Moving

I have a confession to make. I was wrong. Ok, so that’s not much of a real news flash. Still, I think it’s important to be honest with yourself.

Officer Friendly is….well…friendly. It happened a while back. I don’t remember how, but I do believe it had to do with me approaching him. He’s never going to be the most outgoing, cuddly sort of a guy. But once you get to know him, he’s actually quite lovely. I realize now he’s a lot shyer than I thought. And his gruff bravado is just that – machismo to get him through.

The guy helped me hang and then take down Christmas lights. When I’m wrong, I’m so wrong.

Well it took us a year to bridge the gap and now I’m moving. I’m actually quite devastated about leaving my neighbors. This is the first neighborhood I really know the people around me and I really like them. I love sitting out on the porch and talking as people walk by. Luckily, the new home is not far from here. And it has a lovely front porch. And a fabulous covered back deck. I don’t relish the idea of moving, but I’m quite excited about the new place.
In a way, it’s a bit frightening. This will be my first home without the pug. In my opinion, I never really had my own home till I moved to the Heights and got the pug. Now it will be real. A new space he never knew. I expect I’ll have a new dog within weeks of moving. Honestly, its been nearly impossible to resist these past few weeks. I read Craig’s List, Petfinders and Pet Harbor on a nearly hourly basis. I am a professional at knowing all available adoptable dogs in a 50 mile radius of me. And truth be told, I probably can name the majority within 100 miles. I watched the Westminster Kennel show and ached for a dog.

On Valentine’s Day I drove past a cemetery and noted flowers and balloons. “Great” I thought, “Even dead people are getting Valentines.” Not believing the day was depressing enough I visited the pound. Yes, the real pound – not the SPCA. I was directed to the South Kennels. I opened the door to find a long hallway with a row of doors to my left. There was complete silence. I turned and read the door. Surely, I was wrong. I cautiously opened the first door. Not a sound. I rounded the corner and looked inside a cage. A young dog looked back. His silence saddened me beyond words. I walked past cage after cage of silent dogs. I thought of a story I once read about the orphans who never cry because no one has ever responded to their calls.

All of the dogs were too large or a puppy. And I couldn’t get a dog anyway until after I move. So all I served to do was make myself completely miserable. I would have been better off lining my entire house in mirrors – walls, ceilings and floors.

I haven’t packed much. Two small boxes, which combined don’t equal a copy paper box. Guess that really doesn’t count. I am a champion procrastinator, but even I know I’ve hit some ridiculous level. Is it because I will leave the pug finally? He’s never ridden in my new car, he’ll never enter the new place. He will be well and truly gone. Is this how I will finally close the chapter on that wonderful stage of my life?