Day 1638

When I was getting the water off the roof today, a code compliance car stopped in front of the house and an officer got out and asked what I was doing. "I'm getting the standing water off the roof from yesterday's rain," I said. "You can't flood a city street with water like that," the man told me. I tried to explain that water flows downhill and that the street was lower than any place in the yard. "The same thing happens when it rains," I told the man. "There is nowhere else for the water to go." I showed the man what I was doing and said that the water would all evaporate in about twenty minutes anyway. The code compliance guy seemed comfortable with my answer and wasn't going to write me a citation. As he prepared to drive off, he told me to hurry up because he didn't want anyone to complain. Sometimes I wish I lived way out in the country, about forty miles from anybody. City life has become way too complicated.

The entire day was like this. It was just a series of random events that didn't add up to much. I wrote a letter to my Luddite historian sister who still refuses to use the Internet. I meant to send her a birthday card in April, but somehow never got around to it. The letter was probably a futile effort anyway. When my sister does reply, it is with a incomprehensible hand written note that is almost impossible to decipher. I can't convince her to use a typewriter. Physicians writing prescriptions have better handwriting than this. She thinks that hand written notes are more personal though, even if nobody can read them.

The doctor who does write most of my prescriptions told me recently that I needed new lab work before he could renew my prescriptions again.  Really?  I stopped by his office on my way to the post office today just to make sure. I explained that I'd had a boatload of blood tests this Spring during my Hepatitis C treatment. This didn't appear to be good enough. They wanted their own tests. "Fine", I said. "Can we do them now?" Nope. They wanted me to fast. I need to go back again later this week  before I eat breakfast.

Every time I go up on the roof, I notice worn spots and I decided today that I'd better call the roofer to come out and inspect the roof. I feel the same way about dealing with roofers as I do about going to the dentist. I'd just as soon avoid this, but I know that if I wait until the roof actually leaks, the roofer will just tell me that I should have called him sooner, before things became a problem. When I made the call, the roofer was surprisingly responsive and friendly. No excuses whatsoever. He said he'd come out later in the week and take care of anything that might be a problem. Maybe I overthink things. I probably should have called the guy last month.

I'm trying to decide whether to change Dot's Thursday acupuncture appointment to tomorrow. I probably drive my vet crazy trying to avoid taking Dot out in the rain, but that's just the way it is. Dot used to be the only one with storm phobia. Now, Dash shares her fear of storms. I fear the disease may be spreading. Now, I think I may have acquired Dot's storm phobia as well. Of course, Janet thinks Dot got her fear of storms from me in the first place. It's one of those chicken and egg things.

Escher is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day