Day 3353

Dash seems to have a new schedule. He gets up early to go outside and pee. If we're lucky, he poops as well. Instead of taking his morning meds like he usually does at this time of day, he stumbles back to the bedroom and goes to sleep on the floor. He seems exhausted and is often shivering like he used to do in the middle of the night. I'll wrap him in a blanket and about two hours later he will wake up again. If I'm lucky I can get him to take his pills at this time. He'll pee once more and go back to sleep without touching his breakfast.

These two hour naps will often continue until noon when he seems to get a burst of energy and wants a walk. When we return from our walk, he'll usually eat his breakfast. I'm all about consistency, so I don't really understand these changes. I go along with the new schedule though. Dash body is telling him something. He's probably trying to conserve what little energy he has left.

It's just as well that we didn't take an early walk this morning. It was below freezing outside when I woke up this morning. It had warmed up a little by the time I walked Dash around noon, but it was still really cold. I should have worn a sweater under my jacket because I was freezing by the time we returned home. I need to remember that this is Texas and I always need to check the weather before I leave the house. I was in a hurry today because I could see that Dash was in the mood to go and I wanted to get him down to the park before he changed his mind.

I talked to the roofer that my architect friend recommended today. He seemed very knowledgable and we had a long conversation about the pitfalls of homes with a flat roof. He seemed to know a lot about my house just by looking at Google maps. Apparently he had a software program that could provide a rough cost estimate just by looking at the satellite view of the house. The estimate was horrendously high, but the guy said if would probably be lower when he actually came out and measured things. The other roofer who took a look at the house last month said the cost would be high as well. The cost of installing a flat roof has increased dramatically in the last twenty years. It doesn't help that I need an engineered roof with a consistent slope of 1/4" per foot either. The roof will still look flat with this type of slope, but the water will drain and there will be no standing water. I'm not getting any younger and I'm not going to be able to climb up on the roof forever. Getting a roof that drains properly is imperative.

It's a shame that there are so many large expenses like this in my future. We need numerous repairs inside the house as well. Oh, well. That's life I guess. I think I know where my new car fund is going. Maybe it won't be so bad. I like to stay dry and I don't really like to drive all that much anyway.

I certainly didn't drive much today. I had to pick up some Enalapril for Dash at the vet and some dinner for myself at a nearby barbecue place. In retrospect, I should have had something bland for dinner. The ribs and brisket were delicious, but I've got heartburn again. Damn. I wish I enjoyed eating sensibly. All-in-all, I do a pretty good job of staying healthy, but unfortunately everything I really enjoy is bad for you. I kind of envy people who really enjoy eating vegetables. Discipline and restraint keep me healthy. I'd much rather just eat cheese.

I did manage to get the trash out to the curb this evening, but I have no idea whether I'll go out for breakfast in the morning. A lot depends on Dash and the weather.

Connor os today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3352

It's raining again, so I can't find the muddy patch in the back yard anymore. The entire yard looks muddy now. I guess I'll have to wait until things dry out again before I can call a plumber. At least all the drains appear to be working normally. I'm going to assume this means that the sewer pipe has a leak but there has not been a clog. It's a lot better to have a leak in a drain line than in a supply line. Water under pressure can make a huge mess very quickly.

Dash seemed really tired this morning, so we didn't walk before breakfast. Every day is different. Some days Dash wakes up hungry and eager for a walk. Other days he can barely move. He seemed to sleep well last night, so I'm not sure what's going on. A long nap usually helps. Sure enough, around noon Dash woke up, ate his breakfast, and seemed ready to go outside. I don't know why Dash even wanted a walk today. It was a nasty day. The weather didn't seem to bother Dash, but I wish I'd worn a warmer coat. I'm pretty sure that there's standing water up on the roof,  but I didn't feel like sweeping it away today. What's the point. There's still more rain in the forecast. I did call another roofer that an architect friend recommended. Eventually, I'll get several bids and pick someone. Knowing me, I'll probably pick the wrong roofer. Reputation matters more than price to me, but a good reputation isn't a guarantee of anything. Things can always go wrong.

All the news outlets were providing wall-to-wall coverage of the Michael Cohen hearings today, but the only news that captured my attention was a story about a fat rat who got stuck in a sewer grate and was unable to move until a team of nine German firefighters came to her rescue. Oh, the humanity. The hapless rotund rodent immediately captured the attention of an overweight world. Apparently a lot of people could identify with this awkward situation. There was a lot of sympathy for the plump German rat. Not so much for Michael Cohen. I guess they were different types of rats.

Tomorrow looks like it's going to be a repeat of today. Maybe Dash will feel a little better.  Maybe the stock market will go up. Chances are that whatever happens, it will still be grey and cold. That's just the way February usually is. If I remember correctly, February was even worse last year. Enough with this dismal weather. I'm ready for Spring. Probably everybody is ready for Spring.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3351

I noticed this morning that there was a large muddy puddle in the middle of the back yard. WTF? This wasn't here yesterday. It didn't rain last night. For a moment I thought that I might have left a garden hose on, but all the faucets were off. What new kind of hell was this? When the puddle refused to dry up as the day progressed, I began to suspect the worst. Our sewer line passes under the muddy area. A pipe probably rusted or broke. Several other houses in the neighborhood that are about the same age as ours have had to replace their sewer lines. Maybe it's my turn this time.

