jcj528
06-08-2007, 07:00 AM
Today is the sixth anniversary of Zack's arrival in Miami. It was a Friday, too now that I think about it. I remember that day very well. It was after the frantic trip to Kentucky to see the puppy I had fallen in love with over the internet, after sending the final payment check and after the Puppy Shower. The gifts from the Shower and other welwishers and everything else was waiting for Zack to get here when I left for work.
Somehow I manages to get through the work day though everyone even the Vice President of my Division kept coming by to ask me if I was excited. A few stopped by to inquire if I was ready to let Leisl be released from her suffering now that my puppy was coming. Time has taught that they were right, but at the time I just wanted Leisl and Zack to be together.
Anyway, eventually it was time to be picked up by my closest friends who volunteered, no actually pretty much demanded to drive me to the Fort Lauderdale Airport to get my new puppy. We left Miami around 8:00 p.m. and went to dinner first as the flight wasn't due in until 11:15 or so. At dinner the gentleman of the couple gently brought up the Leisl subject. They had been with me when the decision to let nature takke its course was made and they now thought that course had been run and Leisl should be set free. I couldn't do for them or for Leisl.
After dinner we finally got to the airport. I guess it was about 10:30 by then. We went to the air frieght desk and gave them all the flight numbers and asked if they could tell us how the puppy was at the flight change in Atalnta. The guy who seemed to have handled these type of deliveries before she that he would try to find out. Then we all had a scare when the people in Atlanta said, "what puppy?" I was nearly frantic. I tried to call the breeder, but she was not home, though I did manage to leave a message. Then some of the frieght handlers told us this story of how another young lady had come expecting delivery of a puppy only to find that the breeder not taken her money and never actually had a dog to sell. I knew that was not the case with me. I knew that Zack existed, I had held him in my arms, but where was he?
Just as I was about to fall completely apart, the freight manager heard someone in the back say, "what a cute puppy!" My friends heard it, too. The lady said, "I think he's here." I didn't hear anything, but when they told me, I went running to the desk. The guy wanted me to sign the paperwork, but knew I couldn't so he asked me. "do you want to see him. first?"
Dumb question - he pointed and opened the door. I ran through it and there on top of a huge wooden box was a tiny plastic crate with a large "ZACK" on and a tiny little Zack in it. I cried, ny friends cried, I think even the frieght manager shed a tear or two. But before he let me take Zack out of the crate, he made me sign all the paper work. Once I did he handed the crate and the puppy to me.
As we went outside it was nearing midnight. I noticed that the freight manager and most of his staff were in the loading dock with us as we prepared to take Zack out of the crate for his first South Florida walk. I said to the manager, "quitting time?"
"Nope," he replied, "After struggling with you over the past hour or so, I wanna see the puppy." So we took Zack out of the crate and slipped his brand new collar on him and clipped his brand new lead to it and took him to the nearest tree. All of laughed and laughed as little 8 week old Zack lifted his tiny little back leg and watered the tree. It truly was a magical ending to a frantic, frentic day.
After my friends dropped Zack and me at my house I introduced him to his new bed and snapped the attached picture. Even now the original of that picture hangs over my left shoulder in my office.
Somehow I manages to get through the work day though everyone even the Vice President of my Division kept coming by to ask me if I was excited. A few stopped by to inquire if I was ready to let Leisl be released from her suffering now that my puppy was coming. Time has taught that they were right, but at the time I just wanted Leisl and Zack to be together.
Anyway, eventually it was time to be picked up by my closest friends who volunteered, no actually pretty much demanded to drive me to the Fort Lauderdale Airport to get my new puppy. We left Miami around 8:00 p.m. and went to dinner first as the flight wasn't due in until 11:15 or so. At dinner the gentleman of the couple gently brought up the Leisl subject. They had been with me when the decision to let nature takke its course was made and they now thought that course had been run and Leisl should be set free. I couldn't do for them or for Leisl.
After dinner we finally got to the airport. I guess it was about 10:30 by then. We went to the air frieght desk and gave them all the flight numbers and asked if they could tell us how the puppy was at the flight change in Atalnta. The guy who seemed to have handled these type of deliveries before she that he would try to find out. Then we all had a scare when the people in Atlanta said, "what puppy?" I was nearly frantic. I tried to call the breeder, but she was not home, though I did manage to leave a message. Then some of the frieght handlers told us this story of how another young lady had come expecting delivery of a puppy only to find that the breeder not taken her money and never actually had a dog to sell. I knew that was not the case with me. I knew that Zack existed, I had held him in my arms, but where was he?
Just as I was about to fall completely apart, the freight manager heard someone in the back say, "what a cute puppy!" My friends heard it, too. The lady said, "I think he's here." I didn't hear anything, but when they told me, I went running to the desk. The guy wanted me to sign the paperwork, but knew I couldn't so he asked me. "do you want to see him. first?"
Dumb question - he pointed and opened the door. I ran through it and there on top of a huge wooden box was a tiny plastic crate with a large "ZACK" on and a tiny little Zack in it. I cried, ny friends cried, I think even the frieght manager shed a tear or two. But before he let me take Zack out of the crate, he made me sign all the paper work. Once I did he handed the crate and the puppy to me.
As we went outside it was nearing midnight. I noticed that the freight manager and most of his staff were in the loading dock with us as we prepared to take Zack out of the crate for his first South Florida walk. I said to the manager, "quitting time?"
"Nope," he replied, "After struggling with you over the past hour or so, I wanna see the puppy." So we took Zack out of the crate and slipped his brand new collar on him and clipped his brand new lead to it and took him to the nearest tree. All of laughed and laughed as little 8 week old Zack lifted his tiny little back leg and watered the tree. It truly was a magical ending to a frantic, frentic day.
After my friends dropped Zack and me at my house I introduced him to his new bed and snapped the attached picture. Even now the original of that picture hangs over my left shoulder in my office.