Day 4722

I went to the storage warehouse today to get the gear we need for this years Santa Paws photos. Most of this equipment has seen better days, but I guess it will last one more year. I think Dalmatian Rescue has been doing this event for over ten years now. It seems like a long time. When I was going to my storage unit, I passed a guy who told me he hoped I had a good lock. He said his unit had just been broken into. I found this hard to believe since all the storage units are inside and monitored by cameras. That's the world we live in these day unfortunately. Janet said it would be a blessing if my unit got robbed. It was hard to argue with her. Most of the stuff in storage there is junk. I just have a hard time getting rid of things.

When I woke up this morning all the leaks had stopped. I emptied the last bucket and put it away. Finally life was back to normal. Three hours later I heard dripping water again. WTF? Is this ever going to end? I put a bucket back under the leak. After about four hours this recurring leak stopped again. I think I'll leave the bucket in place overnight just to play it safe. Janet thinks I should have already hired a roofer by now. I just can't find one that I like or trust. Once burned, twice shy I guess. I've replaced two roofs on this house already using companies recommended by people I respect. Neither of these roofs lasted very well. I hate to do this again, even though it is necessary. Residential roofers typically don't do a good job on flat roofs and commercial and industrial roofers think this job is too small for them.

At least the weather was nice today. We had a pleasant sunrise walk with Dawn this morning and then I went out walking again after breakfast. It's hard to dress for these walks. I'm always cold when I get started and hot by the time I return home. It's surprising how quickly the temperature rises when the sun is out. It was in the low thirties when we got up this morning and almost sixty by the time I finished my long walk. I saw one of the Bald Eagles again today. Nick and Nora appear to be here for the Winter.

My inbox was inundated with Cyber Monday ads today. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are really just the same thing. I deleted most of these messages without even looking at them. Even though I find electronic and camera gear tempting, I don't need anything. I'm not buying more gear this year. If I had stopped buying things I don't need years ago I probably wouldn't have any use for my storage warehouse. 

There is a bad strain of canine flu going around, so we're taking Dawn in for a flu shot tomorrow. You'd think a nurse could just give the shot and we would be on our way. Nope. We had to schedule a full vet appointment to get the shot. This of course make the shot a lot more expensive. Oh, well. It's too bad they don't have doggie Medicare. Dawn is an old dog.

It's time to put the Christmas tree up. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow. It seemed like last year the lights weren't working well. That probably means that they won't be working well this year either. We'll see how it goes.

Scooter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2541

The dogs wore me out today. Usually they sleep enough during the day so I can get my work done. Not today. Dash had an upset stomach and needed to go outside frequently. Dot was just restless. Every hour or so she would start barking for me to lift her out of her bed. We'd walk around aimlessly for a while and then she'd go back to bed again. We did this over and over again for most of the day. Dot is forgetful now. She'll go to her water bowl and then she'll go outside, and as soon as we come in, she'll go to her water bowl again. When she's restless, she'll repeat these simple activities over and over again. I can't just leave her to her own devices, because she'll quickly fall over or get herself stuck in a corner somewhere. She can also poop at any time without warning, so I'm always following behind her, holding up her rear end with the harness. I guess it's a good thing when Dot feels active, but sometimes I wonder if her restlessness is caused by pain or discomfort.

I'm used to a routine. When the routine changes I get worried. What does it mean when Dot gets restless and agitated? There have been times in the past when restlessness was the first sign of a serious illness. Usually, it just means that she's bored and wants more activity. She didn't have a fever today and seemed calm when she was sleeping, so I'm assuming that she just had more energy than usual. I could be wrong, but I can't take her to the vet every single day.

I've got to figure a better way to manage my own stress. It's hard caring for a dog that could die at any moment. There are so many things that could go wrong. Although Dot's dementia is getting worse, she still seems happy. She loves her slow walks and she eats her meals with gusto. I don't think she's even aware that she's pooping all over the place. I do my best to make her feel normal and that's really all I can do.

Now that Black Friday is over, I was inundated with a second wave of Cyber Monday e-mail this morning. I think every store I've ever shopped at in my life offered me some sort of discount or special coupon this week. Some of the deals are amazing. I bought a few little things because why not? My days of reckless consumerism are over though. I just don't have the money anymore.

I lost my reading glasses again. I think I could have a pair in every room and I'd still manage to lose them all within a month. The house is small, but when I lose these glasses, they're gone for good. I searched for almost an hour this morning and turned up nothing. Where did they go? Usually, I can never find these glasses until I buy a new pair and then they'll miraculously turn up again, often in plain sight. Some days I'm not sure whether Dot has dementia or I do.

I got a couple of website assignments toward the end of the day, so I should be busy tomorrow. Hopefully, the dogs will be calmer so I can get some work done. At the very least, it would be nice if they could just chill out while I eat my own breakfast. I don't bother them while they're eating, so why do they continually bother me when I'm eating? I never should have introduced them to bananas.

Scooter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day