in memoriam

Toby has died and gone to doggie heaven.


Ok, not really, but he probably thinks he has! Toby was recently adopted by a couple with one other German Shorthair Pointer and no plans for kids. The woman actually got on the floor with Toby and let him lick her mouth when she met him. She talked of long walks and camping trips in the wilderness . . . and Toby promptly shoved us out of the way in his hurry to get into her car (the backseat of which already had a heavy coating of German Shorthair Pointer fur). Toby has finally found a home where he will be spoiled rotten. See what I mean? Doggie heaven, for sure.

Although I've made no secret of the fact that I was ready for Toby to leave, I admit I was sad to see him go when it came to the moment of putting him in the car and watching him ride away. He was our baby once and he's not a bad dog. He's never been a bad dog, but he IS a DOG and right now any dog in our house is a bad dog. Toby didn't deserve that. He'll be happier now.

So, instead of waxing poetic about all of the wonderful things that I will miss about Toby I've decided to list all of the wonderful things about Toby being gone. Here are a few . . . I'm sure I'll discover more in the weeks to come!

• No more muddy paw prints on my kitchen floor
• No more food disappearing from the countertops if left unattended
• No more licking and scratching on the sliding door
• NO MORE WHINING!! (well, no more doggie whining anyway)
• We have the option to get a screen door now!
• No more cedar pieces tracked in on the carpet
• No more money spent on dog food
• We can go places without the always frustrating decision of what to do with Toby
• Chris can get the yard looking good and his garden won't be disrupted
• Did I mention no more whining???
• A large chunk of my living room has been reclaimed (where his bed used to be)
• The kids can play in the yard without stepping in poo
• I won't have to put Toby's water up every time the kids go outside
  
• No more stinky dog bed in my living room
• No more feeling guilty over the fact that he hasn't seen a vet since Scout was born
  

I guess I'm done for now. It's just a relief that Toby has found a good home. Chris is happy, I am happy, and the kids haven't even realized he's gone. In fact, before he left we asked Flora if Toby could go live somewhere else and she said, "Yes. Toby go 'nother home. FloFlo Scout play outside!"