My Favorite Martian

Oliver is not your average dog.  He is from Mars, or so I have been lead to believe.  If you look at him in the eyes for too long, you may lose your soul.  That's the best part, though.  When you look into those two mis-matched eyes, listen for his "gruf gruf rrr," and wait for him to sniff snot your way, you absolutely POSITIVELY know that you belong to him and he belongs to you.  Then, when you least expect it, he will slap you in the face with his mangy paw.  One could assert that he does this not in anger, but bitch slaps you so that you will keeping looking at him in his eyes and hopes that you will give him scratchy on his chest.

Oliver came into my life in November of 2007, shortly after I married the love of my life (my dear husband, Shaun).  Little did I know that I would end up having two "loves of my life."  This gangly, smelly, beastly animal jumped into my car and leaped to the back window ledge, then jumped down, then huffed and puffed until the windows fogged up.  His former owner gave him to me with great haste, hoping I would not change my mind.  Joke was on her...no trade backs.

My dad met Oliver that very night and said Oliver reminded him of an antelope.  Simon (my Yorkshire Terrier with bad breath) did not know what the hell Oliver was -- friend or foe.  We all knew that Oliver was something special.  He was the shining light that our family so desperately needed.  This dog, this beast, this mangy dog changed us for the better.  ... And then we heard him bark for the first time.

So what, the dog barks a lot.  At least no one will rob our humble two-flat apartment building as long as guard dog Oliver is there.  He really is just scared; scared that someone will hurt him like people did before he came into our lives; scared that someone will take him away from his family; scared that someone will hurt his family.  Well, my love, you do not have to be scared any more.  No one is going to hurt you ever again.

I love you, Oliver.  You have made my life interesting.  You are adventure.  You are warmth.  You are a bright, shiny light that will never go out.  It is impossible to put out your light because your memory will burn in my heart as long as I live.