Day 3371

I hate it when I fail to notice that there are no more refills available on a prescription. You call in the refill and the pharmacist tells you that you'll need to get your doctor to renew the prescription. You call the doctor and he's always out of the office or busy with something else. Little things like these can eat up your entire day. I eventually got Dash's Plavix prescription renewed before he took his last pill, but I really need to remember to look at these pill bottles more carefully.

I finally got around to getting my faulty power supply fixed today. I'm methodical to a fault, so I keep doing the same things over and over again. The last time I needed to get these batteries replaced, they cost $60. That was two years ago. Today the same batteries cost $100. It's irritating how the price of ordinary things keeps going up and up. Sure, big screen TV's are cheaper than they used to be, but most things aren't. It would cost quite a bit more to replace my car with the same model I'm currently driving. Airfares are higher. Movies cost more. It would even cost more to replace my Apple Watch and Apple isn't known for raising prices.

Dash was super slow today. I couldn't tell whether he was having trouble walking, or if he just wanted to spend extra time smelling things. This should have been a good day for him, since the weather was perfect. Eventually we made it home this morning and then Dash was equally slow eating his breakfast. Every time I started my own breakfast, Dash would come out to his bowl and just stare at it. I finally realized that he wanted me to hand feed him. After Dash finished eating and pooping on the floor, he took a nap. I felt like taking a nap too, but I had my own breakfast to finish.

I spent a few hours this afternoon getting my taxes organized. I think I found everything my accountant needs, but I'll take another look tomorrow. Why do old people even need to pay taxes? You should be exempt after you reach the age of 70, just like you are exempt from jury duty. I still don't think it's fair that I'm forced to take a distribution from my IRA account now. I'd just as soon leave the money untouched until I really need it. These distributions are classified as ordinary income too. That sucks.

With any luck I can finish my tax preparation tomorrow and get that chore out of the way. Then I'll turn my attention to more important matters, like buying more rocks for the potholes in the driveway. I'm glad I never called the plumber to come out and search for a sewer leak. The puddle in the back yard has dried up. I'll probably never know what caused the puddle. Who knows. I might have just left a hose on for a week.

After seeing Apollo 11, I've discovered that there were other documentaries about the Apollo program. I started watching one called For All Mankind that was made in 1989 using some of the same NASA footage. Again, the things that really caught my attention were the details. The astronauts shaved in space using a Gillette razor and shaving cream. They brought bread with them and made sandwiches. They took a Sony walkman along for the ride with cassettes of their favorite music. Did I forget this stuff, or was I never even aware of it?

I forget a lot these days. Hopefully I won't forget to finish my taxes. I need to remember not to let my prescription expire either. Dash is resting with Janet now. I hope he gets a good night's sleep so he has lots of energy tomorrow for his walks. This nice weather won't last forever. We need to make the most of it.

Nick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3338

I knew it was going to be a long day when Dash refused to pee before he went to bed last night. I wish he'd plan ahead. Sure enough, he got me up to go outside around 3 AM and then I woke up twice more to change out puppy pads when he pooped in his sleep. When I finally woke up this morning, the sun was up and Janet had already left for the gym.

Taking care of Dash is definitely a team effort. It always takes a lot longer to get him ready for the day when I'm on my own. Dash would look like he was sound asleep until I left to do something in another room and then almost immediately I could hear him struggling to get up. He never wanted to be in the same room I was in. When I was trying to make the bed, he wanted to be in the kitchen. When I was in the kitchen, he wanted to go back to the bedroom.

Eventually I got him to take him morning pills by making little ham roll ups that I fed to him one by one while he was laying in his kitchen dog bed. He had no interest in eating his breakfast and definitely didn't have enough energy for a morning walk. He slept for most of the morning. This behavior used to alarm me, but I was almost certain that he'd be fine in a few hours. Sure enough, he perked up about five minutes before Janet came home. He was standing on his own and waiting at the front door when she arrived and I don't think Janet even believed that I'd had trouble with him earlier.

Dash seemed like a different dog when we took our morning walk around noon. It's still a mystery how he can go from seeming half dead to wanting a walk in the park in just a few hours. We had a nice walk and for the rest of the day, Dash seemed fine. Maybe he's just conserving his energy for the things he likes. Makes sense to me. I'd conserve my energy for the things I liked too, if I could just figure out what I liked.

I made one short excursion to pick up a new supply of Plavix for Dash, but that was about it. The rest of the day was spent just dealing with the basics. It's amazing how long it can take to make the bed when it's covered with protective material to keep your dog from ruining the mattress. It also takes a long time to do the laundry when there is always something soiled. I usually have the TV on during the day, but I don't have the attention span to watch a movie and I'm totally fed up with political news. There ought to be a channel that has nothing but dog rescues, weird weather stories, and updates from NASA. I'd watch that.

