"You're My Best Friend" Freddy Mercury

The picture on the background of this page is my best friend ever. Yes I realize it's a dog. His name was Falcor. He left us 05/28/20008. No this isn't going to be a blog about " BooHoo ... I miss my poor little dead dog...Wahhhh!".

Truth is Falcor was my best friend. Which wasn't unusual for me. Over my lifetime I've been friends with many dogs. Not detract from my human friends. People like Lee, Charles, Christy and Steve, have always been there for me. But even the best of humans (hopefully I can include myself in that category)  still operate on a level that best serves themselves. Dogs tent act in a manner that is best for the friendship.
The day I met Falcor my roommate Christy brought him home, unbeknownst to me while I was at work. When I came home for lunch, Christy was out running errands, and Falcor was left to guard the house. He had been there only couple of hours and already took his responsibilities very seriously. Falcor and I spent the next 20 minutes circling the dinner table, him barking and growling at me. Me making a bologana sandwich, trying to stay unscathed so I could return to work. After eating my lunch in the same manner,with table between us, I made a dash for the door. Falcor lunged half way across the room stopping only after I threw the last bite of sandwich in the air in the middle of the room. He snatched it in midair and sat down. He gave me one last bark and smiled at me. Yes he smiled. As if to say "Thanks, but I'm still gonna be watching you".
Over the next few weeks we become closer and closer. He would follow me around. I would take him for walks. He started to sleep in my room instead of the livingroom.
Months later, Lisa and I became room mates. We were not involved at the time. She worked days, I worked nights so we shared a room in shifts. On the first night of this arrangement, as I was leaving for work, I jokingly told Falcor "Watch her". I meant as in "don't let her steal the silverware". Lisa took as "take care of her and protect her". Lisa patted the bed next to her, Falcor hopped up in the bed for the first time ever. Fast foreward a couple of years of him not missing a night in the bed, I could not get him out of it, to the point of him growling at me when I tried to move him so I could get in. It got so bad, I would have to go into the kitchen and crinkle the bread bag to trick him into think that I (and him by proxy) was getting a snack. Then it was a race to get into bed before he did. Defeated he would settle on a spot between Lisa and I.
If you came to my house and you were not one of Falcor's humans, he would bark at you until you were seated. If he did not like you he would continue to bark until I told him to mind his manners.  I realized he was a good judge of character. I learned to trust his instincts and more often than not he was right. One guy he didn't like ended up in jail two weeks later for strong arm robbery. I adopted a policy of "I don't like anyone my dog doesn't like".
He was smart. He was a sheperd. He would roam the house at night making sure his flock was in bed where they belonged. He had an uncanny ability to locate property lines better than a surveyor. He could tell time. Not only did he know when his meal times were, but he knew we had a BBQ every other Friday, at which a hot dog inevitably roll off the grill just when he was handy to help clean it up.

Falcor lived to be 14 when he developed a cyst on his neck that grew so large it ruptured though his skin. He was old and had other health problems. We decided it was in his best interest not operate. We had one last BBQ in his honor at which he had his very own london broil all too himself. I spent all night sitting up with him, giving him bites of his steak. I gave him one last bath. That morning we went to the vet and I sat on the floor with him, stroked his head and told him that he was " a big mean dog" (Which he took great pride being his whole live.) as he drew his last breath.
As I stated earlier this post isn't about BooHoo, but rather to point out the profound influence Falcor had on me. And that knowing him has helped guide me to make the choice that this blog is about.
But I do miss you "Old Man".