Category: Brian May

A Belated Happy Fourth

Yes, I know that the Fourth of July was last week. I checked my trusty calendar and began a post that would have been more timely.

ELBEE She still has one of those paper calendars. You know that expression about old dogs and new tricks. I’ve always found that a little offensive but in this case it fits.

Then I got distracted by Gus’s fabulous In Touch magazine appearance as the doppelgänger of Brian May from Queen.

ELBEE I knew she’d find a way to bring that up again.

In the past, I’ve written about memorable Fourth of Julys. Some were celebratory. Some were beautifully traditional. Some were emotional. None were like this year.

When the daughters were little, there were homemade picnics, fireworks, skydivers and patriotic sing-alongs at the local junior college.

ELBEE Hello! Colonel Sanders is not homemade unless the Colonel is living at your house.

Ben Affleck in Pink Tee with Gus
Ben Affleck (in purple tee) with Gus

As part of the People Animal Connection at UCLA, the Doods and I have taken part in festive parades down Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades. One year, caught up in the excitement, I didn’t even realize that Gus was walking with Ben Affleck.

For some reason 2017 was a special holiday. There was an amazing atmosphere at the parade. People seemed truly happy to be uniting in appreciation of America, celebrating our history and our freedom. There was a pervasive sense of patriotism, a sense that people wanted to reach out and connect with one another.

2018 was the most personally meaningful Fourth that I’ve ever experienced. At the time, my dear friend Roberta, who has now passed, was bravely battling a brain tumor. An inspiration in my life, she loved the dogs and found comfort in their presence. We went to her house and did a parade just for her.

As for this year I’m almost speechless.

ELBEE So am I.

How do you celebrate our nation’s birthday in the midst of a pandemic? Parks and beaches were closed. With social distancing, parades and picnics were impossible. Local firework displays were cancelled except, apparently, for the illegal ones that began weeks before. I don’t know how that became a nationwide phenomenon.

To my daughter Nicole on the front lines, thank you.

As we watched fireworks on tv, many set to patriotic music, I thought about what was happening. I felt a tremendous sadness for the people who were ill or who were gone. I felt concern for all of our front line workers and first responders. I felt some fear about the future.

Underneath it all, I felt gratitude for the way that so many have come together. It’s not easy to wear masks, refrain from hugging each other or curtail normal activities but we do it. In a sign of caring, we have each others’ backs.

A special note of gratitude to Gus and Stanley. They have been there for me and the husband. They have given us comfort, made us laugh and provided unconditional love. Never have we felt luckier to have our own personal, hard working therapy dogs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Read It in a Magazine

I was all set to write about this Fourth of July which may be one of the craziest ones in history. It even tops the time I heard Pat Boone singing heavy metal music at a local celebration. He was in a phase. It was painful. Then, this morning, I went to the market and had a total change of heart.

ELBEE That makes no sense at all.

I’ll explain. Last month, I shared about a teleconference  that the Doods and I did with the UCLA history department. (It’s a Virtual World) Everyone was so enthusiastic about meeting the dogs, even virtually. What was interesting was that at least three people, upon seeing Gus for the first time, mentioned that he looked like Brian May from Queen. I had never thought about it but they were right.

Coincidentally, a few days later, reading In Touch at the check out stand, I noticed a feature called “Double Creature.”

ELBEE Why do people always say they’re reading those magazines at the check out? She bought it.

They asked, “Does your pet look like a celebrity?” It was almost too easy. All I had to do was e-mail them. I immediately found a photo of Brian May, whom I love after watching Bohemian Rhapsody six times, and sent it along with a picture of Gus.

A surprisingly short time later, I received an e-mail from a woman named Jen saying how cute it was and asking if I could tell her my name.

ELBEE That is totally shocking. She didn’t include her bio or even her name.

She also wondered if Gus shared any characteristics with Brian. I told her that although Gus couldn’t sing, he was very musical. I explained that he stands on his hind legs and dances for the kids in the hospital at UCLA Medical Center where he’s a therapy dog.

When she asked if I had a larger photo or I assume one with better resolution, I figured I was in trouble. A day later she got back to me and told me not to worry. The art director thought the one on the UCLA site would work. Art director? UCLA site? That had to be a good sign. Gus was in.

That was the last I heard. I tried to forget about it but I admit, I checked an issue or two and was disappointed not to see him. This morning I bought the latest issue of In Touch but, still not having heard anything from Jen, wasn’t expecting much. I waited until I was in my car to check.

Imagine my reaction when I was leafing through the magazine and there was Gus with his doppelgänger. It was almost surreal. They had used his adorable trading card picture and even mentioned his hospital dance. It was better than fireworks.