Back in late summer of 2006 I ran into one of my brother’s roommates on the way to work. Jack always had some strange and unique story to tell you every time you saw him. He’s like a Garbage Pail Kid that crawled off the card and decided to explore the city. But a heart of gold, and one of those people that would give you the shirt off his back (you’re just not sure you’d want to wear it). Turns out the story he had for me this day would change my life forever, and in the best way possible.

Apparently, on one of his adventures through Chicago he’d found a 4 month old puppy rummaging through the trash under the Belmont L tracks. Jack being Jack scooped her up and took her home to he and my Brother’s apartment. They had her for one night, a tiny thing, a Papillion and Chihuauah mix and all of probably 6 pounds at the time. But a bit rambunctious and the landlord below them said all they could hear were the tip tapping of her little feet, and that no dogs were allowed. And again, Jack being Jack couldn’t just toss her out like he’d found her, so he asked me to come by after work and just have alook. And I did just that.

When I came into the apartment they had shut her in my brother’s room because she had gotten ahold of some shoe or something and chewed it up. So I sat down on the floor and my brother opened the door to his room. Out came this little bean with the biggest paws, rolling and barreling down the small hall quite intent on meeting me. She had found more to tear through in my brother’s room as she had a scrap of the dust cover to one of his comic books still dangling from her mouth. She ran right over to me and sat in my lap. Only for a second though because she had more to play with on the agenda, but that was it. I said I would take her for the night until we found her a home, but that one night turned into almost 15 years of nights, and my life would never be the same.

I didn’t get my first cell phone until a few years later, so there are no pictures of that night (I still have that comic book), but I remember it so vividly and decided to draw it. I know saying I remember it like it was yesterday is cliche, but that night really is so clear in my mind still. The first time I met my baby Mooge.

I loved you that day as much as the day I loved you most.

I miss you, baby.

AC