Day 773

Marty, the good technician, came out to look at the furnace this morning and had the problem solved in thirty minutes. He said the gas pressure on the pilot light flame was too high and it was making the hot part of the flame go above the flame sensor, causing it not to ignite the burners. He lowered the gas pressure to the pilot light and everything seems to be working perfectly now. Why the previous two repair people didn't come to the same conclusion, I'll never know. One thing I've learned over the years is that really good repair people are like diamonds. You've got to treasure them, because they are scarce and quite valuable. Whenever I find a good carpenter, plumber or auto mechanic, I really want to hang on to them. Good, practical problem solvers are hard to find these days. I just hope a few people out there value good writers the same way I value good plumbers and HVAC repairmen, because my future is depending on it.

The dogs barked a lot and made a big commotion this morning, exactly as I expected. When Marty finished his work, I didn't really have the energy to cook breakfast. I walked the dogs and then drove over to a nearby cafe and had them cook my breakfast. The waitress seated me between a table full of teachers and a table full of cops. The cops were all in a good mood and seemed to be talking about different techniques they used to get cars to stop during a high speed chase. The teachers were totally full of themselves, talking about some seminar about raising self esteem they were planning to attend. I couldn't tell if they were trying to raise their own self esteem or their student's. The contrast between these two groups couldn't have been more stark. On one hand you had a group of practical problem solvers in crisp uniforms. On the other hand you had a bunch of fat, whiny bureaucrats who probably couldn't inspire a flea to sit on a dog's back. I remember a few high school teachers who really changed my life. They were smart, tough, and to my young eyes, a bit dangerous. The overweight, bland bureaucrats sitting across from me would never inspire anyone. I really wish the teachers were a bit more like the cops. The cops were all in great shape too. Not an ounce of fat on these guys.

Since I was already out and about, I drove over to my doctor's office on the way home and asked if the results from my MRI had come in yet. Sure enough, they arrived over a week and a half ago. They just hadn't bothered to tell me yet. Jeez, guys! Here I've been sitting around wondering if I had cancer or not and not a peep out of anyone. This is just one more reason why I think vets are better than doctors. My vet always lets me know what's going on with the dogs almost immediately. Since I couldn't get the doctor's attention, I asked for a copy of the radiologist's report. After looking up some of the incomprehensible medical words on Google, I discovered that it is very unlikely I have cancer at this point. The radiologist never says to come back next year for another test if something really serious is going on.

I'm glad it's the weekend, but then you already know that. I'm always glad when the weekend arrives. We may go walk the rescue Dalmatians tomorrow. We'll probably go to the dog park on Sunday. Either of those things is preferable to getting up on the roof with a saw on the end of a long pole and trimming trees.

Sophie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day