Day 4689

I really thought I was going to get the dryer fixed today but it wasn't meant to be. When the appliance repairman arrived he discovered that another part was needed that wasn't on the truck. The part was available in town and we decided that it made more sense to just do all the repairs tomorrow rather than tear the machine apart twice. This means that I will have to remove all the junk from the utility room all over again tomorrow morning. It took me about an hour to do this today and I'm sure it will take just as long tomorrow. Not surprisingly, the repairs are more expensive than I'd hoped, but when they are finished I should have a reliable dryer again.

I didn't have time for a long walk today, but I was able to get my 10,000 steps before the repairman arrived. I guess I could have walked again later in the day, but I didn't feel like it. I asked if I could be the first appointment tomorrow morning so I won't have to wait as long. I wish I'd thought of this earlier. If there are several appointments ahead of you, it is almost inevitable that the repairman will be late. 

The tree guy I called yesterday actually called me back. This surprised me, but I'm glad I'll be able to get the large tree limb removed from our roof without having to deal with someone I've never used before. Nothing on the schedule yet. The guy was on a job when he called and said he'd get back with me later. This may take a while, but at least it's a start.

Tonight was the annual Halloween party at Dawn's training class. We've been to so many of these parties with Dot and Dash. I can't even remember all the costumes we've made for the dogs over the years. I went along with Janet tonight, mostly for old time's sake. Dawn went as Cruella DeVil and won first place in her category. Dawn didn't like wearing the Cruella wig, but she was a good sport about it. I enjoyed going to these classes when we had Dot and Dash. It's better if I don't go now. I could tell that Dawn got distracted when I was there tonight. She kept jumping up on me as if she was trying to get me to save her from having to wear the wig.

I'm still trying to find a carpenter to repair the rotted fascia wood on my roof. I tried several websites and got a response from one. I still don't like this attempt to totally automate things. I always used to get better results when a trusted friend would recommend someone and I could mention their name when I called. Sometimes the old fashioned way of doing things is still the best.

I canceled the hotel reservation I made in Cocoa Beach for the Artemis launch and now only have the other hotel I booked in Titusville. I wanted to do this before I forgot that I had made two different reservations. The more I think about it, the upcoming Falcon Heavy launch might be the better one to attend. The Falcon Heavy is supposed to launch at sunrise and will be a better photo opportunity than the midnight Artemis launch. Since I haven't been credentialed yet for the Falcon Heavy launch, this is all just idle speculation. I'm not even sure if I want to go to either launch. Scheduling these things is becoming way too complicated.

Hopefully the dryer will get fixed tomorrow and I can cross one more thing off my list. It's a long list though. There's always something that needs attention.

Pearl is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1779

There are some built-in cabinets in the house that are located right near the ceiling. The modern looking storage areas fit right in with the mid-century design, but they are virtually useless. In order to access these cabinets, I have to get the big folding stepladder out of the greenhouse. I'm fairly tall and I can't even reach the cabinet doors without the ladder. The space inside is large enough for heavy, bulky things, but since you have to climb up the precarious ladder with your load, it usually isn't worth the trouble. These awkward storage areas are such a pain in the neck to use that they are mostly just filled with pillows and empty boxes.

One cabinet is still filled with heavy boxes though. I decided to store a bunch of stuff there when we first bought the house and haven't looked at the stuff since. I don't know how I managed to get some of these heavy boxes up and into the storage space in the first place, but I guess I was younger then. At any rate, I decided to empty the cabinet out today. It was a lot of work to get the heavy boxes back to ground level. I threw some stuff away and took the rest to the storage warehouse. Among the many things I retrieved was a chess set with playing pieces depicting characters from the Simpsons. There was a box filled with hundreds and hundreds of watch crowns in tiny glass vials. Another box was filled with water stained diplomas and awards. There was a sample case filled with greeting card designs that I planned on marketing decades ago. Everything was mildly interesting, but nothing was useful.

There were a lot of elaborate costumes at the dog training class Halloween party this evening. Our instructor came in a hazmat suit with his dog dressed up as a virus. One large dog was dressed as a table holding a pumpkin filled with dog treats. That costume never would have worked with our dogs. They would have immediately tipped the pumpkin over and eaten all the dog treats. There were the usual assortment of dragons, skeletons, and bats. There was even a dog dressed as Elvis who happened to be named Elvis as well. We didn't win anything this year, but we didn't put a lot of thought into our costumes either. The dogs probably wonder why we dress them up for this silly event year after year. They don't complain though, because there are lots and lots of dog treats.