It's weird that virtually every single problem I've had with the house involves water. Roofs leak. toilets run. Pipes break under the concrete slab. Washing machines break. Refrigerator coils freeze. Somehow the problem always involves water. I guess that's why there are hundreds of plumbers in town. I see a plumbing truck in front of someone's house just about every time I walk Dash. Maybe the wet ground will start to dry out tonight. If not, I'll have to call the plumber. I don't look forward to plumbers digging a big hole in the back yard, but what are you going to do? Things like this are one more reason why I'm never going to have any extra money.

Janet has started putting Dash's boots on before he wakes up in the morning. It's much easier to get the socks and boots on while Dash is lying down, but this doesn't always make him eager to walk. He was very reluctant to leave the house this morning. It took us forever just to get down to the park. Dash would walk a few feet and then he'd stop for a while. I don't know what was going through his head. Eventually we reached the area where the good smells begin and Dash began walking normally again. We took a much shorter walk than we normally do this morning and then Dash went back to sleep again. He didn't eat his breakfast until several hours later. I hope he's feeling OK.

Nothing exciting happened today. I balanced my checkbook after breakfast. Sometimes this process is easy. Other times it is infuriatingly difficult. It took me a long time to realize that I'd failed to record several January bills. I paid the bills. I just didn't subtract them from my balance. Eventually I found the problem and everything balanced but it sure took me a while.

I still haven't accepted the NASA invitation to visit the Johnson Space Center. I probably will, but there are still a few days left until the deadline. I keep finding excuses to postpone making a decision. I worry about Dash having a setback. Today I was fretting about my potential plumbing problem. I need to realize that I'm never, ever going to wake up without a care in the world. There's always going to be something to worry about. It's not a perfect world, but I shouldn't use this as an excuse to do nothing.

I did remember that it was Tuesday today. That means that if I don't procrastinate, I might be able to get a plumber out to the house before the end of the week. I might as well go for it. I despise expensive repairs, but sitting around and watching the mud hole in the yard grow deeper for a few additional days isn't going to make the repair any cheaper. I'll call tomorrow. The sad thing is that the plumbing repair will probably cost exactly the same as a trip to Houston.

Bingo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3350

Is it just me, or have simple things become more difficult in recent years? My ambitions are modest and my expectations are low, but it is becoming harder and harder to get caught up on things. Life has become a game of Whack-a-mole, where new problems continue to arise faster than you can deal with the ones you already have.

Nothing went wrong today. This is just an observation. I used to feel on top of things and was almost always ahead of schedule. Now I'm not. I don't think I've slowed down all that much. I just think the world has changed.

When I woke up this morning, I noticed that one of Dash's nails was bleeding a bit at the base of the nail. Not good. Has the nail become loosened as a result of Dash continually dragging his feet when he walks? Who knows. Now I've got to figure out how to protect the nail so it doesn't become even looser and fall out. If Dash lost a nail again, it would be very difficult to stop the bleeding. I was half asleep when I had these thoughts. When I woke up fully, Dash already had his boots on and was ready to walk. Janet is a morning person and sometimes has Dash ready to go before I even get out of bed. You've got to seize the moment with Dash. There is a window of opportunity where he is eager to walk. If you miss it, he just sleeps for the rest of the day.

We had a nice walk this morning. The skies are still clear and although it was cold at sunrise, things warmed up quickly. On days like these, it's hard to believe that my roof was leaking a few days ago. So far, the roofer who made the repairs recently hasn't returned my call and another roofer who was going to give me an estimate for replacing the roof hasn't had time to put together a bid. I called an architect friend to get some suggestions. He said it was imperative that a flat roof have at least a 1/4" per foot slope to ensure that the water would drain after a rain. This might be easy to achieve with new construction. Not so much with a fifty year old house. I've had the usual settling you get with old houses. Without some elaborate structural modifications, I'm stuck with standing water.

The Redbud and Dogwood trees in the neighborhood are already starting to bloom. It seems a little early, but maybe not. In less than a week it will be March. I've started seeing a few grape hyacinths and crow poison flowers in the park. They say the wildflower season will be good this year. I hope so. Walking through wildflowers is a lot more pleasant than walking through mud.

I wrote a letter to my luddite sister and paid a few more bills this afternoon. I think I'm caught up on February bills now, but it won't be long before the March bills start arriving. It never ends. I didn't used to think about recurring bills when I was working and had a good income. Now these bills seem like a huge nuisance. How are you supposed to live on a fixed income if the prices of all the things you use everyday keep going up?

I need to remember that tomorrow is Tuesday. Tuesdays have been so uneventful lately that I tend to forget them and think it is already Wednesday. Truthfully, it doesn't matter what day it is. It's still just a game of Whack-a-mole.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3349

I always get more done on a sunny day. Nothing important was accomplished, but I did stay busy. Dash was ready to go early this morning. We took a nice long walk and I was back at the house fixing breakfast before 8 AM. Janet usually fixes breakfast on weekends, but she wasn't home this morning, so I made my regular fruit smoothie instead. While I was watching morning TV and drinking the smoothie, I forgot it was Sunday for a while.

After breakfast I fixed the loose roof panels in the greenhouse. The repairs were shoddy as usual, but at least the greenhouse will have a roof until the next wind storm comes along. Since the roof on our house wasn't leaking today, I soaked a sponge with bleach and tried to eradicate the new rust stains on the ceiling. I wonder if I'll ever have the nerve to have a tape and bed guy come out and replace the sheetrock. I've thought the leak was fixed several times before, but it always seems to come back.

