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14 OUR YUCAIPA | JULY 2014 OUR YUCAIPA | JULY 2014 15 The Middle of the Road: By Patches Peters, owned by Randy Peters, a middle-aged, middle-income, middle-school teacher Randy has just started his summer vacation and has a horrible cold, so I thought I would write his "Middle of the Road" column this month. After all, it's very fitting. I've been the family 'middle' dog for 11 years. My name is Patches. Shortly after the Peters' family were settled in the new house 15 years ago, they brought home Roxie. Yeah, she was cute and all, but she made for some challenges. I heard the story of when Randy came home from work one day and found that Roxie had chewed up the edge of the carpet in the master bedroom. Randy put Roxie outside and started to fix the carpet when he looked out and saw Roxie prancing by with a newly planted shrub. She held it like a bone with the leaves facing east and the root ball facing west. I heard of rage before, but luckily I never had to see it directed at me! It was decided that Roxie needed company. That's where I came in. There were four humans in the house then. The two younger ones helped to pick me out. I was in temporary housing at a place called YAPS. The family liked me. Roxie and I got along pretty well so they took me to their house. I was a bit shy and liked to sleep under furniture for quite some time. I thought it was cozy. The family thought I was neurotic. Or as they called it 'special.' I had a lot to say at my new home. Therefore I tried to vocalize whenever I had the chance. I could never figure out why Roxie didn't talk the way I did. God gave me the talent of whining and howling and I was going to use it every chance I had. Besides Randy's wife, Michele, thought it was cute and sometimes encouraged me to say more. I did. She has always been my favorite. I thought things were going well for Roxie and me. Then they came home one day with another dog. They called her Dahlilah. They thought she was so cute. Roxie and I thought otherwise. This bitch was going to be huge! We knew we better get on her good side before she towered over us one day. Sometimes the three of us had the chance to get out front. Randy and Michele didn't seem to like that very much. So whenever we ran down the street and played in the neighbors' yards, I always found a way to excuse myself and run back home. I would tell Randy and Michele all about our experience and how I was forced to go with the other two. I just didn't want to get in as much trouble and thought if I told them about it first, they would go easy on me. It worked. They did. Dahlilah did get bigger. The three of us found our routine with Randy and Michele. Their kids got bigger too. They moved away to go to a place called 'college.' But I knew they still loved us. They would hug us and wrestle with us whenever they came back to visit us. Their son would bring back his own Michelle. She knew just where to tickle me behind my ears. It was always one of my favorite times! The one thing I never will figure out is wind. Why does it make so much noise? Why do things move when it comes through? Why do I shake and howl so much when it happens? Why does Michele give me special medicine when it's windy? Why do I sleep so well after I get the medicine? Our life changed about seven months ago. I could tell that Roxie wasn't as willing to play anymore. Sometimes she would have accidents again like when she was a puppy. Some days she would find a good spot and sleep there all day long. I knew she was tired. I knew she was sick. Randy and Michele knew it too. One day Roxie wouldn't get up at all. Michele and their daughter took Roxie to the vet. Randy joined them there. The three of them came back home to Dahlilah and me. Roxie didn't. They said she was not feeling any more pain and was resting. That was good because she was in a lot of pain and was tired. Well, I haven't been feeling very well lately. The vet said I have something called 'diabetes.' Randy and Michele may have to start giving me shots. I'm OK with it, but they seem nervous. They have to put me on a tight schedule with my medicine and eating habits. I had to giggle when the vet told them that. They seem to have some trouble putting themselves on a schedule. Maybe they'll do better when I'm on one too. I'm not sure if the medicine will work. I've lost about one-fifth of my body weight in the past couple of weeks. My eyesight is very poor and I am having trouble keeping food and water down. They've done a lot of cleaning up after me lately. Maybe soon, I'll get to go to the vet and be out of my pain. I look forward to seeing Roxie there and am glad that Dahlilah will be here with Randy and Michele. I should teach her to howl before I go. As Randy always says, "Keep your eyes on the road." Randy's note: Michele, the vet, and I decided the best decision for Patches was to let her go. An appointment was made for the following morning, three days after this column was written. Patches slept well during the night and Michele slept next to her. Three hours before her appointment, with Michele and me at her side, Patches left us. She took the guilt of the decision away from us. She was always a kind soul and will be missed. patches Fills In…