Tag Archives: dogs

June 11, 2025 · 8:20 pm

Love, loss and how will I ever live without dog hair in my life

White dog. Predominantly black wardrobe. Dark wood floors.

It was always a bad judgement call. But on the flip side it was perfect. She marked me. I am her human and she comes wherever I go. (thank you to all of those who let us bring her… especially you cat people , and those with pristinely clean floors before we got there… you know who you are).

If you know me in-person, or where I post ad nauseam about my girl, Iko has been my sidekick for almost 14 years. Rain or shine you will find me 2-3x a day walking the neighborhood with my girl in tow – the best personal trainer of all times. A big quirky girl with her very own mind about who is the pet and who trains who. Unapologetically who she is. From day one she walked to the beat of her own drummer. Fiercely loyal with a side of don’t pester me with expectations. Surely one of the most photographed dogs around.

Who is Iko? What makes her stand out? She is the lover of Archie. Visitor of next door neighbors (mad door knocking skills). The queen of the corner of Salem Lane. Both online and in real life, Iko made her mark on this world and filled mine with the love and companionship that I will forever be grateful for. She came into my life after the great loss of my big love before her, Mel. My first dog. And she filled those paws with grace and her own brand of confidence that always boosted mine when I needed it most.

We have walked this life together through some of the most difficult and joyous times. She holds my greatest secrets and has held me up when I have thought I could not keep going.

And now, my sweet girl, I can see you are done. You gave it your all these past 2 years. With the help of an army of those who loved you fiercely, led by an angel of a Vet who I have followed to the ends of the earth (or East Northport which is sort of the same thing with a sick dog in the back seat), we were graced with what we can never get enough of.

More time.

So now, I will let you go with dignity to go find Mel and all of the other loves I have lost. Say hey to them all for me.

Me? I will walk around with an Iko-sized hole that is just fine because it will remind me that you will always be with me. You are part of my soul.

As for the dog hair… I guess I will have to live without it everywhere.

Godspeed, my sweet girl. Go run free and swim again.

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April 22, 2013 · 11:09 am

A Situation, or Life with a Lab.

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Time: 6:45 am

Gary: Nooooo! Uch, now YOU get it.

Me: Ummm… you would be talking to who?

Gary: No, I am not kidding, you get it.

Me: (walking into the bathroom where I see both Gary and the Iko looking into the toilet) WAIT, I need to get a camera.

What, you thought I was going to stick my hand in the toilet to get that bone? Yeh, right! Yes, that is what that was, a bone. I have had people guess it was a sock and a condom. Seriously? A condom in my house? With my sans uterus, way past childbearing old arse?

Gary: She needs to get that out of the toilet. Go ahead Iko, you dropped it in there, now you get it out.

Iko: Gives the universal Lab look of ‘are you f’in kidding me’, turns around and walks out of the bathroom.

Me: Guess that leaves you, my sweet. Don’t worry, I just cleaned that toilet… um, when was that again.

He is hard pressed to believe I did not put the dog up to this… perhaps that will make him think next time he leaves the seat up ; )

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April 7, 2013 · 10:15 pm

Just pee on it and walk away

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We came across this piece on the street and I am still wondering why I did not buy it. I am thinking I need to go back next Sunday in the hopes the vendor will be there.

I have read a lot of dog philosophy over the years, but none is quite as perfect as this.

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January 13, 2013 · 11:20 pm

Mom Fail

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Packaging. It can be so deceiving. At first glance the red and white box simply seemed to be the inhaler I had just picked up from the pharmacy, so it went in the ‘to pack’ pile for my son’s semester abroad.

Ok, so it was the dog’s ear drops instead. Hey, she never let’s me get near her with them, anyway. Someone might as well use them.

I know, a wheezing American in Spain would probably not have seen the humor in that.

Mom fail or honest mistake?

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August 21, 2012 · 9:02 pm

Iko Geico

Labragoat strikes again! I need puppy insurance!

If we had Allstate this post would not be half as funny.

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April 30, 2012 · 9:50 pm

Time to Cry Tuesday – Two Alarm Dinner

I am a good cook. No really this is not a joke. I am really a good cook. And I enjoy it. But my kitchen is, well I guess you would say, a little challenged.

