Day 4805

Has it already been a week since the Superbowl? Time flies. The football season may be over, but our Sunday was pretty much the same. I woke up wondering why it was so cold outside, we took Dawn on her sunrise walk, and then we had another big weekend breakfast. After I made the bed and checked my messages, I went mall walking again.

Each time I visit Northpark I notice that things have changed. It's a busy place. All the Valentines Day displays are gone now, but no new theme has emerged. I still see raincoats in a lot of windows. Sunday seems to be a day for staff meetings. You often see groups of people in the yet to be opened stores listening to some sort of presentation. In one store these people were all wearing white jumpsuits like they were at a hazmat scene. What was that all about? You see lots of people dusting things with Swiffer dusters. I never realized that retail stores were such a big market for Swiffer. Several stores used to have off-duty policemen sitting inside the store. They are all gone now. Was this a policy change, or is the mall actually safer these days? 

I have my favorite stores now and often think that I would buy my clothes at these places if I were still working in an office. I'd probably change my mind quickly if I actually went inside the stores and checked on the prices. There are no bargains at this mall. Truthfully, the last thing I need are more clothes. There are still things in my closet that I have never worn. Clothes are never a high priority when you work from home. When you retire, clothes become an even lower priority.

Dawn's priority today was her Sunday outing. We were a little late leaving today and she knew it. That dog has an amazing internal clock. She knows when everything is supposed to happen, right down to the minute. You'd better not be late. Especially when it comes to meals. It had warmed up quite a bit by the time we left the house and we all had an enjoyable walk. The ground is finally drying out from our recent rains and our shoes didn't even get muddy today.

There was a line of cars at the ice cream store today. This place advertises it's product as "frozen custard" even though it tastes exactly like ice cream. I've tasted custard before. This stuff is definitely ice cream.  It is more expensive than Dairy Queen, but is still pretty reasonable. Dawn certainly approves.

I didn't do much this afternoon. There are plenty of things that need attention around the house, but I didn't feel like starting anything new. The Crew-6 launch is next Sunday and I still haven't heard anything. This probably means I'm not going. It's no great loss if I don't get credentialed this time although I would like to go. Oh, well. There are still a few day left and plenty of launches in the future. We'll see what happens.

Dawn has her annual exam at the vet tomorrow. We think she's healthy but you never know what's going to turn up in the lab reports. Hopefully this will just be a routine visit.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4791

It was over seventy degrees today. It's hard to believe that we were freezing last week. We had a nice early walk with Dawn this morning and then came home to an equally nice weekend breakfast. Even though it was a beautiful day outside, I went mall walking. I just wanted a change of pace.

There were a lot fewer people walking at the mall this morning. Maybe they were walking outside today. I made my five circuits of the mall and came home. There was nothing new today. There were no store openings or closings and none of the window displays had changed. Even the restaurants looked empty today. This appears to be one of the few places in Dallas where people still wear masks. I see more people wearing masks at Northpark than anywhere else. I still don't understand today's styles. Younger women all wear their hair long these days. You don't see any of the shorter cuts that used to be popular. Maybe nobody wants to be mistaken for a Karen. A surprising number of men wear beards now. A thick beard combined with a shaved head seems to be popular. When did having a beard become so fashionable? I guess beards are better than fades and man buns though. I show my age. Even tattoos seem weird to me.

When I returned from the mall, Dawn was ready for her Sunday outing. It was a perfect day for a walk and Dawn enjoyed her outing. We often see people riding horses in this park but Dawn totally ignores them. Dalmatians are supposed to have an affinity for horses and many of our previous Dalmatians seemed to like them. Horses mean nothing to Dawn. She gets much more interested when she sees a possum.

I didn't get quite as many steps today but it sure felt like I walked a lot. I still can't figure out why I walk slower at the mall. It's feels like I'm actually walking faster. Since I use a different app to track indoor walks, it occurred to me that maybe the app measures my steps differently. The next time I go mall walking, I'll track my steps as an outdoor walk and see if it makes a difference. Consistency seems to matter to me. At least the ice cream cones we get are consistent. They are overpriced, but they are pretty much the same every week. Dawn certainly likes them.

This afternoon I did a number of small chores around the house. I tried to wash a down jacket and it didn't go as planned. I followed the washing instructions exactly, but the coat was so light that the final spin cycle in the machine wasn't working properly. The coat was sitting in a puddle of water when the load was finished. I had to run the spin cycle again with several towels thrown in the load to get the spin cycle to run properly. The instruction said to throw two clean tennis balls in the dryer with the jacket to get the down filling to fluff up properly. This actually worked pretty well. I also cleaned out the atrium today. I don't know how all the leaves get in there, but they do. I've been waiting for a warm day to attempt to open the broken sliding glass door, since I was afraid I might have trouble closing it again. Everything worked well though. The atrium looks nice now and the door was actually easier to open and close than I expected.

It was largely an uneventful day, but it was a peaceful one. I got some exercise and I got a few things done. That's enough for me. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice as well. I'm dreading the return of rain on Tuesday though. The house is finally dry and the cleanup is complete. I'm not looking forward to going through the whole water leak drill all over again.

Zorro is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4784

The weather was strange today. When we took our early walk with Dawn this morning the temperature was in the high 50's. That was as high as it got and it continued to get colder for the rest of the day. It's already down to freezing and will probably get even colder overnight. I'm not looking forward to next week at all. The forecast says we are going to have freezing rain and icy roads for most of the week.

