Ice Cold Sparky

Lately I have been reminiscing about my childhood and remembering all the good times I had growing up and some bad times (like choking on the LifeSaver). While I was thinking about the moments my older sister Amber and I have shared in the past (some good, some bad), I thought about a traumatic moment that occurred when I was little that has scarred me for life. Again, THANKS AMBER (I still love you though).

When I was younger (not sure the exact age but it was pre-Grace) we had a Dalmatian named Sparky. And because my father was a volunteer Fireman, we occasionally got to ride on the fire trucks with him and Sparky in the local parades. It was the best, and Sparky was the best too! We couldn't let Sparky in the house though because when she was younger, she got hit by a car and the poor girl couldn't hold anything in that bladder. So, she had a runner outside in the backyard and a nice, cozy dog house that she called home. Amber and I loved going outside to play with Sparky. One year, on Christmas Eve, Amber suspiciously came in from outside like nothing was wrong and asked me to go outside and check on Sparky. Okay, I thought, I'll go play with Sparky. So, I bundled up and trekked through the snow to Sparky's dog house. When I got to the opening of the dog house, I called Sparky's name but she didn't move. Then I tugged on her runner to see if I could get her out. She wouldn't budge. Now, my memory is a little foggy because it was so long ago, but I remember Amber was either right behind me or peering outside at me through the sliding glass door- again, suspiciously. I peeked my head inside Sparky's dog house and she was curled up in a ball, dead. I was devastated and horrified because I had 'found' my poor dog and had to run inside and tell my parents. But the real story? Sparky had died the night before and Amber was the one who came out in the morning to discover her, then acted like nothing happened and made her little sister Erin ultimately discover Sparky. What a B*$#*, right? Again, I still love you though Amber...