Observative TigerThis past weekend I was enthralled with the accompaniment of one of my best friends. With over a month of planning to have one of the greatest experiences of our lives, Jellybean and I set out for the Modest Mouse concert held at the Les Schwab Amphitheater in Bend Oregon. Let me back up a bit…
Its 10am on Sunday morning preceding Memorial Day. I’ve just awoken to that ever annoying alarm clock, preceded by 5 hours of restless anticipation. So with the greatest of enthusiasm, not, I rolled out of bed and started frantically completing the items on my list of todo’s. Fortunately my sister stopped by and gave me the extra elbow grease that brought incomplete bachelor pad all together. I won’t boor you with the exacts of that collegiate sized list, lets just say apparently I had procrastinated far too long on my chores.
Now, its 12:45pm and I’ve had enough coffee to obtain a low level altitude of flight. Trying to be complete but maintain my schedule I move toward the truck, flipping through that list in my mind. You see I’m the type of individual that takes those extra precautions for my friends. Precautions like an extra jacket, munchies, and whatnots that I know my friends don’t remember to bring. Concluding that enough preparation was on hand, I kissed my dog goodbye and told her to watch the property that I’d be back late that night. Quick like I opened the gate and prepared for one of the greatest evening of my life. Carpe’ Diem baby!
A quick stop at the local gas station reminded me why I don’t get out more often! $4.20 for super, and willing to pay it just to keep that ethanol out of my tank for as long as the law will permit. Topping it off at a not so cool $70, but knowing that I won’t have any needs to refill, I called Jellybean.
Would I have guessed that the first question out of her mouth was “Did you bring me a sweatshirt so I won’t get cold?”, of course! I know she counts on me to take care of those things. Telling her I had it, and that I needed to make a quick stop at the bank and tobacco shop, I’d be there in about 45 minutes. Well I should have known she wouldn’t be at home as planned, love that spontaneousness of hers. Not only was she not at home, but she was over at a friends house in another town! And, there would be delays as her cloths where still in the dryer. No matter, I told her to take her time, after all that’s why we agreed to meet up 6 hours before the concert. See, I’ve been down this road before.
Making my quick stop at the bank’s drive through, I then proceeded to the store. Trying to touchdown from the coffee, I meandered throughout the store picking up a few items. First, some breath mints cause no one likes a cigarette mouth and I might need them for an undesired stop by an officer, know what I mean? Next some flint and fuel for my favorite Zippo lighter. Its one of three custom Zippos, got a 63′ split window corvette on it, and my other two best friends have the other two. So its a pretty special thing to me not to mention it goes great with my 1950’s chrome and rubber cigarette case. Anyways, got the flint and fuel, proceeded to the last item on my list…an item that Jellybean, earlier this year, suggested I add to my medicine cabinet. Got to love advice from a beautiful women who want to see you more successful with a beautiful women! Now to the checkout stand. Standing in line, noticed three chocolate bars for a dollar, and remembered the soothing effects on a female, I picked up three of them. Swipe, button button button button….button, thank you, you too, and I’m out of here.
Making better time that I thought I gave Jellybean a call to see how she was making in her progress. Hum, still needs another 20-30 minutes she tells me. Ok, no prob, I needed to eat something anyways. So setting the time and rendezvous point, I decided to head to Arby’s for a bite of something less than healthy.
Sweet, time and place at hand we met up and embraced each other with a four month awaited hug. So good to see her again. With a thirty minute drive still ahead of us, we migrated towards or mid destination. Fast forwarding from here its was pre-drinks at the West Side Tavern, a favorite watering hole of mine. Then a dash to the parking lot a few blocks away…grabbed the accessories for the show including those overpriced tickets that make another story in itself…and ran the remaining three blocks to the front gate. Awesome, where inside and laughing about the evening ahead. Jellybean’s a real big fan of Modest Mouse, me on the other hand am new to their sound, but giving it a go.
Front stage and a little to the right its going to be a party tonight! These guys rock! and we’re bouncing around with the few thousand teenagers surrounding us. Ok fast forward again, beer, screaming, beer, cigarette, screaming and cheering, pull her shirt back down - she loves Modest Mouse, more beer please! Ah its great to be alive!
Show’s over but the fun is rolling to hard to stop, so it’s back to the West Side to get some late night grub and another drink. Met up with some people that we met earlier and started the bar hop through downtown Bend…Now its getting close to the witching hour and I’m thinking about the drive home. But first a stop at 7 eleven for some more of those great tasting vanilla cigarettes and a six pack to finish the night off with. That’s where the PROST comes in.
On the inside of the bottle caps of Widmer Hefeweizen is A PROST. Perfect prost’s lay beneath each cap, describing the various moments of our ever so memorable evening. So what were those prost’s you ask? I leave you in suspense no more…
To Photocopying Body Parts!
To Words that Rhyme with Orange!
To Killing a Six Pack Just to Watch it Die!
To New Sheets on the Bed!
To Never Looking Back!
To Three Day Weekends!
To Starting the Weekend on Wednesday!
- Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.
“Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath, man has no advantage over the animal. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust and to dust all return.” ECCLESIASTES 3:19-20 (NIV)
On January 13th, 2008 at 7:12 pm pacific daylight time, Sterling, my best friend, passed. He was my buddy, he was there when no one else was. I was there by his side until the end, when I pronounced him passed at the time of record above. I will miss you Sterling…my friend…my buddy.
