h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This weekend was the most productive weekend ever!!! S and I got the space all cleaned up and took down the wall. I still have to steam clean the carpet and take a load to the dump and then arrange furniture but WOW! We got so much done!!!! I am THRILLED with how much work we actually managed to do. Truly we are amazing.

My dad came today and I took him out for dinner for his birthday (which was the 13th) and got him an ice cream cake. Which I shouldn't have had because I have some kind of cold or something that's keeping me up and making me very tired. (Now I'm having ginger ale.) I'm losing my voice, but some people will probably see that as a good thing. I also bought him an Alan Parson's Project cd and he bought himself Shaun of the Dead for $10! We had a nice time.

I keep going downstairs to look at my almost restored and expanded room and it makes me very happy. M still didn't show up and get his stuff and I left him a very angry message. I left this message after I found out that the wiring that was shoved in the ceiling in the room made it a death trap. My dad discovered this and fixed it for me and put the light switch in properly.

So you're probably wondering, where's the bad news? Well I'll tell you. While my dad was fixing the light switch he told me that Ben was put down a week and a half ago. They didn't tell me before because they wanted to do it in person. I stayed cheery and upbeat the rest of the day. I am terribly good at faking that in real life. Plus, I'm not really sure how I feel about it because it really wasn't too unexpected. He was starting to stumble and get forgetful near the end of the summer when I was leaving. I remember saying to my mom "he's stumbling around a lot now, if it gets worse let me know." No one let me know, but they've had bigger things to deal with and have been very busy. From what my dad told me it was probably good that they had him put down. He said that Ben started to yelp all the time (which he was doing a bit before) and sometimes he couldn't walk or do things for himself. And when he got let out he seemed to forget where he was and why he was there. So... I don't know. He would have been 17 this month. He had a really good run for a purebred toy poodle I'm told. He always got compliments from all of the groomers that he's had and everything. It's very odd though, this dog is (was?) only 4 years younger than me. I don't remember him not being around.

So, you've all seen this picture from when he disappeared way back when, but here it is again... http://fundamentallyflawed.deviantart.com/art/Ben-38617039
Isn't he lovely?

From Chelly

Thanks.

Aww, poor old Ben. I'm sorry to hear you've lost him, FF.

Thanks.

He's not lost: loved ones always continue to exist in our memories; memories are more powerful than an old body who has done its time & moved on.

RIP Ben. I won't post a 'cos i'm sure he would prefer a bone, but we don't have a smiley...so here is a for you to chase around!

zdt

Ben never chased cats. He had cat friends at my grandmothers trailer. Then one day he learned that *most* cats aren't going to like him very much and he didn't try to make friends with them anymore. He lived with lots of cats throughout his life, but that was after he learned his lesson, so he didn't bother with them. Especially because they were kittens and annoyed him.

I was cleaning up some more this morning and I organized a lot of stuff and found tons o' pictures!

Kittens can be extremely annoying; he obviously had a lot of patience. I have been tempted to bite them myself on occasions.

Truly a Zen Ben!

zdt

Awww Big hun! It sounds like it was for the best, he wasn't quite himself any longer & it would've essentially hurt more to slowly watch him get worse. Right?

I'm so sorry. Losing beloved pets is so hard.

Dear FF!

I'm really sorry to know about Ben... I never knew him, but I can believe you that he was the best dog in the world! I think he is in a better place now!

Love,

Dasha

Sorry to hear your sad news, FF.

Like I told myself when my cat died, what matters is that for a decade or so-ish you gave him a great life. Much better than he would have had otherwise. And he gave you some great memories.

Thanks everybody.

I also found out recently that my giant mutant goldfish (aka: Genghis the red oranda) died. I moved him to my parents over the summer because he was waaaay to BIG for his tank and I couldn't afford a new one. We aren't sure why he died, but my dad lost some fish at the same time. Genghis was over a year, but that's young for a goldfish to die so hopefully they'll figure out what's wrong with the tank and there will be no more fish loss.

Now... On a super happy note... I'm in MY room!!!!! And I will be sleeping in MY room tonight!!!!!!!! I'm moved back in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No place like your own place!

Oh yeah hun, check post #828 of Terri's 'EYEBALLS' thread...party goin' on(well, Kinda dead right now, just me but..)

Perhaps I will later. I'm still working on the room a bit (at 1:30 in the morning) so I'm just going through backlog now.

Ok, no rush but it's Terri's birthday today, the23rd.

I know. I emailed her a little while ago.