The Best Dog
Eleven years ago when I saw a fat tiny puppy being given away in front of a grocery store, I never would have thought…
I remember when I got Luther thinking how weird it was to think that he’d probably be the dog that played with my kids. Kristin and I weren’t even dating yet, and kids weren’t even close to being on the radar.
I remember teaching him to understand what I was saying instead of ‘normal’ commands. Things like ‘get in the car’ and ‘go to bed’. He didn’t listen to anyone else, but he knew what I was saying.
I remember the open bag of dog food I left in the back of my car because we were always going some place and he needed snacks.
I remember taking him on a six mile backpacking trip and to the top of a mountain (in the rotating pictures above) where his feet got all cut up and I ended up carrying him six miles out of the woods.
Once Kristin and I were married, I remember him embracing his role of protector and literally grabbing Kristin’s pant leg with his teeth and pulling her from getting too close to the ocean in Northern California.
I remember taking him to the river and teaching him to jump off the fifteen-foot rocks into the water like we would do.
I remember his attitude change when we first brought Blue home from the hospital. Then I remember him coming around and rolling on the ground, licking Blue’s face. Then I remember bringing home another little boy for him to play with and run away from. And another.
I remember being out on a walk with him and watching him get hit by a car, flung into a yard only to get up and shake it off with no effects except a black tire mark all the way down his back.
I remember loading him up and driving across the country to live in a 700 square foot apartment with (then) four people and a cat. Then I remember moving again. I remember his favorite spot in all six houses he lived in.
I remember the days I was out on the road he’d sleep at the top of the stairs making sure he was the first line of defense for the family. And days I was home, he’d sleep on the floor next to my side of the bed and take the night off.
Yesterday we said goodbye to Luther. Quite literally the World’s best dog. Sure, he occasionally crapped on the floor. Sure he had days when his attitude was lousy. But there was no better, more loyal animal alive. When I got him, I had several dog experts tell me that because of his breed (German Shepherd / Akita) he could be a little mean. They also said that it was one of the most loyal, protective dogs that I could get. And that’s exactly what he was.
Now, I know some of you aren’t dog people and this isn’t that big of a deal, but when you share this many experiences with someone there is no doubt in my mind they are part of the family. And these memories are just a few. I couldn’t have asked for a better dog to have around my wife and kids. He will be missed for sure.
Dreams Are Weird
I had a dream I was dying.
The doctors offered me a drink that would allow me to just fall asleep and never wake up.
I said goodbye to my family, drank the drink and started to get sleepy.
In real life I woke up, and continued to feel sleepy.
This is a weird spot for your brain to be. I’m half awake, half asleep, half in a dream, half in real life and possibly not going to wake up if I fall back to sleep.
Weirdest dream you’ve ever had?
Ready? Go.
Tis The Season
Throngs of Black Friday shoppers stampeded a Wal-Mart employee as they rushed into the Green Acres mall in Valley Stream minutes before it opened.
“When the doors opened, all hell broke loose,” a law enforcement source told The Post.
An unidentified man, believed to be a store employee who tried to restrain the oncoming juggernaut, was knocked to the ground at 5:03 a.m.
He was rushed to a local hospital but declared dead at 6:03, police said.
Four other people were hospitalized, including a 28-year-old pregnant woman. She was knocked to the store floor a short distance from where the 34-year-old man was trampled and her fate was unclear.
The other three people taken to hospitals suffered minor injuries.
Items on sale at the Wal-Mart store included a $798 Samsung 50-inch Plasma HDTV, a Bissel Compact Upright Vaccum for $28, a Samsung 10.2 megapixel digital camera for $69 and DVDs such as “The Incredible Hulk” for $9.
Next year I’m going with my wife…. and bringing pepper spray. See anything crazy today?
Larry Norman 4/8/47 – 2/24/08
Larry David Norman was an American musician, singer, songwriter and producer. Norman’s recordings are noted for their Christian and social subject matter, and he is often described as the “father of Christian rock music”.
Norman has also been described as having had a significant influence on many artists, secular and religious. Norman had long been associated with what has been referred to as the Jesus People movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, although it has been reported that “he did not particularly identify himself with the youth–oriented ‘Jesus movement’ of the time”.
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I’m not going to pretend that I knew a lot about Larry Norman and supported his career from the beginning and named my kids after him and all that, because… well, I didn’t. I had heard of Larry numerous times and knew the basics about his life. How he was considered the “father of Christian rock” and that he was pretty outspoken and fell in the same lines as Bob Dylan, and those guys. Honestly the first time I heard of him was when DC Talk covered “I Wish We’d All Been Ready“. The song hit me pretty hard, as it would any influential teenager, and I even learned it on the guitar. Beyond that I don’t know much about Larry Norman’s work.
This past Sunday, Larry died in his home, from a long battle with an illness that I am unable to even find more details about. I heard about his passing a few times throughout the week and decided to do some reading. The more research I did the more I wanted to know about this guy and his music career. From being banned at several Christian Bookstores, speaking out against Christian consumerism, a constant struggle to make it financially, even with a title so grand as the “father of Christian rock”, and a continued message of love and acceptance.
No doubt this year Larry will be greatly recognized at the Dove Awards, and sell more records than he ever has. That’s how the industry works. A tribute album will be made, money will be made and his message will be spread further than it ever has. And that’s not a bad thing, just a little sad to me.
I may fall in line with several people that will “discover” his music after his death, but I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. I just hope that we, as music consumers and lovers, recognize good content and share it with others before the artist dies and we are told to like it. I would encourage you to read about Larry and his life. Check out an album or two*. We owe it to him and his family. Especially those that are succeeding in the music industry. From what I’ve read, he stood in the front lines and everyone making a career in this industry owes him at least that.
*iTunes is only carrying one album, and it’s a remix album. The reviews are horrible and I think I will search out the original.
