Final Rest

I woke probably three or four times through the night to check the time. Going to bed at 650pm left me somewhat disoriented. I woke for good at 545am, or just as the coffee maker finished its brewing cycle. After 11 hours of sleep my body felt sluggish and tired, a common byproduct of too much sleep. Sit-ups and push-ups felt more like a chore rather than a gift, but I struggled through anyway. Still struggling to find comfort in my new morning routine minus Sparky, I spent extra time online. I stopped briefly, delivering Mindy’s coffee at 610am. I spent another ten minutes or so online before moving on to meditation and stretching. Both went well. My plan was still to bury Sparky before going into work, but I hadn’t yet informed my boss. I figured I’d email once I was back form my run. Aside from the emotional turbulence that accompanied burying my dog, I still hadn’t settled on spot. Ugh! It was warmer than the past two mornings. It was 30 degrees. I still wore two wicking layers, and a good thing I did. There was a chilly wind blowing in from the east. Aside from that, the run went well. During my run I settled on Sparky’s final resting place. It would be in the large flower bed north of our shed that once served as home to my weeping willow tree. And because we have electric running through the bed for uplighting, the spot would be just south of the old tree trunk where I was sure there were no obstructions. I felt much better about that spot than the other alternative, which was back by the kids tree swing, a low area that floods during heavy spring and summer rains. Mindy had my eggs ready and waiting upon my return. I sent a quick email to my boss and peer advising them of my status. Mindy went to the garage to pay her last repsects to Sparky returning in tears. Bella went with her. Jacob wanted no part of the tearful ceremony. As soon as Mindy left and my eggs were gone I headed out to get started. Ugh! Not easy. I asked Bella to holler out back when it was time to head for the bus stop. She agreed. I unlocked the shed to access a tarp, shovel, mattocks, and spud bar. Before taking the first shovel full of dirt, I cleared the area of the English ivy, ajuga, and zebra grass. All the ground cover must’ve kept freezing to a minimum. The earth moved rather easily. I had to contend with two major root stems from the old weeping willow but they chopped out easily too. Fearing it time to get the kids to the bus stop, I broke off from the task at hand and headed back inside. It was 7:53am. The kids and I headed to the bus stop, me with a huge lump in my throat. I was quite sad, but did my best not to show it in front of the kids. I felt much better about the prospect of finishing the burial alone, without the kids or anyone else around – affording me a few private moments with my dog. As soon as the kids were on the bus, I got back to work. However, before doing any more digging, I went in the garage and removed Sparky’s collar and got his favorite toy from his crate. Needless to say, it was an emotional few minutes. Back to the spot. I made sure to dig the area wide enough and deep enough the first time, so not to have lay him down then pull him back out. I must’ve dug about 24-30 inches deep and about the same in width. It was time. Time to carry Sparky to his final resting place. I knew I needed the closure but wasn’t looking forward to it at all. Sparky remained surprisingly soft and supple, still a beautiful dog really. I wrapped him carefully in the pale green beach towel along with his favorite cat toy then made the trek back to the flower bed. I kissed him and lovingly laid in the hole and said my goodbyes. I slowly added dirt, being careful and methodical. I stopped a couple of times to allow the lump in my throat to relax. Tears streamed down my cheeks. In fact, there doing it now as I write about it. It didn’t take as long as I thought it might, and I used all of the dirt I removed. It felt good to get it behind me. I paused briefly after putting away all of my tools to contemplate our time together. I’m glad he’s now resting in a peaceful place in our yard that offers an attractive vista almost year round. I think I’ll add a marker later commemorating his life. Inside I moved immediately to shower mode. It was 850am. I was ready to depart by 9:05am. I took a few minutes, however, to organize the kitchen and run the dishwasher washer – something we’d meant to do yesterday. I left for work at 915am, just after remembering to turn the temperature on the crock-pot down to low per Mindy’s instructions. My boss joked about the excuse I used for being late. I knew he was kidding. Work was crazy busy. Yikes! Most years this is our slow time, but not this year. Like most other days, I didn’t take a lunch. We had discussed celebrating Lindsey’s birthday this evening back on Tuesday, but considering what else the day held, Mindy and I forgot to discuss it any further this AM. I sent her an email asking if she could pick-up Lindsey and the boys on her way home. I would, in turn, stop for a cake and a gift. Lindsey must’ve called around 11am to confirm our plans. I promised to call her back after speaking with Mindy. Mindy called around lunchtime. She hadn’t yet seen my email about Lindsey but wanted to see how the burial went. We talked for a while. She agreed to pick-up the kids. Later, she emailed and offered to pick-up the cake too meaning I’d only need to make one stop for the gift. Cool! The afternoon was very active. I ended up attached to my office until almost 630pm. I called Mindy to let her know that I would be delayed. My dad was coming for dinner too. I stopped at Target to pick-up a card and gift card on my way home. That didn’t take long at all. It was pouring rain, the first rain I can recall in maybe a month. At home, the house was alive with little ones. The day’s one consolation was that I didn’t have to walk Ykraps in the downpour. Mindy remembered that there was a box on our front porch. We both figured it to be our new crock-pot. I carried it in but decided not to open it just yet. I greeted Lindsey, dad, and the boys. The little ones were already eating spaghetti, apparently not wanting roast beef. Fine with me, more for us!  Mindy began plating beef for everyone. I was extra hungry. The roast was especially juicy and tender. The mashed potatoes were yummy too. Everybody seemed to like the meal. Save for one small piece, we ate entire roast. I guess that means no beef and noodles over the weekend.  After clean-up we placed 8 candles on Lindsey’s cake - 2 representing the tens family, while the six others represented the ones. Hard to believe Lindsey’s 26! We sang, then sang again giving the kids an opportunity to blow the candles out a second time. We gave Lindsey her card and gift. She seemed appreciative. While others had cake, I had one of the giant double chocolate cookies Mindy picked up at Kroger. They were scrumptious! Others agreed. They were a hit. After the birthday celebration, the kids played Wii Fit. They were too rowdy for me. I slipped into the other room. I eventually rejoined them. Around 8pm Mindy ran Lindsey and the boys home. Dad pretty much left on their heels after a brief discussion about Sparky’s last days. Sparky loved my dad! Fittingly, dad got the chance to join me on Sparky’s last walk. The kids got ready for bed as soon as Mindy returned. I tucked them in around 840pm. Mindy and I retired to the sofa where we tuned into FOX network prime time programming for the first time all year. We watched Fringe. It was OK. I dosed off a time or two. We made a beeline for bed immediately after the program.