Quick Video: Interview With A Young Self

Deb: First of all, the foresight of this young man blows my mind. I wonder, did he forget about it for years and rediscover it, or was he waiting until just the right amount of years had gone by? These kinds of things always blow the creativity of the human mind out of the water! Enjoy and put on your own thinking caps. It got me to thinking I can tell you.

Unleash Your Compassion

Internationally renowned Steven Page headlines evening of Music and Laughter with an All-Canadian Line-up to support Animal Welfare Comedian Colin Mochrie and Actress Debra McGrath Host

 

“Live and Unleashed featuring Steven Page and Friends” to support Ontario SPCA

Lights, camera...woof!  The Ontario SPCA invites animal enthusiasts, music lovers and theatre buffs to spend a night of laughter, music and entertainment at the “Live and Unleashed featuring Steven Page and Friends” onMonday, November 28 at 8:00 p.m. at Roy Thomson Hall.  Tickets are limited and available at www.liveandunleashed.ca.

Hosted by hilarious husband and wife team, comedianColin Mochrie and talented actress/comedian Debra McGrath, the evening will include performances by Canadian funk sensation Planet Earth and award-winning saxophonist Matthew James — all in the name of helping animals and directly supporting the lifesaving work of the Ontario SPCA.

The evening is themed around a young dog named Rocky who is a shining example of the lifesaving work the Ontario SPCA performs every day.  Severely abused, neglected and close to death, Rocky was rescued by Ontario SPCA investigators and captured the hearts of hundreds in the GTA.  Thanks to love, nurturing and medical care, Rocky is now on the road to recovery and has been given a chance for a new life and a home.  And in an inspiring announcement live at the event — Guests will meet Rocky’s new family for the first time! 

“I’m so excited to be participating in this fun yet important event!” says Steven Page.  “As a dog lover and owner (if that’s the right word!), I am grateful for the work of the Ontario SPCA.  Live & Unleashed is going to be a great evening of music and entertainment and guests will truly make a difference supporting all of the animals in need across Ontario.”

Event Listings/Interview Opportunities                         What:             Live and Unleashed featuring Steven Page and Friends Hosted by comedian Colin Mochrie and Debra McGrath             When:            Monday, November 28 at 8:00 p.m. Where:           Roy Thomson Hall                                 Why:              To support lifesaving work of the Ontario SPCA  Who:              Steven Page (Formerly of the Barenaked Ladies) with opening acts PlanetEarth and Matthew James

Deb and Barbara: On a related note: we really want to draw your attention to the Save Stich sitch. Our friend and fellow blogger, Hollye Dexter, has an unbelievable story about how her adopted dog has become tangled in a legal nightmare. Read her story/history here and sign the petition!  If you can, buy the really good stuff on the fundraiser to support Stitch's plight. 

A Furry Teen In Our House

Deb: I remember the day she stopped paying attention. It was a week ago Tuesday at 6:21 PM. She was now ten months old. A teen. A friggin furry teen.

I did what I always do when she starts to bark. “Bairn, come!” Works like a charm. Say it only once or the word will cease to mean anything.

Waiting. Waiting.................................................................................................Waiting.

No come. Not a come to be found. Now what?

Can’t say “Bairn, come” again. The trainer told me that. DO NOT SAY IT MORE THAN ONCE.

So now what? Me waiting. She running amuck. Waiting. More amuck. Waitingness. Amuckness.

Me putting on rain boots. Yes, raining. Pouring. Downpour. Monsoon. I knew it would happen like this.

Out I went embittered and soggy. I stand my ground. She circles the pool. I reach for her. She eludes my grasp. I strain my back and curse her. She doesn’t give a flippin damn.

So ... after ten minutes of this Tom Foolery, I cave.

Bairn, come....................Bairn, COOKIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She comes faster than the speed of light.

And when she crosses the threshold I shout “NO COOKIE. NO COOKIE! You are bad! Bad Bairn! Bad. Bad. Bad. BAD. BAD. No cookie! No friggin cookie because you DID NOT COME. Ha ha. Yeah you think there’s a cookie coming, but there is NO COOKIE.”

I stood there soaked in triumph.

And she looked at me trusting and wide-eyed.

Bairn

Gave her a cookie.

Who’s the asshole now?

Barbara: Oh, Deb! So funny!! This is like me and my teenaged girls. “Girls, pick up your stuff. Girls, pick up your stuff. Girls! Stuff! Pick it UPPPPPP!” Except, wait, they never look at me wide-eyed anymore. And my bribe isn’t “cookies”, it’s chai lattes. Okay, we’re back on track here—I definitely give into those even when stuff isn't picked up. Even un-wide-eyed, these girls sure are cute. Plus I’m a sucker for chai lattes (which in order to get, by the way, requires leaving said stuff-strewn house).


PS: Stay tuned for a wonderful new 3-way on Wednesday!

Frisker Mochrie R.I.P.O.S. (Rest In Pursuit Of Squirrels)

Deb: Frisker is not afraid or in discomfort anymore. He was really only in distress for a total of an hour while we got dressed in the middle of the night and took him to the emergency clinic. We said our goodbyes quickly, both of us through leaden hearts and drenched eyes. It took only 20 seconds and he had his reward. His reward for twelve-and-a-half years of faithful service to our hearts.