Today was mostly walking and football. I woke up with an upset stomach so I just had shredded wheat instead of our normal big weekend breakfast. After breakfast I went to the mall and walked several miles indoors. I enjoy mall walking at Northpark. The temperature is perfect. The air is clean and filtered. There's plenty to see as well. Looking at the window displays in all the stores is much more pleasant than fighting a cold lakeside wind while wondering why I didn't dress warmer. There are a few weeks in the spring and fall when the weather is actually nice. The rest of the time it is either too hot or too cold outside.

There are always several new stores that just opened when I go to the mall. Things always seem to be changing. Today, even the indoor duck pond was closed for some type of refurbishment. I wonder where they are keeping the ducks and turtles while all this construction is going on. When I returned home Dawn and Janet were ready to go on their Sunday outing. This was definitely the coldest walk of the day, but we made it. We walked faster than usual in an attempt to stay warm, but we were all glad to return to the car. It seemed kind of strange to get ice cream on such a cold day, but Dawn loves her ice cream cones. Personally I could have used a cup of hot chocolate.

It was definitely an afternoon to stay inside so I ended up watching both NFL playoff games. The Bengals and Chiefs game was the more interesting game. It was a close contest right down to the final seconds. The Eagles ran all over the 49ers. It was pretty clear that the Eagles were going to win this game early on. Dawn wanted the bed to herself and wasn't happy with me watching the Eagles game. Later, when Janet came home Dawn was much more interested in the cooking that was going on in the kitchen, so I had the bedroom to myself. I don't often spend the afternoon watching football but the Bengals and Chiefs game was definitely worth watching. 

The house feels cold even though the temperature inside is the same as it's always been. I've had to bring out the little ceramic space heater and put it under my desk. No shorts today either. I'm wearing heavy pants and a sweater. I'm not sure what to expect with the roof next week. We haven't had sustained freezing rain for quite a while. If memory serves, sometimes the leaks are worse when heat from inside the house melts the bottom layer of ice on the roof. We'll just have to see what happens. There's not much I can do about the weather.

I might not be able to get my steps next week. That would be a shame. It's probably going to be too cold and wet to walk in the park and too icy on the roads to drive to the gym or mall. I'll never get 10,000 steps pacing around the house. The house is just too little. Hopefully, we'll be able to give Dawn her morning walk before the rain and sleet starts.

Spirit is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4686

Lots of walking today. We got up later this morning, so we didn't need to attach lights to our jackets for Dawn's morning walk. It was quite windy today. Maybe that is why there is rain in the forecast. Dawn enjoyed her walk, but I kind of felt like going back to bed. I got plenty of sleep last night, but apparently not enough.

We always have a big family breakfast on weekends. Dawn likes this because she gets more table scraps. She loves bacon. The temperature was still cool enough to go walking in the park after breakfast, but I decided to go to the mall instead. I enjoy walking in the mall before the stores open. The temperature is perfect and the filtered air never gives me any allergy problems. The floors are smooth and I don't have to worry about tripping over a loose stone. No snakes either.

There are three types of people who seem to enjoy mall walking. There are old people like me. There are families with small children. And there are young couples on a very cheap date. Maybe some of these people stay and buy stuff after the stores open. Not me. As the stores prepare to open, the place starts to fill up and I get a strong desire to leave. I've gotten used to seeing a line in front of the Apple Store as it prepares to open. Today there was a line in front of the Swatch Store as well. Why? These are just cheap plastic watches.

I wonder how some of these stores stay in business. The clothes on display aren't very attractive and don't even begin to resemble what the people wandering around are actually wearing. The shoes on display are uniformly terrible. How did super thick soles get to be a thing? Maybe the shoe makers are just grasping at straws. People aren't wearing these shoes. They are all just wearing running shoes.

I walked three miles and came home. After resting for a few minutes Janet and I took Dawn on her Sunday outing. She is always super excited to go and then gets scared as soon as she gets in the car. I don't think we'll ever be able to take her on a road trip. The weather was nice today and Dawn got another one mile walk. I fell behind as we completed our walk and approached the car. I don't know why I was so tired today.

The ice cream cones are getting smaller. When we first started getting ice cream on Sunday, the cones were definitely bigger. They were less expensive too. I hope this isn't a sign of the times. The little Chinese restaurant we like across the street has already gone out of business. It's probably not a great time to own a restaurant. Somehow I think the ice cream store will do OK. There always seems to be a line of cars in front of the take-out window when we arrive.

I still haven't heard anything about the Falcon Heavy launch. I think this is supposed to take place this Thursday, but credential notices haven't gone out yet. I don't even think they've officially announced a launch date. None of this really matters because I can't afford another trip anyway. That being said, seeing a Falcon Heavy that actually launches is probably better than watching another Artemis launch get postponed again. I'm scheduled to go down for the next launch attempt, but I'm not terribly optimistic about a success.

I need to call the appliance repairman again. The slipping belt in the dryer is getting worse. I really need to get this fixed because I hate going to the laundromat.

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4679

Today's all day rain didn't really amount to much. The only time we got wet was when we tried to take Dawn on her sunrise walk. The weather radar failed us this time. I thought we had enough time to take a short walk, but the rain started almost immediately. Dawn did her business in a hurry and we headed back to the house.

