Day 3431

Every one in a while I will revisit a restaurant I've abandoned just to see if the menu has changed or if there is a new chef. Today I went back to a neighborhood place that used to be a favorite of mine and much to my surprise the restaurant was gone. The building was completely empty and there was a big For Lease sign on the window. I wonder what happened? I guess I don't understand the restaurant business. The last time I was here the food was decent and there were lots of customers.

Since I couldn't eat in an empty building, I went to another restaurant I hadn't visited for a while. This one was still open, but it seemed pretty empty. This was another place that used to have a good breakfast crowd. My Eggs Benedict came on a pretty square plate, but the chef clearly didn't know how to poach an egg. I felt like going back to the kitchen and showing him how to make this dish.

I don't know where I'm going to go next Friday. Clearly I didn't have a lot of luck today. Breakfast is a simple meal. It's easy to tell if the restaurant is using fresh, real ingredients or just something they got off the Sysco food service truck. You can always tell if the hash browns are fresh or frozen. I suspect that my entire meal was frozen food service fare this morning.

I took my regular long walk when I returned home, but I must have been a glutton for punishment today because I decided that it was a good day to clean all the windows and remove the spiderwebs from the house. This is a messy but necessary job. I try to do it just once a year.

I thought the pressure washer would make the job easier, but it actually made the situation worse. The spray was strong enough to remove paint but apparently wasn't strong enough to remove spiderwebs. I should have just used a garden hose. It took forever just to get the pressure washer started. The ground lift safety feature that was supposed to keep me from being shocked wasn't working properly and the power kept cutting out. To make matters worse, Mud Dauber wasps had tried to make a nest in the nozzles and sealed the tubes with mud. I guess I don't use the pressure washer very frequently.

The windows look pretty good now although it still feels like I've got a few spiderwebs in my hair. Sadly, I just finished the back half of the house. I've got to do this all over again to remove the spiderwebs from the front. These spiders are relentless. They build webs that are stronger than Superglue and then they poop all over the window trim. Nature is nice, but there are times when when I'd rather live on the seventeenth floor of a nice new high rise.

Mr. Fitbit should be happy today. I certainly took quite a few steps. Staying active doesn't seem to be a problem. I take two long walks every day now and usually try to do something useful around the house. Finding something I actually enjoy doing is going to be more problematic.

Susie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3319

I thought a place that could make delicious Shrimp Grits would be even better at making Eggs Benedict. Wrong. I was disappointed this morning. Damn. I should have had the Shrimp Grits again. This is the problem with being adventurous. Often things don't turn out as planned.

I'm not that interested in being adventurous, but I do realize that you can't spend your entire life doing the same thing over and over again. I'll admit that I come closer to monotony than most people, but everyone needs a little variety. I once found a restaurant that served absolutely perfect Migas. I ordered this dish for breakfast every Friday for three years. One day my breakfast tasted terrible and two months later the restaurant went out of business. I never really discovered what happened, but I've been looking for perfection ever since.

I do think I've found the perfect French Toast, but I don't always feel like something sweet. Oh, well. I guess the search for perfection continues. This odd quest does make Friday a little different than the other days of the week, so I guess all is good. I have a feeling that I'll go back to having French Toast at the hotel next week.

I need to remember that morning walks are for Dash and not for me. It takes a lot of patience to walk Dash these days. It's difficult to take photographs along the way like I used to because I'm spending all my time making sure that Dash stays upright. A small twig can make him stumble and fall. He can't seem to walk in a straight line anymore. We meander all over the place. Dash will often backtrack and return to smell something he forgot. Sometimes he refuses to leave a smell and starts sneezing when the odor becomes too strong. It's almost like he is getting high on the things he smells. I wonder how well he can see, because it seems like he is just traveling from one smell to the next without really looking where he is going. I have to be real careful when we come to gullies and ravines. Dash seems to have no depth perception anymore. If I wasn't holding tightly to his harness today, he would have fallen into a gully. All he cared about was a smell right on the edge.

The buyer for one of the items I auctioned in New York has missed their payment deadline. The payment is not just a few days late, it's almost a full month late. Unfortunately, I don't get paid until the auction house get paid so I'm starting to get frustrated. Auction houses never provide personal information about buyers. I'm starting to have fears that the buyer is a Russian oligarch who just had all his funds frozen. My contact at the auction house says not to worry. Easy for her to say.

The weather is still very cold, but the skies are clear and the humidity is low. Everything is starting to dry out again. I was going to get up early and look for Jupiter and Venus in the predawn sky. When the time arrived, I chose to sleep for another twenty minutes instead. Dash was restless last night and I didn't get much sleep. Janet thinks the new waterproof dropcloth I got recently is making the bed too slippery for him. Who knows. Maybe it is. I guess I'll be looking for another bed protection alternative this weekend.

