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  • hendrixfreak
    Joined:
    We have a winner!!

    And the trophy goes to Oroborous for "fungal foxtrot" -- my gawd man, you should be a writer. Oh wait...

    Another story: Roy Buchanan. We first caught Roy at Carnegie Hall in spring '74 and probably caught him a dozen times across that year into fall, most often in small theaters and clubs. (See: Roy Buchanan at Town Hall 1974...) At many shows, we had purchased "seats" and we sat in them -- for about the first 15 minutes. Then a half-dozen of us would emerge from our sometimes scattered seat assignments and basically make our way to the lip of the stage. It's not a Dead show and most folks remained seated while we formed a small cluster in front of Roy. He would smile to himself. His drummer later told me that the band referred to us as "Buchanan's rabbits," because we were always "popping up" at the lip of the stage. To this day, I've got more hearing damage from Roy's Tele and Twin Reverb (maybe 75 shows, 1974-1986) than from a roughly equal number of key GD shows (1972-1992). (Key shows: RFK '72, Watkins Glen '73, Capitol Theater/Passaic '76, Englishtown '77, Red Rocks '78 and every single subsequent GD Rocks show.) Not braggin', just happy lookin' back.

    One such event featured a double bill of Roy and Boz Scaggs w/Les Dudek on slide. We were in the first 10 rows and it was so loud, no need to get closer! After both bands played, Boz, Les and Roy jammed at supersonic volumes...

    Not to mention the many times we spent the day on the east stairs at the Rocks, then dashed in to actually cop front row (one behind the actual front row, reserved for handicapped) and at one ABB show realized that we had WAY better seats than the fairly large contingent onstage in the wings.

    Basically, my life has been one dash for the front or a judicious stance near the soundboard when I wasn't working, going to school, chasing tail or poking around the backcountry. I'm semi-retired from the big shows and, looking back, pretty effin' happy with the way I misspent my youth.

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Up Front when it was cool

    The first six or seven years we’d go up front any chance we could if it was GA and we got there early enough.
    Half the fun was hanging out with the heads all afternoon waiting for the chance for the mad dash to the front.
    We’re talking small Auds we’re up front you were often less than 10’ away from them and the stages were often only 4 or 5’ high, very intimate! And the stage sound was amazing.

    Speaking of the dash: At the 7/1/92 show that we worked production, we were on the stage when they opened the gates and it was wild watching the throng come swarming over the hill and down toward the stage at Buckeye as Healy blasted the Horse race Trumpet Fanfare lol. Like some kind of psychedelic scene from Braveheart!

    It could be physically brutal and grueling though, especially if you weren’t in the very front row on the rail, where you could sorta lean and push back against the throng. Better ventilation too. Basically, it was on the wall or nothing, with the wall being only about 4’ high.
    If you knew what you were doing, and the circumstances were right though, there was nothing like it, but nothing comes for free so it was often a long grueling day, but we were young, prepared and it didn’t really phase us, especially once we got electric!
    So early on it was all about up front. Yes the vocals weren’t as prominent but you got the golden pure unfiltered sound of their amps/speakers, and in 83 when they started using the Meyers stuff full time they’d put small monitors on the stage in a half circle pointing out to help fill in the vocals better.

    But besides the sound it was like going to school to be able to see how they played things and to check out all that marvelous gear out up close! “Oh, Finger Ease, that’s the stuff Bobs always spraying on his axe”, like going to school!

    Perhaps the best part was the eye contact. If you were really paying attention you could see them communicating non verbally and they’d pick up on if you weren’t just some stoned civilian, but could tell if you were really catching all the little things they were doing. It was like you were in the band and if they picked up on you, they’d watch you and see if you caught little things they’d toss about. They seemed to really dig folks who could properly pay attention to all this, especially if they made a mistake!
    I can still picture any of them throwing some musical little tid bit out there, and watch your reaction, and then smiling because they knew you caught it, PRICELESS!
    It was big fun to joke around between songs with them too. We used to pick on Bob about songs and Phil especially always had a good time with that!
    Sigh, those were the daze!
    BUT!!! learning the fungal foxtrot in front of the SB was pretty damn sweet too lol.
    And aw those awesome summer nights outside with a big ole moon during a hot Terrapin…
    Sigh, yep, those were the daze my friends, we thought they’d never end…

  • hendrixfreak
    Joined:
    Getting close...