I didn't want to risk getting wet again, so I went mall walking after breakfast instead of walking in the park. The temperature was nice and cool, but the skies looked ominous. I was surprised at how crowded the mall was today. At first glance you would have thought the stores were open. There were a lot more families with children today. I guess when the kids can't play outside on a rainy day, you take them to the mall. I walked an extra lap around the mall this morning because we didn't get our sunrise walk. One way or another, I was going to get my steps.

I'm starting to see some of the same people every Sunday. It's the same way when I walk in the park. I guess everybody has their regular routines. Some people walk around the mall in a clockwise direction while others go counterclockwise. This direction never seems to change. I'm a clockwise person myself. I wonder when the Christmas displays will start to appear. Christmas merchandise is already out at Walmart and Sam's Club. It looks like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all happening at the same time.

The rain was basically over by the time I returned home, so Dawn got her Sunday outing anyway. It was pleasant outside, even though the ground was a little wet. Dawn enjoyed her walk, but she still doesn't ride well in the car. I don't think we'll ever be able to take her on a car trip. She does calm down when we get to the ice cream store though. I think Dawn likes ice cream even more than we do.

I washed the car this afternoon. I thought a heavy rain might clean it off on the way to the mall, but a light rain just got it muddy. My office is always a perpetual mess, but I do like a clean car. It seems like I'm always washing the car even though I don't drive much.

There's a new update for the star tracker available, but I didn't feel like dealing with it today. I have spent far more time updating this thing and installing new firmware than actually using it. Maybe someday. I'm still fascinated by astrophotography, but I can't imagine spending much time outside at night in Dallas. The few times I've gone outside to observe something I'm usually interrupted by multiple police cars racing down our street in pursuit of bad guys. Our own neighborhood is relatively safe, but this street appears to be a superhighway to high crime areas. 

It doesn't look like we are going to make it to the fair this year. Sometimes going to the fair seems like a fun thing to do. This year we had no interest. I don't think we missed much. Neither of us like fair food and yesterday there was an active shooter scare that had everyone running for the exits. One of the reasons I like going to Kennedy Space Center is that everyone has to go through a background check to get their credentials. I feel very safe wandering around the space center. Not so much here in Dallas.

I need to make an appointment to see the eye doctor next week. It doesn't seems like a year since my last visit, but here we are again. I"m dreading this visit because I know the doctor will want to schedule cataract surgery almost immediately. I can tell my cataracts have gotten worse this year. I'm sure the doctor will know too.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3674

When I went to get a haircut today, I was intrigued by some oddly colorful plants I saw at the mall. Northpark is known for it's landscaping, but I'd never seen anything like this before. The plants looked like green sticks with brightly colored tips. Was this a weird exotic cactus? Was it a new type of succulent or bromeliad? The plants weren't labeled, so it took me forever to find the answer. The reason that the plants were hard to identify was that they don't exist in nature. A grower has learned how to take young sansevieria plants and dip the tips in felt. Since these plants grow from the base, the colorful tip stays the same as the plants grow. Who knew?

It was really warm today. I think we hit a new all time record for temperatures in January. It was 85 degrees this afternoon. When I went to get a haircut, it was colder inside than it was outside. It was also extremely humid. Everything looked wet and damp, but there was no rain. The thunderstorms that had me worried yesterday never materialized. So far, this has been a very strange winter.

Almost every store at the mall was having a big after Christmas clearance sale, but I wasn't even interested enough to take a look. I should have gone in the North Face store and looked for a winter coat, but how can you look for a winter coat when it is 85 degrees outside? I just went straight home after my haircut and did a Google search for the strange plants I'd seen earlier. I can usually find almost anything on Google in a matter of minutes. This took a while though. I didn't know the type of plant I was looking for. And I certainly didn't know that the colors I was seeing weren't natural.

I'm torn about making hotel reservations for my Florida trip. If I make the reservations right now and pay for them in advance, I can save some money. If the Solar Orbiter launch date changes though, I'm out of luck. I did save a little money by paying in advance when I went to New Orleans, but I knew the date for Artemis Day wasn't going to change. Launch dates always seem to change. Since today was the last day to take advantage of this holiday sale, I guess I lose. I don't have the nerve to get nonrefundable airline tickets or hotel rooms when I'm going to a launch.

The porta-potties have returned to the park. I guess the city didn't remove them after all. Probably the vendor's contract ran out and the city just decided to get a new supplier. I never even used to wonder where the restrooms were when I was younger. It's something to think about now though. There are days when I need these things on a long walk.

I don't think I escaped the rain entirely. It looks like it just got delayed until tomorrow. Oh, well. At least I managed to get a good walk today. Rain is totally normal at this time of year, but it always catches me by surprise. I still wake up every morning expecting a nice day.

Betty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3604

Today seemed productive. I didn't really do that much, but nothing went wrong. After breakfast I went to the storage warehouse to see if I might still have a copy of the banner I was thinking of reprinting. Nope. It wasn't there. I sent the file I found yesterday to the printer and told them to reprint the banner.

Next, I went to get a haircut. I was amazed to see that all the stores are already in full Christmas mode. There were Christmas trees and decorations everywhere. A crew was already putting together the little hut where kids come to see Santa. It still seems a little early to me, but what do I know. Maybe it was always this way.

