Day 1600

There were a ton of events to attend this weekend, but we were too tired to even think about most of them. A decade ago, I could have spent the entire weekend wandering around the big guitar show at Fair Park. It hardly seemed worth it though when I haven't even taken the Stratocaster out of its case in several months. Janet and I usually go to the annual Dalmatian Rescue crawfish boil, even though we never eat crawfish. This year, it all seemed too complicated. Dot can't take the heat anymore. Dash is still too sick from his radiation treatments. The event seemed way too far away this year and both of us were really tired. The event was a  no show.

The only event we made an appearance at today was our vet's Wine on the Roof animal rescue fundraiser. We've gone to this event every year since it started. It's hard to believe it's been thirteen years now. Times have changed. Our house is too full of clutter to bid on silent auction items anymore, and I haven't had a glass of wine in five years. It's still a good cause though, and the event is only a few miles from our house. Janet had some wine. I grabbed a few little sandwiches from the buffet table. And we watched a pet fashion show where dogs and cats were dressed up like characters from fairy tales. Less than an hour and a half later, we were back home.

If I had written the blog earlier in the day, I would be asleep by now. Unfortunately, earlier in the day I was sitting at my desk trying to figure out how to put together the new website that is due on Tuesday. I wish I'd kept my big mouth shut and hadn't told my client that it would be easy to replicate the look of a Wordpress site she likes using HTML. Now, that I'm actually looking at the code, it isn't going to be easy after all. Oh, well. I actually didn't mind working on the website project this afternoon, since my other alternatives were mowing the grass or weeding the gardens. I didn't actually finish the website today as I had hoped, but at least I made significant progress. I did fall asleep at the computer for a while, but it was that kind of day.

Dash had a good day. He wasn't as listless and lethargic as he was yesterday and even seemed to enjoy a short afternoon walk. The pain pills much be working. His neck still looks red and raw, but he isn't trying to scratch at the wound anymore. Hopefully, having a two day rest from the radiation will give him time to rest and relax.

I don't know what we'll do tomorrow. If today was any indication, we'll probably sleep in late. There is still a lot that needs to be done, but I doubt that it all needs to be done tomorrow.

Milo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1237

Why do people bring aggressive dogs to a dog park? Why do these same types of people keep aggressive dogs in a quiet neighborhood with small children and well behaved dogs? I think I know the answer. Most of these people are in denial. They think their dogs are just fine and that everybody else is the problem.

Why do I bring this up? Well, there were some aggressive dogs at the dog park this morning and their owners were too busy texting and talking on their phones to even notice what their dogs were doing. There are two types of people who go to dog parks. One group is always aware of what their dogs are doing and spend lots of time throwing balls and playing with their dog. The other type immediately sits down on the nearest bench and begins reading a book or playing games on their phone. These folks have no idea what their dogs are doing, even when they get in trouble.

The people with bad dogs in the neighborhood are even worse. They typically blame everything on the other neighbors and refuse to take responsibility for their dogs bad behavior. Usually you can't do anything about these people until after something bad has happened. Something bad did happen this week. A woman who has large, very aggressive dogs lost control of one of them and it immediately bit another neighbor's dog who was walking on a leash nearby. These two aggressive dogs live nearby and I've been afraid they are going to get loose and come after Dot and Dash for quite a while now. I wish there was an easy way to get people who kept vicious dogs banished from nice neighborhoods. Unfortunately, there isn't. We are a tolerant society and there are no laws that prevent someone from acting like a jerk. Personally, I wouldn't mind a world like the one depicted in Minority Report where crimes are prevented before they happen. Waiting until someone has actually been harmed is a little too late for the victims.

Other than Dot and Dash having a few close calls this morning, it was actually a very nice day. The weather was near perfect and I got a ton of things done around the house. The grass has been mowed, there is a big stack of clean towels in the linen closet, and the carpets have all been vacuumed. I even got a chance to watch the new Dr. Who episode that I recorded on the DVR Saturday night. The crawfish boil yesterday was a big success and we raised a lot of money to help deserving Dalmatians. I haven't seen the numbers, but I assume the wine tasting party for the other rescue group was an even bigger success, because it was well attended and extremely well organized. No a bad weekend at all. We helped some dogs, had some fun, and still managed to complete all our weekend chores.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1236

With two back-to-back charity events to attend, it was a very busy day. I didn't eat any crawfish at the crawfish boil and I didn't drink any wine at the wine tasting event, so the entire day was a little strange. Since we took Dot and Dash to the first event, there was still plenty to do. When Dash was inside, he wanted to go outside and when he was outside, he wanted to go inside again. All Dot wanted was a plate of crawfish. I read way too many negative things about feeding a dog crawfish on the Internet last night though, so she didn't get any. The dogs certainly didn't go away hungry. People were feeding them treats all afternoon.