I'm glad the dogs didn't see the cute little green gecko that was on the stepladder this afternoon. I'm sure one of them would have ate him. I almost brought the little lizard into the house with me because I didn't see him either, but luckily he jumped off the ladder at the last minute. I managed to snap one picture before the gecko ran away.

The supposedly "indestructible" case for my iPhone broke today. I didn't drop the phone or anything. The case just cracked. I can't decide whether to complain to customer service or just get a new case. It would probably make more sense to get a new phone.

Dakota is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1415

Wednesdays are busy enough when it's dry. When it rains on Wednesday, all bets are off. Today's unrelenting rain ensured that traffic would be congested wherever I drove, that Dot and Dash would be muddy wherever I walked them, and that virtually nothing I started today would be completed on time.

In wet days I wonder why I even go to these Wednesday morning networking breakfasts. I'm easily the least businesslike person in the room.  They'll probably kick me out of the group when they discover that I'm just going to these early morning meetings to eat bacon and see if my old dress suits still fit.

I had lots of writing to do today, but I managed to complete all my assignments. Hey, what else can you do on a rainy day? While I was writing, I kept the washing machine running with load after load of rain soaked clothing and muddy dog towels. The dogs still insist on a walk on rainy days. They don't like the rain, but they absolutely refuse to poop in the yard.

We kept our acupuncture appointment this afternoon, despite the rain. I would have preferred to stay home, but I think it's rude to cancel an appointment at the last minute. Dot did well in the underwater treadmill, but when the vet tried to test her balance and coordination by having her balance on a large rubber ball, she was pretty shaky. I wasn't really surprised. Dot is frequently shaky on flat, level ground these days. Nothing is going to turn Dot into a young dog again, but I still think that the physical therapy is helpful. She seems to enjoy the activity and maybe we can slow down the inevitable a bit.

Since it rained all day, they moved the dog training class Halloween party indoors this evening. Try to imagine fifty dogs in costumes inside a small room and you've got a pretty good idea what the party was like. I was amazed that there weren't more skirmishes between the dogs. It wasn't surprising that most people left as soon as the costume contest was over. With fifty dogs in a small room, you don't want to push your luck.

I'm hoping that things return to normal tomorrow. A little sunlight always puts me and the dogs in a much better mood.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1411

I went to the bank and got another safe deposit box today. I had let the old box lapse when I discovered that there was almost nothing of value inside. Now, I'm beginning to realize that there are still a few things that need to be protected from the paper shredder. In our house, it would be real easy to end up shredding a car title, or some other innocuous but important document, by mistake. Junk paper and important paper all look the same these days. If they weren't tucked away in a safe place, it would only be a matter of time before I accidentally shredded the car title and house deed along with all the irritating mail from the phone company and AARP.

Halloween is fast approaching and we still can't think of a good Halloween costume for Dot and Dash to wear to the annual dog training class Halloween party.  In previous years, the dogs have gone as Dorothy and the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz, a cowboy and his faithful horse, a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader and a Texas Ranger ballplayer. Dot's best costume was when we dressed her up as Cruella DeVil. Dash's best costume is anything that he will keep on for more than five seconds. After all these years, I'm out of ideas. Maybe we could turn them into poodles for the evening.

The day was filled with the usual weekend errands. There were trips to the gas station and the grocery store. The bed got clean sheets and the clothes got washed. I'm sure I could have accomplished more if it hadn't rained. The weather has been so nice lately that I've almost forgotten how disruptive a little rain can be. The dogs hate the rain and always manage to turn even a mild shower into a weather emergecy.

While Janet went to a hockey game downtown with clients, I huddled with the two storm phobic dogs on the bed and quickly fell asleep. Few things will put you to sleep faster than a warm dog on either side of you. Luckily, this was just a Fall shower, without  the usual thunder and lightning. We actually needed the rain, but it doesn't look like we'll be able to go to the dog park tomorrow. With the amount of rain we're getting right now, the park is almost certain to be closed on Sunday. I'm going to try to get to the gym again tomorrow, but my exercise will probably include sweeping water off the roof as well.