My haircut took a while, but I wasn't in a hurry. When I left the mall I could have sworn there there were even more Christmas trees standing than when I arrived. I didn't stop at the Apple Store today. I have very little interest in computers anymore. I didn't stop at the Tesla Store either. When you're thinking about taking long car trips, an electric car doesn't sound that appealing. I guess it's good that I don't feel like buying things these days. I don't have the money anyway.

I found out this afternoon that the last of my vintage guitars has finally sold. The whole process took over a year but I'm happy with the results. I kept one guitar just in case I feel like playing again. I rarely take it out of its case. Maybe I'll sell that guitar one day as well. I'm a bit surprised that I don't miss anything that I've sold. I spent so long collecting some of this stuff and now that it's gone, it's quickly forgotten. I don't regret the years I spent accumulating things, but it's time to move on.

One of the reasons that I'm in a good mood is that even though it rained a lot recently, there have been no further leaks. I haven't been up on the roof yet either. I'm sure there is still standing water. Maybe my last repair attempts actually worked. Of course, a leak could still appear at any minute. That's the way it works with water. It's always waiting to surprise you. I'll leave the buckets out for another day, just to be safe.

Tomorrow, I go back to the dentist to see if they can fix my retainer. I hope they don't try to tell me that it is just fine the way it is. I'll quit wearing the contraption if that happens. The dentist seems confident that he can adjust the retainer. How? The thing is made of hard plastic and it either fits or it doesn't. I hate to make the long drive for a third time, but I'm kind of curious to see what they're going to do.

I took my walk toward the end of the day because of my hair appointment. The time change really makes a difference. I left the house around 3 PM and by the time I returned home the sun was already starting to set. All in all, I think I liked Daylight Savings Time better. I can always sleep a little later until the sun comes up, but when the day ends early you're stuck. I'd better get used to this. Early sunsets are going to be around for quite a while.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3527

I got a letter from the Editor at Sky & Telescope today saying that the magazine was interested in my proposal for an article about the McDonald Observatory Special Viewing Night program. The Editor didn't promise to publish anything, but did encourage me to write an article about my trip to the observatory and submit it to the magazine on completion. This was encouraging. A personal letter from the Editor saying "your proposed article sounds interesting" is definitely a step above those little "thank you for your submission" postcards I used to get from magazines when my articles were rejected.

It was another slow, very hot Summer day. I only took one walk today, but that was enough. Instead of an afternoon walk, I went to Northpark and got a haircut. The mall was having their annual auto show and it was amazing how many cars on display were over $100K. I wasn't surprised that prices for the Rolls Royce Wraith and the McLaren 720S Spider were in the stratosphere, but a lot of ordinary cars were out of reach as well. When I bought my first car, you could get a nice Ford Mustang for under $2500 and a VW Beetle for $1800. Jeez, a new Porsche 911 only cost around $6000. This would be one of those out of reach 100K+ cars today. And they say inflation isn't a problem.

Of course haircuts, food, clothing, and just about everything else are more expensive as well. You notice these things when you're living on a fixed income. Hopefully the economy stays strong. I'm too old for another financial crisis like we had in 2008.

My stylist asked me about the new breakfast restaurant I've been going to lately. Several other people have asked me about this place as well. Probably as soon as I tell everyone how much I like this place, they'll get a new chef and everything will fall apart. Nothing seems to last very long in the restaurant business. Hopefully this restaurant will continue to do well. I like having good food in the neighborhood.

I always feel better after a good haircut. Anything that makes you think you've got your act together is a plus. I didn't feel like shopping after my haircut was finished. I just returned home and did nothing. Apparently I don't have my act together after all. Basically it's too hot to embark on any sort of a major project. Sometimes just getting through these hot days is a major project in itself.

I don't think there'll be any major projects tomorrow. I need to clean out the greenhouse before repairs can start, but I think I've already missed this month's big trash day. I guess this task can wait another month. I don't want to attempt to take the old dehumidifier apart unless I've got a lot of time. I'm bound to encounter some surprises and the job will probably take three times as long as I expected. I can always think about what type of article I'm going to write. That's something I can do indoors. I can even think about writing lying on the bed. I might fall asleep, but it's worth the risk.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3370

I'm glad I saw Apollo 11. The film got mixed reviews, but I think that anyone who is old enough to remember the event will agree with me. This wasn't just a movie, it was a time machine. The 65mm footage of the launch itself was spectacular, but what struck me the most were all the little details that brought the sixties back to life. Everybody smoked back then. It was amazing to see how many of the engineers and technicians at mission control were smoking cigarettes and pipes. Each of the flight controllers had a black rotary dial land line phone next to their console. Reporters were calling in their stories using pay phones. Some were typing on small portable manual typewriters. The men had crew cuts and a surprising number of women had beehive hairdos. This is exactly the way it was. It's funny how modern I thought the world was when I was in college. Back then I couldn't have imagined the world we live in today.

You can forget a lot in fifty years. As I was exiting the theater, a couple of older looking guys were commenting on the film. "How old were you when we went to the moon," one guy asked. "I was 8," his friend replied. "I was 6," the other guy said. Good grief. I must be really old. I was in college when the launch happened. The guys ahead of me at the theater looked old enough to be retired and I was at least ten years older than them. I not only remember Alan Shepard and John Glenn's first flights, I remember Ham the monkey. I was pretty young at the time, but I even remember Sputnik 1 in 1957.

