That old saying 'monkey on my back' has taken on a new meaning, and it's a positive one. Debbie Rose, from Missouri, is the mother of six and has her hands full. Not surprisingly, Debbie has some problems keeping her nerves calm, so instead of taking medication, she has a monkey on her back, literally.
The monkey's name is Richard and he's more than a pet, he's therapy. Richard helps Debbie cope with a debilitating anxiety disorder that can cause high blood pressure, racing heartbeat and panic attacks. When Richard is on her back, or by her side, she is virtually free of any of the symptoms and doesn't need any medication.
Her physician, Dr. Larry Halverson, confirms Debbie is not on medication of any kind. However, wherever Debbie goes with Richard, it can cause a few problems, because unlike a seeing eye dog, a monkey on your back is not officially classified as a human-assistance animal, allowed to enter places such as restaurants, the hairdresser, etc.
Debbie says she's had a few establishments turn her away, but is keeping Richard, who I imagine works for peanuts and the odd banana. If you are on some sort of medication to calm your nerves, you might want to get yourself involved in this monkey business and see how it works. It did get me to thinking about some other animals that could help people, such as Herbie the Healing Hippo, Ralph the Recovery Rattler, Kip the Courage-Building Coyote and, for all our friends from Saskatchewan who find life in the big city a bit stressful, Gainer the Feel-Good Gopher.
For my money, the strangest thing to be introduced was an Elvis robot. Wow Wee Inc. showed it off at the show and apparently sold a buncha buncha them.
Like the real Elvis, the robot has talent -- it includes a voice card of Elvis dialogue, including eight songs it lip synchs and it can interact with music from your iPod. For those who really want to get in on the act, you can karaoke through the robot's mouth. This thing, which sells for US$349, seems as if it was built specifically for my friend Cordel Veirweire, who bears an uncanny likeness to Elvis during the 'fat years.
' Speaking of friends, we had psychologist Dr. Elayne Kahn on the show last week and she says who you befriend says a lot about you. - Friends of your own gender only: You're more comfortable when people are in more traditional roles.
You enjoy friends who have something in common with you. - Friends of the opposite sex only: Your name is Paris Hilton. Just kidding.
Actually, you enjoy being the centre of attention but don't like competing for it. - Friends you just party with: You love to socialize but don't like people getting too close. You are very independent and would prefer to stay that way.
- Friends from work: You are over-achieving, work hard, make money and are always moving ahead. - Different friends for different occasions: You're a busy, active person who is well-organized but don't like to become too involved with people. - Just one close friend: You're U.
S. President George W. Bush, well, by my definition anyway, but that's not what the good doctor said.
You don't trust people very easily but once you do, you're very loyal. And if you don't have any friends, you're President Bush and just had a fight with Mrs. Bush.
Calgary's longest running and biggest bridal show -- The Sun co-sponsored Wedding Fair, is happening today at the Roundup Centre on Stampede Park and if you have a wedding in your future, you can't miss this. More than 200 local wedding professionals are there, waiting to help you plan every aspect of your big day. Doors open at 9:30 a.
m.
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