Day 3026

Mother Nature apparently didn't get the memo that Winter is over. The temperature was in the thirties when I woke up this morning. It didn't get much warmer as the day progressed either. Jeez. The Bluebonnets are in bloom. We've already had our air conditioner running. This just isn't supposed to happen in Texas.

I wasn't happy about the weather, but I definitely was happy to see Dash feeling better. After a rough day yesterday, he was almost back to his old self. Even though it was very cold, he seemed eager to walk this morning. A stiff wind made it feel like the temperature was in the teens, but Dash didn't seem to mind. I can't say the same for myself.

I didn't spend much time outside today. After going to the grocery store and running my Saturday errands, I got the urge to hook up a MIDI keyboard to the computer. I hadn't done this in years, and not surprisingly the keyboard didn't work. After doing some research on Google, I discovered that the keyboard was no longer supported by Apple. I still didn't know whether the old equipment worked, so I restarted the computer using an external drive with an old system on it. I found a driver for the keyboard online and installed it. Suddenly I had gone back in time. Everything worked perfectly. I wish I'd never upgraded my system. My computer and my own brain seem to work better using Mountain Lion. Once Apple stopped naming their operating systems after cats, everything began to go downhill.

I played the little keyboard for a while and was surprised that I still remembered quite a few chord progressions. I had a bit of trouble getting my left hand and right hand working together, but with a little practice I could probably play piano again. Unfortunately, I had to put the keyboard away and restart the computer under Sierra again. Spending time in the past may be pleasant, but I can only make money in the present.

If I had a ton of space and nothing better to do, I'd keep a separate computer running for each decade I've been using one. I really liked my original Osborne 1. I hauled the heavy sewing machine shaped machine to user groups once a month where I would trade software on floppy disks with other geeks. Affordable hard drives hadn't even been invented yet. I got my first Macintosh in 1984 and have owned at least eight Macs since then. I edited video on machines that would be considered dinosaurs today. Everything worked though and I never missed a deadline. I miss those days.

Janet fixed chili tonight. A bowl of chili has always been our go-to meal on really cold days. As tasty as the chili was, I hope it is warmer tomorrow. I've had to plug in the little ceramic heater to keep the office warm and I'm wearing a sweater as I write. I'm not looking forward to going out in the middle of the night with Dash tonight. I wouldn't be surprised to see snow.

I was going to get a birthday card for my Luddite sister and I discovered that the Hallmark store in our neighborhood had gone out of business. I think the store has been gone for a while, but I don't buy cards very often. This isn't really a sign of the apocalypse, but it is discouraging that greeting cards are a thing of the past. I guess everybody just clicks the birthday button on Facebook now.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2303

Why is it so hard to find a birthday card? I had to get a card today, so I stopped at the Hallmark store on the way home from the post office. As always, none of the thousands of cards in the store seemed remotely appropriate. The humorous cards didn't seem funny. The emotional cards expressed the wrong emotion. I found one card that had the kind of picture I was looking for, but the message said Happy Birthday from your Grandmother. These cards all must be designed for a reason, so maybe I'm just not their target audience. After spending way too much time looking at cards I hated, I did what I always do. I got a blank card with a picture of a dog on the front.

I followed the landscapers instructions and watered the new grass for several hours this morning. Maybe this is why the grass always dies. If I water enough to get a root system established, the yard is a soggy mess and I'm constantly having to clean the dogs paws every time they go outside. If I don't water enough, the grass never has a chance. If I'm lucky, the Spring rainy season isn't quite over yet, and I won't have to worry about watering schedules at all. That's what happened last year. We had weeks and weeks of rain right after the grass was installed and although I hated the rain just as much as I usually do, the grass looked great.

I just noticed a new feature on my Apple Watch.  When you are using the maps app, you can quickly find nearby restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores and gas stations with a tap of your finger and then get turn-by-turn directions to the place from wherever you happen to be. This would be real handy if I ever left the neighborhood. As it is, I already know where all these places are. I'm not sure how useful turn-by-turn directions are on a tiny one inch square map, but you never know.  If I can't figure out where to go for breakfast this Friday, I'll ask the watch.

