It Wasn't the Aids Walk List, but ...

If you are a fan of the show Seinfeld, you may remember the episode where Jerry gets a girls phone number from a list where people had signed up to go on a walk to support Aids.

I had a similar experience. When we first moved into our home, we would be woken up every night by the sound of a barking dog. The little guy barked nonstop for hours. We could not see him because he was on the porch and there was a fence between our properties.

I couldn't figure out how to make him stop. I guess looking back, I could have done the easy thing and just knocked on the neighbors door but I found a different way ....

A few weeks later we had a knock on the door. There was an environmental group trying to get people to sign a petition to stop something (I don't remember). As they made their pitch, I happened to notice a name, address, and phone number on the list.

I had remembered the neighbors address because I had considered sending them a letter. So, when I saw the address, I mentally recorded the phone number next to it.

I now formulated a plan.

The next night, when old yappy starting his ritual yelping, I sprung into action. I picked up the phone and called the owners of the yapper. I woke them from a sound sleep, Ah, too bad.

I just said, over and over again, "Your Dog's Barking', "Your Dog's Barking". They were Spanish, but I think they got the point eventually. They did something and from then on, we never heard the dog again.

A few months later, I was walking my dog and I had a conversation with the owner (they didn't know who I was, I think). They were telling me a sad story about how their blind dog had recently passed away.

I felt bad, but then again, I was glad to be able to sleep.