We had pizza for dinner tonight. A good New York style thin crust pizza is hard to beat. I'm almost certain that this meal will give me heartburn, but somehow a little heartburn seems a fitting way to end a less than perfect day.

Bones is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3221

I'm glad the daily rain doesn't usually start until around 9 AM. Even though the rain has been relentless this week, I've almost always been able to give Dash a morning walk. The evening walks are problematic, but at least he gets a chance to get outside. We didn't get an early start this morning, so we did get a little wet, but I'm not complaining. The daily downpour didn't begin until an hour after we returned home.

I'm getting used to the rain. I don't let it interfere with my activities anymore. Since there was no thunder today and Dash was sleeping calmly, I went out to breakfast anyway. Lately, I've been searching for the perfect Eggs Benedict without much success. Is this dish really that hard to make? A good Eggs Benedict is just an English Muffin topped with ham, a perfectly poached egg, and hollandaise sauce. All too often people seem to want to add Sriracha to the hollandaise and pile different meat and vegetables on top. It's not a sandwich guys. Today I tried a Lobster Benedict. Shredded lobster meat, asparagus, and some sort of spicy tomato bisque over a bagel was certainly creative. It just didn't taste very good. My holy grail breakfast is perfectly prepared French Toast, Eggs Benedict, or Migas. These simple dishes are surprisingly difficult to find.

Dash was still sleeping when I returned from breakfast. I wasn't surprised that he was tired. Once again he kept me up half the night cleaning up poop. At least this time the mess stayed on a protective mat on top of the bed so cleanup was much easier. I'm glad we have the special sanitize setting on our washing machine. It's been getting a lot of use lately. Since he didn't poop again on his morning walk like he usually does, I spent the rest of the day waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was still puzzled late this afternoon by the absence of poop until I accidentally stepped in the stuff on the living room floor.

I got a letter from NASA today inviting me to apply for a chance to watch a Cygnus resupply mission to the International Space Station from Wallops Island, Virginia. Why are these launch sites so difficult to fly to from Dallas? I had to make several connecting flights to get to Vandenberg Air Force Base. It's looks like I'd need to do the same to travel to Wallops Island. I don't think I'll apply. The trip looks expensive. Wallops Island launches often get postponed by weather. Dash is getting pretty hard for one person to manage too. Cleaning up the poop at night is often a two person job.

It would be nice to have something fun to do. I never realized how much of my life was devoted to work until I was fully retired. Dash certainly keeps me busy, but taking care of a sick dog can be very stressful. I need something relaxing. Going out to breakfast on Friday morning used to be relaxing, but when you can't even find a decent Eggs Benedict this become irritating as well.

The best part of today was a long nap with Dash. Early this afternoon, I realized I was very tired. I lay down next to Dash on the bed around 2 PM and didn't wake up again until after 4. I'm not really expecting a good night's sleep tonight, but it would be a nice bonus if I got one.

Diva is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3116

Little things have become way too complicated. When I got in the car this morning, there was a warning light on the dash that said my left rear tire was low. In the past I would have gotten the compressor out of the garage and added a little air. Can't do that anymore. These tires are filled with nitrogen which forces me to go to the dealer every time a tire is low. The service tech added some nitrogen to the low tire and said everything was fine. On the way back home, the warning light came on again, so I returned to the dealership a second time. I told them to check the tire again and this time they found a nail. Jeez. Why didn't they notice the nail the first time?

While I was waiting for the tire to be fixed, I looked at new cars. I don't think I'll be getting a Land Rover again. Not only have these cars become way too expensive, I don't like the current styling. None of the rear seats fold flat anymore. The seats in my current car fold completely flat, making it much easier to carry dogs. The nice boxy shape of my car is gone too. Everything on the showroom floor was curvy and sleek. I loved my old Defender, but the new Discovery and Range Rover models aren't even remotely like this amazing go anywhere, carry anything truck. Nobody makes anything like the Defender anymore. It had no airbags and hand cranked windows, but it did have a big V-8 engine and enough room in the back for an extra large dog crate. My current car is much fancier, but I always liked the Defender best.

I probably got the nail in my tire while I was eating breakfast. There was some construction going on nearby, and I should have just driven to another restaurant. I seem to get nails and screws in my tires every time I go near a construction site. My Eggs Benedict were fine, but this meal certainly wasn't worth spending half the day at a car dealership. I wasn't even that hungry. The day would have been much more productive if I'd just stayed home.

