Day 842

I took Dot to the vet today. They suspect that she has Spondylosis and want to see if Tramadol will help. I think we already knew she had Spondylosis, but it certainly could be getting worse. The alternatives in situations like these are typically anti-inflammatory drugs or surgery. Since spinal surgery is pretty serious, vets often recommend Rimadyl. I'm glad the vet didn't recommend Rimadyl again, because I think this drug was the cause of Petey's kidney failure. Tramadol seems safer than Rimadyl, because it doesn't tend to cause liver or kidney problems. It has been known to cause seizures however, and it seems a bit strange to prescribe something that can cause seizures for a dog that has just had a seizure. I probably shouldn't second guess the vet, but I tend to second guess everyone.

We got our first U-verse bill today and it was a lot higher than I thought it would be. Telephone company bills always seem higher than they should be, because when they are quoting you a price, they never include all the taxes and fees that the government tacks on to your bill. I think this bill was high because it included a partial month of service in addition to the normal full month. There were also some one time installation charges tacked on to the bill. We'll see if things average out over time. The electrician's bill for installing the mercury vapor lamp was also higher than I expected. They charged for two service calls, even though they did nothing on the first visit. They brought the wrong part and said they'd come out another day. I definitely don't think I should have to pay for that.

Being overcharged seems to be a recurring theme this month. The hospital is trying to charge me more than they quoted for the MRI I had in January. The furnace folks sent me a bill for something the technician said would be free. The electrician's bill was definitely too high. I can't wait to get the bill from my accountant for doing my taxes.

When I'm up on the roof sweeping the standing water off, I get a nice bird's eye view of the entire yard. Today, I saw all sorts of problems that need to be dealt with. Creeping vines are attacking the small trees and shrubs again. I need to pull all these vines up before they strangle the shrubs and kill them like they did a few years ago. There are still a ton of dead limbs on the trees as well. I thought I got most of them last month, but apparently not. Then there's the house itself. The gutters are rusting and need to be replaced. There's some rotting wood on the carport. I need to plug all the little holes under the eves with spray foam too, before those pesky bees return. After all the problems I had last year, I definitely don't want bees again.

I finally made an appointment with Betty for a haircut tomorrow. I think I'm about two months overdue. I've been real busy lately, but there are limits to how bad I'm willing to look. Lately, when I shave in the morning, I see Don Imus staring back at me from the bathroom mirror. That's bad! I really need a haircut.

Angel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day