{"id":181,"date":"2024-03-04T05:50:36","date_gmt":"2024-03-04T05:50:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alfredthedude.com\/?p=181"},"modified":"2025-10-30T02:56:03","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T02:56:03","slug":"how-i-met-baxter-keystone-the-iiird-my-best-good-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alfredthedude.com\/index.php\/2024\/03\/04\/how-i-met-baxter-keystone-the-iiird-my-best-good-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"How Baxter Became The Legend He Is"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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This is the first picture I ever took of Baxter. Circa August 2017. He was a handsome devil then, and still is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no internet article that could show you what it’s like to come home to Baxter’s overjoyed excitement, his jowels and big floppy ears, his wide smile and beautiful spirit. He’s a one of a kind. Here’s an attempt to share the story of Baxter Keystone the 3rd. Here we go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you know me, you know my dog Baxter is my best good friend, and the kindest and coolest dog you\u2019ve ever met. One might even say he\u2019s human-like, and I\u2019m pretty certain we\u2019ve known each other in our previous lives. The way I came to be Baxter\u2019s owner is a story for the ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was a 3rd year at the University of Houston, living in an apartment complex named Aspen, which was Kappa Sigma\u2019s temporary \u201cfrat house\u201d. We had a hallway designated to us, where 20 members had just moved in. The day is August 25th, 2017\u2026 in Houston, Texas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you familiar with Houston history? Then you know where this story is going. News was spreading about a massive hurricane heading our way. Growing up, we\u2019d experienced the effects of Hurricane Katrina, and evacuated for Hurricane Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Ike in 2008, which we\u2019re not nearly as devastating as expected. Naturally, many Houstonian\u2019s thought \u201churricane-shmurricane, we\u2019re going to stay put and hunker down.\u201d, so that\u2019s what we did\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026but hunkering down was not the only thing we did. As it turns out, the day the news exclaimed \u201cHurricane Harvey is hitting!\u201d, was also the most beautiful day you can imagine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Baxter, as a puppy, stacked on top of three Yetis, next to a deer head. Also one of his first pics. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Can you remember a day that was perfect in every way? No really, close your eyes\u2026 imagine the blueness of the sky\u2026 one or two puffy clouds roaming about\u2026 no stress and all good vibes. This was the setup for the day Hurricane Harvey hit. Of course we took advantage of it. So\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We threw a banger. \u201cInvite everybody\u2026 Hurricane Party!!!!\u201d, and, everybody showed up. 50-something people came from near and far for this party, and it did not disappoint\u2026 we\u2019re dancing, drinks are flowing, there\u2019s not a thing in the world that matters\u2026 until 11:30pm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It started pouring down rain\u2026 HARD. \u201cThe garage is flooding!\u201d, somebody ran in and said. All party-goers, drunk mind you, run down the long hallway to see what the fuss is about. The first floor of the 5-story garage is halfway flooded, and everyone rushes as quickly as possible to drive their cars to the top. If you\u2019re picturing this right now, it was complete pandemonium. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we walked back in from the garage, there was an inch of water all throughout the hallway, and some of our apartments began to flood where the french doors met the balcony. We stuffed towels at the crack of every door to try to keep our shelter sage. The only other thing I remember about that first night was the rain\u2026 the relentless, seemingly infinite amount of rain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It came down at the same pace for 4 days straight, and at the time of writing this, Hurricane Harvey was the 2nd most costly hurricane of all time, affecting hundreds of thousands of structures, resulting in $125,000,000,000 (Billion) in damages, with only Hurricane Katrina being more costly ($160 Billion). Harvey dropped 34 trillion gallons (34,000,000,000,000) of water all across the greater Houston area over those four days. Our city was completely under water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During those 4 days, we had around 30 people trapped in those 5 apartments in that hallway. The first two days were fine; we made do. But once the beer ran out and the food ran low\u2026 people tend to get cranky, especially if they\u2019re trapped. I remember I bought a pack of 3.5 lbs of chicken breasts before the storm, and I was in the kitchen whipping my wrist trying to keep people fed. We we\u2019re surviving\u2026 and we ultimately all did. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After days stuck inside, our city underwater, every store in Houston being closed, and holding on for dear survival, there was only one thing left to do. We told everyone go home, take a shower, get changed and come back\u2026 \u201cWe\u2019re throwing a survival party!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During that party, my friend David Hauser shotgunned a Keystone Light and threw it on the ground outside my balcony. As soon as he did, a little puppy walked, dopily, around the corner. With big ol\u2019 paws and big ol\u2019 ears, his puppy head swung back and forth as he approached us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

David said, \u201cLook what I found!\u201d, and we all stared in awe at this baby puppy, Baxter. Bax and I locked eyes, then he looked down and started licking up the remaining shot-gunned beer on the ground\u2026 cause A) That\u2019s My Boy! and B) He must\u2019ve been insanely thirsty and hungry.

My other friend, Kevin Shell, hopped over the fence of my balcony, scooped Baxter up and handed him to me. I brought him inside, gave him a pillow and some chicken, and he\u2019s been my boy ever since. Baxter Keystone the 3rd. {Insert first pictures of Baxter, and videos from when he was a puppy}<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baxter, cause that\u2019s the name that came to me immediately when we locked eyes.
Keystone, cause he was licking up the Keystone of the ground.
The 3rd cause he found me in 3rd Ward of Houston. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, we\u2019ve been inseparable, and he\u2019s come to be the best dog a man could ever ask for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baxter grew up in that apartment complex, and since then we\u2019ve done everything together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bax would hang out with me when I sewed Baxter’s Boxers. <\/p>\n<\/div>

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Baxter inspired me to start one of my first businesses, Baxter\u2019s Boxers, boxer shorts with pockets for men and women. He would even sit with me while I did the sewing, and was our joyful mascot when the first pairs came out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Covid, he was my support rock, and we moved to San Francisco in late May of 2020 for one month. While there, we visited Lake Tahoe, hit the beach, climbed mountains and enjoyed the beauty of nature. We visited Sequoia National Park, where he peed on (and pooped near) General Sherman, the largest tree in the world. Now that\u2019s a legendary feat for any dog!<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

He came with me when I moved out of Houston in October of 2021 to Dallas, TX. We moved to Austin in 2022. He\u2019s been my ride or die through and through. If you, reader, ever have the privilege of owning or even meeting a dog like Baxter, you\u2019ll know what a blessing it has been. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019s taught me again what Love is. He\u2019s been there for me through everything. Walking with Bax is what gets me up each morning. He is the best friend I could ever ask for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheers, Bax. To many more adventures!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P.S. If you read this far into the article, here’s a bonus video from when Baxter was a pup. <\/p>\n\n\n\n