Doggie Cries

August 27, 2014

When my kids were younger, like a lot of dads, I traveled a lot. At the airport I would see a toddler and immediately miss my kids who were home safe with my wife but away from me. Our family has always been a strong unit – especially when the kids were young. When we went out and about I felt proud and confident to have my three kids tagging along with Holly and I. They were smart, cute, and well-behaved. When I was away from the family unit – the pack – I was slightly less confident, homesick, and all I wanted was to get home to rejoin the pack.

Now, for the most part, my kids have moved on with their own lives and the pack has shrunk. I miss those times when the kids were toddlers and young adolescents when we would go out as that family unit and my kid’s personalities shinned bright. Jonathan saying something highly intelligent, Michael Brandon fluttering around happy and joyful like the Woodstock character from the comic strip Peanuts, and Jessi cute as a button saying something very funny to make us all laugh.

Having Kali join our family unit has been wonderful and helps me to remember those times when the pack members relied on Holly and I for almost everything. I was away for a few days last week – the first time I’ve been gone since Kali arrived in May. I begin missing my wife anytime I leave without her if I will not be returning the same day. As I was pulling out of the driveway in my car I told her I missed her. She said, “but I’m right here – how can you miss me?” I gestured the space between us knowing it would be increasing by miles and time for the next few days and then I drove off.

This time I also began missing Kali. It was reassuring to know that she would be home with Holly the entire time I was gone but I worried she would miss me too. Would she know I was coming back? Would she lay awake at night howling at the moon? Would she eat? Would she still love me when I returned? The answers (obvious, and in order) are: probably didn’t cross her mind, no- that’s silly, YES!, and of course.

Three days later when I began my drive home I called my wife to let her know I would be arriving in a few hours. She had text me earlier in the morning to say that Kali was at her feet keeping her company while she read the paper (BTW, Holly was reading, not Kali. Just saying ’cause Kali is brilliant as we know from my last post and I didn’t want to confuse you). Although I expected nothing different it was reassuring to know that my two best girls were side by side safe at home as I journeyed back.

When I got home I came in through the garage and as when I was just outside the door that leads into the kitchen I heard a little whimper and doggie cries on the other side of the door. OK – full disclosure; I have to admit that it made me feel good that Kali was on the other side of that door waiting and happy with doggie tears to see me. OK – no doggie tears but definitely doggie cries (presumably) out of joy to see me.

Oh yeah – and Smokey was there too. No doggie cries from him but he too seemed pretty happy that the pack was once again all together.

Woof (Cheers)!

Waiting?

What’s In A Name?

August 18, 2014

She answers to all of them. Maybe it’s the sound of my voice. Maybe it’s my inflection. Maybe she’s brilliant! That’s got to be it. Kali is brilliant.

It’s something I’ve always done. With my kids, with my employees, and with our pets. It’s not so much that I think about it and give nicknames. They just come out of my mouth without thinking about it. When my wife reads this she’ll be thinking something like, “yeah – a lot of things come out of his mouth without thinking”.

So Kali is the latest “victim” of my nicknames. And, she seems to know they refer to her.

Kalas
Kalas Marie
Kalamazoo
Kal
Hey ‘da Kal
Kali-fornia
Sweetie Girl
Swedish Meatball (yes I know, kinda weird, huh…)

And that’s just the list so far after less than three months. But she seems to know they are all her. Like I said, brilliant, right?

Admittedly, some of the names are recycled. Kalas Marie, as odd as this may sound, is a derivative of a nick name for my wife whose name is Holly. Years ago a friend of ours referred to her has Hollace Marie and I’ve used it ever since. Hey ‘da Kal is a derivative of Hey ‘da Smoke which I used for Kali’s little bro’ Smokey for some time now. By the way, another reference for Smokey is “Tippy Too” at those times when I refer to Kali as Kalamazoo. I’m not sure where that one came from but I am probably bastardizing it from some other phrase I heard at some point in my life (Tippecanoe and Tyler Too?…), not sure. By the way, Sweetie Girl is a little precarious because this is the nickname I use at times for both my wife and my daughter.

The point is that Kali doesn’t look at me like I’m crazy when I call her these names. Sometimes my wife does. But not Kali. Kali seems to get it and she gets me too. Not that my wife doesn’t get me – she knew exactly what she was getting into 32 years ago when she said “I do” and the rest is history. But Kali after this very short amount of time also gets me.

Earlier this week my wife says, “Kali is the perfect dog for you – she’s a creature of habit”. What dog isn’t right? But Holly is right – I am a major creature of habit (can you say OCD?), and I love routine and Kali and I have one that if broken both of us get a little cranky. Fortunately, since Kali has joined our family, I have a lot of flexibility with my professional schedule and can make sure I follow our routine to our collective liking whenever possible.

So here we are Holly, Kali, and I sitting on the patio on a warm summer night. Executing perfectly our nightly pre-dinner routine. Holly drawing, me futzing with my computer, and Kali by my side waiting for the next step in the routine. Dinner. And look Kalas Marie – it’s just about six o’clock.

The routine is to feed Kalamazoo at 6:00 and, if he’s around, Tippy too.

Kalas Marie – what a “Sweetie Girl”!

Kalamazoo and Tippy Too

Fur-Ever Grateful

August 11, 2014

It’s been just under three months since Kali arrived from Taiwan. That evening at SFO when we met her at the airport seems like ancient history given how big a part of our life she has become. Kali’s full personality continues to emerge. It’s exciting and gratifying to see her become more and more confident; not only in our house and yard but also around our neighborhood and out and about in town. She still gets anxious around other dogs – barking – but she’s doing better and just today on our walk she was much less stressed when we passed by other furry friends on our trail.

It’s been a lot of fun watching Kali and her little brother Smokey get closer over time. Within just a day after she arrived she and Smokey were co-existing without any problems. Within few days they were eating meals side by side. Shortly after that they regularly lay down next together playing kissy-face. Smokey, being only 10 pounds can get a little intimidated by Kali’s larger size but recently he’s initiated play with Kali and today they ran around the yard playing chase for the longest time switching off between chaser and chase-ee.

Besides the day to day routine stuff like walks, nap, eating, nap, kissy-face with Smokey, nap, working (napping) with Dad in his office, working (napping) with Dad in the yard, and cooking (watching Mom and Dad cook), Kali has had some fun times in America. A few of her favorites so far are:

Completed 6 weeks of on-leash training with Trainer Gary, Mom, and Dad
Wine tasting with Mom and Dad (we live in the Livermore Valley home of about 55 wineries within a few miles of our home)
Overnight trip to Pine Mountain Lake and swam maybe for the first time (we don’t know)

Early morning along our walking trail

Chow Time

Kali and Smokey Kissey Face

Kali and Holly doing a title training

Wine Tasting (Kali had H20 and biscuits)

Kali and me after her “first” swim at Pine Mountain Lake (albeit on leash close to shore)

Tonight another group of dogs comes to America courtesy of Rescued Love From Taiwan (RLFT) and NorCal Golden Retriever Rescue. Like Kali most of these dogs have families waiting for them and some will go to foster homes until adopted. Being the proud Dad of a RLFT alumni I know the new families of this group of dogs, and future groups of dogs, will be fur-ever grateful and happy.

Golden Kali

Month: August 2014

Doggie Cries

What’s In A Name?

Fur-Ever Grateful