The video for today is another local band, The Sadies. I’m pretty sure they were Arliin’s favourite, but if not, they were in her Top 3 for sure. When we went for our chilly walk along the lakeshore on January 1, 2008, she was recovering from her New Year’s Eve at the Horseshoe Tavern with The Sadies performing (their annual show there). I’ve never seen them live, but I likely will, and will raise a beer or two in Arliin’s honour. Or a pint of Guinness, if they’ve got it.
How quickly time passes. As of today it’s been two years living without Arliin and two years living with her cats. All the stories Arliin told me about the cat vomit, the times she had to delay injecting Beano because he went into hiding (and what an unpleasant task this was), the times Xena dug in her claws during lightning storms, the dental reports after trips to the vet — these have now become my stories, too. She would laugh if she saw the three of us piled up together every night, the covert dipping of a paw into coffee, their snuggling while I’m away at work, the daily tussles, the chasing of tail.
At this time of year my mind returns to our last afternoon together in the snow, only a day and a half before her passing. Arliin watched TV, and she knew I didn’t own one (she helped me move seven months before) so she’d tell me about programs she thought I would like, like Jon and Kate Plus Eight. Arliin would relay stories of how Kate was like a drill sergeant, and she’d always tell me the Gosselin kids reminded her of my nieces and nephew in Vancouver (the “M’s” as I call them). “Call me a biased auntie, but the Ms are cuter!” I’d say. When the Gosselins divorce was final last month, the first person I thought of was Arliin, who would’ve been following the whole saga all year.
How the mind wanders back to people, even after they’ve gone. I’ve never even watched the TV show, but just hearing the title makes me think of Arliin.
Arliin hated having her photo taken, so she would’ve captioned this photo herself, if she were here:
Exactly.
Miss you, Arliin. One more video from The Sadies, just for you: