Day 2259

Things take longer now. It takes me longer to shave. It takes longer to brush my teeth. It takes longer to make the bed. It's not just age that slows me down. I've become more particular about how I do almost everything. I wouldn't say I've that got OCD, but other people might. This odd combination of aching old bones and a mildly obsessive personality, can turn many days into a slow, plodding journey.

True to form, today didn't didn't start out like a spontaneous romp on the sun. The combination of a lingering cold and a long list of Sunday chores made the day seem like walking through quicksand. To be fair, it wasn't even sunny today, but I doubt if blue skies would have helped much. It took forever to make the bed. The dogs were slow on their morning walk. And I lingered over breakfast so long that it was almost lunchtime when I finished.

I spent the afternoon alternating between taking short naps and vacuuming the house. I've grown to hate vacuuming since we filled the house with inexpensive rugs to help keep Dot from falling over. These rugs are no match for the powerful Dyson vacuum cleaner and I'm constantly having to turn off the machine and pull a rug out of the brush after it got sucked in. The house was so much easier to clean before there were all these rugs. All you had to do was run a damp mop over the brick floors and you were done. The rugs seem to be giant dust magnets. Furniture and dog beds must be moved every time I clean, and even after a concerted effort to tame the dust, nothing looks any different. The only evidence that I've done anything at all is a full canister of dust and dog hair. I continue to be amazed at how much dirt and dog hair can accumulate in a single week. Well, OK. I admit it's been two weeks since I vacuumed. Maybe that explains it.

I feel a little better today, although Janet keeps telling me that I probably have pneumonia. I doubt that I have pneumonia since I got the pneumonia shot this year at the same time I got my flu shot. I don't have a fever. I just have a nagging cough. Chest colds like this must be quite common, or there wouldn't be all those irritating Mucinex commercials on TV. We had been planning to go to an open house in the neighborhood this afternoon, but Janet decided that she didn't want to go at the last minute. She was probably concerned that I would break into violent coughing spasms and scare the Realtor and any potential buyers. I'm still a little curious what the interior of this house looks like, since I've walked by it for years while walking the dogs. I must not have been that curious though, because I certainly don't regret missing the little home tour. Hey, maybe the change of plans proves that I'm spontaneous after all.

I've got to remember to take my car to the dealership tomorrow. I made the service appointment so long ago that I've almost forgotten what's wrong with the car. It's one of those intermittent electronic problems, so when it isn't actually driving you crazy, it is easy to forget. I hope they don't give me another Evoque loaner car. The engine in these cars automatically shuts off every time you pull up to a stop sign. This is supposed to be a feature, but it drives me nuts. After a lifetime of having cars that stall out at stoplights for no particular reason, having a car that does this on purpose just seems wrong.

Wow. I just noticed that it's pouring rain outside. I guess we need the rain, but I've grown fond of our long stretch of dry, low humidity days. I haven't had to go up on the roof and remove standing water for a long time. I've given up on having a nice lawn. I think if there was enough water to take showers and flush the toilet, I could go without rain for a long time.

Lizzy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1356 - Dot's Birthday

We don't actually know when our dogs were born, or how old they are. We celebrate their birthday on the day we adopted them, or if that doesn't work out, on the first weekend after their adoption day. By this convoluted logic, Dot's birthday is today. I think we actually adopted Dot on August 27, but this was the first day where there was time for a party.

Since the only gift a dog really appreciates is food, we wrapped up an assortment of dog biscuits and got a couple more doggie cupcakes from Sprinkles. The dog treats were greatly appreciated, but we could have skipped today's trip to the dog park. It was simply too hot. The dogs walked around the park once, sat under a tree for a while, drank some water, and then we came home again. It was 106 degrees today.

I spent longer waiting in line at Sprinkles for the cupcakes than I did at the dog park this morning, but that's the way it goes on a hot day in Dallas. I guess when there's nothing better to do, you eat cupcakes. When I was waiting in line, I noticed the store was selling frosting without the cupcake. Strange. People were ordering the little cups of frosting and consuming them like shots of Tequila.  I've decided that the Sprinkles store is God's gift to the dentists of Dallas.

I finally got tired of seeing the Low Coolant light come on every time I started the Evoque, so I decided to fix the problem myself. I downloaded an Evoque owner's manual off the Internet and located the coolant overflow tank. I topped up the tank with the distilled water I use in the coffeemaker and started the engine. The low coolant warning doesn't appear anymore. Problem solved.

When we were taking our evening walk, a group of kids approached us and asked if they could take their picture with Dot and Dash. They said their school was producing The 101 Dalmatians Musical as their class play and wanted to use Dot and Dash in their promotional pictures. Sure, why not. I didn't mention that Dot and Dash had actually met the cast of the Broadway production and even got to meet Rachel York when she was playing the Cruella DeVil role in the show. The dogs get around, but they're not name droppers.

