Day 1634

A friend shamed me into going to a Hallmark Card store today. I'm not really a greeting card person. I don't send them and rarely receive them. I felt guilty though. A former co-worker had gotten very sick and since I could barely remember who this person was, I felt even worse. I looked through the cards and couldn't find anything that seemed right. I never can. The cards either seem too emotional, too disrespectful, or all too often, something only a fan of Duck Dynasty would appreciate. I usually just end up getting a blank card with a picture of a dog on the front. A blank card wouldn't really work in this case, since I didn't know the person that well and wasn't really sure what to say. I was looking for a card that said what I would have said if I hadn't already erased this entire work experience from my memory. It took me forever to find a nice simple get well card that I wouldn't be embarrassed to send. Maybe this is why I hate going into Hallmark stores.

I do still enjoy going out to breakfast on Friday mornings and this is probably what put me near a Hallmark store in the first place. I'm still amazed at how nice the baristas and waiters treat me at the restaurant, since I rarely speak a word. I just eat my meal quietly, staring out the window and wondering about the things I'm seeing. I wonder why so many people wear nylon running shoes everywhere they go. People seem to love these ugly shoes whether they run or not. I still prefer heavy leather Red Wing work boots. These boots are virtually indestructible and I almost always wear them while I'm walking the dogs. Heavy boots kill two birds with one stone for me. They're kind of like wearing leg weights and can can turn an ordinary walk into a decent workout. They also keep my socks dry on wet days and provide a certain amount of protection against snakes. I was the only person in the restaurant wearing work boots though. Everyone else was wearing running shoes.

Even sillier than running shoes are the tight spandex outfits that male cyclists wear. There are always lots of bicycles at the restaurant and every one of them seems to be owned by a middle aged male with a shaved head, wearing a ludicrous spandex suit plastered with cycling logos. I don't get it. You guys aren't riding in the Tour de France, you're just having a burrito for breakfast.

Really, very little makes sense to me these days. I just do the best I can. My utility bills keep going up. Today, AT&T U-Verse joined the electric and gas companies in raising their rates. The rent for my storage warehouse is going up too. Gas is almost $4.00 a gallon and every time I go to the grocery store I seem to pay a little more for exactly the same things I got last week. These people who continue to say that we have no inflation are idiots.

The dogs get to go to a party tomorrow. Our training class is having their annual summer party. Dash enjoys playing a game called "bobbing for biscuits" where the dogs try to grab as many dog biscuits as they can out of a kiddie pool filled with water. Dot is much too dignified for this sort of game. She'd prefer that we just feed her some of the tasty barbecued brisket we always have at the party.

Wendy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day