She was the runt of the litter.
I wasn't there when my family drove an hour out of LA to the ramshackle Toy Poodle puppy mill to pick out a dog. But I heard that all the other brothers and sisters eagerly came running up and jumping on them. Rambunctious and cute. One of the little ragamuffins, however, just stayed in the back of the pen all quiet. My 6 year old sister at the time, Brooke (who has since graduated from college!), ran over to her and picked that one up.
She named her Candy Cane Cotton Candy.
Candy could do impressions. She did the Taco Bell Chihuahua perfectly. "Yo quiero Taco Bell?" and "Viva Gorpita."
That was the first evidence of her genius.
We gave her treats when she would growl & complain if she fell asleep on your lap and you had to get up to pee or something. Like "Can't you see I'm sleeping here. You're a bed. I'm asleep. No peeing or otherwise interrupting my slumbers. Jeez people. A little respect."
Any time we would play fight she would be on my side and bite Brooke even though she slept in Brooke's bed every night. I am bigger than my sister, she's 11 years younger than me, but without Candy's protective services I would have surely been abused.
When I went to UCLA, I lived at home. Candy and I would read for 10 hours a day. She was incredibly well read. She actually read the entirety "The Grapes Of Wrath" in 6 hours and got a 97% on her essay. After graduating from UCLA, she continued to read the newspaper everyday and was well versed on a wide range of topics. A friend of mine who just met her a few weeks ago, told me a couple days ago that they chatted about French poetry and Marxism and that they agreed on many points. I never studied that stuff yet so she must have continued her studies independently as well, once I moved out of the house.
The impressions and the degree from UCLA were one thing, but her real talent was the art of cuddling. She was the Yoda of cuddling. It is not hyperbole to say that she was One Of The Greatest Cuddlers Of All Time.
She was my friend, my confidante, my soul mate.
Farewell to our Lamb Chop. Our Tiny Poodle. Q-Tip.
Spoiled to death for 15 years straight.
Wherever she went just got a whole lot cozier.
Look for little clouds of cuddlement. And you will see her.
1 comment:
As a dog lover and someone that had to say goodbye to a 15 1/2 yr old labrador not too long ago; I appreciate this post. I never got to meet Candy, but she and I shared some glances through the fence when I lived next door.
I hope I go where they are when my time comes.
Post a Comment