This is kinda a still alive post but focused more on those four legged little monsters that I live with.

First up I’ve been sent a new photo (see below) of our latest recruit from Peru, Diogo. Yes I know in the post announcing his recruitment he was called Durin. However I decided to rename him in tribute to Diogo Jota who died tragically along with his brother in a car crash at the start of July.

I’m a Liverpool supporter. Have been since the age of 7. OMG it’s just clicked that’s 50 years now.

The parting of our Forever 20 hit me harder than I thought. I think the only other two times the death of someone I never knew but they still meant something to me hit me hard was Steve Jobs and Elvis.

I remember being told at work by a friend of Jota’s passing. I was date coding yoghurts when he came up to me and asked “had I seen the news about Jota?” I was expecting him to tell me Liverpool had accepted an offer for him. Instead he told me he had died in a car accident. I really did find it hard to continue our conversation, it felt like I’d start crying any second. There was definitely emotion in my voice as I spoke. To say I continued the rest of my shift in a bit of a daze was an understatement. My fellow Liverpool supporters at work couldn’t believe the news. We were in shock. It was hard to express what we were feeling, even to talk about it without breaking down in tears.

So it seemed natural that I’d want to do something to remember Diogo Jota. Hence the renaming of Durin to Diogo.

The other little monsters news is that Nico had a heart scan Tuesday and the heart murmur detected is actually two faulty valves. He has been prescribed a heart medication that he needs to take every 12 hours for the rest of his life.

The good thing is that he wasn’t experiencing any of the health issues that can be related to his heart problem. But if they do start they can be treated.

UPDATE: since writing this post this morning I’ve received another photo from Peru of Diogo and just had to share it here.