I know a lot of Slog readers delight in my dog “issues.”

And it’s true, I am thrown off balance by dogs. (Hey Barry, thanks for bringing that dog to my party on Saturday night.)

However, for the record, I have had a few good times with dogs. There was an ex g.f.’s dog named Nakita who I took care of for a week once when my g.f. went out of town. I fell for Nakita: the daily walks, romping about on the couch, and feeding her.

I also had a good time with a dog named Fafner once on a hot summer afternoon in a swimming pool in Baltimore.

And I have a good memory about the time this doberman Son of Satan type dog leapt out at me and my g.f. in college. Suddenly possessed, me—a notorious chicken around doberman Son of Satan dogs—stood my ground and stared it down. Cowering, it backed off. My college g.f., unaware of my phobia, was impressed, boy!

This is all to say, I got a sad e-mail from former Stranger music writer Kathleen Wilson today. She wrote to tell me that her 10-year-old dog Mamie died. Why would Kathleen e-mail me about Mamie?

Well, one of my other rare fond dog times was with Mamie in the backseat of a car as Kathleen and I drove down to Portland for North by Northwest back in 1999 or something. I was terrified about it, but Kathleen assured me Mamie was a lovely dog. Kathleen was right.

From: Kathleen
Subject: Mamie Louise, R.I.P
Date: May 25, 2007 1:30:28 PM PDT
To: josh@thestranger.com

Sniff!

My lady kicked heart disease, and was rallying with exceptional spirit through her chemo for recently diagnosed lymphoma (loving the weekly car trips to Pullman and WSU Vet Hospital because it meant she got to spend the night in a hotel) when, three days after her 10th birthday (Dick’s french fries and steak, as per tradition) she succumbed to an undetected and unexplaineable side effect of her chemo. I am totally heartbroken.

She was one of the great ones. I know you bonded with her on that trip to Portland.

xo
Kathleen