Day 4840

Another beautiful day. I hope this weather lasts for a while because it sure is pleasant. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary today, but that's OK. My Sunday routine is fairly relaxing. Dawn got a nice early walk before breakfast and then I got ready to go to the mall and walk some more. This mall is built around a large outdoor courtyard, so you basically walk in a huge half mile circle. I always make five circuits around the perimeter and then I come home. Although I think I'm walking at a brisk pace, I'm always slower than I am in the park. Very little changes from week to week, but it is still interesting to look in the windows. I have no desire to buy anything and actually prefer visiting the mall when the stores are closed.

On the way home from the mall I stopped at the REI store to use a 20% off coupon before it expired. All I got were some socks. How did socks get to be $24 a pair? I used to be able to get a decent pair of pants for that. Not anymore. Most of the pants I saw started at $89. Some brands were over $200. Good thing I don't really need any new clothes.

Dawn seems to have recovered by now, but we are still taking her on shorter walks. We found a new park to take her to on Sundays and she seems to enjoy the variety. I sit in the back seat with her these days so I can hold on to her harness and keep her from falling when we go around corners. Maybe we'll resume our old schedule at some point, but these shorter Sunday outings seem fine for now.

We didn't forget the ice cream. The ice cream store has raised their prices again. This increase isn't a big deal, but it makes you wonder if this is ever going to end. It's been a long time since anyone actually lowered prices. People still seem to be buying though. The mall was packed as opening time approached and even the ice cream store had a line of cars at the drive up window.

The paper ID cards that wound up in the washing machine yesterday seem to have dried out enough to put them back in my wallet. They look a bit wrinkled now, but so do I. Oh, well. The information on the cards is still readable, so I guess we're OK. I think I'll be more careful now about checking my pockets before I do a load of wash. People used to want to see the Medicare cards, proof of insurance cards, and even my gym membership card. Now all this information is on my phone. I probably don't even need a wallet full of paper ID cards.

Although this would have been a perfect day to mow the grass, I didn't do anything productive all day. I took a shower, napped a lot, and kept wondering whether I really need a new printer. I still want to get the large format printer repaired, but it's too heavy for me to move. How did I ever get it into the office in the first place? There are so many things in the office that I don't use anymore, but they remind me of a time when I was super busy. I used all this stuff back in the day. I think I picked a good time to start a business. It wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable now.

Tomorrow it's back to shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast. I need to call the guitar store and check on the missing gear I consigned before Covid hit. I also need to reply to a letter from my sister. I'm sure I'll contemplate future trips I may or may not take. Imaginary travel planning is something I always do.

Bubba is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4538

It was hot this afternoon, so I finally went back to the gym. I hadn't been there in such a long time that there were new owners and I had to enroll all over again. I still had a membership, but they wanted me to sign some new waivers that basically said that they weren't responsible if I dropped dead on the gym floor. I went through my old routines on my favorite machines, worked with some free weights for a while, and was totally dismayed at how much harder everything seemed. Use it or lose it, I guess. I really need to make an effort to go to the gym a couple of times a week this summer. My upper body strength is terrible now. I guess I've been fooling myself with these long walks. They are really just leisurely strolls.

On the way home I stopped at REI and got some new shorts for Summer. The shorts I've been wearing on my walks are practically rags by now. The store was having a big sale, but there was really nothing else I needed. I find this happening at almost every store I find myself in these days. I'm losing my desire to buy stuff. Now what? Buying things I didn't really need kept me occupied for many years.

The weather was perfect for our sunrise walk with Dawn, but she didn't seem all that interested in walking this morning. She's started her freezing in place behavior again. I thought we were going to have to turn around and go home, but then another dog passed us on the trail and Dawn decided she wanted to follow it. After that she was perfectly normal again. She didn't seem interested in the dinner I fixed for her tonight either. There was nothing wrong with her appetite though. As soon as Janet came home, she raced out to the kitchen and ate everything. I have no idea what is going through this dog's head, but it doesn't seem normal.

