I loves me my Sitemeter

It's stats time again, boys and girls!

By far the most common search terms bringing people to my blog in recent weeks have had to do with dogs' broken toes. My posts about Ferris probably discouraged a lot of owners from seeking veterinary attention for their pets. One reader, from Slough, UK, googled "Putting a rabbit's leg in sling." Good luck, friend.

A web-surfer from the Navy Network Information Center in Pensacola, Florida, searched for "Kiss me" "Steven Wright." Don't ask, don't tell.

I am not flattered that an individual from Whiteland, Indiana, was directed to my blog after searching "frequent yawning boredom."

Thanks to my post about cutting and donating my hair, someone from Los Angeles, California, found my blog after googling "chop off top of hair leave rest long." That's called a mullet, buddy. Don't do it.

I chuckled when I saw that someone in Cincinnati, Ohio, searched for "dribblestop."

Last but not least, someone from Rome, Italy, googled "lacrosse I'm not afraid of you." Way to go, signore. No need to fear Canada's national summer sport.

I'm lijit

I'm a big fan of the lijit wijit, so it's nice to be recognized for spreading the love.

Speaking of being legit, regular readers know that Scott and I are now engaged. Scott picked up the re-sized engagement ring at the jewellery store yesterday before heading to my parents' house for a family dinner. Wasn't I tickled pink when he got down on one knee to re-propose! (My mother snapped a photograph but I haven't received a copy yet. If it isn't too hideous I will post it here.) Engagement is wonderful. Planning the wedding is another story. I want an un-wedding, while Scott wants a more traditional wedding. While I have grudgingly dropped the idea of holding the reception in a sand-filled indoor beach volleyball court, I still want something small, casual and low-key. I also don't want to break the bank or damage the environment. I found a recreation area that offers "green" weddings, but they make you fork over a ton of green for the privilege.

Further bulletins as news warrants.

The hardest part about having pets

I wish I had written more about Samson. Being the seemingly healthiest of our pets, he did not give me cause to grumble about repeated trips to the vet. He did give us many opportunities to laugh. He was a bright, trouble-making, kittenish little guy. Out of six siblings he was the only one who did not contract feline distemper, and we thought he was strong enough to beat all odds.

Samson would have been four this coming July. In the past he suffered from crystals in his bladder and we have had him on a special diet ever since. He seemed to be doing well. When Scott and I arrived home from work yesterday, however, we found Samson in pain, crying and not moving around very much. Throughout the evening he drank a lot of water and threw up several times. In hindsight it's hard to believe that we did not rush him to the emergency clinic, but we once had a bad experience there; as a result we have little faith in the care that such clinics provide. We decided to wait and see. We sat with Samson on the sofa for a while and pet him as much as he would tolerate.

We kept Samson in the bathroom overnight with food, water and a litter box. When I checked on him this morning he was laying down, breathing but nothing else - not even blinking. We rushed him to our vet clinic but he died in my arms en route.

Samson was Scott's favourite, there was no denying it. Part of my pain is the loss I am feeling, and part of it is the grief I can see Scott suffering. It's also heartbreaking to witness Trooper's confusion as he begins to realize that his brother (and best cuddle-buddy) is gone. It will take a long time to forgive ourselves for not taking Samson to the vet last night.

Have you ever noticed...

...how you get really, really busy after returning from vacation? That's my excuse for not posting in a while. At any rate, for your viewing pleasure, I have finally posted a selection (100) of photos from beautiful Hawaii. If you click the "i" in the middle of a photo, the captions will be displayed. Oh boy, nothing like a slideshow of someone else's vacation.

No joke

Somewhere off the coast of Maui, Scott proposed. To me, no less.

Me, stunned

More on our fabulous vacation in Hawaii later.