The wall I've been repairing is painted now, but the house smells terrible. I'd forgotten that oil base enamel has a much stronger smell to it than latex paint. I would have left the doors and windows open for a while, but the house would have instantly been filled with bugs and it was way too hot and humid anyway. Hopefully, as the paint dries the smell will go away.

It rained while I was at the Land Rover dealer. The rain didn't last long, but there was quite a downpour for about thirty minutes. When I returned home, there was some evidence that there had been a short power outage. The computer was off and several of the uninterrupted power supplies were beeping. Dash was waiting at the door too. He's usually asleep while I'm gone. I have no idea how bad things were, but I hope that Dash didn't freak out. The only saving grace was that this wasn't a thunderstorm. It was just a heavy rain.

It's too bad the roofers didn't come over while we were having two weeks of bone dry weather. It would have been an ideal time to finish their repairs. We're back to square one again. I've got to remove all the standing water from the roof, start checking for leaks again, and resume pestering the roofers to finish what they started.

Wendy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3060

I felt old and tired today. Why? I mowed the grass and went up on the roof to inspect for damage again. I'm either going to need to buy a self propelled mower or hire a lawn care service. Pushing this mower up and down hills is becoming harder and harder. I noticed something strange today. Even though I did quite a bit of walking mowing the grass, my fitness tracker didn't record any steps. I guess you have to be moving your arms for the step counter to work. When you're pushing a lawn mower your arms are extended straight out in front of you, holding on to the handle. I feel cheated. There should have been a lot more steps today.

Dash's boot fell off again this morning. He got alarmed at a dog up ahead and tried to turn around quickly. Unfortunately, his rear legs didn't leave the ground when he made this move and the boot twisted off. Once again, I couldn't get the boot back on again my myself and we had to finish the walk without it. Even though we didn't walk far, there was a raw spot on his paw when we returned. I've got to figure a way to get the boots on securely before we leave the house. I don't think there's another boot we could try. We're already using the most durable, best fitting boots out there.

I discovered more damaged areas on the roof this morning. Luckily, we haven't had any rain in a while and the roof was dry. I tried to contact the roofer again and this time I hit pay dirt. The roofer promised that his crew would be out at my house on Monday. I hope they can repair things correctly this time. I'm really getting tired of having to go up on the roof every week. I rarely use a ladder to get up on the roof. There is a decorative pattern of protruding bricks on one of the walls and I use these bricks to access the roof. Climbing up on the roof is almost like going to one of those indoor rock climbing centers. Like the heavy lawn mower, this is one more thing I'm getting way too old to mess with.

There was blood on the bedspread this morning. It didn't take long to discover that it was coming from Dash's mouth. He's had an infection on his lip that we've been treating with medicated pads our vet gave us. The medication doesn't appear to be working. When I looked at Dash's mouth this morning, the sore spot on his lip had gotten worse. We think this is a viral or bacterial infection that Dash picked up from spending so much time smelling things in the park. Mostly he smells where other dogs have peed. This is probably a good way to pick up an infection. Dash has more than enough wrong with him already, but I bet we're going to be adding an oral antibiotic to his list of daily meds.

I went back to the place where I had some tasty Eggs Benedict a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, the place has a new chef who decided to take liberties with the hollandaise sauce. Today's creation had something that could only be described as Mexican hollandaise. It was pink and very spicy. I didn't like it at all. Jeez. Why would you even think about messing with Eggs Benedict?

I watched Space X launch the new Block 5 version of the Falcon 9 this afternoon. At the end of these launch broadcasts, the on-camera presenter usually says something like "If you enjoyed this broadcast, come join us." Then there is always a web address for Space X career opportunities. If I were younger, I would definitely follow up on this. This is one of the few companies around that is actually doing something I believe in.

Dodger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3046

My friend from Kentucky will be arriving in town fairly soon, so it's time to start sorting through my collection of model trains. Not many people collect trains anymore, but this guy knows them all. I spent some time at the storage warehouse today, trying to decide which models will sell. I can't even remember how long it took me to accumulate this stuff. I guess at some point I thought that I would live in a giant loft someday with plenty of room to build a huge working layout. There was going to be another huge area set aside as a music room with a drum kit and guitar amplifiers already in place so I could play or write whenever the urge hit me. What was I thinking? Any rational person could have told me that this was never going to happen unless I won the lottery. I've never let reason get in the way, so here I am sitting in a storage warehouse, looking at a dusty pile of stuff I've never even used.

