Day 2582

Today seemed surprisingly normal. There was no need to get up early. The temperature is back above freezing. And Dot woke up on a dry pad for the first time in a long time. It's too early to celebrate, but starting over with the Incurin medication appears to be working. It still felt like Winter on our morning walk, but the sky was clear and the brisk air felt good. I had a feeling that it was going to be a good day.

I've noticed that I'm not eating as much as I used to. I don't think there's anything wrong, but my appetite has certainly diminished. There was a time when I routinely ate three eggs for breakfast. For many years, two eggs seemed plenty. Lately, I've noticed that one egg fills me up. Of course, when I have eggs for breakfast, I usually have toast and sausage or bacon as well, but I eat less of these too. Maybe this is just a natural part of aging. Eating less probably helps keep my weight stable. I have a feeling that I don't burn nearly as many calories as I was when I was walking Dot and Dash six miles a day.

When the dogs grew too old for our marathon walks, it became apparent that I wasn't going to stay fit by watching TV. That's when I started going to the gym. I didn't have high expectations when I went to the gym today. I'd eaten too much over the holidays and skipped my workouts for two weeks. Much to my surprise, I did pretty well. The normally empty gym was almost full today. I guess people haven't given up on their New Year's resolutions yet.

I stopped by the REI store on the way home. I don't need anything, but it's always fun to look around. Camping food certainly has gone upscale. I was amazed to see that you could get freeze dried versions of Chana Masala, Vietnamese Pho, Chicken Piccata with Tagliatelle Pasta, and Chicken Vindaloo. The prices weren't bad. I'm so lazy about cooking now that I was intrigued about getting some of these meals for my regular evening dinners. Cooking freeze dried camping meals is easy. You just throw the stuff in a pot of boiling water, wait twenty minutes and you're done. I'm also fascinated with Goal Zero solar powered generators. These are basically just very expensive storage batteries with a built-in power inverter. It takes forever to recharge them using solar panels, but everyone who has fantasies about living off the grid needs one.

I can vaguely hear the Golden Globe Awards playing on a TV in another room. I don't think anyone is watching, since Janet is asleep. It's hard to believe I used to really be interested in movies. I watched something new almost every week and even took movie reviews seriously. Just not interested anymore. I don't even know who a lot of the younger actors are.

How can a person's interests change from movies and award shows to freeze dried food? It's all part of life, I guess.

Jordan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1126

I took my car to get a new catalytic converter today. The mechanics banged on the exhaust system with a wrench for a while and then told me there was nothing wrong. Although they didn't solve my problem, they did like my car. The muffler shop wasn't busy and I could have spent the rest of the day talking with the guys about Jeeps and 4-wheeling if I didn't have better things to do. I asked the mechanic what was making the rattling sound if there was nothing wrong with the catalytic converter. He told me that it could be anything and sent me on my way. In a way it was refreshing dealing with folks who were so open about not knowing what they were doing. In my experience, very few people really know what they are doing, but most of them try to fool you into thinking they know.

Today was the coldest day of the year so far. Since layering works well with me in cold weather, I tried the same thing with the dogs. First, I put on their black sweaters, which fit quite well and cover their bellies better than most dog coats. Then I added a thicker quilted coat on top. Dot and Dash get quite a bit of attention wearing this Winter garb. I think they are the only dogs in the neighborhood who wear two coats in cold weather. Most people think these coats are quite ingenious. The rest think they are ridiculous.

I had quite a bit of website and writing work due today, so I spent most of the day sitting at my desk, trying to stay warm. The heating vents don't distribute air very evenly, so when the office is comfortable, the rest of the house is unbearably hot. I'm sure this problem could be resolved by restricting the air flow to the living room and kitchen, but it's just not worth the trouble. I've never thought work was fun anyway and somehow having an uncomfortable work environment seems appropriate. When I finish my work, I can reward myself by fixing something to eat in the kitchen, or watching TV in one of the warmer rooms.

I must be one of the world's most unobservant people. Although the Internet was buzzing this morning about Jodie Foster coming out during her lifetime achievement award acceptance speech, I can't remember her saying anything about being gay. I'd never heard of Ben Affleck's Argo film either. Where did that one come from? I kept thinking that Steven Spielberg's Lincoln would win all the awards. Not that it matters anyway. I probably won't see any of these movies until they eventually wind up on the $9.95 discount DVD table at Fry's.

Kasey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1125

We saw a bobcat on our walk this evening. Although the park is full of bobcats, it is rare to actually see one. My guess would be that the cat was just catching some rays like everyone else this afternoon. It was a beautiful day. Luckily, Dot and Dash had the good sense to leave the bobcat alone. I don't think it would be smart to mess with a bobcat. On the way home we saw a disheveled looking man wandering through the woods carrying a container of gasoline. Personally, I'd be a lot more wary of that man than any bobcat.

Since it was a clear day with blue skies all the way to the horizon, we though for sure that the dog park would be open. Guess again. When we arrived with Dot and Dash the park was closed. Sure, it rained yesterday, but that was yesterday. Today was nice. Sadly, you're at the mercy of the city whenever you go to the dog park. If someone from Parks and Recreation doesn't feel like coming out and unlocking the gate, you're screwed.  The dogs showed their displeasure about this unfortunate turn of events by howling and barking the entire way home. A road trip with this pair would be like a journey into the Twilight Zone. I don't think you'd emerge with your sanity intact. Oh, did I mention we're planning a road trip.

I'm getting intrigued with the idea of using a sprayed-on foam roof to solve my roof problems.  I've been researching this type of roof on the Internet and on the surface, it seems like the perfect solution. The roof is completely seamless, so there are no joints or seams that can crack later. The foam has excellent insulation value, to the house would stay warmer on cold days like this. It's pretty cost effective too, compared to other alternatives. There must be something I don't know, or I would have heard of this before. Maybe the foam is flammable and a spark from one of the irritating designer piñon pine logs my neighbors use in their fireplace would burn the house down. Maybe the foam is an environmental hazard and I'd have to have a hazmat crew remove it before I could sell the house. Maybe the stuff is just fragile and a falling branch of two would ruin the whole thing.  I'll have to find out more.

I'm watching the Golden Globes as I write this.  I had trouble finding a live video feed initially, but then I went to Twitter and found one immediately. The Internet feed appears to be live, but I don't think I'm watching NBC. All the comments on the website are in Arabic.

Taylor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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