Day 4250

Dawn's infection is gone. There was no bacteria in the cultured sample this time. This is good news. We've still got to get rid of the bladder stones though. She has an appointment next week and the vet is going to try to flush out her bladder first and try to avoid the need for surgery. We still may need surgery though because the infection will reoccur of the stones remain in her bladder. There was some talk of doing a CT scan to see if there was anything else going on in her abdomen, but we decided to take things one step at a time and see if getting rid of the bladder stones solves her problems. The new allergy pills Dawn is taking now appear to be working. She hardly tried to lick her paws at all today.

I scheduled a service appointment for my car today and was surprised to discover that the first availability for a loaner car was September 28. Jeez. I asked what the problem was and the service guy said that the chip shortage we've been hearing about was so bad that the dealership was having problems keeping cars on the lot. They have started to sell their loaner car fleet as used cars now. They said they could do the service sooner without a loaner car, but I'm not falling for that again.  Whenever the dealership says they can get the car back the same day, you're usually still waiting four days later. I still need to get my car safety inspected this month, but I can do that anywhere.

Dawn seemed slow on her walk this morning. Maybe it is the new allergy pills she's taking. I hope allergy medications don't affect her the same way they affect me. When I take antihistamines or even something like Allegra, I just don't feel right. It feels like there is a constant buzzing in my head. It's almost better to have the allergies. Luckily allergy season is over for a while. I wish dogs could talk. It's always hard to tell how medications affect them.

The gym seems different now. It feels like the early days right after it first reopened. More people are wearing masks while they exercise now. There is no requirement to do this, but some people must be worried. The gym is so large and empty that being near other people is rarely a problem. There were less than ten people in the entire place this afternoon. I saw no need to keep my mask on while I exercised.

The treadmill I use is near a TV that is permanently tuned to HGTV. I've noticed that these home improvement shows all follow a fairly rigid formula. First a designer leads a couple through a house that looks completely messed up. A wall is always removed to "open the place up." A huge amount of time is spent choosing ceramic tiles for a kitchen backsplash. Usually the old carpet is ripped up to reveal a pretty hardwood floor underneath that everyone wants to keep. Finally pine cones and arty little nicknacks are placed on shelves, throw pillows are strategically placed on the couch and the couple is invited back in to ooh and ahh. I'm sure the cooking shows follow a formula too, but those TVs are in another part of the gym that I seldom use.

We had spaghetti for dinner tonight. I know this will give me heartburn, but it is still one of my favorite meals. Other than the occasional acid reflux, I'm feeling pretty healthy. My dermatologist keeps leaving me text messages to make an appointment, but there is nothing wrong with my skin. I feel like staying far away from hospitals and medical facilities right now. It's time to make a grocery list again. I feel sorry for the grocery store people because they're probably going to have to put all those "Stay six feet apart" stickers back on the floor that they just got finished scraping up. Hopefully nobody starts hoarding toilet paper again.

Emma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day