Since I already had a sponge soaked with bleach, I tried to remove a stubborn stain on the kitchen counter and then cleaned the toilets. I knew I would make a mess and wore old clothes, but despite my best efforts to be neat, I still spilled some bleach on my shirt. The house still looks more or less the same, but it does small like bleach now.

I got to the gym later than usual and the basketball court was already being used when I arrived. Bummer. Shooting baskets is the only thing I enjoy at the gym. Everything worked out though. By the time I'd finished with the hand bicycle and the treadmill, the court was empty again. On the way home I stopped at Bed, Bath and Beyond to look for a bread knife. I didn't find what i was looking for, but I didn't have my big blue coupon with me anyway. I should have gone to REI instead.

I watched the Oscars for a while during dinner. What was Billy Porter thinking? The guy looked like Mary Todd Lincoln. I liked the idea of having Queen opening the show, but I didn't watch long. Maybe the Oscars needs a host after all. I hadn't seen any of these movies, even though most of them are available on iTunes. I just don't watch many movies anymore. The last movie I saw in a theater was The Theory of Everything back in 2014.

Dash had a good day. He was active and engaged for most of the day and felt strong enough to take two walks. It didn't hurt that it was a beautiful day. Even my allergies didn't bother me today. I spotted a few Spring flowers starting to bloom this afternoon. These early signs of Spring usually mean that another cold front is on the way. If flowers are blooming tin February, I wouldn't be surprised to see snow in March.

I hope that Dash stays strong tomorrow. The good days are a blessing now. It is becoming harder and harder for him to move around without falling.

Nora is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3348

The roof is leaking again. I definitely wasn't expecting this. It was a clear sunny day and there wasn't even that much water on the roof. Apparently the roofers hadn't stopped the leak, they had just slowed the water down. Somehow, water was still getting under the elastomer coating and finding its way inside through a bad seam. I put a bucket under the drip in the living room, cleared the remaining water from the roof, and looked for a damaged area where the water might be getting in. I couldn't find anything. The dripping water stopped in about an hour, but that wasn't the point. There shouldn't be a leak at all. I sent an e-mail to the roofer, informing him of the bad news and made a mental note to contact the people who still owe me a bid for completely replacing the roof. This is getting old.

Dash pooped in the bed three times last night. I think this is a new record. The poop landed right on the puppy pad each time, so there really wasn't much of a mess to clean up. Dash never woke up. We wondered why he never pooped yesterday. Now we know. Despite the interruptions, I actually got a good night's sleep. Apparently Dash did too. He was eager for a walk this morning.

The weather app on my phone has been saying that today was going to be windy for the past several days. It was pretty calm when we took our morning walk, so I thought the forecast must be wrong. Nope. This afternoon it suddenly became fiercely windy outside. I could see the wind trying to rip the roof off of the greenhouse again. Some of the new nails I added held and some of them didn't. None of the fiberglass roof panels blew off this time, but they all were loosened. The problem is that I can't climb on the shed roof to secure the top of the fiberglas panels because the greenhouse is too flimsy. When a panel falls off, I just push it back in place and nail the bottom to the top of the greenhouse wall. Apparently this is not enough.

My to-do list today included getting phenobarbital for Dash, a small plunger to help clear a slow drain in the bathroom, and fresh fruit for next week's breakfast smoothies. Kroger has peaches again, so the smoothies will taste a little better. I wonder why none of the other stores have peaches yet?  When I filled the car with gas, I noticed that the station had brand new pumps. It still took two tries to get the new pump to accept my credit card.

The strong winds only lasted a couple of hours but they stirred up a lot of dust. When I was taking Dash on his evening walk it looked like there was a dust storm on the horizon that partially obscured the sun. I hadn't seen skies like this for three or four years and though it would make a great photograph. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me. Dash walks so slowly now that by the time we got home, the sun had completely set. I guess the dust storm photo will have to wait until the next dust storm.

Today was discouraging. I can't believe I'm still dealing with a roof leak, a slow bathroom drain, and a dilapidated greenhouse. There is no joy in replacing a roof. It is expensive and you can't even see the results when it's done. I don't even think a new roof will increase the value of the house. The neighborhood is slowly becoming gentrified and our small house will ultimately become a tear down no matter what we do.

I hope that Dash wakes up with lots of energy tomorrow. Janet has an early charity event to attend and it's up to me to get the day started. We'll see how it goes. I'm not a morning person and neither is Dash

Joey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3347

I didn't go out for breakfast this morning. It took me way too long to get organized. Dash was out of sorts when he woke up and wouldn't take his morning meds. We tried hiding the food in ham, turkey, canned dog food and even cake. Nothing worked. I thought that maybe he'd be hungry after a walk, so we suited him up and off we went. It wasn't raining yet, but it was so foggy that my jacket was wet when we returned. Dash seemed to like the weather, but he still wasn't hungry when we got back to the house.

The pills Dash takes are essential, so I knew I wasn't going anywhere. One way or another, he needed to take his meds. I fixed myself an omelet while Dash took a nap. I added some ham, sausage, and smoked Gouda cheese to the eggs and the result was delicious. The smell enticed Dash to the kitchen and this time he was ready to take his pills. I rolled each pill in a small slice of the same ham I'd used for my omelet. Mission accomplished.