When I went to the theater this afternoon I realized I was totally out of the loop. The guy at the ticket counter asked me to pick a seat on a touch screen. "I can't just go inside and sit where I want," I said. "No," said the attendant. "You have to pick a seat first." I guess even going to the movies is done on your phone now. You can get your ticket and pick a seat in advance. That explained why some of the best seats were already taken, even though the theater was almost empty when I went inside. I was so confused that I ended up sitting in the wrong row. "But it says Row G right on my ticket," I said to the guy next to me. "No, this is a G-Rated film," he explained to me. "Your seat is over there."

Later today, I watched another short film on my computer called Seattle is Dying. What a contrast. Apollo 11 was an incredibly optimistic story about one of the greatest achievements in human history.    Seattle is Dying is basically a cautionary tale about how civilization is literally crumbling under our feet. I guess that's the difference between 1969 and 2019. I used to live in Seattle. It was a great place in the early 70's. Seattle used to be called the Emerald City because it was so beautiful. The city now has one of the highest crime rates in the country. Drug abuse and homelessness are out of control. Parts of the city look like a third world country. Citizens don't feel safe anymore. You wonder how things deteriorated so quickly. It's sad. No wonder I would prefer to live in 1969.

It was nice to have a break from the usual Sunday chores today. I didn't really miss going to the gym. I'll catch up on chores tomorrow. The only useful thing I did today was make some temporary repairs to the balky French toilet. I've discovered that there's a weird little rubber piston in the flush mechanism that causes the toilet to run if it gets dirty. Periodically, I take the piston assembly apart and clean all the parts with alcohol. This usually fixes things for a few months.

Dash had a good day. He was still as slow as molasses, but he really enjoyed his outings in the park. The weather was beautiful and there were lots of things to smell. I wish I could do a better job of keeping him from stumbling. I do the best I can and we're still walking, so I guess that's all that counts. I evidently didn't do a great job of cleaning him up last night when he pooped either. He still had a brown tail when I woke up this morning.

I promised myself that I'll get started on my taxes tomorrow. I don't always keep my promises though.

Allie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3310

I try to leave myself plenty of time whenever I make an appointment. Let's face it, I'm slow and Dash is even slower. You'd think an appointment at noon wouldn't present a problem. Wrong. I actually got up early this morning, but by the time I'd walked Dash, made the bed, cleaned up dog poop on the living room floor, fixed breakfast, and taken a shower, I was already late.

I get my hair cut every couple of months. I've been going to the same stylist for decades and see no reason to change now. This periodic trip to the mall gives me an opportunity to see if the outside world has changed. It seldom does. There was a new Model 3 on display at the Tesla store and I noticed that a new KAWS Companion sculpture had been added to the Mall's art collection. Everything else was the same. I was surprised at how nice the low cost Tesla looked considering the bad press it has been getting. I'm always surprised at the popularity of Brian Donnelly's art. I guess I'm getting old. I don't understand the popularity of Banksy either.

I didn't linger at the Mall today. I skipped the usual window shopping at the Apple Store and watch boutiques. There is just no desire to buy stuff anymore. It was good to get a haircut though. I always feel better after a haircut. My hair is almost white now, but at least I still have hair. I'm looking more and more like my Dad every year.

I finished the day by paying a few bills and picking up a new supply of Plavix for Dash at the pharmacy on my way home from the post office. It seemed like a very busy day, but as usual I didn't get much done. Janet and I both wonder how we used to get so much done when we were younger. Now, just taking care of the bare necessities can eat up an entire day.

It was a little warmer today, but the weather is still damp and nasty. This type of weather must accentuate smells, because Dash spends even more time than usual smelling things on damp days. Smell is everything to him lately and he will frequently walk straight through muddy areas to get to a smell he likes. I've always got to have a spare set of footwear for him because his boots and socks usually need to go in the laundry after a walk. My own boots are usually muddy as well. Sometimes I feel like I spend half my day cleaning stuff. When Dash poops in the bed, I might spend the entire day.

After today's excursion, I see no need to leave the house tomorrow. The outside world just isn't that enticing. I still enjoy walking through the park, but I don't take many photos anymore. I have to concentrate on keeping Dash from falling. I didn't realize how good I had it when Dot and Dash were young and healthy. Walks were a joy back then. We walked a lot further, but it was relaxing. Relaxing isn't a word I use very often anymore.

Shelby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3226

Is this rain ever going to stop? I've had enough of this. Every time I think that things are finally starting to get better, another round of downpours begins. We were lucky that Janet had to get up early today, because if Dash and I left for our morning walk at the regular time we would have gotten wet. Rainy days always seem a lot longer. The house feels cold. Dash gets wet every time he goes outside to pee. And I'm always looking up at the ceiling, waiting for the leak to start again. Dash is definitely not getting an evening walk tonight.

Today's big event was a haircut. It's ironic that I've been postponing making an appointment because of all the bad weather and the one day I choose turns out to be just as rainy as the rest. My hair used to have to color to it, but now it is practically white. When I look at the clippings on the floor, they don't even look like my hair. It looks like some old man sat in the chair before me. Oh, well. At least I still have hair.

