Paul and I agreed that we would each walk Casey for one hour a day for the family dachshund, “That’s it! Good girl!” Some people hate dogs for indiscriminate jumping, others for disturbing the peace with their barking. What unites them all is their loathing of poop. I’d just disposed of Casey’s first of the day when someone approached us with an open Clive Cussler novel in his hand and headphones blasting cacophony into his ears. As he passed, he yelled over his shoulder, “I hope it’s not your dog who just left his business on the footpath! It’s a pox on the city!” The last time I’d heard the word “pox” used in the Shakespearean sense, I was trying to ace an English course. Full points to Mr Multitask for literary flair, but his logic stung. He didn’t turn his head when I called, “Not us!” Us. Any scorn directed at Casey is really directed at me. When you get down to basics, I was scooping because I loved him. I hoped my fellow humans would look benevolently on him, or at least not disdain him. Every time I bent for Casey, I proved that Yeats was right: “Love has pitched his mansion in/ The place of excrement.” I NO LONGER MISSED WALKING with Paul. Walking with a dog had distinct advantages. If Casey took any notice of my mood after a rough P night’s sleep, he showed no interest HOTOS: JAIME HOGGE rdasia.com 99 My Starter Dog
in what this meant for him or when I might snap out of it. He still sauntered beside me, ears sliding back to catch a rustle in the grass no human could detect. I didn’t have to earn the good cheer enveloping us. Its engine was Casey’s zest for the minutiae of his day – the stained wall that must be peed upon because no other wall compares, the postal assistant who must be greeted for a biscuit from her tin behind the counter. On Casey’s map of pleasures, I was like the earth and the sky, reassuringly present but not the focal point. As Laurie had taught me, I crossed the street to dodge cats, darting toddlers, unpredictable puppies – anything that might flip Casey’s anger switch. He took exception to dogs off-leash (they made him feel insecure), dogs with enormous furry heads (not dogs, as far as he could tell) and a good many large black dogs (who knows why?). Meanwhile other dogs took exception to him for similarly unfathomable reasons. When I couldn’t remove Casey, I’d distract him by throwing treats about. I knew we’d met a milestone when Casey had a full-throttle squirrel attack close to where we’d first walked with Laurie. Loud, proud and fast, I executed my three-step routine: the shout, the tug, the “Good boy”. Someone waved, a professional dog walker whose three charges were all sniffing the same patch of grass. “Nice work!” she called. How long had it been since I was asked, “Who’s walking who?” One day I had a brainwave: usness might serve a practical purpose. Casey has the enviable canine gift for sleeping anyplace he happens to be, from the back seat of the car to a friend’s yard. I have the human gift for rolling worries around in my brain when all I crave is sleep. In the middle of a restless night, I went looking for a soporific book and found Casey zonked out on the TV couch. He didn’t stir when I sat down beside him to stroke the fur on his neck. He exhaled, sinking deeper into his rest. He sounded almost human, but then every human sigh is mammalian. He’d left me just enough room to curl up and make his warm chest my pillow. Unlike other pillows, Casey’s chest expands with his breath. His fur smells pungently of himself. No matter what he’s kicked up on our rambles or where he’s pushed his snout, he smells exactly as he does. My headful of niggles rose and fell with Casey’s breath like a boat on a I CROSSED THE STREET TO DODGE CATS, DARTING TODDLERS, UNPREDICTABLE PUPPIES 100 august/september 2023 READER’S DIGEST
calm sea. I didn’t yet know I was taking liberties: a five-kilogram human head is a not-inconsiderable burden for the chest of a 14-kilogram dog, and any dog hates to be confined. But Casey was too far gone to throw me off right away. He supported me for about five breaths, enough to remind me how deep and slow a breath can be. I’ll never paint like Matisse or write a poem like Emily Dickinson, but Casey let me believe that I could sleep like him, my personal master of the art. Forthe sleep of my dreams, I’d gone to extraordinary lengths. Bought a king-sized mattress that adapts to my weight and body temperature, its materials developed by NASA. Followed a regimen of pre-bedtime baths and stretches. Taken heavy-duty sleeping pills. Consulted a sleep psychiatrist to help me kick the pill habit and learn the rules of ‘more efficient sleep’. On a night of broken sleep not long after Casey joined us, I found him dead to the world on the couch. What he knew about sleep no human could teach me. Falling asleep, like falling in love, is about letting go of expectations, loosening your grip on control. I learned this watching Casey. Sprawled or curled nose to tail, eyes shut or half open, he got the average dog’s 12 to 14 