Pearl is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1396

I was asked recently what was on my bucket list. Hmm. I don't actually think I've ever had a bucket list. I can recall doing some pretty amazing things in my time, but most of them were purely accidental. There never was much of a plan or a clearly focused goal. I'm convinced that the epitaph on my tombstone will just read He had a lot of potential. In lieu of a bucket list, I do have a rather long list of things I'd love to never do again. Does that count?

I thought today would be a piece of cake, but it turned out to be a lot more involved than I had planned. By the time I finally made it to the gym  for my second workout of the week, it was 5 PM. There just aren't enough hours in the day anymore. Walking the dogs takes a little over two hours. Writing assignments typically take four hours. Routine website revisions take an hour and a half, while more extensive design work is usually reserved for a day where there is no writing planned. Breakfast takes about an hour. It doesn't matter whether I eat out or cook my own, it still takes an hour. Minor household chores like making the bed, doing the laundry, fixing coffee, and vacuuming take about an hour. Answering e-mail and writing the blog takes a couple of hours every day. Is there any time left? It certainly doesn't seem like there is.

Breakfast was good today. I added some tasty biscuits and gravy to my usual omelet. I know I shouldn't be eating wheat, but it's hard to stay on the wagon when my blood chemistry hasn't really improved much since I radically changed my diet. I have lost a lot of weight, but that wasn't ever the goal. I was trying to reduce my cholesterol levels and get my liver enzymes out of the red zone. I still think my new diet is a huge improvement over what I was eating before. I just wish the results would show up on my blood tests instead of on my waistline.

I don't know how to tell Dash that there is rain in the forecast for the entire weekend. The little guy really missed his trip to the dog park last Sunday and I can tell he's been waiting for some off-leash time with other dogs all week. Hopefully, we can make an early trip to the dog park tomorrow morning before the rain shuts the place down.

Our dog training class always has a Halloween party and it's time to start thinking about a costume for the dogs again. Dot won once as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, although Dash didn't get rave reviews for his Tin Man costume. It's hard to think of a good costume for a Dalmatian, since they don't really like to wear costumes.

Katy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1051 - Halloween

The scariest thing about today was the total lack of activity. I felt like I'd fallen into a black hole. No calls. No e-mail. No work. I'm not even close to the hurricane either. Usually I'm pretty busy in October, but this entire month was pretty dead. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.

Our dog training class had their annual Halloween party this evening.  Everyone dresses their dog up in costumes to compete for prizes in a variety of categories. Sometimes we go to a lot of trouble to make our own original costumes and win nothing. Other times we just buy a cheap costume from a party store and win. There's no rhyme or reason to this thing. Dot won tonight in the Diva category wearing a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader outfit. Dash went as a fireman, but won nothing.

I'm always amazed at how much trouble some people go to for a party that seldom lasts over 45 minutes. Tonight one family dressed their dogs up as Ghostbusters, complete with very realistic proton packs on their backs. There was also a Great Dane wearing a saddle and two German Shepherds dressed as wolves in sheep's clothing. Their owner, Little Red Riding Hood, said she made the sheep costumes using the seat covers from her car. The dogs didn't get candy, but there were plenty of dog biscuits to go around. I'm sure your kid's Halloween party was very similar.

I think I made a big mistake ordering something from New York during the hurricane. The store says my order has been shipped, but FedEx begs to differ. They say their trucks aren't even operating in certain parts of the city yet. It appears my lens has fallen into a black hole as well. I'm sure I'll get the order eventually, but I sure wasted my money on FedEx second day delivery.

I didn't get a pumpkin this year. Every time I get decorative pumpkins for the front porch they end up rotting and I have a big mess to clean up around Christmas. Nothing to clean up this year. It's onward to November. I've already voted, so next Tuesday is no big deal. When Thanksgiving rolls around I'm sure everyone will be thankful that all the political ads have finally disappeared from our televisions and phones.

Roxy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1039

The week ended well. I finally got paid on an invoice that was long overdue. A watch that I'd been waiting for arrived in the mail. A picture that I uploaded to Google got 49 +1's. I tried to avoid looking at the stock market today, because I knew it would spoil my good mood.

It's amazing how quickly the year has gone by. It will be Halloween soon. The stores are full of pumpkins and candy. They are also full of Christmas decorations. It appears that the Christmas season starts a little earlier every year. The dogs have a Halloween party every year at their training class. Maybe Dot will go as a diva and wear her Justin Mcmillon dog coat.

