My Buddy Tino

Tino, my Marley, has taken a turn for the worse. He needs to wade through the Red Sea with me. He is old and tired. I settled in next to him, much as I just had with my dad and put my head down on his chest and gave him permission to go if he was just too dog tired to stay around any more.

I finally broke down and called the vet this morning, but I didn't want to. What if they suggest putting him down? Not now, not so soon after we had to let my dad go.

Saturday and Sunday he didn't walk, eat or drink; he couldn't go out. We had to wipe up puddles three times. So I knew I had to call.

Then when I got home this afternoon, after taking my mom to WalMart to get new glasses (she lost her other ones three days ago; has turned the house upside down looking for them and I know they will appear in a really strange place when we aren't looking anymore...) and doing other errands that have been put off) Tino wasn't in front of the door. I panicked.

But he was back in the family room looking out the window, and he got up and went out for the first time in three days.

I am going to keep the vet appointment, a little less afraid of what is to come, but still apprehensive. I know he is old and tired and I am going to have to say goodbye soon. I'm just not ready.

My Very Own Marley (and then some)

Meet Tino. He is my dog. He came home one afternoon in 1995 without any input or permission for that matter from anyone else in the family. Maybe not the best move, but it was successful. I couldn't resist his doleful eyes when I met him at the SPCA back then. Of course the logical question is what on earth I was doing at the SPCA in the first place if I wasn't pet hunting. I was visiting, and happened to fall in love, that's all. It was innocent enough and love at first site. We named him after baseball player Tino Martinez when he was still a Seattle Mariner. When he got traded to the Yankees we gave serious thought to renaming the dog.

Tino has been a great job, and he does look like Marley, doesn't he? I didn't read the book, but I think I will. I just saw the movie and cried through the last half hour. Bawled and sniveled is more like it. It was a great story and a great movie, and hit a bit too close to home as Tino no longer sleeps upstairs. They are too tough for him. Even the two stairs to the garage sometimes present difficulty. He is getting older.


Meet Finn. He will turn one on January 2nd, and was Matt's birthday present to Carolyn. He is fun and well behaved and gets along with Tino and our four cats great. And a couple of pre-Christmas photos...brother and sister tormenting each other...

Sister and sister drooling over IPod Touches which were not to be touched...

And wrapping paper fencing. All fun.