    So apart from Watkins Glen we had partaken of the GD/ABB gathering at RFK earlier that summer, the first day. The GD went on first, I think because Jer had an Old & In the Way show in Boston that night -- that's what we heard. (He 'coptered from DC to Boston with Peter Rowan, according to hearsay.

    So a good friend who had not eaten the blotter said, "Let's go up front." Plenty of room to manuever that day. We got real close -- definitely whites of their eyes -- and several things unfolded, no longer sure the sequence. First, some Deadheads being assholes, a few miscreants were tossing fireworks around. Some genius lobs an M-80 onto the stage and it lands at Jer's feet. He used to do a little shuffle when he was jamming and, without skipping a beat, he kicks the M-80 (prior to explosion) back into the crowd with one smooth movement. When they started He's Gone, the crowd moans and boos -- the feral animals on acid syndrome. But Garcia carries it off and I think they closed the set with China-Rider. (Just looked at the Setlist Program, and that's backwards -- set closer with China-Rider, 2nd set opener He's Gone.) During China Cat I get acid-confusion. Bobby is playing a Gibson SG (I believe) and Phil is playing a big brown hollow body, but in my youth and ignorance I always associated the solid body with bass and the hollow body with a Gibson guitar -- so I'm like, wait, which one's Bobby and which one's Phil?? (I knew from photos who was who, but go figure in that "special moment"...) I said nothing, but I think my buddy realized he was leading a potential casualty around and we retreated. Also, when you're 15, although tall, you are rail thin and still getting initiated, so we did not make a habit of pressing forward. It was a foray only.

    In 1976, during their theater tour, I had something like 7th row center, 3,000 people, I could the band quite well right in front of me and discovered for the first time the buzz of the amps in the back line. I was much closer in May '73 for Old & In the Way: 3rd row, audience left, right by Jer and his banjo.

    If that's not a great way to grow up, I don't know what is.

  • 1stshow70878
    Joined:
    About 20 rows up at red rocks

    Is just exactly perfect. My first show 7th row middle was too close for the best sound. Got there early as HF suggested and had our pick. But it was so loud I had to sit some just to give my ears some relief. Next two times there we figured out, as Vguy notes, the balance and full bass effect was better about 20th row middle. A few rows in front the tapers section and soundboard (duh, that's why they put it there). For Brent's RR debut in '79 we got back closer to 12th row as we wanted to see the new guy and the sound was pretty darn good and it seemed the crew had figured out the Red Rocks by that third visit and how to bounce Phil off them. All my other shows were pitifully far back or to the side with McNichols '79 the worst sound of all, upper deck right side and an echo chamber. The Denver Coliseum, where I saw a few other bands, had terrible acoustics. College halls that were designed for good acoustics like C.U. Boulder's were ideal. Pin drop perfect for the Chick Corea/Gary Burton show. You could visually see the notes, no wait, maybe that was the shrooms.
    Cheers

  • dmcvt
    Joined:
    close up Newcastle May 1970

    Probably late to the party on this, just discovered on utube , lengthy (almost two hours) coverage of the Dead's May 1970 trip to England, rough cuts, casual interviews, a few tedious moments, loaded with inside looks and about 35 minutes of concert footage from 5/24: "Grateful Dead England 1970 (The Lost Film)"

  • daverock
    Joined:
    Seeing the whites of their eyes

    As I remember it, it was quite easy to walk up quite close to the front of the stage when the Dead played at the Rainbow, London, in October 1981. It was standing room only down there.
    I was even closer the first night on the October 1990 run at Wembley. Brilliant! Seeing people you have read about and listened to so much, for so long, at such close quarters. Prior to this night it was hard to believe that they actually existed. Nobody I knew had ever seen them, or even heard of them. Like living in a world of your own. Which, given the alternative, might not be a bad thing.
    The last night I was up the balcony to the right, and that wasn't as good. I'll never know what was me - I was high as a kite - and what was really happening. The people around me appeared to be dancing and cheering before the band came on. It was like they could hear something I couldn't. When the band did come on, the only instrument I could clearly hear was Bruce's piano. I went bombing downstairs to try and get in to the stalls, but was easily ejected and went back to my seat. The balance improved during the show - but it was an odd sound. And as I have said before, drums and space was incredible.

