Day 2421

Sunday is the one day of the week where I feel like I'm making an honest effort to stay healthy and fit. In the Winter I feel winded, but on a hot Summer day like today, I feel exhausted. I get up early and take Dot out to pee while everyone else is still asleep. As soon as she lifts her head and starts looking around, I know it's time. If we're lucky, she'll go back to bed and I can sleep for another 45 minutes or so. When Dash wakes up, we all get up for good because he immediately goes out to his bowl in the kitchen and starts barking. As soon as the dogs have been fed, we take Dot on a walk around the block. She follows Dash, so we walk slowly with Dash in the lead. This short walk is enough for Dot, but Dash needs more. I make the bed when we get home and then take Dash out again on a much longer walk. It's weird how quickly the temperature rises at this time of the morning. Often it is ten degrees warmer by the time we return.

I've started going to the gym right after Janet and I finish our breakfast. If I wait until the afternoon, I start thinking of excuses not to go. I wonder if I have any endorphins in my body at all. Exercising certainly doesn't seem to release them. My heart rate goes up. I sweat. My muscles get sore. I never get an "exercise high" though. It just seems like a lot of hard work. Today, in addition to my regular routine, I used the heavy bag for a while. Jeez, my shoulder has gotten much worse. I could hardly punch with my right hand at all. It's probably time to go to physical therapy again, but I don't know when I would find the time.

There may not be any euphoria in exercise, but it's certainly better than vacuuming. Vacuuming drives me crazy, mostly because the thin, rubber backed rugs we use to keep Dot from slipping in the house are continually getting sucked into the vacuum, causing me to have to turn the thing off and clear the jam. It takes forever to clean the house this way. I can't ignore the rugs, because they're the main reason the house is always so dirty. I wish I could just throw the rugs in the washing machine, but many of them are too big. Even the small ones are problematic, because the rubber backing comes off in the dryer, causing a huge mess.

Some days I mow the grass as well, but not today. I was too tired. At this time of year, it's hard to find things to photograph. The animals in the park seem to have gone into hiding and most of the wildflowers are gone. I took a picture of my boxing gloves at the gym, but then I realized that I'd already used this image several times before. I've photographed Bindweed flowers before as well, but not these particular blooms. Is it important to have a new image every day? I'm sure that few people care, but looking for this image does give my day a certain structure. Today, two Bindweed flowers will have to do.

It's hard to believe that it's August already. Where has this year gone? The dogs get their monthly heartworm pill tomorrow. Janet and Dot both have birthdays in August. It's time to get my car safety inspected again. With any luck the roof will get fixed in August as well. I wonder whether the roofers will show up next week as they promised?.

Selby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day