I look a little more presentable now, but it doesn't really matter. Nobody sees me anymore. I can't even remember the last business meeting I attended. On the way home, I did stop at the Apple Store, but I couldn't get all that excited about the new watch. They say the new version is bigger, but to my untrained eye, it looks exactly the same as the watch I already wear. The last thing I need is another watch. I wonder how I started collecting these things anyway. I don't even care what time it is.

Dash was pretty shaky today. Probably the cold, damp weather makes his old, stiff joints feel even worse. There's not a lot I can do on days like this. I turned the heat up a little in an attempt to keep us both warm and we took a lot of naps. I periodically turned on the TV, but quickly turned it off again. The news was just as bad as the weather today.

I still can't decide what to do about the storage warehouse. My lease runs out in a few days and if I'm going to move, I'd better start planning now. It took me years to fill the unit up, so moving everything in a few days won't be easy. I wonder how much it would cost to get someone to move everything for me? If the cost was reasonable, it would probably be worth it.

Damn. I just went out to the kitchen for a snack and I noticed that the roof has started leaking again. This totally sucks. I positioned buckets under the leak and will have to get used to the slow drip, drip, drip of falling water for the next few days. The bad thing about this type of leak is that there is no way to fix it until the rain totally stops and the roof dries out. Lord knows when I'll be able to get the roofers over here again. With all the rain we've been having lately, they're probably booked up for the next ten years.

It's early, but I'm ready to call it a day. I'm tired. Dash hates to go outside in the rain, so it's almost a certainty that he'll poop in the house tonight. As long as that's all that goes wrong, I'm OK. My expectations are pretty low these days.

Ellis is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3024

Dash seems stable enough now to leave alone for a while, so it seemed like a good time to get a haircut. My hair isn't as thick as it used to be, but it still seems to grow pretty fast. Haircuts are the only time I go to the mall these days. Every time I visit, I notice that stores have disappeared. A lot of the high end watch boutiques are gone. So is the Pirch store. I never had the money to buy anything in these expensive stores, but they were fun to visit. Every big name clothing designer still has a store these days, but very few of these ritzy boutiques seem to have any customers. They're empty most of the time. How do they stay in business?

I wonder about these things while I'm having my hair cut, but the stylist and I mostly just talk about our pets. She has cats and I have dogs. The common bond is that we both prefer animals to people. Actually, just about everybody I know prefers animals to people. When you look at how people behave, how could you think otherwise?

I stopped at the Apple Store after my haircut and looked at phones. I played around with the iPhone X for a while and really wished it had a home button. It seemed too big to fit comfortably in my pocket as well. Maybe I'd better buy an iPhone SE before Apple discontinues this sensibly sized model. It doesn't have a fancy camera like the iPhone X, but it's still twice as fast as my current phone.

Dash was still sleeping when I got home. He really sleeps a lot now. This is one of the reasons I think it is so important to continue our walks. If Dash stops moving, his muscles are going to atrophy very quickly. The vestibular disease and a bulging disc in his spine have already made his rear legs very weak. He doesn't need the Help Em Up Harness yet, but I'm going to have to bring some rugs home from the storage warehouse this weekend. We're starting to have mobility issues. Dash seems much steadier on the carpet. The bricks are becoming treacherous.

The stock market had another good day, but it didn't leave me feeling all that comfortable. The analysts say that extreme volatility is the new normal. Volatility will never seem normal to me. I long for a world where the pace is slower and most things are predictable. I don't think that's where we're headed, unfortunately. The future is going to be more like a Mad Max movie than Leave it to Beaver.

They say there will be thunderstorms tomorrow. I hope the forecast is wrong. I haven't been able to patch the leak in the roof yet. Actually, I haven't even been able to find the leak. I haven't been able to find the roofer either. A short rain shouldn't be a problem, but if we get a soaker there is going to be water on the living room floor again. Oh, well. I did buy a new bucket.

We'll see how tomorrow goes. If it doesn't rain and Dash eats his breakfast, we're off to a good start.

Angel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2947

I got a haircut today, so I'm probably good until March. Maybe by March I'll have enough money to get a new iPhone X. I only visit the mall when it's time for a haircut, so I'm always curious to see what's new at the Apple Store. I wish I actually need a new iPhone or one of the grossly overpriced new iMac Pro desktop computers. Sadly, my old iPhone 5 and 2010 vintage iMac work just fine. It's hard to justify buying these gadgets for the company anymore. There just isn't that much work these days.

It's becoming equally hard to justify an expensive haircut. What's left of my hair doesn't grow very fast and during the Winter it's usually hidden under an ugly wool hat anyway. Maybe I just enjoy familiar routines. I've been getting my hair cut by the same stylist for over fifteen years and have been using Apple products for much longer than that. It's reassuring to visit the mall every once in a while and realize that it really hasn't changed all that much since I moved here in the mid 1970's.

When I returned home, Dash was still asleep in exactly the same place on the bed where I left him several hours earlier. Sometimes it worries me that he spends so much time sleeping, but even healthy dogs sleep a lot. He must be a light sleeper, because as soon as I opened the refrigerator door, he woke up and came out to the kitchen. I think Dash likes familiar routines even more than I do. Now that he's become a picky eater, I make a big show out of fixing his meals. I wash his bowl and carefully spoon out his food in precise little patterns. It takes three times as long, but Dash gets all excited while I'm fixing things and almost always eats everything. I know this silly little ritual makes a difference, because occasionally when I'm in a hurry I just quickly dump the food in his bowl and he gets mad and won't touch it.

