Frankie and I will be participating in the 1st annual walk for the Arthritis Foundation, Let's Move Together Sheboygan County on Saturday, May 9th, 2009.  For humans and animals alike, moving keeps us healthy.  How many people do you know are afflicted by this disease?  I think combining every human with a dog would help us stomp this out… and it sure would end so many other challenges too.  Frankie and I would love it if you can join us!  It is only 1-hour and sure to be lots of fun!

A few weeks ago Frankie and I stopped in to visit our friend, Joanie. She works for our local Chamber of Commerce.  Her office is in a very old building on the 2nd floor.  It is quite the quaint little place.  Check out a photo of it here.

I carried Frankie up the stairs.  They creak and moan, so it is hard to really surprise anyone as the stairs give you away.  At any rate, Joanie was very happy to see us.  She adores dogs, and especially loves Frankie.

I take great strides to ensure that Frankie does not have to "go" when we are in a public building.  As many of you know she does not have control of her bladder or bowels.  When I first decided to take Frankie to schools for presentations I was so paranoid she would poop during the presentation!  The kids would LOVE that I am sure!  But during every presentation I have been proud to announce to the children that we have never had an accident in school…. yet!  Some giggle, some crinkle their noses and some squeamishly say, "eeewww!"  To which my reply is, "It is only poop!  We all do it!"  I feel as if I have gotten over the paranoid feeling of things, and confident in the fact we can achieve an accident free record.

As we visited with our friend Joanie, and her co-worker Kathleen, the conversation was flowing easily when all of a sudden I felt Frankie's back end start to shake.  I realized in that moment there was not a darn thing I could do… and yup, as I stood holding her, the poop hit the floor!  I WAS SO EMBARRASSED!

Moments before I had noticed Kathleen shuffle a plastic bag under her desk.  I also spied a Kleenex box out of the corner of my eye and sprang into action.  With one felll swoop I lunged towards the Kleenex box and yelled to Kathleen, "Where is that plastic bag you just had?"  She scrambled to empty it's contents, and threw it may way.

The preposterous poop was captured into the tissue and deposited swiftly into the plastic bag.  I tied the bag in a knot so the vapors would be concealed.  With a red face, and apologizing profusely Frankie and I made our fast exit back down the creaky stairs… only to leave Joanie and Kathleen with the last remnants of Frankie's special scent.  Oh dear.

Frankie was never phased by any of it. But I realized as much as I say it's no big deal, it was a BIG DEAL when she poops in someone else's house, office, school, church, etc.  As much as I'd like not to be embarrassed I felt bad for leaving behind such a "stink!"

When we got home I pretended like Frankie was a little child apologizing for doing something wrong.  So in an email to Kathleen and Joanie she wrote, "I'm sorry for pooping in your office," "I'm sorry for pooping in your office," "I'm sorry for pooping in your office…" one hundred times.

Thank you to faithful reader, Janice, for sharing this wonderful story with me, and I now share with all of you.  ENJOY!