Day 708

There was a beautiful ground fog that covered the entire park when I took the dogs on their morning walk. I could tell the fog was lifting rapidly, so I tried to grab a few pictures with my iPhone. You might know this already, but Dalmatians aren't very good as photo assistants. Every time I would frame a shot, one of the dogs would tug on the leash and cause the camera to move. I managed to get one or two good shots, but by the time we got home again where I could grab my good camera and leave the dogs behind, the fog had lifted.

I got a letter from one of my annuities today saying that they were no longer accepting new customers because bad economic conditions, low interest rates and other dark clouds on the horizon were making it impossible to provide a future return on investment. The letter concluded by saying the company was still strong and would continue to meet all obligations to existing customers. This wasn't all that reassuring however. You can definitely see the writing on the wall. The entire world economy has become a house of cards, and I still don't think many people realize how serious the situation has become.

One thing I've started to notice is that the bad economy is making just about everyone a little grumpier. More people are honking their horn at other drivers. More companies are asking employees to accept new responsibilities without an increase in pay. Loyalties are being tested everywhere. I think just about everyone I know would throw me under the bus in a New York minute if it meant they could hang in there a little longer.

There's still plenty to be thankful for though. I need to remember this on days when the market drops hundreds of points, like it did today. Hey, I still get to take a walk through the woods with my dogs every morning instead of fighting rush hour traffic. I'm not making nearly as much money anymore, but at least my house and car are paid for. There are literally dozens of things that could have a serious impact on my health, but so far none of them actually has. Things aren't all that great, but I count my blessings that they aren't really that bad either.

Tomorrow is a holiday and we get to sleep in a bit longer. I hope somebody remembers to tell the dogs.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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