  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    Being really close at the Dead....

    ....only twice. Vegas '91 and Portland '95. Sound sucks up there anyways.

  • Angry Jack Straw
    Joined:
    Getting up front

    Was fairly easy early on. Then it became a headache.

    Back in 93 or 94 we decided to go to the Spring shows on Long Island. You were still able to call in for tickets back then and somehow I got right through. To the customer service rep - I need tickets for Thursday and Friday, but purchase Friday first because that will sell out quickly. Of course when she reads the first order back it is for Thursday. Annoyed, but I got 6th row. By the time she put in the Friday order, we got the farthest section back in the upper deck. That was the last time we got up real close. Of course as any seasoned head would do, we brought our Thursday stubs to the Friday show. The usher gladly showed us to our seats right up front soon after the lights went down.

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    Up Front

    Pretty much gave that up around 85-86. Combo of no more GA, getting a little older, and most of all…discovered the Lysergic shuffle which requires proper floor space lol

  • Vguy72
    Joined:
    Phish fans....

    ....yup. They have changed a lot since I first saw them in 1994. People up front on the floor tend to get very territorial. Throw down huge tarps and will say they are "holding spots for their friends" and will get hostile sometimes. A lot of times I never see their so-called friends ever show up. Sad really. I don't go up front anymore.

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3 years 6 months

Just picked up:
Oscar Peterson
Louis Armstrong
Puss n Boots
Joss Stone sp?
Lindsey Sterlings latest

Maybe the Monkeys wouldn’t be so bad lol

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9 years

In reply to by Dennis

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Your collection probably needs the Fleetwood Mac ‘Worlwide Live’ unofficial Box.
10 CD’s for $40.
8 Fleetwood Mac CD’s ranging from 1968 at the Carousel to 1990, along with a Stevie solo and a Lindsey solo.
Sounds pretty good. The only show that I already had was the 75 show. FM/pre-FM sources.
I figured that for $4/CD I should check it out.

Saturday Day Tripper says Vguy…..

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14 years
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...is playing (the whole show) on Sirius today.

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17 years 4 months

In reply to by nitecat

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....yup. Caught that nitecat. Sounds really good.
It's only a matter of time before the Ark happens.
Coming around.
"And when the day it ended"
Sitting in my driveway.

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13 years 4 months

In reply to by Vguy72

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Who's There

Ark

Ark Who

Ark Box

And so it is written

_________________

Yes, not if but when will these gems get released. I hope when it happens David Duryeau writes the liner notes. As cool a cat as ever posted here once upon a time. He certainly loved his primal GD.

Speaking of 69.. Banana box? Holy Cow 43 was good, 44 is up on deck. We live in the valley of riches, but of all the releases the last few years the 69 was the big surprise. I'll take a double dose of that any day.

As you were.. one more Saturday Night.

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16 years 1 month
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I never really got into punk but I quite liked PiL. RIP Keith Levene.

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10 years
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New Bill Frisell will be on the doorstep shortly. I’m warming up the wireless/hi-fi already, in anticipation.

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9 years

In reply to by That Mike

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catalog (.) archives (.) gov
/id/40932531?
fbclid=IwAR3NmceSqBHDD9CXjSsgGZOSNhpOavSSG_se2CdTgyAe_1vwe6tolRJkHxk

Remove the ()’s and put the pieces back together.