Sterling was the grandson of a certified royal bloodline of Japanese Akita decent. A beautiful and rare silver back, whom was given to me in his first year, almost twelve years ago this day. Sterling was a hundred pound Alpha Male with the strength and energy to take on the world.
I live on the north face of a large butte in Oregon where there are several square miles of open nature out my back door. Sterling I believe explored every square inch of it. It was in this wilderness he met several species of wild life, coyotes, deer, and possibly the local cougar. Yes a cougar! He came home covered in blood one night, and not a scratch on him except for the “cat claw” paw swipe across his snout. I’m not talking about a kitty cat paw, I’m talking about a paw swipe larger than his own four inch paw span. But for all of his Alpha’ness many think he was the most lovable respectful and protecting animals to walk God’s green earth. Many of my friends considered Sterling to have been the most wonderful of all dogs they had met.
Over the years several of my dearest and closest friends have stayed here for an occasion or longer. During their stay they all befriended Sterling. They’d play with him and he would play with them. Sterling wasn’t the type of dog to chase a stick or a ball. Rather he would want to race you or play shirk like a football player trying to shake an opponent. Or he’d want you to go explore, dig in the dirt chasing rodent tunnels, and inspect the perimeter of the property looking for fresh deer or coyote tracks. He was a good old boy and he loved everyone that loved. He remembered people that had been away for several years, and when they returned he would run and greet them as if to say “Hi my friend! Where have you been, I missed you!”
After six years away, one of my best friends returned to visit. He arrived at one of those rare moments when I was away without Sterling. My friend told me Sterling ran up to him and started talking, with whimpers kisses and such. Stirling was a very quiet dog, a bark meant something was up, and a whine was a very special display of affection that he shared only with those closest to him. It was the coolest thing I have ever been told about my dog. Neat to know that your dog can recognize someone and know its ok to let them in the gate, when strangers were met with ferocious guard dog style. You might say Sterling was my personal body guard. Fact, in some cultures Akita’s are said to be personal spiritual guardians, that have one master, and that they will do anything to protect their master. Many a story of warrior and his guardian the Akita exist in the lore of Asian cultures.
I had an opportunity to travel to Alaska a few years back. However I could not take Sterling with me, even though it was winter and he was definitely a northern kind of dog. Though it saddened me not to take him with me, the thought of getting to work with my sister, on a new venture doing something neither of us had ever done before, in Alaska, was a must do. So I left Sterling in the care of my parents, whom conveniently live next door. I returned home after a couple of months, where I was greeted by Sterling with leaps and bounds of joy and kisses, talking whimpers and whines, and finally him sitting on my lap, which my mere hundred pound buddy often did upon my returns home, all to show his love and affection for me.
For years I took Sterling to work with me. I have been self employed for the past thirteen years, and Sterling has been there with me at work, like a perfect employee. For the first nine years we traveled a sixty mile round trip, Monday through Friday and sometimes Saturday and or Sunday. He was there through thick and thin. Then, for the past three or so years, he has stayed at my side in my home office. Together we enjoyed the peace and serenity of of our countryside home.
In the latter mid part of July of this past year, Sterling was diagnosed with cancer. The veterinarian said he had CCS, an extremely aggressive type of cancer, and that I should not expect Sterling to live more than a few weeks or short months, at best. I was deeply saddened by this news, and disturbed by the somewhat profuse bleeding that had sprung from the lower right jaw of his mouth, where in less than 3 days the cancer had bore itself a residence the size of a racket ball.
I wasn’t going to give up hope for my buddy, I loved him too much. So I sought the knowledge of those around the world and culminated a natural “medicine” consisting of Apricot seeds, shark liver oil, and a mix of vitamins and minerals to boost his immune system. I also adjusted his diet to exclude cancer feeding fats and sugars. After a few days of receiving his four times per day medicine, or juice as I told him it was, the bleeding stopped. The cancer grew a bit more, and then after a few weeks the cancer started to subside and it looked as though the “juice” was working. This was the case until about a month ago, when Sterling started to refuse his juice.
A few days ago after feeding medicating and cleaning him, the cancer caused him to drool a lot on his front legs, he went out to get his usual drink of water. It all seemed normal until he staggered away from the water bowl and laid down on the near by rug. He looked over at me with those loving eyes and said “I love you, but I just can’t do this anymore”. From that day until today his health declined rapidly, refusing to eat and drink. On the morning of his passing, too weak to move himself, with the help of my dad, we placed Sterling outside on his blanket so he could see the beautiful January day. When evening came we moved him into my home and placed him upon the couch where he could be close to me and I to him. I played a movie, ate dinner, and proceeded to pet and comfort him. Moments before he passed he tried to get up, looking at me as if to say one last time “I love you my master”.
With a moment of silence and weeping, along with my Mom Dad and Shebee, his cousing and fellow sidekick of many years, Sterling was laid to rest. Under a grove of pine trees at the center of my property, he now lays in peace overlooking the land he was once gardian of. I thank the Lord God for giving me the opportunity to have owned such a truly special animal. He will be eternally remembered.
Sterling - the Guardian
May 8th, 1995 - January 13th, 2008