Day 4839

I hate getting old and forgetful. Today I accidently left my wallet in my pants while I was doing a load of wash and all the paper ID cards inside basicallly disintegrated. Any cards made of plastic were fine, but more things than I thought were made of coated paper. I'm trying to dry this stuff out, but in some cases it's a lost cause. Everything can be replaced, but it's a big hassle and will involve a lot of phone calls. Will I ever do this again? I certainly hope not.

Other than being irrationally fearful, Dawn seems fine now. We've reduced her meds to a minimal dose and will discontinue them entirely in a few days. Dawn seems strong and moves around normally now. The swelling on her neck is gone and her collar fits normally again. If we could just get her to quit shaking her head so much, she might be fine for quite a while. She does have a bulging disc in her neck though, so we need to be careful. Unfortunately it's very hard to tell a Dalmatian to be careful.

I got my grocery shopping done this morning without any problems. I found everything I needed easily and prices seem to have stabilized. The weekend traffic is still horrible, but what else is new? At least the weather was nice today. A beautiful Spring day makes everything a little easier.

Dawn seemed completely normal today, so I felt comfortable leaving her alone in the house while I took my long walk. She wasn't really alone that long because Janet didn't leave the house until I was on my way home. It was easy to get 21,000 steps today because I did a fair amount of walking while I was out grocery shopping. I can't say that I made good time though. I may never make good time on these walks again. My painful feet are really a problem. You've got to keep moving though. I'm convinced that a healthy diet and staying active are the secret to a long life.

The park is really pretty at this time of year. The early wildflowers are in full bloom now and new flowers will be appearing weekly for at least the next month. I keep thinking we're having an early Spring, but really this is just a normal Spring. The flowers always start blooming around this time of year. I wonder if I'll ever see the eagles again? I know they are in the area because the birders have staked out several areas to watch for them. I would never have the patience these guys seem to have. They bring lawn chairs and an array of cameras with long lenses, often waiting for hours for the birds to appear. I just get lucky occasionally when I accidentally happen to be in the right place at the right time.

I had a nice conversation with a neighbor I seldom see while I was out walking today. We both used to play in bands back in the day and chatted about guitars, our dogs, real estate values, and changes in the neighborhood. There have been a lot of changes in the neighborhood. Janet and I have lived here over 35 years and the place has undergone a lot of gentrification. I liked the place a lot better before the park became a popular destination, but I guess you can't stop progress. It's probably a good thing that the neighborhood has become desirable, although I couldn't afford to buy a house here anymore. People definitely aren't trying to escape from this place.

It looks like tomorrow will be another clear Spring day, so Dawn ought to have a nice Sunday outing. I'll go mall walking indoors even though the weather outdoors is just about perfect. Mall walking on Sunday has become part of my regular routine.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day