The official site of Micheal "Eyedea" Larsen

Here’s a little story about a man named Mikey and his dog, mainly about the dog. So as I am watching my brothers dog this week end that way my nephew can compete in a skiing, I was think of when we (Mikey and I) got our dog Sasha. She was just a few weeks old and we bought her out of the newspaper. The family that had her had to move and couldn’t take the dog with.  So I told Mikey he would have a job with the dog and that would be to love and play with her but he would have to go to puppy school with her so they could learn a few commands and be safe when others (animals or people) were around. So we got her in late spring and in the beginning of summer it was puppy school time. Now it was a bit of a drive to the classes but even with the complaining about how we don’t need to take classes Mikey went. He learned the basics, commands for sit, to walk or heel, and then I taught her how to protect the boys and the house. It was funny when she would play with kids, so was so good at knowing if they are big kids or little kids. With the big kids she played rough and with little kids she was very gentle. The boys would do things like have her hang on to a stick and spin her around flying off the ground and she loved it. We would play keep away with her in the middle it was so funny watching her run back and forth but when she would get the ball she would run around us keeping it away from us. With little kids she would let them clime all over her and she didn’t even move. She was a funny puppy when we would leave the house she would chew on the shoes of the last person out the door, then she would jump on the kitchen table which was by two big windows so she could watch to see when we came back. Now we worried about her doing that because if something happened and we went home she could get hurt. We did all kinds of things to keep her off but nothing worked. We put things on the table to cover it thinking if she couldn’t lay on it she would stay off, no she just moved the stuff. We put a little fence around it thinking if she has to jump over it or try to get under it she would stay off the table. No, she got it apart, where ever we had it held together by hook or tie or clip she would get it apart and get on the table. Sometimes as we pulled in the yard we could she her up there and even say in the car get off the table and we could she her jump down. Of course we would just laugh cause she would be up there no matter what we did. Another funny thing was as some of you know we would also call her a goat. Sasha would eat everything, and I mean everything. She ate toys, plastic, rubber, paper, candy, food (people or animals), wood, grass, bugs, flowers, string, cloth, anything she wanted to. The first few times she eat thing we would rush her to the vet and he would say she’s ok. After that we would tell her not to and sometimes she stopped sometimes not. She did as she got older stop eating thing that were ours but she also eat her toys. We would watch her for hours just eating at a toy, picking it apart and throwing some of the piece around the living room, some she ate and we would say don’t do that but she was trying to get to the little thing that made it squeak. Then she would play with that little piece throwing it up in the air, at us so we would throw it back. For those of you who have been at the house seen her crazy behavior, played with her, swung her around the yard all know these thing to be how she was. We had a fire here one night and when of the boys from back in the day was over, he and his girlfriend were hugging and I told my friend watch this I yelled Sasha and he took one step back. We all laughed. Some of you kids from back when we got the dog know why the trash can is a big wooden box, so here’s the reason for the rest of you. Our dog was super smart (in our minds anyway) as I said she would eat anything so we all have trash can of some sort in the house well she would eat it, didn’t matter if the can was in a closed cupboard, one you had to step on to open, one with that swing top,  it didn’t matter if someone standing right next to her she would go for it. I use to say dumb dog but it was still funny. We tried many thing finally my folks found this old potato bind. It’s solid wood and very heavy, you pull up the top and then throw in the trash, well the first time the dog tried to pull up the top it being heavy wood it smacked her in the nose. She back up it was like a old fashion mouse trap, it snapped back. She did it a couple more times couple smacked on the nose and that was that she stop getting in the trash. Funny dog. It was very hard on Mikey when she passed and I never got a chance to tell him that I was proud of how he handled all the decisions when she got sick. I know the last week of her life he spent every min he could with her and I hope they are together now having all the fun they had here. Thanks for reading, sharing, caring and sticking with me. Love Kathy

She could jump as high as Mikey could reach

These are not in any order, but she still has her holiday present.

