TheExpatJournals.com

Okay, after listening to me moan for months and after my last entry where I considered drugging the neighbor’s obnoxious, loud dog, I did it. I found a way to drug the thing and once I realized it didn’t kill the dog, I cannot say I felt a moment of remorse. Melatonin. Crushed with a hammer and stuck on the side of a piece of turkey. He would sleep and I would get a noise free afternoon.

So this past weekend, everyone thought I was at the beach…where I had planned to go…so I thought it was the perfect time to just escape the world by shutting everyone out and taking some down time for just me. And then the dog started barking. Now what I perhaps haven’t explained properly is that he might as well be standing at the entrance to my living room barking. It’s like a sound tunnel given the Union Club across the street. Plus, he’s barking about 5 feet away from the door. And it reverberates inside, loudly. I have high ceilings which I’m sure makes it worse.

So no way is the dog gonna ruin my weekend now that I’ve discovered how to put him to sleep. I realize I should feel very ashamed around this, but I’m not. The relief is worth it. So, for the second time, I crush the melatonin (sleeping aid you can buy at the health food store for those of you unfamiliar), put it in the turkey and he quickly gobbles it down. And I never heard another bark.

Now I had a moment of wondering again whether or not it killed him, but today, learned that they moved out! The dog is gone, hallelujah, the dog is gone. Doggone. Feel like pulling out Blur and blaring Song No. 2 in celebration.

Of course, all this probably means that the Decameron folks are about to break ground on the Union Club which will make the dog sound like white noise no doubt. That’s going to be a long renovation and not just noise, the dust and debris I anticipate is frightening. But they better do something quick before they lose everything they’ve invested so far to a law suit waiting to happen even in Panama. Unlike holes in the sidewalk, tourist walk past here on a daily basis. And for the second time in the last month of so, another big chunk of debris crashed to the road. It could literally kill somebody.