Dash didn't poop in the house this morning and it made me nervous. I heard his stomach rumbling while we were walking in the park and I kept expecting the volcano to blow. Dash always poops a lot in the morning. Today was different. He peed in the bed instead. By the time I finished cleaning up, doing the laundry, and washing the breakfast dishes, it was noon. I didn't mind. It was raining outside anyway and there was no place I wanted to go. My omelet tasted better than a restaurant omelet anyway.

After breakfast, I watched a webinar from one of the large auction houses about how to sell your collection. I learned a lot, but it was a little late. I've already sold or consigned most of my collection. The whole presentation seemed to be directed at people who have inherited art and don't know what to do with it. Maybe that's where most of the art at auction comes from. I can see how this happens, but hopefully I can unwind my collections and clean up my mess before I die. If you've ever had to deal with settling an estate, you quickly realize that it's not a pleasant task. Your heirs will enjoy getting a check someday. They probably won't enjoy sorting through a huge pile of your junk.

Dash seemed exceptionally tired today. He spent most of the day sleeping. When this happens, I worry that his walks are wearing him out. I always let Dash set the pace and we walk very slowly, but maybe even this mild exercise has become too much for him. He really enjoyed his walk this morning, but when we returned home, he seemed exhausted. There are no easy answers about aging. I wish Dash could talk so he could tell me whether I was walking for him, or if he was walking for me. I'm just guessing that Dash loves these daily walks. He seems to enjoy walking, but what if all his joints hurt and he's just walking to please me?

I was happy to see the Dow close above 26,000 today. I'd have been even happier if I'd seen the sun.  It was such a dismal day that all I could find to photograph was an ugly weed with water drops on it. Who knows. Maybe the weekend will be nice. As long as I'm wishing, maybe Dash will be stronger tomorrow as well. Maybe I'll even get some sleep.

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3346

Rain keeps getting in the way. Dash was surprisingly strong this morning and wanted to walk. I've learned to be ready for these moments, so we put on Dash's boots and off we went. Unfortunately we didn't get far. The rain that was supposed to arrive in an hour arrived in less than five minutes. When we heard thunder, Dash wisely turned around and we headed for home.

Dash went to sleep after I dried him off and I returned to making the bed and fixing my breakfast. All it took was a quick look out the kitchen window to know that it was going to be another long, wet Winter day. While I was finishing breakfast I listened the the press conference with the Chicago police department where the head of detectives laid out a detailed time line showing how they determined that  Jussie Smollett staged the hate crime attack on himself. What was Smollett thinking? He paid the Nigerian brothers with a personal check. Surveillance cameras showed the brothers purchasing all the items used in the fake attack. The brothers confessed to being accomplices in the stunt. There were even phone records confirming that Smollett talked extensively with the brothers both before and after the staged attack. This guy calls himself an actor, be he clearly hadn't watched enough episodes of Columbo. In the end the detectives usually get their man.

Almost every day I think our divided country has reached a new low. Then I turn on the TV and realize that we can still go a lot lower. Although this fake hate crime opened a dismal new chapter in this ongoing story, I still have a small amount of hope for the country. Down in Florida, Space X launched a used Falcon 9 rocket for the third time carrying three different satellites from three different countries. One of them was headed for the moon. I hope the little Israeli lunar lander makes it. I'd much rather hear a success story about Jews on the Moon than a sad story about anti-Semitism.

Dash eventually did get a walk today. It was cold and damp, but at least it wasn't raining. I think these walks are important. They keep Dash motivated. Around the house, he stumbles a lot and gets depressed. The park is filled with animal smells and Dash has a reason to keep going. Walking helps keep his muscles from atrophying. The walks probably help me as well. I'd never get close to my 10,000 steps a day goal without them.

I paid a bunch of February bills this afternoon and took them to the post office. How can an uneventful life be so expensive? The big bill this month was car insurance. Maybe I should let the insurance company put that little tracker in my car after all. They say it could lower my rates by 20%. Why am I suspicious? I have a feeling that it could also raise my rates.

The week's trash has been taken to the curb. This evening's Space X launch was flawless. Dash got his walk today and finished eating all his meals. The roof still isn't leaking. Hey, measured by these low standards, I guess that today was a success.

Lizzy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3345

Dash wouldn't walk this morning. I thought he'd be eager to get outside since the weather was nicer than yesterday. I even saw the sun and a few patches of blue sky for a while. Evidently Dash wasn't impressed by the weather. Before we'd even made it to the end of our street, he turned around and came home. He must have been feeling bad this morning, because he immediately went to sleep as soon as we returned to the house.

There was a post card in the mail this morning saying that there was an attempt to deliver a package and that I was to call the number on the card immediately. This was an obvious scam. The card didn't come from UPS, Fedex, the Post Office, or Amazon. I hadn't ordered anything either. Who were these people trying to fool? I put the card in the shredder, but there will probably be more dubious mail tomorrow. I feel like I'm under siege lately. Most of the mail that arrives at the house is junk. The phone is even worse. They say that 50% of all phone calls are telemarketers now. At my house the figure would be more like 90%. I really feel like the phone company should be paying me to put up with this nonsense. The telemarketing calls start earlier and last longer now too. We occasionally get them after we've gone to bed. I have Nomorobo installed on my phone and still way too many of these junk calls get through.

If we're going to build a wall, we ought to build some sort of electronic wall to stop these irritating intrusions once and for all. Stopping telemarketers might be the one thing that Democrats and Republicans could actually agree on. I wonder why telemarketers even bother. Few people even answer their phone these days. If you don't send them a text, you'll never get an answer.