I did watch a press conference where the Opportunity Rover team officially called an end to to the little rover's mission. Kind of sad. Hard to believe that it's been fifteen years since I learned that Opportunity and its companion Spirit had both successfully landed on the red planet. I watched the landing on the same computer I'm using now. I'm amazed that Opportunity remained functional that long without regular trips back to the dealership for repairs. Even my computer has been repaired several times during the past 15 years. It's pretty clear that Land Rover could never make a Mars rover. I've never had a car that lasted fifteen years and I don't even drive very much.

I hope I can convince Dash to do his business before he goes to bed tonight. When Dash sleeps well, I sleep well.

Tessa 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 3280

Janet and I both wonder how we used to accomplish so much when we were younger. It seems to take so long to do even simple things now. It's a good thing I don't have a full schedule these days. By the time I make the bed, clean up dog poop, get Dash dressed for his morning walk, and fix my breakfast, I'm ready to call it a day.

It's dark when I wake up, but by the time I finish making the bed, it is already time to get Dash ready for his walk. I guess I could just leave the rubber sheet and protective pads on the bed, but I carefully fold all the nighttime bedding and put it away so the bedroom looks nice for a few hours. Protecting Dash's feet for his walks is a complicated ritual. First we put on a par of fitted bandages that are secured with velcro. Over the bandages goes a cotton sock and on top of all this go the Ultra-Paws boots. Dash has four pairs of these boots now because I need to keep reinforcing the toe with Shoe Goo to cover worn spots caused when Dash drags his feet. It takes the Shoe Goo 48 hours to fully cure, so I rotate the boots to make sure there is always a good pair available. In addition to his special footwear, Dash also wears a brace for a partial ACL tear in his right knee along with his Ruffwear harness that I can use to keep him from slipping and falling. Needless to say, I can get dressed much quicker than Dash can.

It was cold and overcast on our walk this morning, but there was no sign of rain. Knock on wood. I'm going to be nervous about the roof until the roofers com back to finish their repairs. In fairness, the damaged areas probably need to dry another day before they can be successfully patched, but I still wish I'd seen the crew working today.

I didn't accomplish a lot today. I never do. I picked up a Plavix prescription for Dash at the pharmacy and paid a bunch of December bills. I still need to pay my 2018 property taxes, but I've got until the end of the year to write that check. I always pay my bills on time, but I find it irritating living on a fixed income. Especially when the stock market is tanking. Hey, welcome to retirement. When I was working I always felt like I controlled my own destiny. Now I feel like the world is always throwing me a curve.

The house smells good tonight. Janet is doing Christmas cooking this evening. Most of the goodies will be given away as gifts, but maybe there will be some leftovers for me. I'm sure that Dash is thinking the same thing. I especially like the sausage balls. We should have these around all year. Of course, if we had Christmas food around all year, I'd be twenty pounds heavier.

I hope I see the roofers tomorrow. Sadly, even if they are successful in patching the leak, it is only a temporary solution. The high-tech silicon membrane just wasn't a good solution for this house. My new year's resolution is to start over and put on a new roof. I'd rather have a new car, but it's much more important to have a dry house.

Duke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3248

Dash got some good news today. The doctors could find no evidence of a blood clot on his echocardiogram this morning. It's been three months since the clot was visible. Since this was the second time in a row that the search for the clot in his heart has turned up negative, Dash's vet was convinced that it was finally gone. This is great news.

Unfortunately, Dash still needs to take Plavix to prevent these clots from reoccurring. The blood thinners are bad news since Dash bleeds so easily. The folks at the cancer center got a chance to see just how easily Dash bleeds when he walked across the parking lot to go pee in a patch of grass on the other side. When we returned to the clinic, the tops of both rear paws were bloody. Dash's rear legs are very weak and his rear paws knuckle under whenever he takes a step. It doesn't take much to scrape them up. We used to skip the socks and boots on trips to the vet, but it was pretty evident today that he'll need to wear them everywhere.

I was hoping that we'd get an answer about the tremors Dash has been experiencing at night, but the vet was as puzzled as we were. We didn't really learn how to prevent the bleeding either. I guess we'll just have to be very careful. We'll return to the cancer center for another echocardiogram and exam in January. A lot can happen in a month and a half, but I'm cautiously optimistic. Dash's appetite has improved dramatically and he hasn't vomited in a long time. The incontinence is messy and he has some pretty severe mobility problems, but things could be a lot worse.

Dash's exam took a long time, so I didn't get much done today. Breakfast was so late that it was more like lunch. I need to make a mental note not to drink my smoothie after 11 AM. The concoction is so filling that it spoiled my appetite for dinner tonight. I should have taken a long nap, but I paid some bills and went to the grocery store instead. I don't know why I felt like I needed to pick up something for dinner. I wasn't hungry.

I watched another episode of the National Geographic Mars Series this afternoon. I need to see if this thing is available on iTunes. I'd pay just to avoid the commercials. Lots of shows will let you stream old episodes for free, but they are almost always filled with commercials. By the time I've watched five different  commercials in a row, I've forgotten what the show is about.