The weather was weird today. When I was driving to Northpark this morning the sky was clearing and the temperature was rising. I thought is was going to be a nice day. It was still pretty nice when I took a walk with Dash after lunch, although I noticed some clouds on the horizon. Everything changed around 3 PM. By the time I gave Dash his evening walk, the sky was dark, the wind was blowing, and the temperature had dropped twenty degrees. It's hard to get used to these sudden changes. In my mind I was already anticipating a pleasant Friday, and then seemingly out of nowhere, Winter returned.

I can't decide whether to go out for breakfast tomorrow. The pancakes I fixed at home last Friday were pretty good. When I enjoyed going out, I never thought about the cost. Now that I don't look forward to these outings as much, the restaurant meals seem like a waste of money. Skipping one breakfast a month would pay for the increase in my gym membership. Skipping the entire month would buy me a new pair of hiking boots. If I skipped the entire year, I could probably get that iPhone I've been thinking about.

Dash's schedule has changed. He doesn't poop on his walks any more and has decided that he prefers to do his business in the middle of the night while I'm asleep. I took him outside twice last night and probably will do the same tonight. I thought I was going to get a lot more sleep after Dot passed away, but it hasn't worked out that way.

Dovey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2786

Little things can make a big difference. I always feel better when I get a haircut. It's a little symbolic gesture that lets me believe I am regaining control of my life. I've been going to the same stylist for decades. I don't have as much hair now and we are both getting older, but I still get a good haircut.

I used to always pay a visit to the Apple Store when I got a haircut. Now, I don't even bother. I think I have one of everything Apple makes. The stores used to have a huge array of interesting software. Now, there is almost nothing on the shelves. You're supposed to buy software at the App Store now.

When I got home I picked up the mail and discovered the check I've been waiting for hidden in a pile of junk mail. One more thing I can check off my list. I won't be getting any more checks from these folks because they fired me recently, but at least we ended things cleanly. Now, I need to find another client to replace them.

The haircut and the missing check would have been enough for one day, but I also figured out a way to get my old obsolete software to work again. The solution was so simple that I don't know why I hadn't thought of it sooner. I still had an external hard drive in the storage warehouse that had an old operating system on it. I hooked up this drive to my computer and made it the boot drive. When I restarted the computer, all the old software worked perfectly. Once I was satisfied with my solution, I put the drive away again. I won't need to use it very often, but it's good to know it's there. Now, I just need to remember to never erase the thing.

Dash is eating and sleeping well again. I wish I could figure out what his problem is. Intermittent problems are always hard to resolve. It's like when you take your car to a mechanic with a funny noise and the noise goes away as soon as it's in the shop. Whenever I take Dash to the vet he seems completely normal. I carefully explain the problem, but there is nothing to observe. The whole situation makes me nervous. I know he is going to throw up and quit eating again. I just don't know when.

I sent a revised proposal to the guy who wants a new website. He's going to start a paintball park. It's a mystery to me why people enjoy shooting each other with paint guns, but it will probably be an olympic sport soon. You can already have a paintball birthday parties for your kids and I've heard that there are corporate paintball team building exercises for business as well. If I get this job it won't be the oddest website I've built, but it would definitely be in the top ten.

This week has gone quickly. I've already hauled this week's trash out to the curb and I'm trying to decide what to have for breakfast tomorrow. I've been disappointed in my choice of restaurants for the past several weeks. I need to pick a winner tomorrow.

J-Lo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2690

The only time I go to the mall anymore is when I get a haircut. The place used to seem normal to me, but now it seems increasingly alien. The flowers are much more exotic than the ones I see at the park. The air is not only artificially cold, it is scented. Shoppers seem to dress better here than when they go to work. I don't get how this place works. The mall is usually packed with people, yet most of the high end stores are practically empty.

I've been going to the same stylist for many years.  I think she and I were the only people in the salon today who weren't covered with tattoos. All the young stylists had tattoos. Some of the ink was quite artistic, but a lot of the tattoos were messy and poorly thought out. One of my veterinarians has spent a lot of money trying to remove tattoos that she impulsively got when she was younger. I wonder if some of these people are going to feel the same way later in life. There's nothing wrong with tattoos, but I'm not comfortable wearing my feelings on my skin. My feelings about almost everything have changed radically over the years. Tattoos are far too permanent.

I feel better with a good haircut, but the trip to the mall certainly threw me off schedule. Dot wasn't eating well today. I spent more time than usual trying to make sure she got enough food. I don't know why her appetite and activity level changes from one day to the next, but it sure makes life complicated. I thought we'd finally found a healthy food that Dot really likes, but today she wanted to eat Dash's food when she finally became hungry. She didn't eat much. Absolutely nothing is predictable anymore.

I thought Dot was going to have a great day, because she slept well for the first time in ages. There were no middle of the night accidents last night and everybody got a good night's sleep. Oddly, even though she was well rested, Dot was very shaky on her feet this morning. She improved a bit as the day progressed, but today definitely wasn't as good as yesterday. I wish I knew why things ebb and flux like this, but I probably never will.

I hope Dot feels better tomorrow. I was really starting to feel good that her appetite and enthusiasm were returning. Today was a bit of a setback. We still ate and we still walked, but Dot was obviously feeling tired. Maybe a good night's sleep will help.

