The Story of Bohdi

Hello All helpful Hank here

with a special story about a dog named Bohdi.

Recently I received an e-mail from one my friend Actor Thom Bierdz.
You may know him as the Actor who plays Phillip Chancellor III on the
Young and The Restless. He is a gifted actor, painter and speaker. He shared the
story of his dog Bohdi. With his permission I have reprinted it here.

This is Thom and I have a personal
holiday story to share.

My ex, Doug, and I have two dogs that we believe are our
sons. Bodhi, the shepherd/beagle is now 14 (we think) and Deen, the
Chihuahua, is 10. The only reason we figured out their ages is I remember that I
got Deen for Doug on a Valentine's Day in Chinatown (little dog was being sold
out of a box for $200) and Doug wanted to name him Godzilla. This was 10 years
ago when Godzilla was a huge movie in theaters. That same year we came across 5
gay guys walking their Chihuahua named Godzilla so I am glad I talked sense into
Doug and we named him Deen instead.

Bodhi was 4 when we brought Deen home, and, aside from a
rough first week, Bodhi has been the sweetest big brother a little needy dog
could ask for. Doug and I were together 6 years (he says 8) , and when
I moved out, I got a place nearby so I could visit my "boys" everyday. They
live with Doug because I have asthma issues with pets, and also, Doug
really needed them there after our break-up. And I learned what a divorced
father feels like who sees his kid’s everyday. It has worked out
great. Doug is a
great father to our dogs, and I am there at least once a day. Sometimes I take
the boys to my place, where they stay on my patio for hours as I paint,
and when Doug goes out of town, they stay with me in my second bedroom. I
just keep them out of my bedroom so my lungs are not challenged.

We had no idea Bodhi was 14 (15?) and didn't think much of
his extreme thirst for the past year. Then he started losing weight. Eventually
the vet said he has Cushing's disease, common for older dogs. He has an
over-active adrenaline gland and cannot keep weight on. His 70 pounds whittled
to 35. He is skin and bones. About two months ago he suffered a heat-stroke (neither
Doug nor I have air-conditioning and it was a very hot summer in L.A.)
so he was hospitalized for a weekend where he was freezing and being fed by
IV and they tried to raise his temperature by ice enemas. This may have
brought down his temperature but he was so scared after that, and he still didn't
put weight on. Last weekend he was doing so bad we again hospitalized him,
thinking he was going to die. I lay next to him a few days prior telling him it was okay if he
wanted to die, and then I tried to explain what death would be like for him,
not that I knew. But I think Bodhi understood what I was saying. He is the
smart dog, where Deen is not a smart dog at all (but cute). I was ready to let
Bodhi die by his own means if he wanted that, and I figured what does he has to
live for anyway? It must be boring to have the same day for 14 years, as dogs
do. Maybe he was ready to die. Maybe that's why dogs die - they just get so
bored. But Bodhi, even though the vet and strangers looked at him like he was
already dead because he was so skinny, and losing sight, continued to wag his
tail. He apparently was not suffering.

Bodhi went blind last week, and now has diabetes as well.
Diabetes and Cushing’s are treatable, but my first thought was why would Bodhi
want to live if he were blind? It would be a horrible existence.

Boy was I wrong. Bodhi is not sitting in a corner, afraid.
Not at all. He is wagging his tail, trying to follow sounds we make, sounds of
me tapping the glass coffee table so he can avoid bumping into it with his
face, sounds of Doug patting the couch so he can find that and climb atop it,
sounds of me splashing his water dish so he can find it, sounds of our new
guiding words, like "here's a step. Up. Up." Sometimes he walks with
his front legs kicked out like a horse on parade - it is his way to try
to feel what is ahead of him. He also bumps his bone-thin face and nose into
walls, doors, tables, you name it. Ouch. But he doesn't flinch.

Bodhi was never really affectionate. Now he loves to be petted
and coddled. It is like a whole new existence for him. I thought it would be
the end of his life and a tragic end at that. But he has a new life now
without pictures. He is as happy as he ever was. And I have developed a whole
new love for him, seeing what an inspiration he is, what a happy blind dog he is. My
love for him has been the same love for 14 years, and now it is a new love for
him. I am so proud of him. I lay in bed thinking about how much strength
(physically and emotional) it takes to live his day, and I am filled with pride.