The trash has been taken out to the curb and the last load of wash is in the dryer. Dash's paws have stopped bleeding, but we've got to be really careful. I don't want to be looking at a bloody bedspread tomorrow morning. I'm still hoping that Dash will poop before I go to bed tonight. I could really use some sleep.

Honey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3219

I don't know how to keep Dash from pooping on the bed. He's slept on the bed for his entire life and he's not about to stop now just because he's become incontinent. We've tried all sorts of comfortable dog beds on the floor, but Dash isn't interested in them. He's still mobile enough to move around at night, so if we manage to get him positioned on a protective pad, he's usually somewhere else by the time we wake up.

Last night when Dash woke me up trying to reposition himself, I smelled something. Although most of his body was still on his protective blanket, his butt was on the comforter. This was messy poop too. Everybody got up. We cleaned Dash off. I took the large comforter outside and hosed it off and then threw it in the washer on the super hot germ killing cycle. We re-made the bed and tried unsuccessfully to get back to sleep. No wonder I'm sleep deprived. This happens almost every night.

It was raining again when we woke up, so I had to keep checking the weather radar and wait for an opportune time to take our morning walk. Dash doesn't really understand waiting. He pooped in the house again while I was finishing my breakfast. I had to wait until almost 1 PM for the rain to subside, but Dash was still eager to walk when we finally got an opportunity.

Since I was stuck in the house for most of the day, I spent a considerable amount of time watching the Phillips auction in New York. My two lots didn't set any records, but they met their estimates. I'm happy. I must be totally out of touch with today's art world. Artists who I am familiar with often didn't do as well as I expected, but several names I'd never even heard of set off a frenzy of bidding. Who were these guys and why did people want their stuff? I thought I was knowledgeable, but apparently not.

My soggy bills have finally become dry enough to pay and take to the post office. Unfortunately the glue on the flaps of the return envelopes had become wet and sealed the envelopes shut before I could put anything in them. I had to cut the envelopes apart and then tape them back together. What a waste of time. Online payments are finally starting to make sense.

A pair of my favorite dog walking pants tore today. I've repaired these old pants several times before, but I don't think it's worth the effort anymore. They are pretty threadbare. It's finally time to throw these things in the trash and break out a new pair. It's weird. I've got plenty of clothes that I've never even worn. Unless I'm going to a meeting or doing something special with Janet, I just wear the same things over and over again.

I wonder if this rain is ever going to stop? We're starting to get on the news now with lots of stories about flooding in Central Texas. I guess Dash and I were lucky to get a walk at all today. Our little excursion turned out to be the only dry spell of the day. I got caught in a downpour when I went to pick up more Plavix for Dash at the pharmacy and it's still raining now.

There is more rain in the forecast. If cabin fever was a problem today, it's going to be an even bigger problem tomorrow. Where is that new season of The Expanse I've been waiting for?

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3191

I hate when I fail to notice that a prescription has run out and I have to scramble to get new pills before they're all gone. This happens to me and it happens to Dash. I called in a renewal for Dash's Plavix this morning and the automated message said that no more refills were available. Not good, because no more pills were available either. I called the vet at the cancer center and asked if they could refill the prescription in a hurry. I still don't understand why pills that need to be taken for a lifetime are generally only renewed for six months at a time. I should have noticed the tiny type on the bottle that said there were 0 refills available, but I never notice tiny type. I can't even read small type anymore without my reading glasses.

I managed to get the prescription refilled in the nick of time, but I know this will happen again and again. It's equally hard to remember to change the air filters in the furnace. I appear to have a very selective memory. I always remember to give Dash a walk. I never forget to pay my bills on time. There are some things I'm oblivious to however. I need to pay more attention to those pill bottle labels.

One of the auction houses wanted more information from me today. It seems like they have plenty of information already, but I dutifully printed the forms they sent, filled them out by hand, and then scanned everything so I could convert the forms to PDF files and send them back. It seems like in this day and age, you'd be able to fill out and sign just about any type of form on your computer, but it seldom works that way. I wonder what people do if they don't have a scanner? It seems like I'm scanning documents all the time.

For the past couple of nights, I've been waking up when Dash typically needs to go outside, only to discover that Dash is still asleep. I woke up twice like this last night while Dash continued sleeping through the night. He didn't wake up at all. I felt like waking Dash up myself, but that would have been silly. I've been hoping that Dash would get to a point where he was sleeping all night again. Now that he is, I've just got to start sleeping better myself.

I formally ended another client relationship today. It was kind of sad. I've worked with these folks for decades. Things change though. I guess I could still pretend that we were working together, but I haven't had a project for almost a year. I think there's only one client left now and I haven't been doing much for them either. It's time to to face reality. This stage of my life is over. I have retired.

At least Dash had a good day. He was fairly strong on his walks and he's still eating well. I made sure he has a new supply of Plavix and we broke in some brand new boots and socks. I think we're ready for another day.

