Day 2406

This morning, we took Dot all the way around the block again. She did well. This short journey is still only a small fraction of our normal walk, but we're trying not to overdo things. Dot has an amazing ability to bounce back, but she doesn't know her own limits. The goal is to gradually build up her strength and prevent muscle atrophy while avoiding any further injuries. It's a balancing act.

I mowed the grass this morning to avoid having the worst looking house on the block. I think I should get extra points for doing the chore myself. A few folks up the street push their own mowers, but just about everyone else uses a landscaping service. Mowing isn't fun, but it is good exercise. My activity tracker says I burn more calories mowing than I do at the gym.

When I put the mower away, I noticed that the portable generator was covered with dust and spiderwebs. I bought the thing a couple of years ago and we haven't had a major power outage since. If this unused generator has brought me luck, then it was a good purchase. Since I hadn't started the thing in over six months, I drug the heavy machine out in the back yard and fired it up. I'd test it more often if it had an electric starter. The generator starts with a manual pull cord and I have a bad shoulder, so that's why it gathers dust. With a little effort, I got it running for a few minutes and then put it away. We'll probably see each other again in another six months.

Dealing with the generator made me realize how many other things there were that I hadn't looked at in a long time. I recharged batteries in a two-track field recorder that hasn't seen use since I used to shoot videos at major trade shows and then moved on to my back up still cameras. If I kept all the gadgets in my office charged and ready to go, it would be a full time job.

I need to decide whether to take Dot back to therapy next week. She's been doing surprisingly well for the past two weeks without it. I think walking in the underwater treadmill helps her, but she's become so difficult to transport that frequently the long ride in the car cancels out any benefits she might receive from therapy. Also I wonder if there might be a placebo effect to taking her to the vet every week. I know that I feel better when I have a chance to talk with someone knowledgeable about Dot's condition, but maybe the whole experience helps me more than it helps Dot. This would all be a lot easier if Dot could talk. I'll have to think about this. Dot is doing pretty well without the therapy though.

I'll probably go to the gym tomorrow. Like Dot's therapy, I wonder if going to the gym once a week does any good at all. Logic tells me than I probably need to work out a lot more often. Maybe there's a placebo effect going on here as well. If I think I'm doing some good, maybe my body actually believes me. It's complicated. I do know that water therapy once a week and a good workout once a week is all I have time for. I guess I can live with that.

Laura is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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