Someone Call Al Green - I Need to Know How to Mend a Broken Heart

This was SO not the post I was going to write yesterday/today.

The one I was going to write was a witty little piece about senior citizens.

And I really wish this wasn’t the one I felt compelled to start writing at 3:00AM.

Nefi was our baby.  We got her almost three months to the day of our wedding.  I remember the day well.  She was wriggling and snorting, running from room to room checking everything out.  She was a pudgy, wrinkly ball of love.  A crowd pleaser from the very beginning and I mean that seriously.  I don’t think anyone met her that didn’t fall in love immediately.  

I honestly think this is one of my favorite pictures of Nefi (on right)

I threw Chris a surprise birthday party and he wasn’t the person of honor – Nefi was the star.

I’ve written the rest of this post about a million times, but it didn’t do this amazing dog justice.  So decided to compose a list of as many awesome things about my snorty baby girl as I could:

We thought Nefi met her match... boy were we wrong.
She had him wrapped around her paw.

* Nefi had more friends than we did in Hawaii.  Doggy Day Care, evening dog group, Honolulu Pug Group: we were Nefi’s mom and dad.

* Nefi was an Admiral in the U.S. Navy.  Okay, that’s not true, but her nickname in Hawaii was Admiral Poops-a-Lot.

* Nefi perfected her stink-eye in Hawaiian Quarrantine.  I would sit with her every day watching movies and sitcoms in her dog run/cage with her in my lap.  She’d give the evil-eye to her “captors”.  We used to joke that we were going to find tattoos under her fur a la Max Cady along with a list of the “People I’d Like to Kill” in her belongings when we took her home.  Of course, our names could very well have been at the top of the list.

One of the "prison guards" gave her this toy
I think Nefi thought it was evil.

There better be treats in that bag or I'm crackin' skulls.

* Nefi was a fashionista.  You’d pull out her clothes and she’d dance around like a psycho until you put them down for her to snort through.  Her favorite outfit – yes she had a favorite – was her Christmas Kimono.

 

Mele Kalikimaka Bitches.

Domo Arigato Bitches

I dress better than my mommy on most days.

* Nefi and I were kindred spirits when it came to sleeping in.  If you wanted us out of bed before 9AM there better be a damn good reason for it or a big reward.  Even then there was a 50-50 chance that we were going to tell you that you sucked for making us get up.

 

I hope you weren't planning on getting this spot back.

I don't give a crap if it's noon.  I'm not getting out of bed!

* When Nefi would poop, she would sprint around in tight circles when she was done like some evil had been released from her body.

* Nefi had a special obsession with duckie toys.  There was a fellow owner at the evening dog park meeting that had one for her dog.  When they would walk up, Nefi would push over anyone in her way to get to this woman and the toy.  Therefore, we always have to have a duck toy in the house and with us at all times.

This groove is MINE!

* It was Nefi that started the destruction of the couch.  Sure, she enjoyed sharing the work and gave credit to the other dogs for helping out, but those butt grooves belonged to her and she knew it.

 * We were not actually Lola’s owners… Nefi was.  If Lola got out of line or barked too much, Nefi would tackle her and pin her down until she stopped.  I think Nefi is the only one Lola has ever really listened to in this house.

I'd come see you in the kitchen, but Nefi told me to stay put.

* Rampage usually only pees outside after Nefi goes.  He would follow her around as she began to circle.  On occasion it would totally piss her off.  Those days, she’d fake squat and then move a million times until he gave up and would go somewhere else.  As soon as he lifted his leg… she’d squat and do her business.

 

I know he loves me, but give me a break!

To be honest, I’m not sure if I feel better after I’ve made this list.  It’s just a long list of things I’m so going to miss about my sweet Nefi-Bear. 

I’ll close this with what happened our last day together.  Nefi had been acting strangely all day and I kept telling myself I was overreacting from our vet visit last week.  She started to breathe funny and the other dogs suddenly got very interested in her.  She crawled into her bed and Lola curled up by her belly.  Nefi threw her front paw over the top of her.  Rampage then walked over and laid his head on Nefi’s back.

I think they were trying to comfort her. 

I kind of wished I had taken a picture of that moment, but I was more concerned with getting her into the vet, where I was totally expecting the vet to tell me I was crazy and to take her home.  The look of concern on her face devastated me.  Each vet tech came in the room to give Nefi a kiss and scratch her while they got me ready to rush her to the specialists in Buffalo Grove.  As I left, they wished me good luck.  I began to cry.

Now Nefi was never a snuggler.  She liked to be near you and lay her head on your shoulder.  She knew when you needed a pug kiss, but she preferred to spray you with snort than be held.  As I strapped myself in to get home, get Lola & Rampage quickly situated and then speed off to rush to get her help, she crawled into my lap.  I held on to her tightly and slowly drove the 6 blocks home.  She never tried to get away from me.

As we sped up the expressway heading to the specialists, we got stuck in traffic by O’Hare.  She was strapped into her car seat in the back of the bug watching the people in the cars all around us.  We pulled up next to a car of kids and they started waving at her.  She stood up, wagged her tail and danced around a little as we drove by.  Even as she was sick, she was still happy to be around people and let people love her.

She wouldn’t let me carry her into the vet’s office.  She insisted on walking.  She bolted in the front door excited to be somewhere new… tail wagging and greeting everyone.  They heard her breathing and rushed her back.  She jumped into the vet tech’s arms and looked at me as if I shouldn’t worry.  In the end, it was she who was comforting me all afternoon.

And that describes my sweet little baby in a nutshell.  My heart is broken that she is gone. 

Rampage and Lola searched for her upon our return.  I think it has sunk in to Rampage that she’s not coming back and he’s incredibly sad.  The worst thing is that I know I couldn’t do as good of a job as Nefi in making him feel better.

There will NEVER be another like her.  Eight years doesn't seem like enough time for us to spend together.  I will love you forever, my sweet baby girl.