Day 2569

Sometimes I feel like the bar that's being set for me keeps being raised a little higher every few weeks. Last night I found myself cleaning up Dot's poop in the kitchen at exactly the same time Dash was throwing up in the bedroom. It's a three ring circus around here. Needless to say, I didn't get to watch very much of the Dr. Who Christmas Special. Lord knows what makes Dash throw up, but it happens from time to time. Usually Dash has an upset stomach when he eats something bad he found in the yard. You might ask why I don't find the dead things first and get rid of them. I would, except that the yard is covered by a million Oak and Elm leaves that have fallen from our trees. I won't be able to find anything in the yard until Spring.

I made an appointment to take Dash to the vet, because when I was checking him out after he threw up, I noticed a small mass in his throat. This feels like a fatty lipoma to me, but since Dash has already had thyroid cancer and lost one lobe of his thyroid gland, I don't think I should let this one slide. It is always possible that another tumor is developing in the remaining part of his thyroid. I worry too much, but that is one reason why both dogs are still alive. I may be guilty of ignoring my own health, but I never ignore the dog's health.

Yesterday evening was far too distracting to sit down and watch the Dr. Who Christmas Special, although it was playing on both televisions. I got the general idea that this was a Superman and Lois Lane story wrapped around a typical alien invaders on Christmas Day story. I didn't think I'd like this one, since I'm getting tired of Peter Capaldi, but from what little I saw, the script seemed well written and clever enough to make me want to go back and watch the show again the next time I find some quiet time.

I'll never get used to Texas weather. After our recent cold spell. I really wasn't ready to start using the air conditioner again. It seemed to go from cold and dry to hot and humid almost overnight. I've had the air conditioner on for two days now. Go figure. At least the yard is finally drying out. I didn't need to clean the dog's paws nearly as often today.

Today must have been a holiday for people who have regular jobs. The park seemed really crowded for a weekday. At first I kept thinking "what are all these people doing skipping work," but I finally realized that since Christmas was on a Sunday, that offices were closed on Monday instead. Maybe if you were lucky, you got Friday off too. I haven't had a paid work holiday for decades. Of course there are those who think all my days are holidays, but they would be wrong.

I got an REI sale catalog in the mail and of course the one thing that caught my eye was something I'd never, ever use. It was a GPS satellite tracking device that lets you text people and send emergency messages when you're off the grid and far away from a cell tower. I haven't been off the grid since I was in college and if I had gotten in trouble, I would have been out of luck. Cell phones and GPS trackers weren't even invented yet.

I'm hoping for a quiet, uneventful day tomorrow. One can always hope.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 2132

Yay! I got a surprise check in the mail this morning from a client who is habitually late. Now I can pay my Visa bill. It's like this every month. I make just enough to get by, but there's never very much left at the end of the month. I suppose I could dip into savings when things get tight, but an odd stubborn pride compels me to leave the investment account alone unless it's absolutely necessary. The salad days are over, but I'd still like to think I can pay my bills using money I actually earn.

We'll see how long this little game lasts. It was frightening to see how quickly my parents savings became depleted when they both became sick. I'm healthy now, but I won't always be. I need to stay prepared. I don't want to become senile and fall prey to Nigerian scammers like my Dad. I don't want to be possessed by manic/depressive demons like my Mom. This makes me overly cautious.

I've grown comfortable with caution, but I think it makes others uncomfortable. People like a little spontaneity in their friends. I guess they'll have to wait. I've convinced myself that if I continue doing exactly what I'm doing, the dogs will live longer, I'll stay sane, and everything will turn out fine. I'm probably fooling myself. Every time I turn on the TV, I realize that I'm living inside a self-created quiet little bubble and the rest of the world is random and insane.

I wish I was a little more like Dr. Who. I think the show is so popular because everyone wishes they were a little more like Dr. Who. In tonight's episode, Peter Capaldi brings Maisie Williams back to life, breaking all his own rules about changing the future and fixed moments in time. I wouldn't need a super power nearly this extravagant, but it would be nice to be able to keep dogs from dying. It would be nice to be able to understand what they are thinking too, just like Dr. Who was able to understand what the babies in the Viking village were thinking by hearing them cry. I wish I knew if Dash was really feeling better. He seems better today, but what do I know. Dogs are often very good at hiding pain.

