Day 4344

If you've seen one Monday post, you've probably seen them all. Monday's are always the same. That's not a bad thing though. We get everything out of the way in the morning, so we have the afternoon to spend with the Dalmatians at the boarding kennel. It felt warmer when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk. We left the house a little earlier than normal because Janet had a morning meeting. It kind of felt like one of those mornings before the time change. I always watch for coyotes when it is dark outside. I don't want Dawn to tangle with a coyote.

When we returned to the house I tried a wide, flatter cereal bowl instead of the deep one I've been using lately. Sometimes experimentation doesn't work. My shredded wheat kept falling out of the bowl. By the time I was ready for my long walk, it had warmed up enough so that I didn't even need a jacket. I keep looking for the eagles, but they are pretty illusive. Maybe I just don't look up enough. I'm usually looking down when I walk so I don't inadvertently step in a hole. I'm sure I'll see the birds again. There's still a lot of walking to do before the end of the year.

The same three dogs are still at the kennel. One of the kennel attendants told us that someone had been looking at Pepper but that she hadn't been adopted yet. Charlie, Oliver and Pepper are all so active that it makes me glad that we ended up adopting Dawn. I don't think I have the energy for a younger Dal anymore. In fairness, I think that Charlie, Oliver and Pepper would all be a lot calmer in a home environment. There's something about comfy furniture and a big king sized bed that brings out the laziness in almost any Dalmatian. The kennel Dalmatians all seem to love the time we spend playing with them. It is time well spent. Each of these dogs seems to get smarter every time we visit.

The kennel is one of our locations for the upcoming Santa Paws photo events. I noticed that the kennel already has sign up sheets out in the lobby. This is a good location because there is plenty of room to set everything up. Some of the places we've been are so small that it is difficult to squeeze all the gear in. I keep thinking that I'm going to have to add a cane to my growing pile of photo gear. My knees are terrible now and it's not that easy to get up off the floor these days. When you are photographing dogs, you spend a lot of time on your knees.

Thanksgiving dinner and the Santa Paws fundraiser events will be here before you know it. I don't know where this year has gone. It seems like yesterday when we started 2021 thinking that the world was finally getting back to normal. I was sure wrong about that one. Maybe we can finally put Covid behind us soon. I've noticed that the drive-thru Covid testing site that we always pass on our way to the kennel is looking pretty empty these days. A few months ago cars were wrapped all the way around the block at this place.

We got a notice from the electric company that they would be in the neighborhood trimming trees around the power lines later this month. This was always a traumatic event for us because they would butcher our trees. This year we are thinking of asking the crew to just cut the trees down. The trees near the alley where the power lines run would need to come down anyway if we ever move our driveway to the rear of the house. I'm always scared that a big storm is going to blow the trees over anyway. We've lost two large trees to straight line winds already. I loved all the big trees in our back yard when we bought the house. Times change though and I think I'm finally ready to give up on the trees. Janet was ready years ago.

Maybe I can get something productive done tomorrow. I still need to make appointments with the dermatologist and the dentist. I need to write NASA and ask how I can apply for long-term credentials. Some photographers I know only have to renew their credentials once a year. It would be so much easier to plan ahead if I didn't need to worry about getting overlooked or rejected for every single launch. I need to find a carpenter too. I'm tired of looking at the rotting wood on the side of the house.

Honey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4330

Today started normally and ended weird. We took Dawn on her sunrise walk and then I had a bowl of green Jello for breakfast. The Jello was delicious compared to the Colonoscopy prep medication I'm drinking now. This stuff is vile and I have to drink a gallon of the disgusting liquid before I can call it a day. I couldn't eat solid food at all today, but that wasn't as bad as I thought. Coffee and Jello for breakfast really isn't that bad. Hot chicken broth for dinner wasn't terrible either. I used the same chicken broth we put on Dawn's food.

In between all the weird food was a fairly normal day. I took a long walk this morning and Janet and I visited the Dalmatian Rescue kennel this afternoon. Charlie, Oliver and Pepper are still there and are as playful as ever. Since there are three very playful dogs at the kennel now, we are spending more time there than we used to. Charlie is still the best trained of the three. We are trying to teach Oliver and Pepper some new commands but they both have short attention spans. They are all very food motivated, so we use treats to teach them new things. Sometimes this works and sometimes it doesn't. Everyone has fun though. I was surprised that Pepper was still there this week. She is small and very friendly and cute. Typically a dog like this gets adopted almost immediately.

I wish I'd been able to take the newer Colonoscopy prep medication. The new stuff still tastes terrible but you don't have to drink nearly as much. When I asked why I was given the older prep kit, a nurse told me that it was the only thing Medicare covered. It's a shame that I wasn't given a choice. I would have paid retail to be able to drink less of this stuff. As it is, I'll be up till midnight and that doesn't even count all the times I'll have to get up to go to the bathroom later.

Actually the upper endoscopy test I will be having tomorrow is more serious than the colonoscopy, but all I can think of is the colonoscopy because of the prep liquid I have to drink tonight. I hope I didn't make a mistake agreeing to have the EGD and the colonoscopy done at the same time. I've had both of these procedures done before and the recovery period is very quick. Usually you are back to normal the next day. Janet wants to go vote tomorrow after she picks me up from the hospital. I have a feeling that I might be a little groggy for that. There are just some obscure propositions on the ballot, but we always like to vote.

One thing I hate about all the medical appointments I'm having lately is that I have to answer my phone more often. You never know if the call is important and doctor's offices seldom seem to enable their caller ID. To avoid missing medical calls, I end up answering a lot more spam and telemarketing calls by mistake. I feel under siege by telemarketers lately. We must get twenty unwanted calls every day. I don't know what these guys have to gain by calling me. I never want what they have to offer.

Janet drops me off at the hospital early tomorrow morning. I hope everything goes well. I'm really looking forward to eating a decent meal again tomorrow evening. I'm certainly not hungry now though. I haven't drank this much liquid at one time since my last Colonoscopy over ten years ago.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day