Andie

This is Andie
She will be 12 on the 15th of August. However, it looks like she wont see the 15th of February. She was a scruffy little pup with a wonky ear and a wispy tail when she showed up on 28th October 1994. She used to gallop across the lawn. We used to stick a bar across her path and she'd sail over it. In the morning she's dash about frantically, making figures of eight across the garden. She used to eat the grass. I once wrote a letter to Herself in which I said: Andie's having a species identity crisis, she can't decide if she's a dog, a racehorse or a cow.
Before Andie showed up I was terrified of dogs. Some relatives of ours had a thirteen year-old Daschund who could barely walk. I never went into their house unless she was shut up in a room. But Andie changed all that. Andie made it possible for me to roll around on the floor with an Irish Setter, befriend Lisa and Jimmy and countless other campus dogs.
We often felt we shoudl ge another dog. We tried. First there was jumble. Jumble was mad. she tried to eat a rock at age 4 months and choked on it. Then there was Sir Archibald Nai. He got run over at age 4 months. We kind of gave up after that.
But Andie had always been aorund. We had a cat, and every day when Andie went for her walk, PP wld appear and walk underneath her, with her tail tickling Andie's tummy.
When I've fought wiht the world and needed a hug Andie gave it to me.
She's outlived both my grandfathers.
The past few years she's been old and cranky. I don't make her fetch things anymore, and I barely ever pet her because she's prickly about it. I talk to her, and she's the reason I discovered that all dogs speak Spanish. The things we do together have changed. Mostly she whines at me when I'm watching TV. Sometimes when Themselves are out I let her in for company. and she sits at my feet most worshipfully. SHe used to gallop out of the house if I yelled, but the years I've been away they've spoiled her.
Right now, she can't see. She cant walk. Last night I didnt sleep a wink because she was moaning outside my window and I couldn't do a thing to make it better. I've never felt more pointless in my life.
And even though 11 and a half years is only half my age, its practically all of the life I remember. And I cannot envisage a life without her in the background.