Janet and I went out for dinner tonight. It's been a while since we've done this and it was a nice change of pace. I've noticed that you can't just pick up the phone and make a reservation these days. Restaurants increasingly want you to use Open Table, or something similar to make your reservations online. I liked the old way better, but things change and you learn to adapt. It's weird. I made my living designing websites for quite a few years, but I'm not a fan of the online revolution. Things were better when we weren't as connected. Try explaining that to someone who has had a phone or a tablet in their hands since they were a baby though. They just don't understand.

The traffic seemed really light for a Saturday. The stores weren't crowded when I was grocery shopping this morning either. It's a holiday weekend and people must be traveling. There is such a pent up demand to do stuff after two years of Covid restrictions that I don't even think that the high price of gas is slowing down the desire to travel. There's got to be a breaking point though. I was amazed at how much more expensive my two trips this year were compared to similar trips in previous years.

We're going to have to watch the temperature tomorrow. Last week it was almost too hot for Dawn on her Sunday outing. Dawn looks forward to this Sunday trip though. If it's too hot, we'll skip the walk and go directly to the ice cream store.

Sam is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4476

It felt like Summer today. The temperature reached 93 degrees this afternoon. I hope our nice Spring days aren't over yet. Summers in Texas can be brutal. The furnace still comes on for a little while when we get up in the morning, but pretty soon the AC will be running 24/7. I'm not looking forward to those Summer electric bills.

Dawn got two walks today and enjoyed both of them. I could have slept a little longer this morning, but Dawn was eager to go on her sunrise walk. Now that Janet is back, she's always got places to go and things to do. I think Sunday is Dawn's favorite day. Not only does she get her special outing followed by ice cream cones, she also gets a little bacon with our Sunday breakfast. Dawn loves bacon.

Sunday is usually a big walking day for me, but my feet weren't cooperating today. After Dawn's two walks, I didn't feel like going much further. It still seems strange that my foot pain is so unpredictable. Some days are good and other days are terrible. There isn't a lot of rhyme or reason to all this. At any rate, today was a bad day. I didn't even come close to 20,000 steps.

All I really wanted to do today was nap. I did try to fix the toilet again, but that was probably a futile effort. Other household chores will have to wait. I just didn't feel like doing much of anything today. Today's long walk was my shortest in several weeks. It was a nice day and the park was full of people enjoying the weather. I wasn't one of them. I trudged along, got a respectable number of steps, and then went home for another nap.

The big annual sale at REI is almost over and I still haven't been to the store and gotten anything. There is absolutely nothing I need. I guess I do need some new Hoka shoes, but I still can't find the boots I want and these shoes are never on sale anyway. Maybe I"ll go to the last day of the sale tomorrow. Probably not though. Tomorrow we visit the rescue Dalmatians and one event a day is plenty for me. 

Janet and I watched a little bit of the Oscars during dinner, but it seemed ridiculous and we ended up turning it off after about ten minutes. We didn't recognize many of the actors or movies being nominated. It just seemed like a strange, very self indulgent event. I wonder if the Oscars were every very good. It seemed like we used to like to watch this years ago. Things change I guess. We used to like to watch Project Runway and Top Chef too. I don't think I like anything on TV these days.

We got some new pictures of Sammy's puppies today. Their eyes are open now. These are going to be some good looking dogs. They should start getting their spots soon. I wonder how people get the nerve to raise puppies. It seems like a big responsibility. Just keeping a single dog healthy and safe seems like a big responsibility. 

I hope I sleep well tonight. I've been tired all day. Tomorrow we'll meet Dorothy when we visit the kennel. I've seen some videos of her playing with toys. She never stays still. Hope she stays still for long enough for me to get a picture for the website. It's a challenge with a young dog. Sometimes photographing a Dalmatian can make you dizzy.

Chloe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day