Good Bye Cookie!

I haven't blogged in about week or so. As much as I enjoy writing about the dramatics on Lifetime and LMN, I had a bit of drama in my own life. No, I wasn't stalked by a woman I met on line ... or nearly murdered by a stepchild ... or kidnapped by an obsessed fan of this blog. Instead, me and Mrs. Lifetime Mike bid a sad farewell to our longtime movie watching buddy, Cookie.

Cookie was our very unique dog who may have been part Bassett, part Bull Terrier or even part Pit Bull. I was never quite sure during our 11 years with her, but I knew that she was a very special companion.

Cookie was a shelter dog. I located her in a Texas dog pound, scarred, with kind of a mange (actually fungal infection) on her nose. She looked like she has been in fights, but I learned otherwise when I met her through those cage bars. Cookie was kind of scary looking, but her personality was pure comedy. She was a very friendly girl who loved everyone and everything ... cats and squirrels included. She especially loved kids! And they loved her too. At the dog park, children would gravitate her and she'd let them pet her. When they'd stop, she'd follow them!

We adopted Cookie as a companion for our older (and also departed) companion Babs. They looked alike and were inseparable.

We lost Babs in 2012, and Cookie joined her in Doggy Heaven last week. She was (and still is) an important part of my life. We traveled together, went to parks, took long walks, rode in the car and of course, watched many movies on the couch! Of course, she would doze off and snore (LOUDLY) through each film.

In recent months, Cookie suffered a stroke and her beautiful personality began to fade. She showed signs of doggy dementia ... air biting, walking into walls. With meds, she showed signs of her former self. Of course, age caught up with her. At 13, she bid us farewell.

If you love your dog and cat companions, you understand how difficult these moments are. And I have no Lifetime Mike Jr., so Cookie and other companions are particularly special for myself and my wonderful wife. Still, I have many awesome memories of Cookie. Regardless of her absence, I'll always have Cookie crumbs to make me smile each day. These may be memories of her friendliness or even her flatulence!

It could have been easy to walk by that cage 11 years ago. Many people did. One couple pointed at her an laughed as she wagged her tail in her cage -- with only a pink bath mat to sleep on. She was in that animal shelter for a month before I met her. She may have looked rough around the edges but proved everyone (including myself) wrong.

So, this blog's for Cookie. Through her, I learned not to judge a book by its cover ... and that second chances are invaluable.

So long, Cook! I know we'll meet again.