Thom Bierdz

I hope you enjoyed the story of Bohdi, I received an e-mail
up-date from Thom and Bohdi is still hanging in there and still happy.

HH

Helpful Hanks Advice 17

Hello all, Helpful Hank Here, It’s been a few weeks since I have last posted a blog spot. Been kind of busy working on various projects. Hummie and Harvey Among many of the projects I have been working on one was the re-finishing of a secretary cabinet. Seen below

We had picked it up at Revivals thrift shop in the Sun Center, as we needed a piece for our guest bedroom, which we had recently put a new face on it with a coat of paint. We put up new drapes and then reconfigured the room. Once done we found that the room was in need of another piece of furniture to balance it out. We picked up this vintage secretary for $10.00 at Revival and with a little work, it fit the room perfectly. I always try to use recycled product as much as possible. I love to re-purpose old and used furniture and give it new life.


Memory Lane

Recently, I had the chance to put a video together for Bloom in the Desert’s seventh anniversary. It was interesting to go through the photos with Rev Kev and hear about some of the history of how Bloom got started in there home moving to Palapas’ outside area before finding a home at the YMCA. I had a wonderful time working on this video and learning some of the history of Bloom. Here is that result Memories In Bloom .

Lock it up Marie

I want to share an obvious safety tip with everyone. That tip is to keep your outer doors and gates locked. Many of us have gates to our back yards and Garage doors that we don’t tend to keep closed and locked in addition to locking the front door. So many people tend to leave their garage doors slightly up. This allows a potential thief the opportunity to shimmy under it and gaining access to your home. Unlocked gates do the same thing.

With the economic times as bad as they are right no, (Even though they say we are on the way to recovery.) home invasion robberies are on the rise. A neighbor of mine filled me in on what thieves look for. He said they will find a quit street (set back cul-de sacs I would imagine work well.) they drive down it looking for points of entry that make for quick escapes. I kid you not the very next day I was out in my front yard and a pick up came down our cul-de-sac very slowly and when the came to circle around in front of my place the sped out of the cul-de-sac. I can’t say that they where casing the neighborhood but it was the vibe I was getting. It is important to keep doors locked for the safety of your home, pets and family.

A Summer Salad

I want to share a salad recipe and dressing recipe with everyone’ It is one of my favorite meals for a hot day. Salads are easy to make and are quit refreshing on a hot day with a glass of Ice Tea or and Arnold Palmer.

Take 2 chicken breast marinate with Honey Garlic powder and Olive oil. Once marinated, grill until cooked making sure to baste with the left over marinade.
Once you have grilled your chicken set aside and let it cool as you put together your salad. (One of my favorite things to put in a salad is cut up nectarine.) Once you have, your salad made cut up your grilled chicken into chunks and add.

To make the dressing combine 1 cup of mango blended till liquid, ¾ cup Olive Oil, ½ cup Balsamic Vinegar, 1 and ½ tablespoons garlic powder and 2 tablespoons of Honey. Whisk your dressing till blended completely the pour over salad and serve. This makes for a nice summer/fall meal. The dressing also works well as a dipping sauce.

American Art Awards

Recently I received notice on a couple of pieces that I submitted to the American Art Awards. This is a national competition. Galleries from across the US judge the works from several different categories. I was fortunate enough to have this opportunity presented to me from Mr. Thom Bierdz (you may know him as Philip Chancellor on the Young and the Restless a popular daytime drama.) My Piece Cherry Bomb was one of the finalists in the Abstract Modern category and my piece Freedom to Marry was given top honors in the Political Art category.



Going to the dogs

I want to share a bit of other news with you. I have recently taken over Ownership and Operation of Desert Pet Sitting. We are a local operation that provides in home services for dogs and cats, as well as dog walks and off site doggie day care. We offer reasonable rate and excellent care of your pet while you’re away. You can read our Bio on our site http://www.desertpetsitting.com/. I have also started a second blog at http://desertpetsitting.blogspot.com/ and find out five things you can do to put a smile on your dogs face. And 10 things you should feed your dogs or cats.

Well that about wraps it up for now. As always, I welcome your tips comments and thoughts. Take Care and GBY

-Helpful Hank



You can contact Helpful Hank with Questions, Comments, and Tips and, Deals at: askhelpfulhank@gmail.com Helpful Hank is written by Russell E. Bertlow © 2009 All rights reserved. No portion of this blog may be reprinted in part or whole without the express written permission from Russell E. Bertlow