hours a day. All I asked was seven. With a little help from my canine coach, I had become a whole new sleeper. It didn’t occur to me then that he could coach me better if he were in the bed. Roughly half of dog people sleep with their animals, but I’d made a rule – no dirty paws on our 300-thread-count sheets. I returned to the bedroom. My side of the bed looked like the shipwreck of my night so far – a tangle of sheets, eyeshades and layers of clothing added, then subtracted, in my search for the right body temperature. Paul’s side lay untouched while he slept in his favourite armchair. I positioned myself on the neck-cradling pillow I need to take with me everywhere. The white-noise machine whirred. Ireplayed the moment Casey and I had just shared – his fur against my cheek, his breath lifting me – until I slipped into a dream of Us. FROM THE BOOK STARTER DOG: A VIRTUAL INTRODUCTION, BY RONA MAYNARD. © 2023, RONA MAYNARD. PUBLISHED BY ECW PRESS. REPRODUCED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH THE PUBLISHER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. First Female Referee Makes History A female referee, Joy Neville of Ireland, has been included in the list of match officials for a men’s Rugby World Cup for the first time ever. The Rugby World Cup begins in France on September 8. AP rdasia.com 101 My Starter Dog
ACROSS 2Laboratoryglassware (4,5) 8Entreaty (4) 9Mesopotamiawas here (4) 10Middle East expert(7) 11US smalltruck (4-2) 12Employs (4) 14They comeby thedozen(4) 15American vulture (6) 16Frizzy hairdo (4) 18Moremature (5) 21Bring together(5) Crossword Test your general knowledge. DOWN 1Abnormallywhite (6) 2Discussed (6-2) 31960s singer ofWalkin’ Back toHappiness(7) 4Howcriticalthingsmay come (2,1,4) 5Conveyor(7) 6Ifit’s inplace it’s in ____(4) 7Charge per unit(4) 13Darted (7) 15Pivotal(7) 17Annoyinginsect(3) 19Fifth Zodiac sign (3) 20Flightless bird (3) 22In poor health (3) 24Attendancecheck(4-4) 25Pitched abruptly (7) 26Proposition (7) 27Registers (5,2) 30Not quite (6) 33Small cells (4) 34Shocking art movement(4) 23Have a taste (3,2) 25 Waterlily (5) 28Without purpose (4) 29Land surrounded by water(6) 31USGreat Lake (4) 32‘Shane’ director(4) 35A lure for bees (6) 36Sticks like glue (7) 37Sudden assault(4) 38Intonation (4) 39Gastric (9) PUZZLES Challenge yourself by solving these puzzles and mind stretchers, then check your answers on page 108. CROSSWORD: CROSSWORDSITE.COM. SUDOKU: SUDOKUPUZZLER.COM 102 august/september 2023
I Puzzle Answers PAGES 108 IFYOUSOLVE ITWITHIN: 15minutes, you’re a true expert 30minutes, you’re no slouch 60minutes ormore,maybe numbers aren’t yourthing Sudoku HOWTOPLAY: Towin, put a numberfrom1 to 9 in each outlined section so that: • Every horizontalrowand vertical column contains all nine numerals (1-9), andwithout repeating any ofthem; • Each ofthe outlined sections has all nine numerals, none repeated. BRAIN POWER brought to you by rdasia.com 103
Spot The Difference There are 12 differences.Can you find them? FAMILY FUN Puzzle Answers PAGE 108 ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES Square Deal Which four of the pieces below can be fitted togetherto form a perfect square? 104 august/september 2023
TRIVIA Test Your General Knowledge deit dnal ni F dna dnal aeZ we N. 4. avauG. 3.tr opssap A. 2. hcaePssecnir Psyal pehS. sor Boira Mr epuS. 1: SRE WSNA sutsuguA. 7. 8991. ai syal a M,r up muL al auK. 6. agoY. 5.)I PC( xednI snoit pecr ePsnoit purr oCeht no dnocesr of . ai b mol oCf oort ePovatsuGt nedi ser P. 9. 3202. 8.raseaCsuil uJ f o nos det poda dnar or ep me na moR,raseaC .)tsol st ni opon(t es nedl oG. 51. keer G. 41. ezeenS. 31. sni uqenna M. 21. gnil cyC. 11. ni apS dna ecnarF. 01 1. What video-game series did actress Anya Taylor-Joy play in order to research a 2023 role? 1 point 2. What are King Charles and Emperor Naruhito of Japan not required to have when travelling internationally? 1 point 3. What fresh fruit has the highest protein content, with 4.2 grams per cup? 1 point 4. On the CPI Index, Denmark is the least corrupt country in the world. Which two countries tied for second place: Finland, Norway, New Zealand or Singapore? 2 points 5. Hatha, Kundalini and Yin are variations on what kind of physical activity? 1 point 6. Name the first Asian city to host the Commonwealth Games? 2 points 7. In 8 BCE, what is now the month of August was named ‘Augustus’. Who did it honour? 1 point 8. In what year is India predicted to surpass China in population? 1 point 16-20 Gold medal 11-15 Silver medal 6-10 Bronze medal 0-5 Wooden spoon 9. What South American leader has promised to deliver a greener future by leaving fossil fuels in the ground? 2 points 10. Pheasant Island has a moving border. It flies the flags of what two European countries, for half a year each? 2 points 11. The UK’s Sarah Bentley was promoting what when she said, “You are one ride away from a good mood”? 1 point 12. What kind of ‘personnel’ did NASA send on its first Artemis mission in 2022, naming them Commander Moonikin Campos, Helga and Zohar? 2 points 13. New research claims that sea sponges do what, expelling nutrients into the surrounding water? 1 point 14. What ancient culture considered the summer solstice as the beginning of the year and the start of a 30-day countdown to the Olympic games? 1 point 15. Bill Scanlon and Yaroslava Shvedova are the only tennis champions to achieve whatin a professional tennis match? 1 point PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES 106 august/september 2023
