Tuktoyaktuk

Mr. Tuktoyaktuk lost his battle with cancer on June 11th, 2009. He died in my arms.

We took him to the vet within an hour of his passing, and they confirmed that he had died. On Friday (June 12th) we picked up his remains.

He was an inspirational dog, and he will be missed.

I do plan to write more about him, his life, and his three year journey with cancer.

Rest in peace my son, rest in peace.

Feeling a bit guilty

There is a part of me that feels guilty about wanting to move from Detroit to Seattle - and not just because I'll be part of the area 'brain drain' as things go from bad to worse. Though, since I'm currently employed, and not by an auto maker or any of their direct or indirect feeder businesses, it's not as much of pressing concern to leave as it is for others.

Having cared for a dog with cancer for three years (this last year has literally been a day-by-day thing of not knowing how much longer he'll go on), I know that we're getting toward the final end and know that I have been able to provide him a level of care that my partner-in-dogs cannot - during the really 'bad' times I crush the medication, mix it with raw honey and water, and give it to him in an oral syringe; and I also run the bag of fluid under his skin to help rehydrate him.

It's that I feel bad that I really want to go, yet I know that my leaving will also mean that he will have passed, so you can see where there can be grounds for conflicted feelings.

But to be totally honest, it really is time for me to go. To move on and do my own thing. Detroit never was my city.

Like the song says: "I gotta live my own"*

*Laura - Scissor Sisters**

**Oh I think that the first of many Scissor Sister post and references will be following soon.

I just remembered...

Funny, in my looking for jobs in my field in the Seattle area (since having decided that I will relocate there) it only just occurred to me yesterday that I graduated from a 'Big 10' school (which really didn't mean that much to me at the time, since I was so busy with grad work that it was sorta like an afterthought), and that we have alumni associations and networking that can be an assist in relocation and job searches.

Yes, sometimes I really can be that slow.

I didn't choose my school because I thought "Oh good, someday I can use its name and connections", rather I chose it because it was the best program for what I wanted to focus on.