THOUGHT STOPPER ON TV - VIDEO OF A SHEPHARD DOG RUNNING ACROSS TEH SCREEN SNATCHINGA PUPPY OUT OF TEH WAY OF A CAR THAT WAS BACKING UP- IF THAT WAS A REAL VIDEO- AND IT SEEMED TO BE... IT REQUIRED SOME PRETTY SOPHISTICATED PLANNING ON THE PART OF THE DOG.
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MARATHON MONDAY " IS A PRETTY BIG DAY IN BOSTON ... HOW BIG YOU MIGHT AASK... SO BIG THAT IT SHOVES BACK THE PAYMENT OF INCOME TAXES,,... ..-- BOSTON DOES STOP FOR THIS... MAIN ROADS ARE CLOSED...CARBOHYDRATES ARE SERVED TEHE NIGHT BEFORE TO THE THOUSANDS OF RUNNERS IN TEH BOSTON HOTELS..- THEN THIS MORNING THEY ARE ALL BUSSED TO HOPKINGTON--ALL 30,000 OF THEM WITH THEIR COLOR CODED START TIME NUMBERS SPACED THAT WORKS OUT TO BE ABOUT 10,000 EVERY 20 MINUTES- I THINK HOPKINGTON IS BASICALLY CLOSED EXCEPT FOR BUSSES RUNNING BACK AND FORTH FROM BOSTON THERE IS A HOW TO PREPARE FOR GETTING TO THE START -- ADVICE IS TAKE THE BUSSES- REGARDLESS OF HOW AMNY CAN GET ON ONE BUS, THERE ARE 30,000 RUNNERS TO TRANSPORT THE 26.2 MILES BACK TO THE START... THAT HAS TO BE HUNDREDS OF BUSSES... BIG NUMBERS ARE ALSO TEH PORTAPOTTIES WE SAW LINED UP ALLOVER EVERYWHERE... TEHY MUST HAVE SHIPPED THEM IN FROM NEWJERSERY. AND THEN ---.. ADVICE TO RUNNERS... GO TO GOOD WILL AND GE T SOME WAARM CLOTHING TO LEAVE AT THE START WHERE THE SCOUTS WILL COLLECT AND RECYCLE IT BACK TO GOOD WILL-- NO PACKAGES ARE ALLOWED ANYWHERE NEAR THE WHOLE ROUTE... -- NO FACE COVERINGS--- PACKAGES OF TEH RUNNERS THAT ARE LEFT IN BOSTON ARE TO BE LEFT IN SEE THRU PLASTIC BAGS- ---- - SECURITY-- POLICE, SHERIF, AND I AM TOLD TEH SECRET SERVICE IS ALSO ENGAGED. AND STILL WE HOLD OUR BREATH...
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WHEN WE LEFT HOPKINGTON EARLY SUNDAY AFTERNOON - TRAFFIC WAS GETTING JAMMED BETWEEN TV TRUCKS- AND GOOD OLD JAY WALKERS- TO GET IN OUR CAR, WE WALKED DIAGIONALLY ACROSS THE MAIN INTERSECTION BECAUSE NO ONE WAS GOIN' NO WHERE NO HOW !! TEH "WE" WAS NOT ONLY LAURA AND THE DOGS., ALL THESE POLICE WATCHED AS A CONTINGENT OF TEH MAURER FAMILY DRAGED THE DOG'S BARKER BED , BLANKETS, WATER SUPPLY THRU THE MAIN INTERSECTION.... - AND IT ALL SEEMED VERY NORMAL. 5 CYCLES THRU THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AND WE WERE BACK ON 495 .
THE MAURERS SOLD DOG COOKIES TO BENIFIT SDP-- A LOT OF THEM--- SO MANY THAT CHIP HAD TO RUN HOME AND KEEP GETTING THEM OUT OF THE OVEN ( THEY LIVE A BOLCK OR TWO FROM THE STQRT... IT WAS FUN AND TEHRE WERE A COUPLE CAMERA PEOPLE THERE WHO RECOGNIZED BENTLEY AND SIZZLE AND CAME AND SPOKE WITH US.!!!
SO MANY THAT I OFFER TO GIVE THEM TEH EXTRA OVEN THAT HAS BEEN SITTING IN OUR GARAGE FOR 2? YEARS
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EXTRA APPLIANCES??? TEH NEIGHBORS HAVE OFFERED ME/US A FAIRLY NEW STACKABLE WASHER DRYER IF WE CAN GET IT OUT OF THEIR HOUSE-- ALONG WITH A GOOD LOOKING REFRIG/FREEZER... IF WE CAN AT LEAST GET THE PIECES ON THE GROUND FLOOR, IT WOULD BE NO PROBLEM OT GET IT IN OUR TRAILER- ALL THOSE ARE UP FOR GRABS... SDP DOES NOT NEED THEM-- BUT MAYBE SOMEONE DOES....?????
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I DID HAVE ONE FYI TO PASS ALONG... A FRIEND HAS A DOG IN BAD SHAPE -- PROBABLY CAUSED BY HAVING PICKED UP A DISCAREDED PIECE OF "SUGARLESS GUM"- CAUSING ME TO HAV A CAMPAIGN AGAINST SUGARLESS ANYTHING
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FIONA AND ME
SITTIN' IN A CABIN IN MASSACHUSETTES
THE STORM IS RAGING OUTSIDE MY DOOR
GEE I'M SCARED I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO
I'M GLAD FIONA'S WITH ME
THIS WAS A VERSE THAT I MADE UP WHEN I WENT TO SDP TO BOND WITH FIONA. IT WAS DURING HURRICANE SANDY THAT BATTERED THE EAST COAST. BRANCHES AND TWIGS WERE FALLING ON THE ROOF. I'M GLAD FIONA WAS WITH ME.
THIS WAS THE BEGINNING OF A BLESSED TIME OF PARTNERSHIP WITH FIONA.
I HAVE PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND MY BALANCE IS UNPREDICTABLE AND FIONA IS THERE TO HELP ME. I CAN ALWAYS RELY UPON HER.
I WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT CAME AS AN ADDED BLESSING. I HAD TO TAKE A FRIEND TO THE HOSPITAL FOR A PROCEDURE AND FIONA AND I SAT IN THE LOBBY TO WAIT. I AM VERY MUCH AN INTROVERT AND THE LARGE SPACE AND BIG CROUD INTIMIDATED ME.PEOPLE CAME OVER TO TAKE PICTURES OF HER AND TO SIT BY US AND WATCH HER AND TALK TO ME. IT MADE THE TIME MORE TOLERABLE AND COMFORTABLE. I CAN NOW GO TO THE BLUEBERRY FESTIVAL AND DAILY PLACES IN PEACE AND DO MY VOLUNTEER WORK. I CAN NOT TELL YOU THE CONFIDENCE AND SECURITY SHE HAS GIVEN ME.
I HAVE CLINICAL DEPRESSION AND SINCE I HAVE BEEN WITH FIONA THAT HAS DEMINISHED GREATLY AND WITH MY MEDICATION HAS GIVEN ME A WHOLE NEW LIFE TO EXPLORE, TO TAKE ART CLASSES AND VISIT NEW PLACES. I NOW HAVE THE ENERGY TO DO SO MUCH.
I AM SO BLESSED AND THESE ADDED BENEFITS FROM FIONA ARE A GIFT FROM SDP THAT I DID NOT EXPECT.
MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU EVERY DAY CARLENE, THE TRAINERS, THE VOLUNTEERS, THE POO PICKERS AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HELP KEEP SDP THE SPECIAL PLACE THAT IT IS.
FIONA AND MARY LOU
