Tag Archives: barking

“Bought and Sold”

“Flash Fiction: ‘A Meditation on Voices Lost or Stolen Only to be Bought and Sold Like Chinese Babies’ –page 8” read the Table of Contents. I have heard some pretty weird things about adoption, but this has to be one of the most blatantly callous. The piece was in an independently published magazine I picked up from the rack at our local pool. The story had nothing to do with adoption. It didn’t even mention Chinese babies anywhere in the story, only in the title. The piece was a science-fiction story in which people’s voices could fall out, be tricked … Continue reading →

Buried Under Back-to-School Fees and Papers

With three kids, all in high school, just about anything that might affect a typical family, affects our family three-fold—there are three rounds of everything to do just to get everyone back in school by that first week of September. This is not going to be a diatribe against school fees and such—I do not really think that things are unnecessarily expensive PER child—the price for book rental and sports fees and all that good stuff seems to make sense to me and I live in one of those states where school funding can be a bit precarious. So, I … Continue reading →

The Barkathon

Last night was a baaaaaaaad night. The dogs barked me awake at 12:10. Again at 12:30. At 1:00. At that point, I got up to let them out, thinking they really had to go. But alas, the barkathon began anew at 4:50. And 6:00. And 6:20. And so on. Why all the barking? As far as I could tell, someone in the complex was having a party. Unusual noises, music, and louder voices that usual had Moose and Lally in a bit of a frenzy! At least for the first part of the night. What they heard in the very … Continue reading →

A Restocking WHAT?

I’m not sure which day of the year retail employees(or shoppers who don’t like crowds) dread more—the day after Thanksgiving or the day after Christmas. On the day after Christmas retailers are dealing with massive crowds returning gifts, and returned gifts need, well, they need to be restocked. It’s a task, which apparently has become so despised that some retailers are making you pay for it. It’s a lesson I learned the hard way. For me, returns are a part of my life. I don’t buy an item with the intention of returning it. However, I also don’t hesitate to … Continue reading →

Translating Those Barks, Whines, and Yelps

When I first got my Lally, she tended to play a little rough. I talked to the shelter’s favorite trainer about it, and she suggested that whenever Lally played too rough, I yelp like a puppy: high pitched, short, and loud. I felt kind of silly, but I tried it… and it worked! Dogs may not understand “OUCH!” but they know that pain-filled yip and tend to back off when they hear it. Experts divide a dog’s sounds into five different types: the whimper or whine, the yelp, the growl, the bark, and the howl. The whimper is high pitched … Continue reading →

When Your Dog Stops Barking

If your senior dog has stopped barking or changed his vocalizations, this may be a call for a visit to your veterinarian. Several different problems could lead to a loss of your dog’s voice. Physical Problems An inflammation affecting the throat and/or vocal cords can cause discomfort when barking. If the vocal cords lose their flexibility, the dog may be unable to make a sound when barking. A short-term voice loss may be caused by a bacterial infection. A cancer in the throat or vocal cords can have the same results — discomfort when barking or even permanent loss of … Continue reading →

Saving on Banking Fees

Banking fees can take a sizeable chunk out of tight budgets. Save more of your money by eliminating some of these fees. The most obvious fees that you want to eliminate are those incurred for insufficient funds on account. Many banks charge $30.00 or more for every item that is returned. Most times overdraft charges are the result of mathematical errors, other times they come with careless spending. To save these fees be sure to record every transaction, including debit cards, in your check register immediately. If for some reason you are not able to do this immediately keep your … Continue reading →

Training: Stop Barking!

Whether it’s your own dog or a neighbor’s dog, excessive barking can get on everybody’s nerves! Our neighbors across the street have a dog. He’s a German shepherd sort of fellow, very cute. Very loud mouthed. (I used to call him “Barky” even though his name is Skittles.) Poor Barky would sit at the fence all day every day and bark. Mostly I felt bad, though I’m probably a little more tolerant that some. Eventually, our neighbors switched from a chain link fence to a wooden privacy fence. Suddenly, Barky was silent! I guess he doesn’t bark at things he … Continue reading →

Is That Bargain Really a Bargain?

If you did not stay with relatives or friends on previous vacations, then you most likely you rented a hotel room and a car to get around town in response to a bargain vacation package. You thought you knew beforehand, when you reserved your room, what you would be paying. Suddenly, at checkout time, you’re hit with a price that’s different from what you were quoted. Now you’re angry and questioning the customer service representative’s ability to do his or her job. According to an article written by Alfred Borcover for the Chicago Tribune (Philadelphia Inquierer1/22/06), these extra fees that … Continue reading →