Janet likes to text a lot more than I do. When we were texting back and forth this afternoon about what to buy at the grocery store, it occurred to me that it would have been a lot easier if we were just talking on the phone. We got it sorted out though. She got the peaches. I got the pumpkin bread and blueberries. I just got another text from her saying that she'll be later than she thought coming home tonight. I probably ought to text back and confirm which bedtime meds to give Dash. I hate texting long words like phenobarbital on my phone though, so I'll just go look at the pill bottles and sort it out myself.

So far, there have been no accidents in the house today. This is a little bonus, just like getting the surprise check this morning. We've still got an hour to go before bedtime though, so anything could happen.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 2103

Sometimes when I take Dash to the vet, I think I should be taking him to a psychiatrist instead. He used to ride nicely in the car, but now he barks and whines and generally is a nuisance until we arrive at our destination. Dash acted this way when we first adopted him and it took a long time to convince him that car rides were the gateway to dog parks and other fun activities where he got to play with other dogs. Eventually he grew to like the car. Now, after all his cancer treatments, he has reverted to his original fear of traveling in cars. It's too bad he doesn't know or understand the full story. The place he was whining about visiting today saved his life.

Dash sailed through his six month recheck with flying colors. There was no evidence that the cancer has returned and his oncologist said he looked like a healthy and happy dog. We don't have to go back for another re-check until February of next year.

I need to see how much time I've got left on my car's warranty. For over two years the car has performed flawlessly. No problems at all. Now, I'm beginning to hear squeaks and rattles that I've never heard before. This is usually not a good sign. On any other car I've ever owned, the squeaks and rattles were never a problem until the day after the warranty ran out. Then they miraculously turned into a major repair almost overnight. What makes these squeaks and rattles even worse is that they are sporadic. Sporadic problems never show their ugly face at the dealership. You describe the problem in detail and then when the mechanic takes the car for a test drive, nothing appears to be wrong. The mechanic thinks you're nuts. Then on the way home, the problem reoccurs. This happens so consistently that it drives me nuts.

The car isn't the only thing that is showing it's age. We've got a sodium vapor security light in the back yard that flickers on and off all night. Whenever the air conditioner compressor cuts in, the lamp cuts out. The flickering light wakes me up at night occasionally and when it randomly goes on and off while the dogs are outside, they think it is lightning and it scares them. I finally broke down and called our electrician today. I always hate to call the electrician to fix something this simple because electricians are notoriously expensive. Unfortunately, the pole the lamp is attached to is located right next to where the power lines comes into the house from the street. I'm always afraid that if I attempt to replace the lamp myself, I will slip and touch the power lines and electrocute myself. I guess it's worth paying the electrician.

There a brand new Dr. Who episode tomorrow evening. Last year I waited and waited for the new series to begin and was almost immediately disappointed. Hopefully Season nine will be better. Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman are both back for another year. A lot of people seem to think that Peter Capald is edgy and great, but I still like Matt Smith better. In my humble opinion Vincent and the Doctor was the best episode ever. There wasn't a single episode in season eight that even came close. I'll still watch the show tomorrow though. What better have I got to do?

I hope the dogs let us sleep in tomorrow morning. After a week of getting up in the middle of the night to clean up poop, I need a break. According to my fitness band, I'm hardly getting any sleep at all.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

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Day 1727

When I go to the gym, I warm up for twenty minutes using the hand bicycle. Most people start by jogging around the track or using one of the treadmills for a while, but the hand bike works for me. I spend so much time walking the dogs that my legs are fine. It's my upper body that need work. All I do with my arms and upper body is type. The first five minutes on the hand bike are murder. My joints ache and my arms are sore. Then my body starts to warm up and I get into a rhythm. By the end of the twenty minutes, I'm daydreaming as usual and I've almost forgotten that I'm using the machine.

That's the way it is with most things in life. I hate getting out of bed in the morning. When I wake up, all I want to do is roll over and go back to sleep again. I do get up though. I get up at the same time even on days when I have had little sleep. By the time I've made the bed and prepared my morning coffee, life seems bearable again. After walking the dogs and eating a leisurely breakfast, I've almost always forgotten how much I disliked getting out of bed just a few hours earlier.

