<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:dt="uuid:C2F41010-65B3-11d1-A29F-00AA00C14882" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta name="Microsoft Theme 2.00" content="Profile 111">
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Trebuchet MS";
panose-1:2 11 6 3 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:BixAntiqueScriptHmk;
panose-1:0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:black;}
h1
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1 Char";
margin-top:24.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:16.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:black;}
h2
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:black;
font-weight:normal;}
h3
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3 Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:13.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:black;
font-weight:normal;}
h4
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 4 Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:14.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:black;
font-weight:normal;}
h5
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 5 Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:13.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:black;
font-weight:normal;}
h6
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 6 Char";
margin-top:10.0pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
page-break-after:avoid;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:black;
font-weight:normal;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#CC0033;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#993333;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
color:black;}
span.Heading1Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 1 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 1";
font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:black;
font-weight:bold;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:black;}
span.Heading3Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 3 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 3";
font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:black;}
span.Heading4Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 4 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 4";
font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:black;}
span.Heading5Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 5 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 5";
font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:black;}
span.Heading6Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 6 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 6";
font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";
color:black;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body bgcolor=white background="cid:image001.gif@01CB48FA.FE43C830" lang=EN-US
link="#CC0033" vlink="#993333">
<img src="cid:image001.gif@01CB48FA.FE43C830"
v:src="cid:image001.gif@01CB48FA.FE43C830" v:shapes="_x0000_Mail" width=0
height=0 class=shape style='display:none;width:0;height:0'><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<v:background id="_x0000_s1025" o:bwmode="white" o:targetscreensize="800,600">
<v:fill src="cid:image001.gif@01CB48FA.FE43C830" o:title="probkgnd" type="frame" />
</v:background></xml><![endif]-->
<div class=WordSection1>
<p class=MsoNormal>It has been several years since I read or posted on the drool
due to work/financial issues/time/etc. Pierre is getting old and crotchety. It’s
difficult to realize that he won’t be with me much longer. Even when I
think about it, I get misty-eyed. I will truly miss him like I’ve never
missed anything before when he’s gone. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>I served in the military from 1984 through 1992. During that
time, I hurt my back a couple of times performing my duties, but, being young
and indestructible, didn’t think much of it. About 12 years ago, I started
feeling a twinge in my lower back. It got worse through the years until I had some
clamps and pins installed (laminectomy). It seemed to correct the problem and
for the first time in years, NO PAIN!!! Then it got a whole lot worse and I
couldn’t work. I couldn’t stand, couldn’t sit, etc. We lost
the house and one of the cars. Worst of all, we lost our self-respect.
Thankfully we could move in with my mother-in-law. I finally got my VA
disability and disability from Social Security and we purchased a house. We’re
still trying to pick up the pieces, but everything is working out finally. My
poor husband has to do a lot for me now, but does help. I live in fear now of
becoming addicted to RX drugs from the pain, but will cross that bridge when I
come to it. One of the side effects of the RX, however, is severe double
vision, so if I need to drive, I can’t take it for about 2 weeks before. That
means dealing with some severe pain for an extended period of time. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>I had left fostering when I decided to keep my foster,
LaBelle (failed fostering 101 there!). My mother-in-law became disabled about 2
months after taking Bubba, another foster I had at the same time as LaBelle.
Bubba should have been shown. He is one of the most handsome basset hounds I
have ever seen. I always watch the shows on TV and went to a couple over the
years. Pierre’s parents were both finished so had a good idea of what the
breed standard should be. As much as I love my Pretty Pierre, he would never
have gotten many points. I missed fostering terribly, but knew that we had too
many dogs for where we lived. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>When we moved into our new home, we had to leave our oldest
fur-baby, Nikki-not-a-basset, with Dianne because she is wheelchair-bound and
has a ramp. Nikki can no longer climb stairs. He also had cancer earlier this
year and late last year. There was an approximately 9 # mass growing on his
spleen and had to be removed along with the spleen which set us back a great
deal. The down payment required on our new home was $15,000.00 so we cut into
savings for Nikki, but was able to pull it off. We ended up making a deal with
the seller for $10,000.00 at closing with $5,000.00 to be paid later when we
received our income taxes back because we qualified for the $6,500.00 second
time home buyer credit (not sure what it was really called, but fell into the
first-time homebuyer credit for people who purchased a home previously). Had to
replace the furnace ($3584.00) and the water heater (Power-Vent, $1420.00). We
wanted a tank-less, but not enough water pressure for it. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Things are so much better for us, even though I’m homebound.
I have Pierre, my sweet, beautiful boy, LaBelle, a rescue I could not resist,
Bubba, whom my mother-in-law originally took, but became wheelchair bound
shortly after who was also a rescue, Elke, another not-a-basset, my mother’s
doxie/beagle mix (she had a stroke so is now in a skilled nursing facility
temporarily, and Lily, a foster puppy (we estimate her age at less than a
year). Lily is a WILD CHILD! We’re working on manners, training,
listening, etc. She doesn’t have accidents in the house, but deliberately
holds her stool until she can go into the basement and leave a mess. I can’t
believe how much that little 40# girl can produce!! I’ve resorted to
bribery with her. Every time she goes No. 2 outside, she gets a couple of
training biscuits. I wouldn’t mind some advice on that, please.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal>Thank you for listening and look forward to the drool.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:BixAntiqueScriptHmk'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:BixAntiqueScriptHmk'>Dayna<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:BixAntiqueScriptHmk'>mailto:
Dayna.Whitehead@sbcglobal.net<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:BixAntiqueScriptHmk'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:BixAntiqueScriptHmk;
color:#C00000'>"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be
judged by the way its animals are treated." - Mahatma Gandhi<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>