| I've put up with it as long as I can, as long as my | | | | hours before I drifted off. |
| nerves will let me. You see, I have a problem, and | | | | The alarm clock went off in what seemed like |
| It may not seem like a huge problem to you, but | | | | minutes after I fell asleep. Now, you have to |
| it's slowly ruining my life. I'll start from the | | | | understand, my days start very early, I work |
| beginning. | | | | long hours, so sleep is important to me. I dragged |
| One afternoon, I came home from work, my | | | | myself out of the bed, and threw on a pair of |
| kids greeted me at the door, and I could smell | | | | slack, and a shirt. I was like a zombie that day. I |
| the delicious dinner that my wife, Joanne, had | | | | received several, meant to be funny, comments |
| waiting for me. It seemed like a great day, just | | | | about how I must have had a long night. It wasn't |
| like every other day. | | | | a great day, and to top it all off, it started all over |
| We sat down to dinner shortly after I arrived | | | | again as soon as I fell into bed that night. |
| home. We were all sharing stories about our days, | | | | Now it's been two weeks. I've been sleep |
| enjoying a great chicken fried steak meal, when I | | | | deprived for two weeks. During this time the |
| heard it. The sound that would soon drive me to | | | | Fosters have put up a dog fence, but nothing to |
| insanity. It was a yappy, high pitched barking | | | | keep Pixie from barking. This morning I handed |
| coming from outside. "What is that?" I asked my | | | | my boss my daughters spelling test instead of |
| family. My youngest daughter Julie gleefully | | | | the file I've been working on. This dog is messing |
| answered, "Oh that's Pixie, daddy. The Fosters' | | | | with my life. |
| new puppy. She is soooo cute." The barking | | | | What Pixie doesn't know, though, is that I got a |
| continued through dinner, but I said nothing else. | | | | present for her. On my way home from work I |
| That night, I got into bed after a hot shower and | | | | picked up a brand new dog training collar for her. I |
| gave my wife a kiss. We said our good nights, | | | | got the best shock collar I could find. I tied big red |
| and I let my drowsy head fall to my pillow. When | | | | ribbon around it, and left it on the Fosters' front |
| my head hit the pillow, it was like flipping a switch. | | | | porch. |
| The barking started again. The only way I can | | | | Now, I'm lying here in my cozy bed, and what do |
| describe it is a High pitched, ear piercing YIP YAP | | | | I hear? Nothing. An electric collar... Why didn't I |
| YIP YAP. It sounded like this dog's tail was on fire. | | | | think of it sooner. If you have an annoying dog |
| I hoped that this Pixie would soon get used to her | | | | keeping you up at night, I strongly recommend |
| new home, and stop all that yapping. I put the | | | | buying a bark collar. |
| pillow over my head, and lay awake for several | | | | |