New Beginnings

After Zeus passed on August 8, I needed a mental break from everything. The house was so quiet and empty and cold. It felt like a part of my soul was missing. Dinnertime was the hardest, because I used to get Zeus his pre-dinner jerky, prepare his food, and hand him his dessert Milkbone. Throughout his three course meal, Zeus would come in and out of the back door a dozen times while I tended the grill and intermittently threw the ball for him. This was an amazing part of my day, and, suddenly, it was just gone.

Cali and I got out of town for a few days, traveling to Ann Arbor, MI, to visit her brother Broc and his fiancee Lauren. It was great to make a nice long drive, spend time with family, and just decompress away from home, work, and the fresh wounds from losing our doggy a couple weeks prior. We also did a light beer blind taste test bracket that was exactly as big of a shitshow as one might suspect. Miller Lite took the light beer category while Labatt Blue won the impromptu “International” bracket. This was a blast, and we’re already planning a fall/Thanksgiving rendition of the event.

Even among the pain of losing Zeus, Cali and I still had plenty of things for which to be thankful. Friday August 28 was our 10 year anniversary, marking the passing of a decade that went by in the blink of an eye. We have had so much fun, laughter, adventures, and memories over the past 10 years that it makes me excited to see what the next 10 years holds in store for us. We celebrated the weekend with a nice Friday morning hike, some hard training, good food, friends, and drinks. In summary, it was perfect.

A beautiful morning at Green Lane Park. August 28, 2020

I knew Cali and I would eventually get another dog, but I wasn’t sure how long we would wait. In my heart, I trusted that the time would just feel right.

That or, like most decisions around here, Cali would just tell me.

It turns out the time started to feel right after spending a weekend with Broc and Lauren’s awesome dog, Jagger. He pretty much snuggled Cali all weekend and I slid him lots of chicken and duck jerky treats on the side.

Fun car ride with Jagger on the way to Pinckney Recreation Area to do some hiking. August 16, 2020, Pinckney, MI.

Cali found a Bernedoodle (Bernese mountain dog and poodle mix) online, and I knew he was meant for our house. A few weeks later, Arvid was in our living room.

So far, Arvid seems very sweet, and he already won’t let Cali out of his sight. This warms my heart because Zeus was the same way. Zeus was always okay as long as he knew Cali was okay, and the same could be said about me.

Here we go again.

What’s the Alternative?

Farewell to Zeus