Rhett is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3183 - 9/11

Pretty soon September 11 will be like December 7. Babies born in 2001 are entering college now. It's just a matter of time before this day becomes a page in a history book instead of a shared memory for an entire nation. Pear Harbor was real for my Dad. He fought in World War II. 9/11 was real for me. I took this picture of the twin towers out of my hotel room window in the late 1970's when I used to fly from Seattle to New York to edit commercials. I enjoyed my periodic visits to lower Manhattan back then. Anyone could walk around the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and it was always exciting to take the express elevator to the roof of the South Tower and look out over the city. I always wanted to eat at Windows on the World but never got the chance. It was a little pricey for a young advertising copywriter.

Sometimes I think the terrorists won. The world is not a friendly place anymore. We have become hopelessly divided on just about everything. My Dad spent several years in the Pacific during World War II and there was a clear and decisive victory. We've spent decades fighting in the Middle East and accomplished nothing. I don't have a lot of hope for the future. If we can't collectively agree on anything, it's going to be very difficult to fix anything. It's interesting. People used to spend a lot of time envisioning utopias. Now, we've replaced these utopian futures with dystopian calamities. Science fiction used to be about how we were going to reach the stars. Now, it's mostly about how we're going to die.

We didn't get off to a good start this morning. Dash pooped in the bed again and when we took him to his vet appointment, he didn't want anyone to even get close to his feet. Our very patient vet was finally able to trim Dash's nails, but it wasn't easy. Hopefully, we won't need to do this again for another two months. It's kind of alarming how easily Dash bleeds now that he's on Plavix. We were super careful about avoiding the quick, but several nails still bled a bit. I wish we'd come away with a good solution for ending Dash's loose stools, but there are too many possible causes. Dash's age, the meds he's taking, and his multiple illnesses all contribute to the problem.

I was glad I was able to walk Dash before our appointment this morning. By the time we left the vet, it was already starting to rain. The rain continued off and on for the rest of the day. We had a short power outage, but the lights came back on again before I was able to file a report. I have no idea why the power went out. There was no wind and the rain was just a gentle shower. Even though the outage was short, I still had to reset all the clocks and automatic timers. Just about everything has a clock in it these days. Even the thermostat and the coffee maker needed to be reset.

Dash doesn't want to go outside because it is raining. This increases the odds that he will poop in the house tonight. I've thought about placing puppy training pads under him while he sleeps. This worked with Dot when she became incontinent but I'm not sure if we'd have any success with Dash. Dash is still mobile enough to move around at night while we're asleep. He can poop just about anywhere.

Shadow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3151

More rain today. The moisture cooled things down enough so that it was actually pleasant outside. We seem to be in kind of a sweet spot in Dallas. We don't get horrible floods like Houston or horrible wildfires like California. I used to think I'd like to think I'd like to live out West again, but all my favorite places are burning down.

We narrowly escaped getting wet again on our morning walk. Dash is really slow these days, but I don't care if it takes all morning to make our rounds. Even though he can barely stand up, Dash still really enjoys these daily walks. Today he got to see one of the dogs he made friends with at his old training class. It's been so long, I don't even know how he remembered this dog, but he did. It was just a chance encounter in the park, but Dash started wagging his tail and even attempted an abbreviated play bow. I haven't seen him do this in a very long time.

The place I've been going to breakfast on Friday's has a sign on the front door saying "kitchen help needed, inquire within." I wish they'd find a new cook soon. Every time I order something, it comes out completely different than it did the previous week. Today's chef didn't really know how to make a decent omelette. If I had the time and the inclination, I'd just go to chef owned restaurants. If the cook owns the place, at least there's going to be some consistency.

While I was eating my omelette this morning, I noticed that half the people in the restaurant were wearing Apple Watches. Apple is the most popular watch brand in the world now. Kid wear them. Grandmothers wear them. Everyone wears them. Apple outsells all the fashion brands and even Rolex. No wonder my writing jobs disappeared. I used to primarily write about the watch industry. Like it or not, this industry has been decimated.

It rained so hard when I was coming home from breakfast that it felt like I was going through a car wash. The car was actually cleaner when I returned than it was early this morning. I think the rain is going to continue for almost a week. This will be a real test for the roof. I'm not even going to try to remove the water until dry weather returns. I've become pretty fatalistic about roof leaks, They're either going to happen or they won't. I really hope the roofers did a good job. I'm tired of arguing about this.

Dash's tail started bleeding this morning. This is what I hate about Plavix. The least little scratch can cause bleeding that is very hard to stop. Dash needs the blood thinners though. If he stopped taking them, he might not be with us much longer. I was lucky this morning. Dash was sleepy when I noticed the cut and I was able to wrap a bandage around his tail while he was taking his morning nap. By the time he woke up again, the blood had coagulated and the bleeding had stopped.

I didn't get much sleep last night. I hope I do better tonight. You'd think with so little going on in my life that it would be easy to get eight hours of shut eye every night. It never seems to work out that way.