He added years to our lives by making us sit down with him and play when we entered the house stressed. He made us laugh on more occasions than we can count and he melted us every time he picked out his toy for the day. He was even a hero. Our hero to be sure, but his sister Fanny’s hero when he saved her from drowning in the pool. Fanny had not been with us long––she was still a pup––and for him, I am sure, she was a pain in the butt. But when we heard him wailing––a sound he had never made––we ran outside to find him leaning over the pool’s edge trying to pull her out of the icy water with his paw. He was terrified of the water, which made his heroic act that much more special. I’m sure right after he saved her and she ran over to steal one of his stuffed babies for the umpteenth time, he thought, “What the hell did I do that for?” But he couldn’t help it. His instincts kicked in. And so have ours. Our instinct to stay close to home and mourn him. To give him his due. To stop our world and feel his absence.

We are following our instinct to go about our business, then break down when the moment overwhelms. Our son is a camp councilor this summer, so the poor guy is struggling with the fact that he was not here when Frisker, his boy pup, left us. We will have a little service and bury Frisker’s ashes when Luke comes home. We will put them in amongst the cedar trees where Frisker happily wiled away the hours, his snout peeking out from the foliage, his fat little arse burrowed in the cool dirt.

I just took up his bowl this morning from its spot and it was as if he had just died all over again. But with the bowl tucked away, we put another foot forward. And we focus on wee Fanny who is confused and unsure of herself. She still runs out the door, stops, turns around, barks and waits for him. She loved him as much as we did. And more than that, he was her Yoda, her role model. He was a good boy. He was a good Frisker. As Colin posted on Facebook: “He was a serious dog who brought serious Joy into our lives.

Frisker Mochrie

R.I.P.O.S.

Our Little Boy, Frisker

Deb: Frisker, our dog, is sick. He is 12 years old. He is a Cairn terrier. He is a soulful creature not given to frivolous things. He exposes his belly for a scratch to anyone who comes through the door. He lives for the sweet touch of the human, the scratchy love of an adoring creature. But he is a serious pup who seems more concerned with our investments than our attention to him. He is not like his sister, nor is he like any other pup I have known. He loves to frolic with our daily game of “gimme it”, but then he wants to settle down to a good think about our fiscal responsibility and his place in it. In essence, Frisker cannot be defined. He is still blessedly, thankfully, with us, and hanging in for all he’s worth. 

So I have decided to grant him a living funeral in this blog. It worked for Tom Sawyer and it will work for Frisker Mochrie. And even though he can’t read, I will know that I have done it and I will be able to look into his liquid, hot chocolate eyes and he will be able to see that respects have been paid. For that is what he would want. The proper speeches, protocol being adhered to, and all the trimmings that accompany it. 

He is a traditional pup, respectful of his position, but with a love that knows no bounds. Despite his accountant demeanor, Frisker is a people pup. I am sure many of you have them or have seen them. I know that Barb has a people pup in her Chaplin whom I love so very much. But this is for our Frisker, our boy’s first pup, a pup who turned our boy into a dog lover. As our boy was leaving for camp this summer, he said his goodbyes to Frisker, spending so much time with him, not knowing if he would see his dog again. And neither did we. We still don’t. 

But what I need to tell you is that our Frisker is kind and relenting, smart and wily, gentle and giving. He is a toddler of a dog one second and then all at once serious and wry. Our girl pup, Fanny, whom we equally adore for her own traits is a dog of ancient instinct who will walk the walk before she eats, circle and circle before she lays down, and grab one of her stuffed squirrels in her mouth and, with a snap of her head, break its neck. Frisker on the other hand treats the stuffies like his babies. He carries them around and protects them with his paw. Anyone who comes to our door is treated to a stuffed animal delivered personally by our Frisker. He will run to the basket and push his way through it until he finds just the right gift for the particular person at the door. We have laughed watching him push toy after toy out of his way until he finds just the right one. 

We love them both so much because they are them and because they are different. But this blog is for Frisker, fighting for his life as we fight with him. We are so filled with the whole of Frisker right now. Every breath is special and every move is the first and last move. Someone said to me yesterday, “That is why I cannot have another pet, I just can’t take the loss”. I understand that, totally. However my point of view is that I would not trade one second of pain for the many, many years of joy that we have had with our Frisky-boy. So please, pray for him or think of him because he is our boy. Our boy’s first boy. He sleeps in our bed. He is our family and we are losing him. 

Barbara: Weeping as I read this, Deb. How many times would Frisker come to me with one of his specially chosen stuffies, make his serious business known, pet my leg with his paw, and lay down at our feet while we worked in your kitchen? He is truly a beloved soul. 

It is partly thanks to Deb and her pups that we even have our Chaplin. I was never a dog person––or didn’t think I was—and Deb introduced me to the sweet pleasure of that unique relationship. I wish we didn’t have to lose them, but I wouldn’t trade one moment with these little loves either. 

You know Frisker is in my thoughts, Deb. But so are you.