I am grieving.

My best girlfriend died from smoke inhalation when her house burned last week. I couldn’t process this news for many days and still have trouble believing it’s true. Her humans must be broken hearted, too.

They dedicated an Instagram account for her @addiethepup theaddiekindalife She loved her baby humans.

I hear Julie crying from time to time and know this hurts and hurts and hurts.

Addie was a big goofy girl who always found a way to get so close to me no matter what the circumstances. She’d set her heavy head on my ass or head. And I’d let her.

She’d climb onto the couch, not to sit at the other end but to drop her heft on top of me. She kept me warm and weighted down.

We played tug-o-wag and chased each other around the house. Even though she was tall and quite a solid dog, I could leap over her and laughed because it always surprised her.

She slept on Julie’s bed every night snoring with the rhythm of a hard working freight train on an inclined track.

I recall hearing Julie remark that Addie’s guts were remarkable because Addie would eat a ziplock bag filled with a chicken breast and pass just the bag in her poop the next day. Miraculous digestion!

I love you, Addie, where ever you are . . . you are always in my heart.