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17 years 4 months

In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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....yup.
Went to the store again today.
Guess what?
Everyone was chill. The cashier was tall and thin like me. She acknowledged my Dolphins cap.
She had cool star 🌟 tats on her wrist.
One week at a time dear.
Current listening. 9.29.99. Phish. Pyramid.
Freeeeee

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7 years 6 months
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I popped in the giants stadium 7/12, and it gets me every time. The whole first set like HIAB, loser, and TOS. the band was firing on all cylinders, especially Jerry and Brent with that tinkling keyboard is so sweet. Being there for most of the shows makes me bias. Just had to mention it. Back to dap 44. Great show.

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2 years 11 months
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If I could pick only one Grateful Dead show to see out of all the shows they played, it would be one of the acoustic/ electric shows from 1970.

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4 years 3 months

In reply to by proudfoot

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guess who is testing positive for Covid 19?

MMMMEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

after all this time and 16 boosters.

being a teacher and being around kids = heapin' helpings of germ soup.

Fehk!

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10 years 1 month
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Another one. Yikes! It's everywhere now.
And not a mask in sight.
Take it easy PF.
My local friend took a week. His wife like 10 days.
And they were just ready to get their bi-valent (Omicron+Corona).
I went and found the bi-valent (still scarce here) right after that.
Full effect around third week after booster, so about now for me.
But we are still doing masks in crowded stores since we have some COPD.
Best wishes and cheers

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4 years 3 months

In reply to by 1stshow70878

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Last thursday we went to zoo lights
Psychedelic wonderland

Come home
"THE DOG ATE MY CHOCOLATE!"
chocolate is toxic to dogs
Went to pet emergency hospital
Induced vomiting and overnight stay
16 hundred fookin dahlurz

Sigh

Dog is fine

Thank you 1st show

And

I see on rollingstone site they are selling GD underwear.

Rufkm

Incontinence pads maybe. But underwear?

Reminds me of the Great GD Gardening Apron Rant

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17 years 4 months
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Ah man, haven't been to Zoo Lightssince the kids were little, maybe this is the year. Sorry the rest of the night wasn't as good.
Congrats to the state of MD, welcome to the 21st century

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17 years 4 months
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Get well soon Proudfoot

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10 years
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Holy shite PF - Covid, and then the dog ate chocolate! Get better - both of you - sending positive vibes your way.
PS - The Kraken are still The Krapen hockey team, but me like those new “third” jerseys!

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17 years 4 months

In reply to by That Mike

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Be well soon PF!

And!…was the chocolate an edible, or just regular?

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17 years 4 months

In reply to by Oroborous

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....I have a stash of mushroom laced chocolates. Not snacks for Scooby.
Get better. I've dodged covid as far as I know, and I interact with multiple people a day.

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10 years 2 months
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I purchased Dave's Picks 44, and it arrived as scheduled. The outer mailing box was punctured, and when I opened it, little pieces of plastic starting falling out. The CD case was broken. When I opened that, I discovered that CD3 was chipped and cracked. Today I listened to CD1 and discovered that it was defective. Tennessee Jed > Promised Land does not play. Anyone else have this problem? I have not listened to CD2 yet. I contacted customer service, and I learned that there were no replacement CDs available. Defective merchandise can be returned for a full refund. I am hoping that someone would be willing to email me digital copies of those songs that I am missing so that I can at least have the complete show. As I said, songs 1-7 on CD1 are fine. Songs 8>9 are defective. I haven't tried playing CD2, and CD3 is no good at all. Can somebody please help me out? Thank you!

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4 years 3 months

In reply to by That Mike

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Scarlet Fire

One of the top three

A
May
Zing

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13 years 4 months

In reply to by Patrick L

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Send a PM to MaryE.

In case you haven't sent a PM before: To send a PM, if you are logged in, on the upper right of the screen are your account options, cleck here, select messages and you can probably figure out how to send a PM from here. either that or fumble through customer service. They can probably pull something better than a refund off..??

Edit: Ooops.... Proudfoot beat me to this by a couple hours. I didn't see his response before I replied. Apparently, he and his dog have been eating mushroom chocolates all day and have developed super human powers as evident by their lightening fast and accurate response.

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7 years 6 months
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My dog Sarge, the brindle bull Mastiff had cancer, and was put down tonight. 14 years old. He was a loyal companion. "He's gone."

