As most of you know, my family lost our precious Ernie-poodle-face last week. It was the right time, and it seems to have happened in the most peaceful way possible. However, it is still sad. 
From the beginning of Junior high until the morning I left for college, Ernie and I would eat breakfast together. I would always tear off a piece of food for him and set it aside, and he would sit and stare at me while I ate, and then when I was done I would give him the piece of food that I had saved for him. Then I went to college. I remember the first meal that I ate in the dorms. When I was done, I had a little piece of food set off to the side. I had saved food for Ernie without even meaning to, because I was so used to my little friend being there to eat breakfast with me.
Another "before school ritual" that Ernie and I had was every morning before Mom would get in the shower, she would open my door a crack and Ernie would jump up on my bed. I'd sleepily wake up and lift my blanket just a little, and he'd burrow under the blanket and curl up and go to sleep. I'm guessing that he liked the heat under there. Unless I got up to get something, in which case I'd come back and the silly dog would still be partly under the covers, but he would have his head on my pillow! In which case I would get another pillow from the living room, so I wouldn't disturb Ernie's beauty sleep.
I'm not sure why out of all the Ernie-stories that I could tell, those two are the ones that came to mind. I can't seem to find the words to express how much I miss my little dog.
"I waited for him to sniff me out, anxious to know if here, on the other side, I would still be the little girl he had slept beside. I did not have to wait long: he was so happy to see me, he knocked me down."
-The Lovely Bones
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