Day 2878

I wonder why I'm losing interest in going out for breakfast? This has been an enjoyable Friday morning ritual for over six years. It's safe to say that I've explored every single restaurant that serves breakfast within a ten mile radius. I could write a book on the multitude of different ways you can fix hash browns, grits, or sausage. I used to be fascinated by all these small but significant variations, but now I seldom even feel like eating. The meals all seem too hot, too cold, too spicy, or too bland. There is nothing wrong with the restaurants. I think it's me.

Today I went to a place famous for Southern country cooking. The portions seemed way too large. I felt like asking for a doggie bag and nibbling on the meal for the rest of the week. This isn't like me at all. I usually have a huge appetite and find eating to be one of life's few pleasures. I ate my breakfast slowly, wondering what I was going to do for the rest of the day. I really didn't come up with any answers.

When I got home I did some research on the roof coating I've been using and discovered that I've been doing everything wrong. To be fair, the roofers were doing everything wrong too. Before applying the coating, the roof should be power washed to remove all dirt and debris and then sprayed with a solution of bleach and water to kill any remaining bacteria and fungus. A special primer should be applied prior to using the silicon material to ensure that the coating sticks firmly to the roof. If people are going to be walking on the roof, ceramic granules should be mixed in with the silicon material prior to application to keep the surface from becoming too slippery. The material should only be applied when the temperature is above 40 degrees and the humidity is below 50%.

The roofers didn't follow any of these guidelines and neither did I. I'm sure the roofers ignored a lot of this stuff because if you followed the specifications to the letter, it would probably only leave about three days a year where you could safely install a new roof. The manufacturers probably made the specifications so stringent and exacting to cover their ass when customers complained that their roof had failed. This is the way life is. Everybody cuts corners and covers their bases, hoping that nobody will notice. Occasionally, people like me do notice, but it doesn't really change anything.

I'm glad Dash appears to be returning to normal. I'm curious what we'll find out when we return next week for a one month follow up visit to check on the blood clots in his heart. This will be touch and go for a long time. If I had blood clots inside my heart, they would perform open heart surgery immediately. That's not an option for dogs though. We've just got to hope that the Plavix will eventually work.

So many things can go wrong with dogs. One of my neighbors just found out that his dog has meningitis. Scary. I didn't even know it was possible for a dog to get meningitis. The disease is rare but it is so serious that it is one more thing to worry about. I would think one of the biggest problems would be getting the right diagnosis in a hurry. Some vets have never seen a dog with meningitis. You almost always have to have a MRI and a spinal tap to confirm diagnosis too. It's hard to arrange all these tests in a hurry. Luckily, my neighbor's dog was treated in time by one of the best veterinary neurologists in Texas and is going to recover.

I can't say that I accomplished anything today. Maybe I'll do better tomorrow.

Dalmatian of the Day

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