80-20 Living: It's Time

Hi there. I took Fiona in for her draining this morning knowing that it was probably the last time. I didn't know that I would end up making an appointment for the next day to have her put down. It's time. She is slow, super skinny and just not enjoying life anymore. This is the absolute worst thing about owning pets, they don't live long enough.

Fiona the week we got her - April 2005

I remember so vividly how I met Fiona. My boss at the time, Caren, had just had a litter of puppies and brought two of them in to work so that our tailor, who had recently lost her dog, could have one. The second puppy was just to keep the first one company. This second puppy, who was briefly named Freddy, was put in my hands and she immediately wrapped her little paws around my fingers and didn't let go. After carrying her around for a while the tailor took a good look at Freddy and discovered that he was really a she. I continued to carry her around work and a customer asked what her name was. I replied that it had been Freddy until we discovered that he was in fact a she. The customer replied that she had always loved the name Fiona. Towards the end of the work day Caren asked if I was going to take Fiona home with me or not. I had promised the GH that I would never come home with a pet without talking to him first so I hemmed and hawed a bit until Caren said that I could take her home or she would sell her to a woman who expressed interest in her. So I took her home with me. The GH came home to me sitting on the couch with a tiny ball of fluff in my hands asking if we could keep her. Of course he said yes.

Fiona - May 2005

And here we are almost 13 years later and it is time to say goodbye. The GH is going to bring home Eegees for dinner tonight so that Fiona can have her favorite french fries. Tomorrow afternoon we will go to the vets office and come home without her. For such a small dog the hole in my heart is going to be enormous. I'm writing this post in advance because I know I won't be able to get through it tomorrow and then I leave for a Las Vegas birthday celebration.