This picture is of my friend, Mike Stevens. Mike has worked tirelessly for decades as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). He has regaled me with stories both heartwarming and horrifying over the years, but somehow when I saw this picture on Facebook, I got a sudden, clear image of what it must be like to be a first responder with a big heart.

This is a tragic tale, told here, of a fire that devastated the lives of an already disrupted family. The story is heartbreaking in every sense, and the sadness must be overwhelming for everyone involved. In the midst of the fire, the heroics, and the drama, the image of a man trying to resuscitate a little dog stands out. Mike has saved countless lives in his career as an EMT, and has no doubt seen many fade away as well. The image of him trying to save this little dog, though, really shows what kind of man he is. read more »

I’m going to let you in on a little secret about me. Actually, I’m going to reveal two, but only because both secrets are germane to the tale. The first secret isn’t very scandalous, and it’s probably not much of a secret either, but I’ve been bearing the burden of this boring secret for too long, and so the truth must be revealed. You see, I like bran muffins.

Shameful, I know.

Being the quirky, pain-in-the-ass, control freak that I am, I will not settle for just any bran muffins. The bran muffins I demand are made by our local supermarket chain, ShopRite. I should also mention that of all the ShopRites I’ve ever visited, only one makes bran muffins the way I like them. Did I mention that I’m a quirky control-freak who is also a pain-in-the-ass? Check with my wife. She will confirm every last bit of that last compound-adjective-laden sentence. read more »

Mr. Guinness is a very brave boy. For example, he has scared off hundreds of very dangerous bicyclists from the road in front of our house. His fence is probably 150 feet from the road and the cyclists don’t even know they’re being barked at, let alone by whom. But he barks, and then they’re gone, so clearly he scared them away. For these and other acts of bravado, we award Guinness with constant commendations for bravery befitting a proper Newfoundland dog.

In other words, we tell him to shut up about thirty times a day. read more »

As you may know, Fridays evenings are sacrosanct in our house, because that’s when we have Pizza and Movie Night™. If you’ve read my previous tales, then you may already be smirking. For those of you who haven’t committed all my previous tales to memory, I’ll just say that the last time I wrote about Pizza and Movie Night™, the story did not end well. Shocking, I know.

Sure, you may have laughed at my misfortune in the past, and I’m sure many of you have sided with the beast, but this time… oh this time I had her dead to rights. This time I knew that I had her outsmarted, and naturally, that’s why it all went wrong. read more »

Fourteen years ago today, on August 3rd, 1997, My Cozy was born. She died eight short years later, her body having finally succumbed to the ravages of cancer. In those eight years she changed the lives of a young married couple and their two children. Cozy was the inspiration for Newf.net, where her legacy continues today. Through Newf.net, thousands of people have learned how to better care for their Newfs. In her own small way, Cozy changed the world.

I promised Cozy that I would write her story, and I did. Now I need to tell the world. That part has proven harder than I thought, but it will happen. You’ll see Cozy. I know you’re patient.

Cozy always waited for me, no matter how long it took, and she knew that I would always come back home. No one waits for me at the fence these days, even though there are new noses that eagerly sniff me when I walk through the door. Somehow, though, I know that Cozy is waiting for me somewhere.

I hope you’re happy and pain free Cozy, My Cozy, wherever you may be. I miss you baby girl. We all do.