I'm not the only guy who does this. I've known plenty of guys over the years who have become obsessed with collecting vintage guitars, guns, old cars, microphones, mechanical watches, and even farm tractors. Guys are attracted to stuff the same way that a moth is attracted to a flame. A few collections are valuable, but most aren't. Collections aren't about money. They are about always needing just one more example of whatever you've got already. No matter how many guitars or model trains you have, the one you're really looking for is still out there taunting you.

The joy of collecting has finally turned into a burden for me. It's time to start lightening the load. If I can find a new home for the trains, maybe I can start thinking about the books, vinyl records, porcelain Dalmatians, old watches, analog mixing boards, and other oddities that are gathering dust.

On my way to the storage warehouse, I took some pants to the tailor to get hemmed. The tailor is a pleasant older Chinese woman who can fix anything. I've taken a ton of clothes to her over the years that I probably should have thrown away. I guess I probably collect clothes too. I wish there were more little shops like the tailor shop. There used to be a guy who fixed all my cameras. There was a guy who fixed sewing machines. Someone else fixed typewriters. There was even someone who specialized in repairing strobe lights for photo studios. That's all he did and he was very busy. Most of these specialized repair shops are gone. It's even getting harder to find a decent shoe repair shop these days. Sadly, we live in a disposable society.

I had Eggs Benedict for breakfast this morning. I wasn't hungry for eggs last night, but this morning I was. The restaurant was crowded and noisy, but the food was good. You don't hear conversations in a crowded restaurant. You just hear words. The experience feels like one of those word clouds you see on people's blogs. The words I heard a lot today were leadership potential, grandparents, stress, contractor, doctor, boss, and unfair. I didn't add to the conversations. I never do.

We got a new supplement called Movoflex for Dash today. Our vet recommended it and it is supposed to help him with mobility and joint pain. Movoflex appears to be an alternative to glucosamine and chondroitin which never really worked for Dash, but anything is worth a try.

Chance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3018

The house was cold this morning when I woke up. The thermostat said the heat was on, but no air was blowing through the vents. Yep. On probably the last cool day of the year, the furnace broke. I was actually surprised that we made it through the winter with no problems. I looked at the furnace and the fault alert LED was blinking seven times. Hmm. I think I've seen this before. I unplugged the furnace and laid out my tools on the kitchen counter. When I returned from breakfast, I would have one more thing to fix.

Breakfast was actually pretty decent this morning. I gambled on Eggs Benedict and for once it was prepared correctly. I was surprised at how crowded the restaurant was today. I guess a lot of people had the day off. I picked up groceries after breakfast and the store was even more crowded than the restaurant. The deli section featured braised brisket, matzo-ball soup, kugel, and other Passover favorites. I still wanted an Easter ham, but I wasn't going to get it here. There is a great little store in our neighborhood that smokes their own meat.

When I returned home I disassembled the furnace to gain access to the flame sensor. I suspected that this was the problem. I've spent a fortune on furnace repairs over the years before a friendly technician took pity on me and showed me how to clean the flame sensor myself. If the flame sensor is not very clean, it will not send the signal to turn the main burners on after the pilot light ignites. Occasionally components break or wear out, but most furnace problems have something to do with the flame sensor. Sure enough, when I cleaned the sensor with fine grit sandpaper and reassembled everything, the furnace worked perfectly. Let's hope the air conditioner works as well, because we're going to be using it very soon.

Dash's new boots arrived today. Janet and I had been looking at this well known Dalmatian on Facebook wearing these fancy Ultra-Paws boots all winter and finally decided to try a pair ourselves. The boots were a little pricy, but they do seem to work. I can get them on myself and Dash doesn't seem to mind them at all. He's been test driving them all evening.

I think I've found a new use for Shoe Goo. After Superglue failed several times, I used the Shoe Goo to repair the silicon strap on my fitness tracker. I let the repair dry for 24 hours and so far it's been holding up pretty well. Ordinarily, I would have just bought a new fitness tracker, but the Jawbone company has gone out of business. I think my choices are Shoe Goo or nothing.

Dash got me up twice last night to go outside and poop. I try my best to get Dash to do his business before we all go to bed, but Dash just thinks I'm crazy. He's just not going to go before he's ready. Things were easier when Dash ate dry food and didn't take so many pills. I'm not sure what to do at this point, but naps during the day are certainly an option. I'm definitely not very busy anymore.

The roof is drying out, but there's an ugly rust colored stain in the sheetrock. I've left several messages for the roofer, but I'm sure he's got his hands full with bigger leaks than mine. I hope I don't have to go buy more of the messy elastomer material myself, but it may come to that. I'm always fixing something.

