Goodnight, old friend, 2010

Goodnight, 2010. It was a pleasure - we had blast.

We started together and ended apart. Finished graduate school and OCS. Spent Easter in Atlanta. We moved across the country - twice! Spent the summer in Arizona. Enjoyed my first MLB game. Adopted a puppy. Engaged and married. Made our first home in New York. Successfully tackled Thanksgiving with the family. Survived our first round of puppy pukes and poops. Said goodbye in the snow. Sent packages and letters. Made new friends all along the way. And wait with baited breath for 2011 and our reunion.

It would be unfair if I didn't share with you exactly how the last few days of 2010 unraveled. Unraveled is the most fitting word because they, quite genuinely, fell apart as the first decade of the new millennium came to a close.

I arrived home after a wonderful Christmas with family and set off to the kennel to retrieve my puppy, who greeted me with such excitement that I was instantly warm and fuzzy. We returned home to find that the Garage Cat was back. (For those who don't know, this little cat has been living in my garage off and on for a number of weeks and I was told that I must capture it in order to surrender it to SPCA.) I suited up in what protective gear I had on hand and set forth to capture the Garage Cat. During our struggle the feline bit my hand through my glove, so I did what any reasonable person would do... I shoved him into one of my husband's Army duffel bags and locked it in the bathroom. I thought the hard part was over. I was mistaken.

I called a dear friend with loads of animal experience; she scared the hell out of me and I rushed to the Emergency Room. Being new to town, I had no idea where I was going but I found my way to the ER and received treatment. I don't mind needles or pills or X-Rays or anything of that sort, but I really don't care for hospitals. After three hours of sitting around and listening to the staff discuss my feline predicament I requested to be discharged because I was starting to feel rather anxious. I then vomited on the floor. Immediate talk of quarantine and admittance and contacting the Red Cross to inform my husband down range. I put my foot down. No one would alarm my husband, cause him panic or distress over a cat bite and an anxiety attack. As I walked out of the ER, I felt a weight lifted and I was calm. Like I told you, I don't do well in hospitals. After a shower and some deep breathing I was off to bed, my pup at my side, The time was 0130. The Garage Cat remained in the duffel bag in the bathroom downstairs. The next morning I called Public Health and Dog Control; they handled the situation and the Garage Cat was surrendered. The stress of my first night home was over and the puppy and I enjoyed a well deserved nap.

Then I set about tying loss ends before the end of the year.

On the final day of the decade, Ty and I ventured to Petco (his first time, ya know). He has outgrown his kennel and he tore apart his bed and chew toy while kenneled over the holiday, not to mention he was almost out of food. He was apprehensive at first, but with some encouragement and the cunning use of positive reinforcement he started to enjoy his first adventure in commercialism. He picked out a new toy, sized up a new kennel, and selected his new dog bed. Keeping in mind that the vet guessed his final weight to be approximately 65 lbs, we made sure there was room to grow. It was an expensive trip to Petco, but it was wonderful to bond with my little man. He even got to ride in the front seat on the way home!

Our evening was quiet and calm. We snuggled on the couch and watched a movie, then realizing that neither of us would last until midnight we called it a night. Goodnight, old friend, 2010.

2011, I look forward to making your acquaintance.