Sasha and Maxx

Well I wasn’t sure what or how to write this. So I thought I’ll just start and see where it goes. This weekend we did our Christmas as I put in a previous post, this year we did Christmas early so that we as a family had less running around to do. As most families there is at least two sides of a family to go to on that busy day. Some families do one side on the eve and then the other on the day. So for the new way of life around here is, we will hold our family gathering for this holiday the weekend before and let everyone do something different on that day. Last year a few friends and I went to the movies and this year I will go by myself. Last year I was surprised at how many people go to the movies. As my family gets older and there will be less of us doing things together, alone is the new normal. One more thing to get use to after Mikey. It would be nice if the new first’s would be like when we were kids and the first things were fun and exciting like walking, talking, eating, dancing, singing, smiling, dating, loving, but now they just are. Each new first I do just remind me what the world has lost, what is and isn’t being done, who else has come and gone, what other first will happen, is the world really changing for the better? So the holiday weekend started on friday with the last annually holiday party. It was a very sad time for my mom. She was very disappointed in those who did not show up but was glad to see those who did. She left early because for her too there are first’s she doesn’t like but the world has changed. I like always, have planned my next year and for this I’m excited and can’t wait it’s not a first it’s a old. On Friday the day winter break starts I’m getting in a car and driving south. I will stop when I get to some place warm by the water. See before Mikey was born I would just leave and stop some where, spend some time and then go some where else. My mom is worried that one of these times I just won’t come back and she is right. We were talking the other day about how when I was a little kid I disliked the cold. I would go ice skating (indoors) but really didn’t like the cold. When we would go skiing I would go cuz you have to do everything for a year to see if you liked it but I always took a book. When every one would go sliding or make snow forts I would sit in the car or on top of the hill and read. But in the spring, summer or fall you couldn’t get me to come inside. I have a few things left to do here. I will probably be here a good year or two before I have things running on there own or at least smother. Then I will just go one day. Call my family when I get to where I’ll be. Now days with cell phones and emails they won’t worry as much as they use to. You know cells weren’t around much until what? the 90′s. I got some great gifts that I wasn’t expecting. I now have a smart tv, which came from Adam and Michelle. I had to figure out how to work it and I do have to say I couldn’t get it to shut off for at least a day. They hind the buttons now days. It’s huge and the first day I kept backing up in the couch cuz it was like to close. We had great food at the party. I made chili, Emma’s dad Mike smoked some turkey, Michelle made chicken curry, Sabrina made spicy turkey meatballs, Liz brought chocolate’s, varies fruits, cheeses, crackers, breads and Rachel made her bacon wraps. Gloria is so funny she said I was here for the first and now the last. That’s what happens with friend from grade school. It was good to have a bunch of teens (the kids who Mikey was just starting to teach the couple years before he passed) on hand, they did make my mom smile and even laugh a bit. I gave away something old of mine and something from Mikey’s childhood. My mom has made a special gift for a few. I’m not putting in here what they are because I’m not sure what I’m going to do with those who didn’t come and my mom wants to mail out a few to those who don’t live here. Gloria said mail them you probably won’t see them for awhile and time goes so fast it will be summer before you see them. She might be right the mail is so convenient and since I’m busy just about everyday this break it might be faster than trying to find a time to meet up. So Sat was busy with old student’s who came back from college and then out dancing with friends. It was nice to see my student’s they stop by when they come home, to hang out, catch up about school and paint the door. I see them more in the summer of course so when I was reminding them I won’t be home next winter break they got that sad look which was funny but not really true. They have lots to do they are just good kids and stop by when they are here. It’s a safe, warm and loving place. People lose time here, fall a sleep here, it’s been home to many far and near. As Mikey said “I hope they will be alright with out a proper guide, to all my loved ones and followers peace out at least I tried” Then as I said Sunday was our family gathering. We ate, played games, hung out with no rush or hurry. Then when I got home a few friends came over to exchange gifts. I get a lot of school picture, from my friend they still have school age kids, which I just adore. I have lots of them up around the house. Today Monday is the day I planned to myself, clean up the house, put things back from the holidays, get back on the emails, internet, update you on what was going on. I should say why I haven’t been on the internet much because I have had a migraine, they can last for weeks and I lose my sight so I stay away from lights, sounds, things that can trigger it again. But now I’m find so can start to answer the things I haven’t in the past couple weeks. Sorry everyone for that. So here are my main medical problems migraines, rheumatoid arthritis, and allergies not bad for 50 something. I did forgot to take pictures at the holidays which I feel yes and no about. The yes is it would of been good to have some of our last time together but the no is I don’t really like taken them yet. I have taken a few at things but it feels strange even throw I took picture from the time I was little. I even still have a couple of my old box cameras. Well I think that’s plenty of info for now. Thanks for reading, supporting, loving, and have a great Holiday. Love Kathy