J-Lo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3104

Now I'm worried that there is blood in Dash's stool. When other dogs of ours have had these unusually dark stools, it was seldom a good sign. Maybe the Plavix has caused some internal bleeding. Maybe Dash's cancer has returned. I'll take a sample to the lab for occult blood testing tomorrow and hope for the best. If this is caused by something Dash is eating, it would be good news. We can change what Dash is eating. I'm not sure we can stop the Plavix though.

I didn't do a lot of thinking today. I never do on Sundays. We took a long sunrise walk before it became to hot outside. We all ate breakfast and then I went to the gym. I like my new schedule. I seem to have more energy when I go to the gym early. I tried a new method of shooting free throws that a friend recommended, but it didn't make much of a difference. I tried to move a little faster on the treadmill and arm bicycle as well. There isn't much point in doing these exercises if I don't elevate my heart rate a bit more.

If I counted Sunday chores as part of my workout, I'm actually getting a lot of exercise. I mowed the grass today and vacuumed the house. While I was vacuuming, I took some of the pictures that are going to the auction house off the wall and dusted behind the frames. Most of these pictures haven't been off the wall in decades, so there was an immense amount of dust on the back. The dust didn't hurt anything, but I was embarrassed for anyone else to see it. Now, when everything is packed up to go to New York, the pictures will be clean on both sides.

I think I might just wait until Fall to get the sliding glass door fixed. We don't use the atrium much anyway. I had to have this door fixed once before and the repair people had to remove it for a day to fix the track. I don't think it's a good idea to remove this large door in the Summer. A day without the door would quickly make the inside of the house the same temperature as the outside. I don't think Dash could handle this. I wouldn't enjoy it very much either. I often postpone things for no reason at all, but I think this is a pretty good reason to do nothing.

I can't figure out why my phone is getting a stronger signal now. Usually reception is so bad that I often have to take the phone outside when I get a call. All the sudden I've gone from one bar to four bars. The logical thing would be that AT&T has improved our service, but Janet's phone hasn't changed at all. She still gets poor reception inside the house. This is as much of a mystery as when my Apple Watch shuts itself off while I sleep. I think technology has developed a life of its own. I have no idea what my devices are doing these days.

There is something really important that I need to do tomorrow, but I can't remember what it is. I think all Monday's begin this way.

Rio is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3083

When I was at the gym today, one of the staff members came out on the court and started blocking my shots. It slowed me down a bit, but it was a nice gesture. Maybe after five years of spotty attendance, I'm finally a regular. I had a good workout today. On days like this, I always think that if I exercised more often, I'd really start making some progress.

The landscapers didn't come back today. I didn't really think they would. Who wants to work on Sunday? I doubt they could find St. Augustine grass today anyway. The yard will probably be finished tomorrow. The good news is that everything will look green again. The bad news is that my water bill will triple.

Dash cut his lip today while he was nosing around smelling things. It was a very small cut, but it bled a lot. Dash bleeds incredibly easily now that he's taking Plavix. We are as careful as we can be with him, but you can't stop a dog from smelling things. I wish I could convince Dash not to spend so much time investigating what the other animals in the park are doing. Our walks would be quicker and he probably never would have gotten that infection in his mouth. At least the bleeding has stopped now. Like I said, we do the best we can.

When Dash woke me up to go outside last night, I noticed that Mars was right next to the moon. I also noticed that Dash took an incredibly long time to poop. I was wide awake by the time we went inside again and had trouble getting back to sleep. Nothing is consistent about Dash anymore. Last week he was sleeping all the way through the night and now he's back to waking me up at 3 AM again. He's still eating well and doesn't appear to be in any pain. I guess that's all that counts.  Next week he's scheduled for another big exam at the cancer center. Hopefully, we'll find out a little more about his current condition.

I got my lab results back and I finally know my blood type. I'm an O+. This is the most common blood type, but I don't know if that's good or bad. Have you ever heard of the Blood Type Diet? It sounds kind of wacky to me, but supposedly your blood type is determined by your ancient ancestors and you'll do best if you continue to eat what they did. According to this unsubstantiated theory, people with Type O blood were originally hunter/gathers and need a high protein diet with lots of lean meat and very little grain. Sounds good to me. People with Type A blood are supposed to be vegetarians.

I had to take back the socks I got last week and exchange them for a larger size. Why are clothes so hard to fit these days. Small, medium, and large mean nothing. Sometimes a medium fits perfectly and other times it is too small. Stores don't like you to try on socks anyway. Usually they are stapled together in some sort of packaging that makes this impossible. At any rate, now I have large socks. These will probably be too big.

I'm going to submit some more art to the auction houses next week. Who knows where this will end?  Maybe Janet is right. Could it be that less actually is more?

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3010

Dash was in a weird mood today. We'd only walked about half a block this morning when he froze and wouldn't go any further. Although the street was completely empty, he seemed panicked for some reason and was trying to run back to the house. We tried again a couple of hours later and Dash refused to leave the yard. Inexplicably, around 11:30 AM, he decided he was ready to walk and headed toward the park as if nothing had happened. We took a nice long walk without incident and I never could figure out why he balked at the idea earlier.

