Day 2923 - Christmas

I enjoy looking at my Facebook page on Christmas morning. It's a nice change of pace from the evening news to see so many people from all walks of life enjoying themselves and having fun. Since most of my Facebook friends appear to be Dalmatians, I might have a somewhat distorted view of what Christmas is all about. It seems to be a day to wear ridiculous costumes, eat lots of treats, and curl up under warm blankets. This is as it should be. Northern Dalmatians appear to love the snow, but I have had few chances to verify this myself. It was certainly cold this morning, but there was no white Christmas.

Dash seemed to know it was a holiday. He let us sleep in this morning, which is a rarity in our house. We bundled up in warm coats and took a Christmas morning walk before breakfast. It was beautiful outside and we virtually had the park to ourselves because it was so cold. We used to put Christmas bows and colorful scarves on the dogs for their Christmas walk, but that seemed a little much today. Dash has to wear so much protective gear now that he probably couldn't move if we asked him to wear anything else.

We didn't end up going to a Christmas movie after all. The film Janet wanted to see wasn't playing anywhere locally and nothing else seemed appealing. Dash had a weird shivering episode around mid-morning too, so it didn't seem right to leave him for any length of time. These shivering spasms are new. He's not cold when they happen and the shaking lasts a few minutes and then he's back to normal. One more question to ask the vets when he goes back for his next echocardiogram and exam in early January.

Janet started fixing Christmas dinner when I took Dash on his afternoon walk. By the time we returned, the house smelled great. I like a traditional holiday feast. We had smoked ham, candied yams, roasted brussels sprouts, Italian sausage dressing, and a pumpkin pie for dessert. Dash got his own special Christmas dinner from Devon's Doggie Delights. It was a quiet low key day which was exactly what everybody needed. I need to remember to go back to the little smokehouse I discovered. Our Christmas ham was amazing.

Time moves so quickly now. This has been an eventful year, filled with challenges and sadness. So much has happened and yet last Christmas just seems like yesterday. There is no time to waste anymore. Janet and I have already outlived some very good friends. It makes you realize that any day you are still healthy enough to wake up and take a walk through the woods with your dog is a good day.

Tomorrow Janet returns to work and I return to my morning smoothie and a day filled with fixing broken things around the house. I still haven't found a solution to my next website challenge, but I will. I may have slowed down, but you can't count me out yet.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1835

Today was pleasant. Janet walked the dogs this morning while I went up to the Land Rover dealer to get my tire fixed. I always enjoy going to the dealership. I've been going there for almost twenty years, so everyone knows me. They have good french roast coffee and if you get there early, there is always a nice selection of pastries from Corner Bakery. Everyone was in a good mood this morning because they all got off at noon for Christmas Eve. Even though I only went to get a nail removed from my tire, they washed my car and vacuumed the interior. If only all businesses were this nice.

On the way home I picked up some dog treats for Dot and Dash and got them each a fresh chicken breast so they could have something special for Christmas dinner as well. Janet and I are having a crown roast, so we'll all be eating well tomorrow. In keeping with my tradition of saving everything until the last minute, I spent the rest of the morning wrapping a few packages to put under the tree.

I sent a confirmation letter to NASA today, telling them that I accepted their invitation. It appears that the closest airport to Vandenberg Air Force Base is in Santa Barbara. There are no direct flights from Dallas, but this still seems better than flying to Los Angeles and then making a long drive up the coastline on Highway 1. I haven't driven a car in Los Angeles since my ad agency days and I remember the traffic being terrible even back in the 1980's. Now that traffic in Dallas is just as bad as LA traffic was in the 80's, I can't even imagine how bad California freeways are today.

We have started giving Dot a low dose of Rimadyl to reduce inflammation and hopefully alleviate some of the discomfort she is currently feeling. I've always been nervous about Rimadyl since it can cause problems with the kidneys and liver. Petey, one of our previous Dalmatians, had severe hip dysplasia and took Rimadyl for many years. It did help him keep walking, but I still keep thinking that it might have contributed to his eventual death from kidney failure. After a long talk with Dot's vet yesterday, I agreed to give Rimadyl a try. She said that side effects were minimal to non-existent at this low of a dose and that at Dot's age, pain management was more important than the possibility of long-term side effects. I like to think that Dot will live forever, but if she is still with us five years from now, she will be the world's oldest Dalmatian. The goal now is just to keep her happy and comfortable for as long as we can.

I saw on the news that Sony Pictures has decided to release The Interview on Christmas Day. I guess this strikes a blow for free speech and all, but it still seems like an odd choice for a Christmas movie. Who would want to go see this on Christmas Day? Call me old fashioned, but when I think of Christmas movies, I still think of things like Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life.

Dalmatian of the Day

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