Gone too soon

There are pets. And then there was Jinx. Or Jinxy, as we called him. I received a phone call tonight from my sister, who broke the bad news to me that our favorite little Australian shepherd had passed away on Saturday. I have to be honest, getting to play with Jinx was one of my favorite things about going home to my dad's over the course of the past 7 years. I'm not sure I'll ever have another pet with so much character. He was exceedingly intelligent, like most herding dogs, and had my dad ever put in the time, I am sure he would have been a great show dog. As it was, he was a fantastic watchdog and family member, and I know he filled the void that my sister and I left when we headed for college. I recall asking my dad about him very often when we spoke on the phone, and Jinx was nearly always at my dad's feet, or curled up on the couch next to my dad in the living room. He also was affectionately called "SnackMan" by my dad, since any mention of the word "snack" and Jinx was immediately thrown into high-gear, and hightailed it to the snack drawer. He'd spin, bark, and if he wasn't pacified with a treat in sufficient amount of time, he'd more or less start whining in what sounded like talking. Anothing thing about him was the way he walked - he wasn't called "Swivel Hips" for nothing. He had extremely expressive eyes, blue eyes with one half-brown. But above all, my favorite thing about the little guy was his reaction every time I returned home, no matter how long I'd been away. I'd pull into the driveway, and if he was outside, he'd run up to me and start to "play". Our little game involved me alternately chasing and running away from him, and he'd dart and dip and try to get past me, then I'd sprint away from him and he'd try to chase me down. It was fun, and great exercise, and I knew he absolutely loved it. I did too. What is strangely ironic about the entire situation is that for the past few weeks, Amy and I have been talking a lot about getting a small dog, like Jinx, this summer when we move in together. Then, on Sunday, we went to the Minnesota Pet Expo, and two small dogs about Jinx's size were our favorites, and we rattled on about them afterward. Just a strange coincidence, I guess. In any case, no pet will ever be quite like Jinx. I'm going to miss him badly, but I'll always treasure the time we had with him, and his memory will live on.

Residency match possibilities

 

Minneapolis...

 

Wabasha/Winona, MN?

 

Dubuque...

 

Davenport?

 

Iowa City...

 

Mount Vernon, IA...

 

Cedar Rapids...

 

or Eau Claire?

Hard to say which of these places (if any) I'll end up at next year. I interviewed in Philadelphia but didn't get a good vibe from the city, so I don't think I'll be ranking it. I feel like any of the above programs would be great for me and for my career, and the year I spend will be busy but I'm sure I'll find time to explore the area and have enough fun to keep myself sane... The match results are March 17th, so we'll see...