Don't even get me started about Spam. Luckily my hosting company has a very good Spam filter, so I don't see most of it. Occasionally, I empty the Spam folder on the mail server and I'm always shocked at how many messages there are. Usually there are thousands of them.

Early this afternoon Dash seemed to have recovered and we took a nice walk. It doesn't really matter when Dash feels like walking. I've always got the time. I think it's great that he still has the desire to do things. Sometimes he has more desire than I do. Dash tires very easily and sleeps a lot, but when he's ready to go, we go.

I'd like to think the sunshine I saw today was a hopeful sign. Unfortunately, there are thunderstorms in the forecast for Friday. At least our weather isn't quite as bad as last February. If I remember correctly, it rained all month. The rainy season will be over eventually. The wildflowers will return. They won't last long though. When Summer arrives I'll be thinking that all this February rain was just an illusion.

Odie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3344

Rain, rain, go away. Needless to say, I'm tired of this. Dash was lucky to get one walk today. I checked the radar as soon as I woke up and realized that we had a short window of opportunity before the downpours started. Janet had an appointment this morning, but she helped get us started. Some mornings Dash won't leave the house without someone to follow. Janet led the way to the park this morning and then as soon as there were lots of things to smell, he totally forgot she was there. Janet returned home and Dash continued smelling his way along one of his familiar routes. I was worried that the approaching rain would overtake us, but we completed our walk with minutes to spare.

Rainy days are murder on Dash's protective boots. Everything gets wet and the fitted bandage that we use as the first layer of protection often gets ruined. There were no bloody paws this morning, but there were a few small red spots that indicated something was rubbing. I'll be glad when the weather is dry again. It's much easier to deal with these assisted walks without a lot of mud and slippery wet grass.

I got a letter from NASA today saying that a postponed event that I had applied to attend early last Fall had finally been rescheduled and that I had been approved. This was a surprise. The event is an opportunity for bloggers to go behind the scenes with the NASA Orion program and see how this four man capsule will be used to return to the moon. I get the Orion, Crew Dragon, and Boeing Starliner programs confused sometimes and wonder why we are developing all three. Maybe this trip to Johnson Space Center could provide the answer. Since Houston is close and the tour is just a one day event, I think I'll probably accept the invitation. Janet says Dash will be fine with her for the day. I probably worry too much, but Dash does need a lot of assistance.

I wish I was better at predicting how Dash was going to respond on any given day. I never know when or where he is going to poop and I always worry that we might be overdoing things on walks. Dash did great this morning. We took a long, leisurely walk and Dash enjoyed smelling everything in his path. He seemed fine when we got home and then about an hour after we returned, he has a severe shivering episode. Was this shivering caused by the cold weather? Was it some sort of tremor related to his vestibular disease, or maybe a mild seizure? I don't know. I wrapped Dash in a blanket and sat with him for about 30 minutes until the shivering subsided and his breathing became normal again. These shivering episodes come and go. He hasn't had one in a while, so I was hoping they were a thing of the past. Dash is fine now, but you never know what is going to happen next.

The rain was pretty heavy today. Luckily, both pumps on the roof were working well. I assume things were working well anyway. Lots of water was flowing through the hoses. I'm not going to go up on the roof and inspect things until the rain stops for good. So far, the repairs the roofers made are holding up well. I have seen no evidence of the roof leak returning. The sheetrock on the ceiling is still ugly and stained, but it's dry. I still have very little confidence in the overall integrity of the roof, but every dry day is a good day.

They say the rain will be gone by morning. I certainly hope so. My day will be more or less the same whatever happens, but at least the inevitable cleanup will be easier if things are dry.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3343

Winter is just a process of continually adding layer after layer of clothing so I won't be too cold when I go outside and then removing layer after layer of clothing as soon as I come back inside so I won't get too hot. I'm always trying to shortcut this lengthy process, so I'm usually too hot or too cold. Maybe some of you find all these seasonal changes invigorating, but I wish mother nature would make up her mind. 72 degrees all the time would be nice.

I thought that Dash might want a later walk this morning because he was still sound asleep when I woke up. This was just wishful thinking on my part. Dash was waiting at the door and ready to go before I finished getting dressed. I'm always amazed at how empty the park is on cold windy days. There are all these young, healthy dogs in the neighborhood and it's always the old dog who can barely move who is still out there. I admire Dash's tenacity, even though on days like today I'd rather just stay inside myself.

Dash's vision has been getting worse for some time. Occasionally, I think he navigates entirely by his sense of smell. To a casual observer he seems to meander all over the place, but maybe he is just smelling his way from one familiar landmark to the next. Every once in a while he will stop and smell the air for a long time and then turn around. It's frustrating when he does this when we're almost home. "Don't do this to me buddy," I think. "We're almost home and I'm getting cold." I've learned that if something doesn't smell right to Dash, it's better to just change our route and forget about it. Getting Dash to change his mind is not an easy task.

I guess today was a holiday. President's Day never seems like a real holiday to me. Today was just a day when I couldn't go to the post office or listen to the market news on the business channel. I don't buy or sell very often anymore, but I still like following the market. When I hear politicians talk it all just sounds like blah, blah, blah to me. Market moves are easier to understand. The market operates almost entirely on fear and greed. When investors are scared, the market goes down. When they are confident, the market goes up. If you follow these sentiments, you can get a pretty accurate picture of what is going on in the world. It's certainly a more accurate picture than listening to politicians.

