Note to My Dog On His 13th Birthday

Most of my awesome pics are inaccessible right now! Oh, well.

2013

Well Reb, what a long, strange road it's been! I remember my last year of undergrad, scouring the Books-A-Million in Baton Rouge, writing tons of notes to figure out what would be the best dog breed for me. I picked Border Collies because not only were they picked as the smartest breed, but they were full of exuberance. What a good match for me! Then I read every dog training book I could get my hands on. settling on Richard Wolters. He's the best out there To This Day. Finally I was on he hunt for breeders and I was recommended Terbo Kennels in Kentucky by an old and dear friend, the (in)famous amazing dog trainer Dick Russell.
Dick's passed away now and the world lost a great man. Heard of Caesar Milan? Dick knew him. We went 3x/week training with Dick, and he's the very main reason our relationship is as awesome as it is. Bruce's now-wife Dani & I went to his house and he'd cook lamb chops he raised himself and we'd drink wine on his porch. Ain't nothing better. We were living with Loey & her dog Amber back then. Amber died recently too. I cried.
We moved in with Holly Lamarche & her cats (Levi had cancer a couple of years ago, I euthanized him at Holly's house, so sad) and our great times continued. You had a job chasing geese off a golf course, and you  made more money than me doing that! I had 2 jobs: at the horse farm you ran & played & knew everyone & every horse; at Perkins Road Veterinary Clinic you would get through THREE doors starting outside on a regular basis to get into the examining room I was working in! You still never leave my side for long.
It was my last year of college, and you went to every party, every bar with me, always a socialite! I miss those days...

National Star!

Your name? Terbo Oran Rebel. Terbo for the kennel you were born in. Oran means "music" in Gaelic, which is where your breed is from, and Rebel was the name of my parents' dog when I was a kid. As a final play on words, "Rebel Music" is a nod to Bob Marley, as I knew we were headed to the Caribbean.

THEN St. Kitts! You & me all alone on this great adventure. You tore up my Millers' Anatomy book in one of my first weeks of vet school, not to mention spreading dirt all over the table and my roommate's bed, sheesh! Not used to me studying all the time instead of playing with you, I suppose.

Rebel & Java, with colleague Cindy Thomas Reher, on St. Kitts!

The agility training had to stop, we didn't have facilities there, but you were the king of the beach! I'd just keep my car windows open, and when it was time to go you'd jump through to the passenger seat. We'd go everywhere together. You'd swim on the surface and follow my bubbles around when I was diving. We went to the St. Christopher Children's Home every week to play with the kids.You even had your own social life. People would approach me and say, "OH, You're Rebel's owner!" We'd go snorkeling around Frigate Bay, limin' with X at the Shiggidy Shack. Not to mention hashing! You'd run up ahead and laugh at me climbing bluffs and such! The kids would argue over who could walk you. And hiking up Liamuiga, the dormant volcano that had something to do with my future son's name!

Overlooking North and South Friars, Nevis in  the background
My favorite pic!

Remember when that guy tried to break into my bedroom and you chased him out? You saved my life!
Me getting hit by Crucial Vibes was a set-back, but we handled it. Living on top of Bird Rock was amazing. Life was so so good.

The move to Mizzou was a good change, but me starting my clinical year did make me stay away from home even longer. Playing in the snow was great though! Caving and trails and acres of dog parks with ponds to swim in...I miss Missouri. South Carolina sucked for both of us. Then we moved to Lafayette and here we are...

Laffy Mardi Gras, 2012

Lake Martin
Photo Credit to Katie and Drew Shawver

Your birthday pic, last year

And life is different. We went through a scary time, then it was just you & me & the kid for years. I guess it's been just you & me for most of your life! You always made me safe and were a constant companion. Now you're deaf, which makes communication difficult, and I'm struggling to walk again. The 2 months that I was in the hospital was the longest we've ever been apart. That was hard for me. You snooze a lot, and we're both so much slower right now. But still, you're awesome with kids, always by my side, well-behaved and sweet. Happy Birthday, Rebel! I love you so much!

ON-ON!

I Love Hashing. This may not mean what you think it means.

Rebel a'hashin' on St. Kitts!

Hashing is an outdoor event that takes place world-wide which involves walking/running, finding trails, and socializing. Drinking and general debauchery will usually ensue. There are close to 2000 "kennels" worldwide, and most meet weekly to monthly. "Drinkers with a running problem" is their motto.

Hashing was started in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  and based is off the British"paper chase." The "hare" or "hares" set a trail that usually begins where it ends. The trail periodically has a "checkpoint" where the hare might have set false trails, dead ends, back checks,or splits. The "harriers" (named for a beagle type of dog) must work together to find where it begins again. When the correct trail is found, the person yells "ON-ON!" and everyone heads in that direction. Everyone works together and there are no "winners" in a hash. After it's done, the "grandmaster" will conduct a ceremony, which involves naming members, stating upcoming events, and whimsically "punishing" people for misbehaving on the trail, as well as recognizing the hares and other people important that day. These all usually include "down-downs" in which the selected people must drink an entire bottle of something, usually beer, while the rest of the group sings a song. Whatever is not finished by the time the song is over gets poured on the person's head. They sometimes have special events such a the "Red Dress Run," which New Orleans brags to have the largest! Hashes tend to raise money for good causes. To find out more, you can visit this Wikipedia page.

I started hashing when I lived on St. Kitts Island. It was a great way to explore the island and meet wonderful people at the same time! This is where I was given my hash name MOUTH ORGAN. Those guys are still at it; if you ever make it to St. Kitts you should totally hash with them! I have so much good stuff to say, and they inspired me to start a kennel in Lafayette.

The Kennel I Co-Started!! Come hash with us!

SO I've been yearning to hash again ever since I left St. Kitts. I was settled in Lafayette for a few years hoping to get a kennel started, and finally the opportunity came about! Yours Truly, "Just Heidi  & "Just Mike" (now Multiple Oceans & Ready To Blow respectively,) along with Tidy Bowl Man from Voodoo Hash House Harriers in New Orleans, started the CoonASS Hash House Harriers with tons of support from the other local hashes, including The New Orleans H3.

First Run of CASSH3, the Hares! We started the kennel! From left to right:

Just Mike (now Ready To Blow,) Tidy Bowl Man, Mouth Organ, and Just Heidi (now Multiple Oceans) Of note: Born Like This is in this pic too! But she was not a founder ;)

WE ROCK. If you're ever in Lafayette, come hashing! Here's our Facebook Page. These guys raised a ton of money for me when I was in the hospital, I owe them so much. On top of that, hashers just tend to be great people! ON-ON!