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10 years 6 months

In reply to by carlo13

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Condolences Carlo13.

I'm pretty certain that Sarge was very happy to have had you around with him for 14 special years. You took good care of him and now he has an opportunity to rest. You provided space in this world for him and that is a special love that was returned.

Stay strong and stay positive.

Carlo - Sorry to hear you had to put to sleep your beloved dog companion Sarge. Such a tough loss.

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11 years 9 months

In reply to by Vguy72

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That a new '69 Miller board remaster is making the rounds in all of the usual places...

Grateful Dead - May 11, 1969
Aztec Bowl (SDSU) - San Diego, CA

All Transfers and Mastering by Charlie Miller
November 14, 2022

Notes:
-- This show often circulates as 5/29/69 Santa Barbara
-- Mike Carabello and Chepito Areas on percussion for Alligator > Lovelight
-- Possiobly Gregg Rolie on vocals during Lovelight
-- Thanks to Matthew Zavislak for the DAT
-- Thanks to Mike Babyak for his input on the pitch correction

Setlist:
01 - Morning Dew
02 - That's It For The Other One>
03 - Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
04 - Me And My Uncle
05 - Alligator >
06 - Turn On Your Lovelight

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2 years 11 months
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Sorry to hear about your loss Carlo, losing a pet is very sad.

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10 years 8 months
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Putting down a faithful companion may be the hardest thing you'll ever do in this life. This from an animal person who put down his 20-yr-old cat earlier this year. The day-to-day intimate and often subconscious connection is nearly unbreakable. And yet... mercy requires courage and acceptance. This will be hard in the days ahead. I survived by focusing on the blessing and cosmic luck of the years together and the realization, which does not come easy, that "there's nothing you can hold for very long," thanks Robert Hunter.

You did good for fourteen years and your departed buddy would wish you peace. As do we.

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10 years 1 month
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et al. Sorry for the loss Carlo.
Cheers to Sarge

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10 years
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Dogs are amazing. Mine is a family member, fully. Condolences.

May this oft-quoted line by Will Rogers help:

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”

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8 years
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RIP Sarge. Sorry for your loss Carlo.

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10 years 4 months
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Condolences Carlo. So sorry Sarge's glorious 14 year run with you had to end. How lucky you both have been! As hard as it is to put down our four-legged companions when the time comes, they count on us to do the right thing to the very end. My 12 year old brindle Mastiff mix Annie is recovering from knee surgery, and I know her day will come sooner than later. I'll shed tears, but know she's counting on me. It's sad that dogs' and cats' lives are so much shorter than ours, but they sure do pack a lot into their time with us. Onward

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14 years 11 months
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sorry for your loss man, it's tough to lose a bosom buddy, you had a good run, revel in the memories. Time will heal all wounds.

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17 years 4 months

In reply to by JimInMD

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....always happy to see you, whether you've been gone for ten minutes or days.
There's a pic of my two.
Cats are ok too. They have more of an attitude imo.

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7 years 3 months
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I have had pets (dogs & cats) since 1965. It occurred to me years ago, that when I sign up to take a new animal (I call them my children, as I have no human children), we are implicitly signing up for an unknown time period of joy, and also, some days of grief & sadness. To me, this is still a good deal, but it makes the heartbreak no less painful or intense. I don't ever want to live without the unconditional love of a cat or dog, so I go in knowing the deal. I believe my life is always better with the love of a quadruped.

So, to Carlo, VGUY and everyone else who has lost a "child" recently, you have my total empathy and sympathy.
Carlo, as long as you remember Sarge, he's never really totally gone.
My 2 are 13 (redhead) and 7 (tuxedo) so 1 may go soon or not, but one piece of advice that was given to me was: "always allow 6 months to grieve before getting a new one".
By the way, I have not always taken this advice, but it does make sense to me.

"Life Is Hard"-M. Scott Peck
"But so, so worth it"-Mark B. Smith

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12 years 1 month

In reply to by carlo13

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Very sorry to hear about your loss. Dogs are arguably one of the greatest gifts given to humankind. Their loyalty and love is unwavering. Hang in there.

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