[Dailydrool] Miss Angela and stairs

[bjenk1 at cox.net]

Bill here,press agent/personal trainer to Miss Angela Basset,
Droop and Drool Diva of Wichita and Sedgwick County

For the first five years that Miss Angela has ruled this house
(now known as Casa di Diva), she allowed me the second 
story as a refuge.  When she was a pup, the stairs were too 
much of a challenge and she spent nights in the kitchen, held
in by a kiddie gate.  When she became totally trustworthy, she
was allowed out of the kitchen and given run of the whole first
floor.  She slept on the couch and only tried to come up once 
or twice (and was firmly rebuffed).  About a year and a half ago,
about the time she turned 6, she began coming upstairs to
sleep on a pile of dirty clothes near my bed.  I saw no real 
problem with that, so I allowed it and for the last 18 months,
she has accompanied me upstairs when I retire.  Sometimes
she spends the night upstairs and other nights, she goes 
back downstairs and sleeps on the couch.  She seems to 
go up pretty easily and down very carefully and rhythmically.

Recently, I have had a bit of discomfort going up and down the
stairs and may be facing another hip replacement.  With an 
eye to the future, I decided to look for a house all on one level.
In May, I found the right house for us and made an offer.  It was
met with a counter offer.  I counter-counter offered and it was
rejected.  End of story.

After I got back from Scotland last month, I got word that the
sellers (a group of heirs) were now willing to accept my last 
offer.  We agreed on a selling price and are currently in the 
process of negotiating some repairs to be made.  If all goes 
well, there will be a new Casa di Diva, eight blocks from the
present house (but farther from our wonderful park which we
visit every day.)  Miss Angela does not yet know that we may
be moving.  I know that, when we do get into the new house,
she will be very happy.  It has a nice deck, large back yard,
plenty of room to explore, etc.  And she will only have to walk
a few steps to sleep beside my bed.  My question is  "How 
much of a problem should I anticipate with a (what's the 
genteel term for pig-headed?) basset who has never lived
anywhere else.  

Of course, Miss Angela is not just any hound.  She is hyper-
demonstrative, both vocally and attitudinally.  I know that, if
she is not happy, I will hear about it and suffer for it.  She 
may accept that, where ever her couch, her food dish and her
devoted employee are is home.  Any insights, anyone?

We're having a cool day today after 108 and 109 early in the
week.  We don't have to do our walk at the butt crack of dawn
today so we are having sort of a lie-in.  Hallelujah!

Bill (Just a few financial hurdles and it's moving time)
Angela (I'll move from the couch to the chair in a little while)