The dogs probably felt this way today. Dot and Dash both got a bath this morning and Dash suffered the additional indignity of going to the vet to have his anal glands expressed. As much as the dogs protest these occasional trips to the local dog washing emporium, they always feel better afterwards. They stop itching and scratching for a while and concentrate on more important things like begging for treats. A bath is kind of like a thunderstorm for Dot and Dash. As soon as it's over, they totally forget it was something to worry about.

Before going to the gym today, I watched the new Dr. Who episode that I taped last night. This show, which involved taking Clara to meet Robin Hood, was much more entertaining than last week's awkward trip inside a Dalak's head. I think the scriptwriters are getting used to writing for Peter Capaldi. One of the benefits of watching your favorite shows using a DVR is that you can skip all the commercials. Maybe I'll start watching more shows this way. Either commercials are much worse than they used to be, or I've just lost my tolerance for them. They break up the narrative and are generally irritating. I can't believe that I spent a big chunk of my life writing these things.

My new phone is kind of mysterious. Even though it looks identical to the phone it replaced, there is something different about it. The phone runs IOS 7.1.2, just like the old phone. The same apps are installed. So why does it act so differently? I bet that Apple has updated the firmware of its later model phones. It doesn't really matter anyway. The iPhone 6 will make its debut in a few weeks anyway.

Dot had another good day today. No accidents at all! Maybe the pills are starting to work.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1719

I only had one thing to do today. I was going to fix the screen door. I've done this dozens of times before, because screen doors don't last very long with Dalmatians. In the past, dogs have jumped right through the screen when they saw a rabbit in the back yard. Typically, the damage isn't this severe but the metal mesh always gets damaged eventually by scratching paws, wagging tails, and simply bumping into the screen over and over again. It was time for a new screen today.

I thought this would be an easy job, but I was wrong. Unbeknownst to me, they stopped making screen wire in the correct size since the last time I fixed the door. I couldn't even find anything close, so I had to buy a much larger screen and cut it down to size. I keep forgetting that my Mid-Century Modern house is really sixty years old. Doors have gotten larger, along with just about everything else. When I got the screen sized properly, I realized that I needed staples for my staple gun. Much to my chagrin, I discovered that nobody makes staples that fit my old but very nice Swingline stapler. All the staples are made to fit Arrow staple guns now. My sturdy, American made staple gun had become a relic. Home Depot had an entire aisle full of staples and nails, but nothing for me. I finally found a single box of Swingline staples that looked like it was from the 1950's in my storage warehouse, but this is going to be a problem in the future. Fixing the door was never this much of a problem before. It made me feel old. I had a hard time even getting the screen door off its hinges because of the carpel tunnel in my left wrist and my dislocated right shoulder.

I did eventually manage to get the door fixed, but in the process I broke a pretty brass watering can that I've used for years to water house plants. I knocked the can over when I was positioning the door on a nearby table to attach the screen and all the braised brass joints just fell apart. One little tap and the spout and legs just fell off. Later, when I was picking up dog blankets to wash, I knocked a picture frame off the wall and broke it too. It was that kind of day.

Dot had a better day than I did. There were no accidents at all. It's strange that today was normal, because last night she peed all over one of her waterproof mats while she was sleeping. Maybe it was just because we slept in a bit later this morning. She probably would have made it through the night if we had all gotten up at 6 AM like we do on a work day.

I watched the latest Dr. Who episode while I was getting the bed ready for another unpredictable night. I don't know if Dot's bladder will leak tonight, but I do know that Dr. Who needs some better writing if this season is to be a success. Peter Capaldi could still be a great doctor, but he needs better scripts. In my humble opinion, tonight's show was a poorly conceived mess. I felt like I was watching a parody of Fantastic Voyage. I'll still watch next week though.

Janet has a weird weighted hula hoop that she sometimes uses to exercise with in the back yard. I tried to use the hoop while I was messing around with the screen door this afternoon and I couldn't keep the thing spinning. How embarrassing. I would have thought using a hula hoop was one of those basic things like riding a bicycle that you never forget. Who knows. Maybe I can't ride a bicycle anymore either.

Tessa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1713

I highly recommend the occasional lazy day. Today was just what the doctor ordered. We slept in later than usual, but not too late to give the dogs a leisurely early morning walk while it was still cool outside. We had an equally leisurely breakfast and then I watched last night's Dr. Who Season 8 premiere while Janet went to the gym. I didn't realize the show was going to be two hours long when I taped it, but I didn't have anything better to do this morning anyway. Peter Capaldi was actually quite good as the doctor. I enjoyed the show and think I'll enjoy the new season as well.

