NOV 24 2017

AAAHHHHH CCCCOOOOFFFFEEEEEEE !  AS I SIT  HERE WATCHING ALL TH E NUTTY PEOPLE STANDING OUT IN THE COLD WAITING TO GET IN MACY'S OR SOME OTHER...I WONDER- ALOT OF THINGS... BUT MOSTLY  I WONDER HOW DID ADVERTISING GET TO THE STAGE OF GETTING PEOPLE TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS???

I REMEMBER..........BACK WHEN... I WAS IN COLLEGE AND THE STARTLING BOOK OF THE YEAR WHICH UNFORTUNATELY I CAN NOT REMEMBER...  BUT THE GENERAL PITCH WAS THE PICTURE ON THE COVER TO HAVE A GLASS WITH ICE IN IT SUBCONSCIOUSLY SPELL OUT TH E WORD SEX.  I SPENT ALOT OF TIME LOOKING AT THAT PICTURE AND COULD NOT SEE IT..  MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE READ THE BOOK? 

 I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SUSPICIOUS OF ADVERTISING EVER SINCE SOMEONE TOLD ME  IVORY SOAP  FLOATED NOT BECAUSE IT WAS SO PURE... BUT BECASUE I T 

HAD AIR BUBBLED  THRU IT.

PAM WENT HOME-- LEAVING 5  PEOPLE HERE OVERNIGHT-- SOMEWHERE...-- THAT TURKEY DINNER WAS  ONE OF THE BEST I HAVE  HAD IN YEARS..  THE FUNCTURING/CATERING RESTAURANT IN LYNNFIELD PUT'S THE ENTIRE DINNERS OUT BY THE HUNDREDS... IT IS PAID FOR BY CARD AHEAD OF TIME--  $300 GETS YOU  EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE SILVERWARE-- IN A COUPLE CARDBOARD BOXES- ALL READY TO BE SERVED OR HEATED  -- THEY HAVE A BUNCH OF COLLEE KIDS WHO LOAD UP WHEELING TABLE THINGS WITH WHATEVER YOU ORDERED... AHD HUSTLE IT OUT TO YOU R CAR-- WITH THE OBVIOUS GOAL OF GETTING YOU OUT OF THE PARKING LOT. IT RIVALS TEH FEDEX BUILDING FOR EFFICIENCY...

 COLLEGE KIDS ON VACATION ARE A TREMENDOUS SUPPLY OF PERSONELL WHO ARE GENERALLY COMPETENT AND USUALLY BROKE.  THE HOLIDAY BETWEEN T'DAY AND CHRISTMAS WERE BRUTAL FOR US--  ALL THESE ANIMALS-- MOSTLY THE DONKEYS-- WITH ANTLERS AND RED WAGON --TO HAUL INEBRIATED SANTAS INTO GROUPS OF SCREAMING CHILDREN-- WERE OUR BIG MONEY RAISER-  I COULD NEVER HAVE DONE IT WITH HORSES...  THOSE DONKEYS WERE ROCK STEADY...THE 6  TO 9PM AT AN INDUSTRIAL PARK EVERY FRI -SAT SUN FOR THE MONTH  WITHA BUNCH LOOSE  - WAS A STANDARD...AND OUT IN THE COLD.... IT IS WHERE SOMEONE CALLED THE POLICE THINKING DIDA AND I WERE HOMELESS TRYIN G TO KEEPP WARM HIDING IN A PILE OF HAY......

 BUT ON TO P OFTHAT  WE DID TEH MERIMAC  MASS CHRISTMAS PARADE FOR 8 YEARS... AND THEN THERE WAS THE WESTIN HOTEL STORY...

