Author: Steve Ainslie

When did answering the door become something to be fear? I see posts on Nextdoor with a doorbell camera picture of a person and poster asking, “Does anybody recognize this man? He rang my doorbell but I did not answer.” I have neighbors who never answer their door if someone rings. I don’t enjoy talking…

I thought a few people* who were once close to me might reach out after Snickers died. They did not. I can’t say that I’m surprised. It’s kind of the opposite – a confirmation of their lack of caring about me (and Snickers). Although I’m not close to any of these people, we were close…

My recent experience with Snickers and Lap of Love had me thinking about finding a new veterinarian for Wiggles. My current vet has done nothing wrong. It’s a busy practice with two locations, 6 vets and an ever-changing staff of vet techs. It’s only a few minutes away from me and was convenient to take…

I plan to put Snickers ashes under the Ellen tree. Snickers loved her and spent many happy afternoons basking in the sun beside her as Ellen puttered around in the garden. They were together everyday for nearly 10 years until Ellen died. I think it is fitting that their ashes sit together in my yard….

I visit the library a few times a month. When I’m there, I drop off books, browse for new ones and pickup books on hold. Most times, I’m moseying around for about 30 minutes. You know what I never see at the library? You’d think, based on national news coverage that this was happening all…

When I met my wife, I didn’t have much class. I had preferences and my own style that leaned towards grungy, inexpensive and functional. I had been poor my entire life, so having refined tastes or an appreciation for the finer things in life simply was not an option. My wife, on the other hand,…

I used to never cry. Instead I’d suppress my tears and stuff my feelings down deep inside my chest so I didn’t show weakness to anyone. At the time, it was the only way I knew how to cope. Things have changed a lot since the time. I still don’t cry a lot. And I…

My friend recommended that I use Lap of Love when I decided to have Snickers euthanized. Like me, he had experience having his pets euthanized at vet’s offices before. But when his elderly cat was struggling during its final weeks, he called Lap Of Love because they did in-home services and, like most pets, his…

Even though I’m a dog lover, I was never a fan of Chihuahuas. I thought they were ugly, bug-eyed, fragile, mean little bastards. I had only met two during my life. One was old and cranky. The other was a yappy little misfit that hid would dart out from under the furniture to bite your…

I have been reading Guns, Germs and Steel by Jared Diamond in which he presents his reasoning for how human societies developed from nomadic hunter gatherer tribes to agricultural empires to modern day civilizations. If you have any interest in civilization and history, I highly recommend this book. As I’ve been reading, I can’t help…