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Serving as “Butler Blue,” the official mascot of Butler University, both the late Blue II and I have amassed an assembly of priceless prized possessions over the years. Such artifacts and heirlooms include:

The Built Ford Tough Blue Mobile, provided by Don Hinds Ford
The official Butler Blue collar, custom created by Reis Nichols Jewelers
The official Nike jersey, hand tailored by the Tom…

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True to the prognosis I’ve recently been given, my health is now in serious decline. I sense the end is near as my heart rate is increasing in an effort to capture more precious oxygen. Frankly, it’s hard work and quite exhausting. I wish I felt better, but I’ve known for a while that my best days were behind me.

So while I still have a little stamina left, I thought I would pen one last…

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You know those people who work their whole lives only to retire and almost immediately fall apart? Well, to no surprise, I seem to be the dog version of that phenomenon.

After logging a nine-year career as the official mascot of Butler University and hanging up my custom Nike jersey this past May, it seems that my good health decided a retirement was in order as well.

By June, my body had…

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Last weekend, my veterinarian, good friend, and Butler University graduate, Dr. Kurt Phillips hosted a retirement party for me at his clinic in Carmel, Ind., Woodland Animal Hospital. (He also has a practice in downtown Indianapolis at the Mass Ave Animal Clinic.) It was a great event with the usual attributes, cake, balloons, picture-taking, but there was also a very poignant moment that took…

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In honor of my retirement this year, my friends at the Butler University Bookstore decided to hold an academic contest, of sorts, with submissions coming in the form of a haiku. The Blue II Haiku Contest stood as an invitation for people of all ages to pen some prose about yours truly with a 5-7-5 syllable structure and potentially win some swag.

I’m pleased to report that haiku submissions…

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As I celebrate my ninth birthday and approach retirement (May 20, 2013) after nine years of service as official mascot of Butler University, I’m offering up yet more introspection derived from my existence.

Inspired by Esquire Magazine’s “The Meaning of Life” issue and standing “What I’ve Learned” column, I’ve previously published such features of my own on two occasions. Being that…

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After our brief stint of TV glory at WHAS, we took the Built Ford Tough Blue Mobile a short mile through downtown to stop at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.

Nestled in the middle of Museum Row on Main in downtown Louisville, the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory is instantly recognizable. Towering 120-feet into the air, the Big Bat separates the Slugger Museum from other,…

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One day  it’s The Huffington Post regarding my social media prowess, as noted by the Shorty Awards, and a day later it’s Mashable on Butler Blue III and my desire to impersonate “Thelma and Louise,” a la the Big Dawgs Tour.

I can’t make this stuff up.

Now keep in mind that The Huffington Post boasts a Pulitzer Prize and was ranked #1 on the 15 Most Popular Political Siteslist…

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There I was, minding my own business, doing what I do best, sleep, and Pops (Michael Kaltenmark/@MSKaltenmark) woke me up. 4am. He woke me up at 4am!

It was time to hit the road. The Big Dawgs Tour is finally underway.

So he loaded Butler Blue III (Trip) and I up, we picked up our colleague Tom Otero (@lockebyproxy) and before I knew it, the Built Ford Tough Blue Mobile had taken us from…

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As you well know, Trip and I are in the midst of the biggest dog-related event in the history of Butler University, The Big Dawgs Tour. On each leg of the tour, at least one lucky person can win a personal visit from us. So yeah, you might want to register for such a visit. We want to come visit you!

Click to Register: Big Dawgs Tour Personal Visit Contest

We’ll be using this blog post to…

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