Without any market news to follow, I watched Jay Leno's Garage instead. I'd love to have a huge collection of cars like Jay Leno or Jerry Seinfeld. I don't think either of these guys are trying to impress anyone. They are just rich and really like cars. I've had some interesting cars in my time, but I can't imagine being a collector. Cars take up a lot of space and they can be quite expensive to keep running. One at a time is plenty for me.

I tried going without antihistamines this morning. It didn't work. Within an hour or two I was blowing my nose again. I wonder if I'm going to need to take the antihistamines all Winter. I have seasonal allergies every year, but they've never lasted this long. Is something weird going on with the pollen count this year, or am I just becoming more sensitive? Of course there are always the conspiracy theories. Maybe the Chemtrails are starting to get to me.

I haven't used my laptop or iPad in so long that the batteries in both were completely dead. When business travel was a part of my life, I used to depend on the laptop. Not anymore. The only time I use it now is during power outages. Be prepared is my motto, so I charged the batteries and updated software on both devices. Hey, you never know. I may need an old laptop someday.

Bailey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3342

Apparently, there are younger people who belong to my gym after all. When I arrived this morning, there were about fifty people I'd never seen before participating in some kind of fitness event. It looked like some sort of an indoor triathlon. I couldn't shoot baskets because the court was filled with stationary bicycles. They were actually real bicycles with their rear wheels raised off the ground. It looked like participants started in the gym's pool, then went to the bicycles, and then finished on the running track. I don't know how you could determine a winner because the bicycles definitely weren't going anywhere. Maybe it wasn't a race. There was a guy wearing a wireless microphone delivering some sort of motivational message as the crowd peddled away on the bicycles. Maybe this was a class. It all seemed pretty strange to me. I'll have to check and see if this is going to be a regular thing now. If it is, I might need to change the day I exercise.

Somehow, Dash slipped off his puppy training pad last night and I woke up to a larger than expected mess. I thought I had this incontinence down to a science, but life is full of surprises. So much for sleeping in this morning. I hosed off the soiled bedding, started a load of wash and got ready for our morning walk. Dash and I have been walking on our own this week, but this morning he wouldn't leave the house without Janet leading the way. We waited for her to get dressed and get the walk started. Then, just like that, everything was back to normal again. I often wonder what Dash is thinking. He seems to have a plan, but he rarely shares it with me. Every day is full of surprises.

It must have rained last night, since the ground was wet and muddy. Dash doesn't seem to mind the damp weather, but it's hard on his protective boots. You'd think that since the outer layer is rubber, the inner layers would stay dry. Nope. The special fitted bandage and cotton sock he wears under the rubber outer boot are always soaking wet on damp days. The lightweight outer boots we are using now tear easily too. The system we have devised is far from perfect, but at least his paws aren't getting bloody anymore. Maybe this is as good as it's going to get. Heavier, more durable boots make it difficult for Dash to walk and anything lighter would provide no protection at all.

I should have done some cleaning this afternoon, but I was too tired. After I got home from the gym, I took a shower and then I took a nap. When Dash is restless, a nap is always the best way to calm him down. Dash gets tired easily, but he doesn't like to be alone. Janet often watches Netflix movies with him, while I prefer to just curl up and do nothing. My theory is that lots of naps will eventually add up to a good night's sleep.

It's hard to believe that it's the middle of February already. I wish it were the middle of April. The days are getting longer now, but it's still wet and cold. There's still a lot of Winter ahead of us. The good news is that I've seen no signs of a roof leak after several heavy rains. There are no signs that my allergies are going away either. I'm still taking the antihistamines. The only place I can breathe freely is in the car. I've always wondered why the cabin air filter was so expensive to replace. Now I know. This filter is really good. When I drive somewhere, I'm in a hermetically sealed little capsule.

I wonder why Monday still feels like a work day? I haven't done any real work in months, but I still dread Monday mornings.

Lexi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3341

What happened to our nice weather? One day it's 70. The next day it's 30. I wonder if the entire Winter is going to be this way? Since I like consistency, these extreme fluctuations are driving me nuts. It was cold and nasty outside this morning, but Dash still wanted his walk. I would rather have slept in a little longer, but off we went. Dash continues to do better than expected. I don't know where he got his second wind, but it's nice to see him with a little enthusiasm again.

After breakfast, I filled the car with gas and did my weekend grocery shopping. The list was small this week and that was fine with me. This seemed like a day for staying home and keeping warm. Dash seemed to agree. We took a long nap together this afternoon. It certainly beat cleaning the house.

As a consumer of healthcare, I've been following the debate about how to reform the system. I have a feeling that this is going to be the next battleground that divides us even further. I was listening to a proponent of Medicare for all explain that one of the most effective ways to pay for universal healthcare would be to stop approving all these elaborate procedures for really old people. "They're all going to die soon anyway," the guy said. You can imagine how well this idea went over. It's certainly true that most of your medical expenditures are going to occur during your last ten years of life, but if you need a new knee on your eightieth birthday, are you really going to say "never mind, I'll just keep using this cane?" I wonder how this will end? When the women are all fighting the men and the young are all fighting the old, today's political skirmishes will seem like child's play.

I'd be the first to admit that the earth's population is already too large to sustain life indefinitely. I'd still like to live as long as I can though. That is the dilemma. We desperately need to slow down population growth but we all want to live. Humanity has become the ultimate Kudzu vine. Since we are at the top of the food chain, there is absolutely nothing to stop us from consuming everything in our path. There really needs to be some fire breathing dragons or evil alien invaders to keep us in our place.