I discovered today that a new medication my doctor wants me to take actually prevents all the other medications I take from being absorbed by the bloodstream. You'd think the doctor would have noticed this. The drug is safe enough, it just doesn't work when taking anything else at the same time. It looks like I've got a whole new batch of unanswered questions now. It never ends.

I was way too busy today to run my normal Saturday errands. I'll have to get caught up on everything tomorrow. The dogs will get their weekly visit to the dog park first, but there is still a long list of things I need to take care of this weekend. I certainly hope I don't get sick. I almost never catch colds anymore, except when I'm around large crowds of people. That would definitely be today.

Dot and Dash are already sacked out on the bed. They had a big day and seem determined to catch up on their sleep, now that they're home again. I may join them soon. I'm tired. Even though I didn't indulge in as much eating and drinking as the rest of the guests at today's events, the day still wore me out. The little activity wristlet I wear shows that quite a few steps were taken today.

Crosby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1235

It's been a good day. I was more than a little surprised when my regular doctor basically agreed with the big changes my liver specialist and nutritionist have been making since my last visit. This doctor, who seldom sees a pill he doesn't like, actually agreed to take me off one of my medications entirely, and reduce another by half. He seemed genuinely impressed that I've lost twenty pounds and been able to stick with a radically different diet and lifestyle for over three months. Things are looking up. It's been quite a journey so far, but I really think I'm making progress.

Today's sunny skies and warm temperatures probably contributed to my good mood. Thursday's brief return to Winter weather is gone now. It looks like smooth sailing ahead.

Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day. Two different animal rescue groups are having big fundraising events and Janet and I are going to both of them. Both of these events are centered around delicious food and drink that are now on my forbidden list. The first event is a Louisiana style crawfish boil and I can no longer eat shellfish. The second event is a big wine tasting party and I can no longer drink. Oh, well. You can't have everything. Dot and Dash will be able to go to the crawfish boil with us, but I don't think they'll be eating any shellfish either. According to locals, crawfish aren't bad for dogs unless they happen to eat the shell, which is sharp and non-digestible. They are much too rich for most dogs though and can cause diarrhea. That's enough reason right there not to give any to Dot and Dash.

I've just about caught up with all my writing assignments. Getting caught up is a double edged sword though. This means I'll probably have to mow the grass this weekend. That's probably all that's going to get done around the house though. By the time we go to two animal rescue events, do the grocery shopping, and go to the dog park, it will be Monday again.

The new grass and vegetation in the back yard is green and growing. The yard has never looked better. It's much too early to tell whether the dogs will tear the yard up later in the Summer like they usually do, but for the moment, I'm optimistic.

Milo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 872

Today was a dog rescue marathon. We started out with a crawfish boil benefit for Dalmatian Rescue. Crawfish is an acquired taste and I can't honestly say that I've acquired it. Luckily, the Dalmatians have lots of friends from Louisiana and the event was a huge success. You can only have a real crawfish boil at this time of year, because this is when the crawfish are in season. We boiled over 150 pounds of crawfish which were served with the traditional new potatoes and fresh corn on the cob. I saw some diners go back for at least five heaping platters of the critters. You eat crawfish by twisting off the tail and sucking out the meat. It doesn't really taste like shrimp. It doesn't taste like lobster either. I know people in Texas who treat fresh crawfish like caviar, but personally I'd prefer a cheeseburger. It was a great fundraiser though. We made a lot of money for the dogs and everyone was happy.

Lots of people brought their dogs to the crawfish boil. There were fifteen to twenty Dalmatians at the event and every one of them was extremely well behaved. A few people fed crawfish to their dogs, but since many of them had driven a long way to the event, I think they had visions of the dogs throwing up in the car on the way home. The dogs did get lots of dog biscuits though and had plenty of ice water in their bowls. Since the afternoon was warm and the event was outside, most of the dogs just looked for the coolest spot they could find and took a nap. Dash didn't really want a nap though. He wanted to eat everyone's nachos. He had no interest in the crawfish, but he seemed to love the smell of nachos.

This evening, we went to animal rescue event number two. This one was the annual Wine on the Roof fundraiser held by East Lake Pet Orphanage. Wine on the Roof was a lot fancier than a crawfish boil, so Janet and I had to dress up for the event. There was a silent auction, a live auction, a pet fashion show and all sorts of awards and presentations. Oh, there was also lots and lots of wine. Too bad I can't drink anymore. I had a couple of glasses anyway, just to get in the spirit of things. Alcohol gives me terrible heartburn these days though, so I'm careful not to overindulge. I think this is my body's way of telling me to stick with the program and lay off the booze.

It was a very busy day, but tomorrow will be even busier. Janet and I are determined to finish landscaping the back yard tomorrow. It is supposed to rain a lot next week, and it would be nice to have all the grass in place before the rain starts. Based on what we have done already, we should be able to finish in one more day. It's going to be a long day though, and I'm tired already.

Bunny is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day