When I tried to renew Dash's Plavix prescription this morning the pharmacist told me that the prescription had expired. It took forever to get the prescription renewed. The vet would tell me that they had called the prescription in and then the pharmacy would tell me that the hadn't received anything. I kept asking the vet to try again but the prescription wasn't going through. I think everyone was getting annoyed with me, but I really needed to get the Plavix today. Eventually, the vet and the pharmacist connected and I was able to go pick up Dash's meds. I had to pick up something for myself as well. The only problem with my prescription was that it was too expensive.

I haven't used my large format printer in several months, so I was apprehensive about turning it on this morning. I didn't have anything to print today, but knew that the longer I waited, the harder it was going to be to unclog the lines. As I expected, the printer was hopelessly clogged. I used up two of the eight ink cartridges running the cleaning program and was still not able to clear the lines. Reluctantly, I called my supplier and ordered some more ink. I might as well add the printer to all the other broken stuff that needs to be fixed.

There seems to be a perfect storm of bad news that is sending the market into a tailspin. I miss the days when people bought and sold stock based on whether a company was making money or not. Now market moves are almost entirely fueled by fear and greed. Why are people so upset about Facebook? Facebook's entire business model is based on selling our information. We are the product and advertisers are the customers. It's always been that way. It's pretty easy to opt out of just about everything on Facebook too. People are just too lazy to go to their settings page. I don't understand the panic about tariffs either. There is not going to be a trade war with China. Both countries depend on trade with each other. Tariffs are silly and ineffectual, but most modern presidents have imposed them at one time or another. I don't know why rising interest rates would cause a panic either. We actually need interest rates to go up a little. The Fed has kept interest rates artificially low for way too long. Why can't people act rationally about money? I guess that's too much to expect in a world ruled by emotions.

It was a slow day so I did an extensive search of nearby breakfast restaurants. I must have looked at two dozen menus and found nothing that appealed to me. Why is this so hard? I don't think I'm that picky. I've enjoyed a perfect breakfast numerous times. It just seems difficult to find this illusive meal again.

Truthfully, everything seems somewhat illusive these days. I don't know whether it's me or the world in general, but I'm beginning to feel like a stranger in a strange land. I think it would take a time machine to return me to a place that felt familiar.

Brooke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2986

I had to defrost the refrigerator again today. Didn't I just do this? I can't even remember whether it was a week ago or two weeks ago. Either way, this process is a pain in the neck. I have to take all the food in the freezer and put it in an ice chest. Then I have to remove all the shelves and the ice maker bucket to gain access to the back panel. Six screws are removed and then the metal back panel easily slides out to revel the frozen evaporator coil.  I turn the refrigerator off and then thaw the coil with a hair dryer. I put some thick bath towels on the bottom of the freezer to sop up all the water. The whole process takes about an hour.

I was so frustrated when I finished that I drove to Home Depot determined to end this madness and buy a refrigerator today. The appliance salesperson was helping another customer, so I started looking at refrigerators again. I noticed that all french door refrigerators have a weird folding flap that seals the two doors when they are closed. This flap makes it virtually impossible to open the left door first. Couldn't somebody have come up with a better design? I found the refrigerator that has replaced the one I currently have. It was exactly the same except it was one inch wider and won't fit in my kitchen. Why did you have to do this General Electric? That extra inch didn't make the refrigerator any more useful. All it did was make me mad. Eventually, I got tired of waiting for the salesperson to sell the other customer something, so I went home with nothing again.

Dash was a picky eater again today. I had to open several cans of food before I could find something he liked. He wouldn't take his afternoon walk either, even though it was one of the nicest days we've had this month. I wish I knew what was going on in his head. Janet thinks some of the problems started when the vet increased his Phenobarbital dose. I think he may be be experiencing some mild nausea from the vestibular disease all the time. It's really hard to tell, because even when Dash was young and healthy, he was always a moody and stubborn dog.

Another round of thunderstorms begins tomorrow morning. I'm getting so sick of this weather I could scream. I have no idea how long the wet weather will last, but we've certainly had enough rain for the month of February. At least I heard from the roofers today. They promised that they'll be back when things dry out. Hopefully the roof will last that long.

We take Dash in for another echocardiogram later this week. I wonder if these expensive scans are even useful at this point? They were supposed to track the effectiveness of the blood thinner medications he's taking, but the blood clots haven't moved or changed in size for several months. I don't know if the Plavix is even working. I guess we'll continue these monthly checkups. They may not help Dash get any better, but at least they provide a heads-up that lets us know what's happening.

I'm going to try to get to bed earlier tonight. I'm not getting enough sleep. I think I'd do a lot better if I just didn't bother to get up in the morning.