Sparky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2412

Another day, another terrorist attack. Throughout the afternoon I kept hearing conflicting reports on social media. One would say the shooter was a neo-nazi who shouted that he hated foreigners. Another would say that he was an Islamic radical who shouted Allāhu Akbar. Clearly one of these reports was a fabrication. Maybe neither of them was true. News is an uncharted wilderness these days. It's all spin. Whenever almost anything happens, someone will quickly try to twist the narrative to suit their needs. Objectivity increasingly seems like a quaint, outdated concept that few people have any use for. Most people, including myself, have no idea what the truth is and just pick the narrative that fits their preconceived notions.

When I flipped back and forth between Fox and MSNBC last night I could have sworn that I was watching two different conventions. One network thought that the event had channeled the inner pulse of middle class America while the other dismissed the whole thing as an unmitigated disaster. I used to think I could discover the truth by listening to both sides of the story, but I'm not so sure anymore. Spinning a story has become an art form and it's almost impossible to tell the difference between fact and fiction. Where is Walter Cronkite when you need him?

Today was slow but it started out nicely. I had Eggs Benedict at my new favorite restaurant and then returned home to finish my remaining website updates. The roofers didn't show up, but at least I got an explanation. It was apparently too hot for the roofers to work. If that's the case, I'm probably not going to get my roof fixed until September.

My pet cam has quit working again. It's so irritating that AT&T keeps tweaking its firewall settings and the apps on my phone keep automatically updating themselves overnight while I sleep. I'll get everything set just the way I want it and then a new version of an app will come out that upsets the apple cart. I have lots of old applications on my office computer for a reason. The apps are stable, don't crash, and do exactly what they are supposed to do. It's hard to keep out outdated apps on your phone, because they update themselves automatically. By the time I get the pet cam working, there will be a brand new version of the app that sets me back to square one again. I often feel like Sisyphus, continually pushing the same rock up the hill over and over again.

I felt like having Pizza tonight, so I went and ordered a nice looking large pie at one of our favorite Italian restaurants. When did ordering pizza become expensive? When I was in college, pizza was one of the cheapest things you could have for dinner. Now, I can order Chinese, Cheeseburgers, or a wide variety of other take-out meals for much less. Pizza still costs less than good barbecue though. We save barbecue for special occasions.

Once again, I screwed up and took my evening meds in the morning. There's a reason they tell you to take Niacin at night. The flushing sensation it can cause can be severe and make you feel like you are burning up. The sensation seldom lasts more than an hour, but it does make me check my meds a little more carefully the next day.

I'm not sure what I'm going to do this weekend.  Anything that involves sleep sounds good to me.

Pongo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2411

Live streaming has revolutionized the way I watch television. I rarely watch the TV in the kitchen or the bedroom anymore. And I rarely watch the same things I used to. Now, whenever a space geek friend gives me a heads up about an upcoming launch, I watch it live on my computer. I'm somewhat of a news junky, so I'll often keep a window open in the right side of my screen, just in case something interesting happens. I usually keep the sound muted, because I can't multi-task. Every once in a while I'll turn the sound up for a few minutes and then get back to work.

I'm not really a political person, but I do find political conventions interesting. One of the first things that caught my eye this week was G.E. Smith. I've watched this guy play guitar for decades in the David Letterman Band. When did he start a house band for the Republican Party? Maybe they decided to have their own house band because they grew tired of musicians saying that they weren't authorized to use their music. I find this amusing. Don't these musicians understand how their own music licensing agreements work. If you want to play Queen's music for example, you don't need to ask Queen personally. Anyone, including both political parties, can secure the necessary rights through one of the three major performing rights organizations. If you run a concert venue, a restaurant, a bar, or an ad agency you can pay a flat fee to these to a licensing agency like BMI which allows you to play any music you want. Queen’s "We Are the Champions" is part of the BMI catalog. A performer doesn't have the option of restricting their music to certain radio stations or political parties. That's just how it works. Back in my agency days I've licensed well known songs for ridiculous advertising campaigns. The musicians might have been embarrassed, but I guarantee that they kept the money.

So did anything catch my eye this evening. Well, Peter Thiel certainly did. Peter is right up there with Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Tim Cook. I wonder what my Silicon Valley friends think about that endorsement. The sound is muted now on my computer, but I wouldn't be surprised if something catches my attention later.

I picked up a prescription today, but that was the only time I left the house. I spent the rest of the day wondering when Dot was going to poop. She has an uncanny ability to have her accidents when I'm in the shower or on the phone. The bed where she sleeps most of the day is in plain sight when I'm working at the computer, but she still manages to surprise me.

