My Dawg. Fo Real Doh… — Shoveling Sunshine

I never in a million years thought that I would become a crazy dog lady until I met Skyy. Skyy is my Husky. She is the keeper of my secrets, my sidekick and silent judger, and my best friend.

Skyy first came into my life in the summer of 2006. I was dating a guy from Key West and his mom just literally came home one day with a Husky puppy and was like here you go. I myself wanted nothing to do with it. I specifically remember the conversation we had, we had just started dating and I was not into additional responsibility what so ever. In fact, it was already putting a damper on my plans because we were en route to Shanna Key for some day drinking and to watch the World Cup with one of my girlfriends that was working there at the time. Then we found out that Shanna Key was pet friendly and that was all she wrote. We took the then unnamed puppy to Shanna Key with us and she curled up on the end corner of the bar and slept while we proceeded to do one Jagerbomb after another. Needless to say we ended up keeping the dog. After all, any dog that can hang with me during some day drinking is my kind of dawg. Fo real doh.

Long story short, you know what they say, boyfriends’ come and go but dogs are forever. Ok, so maybe I made that up but who cares, it’s true. Living in Key West with a dog is amazing and I try to include Skyy in my life and adventures as much as possible. From trips to the beach, to paddle boarding, to bacon wrapped hot dogs from Five Guys, my dog really does have the #bestlifeever.

Skyy Running For Jaime on 3/17/14 #RunForJamie

John Grogan, author of Marley and Me, nailed it when he said “such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day. It is amazing how much love and laughter they bring into our lives and even how much closer we become with each other because of them.” Skyy comes to work with me practically everyday, she’s the official office greeter for Last Key Realty. Anyone who lives in Key West knows it’s not cheap and that many people have to work two jobs to survive and thrive here. Skyy is no exception; when she isn’t greeting office visitors at LKR she is doing flower deliveries with Love In Bloom Florist . She also models occasionally.

Work hard, play hard right? There are so many pet friendly places on the island that you can take your pup to its hard to choose what to do on your days off.

Krystal and Skyy’s Favorite Pet Friendly Spots
Pepe’s, 806 Caroline Street:  A quirky open-air restaurant that features great fresh specials and fresh squeezed juices for cocktails. Also a fab lunch spot, happy hour spot, or dinner spot. Hell, it’s just a great place.
The Lazy Gecko, 203 Duval Street:  A Boston sports bar (blah, Go RAVENS!) but their tater tot nachos are on point and so is their Fireball. Also happy hour from 5-8 with 2-4-1 beer and well drinks. Hot damn!
Dairy Queen, 1207 United Street:  A traditional favorite that serves up “pup cups” of ice cream for 50 cents!
Little Jazz Room, 821 Duval Street:  One of my new favorites. Happy Hour from 1-8 everyday and check out these mojitos ($8 for both)! They also serve light snacks (cheese platter, hummus, and chips and salsa), which is always a plus for us. We like snacks.

Shots & Giggles, 201 Ann Street: Just a stumbling distance from Sloppy Joe’s this bar always has the same Soup Of The Day: Jameson. They also have Fireball flip night where you can flip a coin to see if your shot of Fireball is on the house as well as the house shot which is usually some fruity concoction that is delicious. They also take music requests (well sometimes, if your name is Libby and you harass the bartender until she puts on Tanya Tucker Pandora).

My friend Alex has a magnet on her car that says “Who Rescued Who” referring to Murphy, her peek-a-poo rescue, and it wasn’t until this past year that I really got the meaning behind the phrase. Skyy definitely rescued me. When my sister Ashlee passed away last summer Skyy saved me. She made me get out of the house, I had to walk her, I had to feed her, and I had to take care of her. And in taking care of Skyy I unknowingly was taking care of myself too. Skyy is my girl, she gives me a reality checks when I need them, gives me silent judgements when I don’t need them, howls at me occasionally to keep me punctual, snuggles me when I’m sad and celebrates with me when I am happy. She’s become a staple guest at our monthly “girladays” and like her mom is simply one cool chick.

“A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.” – John Grogan, Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World’s Worst Dog

I know I’m a day early but in closing I’d like to wish my best girl Skyy a Happy Birthday. Thank you for coming into my life and teaching me more than you will ever know. Love you boo, here’s to 8 more! #56andfabulous