Tag Archives: Family

Chloe the Otter Pup Had a Great Life

Chloe giving me her winning underbite.

So many of you knew her as “The Otter Pup” so it only feels right to share this sad news here. Chloe was in very bad shape the day before my birthday, Sept 4th. I had to make the tough decision that all pet owners have to make at one time or another. She passed peacefully with the help of an in-home service and I held her the entire time. That’s what she wanted and that is what I gave her.

She had sixteen glorious years and was such a part of our lives. Sure, she was my reading buddy but the care and protection she showed me over my brain surgery and pulmonary embolism recovery was just so damn touching. That pup would not let me out of her sight for fear that I’d faint or fall as I had many times in front of her during that recovery period. 

I asked the kids who are both away from home if they wanted me to FaceTime them, they opted not to. I sent them a video of me talking to her beforehand and she seemed to know that relief was coming, she raised her head and put her paw on my arm. 

She was the best. She had so much personality and sass. She will always be remembered that way. I can’t wait to have her remains returned to me. I have her favorite corner all ready for her. The house is just not the same.

Hug your babies. 

Review: Seek Immediate Shelter

Seek Immediate Shelter book cover.

Seek Immediate Shelter
By Vincent Yu
Flatiron Books, May 2026, 304 pp.

The Short of It:

In a life or death situation, a lot comes to light.

The Rest of It:

Imagine going about your day and receiving a ballistic missile threat notification that sends you into a panic to seek immediate shelter.

BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

The people in this small town have only a few moments to make a decision. What will they do? One father pushes his family into a bathtub to ride it out. Another runs around his house with his wife and baby, only to leave her standing in the garage with a baby in her arms. A woman sends an unforgivable text to her daughter.

Chaos. Panic. Hurt feelings and disappointment. Emergencies can bring out the best or worst in a relationship. When you have a critical need and it’s not being met, plus the possibility of losing your life, you make rash decisions.

Then, they receive another message. It was all a mistake. A. FALSE. ALARM.

Your wife is standing in the garage holding a baby you forgot as you sped off. How do you recover from that? Innocent mistake or a shift in priorities? How do you take back a horrific text you sent to your daughter? You can’t.

These inadequacies and insecurities existed long before the emergency notification, but none of these people were at a point in their lives where they wanted to admit it. I gotta tell ya, these characters are not likable. Still, there’s something about their desperation and the way the story is told that holds you there, rapt, unable to let go.

Flawed. Imperfect. Recommend.

Source: Borrowed
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