dogs

How do you handle having barking dogs as neighbours? Not easily as far as I'm concerned. The dogs bark when I chop broccoli. They bark when I turn on the shower. When the dishes get done, when the recycling needs to go out, and when I ride home on my bike from work. When I put on the kitchen fan. Bark, bark, bark. Our neighbour is a cop, and he doesn't really seem to care all that much if the dogs disturb us. In fact, I think he wants these family pets to be kinda guard dogs. Even though they are yellow labs.

They get let out at 600 am in the morning on the weekends, and the dogs bark at squirrels, raccoons, crows... and when I flush the toilet. Then eventually they get let back in. But only after our mornings to sleep in and catch up on sleep from the work week are long gone.  I've taken to feeding them chicken bacon, you know, when they are quiet. Training dogs that aren't mine. Because they bark when we watch TV, when we have guests over for a BBQ, and when we turn on the lights at night. When I sneeze.

I even got aggressive this summer. Had just had enough. Shouted back at the dogs and the neighbours, (after a glass of wine or three.)... as if that would help. All I did was embarrass myself in front of dinner guests. Bark, bark, bark. There really is no moral to this story. I could end by saying I have found compassion for the dogs and our neighbours... but that would be a lie. That I have developed patience and tolerance. That I have risen above the din. Alas... that would not be the case. So... who knows. Maybe they'll move. Maybe our neighbour will get tired of the barking too. Maybe my chicken bacon training will work. Bark. Bark. Bark.

tale

How do you write a story about a grave injustice happening to a patient group who cannot protect themselves, when you have been forbidden to talk. You write a fairy tale....

Once upon a time, there were people helping people. People with passion helping people in need. These passionate people travelled far and wide to find new potions, new spells and become the best helpers they could be. They even discovered their own spells and incantations and more of the people in need felt better about themselves and began to thrive. The Gods smiled down on them and gave them riches to continue their good work as they were pleased. The passionate people thrived as well, and this inspired even greater work.

But then, after a great mayor had died, a New Mayor came from a foreign land and had the favour of a New Evil Lord. The Gods were blinded and dazzled by the New Mayor. The New Mayor cast a powerful spell of old, dark magic and the Gods could only see the work of the New Mayor as pleasing and good. The New Mayor's sinister ways were hidden from the Gods. Dark times fell on the passionate people. They were told to stop inventing new potions and not to challenge the authority of the New Mayor and the New Evil Lord. Their pleas were met with shunning and banishment. The New Mayor conjured another dark spell and the passionate people had their voices taken from them. They fell silent and the long Era of Despair was upon them.

Eventually, New Mayor tired of this land and found a way to be elected to the High Court of the Realm. The Next Mayor was chosen from among the passionate people and the spell of the taken voices was broken. This led to the Era of the Lull. There was some passion to found again, and some cautious optimism permeated the land. But alas, this was not to be. The Evil Lord, sensing the return of the good works of the passionate people, turned to the Gods and prevailed upon them to see the folly of the passionate peoples' ways. The Storms fell on the land and the Great War on Passion was upon them.   The Gods mood darkened and they too forbade the passionate people from talking about the the Great War. No more troops could be rallied. The Evil Lord dictated what spells and potions the passionate people could use and the people in need began to suffer. The Great War on Passion led to the Second Era of Limbo. The passionate people knew they must find a way out of Limbo, but how? To. Be. Continued...