This week has gone quickly. I haven't heard anything from the roofers yet, so I have my doubts that they'll show up tomorrow as promised. Dot has done well this week. Her legs are still weak, but she isn't limping now. If she continues to improve, we might go back to physical therapy next Wednesday. The trash has been taken out to the curb and it's almost time for bed. I'm looking forward to having a delicious breakfast tomorrow morning. Eggs Benedict sounds good.

Katie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2377

I treated the yard for mosquitoes today. It's too early to tell whether the spray treatment works, but the entire yard now smells like a giant Citronella Candle. I tried to pick a time to spray the yard when I knew the dogs would be asleep, but as soon as I finished, they both woke up and needed to go out and pee. The bottle says this stuff is completely safe around pets, but it would have been nice if they'd given the yard a chance to dry before we tested that theory. I wiped their paws off with a rag and they both went back inside and resumed their nap .

Breakfast was enjoyable this morning. I'm trying new things, and so far the experiment seems to be going well. It may not seem earth shattering to try something different for breakfast, but for me it is. For over three years I went to the same place and ordered the same thing every Friday morning. Those days appear to be over now, whether I like it or not. I didn't really ask for this variety, but maybe it's for the best. At any rate, my Eggs Benedict were quite tasty this morning.

I'm still wondering whether I'm going to run out of money this month. I paid the Visa bill and my annual homeowners insurance today, but the Mastercard bill with the humongous car repair charge hasn't arrived yet. It's going to be a close call. I guess I don't really need to pay my credit card bills in full every month, but partial payments seem like a slippery slope. I've always paid my bills on time. If something ever happened where I couldn't, I think it would be a very ominous sign.

I seem to get most of my work assignments on Fridays now. I'm not complaining, but it would be nice if I were able to spread the work out during the week. As it stands, I often end up working weekends even though the office is dead quiet during the rest of the week. I have a couple of new assignments this weekend. Some of the assignments could probably wait until Monday, but I have a feeling that I'll be working this weekend anyway. My compulsion to turn work assignments around as soon as I receive them is almost as strong as my compulsion to pay bills on time.

I've got a birthday coming up this weekend. I've always been a typical Gemini with a need to have two of everything. Lately, the things that come in pairs seem to be bad knees and sore elbows. It's a bitch celebrating a body that is falling apart. Hey, I'm still here though. Every time I look at Dot, I realize it's all about attitude. If she can keep hanging in there, so can I.

Bali is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2376

Maybe I've set the bar too low, but I felt like I accomplished something today. There a new battery in an old iPhone that had just been sitting in a junk drawer for several years. The Interstate Battery technician reminded me that there was no SIM card in the phone, but I told him that I didn't care. I'm just going to use the phone as a WiFi pet cam. It was strangely satisfying that I revived this old phone for less than half of what it would have cost if I took it to those guys at the Genius Bar in the Apple Store. Jeez, it's just a battery. It never should have cost $75 in the first place.

I also have an extended warranty on my main production camera that will probably outlast me. I got the warranty certificate this morning and now I just need to figure out where to put it, so I won't have to spend three days looking for it when the camera eventually breaks. I don't know why I need a paper certificate anyway. Panasonic should already have all my information in a database somewhere.

The only other thing on the agenda was getting a haircut. When my eyebrows start to look like Andy Rooney, I know it's time for a haircut. I wasn't rushed today, so I stopped by the Apple Store on the way to my appointment and took a look at the new larger iPad Pro. I may get one of these things, since it is much lighter and more convenient than my current laptop. With the handy keyboard case attached, this clever tablet could easily replace my laptop. Now, all I need is a month without excessive bills, so I can pay for it.

While I was walking back to the parking garage after my haircut, I stopped in the Tesla Store to take a look at the new Model X. I'd never seen one of these things before and it was pretty impressive. With its gull wing doors, space age electronics, and oversize wheels, the Model X seemed like something the Jetsons would drive. I doubt that I'll be driving one anytime soon. I might be able to afford an iPad Pro, but I'll never be able to afford a Tesla Model X.

When I was walking Dash this afternoon, I noticed quite a few Scissor-Tail Swallows flying around. These birds are kind of amazing and can seemingly hover like a helicopter. I wanted to get a picture of one of them in flight, but Dash was getting hot and was in a hurry to get home. I managed to get one shot of a Swallow resting on a nearby branch, but that was about it. It's an uphill battle to do nature photography when you're walking a Dalmatian.

The trash has already been taken out to the curb. Today's wash is in the dryer, and I'm trying to decide what to have for breakfast tomorrow. Eggs Benedict sounds good.