Bingo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2980

The rain was horrendous today. At least it was just rain. A nearby town south of us got hit by a tornado and several towns north of us are being warned about freezing rain overnight. There was widespread flooding across town, but luckily the roads were clear and above water during my short excursion to the post office and pharmacy. I really didn't want to leave the house at all, but Dash was getting low on Plavix and I had bills to pay.

Since the rain didn't start until around 9 AM, I was able to give Dash his morning walk. Who knows when we will be able to walk again. The rain is still pounding down on the roof and according to the weather forecast, the wet weather will continue for the rest of the week. Needless to say, this is not my favorite time of year. During our rainy season, we typically get a year's worth of rain in just a few months and then when Summer rolls around, it is bone dry. It would be nice if our allotment of water was divided more evenly, but that's not the way it works in Texas.

As you might expect, Dash wasn't very happy today. He hates rain almost as much as I do. This wasn't your garden variety rainy day either. There were intermittent high winds and plenty of thunder and lightning. On days like this, Dash's safe place is under my desk in the office. I wish I had a safe place. I spent the day wondering whether a gust of wind would knock over one of our Oak trees, or if the roof would spring a leak again. Everything is fine so far, but that doesn't keep me from fretting.

After paying this month's bills, I couldn't bring myself to buy a refrigerator. I felt broke. I can't postpone this decision much longer unfortunately. Something is obviously wrong with the temperature controls. After I defrost the coil, the refrigerator section is too cold. It doesn't matter if I turn the thermostat to the warmest setting; the temperature is still too cold. Then, as the evaporator coil gradually becomes covered with ice, the refrigerator slowly becomes warmer. Eventually it quits working. This process takes several weeks, but it shouldn't be happening at all. As soon as the rain stops, I'll buy a new refrigerator. I don't feel like buying anything on a rainy day.

On the way to the post office, I stopped at the tailor shop to get a new zipper put in an old fleece jacket. "Are you sure you want to do this," the tailor asked, indicating that the repair might cost more than the jacket was worth. I like the worn old jacket, so I told her to go ahead. "This jacket is at least fifteen years old," she told me, "because they don't make this fabric anymore." As if to prove this to me, the tailor went to the back of the store and returned with an equally worn fleece jacket. "I have one just like yours," she said.

I spent a lot of time watching the weather radar today. I kept thinking there would be a break in the rain, so I could take Dash on an afternoon walk, but the rain was relentless. Every time it looked like the skies might be clearing, a new storm cell would develop, keeping the rain falling. The ten day forecast doesn't look promising. I wonder how they can predict these things ten days in advance anyway. Today looked pretty random to me.

Odie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2933

It's not a good sign when your vet keeps saying "I'm so sorry" as he explains your dog's test results. The blood clot inside Dash's heart has grown larger. This means the treatment he has been receiving is not working. We added a second medication today to help dissolve the clot, but I'm not optimistic. We've known from the beginning that blood thinners are only effective in helping the body reabsorb blood clots about 50% of the time. Dash's blood just seems to clot unusually easily.

It's kind of scary knowing that your best friend is a ticking time bomb. As long as the large clot stays together, Dash will be fine. If the clot breaks apart and travels to other parts of his body, he could die in a matter of minutes. Dash could have two weeks or two years. We just don't know. The sad thing is there is absolutely nothing we can do. Surgery isn't an option and we're already giving him the only medications that even has a chance of working. We have been told to avoid stressful situations and not to let Dash run off leash. The running isn't a problem, but everything is a stressful situation for Dash. He has never been a calm dog.

When we returned from the cancer center, Janet and I resumed our regular lives. What else can you do? I finished my breakfast and did some chores around the house. Later, I paid some more January bills and wrote a letter to my sister. On my way back from the post office, I though I'd take my old down booties to the neighborhood tailor and see if she could repair the worn waterproof cloth on the bottom. Although the booties were made of nylon and oilcloth and appeared to be easy to sew, the tailor said she didn't work on shoes and told me to see the shoe repairman next door. The shoe repairman told me that the booties weren't really a shoe and to take them back to the tailor. Nobody wanted to fix these things. Oh, well. I tried. I have a new pair anyway. I'm just a Gemini who likes to have a spare for everything.

Maybe I should have made a few New Year's resolutions. I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do in the year ahead. My life has been centered around caring for sick dogs for so long now that it's hard for me to conceive of anything else. I really enjoyed going to Vandenberg Air Force Base several years ago and watching a satellite launch. Maybe someday I'll become a space groupie again. Following launches gets expensive though. I'd need a new source of money. Money is always the problem. Once you start to relax, the money starts to disappear fairly quickly.

For now I'm going to enjoy my remaining time with Dash. He can be stubborn and ornery at times, but he has an amazing personality and always makes me laugh. Dash has been my friend and companion for a long time now. He and Dot made it possible for me to work alone in a little office for all these years. They were really the heart and soul of my company and of this blog. It's very hard to be lonely when there is a Dalmatian nearby.

