Day 1703

Today was pretty nice. The odd thing was that it was almost exactly the same as yesterday, which was terrible. This happens to me a lot. I guess when you lead a fairly regimented life, little nuances can make all the difference. Dash's tail quit bleeding today. That made a difference. With his tail on the mend, I didn't have to keep him away from all the things in the house that are difficult to clean. Dot had a good day too. She still has to go outside to pee about every three hours, but we were better coordinated today and there were no accidents. Work was still boring and repetitious, but today's tasks consisted of small successes instead of small roadblocks and failures. Forward progress can make a big difference in almost any line of work.

Dot had a fantastic physical therapy session this afternoon. She was able to stay on the underwater treadmill for almost fifteen minutes and seemed strong and sure footed the entire time. Her left rear leg doesn't seem as shaky as it did last week either. The vet also said that it was very unlikely that Dot had Cushing's Disease or serious kidney problems based on her recent lab work. This as all encouraging. If we can learn to deal with the incontinence issues, I think everything is headed in the right direction.

Early mornings are quite pretty. It is quiet and serene outside without the ubiquitous Dallas traffic and lawn mower noise. The predawn light is soft and things photograph well. Best of all, the temperature is almost always at least twenty degrees cooler than it is later in the day. I need to remember to get up extra early next Monday. There will be a rare conjunction of Jupiter and Venus low in the Eastern sky just before sunrise. I never thought I'd enjoy getting up this early, but after a week of waking up in the middle of the night to let Dot outside to pee and change the waterproof pads on the bed, sunrise seems almost decadently late.

Dot's condition has improved so much that I no longer feel bad about going out for breakfast on Friday. It's odd that going out for breakfast on Friday morning has become an important part of my week, but like I said earlier, it's the little nuances that can make all the difference. The vet said it would be OK to give Dot a bath this weekend. I didn't tell Dot that though. She had a good day too and I didn't want to ruin it for her.

Elliot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day