Hershey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1277

Fridays are somewhat ritualized. After I walk the dogs, I go out for breakfast and order something more interesting than oatmeal. This is usually a high cholesterol meal with several eggs, but I figure that one day out of seven with too much cholesterol is a lot better than the seven days out of seven that used to be the norm for me. After breakfast, I go to the grocery store and buy groceries for the weekend. Then I come home and try to finish the week's work so I can start my weekend free and clear of obligations.

I woke up this morning with a throbbing pain in my right leg. I momentarily thought I might have deep vein thrombosis or something equally foreboding. Then I remembered that I was stung by bees yesterday. I seem to be a lot more sensitive to bee stings than I used to be. This was one heck of a sting. Maybe the dreaded killer bees have finally arrived in Dallas.

It keeps getting hotter. The temperature was over 100 degrees at some point this afternoon. Maybe I'll finally get a tan this Summer. I've lost to much weight recently that I finally don't feel bad about walking the dogs without a shirt in the Summer. I certainly don't look like a young lifeguard, but it's better than it used to be.

I never like driving in Dallas in the Summer. The old Defender has a tendency to overheat and when I'm stuck in rush hour traffic I can literally see the temperature gauge on the dash inch upwards as I sit stranded at a traffic light. I've had to pull over to let the engine cool before, and it will probably happen again. It certainly takes the fun out of driving when every drive is a race against the clock to get home again before the engine overheats. Today, I needed to get some more ink for my large format printer. I did the smart thing. I just had my ink vendor drop ship the ink to me via UPS. I never though I'd use UPS to send things across town, but sometimes it makes sense.

I took Janet to the airport again this afternoon in 99 degree weather. It definitely made sense to take her car. No matter which Land Rover I drive, the airport is about as far as I ever go these days.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1227

I took the back roads to the Land Rover dealer this morning. With all five living presidents in town, plus a ton of foreign dignitaries, I wasn't getting anywhere near the SMU campus today. Traffic was backed up in that part of town yesterday, and I suspect it was much worse today. I did watch the presidential library dedication on TV when I got home though. Wouldn't it be nice if politicians were always this nice and courteous to each other? Would that be too much to ask?

Dot's acupuncture doctor is leaving to pursue other interests. This is yet another reminder not to take anything for granted. I can't decide what to do now. I think Dot was benefiting from the treatments, but the improvements were subtle. The only other canine acupuncturist that I know of is in far North Dallas. Since Dot is never very excited about traveling around in my car, the stress of a long drive might negate the effects of the treatment. I'm not even sure that acupuncture is the right treatment anymore, since Dot's problems now seem to stem from vertigo instead of a slipped disk or spinal problem.

I talked to one of the roofers about their price today. He, like all the other roofers I've talked to recently, explained that the cost of materials had doubled. Fair enough. This still doesn't explain why the total cost of putting on a new roof has quadrupled. I still think that roofers are making way more money today than they used to. Unfortunately, that doesn't do me any good. The price of almost everything is based on what the market will bear. If enough people are willing to pay today's prices, they definitely aren't going to get any cheaper.

The Land Rover dealer gave me a new LR4 for a loaner car. This model has the same high-tech keyless ignition as the Evoque I drove last month. It's still hard to wrap my head around a car that unlocks itself as you approach and starts without a key, but I guess that's what's on the horizon for all cars. My Defender's manual roll up windows and separate keys for the ignition, doors, and glove box seems positively quaint by comparison.

I'm glad it's Friday tomorrow. This has been a long and tiring week. I'm already looking forward to having my new Friday treat: Black Bean Cake Eggs Benedict with Chipotle Hollandaise sauce. Hey, you can't expect me to eat oatmeal all the time.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1193

In a lot of ways, days without much to do are harder than the busy ones. I was scratching my head to come up with ways to stay busy today. I did laundry. I watered the new grass. I unclogged the large format printer. I recharged all the portable devices. I even finished my monthly essay for my writers group a week early.

When I was walking the dogs this morning, I noticed that bulldozers were tearing down another house in the neighborhood. One by one, all the little frame houses are coming down and being replaced by mansions. Our part of town has become trendy and desirable in recent years, but apparently the new buyers are too snooty to live in the little frame houses that have surrounded the lake for as long as I can remember. Property values are going up, but only because someone wants to tear down your house.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover something new on the breakfast menu this morning. Since I was eating at the restaurant with the good bacon, I guess I never noticed the healthy section of the menu before. What I ordered were Eggs Benedict with Cuban black bean cakes and grilled tomato slices, all covered with a spicy Chipotle Hollandaise sauce. Although the meal was definitely not a diet item, it was probably much healthier than the plates piled high with sausages, bacon and waffles swimming in maple syrup that I used to order at this place.