I'm getting tired of all these presidential primaries. There was another one tonight. Can't we just go ahead and have the election now and get this over with? I can't get very excited about anyone. I saw a yard sign the other day that said "Everybody Sucks 2016." Maybe I'll get one of those signs. It pretty well sums up my sentiment.

I noticed that Dot only has three more Palladia pills left when I gave her the chemotherapy meds this evening. So far, she's handling the pills pretty well. There are days when it even seems like she's getting stronger. It's probably just an illusion though. I wouldn't be surprised if Dot's staying the same and I'm getting weaker. After she takes the remaining Palladia pills, we'll do another ultrasound scan and see whether the tumor is getting smaller. As long as it isn't getting much bigger, we're OK.

I got an e-mail from B&H today notifying me that a camera I've had my eye on for some time is on sale. Hmm. I definitely don't need another camera. I can't even afford another camera. Why am I even thinking about this? I'm always seeing these memes on Facebook saying that memories and experiences are far more important than stuff. I don't believe them. Maybe dogs are more important than cameras, but for the most part, stuff still does it for me.

Angel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1634

A friend shamed me into going to a Hallmark Card store today. I'm not really a greeting card person. I don't send them and rarely receive them. I felt guilty though. A former co-worker had gotten very sick and since I could barely remember who this person was, I felt even worse. I looked through the cards and couldn't find anything that seemed right. I never can. The cards either seem too emotional, too disrespectful, or all too often, something only a fan of Duck Dynasty would appreciate. I usually just end up getting a blank card with a picture of a dog on the front. A blank card wouldn't really work in this case, since I didn't know the person that well and wasn't really sure what to say. I was looking for a card that said what I would have said if I hadn't already erased this entire work experience from my memory. It took me forever to find a nice simple get well card that I wouldn't be embarrassed to send. Maybe this is why I hate going into Hallmark stores.

I do still enjoy going out to breakfast on Friday mornings and this is probably what put me near a Hallmark store in the first place. I'm still amazed at how nice the baristas and waiters treat me at the restaurant, since I rarely speak a word. I just eat my meal quietly, staring out the window and wondering about the things I'm seeing. I wonder why so many people wear nylon running shoes everywhere they go. People seem to love these ugly shoes whether they run or not. I still prefer heavy leather Red Wing work boots. These boots are virtually indestructible and I almost always wear them while I'm walking the dogs. Heavy boots kill two birds with one stone for me. They're kind of like wearing leg weights and can can turn an ordinary walk into a decent workout. They also keep my socks dry on wet days and provide a certain amount of protection against snakes. I was the only person in the restaurant wearing work boots though. Everyone else was wearing running shoes.

Even sillier than running shoes are the tight spandex outfits that male cyclists wear. There are always lots of bicycles at the restaurant and every one of them seems to be owned by a middle aged male with a shaved head, wearing a ludicrous spandex suit plastered with cycling logos. I don't get it. You guys aren't riding in the Tour de France, you're just having a burrito for breakfast.

Really, very little makes sense to me these days. I just do the best I can. My utility bills keep going up. Today, AT&T U-Verse joined the electric and gas companies in raising their rates. The rent for my storage warehouse is going up too. Gas is almost $4.00 a gallon and every time I go to the grocery store I seem to pay a little more for exactly the same things I got last week. These people who continue to say that we have no inflation are idiots.

The dogs get to go to a party tomorrow. Our training class is having their annual summer party. Dash enjoys playing a game called "bobbing for biscuits" where the dogs try to grab as many dog biscuits as they can out of a kiddie pool filled with water. Dot is much too dignified for this sort of game. She'd prefer that we just feed her some of the tasty barbecued brisket we always have at the party.

Wendy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day