I'm glad that Dash didn't really understand what happened at the vet today. He's still a happy dog who takes things one day at a time. I'm going to try to do the same.

Hunter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2884

Today's echocardiogram revealed that the blood clots in Dash's heart had not gotten any smaller, but they had become denser. "Is this good or bad," I asked the doctor. He thought it was good news because a dense clot is less likely to break apart and travel to the brain or lungs. I'm disappointed that the clots have not become smaller after two months of taking Plavix, but I'm happy that Dash appears to be doing fine. Whatever caused him to quit eating and become fearful of taking a walk appears to be gone.

The doctor told us that he was getting over a bad cold and that his voice was raspy because he had strep throat. This alarmed me a bit because I have a terrible phobia of being around sick people. I'm convinced that the only way to become sick is to be around someone else who is sick. Most normal people don't have this attitude. Teachers, doctors, and nurses are around sick people so much that they take it all in stride. I spend so much time alone that a sick person in the room seems almost like seeing a snake or spider in the room. It makes me nervous. That being said, I'm glad the doctor came in today. He's a great vet who has really helped us navigate the complexities of cancer and other emergencies with Dot and Dash.

Breakfast turned out to be lunch today. Janet and I took Dash on a walk as soon as we got back from the cancer center and by the time we returned and I started making my morning smoothie, it was already past noon. Even though it was very late, I didn't even consider eating anything else. I'm convinced that Dash is stubborn about many things because he's learned this inflexible approach to life from me.

I got asked to be part of a big website rebranding project today. I've worked with these people before and I was delighted that they still wanted me on their team. On the other hand, I've worked with these people before and know how difficult their projects become. That's the trouble with sliding toward retirement. I used to look at hard jobs as a challenge. Now, I look at them with a sense of horror. I can do this though. I've done it before. This time it just might take me a little longer.

I feel the same way about the Santa Paws pictures I take every year for the Dalmatian Rescue group Janet and I volunteer with. I'm happy that everyone still seems to like these pictures, but every year it seems a little harder to shoot them. My equipment is old and so am I. At the end of the day, I'm exhausted. Luckily, we have a much lighter schedule than we used to in the old days. This year we only have two locations in early December. This is a lot easier than when there were six.

Even though taking Dash to the vet was the only thing that happened today, the day went quickly. This week's trash has been taken out to the curb, the laundry has been done, and I'm ready to search for a new restaurant tomorrow morning.

Alvin is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2849

Dash's exam was ambiguous at best. The blood clots in his heart are still there and haven't changed in size. The doctor said that the whistling sound his heart murmur made was softer this time, but was unsure if this was significant. Everyone was pleased that Dash's appetite was returning and that he had more energy, but this change didn't seem to be directly related to the blood clots. Dash is supposed to continue taking the Plavix and we scheduled another echocardiogram in a month from now. The vet did say that blood will still clot while taking Plavix, so we shouldn't worry if Dash cuts his paw again. This won't keep me from worrying, but it was somewhat reassuring.

As usual, Dash's exam took longer than we expected, so Janet and I both got a late start. After a very late breakfast, I strung several garden hoses together and was finally able to water the new grass in the front yard. The rest of the day was consumed with mostly unsuccessful attempts to repair Dash's protective booties. I hand stitched the boots back together and then discovered that the Shoe Goo I bought yesterday wasn't really appropriate for repairing the holes in the rubber fabric. What I really needed was a cap made of stronger rubber that would fit over the tips of these boots.

I took the little boots to my shoe repairmen and asked if he could make something to reinforce the toe. He seemed confused at first and then I drew him a picture of what I needed. He brought out some thin rubber used to resole women's high heeled shoes and it seemed like this material might work. Then he quoted me a price for the repair that was higher than what the booties cost new. At this rate, it would be easier to just keep buying new booties and throw them away when they became worn.

As we were exploring repair options, the repairman started asking me about Dash. Then he started talking about his own dog. He was very frustrated with his dog because it always pooped in the house. I resisted the urge to say "that's nothing" and regale him with my own stories of canine incontinence. I didn't want to argue with the guy, but he clearly didn't have the patience required to deal with sick dogs.

After I struck out at the shoe repair shop, I went to Home Depot where I struck out again. All they had was a rubber hall runner that was way too thick and stiff to be useful. It finally occurred to me to go to an auto parts store, where I bought a big package of rubber inner tube patches. Lord knows whether these will work, but we'll find out tomorrow.

The shower started leaking again today. I wonder where the water goes on the days it doesn't leak? It's probably going somewhere. Probably next year sometime I'll discover a patch of rotted sheetrock in a completely different part of the house. Water is sneaky. It can flow just about anywhere.

It was still dark outside when I got up this morning to get the car ready for Dash's trip to the vet. Orion and all the familiar Winter constellations were visible in the pre-dawn sky. Seeing these familiar faces again was somehow reassuring. I just wish that everything was as regular and predictable as the slow and stately movement of the stars.

Katy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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