My water bill is going to be huge next month. I'm supposed to water the new grass and vegetation for about an hour a day for the next thirty days. The trouble with watering our yard is that the roots from all the large oak and elm trees suck up all the water. The trees stay healthy, but the yard dries out quickly, no matter what you do. I'm determined to keep things wet this time though. Too much effort has gone into this yard just to see it dry up and die again.

Got a call from the Land Rover dealer around supper time saying that my Defender was ready to pick up. Damn. I was hoping to drive the trouble-free new LR2 loaner car for another week or so. Even with the new engine seals and a brand new fuel pump, I still don't trust the Defender. It has reached that awkward age when, as soon as you fix one thing, another thing breaks.

I'm hoping for a totally uneventful weekend. It's going to be cold outside, so staying inside and watching old movies on Hulu Plus and maybe playing the guitar a bit sounds pretty good to me.

Brooke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 997

A hunger for over-easy eggs on a bed of spicy pulled pork lured me back to the cool restaurant this morning. This place has delicious food and I'd go there a lot more often if it weren't for all the cool people. I'm sorry guys. Your breakfast is good, but I find the cacophony of plastic flip flops, yoga pants and tattoos a bit jarring. Would it kill you guys to wear decent shoes and put on a little makeup? Maybe I'm different. I'll take a crisp white hotel tablecloth, a quiet dining room, an attentive waiter, and some well prepared Eggs Benedict any day of the week.

Today a saw a little kid pulling cookies and muffins out of a rack case at the restaurant and throwing them on the floor. His new age mom didn't even reprimand the kid. She just gave the guy at the register an isn't he cute look and handed him her credit card to pay for the mess. My mom would have whipped my butt if I ever did something like that.

It was a slow work day, but I did manage to get my September invoices posted and in the mail. I wonder if I'll ever get out of the endless cycle of paying bills and then earning just enough money to pay the bills all over again the next month? There's a good chance I'll be locked in this cycle forever if I can't overcome my lust for electronic gear. I got an e-mail from Sound Devices today with a preview of their latest and greatest field mixer. I have an earlier model mixer from this company. It has served me well and there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. Why do I want this new model then? I certainly don't need it. I dread the day the iPhone 5 is announced later this Fall. There nothing wrong with my current iPhone. In fact, the only thing I use it for is sending pictures to Instagram. I'm sure I'll figure out some reason why I just have to have the new improved model though. That's just the way it is with me. While you guys are reading a good novel, I'm reading catalogs filled with page after page of gear I don't really need.

It was 105 degrees outside today. That's pretty hot for September. Luckily, there's supposed to be a cold front headed our way. If it's cooler tomorrow, Janet and I plan to go take pictures of the new dalmatians in the rescue program. I think there are at least three dogs who aren't on the website yet. Taking dog pictures will break up the day a bit. Otherwise the day will just be a long list of chores.

Bailey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 976

I don't visit my safe deposit box very often. Perhaps I should go a little more frequently. I had to retrieve something today and discovered a household inventory list that hadn't had any new entries since 1990. I also discovered a very out-of-date will where all the beneficiaries were already dead. These worthless documents will go straight to the shredder, but I wonder how many other totally worthless documents still remain. There's probably plenty of worthless documents over at the storage warehouse. Once, my accountant told me that I needed to save all my financial records for at least three years. At another point in time, the same accountant told me that I should keep things seven years. I think I've been keeping records for ten years just to be safe. What is the point though?  Most of these records could have been generated by aliens from another planet and I wouldn't know the difference anymore. I just look at this stuff and wonder what it has to do with me.

I will admit to saving a few totally worthless documents from the shredder today. They were both publishing contracts from record companies that had gone out of business over a decade ago. I saved them because they reminded me of a day when I actually thought I had a future in the music business.

As you might expect, the city didn't get finished with their aerial spraying program last night. I don't know if they ran out of insecticide, or the planes were too slow, or what, but they only got half the city sprayed. That means the spray planes will be back tonight. They're starting earlier this time as well. The dogs will have to get all their peeing done by 8:30 PM this evening. Why do I think this isn't going to work? The dogs always want to go out around midnight. On a positive note, I didn't see any mosquitoes today, so maybe the spray is working.

I got a great little condenser microphone today that connects directly to an iPhone or iPad. The sound quality was amazing. It sounded very similar to some Neumann microphones I've used. It makes as much sense to use the phone for interviews now as anything else I've got. I predict that in a couple of years, I'll be using the phone for everything I do.

Unfortunately, the iPhone still can't cook breakfast. I had Eggs Benedict this morning on my weekly breakfast outing. I thought they would be a real treat, but Janet's Eggs Benedict are a lot better.

Toby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day