Project 1999 - My dog and EverQuest

In 2000, I was eleven years old, and this was the first year I had seen and played EverQuest. One of my friend's dad had the game, and I was enamored by it. Most of the computer games I played were old RTS or crude first person shooters like Wolfenstein and Darkforces. I typically preferred console games on Playstation or SNES/Nintendo 64 at the time.

Once my next door neighbor got the game, I spent hours over at his house watching him play, and occasionally, he'd let me try the game and run around a low level warrior in West Freeport and East Commons. After some convincing of my family, who was unsure of the idea of paying a monthly subscription to a computer game, I finally received the Ruins of Kunark for Christmas that year.

Every time I played EverQuest in my dad's study on the 17 inch CRT monitor, my dog Shadow would lay at my feet. Shadow was a puppy who I got on Memorial Day of 2000. Close to fifteen years later, Shadow is still alive, but his time is coming soon. He is mostly blind, mostly deaf, has growths around his body, constantly itches and bites his paws due to itchy skin, and has gotten to the point where he needs to relieve himself to the point where he consistently will have accidents in my house.

Today, I signed a lease on a new apartment that starts in mid March. They do not allow dogs. I have made the decision that he will have to be euthanized by the time I move into this place, as it seems that is has become his time to go.

I just wanted to do an ode to Shadow and thank you for being part of my complete EverQuest experience. I think a lot of you will remember that the things that were happening in your life when you started playing EverQuest; these memories are often as vivid and nostalgic as the time we spent in game.

http://i.imgur.com/gjE1MmR.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/lXd7Qvf.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/5GKWKCp.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/NtDkQ5I.jpg