Aloha and Mahalo

January 3 is an aloha and mahalo day for me. Trivia tidbit of the day: according to Wikipedia, aloha has only meant "hello" and "goodbye" since the 19th century, but it actually means "affection, peace, compassion, and mercy." Nothing is more appropriate for my January 3 than "hello, goodbye, affection, peace, compassion, and mercy," as well as the gratitude and respect expressed through mahalo.

Pigeon and me in our kittenish years

One year ago today, I said goodbye to my best friend of almost 18 years as I released my Siamese mix, Pigeon, to the great hunting grounds in the sky. Graceful, playful, talkative, and aloof, Pigeon was my familiar spirit, my daemon through adulthood. What follows are a few of my favorite memories of her.

Pigeon was an excellent judge of male character, which is to say that she was generally not a fan of my boyfriends. Perhaps I should have paid closer attention to the fact that she consistently pissed on my ex husband's skateboard for the first year or so that she knew him, right? Pigeon had an amazing trick where she would jump out a third story bay window and into another on the outside of the building in order to escape from her litter mate during games of chase. She would then sneak up behind him and meow at him to get the chase going again. Pigeon would always lie dangerously close to a heat source and she knew that the pops and clangs of a 100 year old radiator meant that heat would be coming soon. A clever kitty, she would bang on the radiator to try to get it loud enough to turn on. As a kitten, she had an adorable habit of leaving her tongue sticking out just a little bit. She would wake me up by sitting on my chest, staring earnestly at me with that ridiculous tongue sticking out. It was all I could do not to laugh her off of me every morning. There is no better way to wake up than with laughter and love in your heart, and I adore her for giving me that gift. Aloha and mahalo, Pigeon.

My heart broke when I took Pigeon to the vet that last time. It was the first time that I had been to Inglemoor Animal Hospital, but I was so impressed with the level of compassion and professionalism that they showed for what could have been a one-time visit. When I requested cremation, the vet told me that Pigeon's ashes would be spread over an apple orchard in the Yakima Valley. True to her word, I received a postcard with a picture of Pigeon's final resting place a month or two later. The vet also told me not to stop at the front desk to pay, that we would take care of it at a better time. That was such a small gesture, but it meant so much to me. I have been treated just as well every time that I've been back to the clinic. I highly recommend them if you are in a need of a vet in the Bothell/Kenmore/Juanita area.

PepPurr and Savvy moments before a play-fight

Six hours after saying goodbye to Pigeon, I said hello to a new black kitten. I know that may seem awfully soon, but it was something I needed to do, and I'm so glad I did. My PepPurr is a lovey little clown who is an amazing playmate to my dog, Lola, and my other cat, Savvy. She may not be an alter-ego like Pigeon was, but she is a manifestation of sheer joy and love. She allows Lola to lick inside her ears, has taught Lola how to wash her own face with her paws, and is fearless in bringing out the kitten in a cranky cat who is twice her size.

PepPurr and Lola clownin'

Incredibly affectionate, PepPurr likes to smash her face into mine and purr for attention, and she wakes me up with sandpaper kisses on my chin or nose. When I was having a tough time last summer, PepPurr, Lola, and Savvy would come together and compete with each other to lap the most tears off my cheek, which almost always ended in laughter. Honestly, I could go on and on about how great this cat is, but I will spare you any more crazy cat-lady talk, dear reader. Mostly I just want to express how grateful I am that PepPurr came into my home and my heart on 1/3/13. Happy adoption day, PepPurr! Aloha and mahalo.

In keeping with the theme of cats and this blog's supposed theme of dating, I will close with this, a gift from my cousin L, who has also found himself wading in the deep end of the dating pool. I love it.