Wednesday, August 12th, 2015, nothing particularly special about that day.

Until there was...

I've noticed you losing weight the last few months. Probably too much weight. Obviously too much weight.

But nothing quite like a little denial to make the world turn.

For most of your life, we had to really watch you for a few seconds just to see if you were breathing, you were that relaxed.

But the last couple days, I've seen you working for that much harder than normal.

And so, a time was set for a trip to your probably least favorite place - the vet.

Afraid for what they might find, I spent the evening before letting you do your favorite thing: sleep on me uninterrupted. OK, maybe I got in a little nap too! I always thought it was cute how you'd hug me as you slept. It'd been awhile, and you were making the most of it! But petting you as you relaxed, oh my, so bony...

Before I was up in the morning, Lynn took you in, and the testing begun. They needed the ok for them to do some blood work, maybe take an x-ray or two. But of course. After all, you're family.

Your heart sounded just fine. But sounds like water in your lungs. Oh no.

More testing and wait, no, water not in, but around the lungs. Still no idea what was causing it though.

So, time to drain that fluid, at least deal with the obvious symptom. And of course, enjoying so little being poked and prodded by those evil vets, a little sedation is in order. Thank you for that.

And as the vet is draining whatever it is that is making it hard for you to breathe, you take one last deep breath, exhale, and leave this world for whatever is next.

A short time later, my poor wife has to break the unexpected news to me, and I catch myself randomly with tears in my eyes all too often thinking of you ever since. You were gone too soon, too unexpectedly, too alone. Every time I think of being but a few miles away while you draw your last breathe, my heart hurts a little.

May you find all the empty boxes to hide in,

bottle caps full of water to drink from, mounds of fresh catnip to blissfully roll through,

balloon ribbons to chew and choke on,

and dirty towels laying in the sun on which to sleep that your heart desires!

I will never forget you...

None of us will, even that boy you weren't so sure of in the beginning...

Goodbye my friend.

Something is in my eye again. I need to find a kleenex...

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This at fullscreen seems to go a little too well with my stream of the Dead's Live Album Collection... ;)

Inside an artificial brain from Johan Nordberg on Vimeo.

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I know what I want to do this weekend: Catch a little Auto Pushball down in Malvern, IA!

'There’s nothing like home and there’s nothing like auto push ball.'

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"There will be no one like us when we are gone, but then there is no one like anyone else, ever. When people die, they cannot be replaced. They leave holes that cannot be filled, for it is the fate — the genetic and neural fate — of every human being to be a unique individual, to find his own path, to live his own life, to die his own death."

Oliver Sacks on learning he has terminal cancer.

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Just because you are capable of building a bikeshed does not mean you should stop others from building one just because you do not like the color they plan to paint it.

Why Should I Care What Color the Bikeshed Is?

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