Dot had a good day. Things aren't progressing in a predictable linear fashion, but it is clear that she is making progress. We almost made it through the night without an accident and probably would have if we hadn't forgotten to take up her water bowl early like we have been doing lately. Considering that she tanked up on water at 11 PM when we got home from the concert last night, she did pretty well.

I'm spending more time outside with the dogs lately. Mostly I go outside to warm up, since it is so cold inside. The temperature isn't that cold in the house, but I think my skin has grown sensitive to the cool air constantly blowing out of the air conditioning vents. It's weird. The temperature is usually 72 degrees when I wake up in the morning, but I feel warm since I've spent the night warming up under blankets. Later in the day, when the indoor temperature has risen to 77 degrees, I'm freezing. I don't think my body retains heat well. Maybe I'm a reptile.

When I'm outside watching the dogs, I usually lay on a bench and stare up at the canopy of trees over my head. It's amazing how much activity there is up in the tree canopy. In addition to the ubiquitous squirrels, there are large butterflies fluttering around, lizards climbing up and down the tree trunks, and at least ten different species of birds. I even saw hummingbirds the other day. There is hidden beauty high up in the trees, while down on the ground there is only the irritating possum, tearing up our lawn.

I made it back to the gym this afternoon. When I only go once a week, I feel like I'm tearing my muscles apart. It is only when I'm able to go at least three times a week that I can establish a rhythm and feel like I'm making serious progress toward building myself up again. Maybe now that both dogs are getting healthier, I might be able to visit the gym several times a week like I used to when I first joined. It's hard to believe I've been going to this gym over a year now. Time flies. I feel like I joined just a few weeks ago.

I wonder if I'm going to be busy next week. I don't get much advance warning about upcoming projects these days, so I never know. I do know that Dot has a birthday this Wednesday. We ought to have a big celebration. You wouldn't know by looking at her today, but just a little more than a month ago we weren't even sure if Dot was going to make it until her birthday. We've really come a long way.

Hero is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1328

It's a shame to drive thirty minutes to a nice dog park, only to find an overly aggressive dog getting in fights with the other dogs when you get there. This doesn't happen every week, but it certainly happens more often than I'd like. Usually, the owners of these aggressive dogs aren't even apologetic about their dog's deplorable behavior. They'll typically pull the fighting dogs apart, then let the instigator go right back to mingling with the other dogs like it was the most normal thing in the world. Meanwhile, Dot and Dash are huddled in one corner of the park until the mean dogs leave. As far as I'm concerned, there are no bad dog breeds, but there are plenty of bad dog owners.

Yes, I'll admit I'm geeky enough that I turned on the TV this afternoon to catch a live special where the BBC announced the identity of the next Dr. Who. Will Peter Capaldi make a good Dr. Who? He's certainly a lot older than recent era doctors, but I've enjoyed watching him in The Thick of It. He'll probably make a very good Twelfth Doctor. I'm pretty accepting of these changes anyway. After each regeneration, I usually completely forget about the previous doctor in a matter of weeks.

I got a little lesson in how automated our lives have become this afternoon. I had to go to Home Depot to pick up some odds and ends. The furnace filters and grass seed didn't present a problem, but there was only one of the little stainless steel sink strainers I needed left in the plumbing department and it didn't have a UPC code. I told the checkout clerk what the price was, but he couldn't ring the item up without a bar code to scan. After several unsuccessful attempts to enter the price manually, he just gave me the strainer. Apparently, it just wasn't worth the effort to sell something without a bar code.

I'm not sleeping well. I can't blame it on the dogs anymore either. Dot and Dash have been sleeping quietly all week, even leaving me plenty of room in the bed for a change. I'm still waking up with bad dreams in my head. I've never gone through such a sustained period of bad dreams. When I was young, I had fabulous dreams where I could fly. Then I went through an odd period where I dreamed I was walking from one city to another and could remember every step of the journey. Now, the dreams are just a jumbled mess. Nothing works. I'm lost in giant hotels. My dogs run away. I'm playing with my old band, but we can never get our instruments tuned. I'm looking for a restroom, but they are all occupied. There are never any monsters. Just a lot of small irritations that keep piling up until they eventually wake me. Sometime it's hard to tell when the dream ends and real life begins.

Pebbles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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