine dog and good friend.....we loved him and shall miss him. I trust he is getting acquainted with Butch and Jacko now, a couple of the best dogs that ever kept me company.

Thanksgiving 2006

The drive to Portland on Thanksgiving Day took 5 hours. Mostly due to heavy traffic from Seatac to almost Olympia. Grrrrr. We arrived at 4:30 p.m.

Thanksgiving was quite nice, thank you. Lauren, Danielle, Sara, Harlan cooked up a fine meal. Turkey was perfectly done. They had set up a ping pong table and covered it with a sheet. We had a fire, some candles, good food, and played three very competitive games of Cranium. I cannot hum a tune. We did not go around the table and individually give thanks, but I was very thankful to be with Lauren, in her house, with her friends, for the first Thanksgiving that she hosted.

On Friday, Lauren went with Kathy and I downtown for some shopping and holiday atmosphere. I got a new pair of shoes, bought Lauren some clothes, and we tried to wait for a big Christmas tree to be lit. But….the talkng head local radio "personalities" were yacking it up too long so we left.

Kathy and I ate some leftovers at Lauren's and then hit the road back to Seattle about 7 p.m. Got home just fine, no traffic jams anywhere.

Ja, verstehen sie Deutsch?

I think I got that wrong, but Lauren can tell me. Listening to cd's on learning German in anticipation of going there.

15 months tomorrow since I lost my boy. It is the rainiest November in Seattle history and the gray wet is seeping into my marrow and making my vision blurry. Is that rain or tears in my eyes?

Tomorrow we go to Portland where our fine girl and her roommates will be hosting Thanksgiving. Looking forward to that. We're going to stay at her house. Should be a fine time.

Best to all of you. Keep the rubber down, face into the wind, and be of good cheer........or else things will get really hard.

59.5

As of November 3 I was 59 1/2 years old which means I could take distributions from my 401K without penalty. I don't intend to and am not in a financial position to retire, but it is strange to cross one of the thresholds to "old age". So, I went off to the gym and pumped some iron. By the time I am 60 I may look like those pictures of Charles Atlas that I used to see in the back of comic books when I was skinny boy being picked on by bullies.

Election Reflection

Democrats have narrow margins for majority in both House and the Senate. Could mean partisan gridlock or, hope springs eternal, it could mean the center will find a way to reach across the aisle and work together. It is very gratifying to see Bush and the neocons humbled, but that won't mean much for long if nothing positive gets done in next two years.

Dixie Chicks Lay Down The Licks

They played the Tacoma Dome on Veterans Day. Kathy, Lauren and I went to the show and had a great time. Crowd spent most of the evening on their feet clapping and shouting for more. Those girls can play and Natalie Maines is a lead singer. Strong steady voice belting it out from the toes up through the diaphragm (what the hell is that "g" doing in that word?) for all 22 songs. They took a couple low keys pokes at Bush and the election, but mainly they stayed with the music. Crowd was with them. All ages from kids to retirees, some with cowboy hats and boots. Got home about 1 a.m. which is very late night for us, but it was worth it.

Veterans Day 2006

The tide has turned on the neocon vision of dominating the world with military adventurism. Those of us who served in Vietnam knew that Iraq would be a repeat of that fiasco. Why couldn't those in power see that? Flabbergasting suspension of judgement not to mention ignoring "those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it"… Evidently, Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld (and all their pals who did not serve in Vietnam) learned nothing from that era. Now many thousands are dead and our country has another embarrassing foreign policy adventure to recover from.

Bits and Pieces from the Zone

Here's Lauren on a Sunday morning in August in Portland Oregon, at a sidewalk cafe in Sellwood. Simple pleasures.





Now it is a different Sunday morning in Seattle in November. A bit of daylight out there through the clouds, but more rain and wind are expected. Been a while since I have posted. Not sure why. Where I am at:

• I'm happy my daughter is only 180 miles away in Portland, OR at Lewis & Clark College.
• I always miss my son late at night when I wake briefly and look at the sky through the skylight over our bed. It's been 14 months, seems like years.
• We're going to Munich for holidays. Looking forward to that.
• We've been blessed with the kindness of many friends and family in the past 14 months who have let us know they care about us, and who have continued to reach out to us even though we're basically black holes and emit no light, love, or energy back to them. Thank you to Ginger, Jim, JT, Karen, Chuck, Julie, Nancy, Ananda & Linda, Mike & Teri, my boss Rick, Max, John Price, Carol & Lowell, Compassionate Friends, Sean, Gary, Geri, a great m-in-law, all of our neighbors, the wonderful people at Hackett, Beecher, Sylvia, Barb, my many friends at that great law firm, Perkins Coie, and all those who I have failed to mention here.
• I'm looking forward to what promises to be a significant change in Washington, D.C. in two more days.
• Our dog is getting very old. Blind, deaf, gimpy, etc. He's had significant decline in the past year.....not a happy thing at any time, but following so close to Seth's death it weighs me down to think about putting Sachi "to sleep".
  
• My motorcycle enthusiasm continues. It's fun. Wish I'd discovered it sooner.
• I'm in the best physical shape I have ever been thanks to regular strength training the past 18 months. I'm a bit surprised by enjoyment of gym time.
• My home office and paperwork is a total mess. One part of my life that I am struggling to keep on an even keel. I am doing this blog instead of working on filing....procrastination runs deep, into your life it will creep...

And so it goes. Take care out there. Be as kind as possible and not too serious. No one is going to get out of here alive, anyway.