I have the fabulous Chambers Stove that you see in the picture above. I adore it from a design point of view. It is actually the reason I bought my house. I loved the charm of it. But the one problem is that if you use the broiler it heats up the griddle on the top surface and seeing that there is no fan above it the kitchen gets hot enough to set off the smoke alarm.

Ok, to set off 2 smoke alarms. One in the kitchen, one in the entry hall.

No biggie, right?

Unless you have a dog that has a strange neurological response to the sound of the alarm.

Which I don’t anymore. Iko is cool with it. But Mel? OMG, she would shake like her body was plugged into a socket. We used to have to take her outside and walk her around to calm her down.

So today when I used the broiler and set the chain of alarms off, my first reaction was to run and hug the dog. Who looked at me like, ‘Hey, what the hell is up with you and shouldn’t you get the broom and hit that thing to shut that incessant noise off?”

That Melly ghost just hung in the room for a second and made me realize how I will never stop missing that old girl.

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March 29, 2012 · 8:49 pm

Kissed by the Vet

I know, not the most flattering angle, but this was a picture that had to be taken. Iko had a vet visit today… conjunctivitis this time. Seriously, what did she share a towel with her bunk or something? Jeez.

Anyway, the famous Dr. Anne of saving Mel’s life when she diagnosed her with diabetes fame, could not resist the extreme cuteness of this animal. So, she warned me that she was wearing lipstick and then planted one right on her forehead. This looked somewhat more ridiculous than when she got into the food coloring and was sort of tie dyed for the week.

How can you not love a vet that kisses your dog?

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January 23, 2012 · 10:44 pm

Time to Cry Tuesday – Dog Walkin’

Balance has been restored. After months of walking sans canine, I am happy to report that the puppy had her last shots on Saturday, making her walk-worthy. I am not sure I can express this feeling of getting on with my life. For so many months my daily living was turned upside down. Floods, office renovations and the loss of my first dog took their toll on me in ways I did not fully realize until today –when the last piece of my routine was restored.

It was pretty emotional to walk with this new pup. It was hard to think about how many times I walked that route with Mel. How much a part of my life, and the neighborhood, she was. Today, as I walked down the street a man got out of his car to greet Iko. A friend emailed to say she had seen me walking a puppy. One of Gary’s tennis friends told him he saw us walking and how happy he was for us to have a dog again.

Funny, you go through your day and never realize the impact you have on others. There was a Mel-sized hole, not just in our home, but in the neighborhood. Those are some pretty big paws for Iko to fill, but I think she will do her best to rise to the occasion.

Yes, I know this photo should be titled ‘Giant woman walks minuscule dog’. There is something about the angle of this shot that looks something like a B horror movie, but I sort of like it. Especially because Iko is anything but minuscule. Weighing in at 31 lbs at 4 months we are anticipating that the trainer was our best investment. Nothing worse than an 80lb dog dive bombing you from across the room or dragging you down the block.

As the mail carrier said to me when she met Iko the other day, “What a wonderful testament to how great a dog Mel was that you were able to get another so soon.”

To my old girl Mel, there will never be another you and we will miss you forever. But I am pretty sure that you would rather look down on me walking with a puppy than being alone. You were just that kind of dog.

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July 6, 2011 · 10:22 pm

Doggie Dress

Let me say that again… doggie DRESS!!!

Seriously?

Here is an open note to people who dress their dogs in clothing.

Don’t.

Additionally, Kids on leashes, dogs in strollers = not ok.

Thank you.

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December 27, 2010 · 7:37 pm

Time to Cry Tuesday – Old Dog in the Snow

This old girl has always loved the snow. She would be the first one out the door and the last one back in. But 11 some odd winters have played havoc on her old bones and for the first time she had a really hard time this year. Granted we got slammed with a foot and a half and moving around was hard for everyone.

But her heart wanted to bound while her body knew it did not have it in her anymore. Don’t be too sad. She had a modified snow day. And she seemed content to lay in the sun in the front hallway for the remainder of the day watching the weather through the glass.

But I will tell you that first thing this morning when she woke up and went to the back door I could absolutely read her mind, “And I am so supposed to go out and pee in this how?”

 

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