Computer Difficulties

Our computer broke last Thursday, and we bought a new one this weekend. So sorry for the absent of posts! We will be uploading my camera software tonight, so I can post some photos.

Possible Career?

What do you call a professional baton twirler? Or the person who waves the flags out on the field during high school? Either one will be a good fit for Solon and his duster.

This Wasn't Me Either...

It Wasn't Me

Someone managed to get the box of Life cereal off the table...and I don't think it was Megan.

Ahhhhh.

It felt so good to not be closed up indoors.

I Don't Recognize This...

Blue skies??? Solon and I bolted out the door as soon as we spotted sunshine. It has been too long. So we did a couple laps around the big block and then stopped at the park.

Rain Damages

Two big trees fell in the back of the neighborhood. I know one of them was dead because I had been waiting for it to fall any day. I guess all the rain made the ground so soft that the trees just couldn't hold themselves up any longer.

Merci

Imad, Leigh and Henry went to France for vacation...or should I say en Provence. And Henry picked out this super cute outfit for Solon! We can't wait to put it on him when the temps get cooler in the next few weeks!

He Likes It

Solon has been in a grumpy mood this afternoon because of his two little teeth that are poking through his bottom gum, so I parked him in his high chair and fed him Life cereal for about an hour.

Bring On The Ark

It has been raining for 8 straight days. HARD. And our basement started flooding today. Yikes. I tried my best to bucket out the water, but Jay had to come home and rig up the pump. It is a complete mess in the backyard. And we are looking at 4 more days of it. I will never forget all of this rain.

She's Gone Mad-den

Most of yall want believe this but I have been wanting to buy a pair of cool heels for a while! So I hit Lenox this weekend with the birthday money from my dad in hand, and I got these! Steve Madden. Super high heels! They are awesome. And I promise I wont' wear them with my gym shorts:)

Lock Down

Time to put the locks on the lower cabinets. Solon had fun pulling everything out of this one!

:)

I just wanted to tell everyone thank you for all the phone calls, texts, voicemails, emails and flowers we got this past week regarding Rusty. It made it a bit easier.

10 Months Old

Solon is 10 months old today! And to show for it he has FINALLY two little teeth coming through!

In Honor of Pop's Birthday

Solon decided to do some cruising! Wish he could be there in person to show you Daddy! Have fun at Jason & Sally's! And eat lots of cake! Love you.

Drum Roll Please

HAPPY 65th BIRTHDAY!!!! Daddy/Chris/Pop!

Wish we were all going to be down there in Pensacola tonight to help you celebrate!

The Big Man

Over seventeen years ago, Janie and I took off one cold night in the Blazer. She was 10, and I was 15. We had heard through a friend that there were a bunch of puppies living under an old trailer out in the woods, and they were going to be drowned by the family that lived out there because they couldn't afford to take care of them. I already had a dog, Lady. And it had always been a stipulation in our family that she would be the only dog in the house. Well, it was like I felt him calling me and that rule changed that night. It was so dark outside, and we walked through the woods with only a flashlight. Listening. And finally we heard whimpering. We found the momma dog and about 12 hound dog puppies all huddled up, and I saw Rusty sitting on top. All fat and round. I scooped him up, and we took off for the car. I set him on the floorboard of the car so we could get a look at him. He was orange and white and had a little curly tail.

Now. How to get him in the house without our parents knowing. Janie stuffed him down her blue jeans, and we walked through the front door. Our parents were sitting on the couch watching TV. We said hey and ran back to Sally's room and discussed how we planned on announcing his arrival. We decided to wait. So that night Janie and Sally slept in the bed together and put him right in the middle of them. My mom never tucked us into bed when we were that old...but that night she decided to! Sally and Janie covered him up and tried not to smother him. The next morning they brought him upstairs to my room where he was going to stay while we were at school. We came downstairs to get ready to leave, and he started howling. My dad was like.."Girls, what is that noise?" Oh...nothing. That night we decided that we had to give the hard sell. My dad and mom were in the den sitting on the couch, and we all came in there and plopped this little rolly-polly of a puppy on my dad's stomach. Our story. We found him in the bushes and he was close to death because it was so cold outside. My dad picked him up by his front legs and took a look at him. His round belly and cute face and was completely suckered into our pleas of keeping him.

