Day 2541

The dogs wore me out today. Usually they sleep enough during the day so I can get my work done. Not today. Dash had an upset stomach and needed to go outside frequently. Dot was just restless. Every hour or so she would start barking for me to lift her out of her bed. We'd walk around aimlessly for a while and then she'd go back to bed again. We did this over and over again for most of the day. Dot is forgetful now. She'll go to her water bowl and then she'll go outside, and as soon as we come in, she'll go to her water bowl again. When she's restless, she'll repeat these simple activities over and over again. I can't just leave her to her own devices, because she'll quickly fall over or get herself stuck in a corner somewhere. She can also poop at any time without warning, so I'm always following behind her, holding up her rear end with the harness. I guess it's a good thing when Dot feels active, but sometimes I wonder if her restlessness is caused by pain or discomfort.

I'm used to a routine. When the routine changes I get worried. What does it mean when Dot gets restless and agitated? There have been times in the past when restlessness was the first sign of a serious illness. Usually, it just means that she's bored and wants more activity. She didn't have a fever today and seemed calm when she was sleeping, so I'm assuming that she just had more energy than usual. I could be wrong, but I can't take her to the vet every single day.

I've got to figure a better way to manage my own stress. It's hard caring for a dog that could die at any moment. There are so many things that could go wrong. Although Dot's dementia is getting worse, she still seems happy. She loves her slow walks and she eats her meals with gusto. I don't think she's even aware that she's pooping all over the place. I do my best to make her feel normal and that's really all I can do.

Now that Black Friday is over, I was inundated with a second wave of Cyber Monday e-mail this morning. I think every store I've ever shopped at in my life offered me some sort of discount or special coupon this week. Some of the deals are amazing. I bought a few little things because why not? My days of reckless consumerism are over though. I just don't have the money anymore.

I lost my reading glasses again. I think I could have a pair in every room and I'd still manage to lose them all within a month. The house is small, but when I lose these glasses, they're gone for good. I searched for almost an hour this morning and turned up nothing. Where did they go? Usually, I can never find these glasses until I buy a new pair and then they'll miraculously turn up again, often in plain sight. Some days I'm not sure whether Dot has dementia or I do.

I got a couple of website assignments toward the end of the day, so I should be busy tomorrow. Hopefully, the dogs will be calmer so I can get some work done. At the very least, it would be nice if they could just chill out while I eat my own breakfast. I don't bother them while they're eating, so why do they continually bother me when I'm eating? I never should have introduced them to bananas.

Scooter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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