I don't see how you can be a student of history and still believe that you can change human nature. We have a pretty dismal track record. This is why I'm such a fan of exploring space. We're pretty clever. Maybe we can learn to tame wormholes and conquer the speed of light before we destroy our planet and become extinct. If we thought our destiny was to expand into the universe and destroy an infinite number of other planets one by one, it would provide a tremendous source of hope.

I saw us plant a flag on the moon, but I'd have to stay pretty healthy to see the same thing happen on Mars. Population explosion or not, I'll take advantage of every medical miracle that comes my way. I'd love to see Elon Musk succeed. It would be the first step in what could become a very long journey.

Joshua is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3340

I wish the Shrimp Grits weren't so good, because I find the trendy restaurant troubling. The place is crowded and loud. You often have to wait a long time for a table. Worst of all it provides me with a glimpse of the future. Apparently, the future will be filled with fat people wearing skinny jeans, man buns, over the top painted on eyebrows, and very delicious food. There is a friendly vibe to the place. The waiters are super friendly and the customers appear to be enjoying themselves as well. Jeez. How can they enjoy all this chaos and noise? It is clear that I am the odd duck in this place.

The reason I went to the trendy restaurant is that I got off to a late start again. Dash was ready to walk on his own again this morning, but he was very slow. He took his time, smelling every bush and clump of grass. Dash does seem to walk better without the leg brace, so we'll go with that. I want him to enjoy these walks. When we got back home, Dash found multiple reasons to keep me from leaving for breakfast. He would head for the back door, so I would let him out to pee. He would head for the kitchen, so I would try to get him to finish his chicken. He would head for the bedroom, so I'd see if he was ready for a nap. Basically he was just not ready for me to leave the house.

Eventually, Dash settled down and took a long nap. This was a good thing, because I needed to go pick up my Aeron Chair. The Herman Miller people had finally finished their repairs. It was a long drive to the warehouse and the route took me past a lot of places I used to frequent. It always amazes me what a transitory place Dallas is. Virtually all the restaurants, computer stores, client headquarters, and other places that were familiar to me were gone. Every five years Dallas seems to completely reinvent itself.

The chair repair people were very nice but they said they had no way to take my money. They let me walk away with the chair without paying for it. "Are you sure this is OK" I asked? "Don't worry about it," the head repair guy told me. "Eventually, you'll get a bill from Herman Miller." Works for me. I wish everyone were this trusting.

Aeron Chairs have a reputation for lasting forever. "You ought to be good for another twenty years," the repair guy told me as I left. "I'll see you then" I told him and we both laughed nervously. The repair guy was about as old as I am. Chances are that neither of us will be around twenty years from now.

We were having pizza for dinner tonight, so I had to go park the car on a side street around mid afternoon. I knew I would need to pick up the pizza. The traffic has gotten so bad that I can't get out of the driveway during rush hour anymore. Businesses come and go in Dallas, but one thing stays the same. The traffic always gets worse.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3339 - Valentine's Day

Traditions die hard. I continue getting cupcakes at Sprinkles and a small orchid in a pot every Valentine's Day. I've been doing this for years even though we seldom eat sweets. I used to have to stand in a long line that snaked outside the store to get my cupcakes but Sprinkles isn't as trendy as it was five of six years ago. The line was very short today, but the cupcakes are still delicious. I used to be able to keep the orchids alive for several seasons. They would bloom again and again. Now they always die after a month or two. The orchids are definitely cheaper than they used to be though. Maybe there's a correlation. Sprinkles makes cupcakes for dogs too. I always get a few, while wondering if they are really safe. Dogs aren't supposed to have sugar, but I wouldn't be surprised if these weren't just small human cupcakes. Hopefully the frosting is just cream cheese or something.

Dash has gotten more enthusiastic about his daily walks. I hope this is a sign that he is feeling better. Something has changed. On most days he doesn't need to follow Janet anymore. This morning he confidently headed out the back gate on his own and I completed the entire walk by myself. It doesn't always go this smoothly, but Dash definitely does seem in better spirits. We stopped wearing the leg brace when Dash started using the Help 'Em Up Harness. It was difficult to attach the brace to the new harness and Dash was walking so slow that it didn't seem to matter anyway. I wonder if it is easier for him to walk without the brace? The whole idea of the knee brace was to keep a partial cruciate tear from becoming worse. We thought the brace would make it easier for Dash to walk, but maybe it did the opposite. Caring for a sick dog is always a learning experience. Occasionally, Dash ends up being the teacher.

I wonder if I am going to be perpetually tired. It certainly seems that way. This morning Janet woke me up and said that Dash looked like he was ready to walk. You hate to miss these opportunities, so I quickly got dressed and off we went. By the time we returned, it was much too late to go back to bed again. I slowly drank my morning smoothie, stopping from time to time to clean up poop. Dash has plenty of time to poop on these long meandering walks, but he often waits until he's home again to do his business. He doesn't do this on purpose. An incontinent dog just isn't able to plan ahead.

I had to turn the air conditioner on this afternoon. The temperature was in the high 70's today. A few weeks ago it was below freezing. I've given up on predicting Texas weather. I've often worn a t-shirt and shorts in the same week I've needed my warmest down parka. I check the weather app on my phone every morning before we take our walk, but even that isn't always helpful. Sometimes it seems like it's ten degrees colder down by the lake than it is in our back yard. Basically, you can end up wearing Summer clothes in the Winter in Texas, but you never end up wearing Winter clothes in the Summer.