Patches is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2602

I only go to the mall when I need a haircut. I'm always amazed at how many weird specialty stores there are and wonder how many of them manage to stay in business. Some stores only sell soap. Others just sell shaving supplies. I've never seen any customers in Versace or Valentino, yet these high end retailers remain at the mall year after year. Every expensive Swiss watch brand seems to have its own store. I guess people don't go to jewelry stores anymore. I've never understood the appeal of Nespresso or Peloton either. There are so many very expensive things that the kids who hang out at the mall couldn't even begin to afford. The Tesla store doesn't even sell anything; you can just look. All of this out of reach extravagance must mean something, but I can't put my finger on it. I must be out of sync with the rest of the world, because every time I go to this very popular place, I can't wait to get back in my car and go home again.

I make the trip every month or two because I always get a great haircut. I've been going to the same stylist for over ten years. She cuts Janet's hair too and we all share a love of animals. Today we talked about how we both love bacon, but feel guilty every time we see a cute picture of a pig on Facebook. The struggle is real if you've been eating meat all your life. I'll ask how her cats are doing and she'll ask about Dot and Dash. I could probably just go to a regular barber in the neighborhood and nobody would know the difference, but I like this little ritual.

Dot woke up while I was cleaning up her poop last night, so I decided to take her outside to pee. Maybe I should always do this on weekends, because when we got back inside and went to sleep again, there were no leaks in the bed the next morning. We all slept soundly until well after sunrise. Believe me, in our house this is a real luxury. Dot just can't make it all the way through the night anymore without leaking or peeing in her sleep. I still hate to wake her when she's sleeping soundly though.

I went up on the roof for the first time in over a month this afternoon. There was very little standing water, since it's been relatively dry lately, but there were a ton of leaves. I swept all the leaves over the edge of the roof, where they joined an even larger pile of leaves on the ground. I used to rake leaves every weekend in the Winter, but it is kind of pointless when you live next to a huge park full of trees. The landscaping guys come once a year now in the Spring and haul all the leaves away. With all the leave removed from the roof, I was pleased to see that all the patches the roofers had applied last Fall were holding up pretty well. I have enough to worry about, so it's nice that the roof isn't as much of a priority now.

I guess I'll go to the gym tomorrow. This is another little ritual I've grown to like. You'd think I'd be lusting after one of those expensive Peloton stationary bicycles I saw at the mall so I could exercise at home with the dogs. Exercise machines at home don't appeal to me at all. Go figure. An anti-social person who likes going to the gym. Maybe I just like to shoot the basketball.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2565

I had to do some last minute Christmas shopping today, so I used my free time while the dogs were sleeping to make a quick trip to the mall. I'll have to remember that early mornings are a good time to go to the mall. Even though it was only a few days before Christmas, the crowds weren't that bad. I had no trouble finding a parking place. If I had waited until this afternoon to do my shopping, parking would have been impossible. Sad to say, I'm still not feeling the Christmas spirit. I navigated my way through the holiday shoppers and mall displays filled with thousands of Poinsettias as quickly as I could. My time is limited these days.

Dot was just starting to wake up when I returned and there was no poop on the floor, so I considered my trip a success. I should have gone to CVS and bought a giant bag of cough drops. I should have gone to the Container Store and bought some new wrapping paper. I should have done a lot of things while I was out, but I just didn't want to clean up any more poop.

Since I had already squandered today's productive time, I had trouble finishing my one remaining article. I literally had to write the thing one sentence at a time. I don't know why Dot is so active in the afternoons now. She sleeps from the time she returns from her morning walk until about 1 PM. After that, she tries her best to stay on all fours for the rest of the day. I think it's great that she's trying to walk around; I just wish she was more successful at it. To keep Dot from injuring herself, it is really essential that I have her back at all times. I follow her around, steadying her rear legs by holding up the rear of the Help 'Em Up harness. Dot is showing signs of dementia. Sometimes she just forgets where she is. Other times she is alert and seems like a young dog trapped in an old dog's body. I'm learning how to adjust to these changes and hope that she is too.

Caring for Dot has got me wondering what will happen to me when I get really old. Humans without strong family ties are pretty much on their own. It's bad enough now, and I'm still pretty healthy. I often feel like I am operating without a safety net. What would happen if I had a heart attack or fell off the roof? Nobody would even notice. Even if I managed to call 911, I worry that the dogs might escape or get taken to the pound when the EMT's arrived. With that in mind, my goal while Janet is away is just staying alive.

I wish I could shake off this cold. It has lingered far longer than I thought it would. I still haven't taken any antihistamines. I just try to remember to keep a few cough drops in my pockets in case I need to talk with someone. The cough drops won't cure anything, but they do seem to prevent violent coughing spasms. It probably doesn't help matters that I race out of the house every morning in my underwear, trying to keep Dot from peeing on the floor. Once I see her start to wake up, there just isn't time to get dressed. I was successful this morning, but the odds are about 50/50 that we won't make it to the door.

I guess I'll finish writing my article tomorrow. I don't think there's much else on the agenda. I'm going to try my best to go out for breakfast in the morning. I've had to skip my weekly breakfast outing for several weeks in a row due to bad weather or dog emergencies. A tasty meal and an hour or two of peace and quiet can make a big difference.

Two sisters are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day