You guys probably haven't hear about Justin Mcmillon. He makes a decent living creating custom coats and collars for Dalmatians. Only Dalmatians! Can you imagine a business more specialized than this? Dalmatian owners around the world rave about Justin though. I know people that own four of his coats and claim he is the Karl Lagerfeld of doggie duds. Is this a great country or what! You can do absolutely anything you want, and if you meet a need, you will make money. You go, Justin!

Our beautiful Fall weather continues unabated. I'm enjoying walking the dogs these days. We're right in between the sweaty clothes season and the coats and sweaters season. I can leave the house in a t-shirt and jeans and come home an hour later still feeling comfortable. The dogs love this weather. It would be nice if it would last through November, but it probably won't.

There's absolutely nothing on the agenda for this weekend. I wonder what I'm going to write about tomorrow. I'm sure I'll think of something.

Diva is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1013

I can't believe I spent such a beautiful Fall day doing a laundry list of disagreeable tasks. They had to be done though, and today was as good a day as any. I finally took off all the switch plates and outlet covers and applied the bait that is supposed to rid our house of bugs. It's been dry for over a week, so I also went up on the roof to look for tiny cracks that might let water in and patch them with Henry 209. I mowed the grass. I patiently talked with tech support until I finally got the voicemail working on my new phone. Of course, it wouldn't have been a laundry list without doing a couple of loads of laundry as well.

Before I started my chore marathon, we took the dogs to the dog park. Dot and Dash both had brand new harnesses that we were trying out for the first time. We were hoping that this new style would work better with Dash. I call Dash the Harness Houdini because he manages to effortlessly slip out of every harness we have ever put on him. This new model didn't fare better than any of the rest. Somehow, he managed to slip out of his harness sitting in the back seat of the car before we even arrived at the dog park. Oh, well. At least we tried.

My input material for the new steam turbine project arrived today. It took about 20 minutes just to download it all. Now I've got to digest over 600 MB of facts about the turbines in the next several days. I know nothing about these things now, but I have a feeling that by the end of the week, I'll be a walking encyclopedia.

It's hard to believe that it's almost the end of September already. This month just zipped by. Actually, this entire year has just zipped by. Next week is the Dalmatian Rescue Golf Tournament. This is the eleventh year we've done the tournament! After that, it will be time to make the dog's new costumes for the annual dog training class Halloween Party. There's an election in November, and then it will be time to hunt for the Christmas decorations in the storage warehouse again. At some point between now and then, the skies will get very pretty on our evening walks and I'll start taking more sunset pictures. It doesn't sound all that exciting when I describe things this way, but I'm sure I'll have something new to tell you each and every day.

Sage is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 680

Did anybody else notice that their Klout score dropped dramatically last night? Yesterday my score was 63 and today it's 39. Yikes. That's a big drop. Klout evidently changed their algorithm to reward what they call the quality of your social interactions and penalize people who are simply interested in quantity. This isn't good news for authors, bloggers and other people who use Twitter to promote their book, their blog, or their products. As a result, a productive person who actually might have quite a bit of clout in real life can have a terrible Klout score if they only use social media to say "Thanks for the re-tweet" occasionally. On the other hand, an unemployed person with no life at all can now have a great Klout score if they spend all day talking to friends on Facebook. I'm disillusioned with Klout now.

Dot won first prize in the "Most Catlike" category at our annual training class Halloween Party tonight. I tried to get a picture of her, but she wouldn't stay still. Unfortunately, Dash didn't win in the "Funniest" category, even thought he was pretty funny doing his usual hopping and dancing around in a Hula dancer costume. I thought Dash should have won something, because he actually did look like a Hula dancer with his butt waggling around most of the evening. Dot got a PetSmart gift card for her efforts, while Dash got nothing at all. Like Heidi Klum always says on Project Runway, "one day you're in and the next day you're out." Hopefully, Dash didn't get as bent out of shape about losing as I did about the precipitous drop in my Klout score. You can't depend on anything these days.

I thought I'd have some time to practice using Avid Media Composer today, but no such luck. By the time I finished my website updates and articles, the day was over. Maybe I wasted too much time making French Toast this morning

Pearl is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day