I didn't really think Galentine's Day was a thing until I saw a whole row of special "Galentine's" cupcakes in Sprinkles today. I wonder if these were day old cupcakes? I think Galentine's Day was yesterday. It seems weird to me when made up holidays from old TV sitcoms become real and start being celebrated. It happened with Festivus too. Maybe in the future all our holidays will originate on TV shows.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3338

I knew it was going to be a long day when Dash refused to pee before he went to bed last night. I wish he'd plan ahead. Sure enough, he got me up to go outside around 3 AM and then I woke up twice more to change out puppy pads when he pooped in his sleep. When I finally woke up this morning, the sun was up and Janet had already left for the gym.

Taking care of Dash is definitely a team effort. It always takes a lot longer to get him ready for the day when I'm on my own. Dash would look like he was sound asleep until I left to do something in another room and then almost immediately I could hear him struggling to get up. He never wanted to be in the same room I was in. When I was trying to make the bed, he wanted to be in the kitchen. When I was in the kitchen, he wanted to go back to the bedroom.

Eventually I got him to take him morning pills by making little ham roll ups that I fed to him one by one while he was laying in his kitchen dog bed. He had no interest in eating his breakfast and definitely didn't have enough energy for a morning walk. He slept for most of the morning. This behavior used to alarm me, but I was almost certain that he'd be fine in a few hours. Sure enough, he perked up about five minutes before Janet came home. He was standing on his own and waiting at the front door when she arrived and I don't think Janet even believed that I'd had trouble with him earlier.

Dash seemed like a different dog when we took our morning walk around noon. It's still a mystery how he can go from seeming half dead to wanting a walk in the park in just a few hours. We had a nice walk and for the rest of the day, Dash seemed fine. Maybe he's just conserving his energy for the things he likes. Makes sense to me. I'd conserve my energy for the things I liked too, if I could just figure out what I liked.

I made one short excursion to pick up a new supply of Plavix for Dash, but that was about it. The rest of the day was spent just dealing with the basics. It's amazing how long it can take to make the bed when it's covered with protective material to keep your dog from ruining the mattress. It also takes a long time to do the laundry when there is always something soiled. I usually have the TV on during the day, but I don't have the attention span to watch a movie and I'm totally fed up with political news. There ought to be a channel that has nothing but dog rescues, weird weather stories, and updates from NASA. I'd watch that.

I did watch a press conference where the Opportunity Rover team officially called an end to to the little rover's mission. Kind of sad. Hard to believe that it's been fifteen years since I learned that Opportunity and its companion Spirit had both successfully landed on the red planet. I watched the landing on the same computer I'm using now. I'm amazed that Opportunity remained functional that long without regular trips back to the dealership for repairs. Even my computer has been repaired several times during the past 15 years. It's pretty clear that Land Rover could never make a Mars rover. I've never had a car that lasted fifteen years and I don't even drive very much.

I hope I can convince Dash to do his business before he goes to bed tonight. When Dash sleeps well, I sleep well.

Tessa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3337

I had trouble getting back to sleep after I took Dash outside last night, so instead of counting sheep, I tried to remember all the ad agencies I'd worked at in the correct order. This was surprisingly difficult. The first three agencies were easy. So were the last four. The ones in the middle were a muddled mess though. I guess my memory lapse is understandable. I worked at seventeen ad agencies before starting my own company. I eventually fell asleep, but I still have no idea where I worked before I went to Popejoy & Fischel. I can't remember who Popejoy was either.

It was nice to see the sun again. The temperature was warmer too. Dash thought is was a nice day as well. For the first time since his severe diarrhea episode, we were able to take two walks again. Dash still isn't walking normally and probably never will, but he has quickly learned how to use the Help 'Em Up Harness. I basically provide just enough support to keep him from slipping. Dash is still moving his legs on his own. If you have a dog with mobility problems I can't recommend these harnesses enough. They really help.

It was time to vacuum again. Actually it was long past time. There has always been a ton of dog hair in the house, but lately I'm finding Dash's food all over the place. He's having trouble chewing now and food just falls out of his mouth. There are dog biscuit crumbs and little bits of chicken and rice all over the place. Dash's teeth and gums are terrible now, but it is not safe to anesthetize him anymore, so a regular dental cleaning is impossible. I swab his mouth every day with an oral dental rinse and we try to brush his teeth, but it's a losing battle.

Since it was clear and warm this afternoon, I went up on the roof and removed the remaining water. The pumps actually did a pretty good job during the rain. There wasn't as much standing water as I anticipated. I had the entire job finished in less than thirty minutes. The forecast looks good for the immediate future, so maybe I can stay off the roof for a while.

I was happy to see the stock market rebound today. It's unsettling at times that I need to depend on this increasingly volatile market. When I was younger I never gave the stock market a lot of thought. If I needed money, I knew I could always go earn more. Not so easy these days. My skill set has become largely irrelevant. At least I believed in saving when I was younger. Some of my friends didn't. We'll see what the future brings. Somehow I don't think it's going to bring a guaranteed return on my investments. I see a very bumpy road ahead.

A roof panel blew off the greenhouse again last night. Jeez. I thought I'd already fixed that. Apparently, I'm not a very good carpenter.

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day