Day 1847

It's amazing what you can learn when you ask a few questions. I'm not good at small talk, so I've been asking my therapist questions about the body during my physical therapy sessions. I've gained a whole new respect for physical therapy. My therapist appears to know the name of every muscle in the human body and what each one of them is supposed to do. I'm making progress with my shoulder, but it is very slow going. So far, stretching muscles seems to be somewhat like tenderizing meat. I asked if it was possible to get cold laser therapy like Dot, but apparently the dogs continue to get the medical advances first.

I'm thinking about changing pharmacies. One drug I take every month costs $90 at one pharmacy and only $32 for the very same drug at another. This drug isn't covered by insurance, so this is just the monthly retail cost. Why would there be such a huge difference in price? Customers would never stand for such radical price differences in the cars, computers, and clothing we buy. We expect competitive pricing in everything except healthcare. The more I learn about health care, the more I realize that the entire industry is controlled by some very powerful forces. I'm at the very bottom of the food chain. The pharmaceutical companies, the hospitals, and the insurance companies basically control everything. The price that shows up on a bill isn't necessarily the price that a doctor actually charges or an insurance company actually pays. It's all a hall of mirrors.

It was still bitterly cold when we got up this morning. I dressed the dogs in their warmest sweaters and put on several layers myself. In the Summer I always think it would be nice to retire up North. On days like this, I'm looking for a tropical island. The weather continues to be totally unpredictable in Texas. Tomorrow, the temperature is supposed to get up to sixty degrees, but then on Wednesday it is expected to dip down into the twenties again. It's enough to drive you nuts.

I wonder what is happening to me? I got my instructions for traveling to Vandenberg Air Force Base today and they seemed pretty complicated to me. Jeez, this should be a piece of cake. I'm the guy who used to routinely travel to Germany on business and was once responsible for a forty person film crew shooting in the middle of the Olympic National Forest. Now, a trip to the post office is a major ordeal. I hope this trip snaps me out of my reclusiveness.  If I don't get a handle on my recent aversion to travel, I could wind up like those Kennedy sisters in Grey Gardens.

Dash has a trip to the vet tomorrow. Dot has been getting most of the attention lately, but Dash still has a few issues of his own. I need to find out whether a growth I've been noticing on his tail is something to be worried about. He's been licking his coat a lot lately too. I don't know if he has skin allergies again or if this is just another nervous habit. It's probably time to check his urine for crystals again too.

If it's warmer tomorrow, I'm going to go out in the back yard and look for dog poop. Now that all the leaves from our trees are on the ground, it's almost impossible to find the stuff. It just disappears under the leaves. The only way to find dog poop in the Winter is to walk out in the back yard. Then, it almost instantly appears on the soles of your shoes. I'm getting tired of cleaning my shoes evceryday, so it's time to find the illusive poop.

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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