Day 1227

I took the back roads to the Land Rover dealer this morning. With all five living presidents in town, plus a ton of foreign dignitaries, I wasn't getting anywhere near the SMU campus today. Traffic was backed up in that part of town yesterday, and I suspect it was much worse today. I did watch the presidential library dedication on TV when I got home though. Wouldn't it be nice if politicians were always this nice and courteous to each other? Would that be too much to ask?

Dot's acupuncture doctor is leaving to pursue other interests. This is yet another reminder not to take anything for granted. I can't decide what to do now. I think Dot was benefiting from the treatments, but the improvements were subtle. The only other canine acupuncturist that I know of is in far North Dallas. Since Dot is never very excited about traveling around in my car, the stress of a long drive might negate the effects of the treatment. I'm not even sure that acupuncture is the right treatment anymore, since Dot's problems now seem to stem from vertigo instead of a slipped disk or spinal problem.

I talked to one of the roofers about their price today. He, like all the other roofers I've talked to recently, explained that the cost of materials had doubled. Fair enough. This still doesn't explain why the total cost of putting on a new roof has quadrupled. I still think that roofers are making way more money today than they used to. Unfortunately, that doesn't do me any good. The price of almost everything is based on what the market will bear. If enough people are willing to pay today's prices, they definitely aren't going to get any cheaper.

The Land Rover dealer gave me a new LR4 for a loaner car. This model has the same high-tech keyless ignition as the Evoque I drove last month. It's still hard to wrap my head around a car that unlocks itself as you approach and starts without a key, but I guess that's what's on the horizon for all cars. My Defender's manual roll up windows and separate keys for the ignition, doors, and glove box seems positively quaint by comparison.

I'm glad it's Friday tomorrow. This has been a long and tiring week. I'm already looking forward to having my new Friday treat: Black Bean Cake Eggs Benedict with Chipotle Hollandaise sauce. Hey, you can't expect me to eat oatmeal all the time.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day