In Memoriam

We have some sad news to share with everyone. Blue got put down yesterday. I'm not going to get into the reasons for it here, but be assured that a lot of love, thought, and consideration went into the decision. We had a local vet come to the house to do the procedure, that way Blue could be in the comfort of his own home, and in the arms of his best friend, Eric. Aiden and Kiwi and I made ourselves scarce in the hours leading up to the procedure.

Blue had his issues, no doubt, but those of you who knew him know what a truly sweet soul he was. In tribute, here are a few of my favorite memories about Blue:

• His "signature move." Those of you who knew Blue might recall what I'm talking about. I don't really know how to explain it, other than to say it was really funny, and very unique.


• He was an expert at giving a "high-five" on command.


• One day when Blue and Kiwi were still puppies, and we were still living in Brooklyn, I looked out the window to see an absolutely hilarious scene. Blue was cheerily trotting across the backyard while holding Kiwi in his mouth by the scruff of her neck. It was a bold move on his part, and he was very clearly amused by his decision to do it. Kiwi had no choice but to suffer the indignity of the situation, and she was not pleased.


• During one winter while we were living in Queens, we once got a couple feet of snow overnight. It rendered the backyard a little dangerous for Kiwi; we had to carve out paths in the snow so that she wouldn't get completely buried. For Blue, however, it was so much fun. He loved the snow, and as he tromped through the backyward, all we could see was his head and his tail -- his tail looked like a periscope. The best part was that we could throw a toy out into the abyss of snow for him, and he would find it instantly. It was amazing.


• "Freak-out o'clock." Despite their sibling rivalry, Kiwi and Blue would occasionally break into little impromptu play sessions. We labelled these sessions "freak-out o'clock," because they seemed to happen spontaneously, and they involved Kiwi and Blue tearing around the house, chasing each other at top speeds. Blue acted like his ass was on fire -- he would run with his butt tucked underneath him, because he seemed to feel he could gain maximum velocity that way.

I'm going to keep the list limited to the above, otherwise this will be an endless, epic work-in-progress, and I'll never post it. I'll just close with these thoughts: Blue was a true sweetheart, and a ridiculous goofball, but the poor guy got dealt a really lousy hand in life. We were lucky to have had him in our lives for his few short years, and everyone here misses him already... even Kiwi.