Day 2929

The last day of the year turned out to be the coldest day of the year. I almost felt like going to the storage warehouse and retrieving the old parka my Dad used while doing research in Alaska. The coat is over sixty years old, but it still beats anything made today. Maybe some other time. For now it was easier to dress in layers like I always do on cold days. Dash needed his winter coat this morning and we had a lot of difficulty figuring out how to add it to all the other gear he needs to wear these days. The last time it got this cold, Dash was younger and didn't need the special harness and knee brace. We didn't see many other people walking this morning. We are persistent though. It's hard to shut us down.

After breakfast I returned to the grocery store to get coffee and blueberries. How could I have forgotten these essentials? I was glad I didn't have many errands to run, because the fine mist was instantly freezing to my windshield. In northern parts of Dallas people had to deal with sleet and icy bridges, but all we got was a fine mist. That was enough for me. I returned home before the roads got worse and spent the rest of the day watching television and doing laundry.

While I was doing chores I accidentally started watching a show called Our Zoo on PBS. It was quite good, but I didn't realize until later that it was a true story. PBS was having some sort of a New Year's Eve marathon and I ended up watching the entire series minus the first two episodes which must have aired before I turned on the television. It was strangely reassuring that I actually enjoyed this show about George Mottershead and his family's difficulties in starting their own zoo in 1930's England. I was beginning to think I'd gone off the deep end and could only watch science fiction.

My gym is raising it's prices at the first of the year. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but this is disappointing. Everyone is always raising prices. When I got coffee this morning I noticed that the price had gone up as well. I guess I could go to a different gym, but I like my gym. That's what people count on. They want you to get hooked on their product and then they'll gradually keep raising the price until you're ready to explode. There must be a limit to this kind of extortion, but I don't know where it is. Nobody even blinked when Apple started charging $1000 for a phone.

Luckily, some things are still affordable. Janet and I had a big pot of chili for dinner and it was the perfect meal for a cold winter's day. I could tell that Dash wanted a bowl too, but it was much too spicy for a dog. There is a bottle of champagne cooling in the refrigerator, but it remains to be seen whether Janet and I will still be awake at midnight.

Lord knows what's in store for us next year, but I'm going to remain optimistic for the moment. Dash has a million things wrong with him, but on a day-to-day basis he is doing pretty well. I feel better about my own health since I switched doctors. Janet has the best news. She appears to be cancer free. I hope the stock market continues to stay strong. Like most small business owners, I don't have a pension or a 401K. I'm going to need all the market stability I can get in the years ahead. I'm sure that 2018 will be full of surprises. I'll continue dealing with the future one day at a time. This is Day 2929.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day