“Thank you for believing in us, and all that we do to spread kindness, one bowl at a time.” *RRG 0DQ Ŏ *RRG 'HHGV Ŏ *RRG 5LFH
From Page 102 Crossword CROSSWORD: CROSSWORDSITE.COM. SUDOKU: SUDOKUPUZZLER.COM. ILLUSTRATION: GETTY IMAGES Spot The Difference Sudoku PUZZLE ANSWERS Square Deal Which four of the pieces can be fitted together to form a perfect square? Answer:A,C,D,E 108 august/september 2023 READER’S DIGEST
WORD POWER The Genius Section BY Rob Lutes 1. racket – A: counting device. B: illegal scheme to make money. C: bank employee. 2. upsell – A: persuade a customer to buy a more expensive product. B: use positive thinking to drive sales. C: client call early in the morning. 3. fungible – A: expensive. B: replaceable with another of the same type. C: unsaleable. 4. low-hanging fruit – A: discounted items. B: popular products. C: sales deals that are easier to close. 5. usury – A: charging exorbitant interest. B: repurposing machinery for a new product. C: business waste. 6. blue chip – A: reliable, as an investment. B: unusual, as business practice. C: related to the gem trade. 7. oligopoly – A: complicated situation. B: language related to business or finance. C: when a few firms dominate a market. 8. collateral – A: something pledged as security for repayment of a loan. B: labour strike. C: job shared by two employees. How much financial jargon do you know? Let’s Talk Business 9. churn rate – A: businessperson’s anxiety level. B: rate at which companies lose customers. C: assembly-line speed. 10. golden parachute – A: compensation paid to an executive fired after a merger or takeover. B: company’s gold holdings. C: bribe paid to circumvent regulations. 11. blue-sky thinking – A: solutions found during flights. B: visionary ideas that are not practical. C: unrealistic stock projections. 12. stakeholders – A: people affected by a company’s decisions. B: consultants who prop up failing businesses. C: predatory businesses. 13. start-up – A: first-quarter earnings. B: company in the initial stages of operations. C: cheap stock. 14. deliverable – A: idea that gestates over months. B: mailorder company. C: good or service provided at the end of a project. 15. dividend – A: merger. B: part of a company’s profit distributed to shareholders. C: divisive manager. rdasia.com 111
READER’S DIGEST VOCABULARY RATINGS 5–9: Fair 10–12: Good 13–15: Word Power Wizard 1. racket – B: illegal scheme to make money. The enormous return on investment made Mika suspect he was involved in a racket. 2. upsell – A: persuade a customer to buy a more expensive product. Barry tried to upsell the client into a more costly package. 3. fungible – B: replaceable with another of the same type. Oil is a fungible commodity, since one barrel is the same as another. 4. low-hanging fruit – C: sales deals that are easier to close. Maria focused on low-hanging fruit, targeting her offers towards repeat clients. 5. usury – A: charging exorbitant interest. Jasmine knew the lender was engaging in usury, but she needed the money. 6. blue chip – A: reliable, as an investment. A careful investor, Viv preferred blue chip stocks. 7. oligopoly – C: when a few firms dominate a market. With just three major players, the auto industry was an oligopoly. 8. collateral – A: something pledged as security for repayment of a loan. Bob offered his watch as collateral to the lender. 9. churn rate – B: rate at which companies lose customers. Businesses can lower their churn rate by improving customer service. 10. golden parachute – A: compensation paid to an executive fired after a merger or takeover. The CEO smiled as he received his golden parachute. 11. blue-sky thinking – B: visionary ideas that are not practical. The annual company retreat was full of blue-sky thinking. 12. stakeholders – A: people affected by a company’s decisions. The interested stakeholders need to attend the annual general meeting. 13. start-up – B: company in the initial stages of operations. The business grew from start-up to industry leader. 14. deliverable – C: good or service provided at the end of a project. The list of deliverables made Pete doubt the project’s viability. 15. dividend – B: part of a company’s profit distributed to shareholders. Theresa could live off her stock’s dividends. Answers 112 august/september 2023
Choose models using R32, a more climate-friendly refrigerant than R410A. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions that can cause global warming. Visit NEA website to learn more. Global Warming Potential 1924 677