PLAN WAS TO HAUL SANTA OUT OF THE  FOOD HOLDING AREA OF TEH WESTIN HOTEL INTO THE BALLROOM ( ON TEH 4TH FLOOR) -- IN HARNESS WITH THE 8 DONKEYS- AND 45 MINUTES LATER HAVE THE 8 DONKEYS LOOSE... IN SOME DEMOCRATIC PARTY IN THE BAR AT THE TOP OF THE PRU TOWER... AND WE MADE IT.... THANKS TO A BUNCH OF STUDENTS  FROM BU.-- IT STARTED WITH THE 53' TRAILER UNDER TEH WESTIN AT THE LOADING DOCK- GETTING ALL 8 IN HARNESS AND IN THE FREIGHT ELEVATOR  WITH WAGON-AND OUT  NEXT TO A HUGE RACK OF RED AND WHITE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES IN TEH FOOD AREA.. WHERE SANTA  WAITED...GOT ALL 8 HOOKED IN THE CORRECT ORDER-- AND I DROVE THEM     OUT ONTO THE FLOOR AT THE RIGHT MOMENT WHERE WE DEPOSITED SANTA--   STRAIGHT AHEAD INTO THE  4TH FLOOR LOBBY WHERE  THESE BU KIDS HAD 4 ELEVATORS WAITING...  2 DONKEYS TO AN ELEVATOR AND BYTHE TIME THE Y GOT DOWN THE 4 FLIGHTS THE HARNESS WAS ON TH EFLOOR AND THE DONKEYS WERE LOOSE...-- JANINE AND I  GATHERED THE 8.. LOOSE AND KEPT THEM MOVING AS A GROUP... OUT THE FRONT DOOR... INTO BOSTON TRAFFIC FOR 2 BLOCKS AND INTO THE CELLAR OF THE PRU-- AND THE WAITING FREIGHT ELEVATOR.. I PUSHED THEM  A LL IN THERE...  WITH JANINE, WISHED THEM WELL .. THEY WENT UP... AND I WENT BACK TO GET THE TRAILER OUT OF THE LOADING AREA UNDER THE WESTIN. AND MOVE IT TO THE PRU WITH ALL THE HARNESS AND CARRIAGE WHICH THE KIDS HAD PUT IN IT.  I SAT OUTSIDE THE PRU FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES AND ALL 8  PLUS JANINE ARRIVED -- LOADED THEM UP TO GO HOME AND JANINIE WENT BACK TO BU WITH ALL HER FRIENDS WHO WERE $100 RICHER..

THAT WAS TYPICAL HOLIDAY SEASON FOR US FOR YEARS... AND THERE WERE ALOT OF STORIES---   ALOT OF THEM.... 

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TIS THE SEASON OT GET A HUGE NUMBER OF " I AM AWAY FROM NY DESK" NOTICES--  LIKE 42 OF THEM WHICH WAS INTERESTING.

HOWEVER HEERE'S ONE WHO WAS STILL AROUND.... ERICA AN D ASHER.

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THIS THANKSGIVING, I DON'T EVEN HAVE THE WORDS TO SAY JUST HOW THANKFUL I AM TO HAVE ASHER IN MY LIFE, BUT I'LL TRY TO FIND THEM ANYWAY. HE'S A LIFE CHANGER: HE'S GIVEN ME THE ABILITY TO GO WHEREVER I WANT TO WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT STAIRS THAT LACK HANDRAILS, UNEVEN TERRAIN, OR CROWDED SPACES. HE'S A BEST FRIEND: HE'S BY MY SIDE 24/7 AND IS THE BEST COMPANY FOR THOSE LONG NIGHTS OF STUDYING OR THE OCCASIONAL AFTERNOON NAVIGATING DOWNTOWN; EVERY DAY HAS ITS CHALLENGES, BUT I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING EXCITED TO TACKLE THE DAY WITH MY BEST FRIEND BY MY SIDE. AND HE'S JUST AN ALL-AROUND SUPERSTAR: HE PUTS UP WITH LOUD AND BUMPY PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, TRAIN RIDES, CONSTRUCTION, AND EARLY MORNINGS IN CIVIL PROCEDURE, AND HAS ALLOWED ME TO MEET ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. ASHER HAS MADE LIFE SO MUCH HAPPIER, AND HAS GIVEN ME MUCH MORE CONFIDENCE IN MYSELF ALONG THE WAY.
BUT, ABOVE ALL, I'M THANKFUL FOR THE PEOPLE BEHIND EVERY ONE OF OUR SUCCESSFUL OUTINGS AND I'M THANKFUL FOR THOSE CHEERING US ON. THE TRAINERS, STAFF, AND VOLUNTEERS OF SERVICE DOG PROJECT WORK TIRELESSLY TO CHANGE LIVES LIKE THEY HAVE WITH MINE, AND I'M SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE FOUND THEM AND BEEN PAIRED AS A RECIPIENT. ASHER AND I ARE ALSO SO THANKFUL TO HAVE BEEN WELCOMED INTO SUCH A LARGE COMMUNITY OF SDP SUPPORTERS - THE ARMY OF CPS WHO FOLLOW US ALONG AND MAKE OUR JOURNEY TOGETHER SO MUCH MORE FUN.
2017 HAS BEEN A BIG YEAR WITH LOTS TO BE THANKFUL FOR, BUT THOSE OTHER THINGS WILL NEVER QUITE COMPARE TO HOW THANKFUL I AM FOR MY DAILY ADVENTURES WITH ASHER.