We didn't name him for awhile. And one day Jay was over at the house. We had been dating a few months, and he had just gotten back from a concert down at the coast. Guns-n-Roses and Soundgarden. He decided to take it upon himself to name him. Rusty Cage. From the Soundgarden song..."I'm going to break my rusty cage." It fit perfect for two reasons. One because he was a pretty rusty color. And second because he broke a lot of stuff. Rusty was a full on terror when he was young. Racing through the house. Breaking my mom's pretty blue lamp that she got from her great aunt Toot's house. Tearing up the carpet. Tearing up everything.

Jay and I spent our high school years doing a lot of rollerblading. And Rusty was a great engine. I would hook Lady up to a leash, and Jay would hook Rusty up to his leash....And we would take off around the block. Rusty never loosing steam. He was so beautiful when he ran. Around the neighborhood or on the beach down in Pensacola.

Rusty has lived in a lot of places. Under a trailer. Jackson, MS. Starkville, MS. New Orleans, LA. Marietta, GA. Atlanta, GA. For the last 7 years, he has lived with me and Jay in Georgia, and they have been the happiest of his life because he had us all to himself. So spoiled and pampered that he slept in the bed with us, ate like royalty and went on a thousand walks.

There isn't one person who knows me and Jay that doesn't know Rusty. And most people have a Rusty story. My dad likes to tell us how much money he has spent on all of Rusty's accidents. Jumping out of moving cars, hurting his back and having to be in traction for a week, getting hit by a car and fixing his hind leg, heartworm treatment, flea medications and a host of other things. My mom was Rusty's best sleeping partner. They could curl up in bed together and do marathon sleeps. Ten plus hours. Jay's parents bought Rusty a harness for his 2nd birthday because they were so worried his eyes were going to pop out of his head from pulling us on rollerblades. And Rusty's Ice Cream man....my dad! To me he was my sweetie and to Jay his little brother...little retarded brother. Because everyone knows Rusty was handsome...but there are rocks smarter than the three clacking in his head.

Today will go down as one of the most heartbreaking days of my life. I love my dogs. But I love Rusty differently. He has been my big man more than half my life. His legs have been getting weaker and the last month it was noticeable that he was struggling harder than usual. That fire that always burned in him was not so bright. I came home today and found him outside on the deck. Unable to stand up...sitting in the rain. I ran out and scooped him up and took him out front to try and bath him. But he couldn't stand. I had him in my arms, and he was dripping wet..and I called Jay. "Rusty is in bad shape. Please come home." Jay was in court and couldn't get here for another two hours. Solon was asleep, so I made a big pallet on the floor in the den. And wrapped him up in blankets...and lied down beside him. Looking in his eyes. Petting him and telling him how much I loved him and to please not leave me. He looked so tired. No wagging tail. He was shivering, so I got out the hair dryer and turned it on him and spent an hour gently massaging him. When Jay got home we both knew it was time. To take care of him. We wrapped him up in Jay/Leigh's old brown comforter and took him out to the car. I drove, Solon was in his seat and Jay sat in the back talking to him and feeding him bits of sausage. He was with all of his family. Jay stayed with him when he went to sleep, and we came home. Jay buried him in the backyard in the comforter under the place where the bird bath sits.

We went to a mexican place to eat dinner. So we could sit together and talk about all of our favorite things about him. How he liked to wrestle with Jay in bed. How he barked annoyingly at all hours of the day. How he loved to rub his nose and lips on the pillows.

There is a big hole in our hearts and house tonight. We look out the window of the back door hoping to see that sweet face. The face of the most handsome dog in the world. And to not ever be able to smell him or kiss him is so heartbreaking. We love you Ruh-Ruh.

"Uh dude..." February 19, 1992 - September 16, 2009