Sp[ot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1355

Dot and Dash both got a medicated bath this morning. I wish our old self-bathe place hadn't gone out of business. The new place where we take the dogs for a bath is nice and clean, but the customers are so slow. The people ahead of us seemed determined to turn bathing your dog into a family entertainment event. They brought all their children with them and gave them each turns hosing down or putting soap on their dog. It took forever for Dot and Dash to get a tub, and as you know, they aren't the most patient canines in the world. I guess it was worth the effort though. Both dogs look a lot better now. Hopefully, Dot will be good to go for her water therapy next Wednesday.

I had a laundry list of things to get at Home Depot today. There was primer and paint for the ceiling, new stainless steel burner liners for the stove, jig saw blades, and a new Dremel tool with circle cutting attachments. I think I've got what I need to finish both the languishing sheet rock repairs and the cutting board project. Will I actually finish these projects in the next several days? Probably not.

When I was driving around this afternoon, I noticed that the Evoque wasn't in valet mode anymore. It seemed to have switched back to regular mode all by itself. I certainly didn't do anything. There is probably just some loose wiring somewhere and when I go over a bump, it switches back and forth. The weather's been so hot lately that I'm in no hurry to get the Defender back. I'm hoping now that Land Rover doesn't finish the repairs until Fall. The Evoque leaves a lot to be desired, but the air conditioning works great. It would be nice to go another year without any further overheating worries.

I had trouble sleeping last night, and as a result I had trouble staying awake today. Hopefully, the rest of the Labor Day weekend will be quiet and uneventful. I'm not sure what we'll be doing over the holidays. My new diet has made barbecue and beer a thing of the past, but there ought to be something fun to do. I'll ask the dogs what they want to do.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1348

We went to see The Rich Tones and Street Corner Symphony at the Eisemann Center this afternoon. I wasn't always a fan of acapella music, but I've grown to like the genre. Janet has a friend who sings with the Rich Tones, so we've gone to quite a few of these concerts. The Rich Tones are hard to describe. Imagine 100 women singing "Born this Way," with more energy and better harmonies than Lady Gaga and you get the idea. Street Corner Symphony were pretty amazing as well. These guys were the runners up on Season 2 of NBC's "The Sing-Off" and their acapella rendition of Train's "Hey Soul Sister" sounded even better than the one you always hear Patrick Monahan singing on your car radio.

I discovered today that the touch screen on the Range Rover Evoque isn't broken after all. A valet parking guy just put the car in Valet Mode and I don't know how to get it back to Normal Mode. Evidently Valet Mode locks the screen so the parking guy can't see your travel history on the GPS or your telephone contact list. Way too fancy for me. Valet Mode on the Defender 90 consists of me asking the parking attendant if he knows how drive a stick shift without a synchromesh transmission. Most guys say they know, but it's easy to tell they're lying when they grind the gears as they drive off with your car.

Not surprisingly, I didn't get all my Saturday errands finished today. Going to a matinee concert in Richardson took up a lot of time, but it was definitely more fun than mowing the grass. I did manage to get clean sheets on the bed, but that's about it. Maybe tomorrow. Or then again, maybe not. Tomorrow is a busy day as well. There a trip to the dog park on the agenda, and then later in the day Dot and Dash get another chance to be ambassadors for Dalmatian Rescue at a "meet and greet" event.

Truthfully, I"m not in a big hurry to  mow the grass. It's still way too hot outside. Maybe if I try to get a head start on some writing assignment tomorrow, I can postpone the outdoor chores a bit longer.

Hero is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1340

It had to happen. My nutritionist and my physicians are at odds with each other. The doctors now want me to stop taking all the supplements the nutritionist recommended to improve my liver function. The doctor's say these supplements and herbal medications are the only unexplained variable that might be contributing to my elevated liver enzyme levels. Not surprisingly, my nutritionist doesn't agree with this assessment. He says the enzyme levels would be even higher without the supplements. Either party could be right, but I'm inclined to go with the doctors on this one. After a very extensive Google search, I could find nothing that convinced me the recommended supplements even worked at all.

It's obvious to me that the food we eat has a huge impact on how healthy we are. What's not so obvious is why the medical community and the nutritional experts can't seem to get together on this fundamental issue. It's frustrating. Would it be too much to ask for everybody to be on the same page when it comes to diet, exercise, supplements, and meds? It' probably never going to happen though. Nobody agrees on anything these days. Pick any subject at random and you will find diametrically opposed and deeply held views.

It is my deeply held view that the technology gods were angry today. My fancy new Range Rover Evoque loaner car wouldn't go in reverse this morning. At first I didn't know what to do, since there is nothing mechanical on this car. Then I remembered what I always do with malfunctioning computers: I switch them off and then turn them back on again. I tried this a couple of times with the Evoque and it worked like a charm. As far as I'm concerned it's pretty pathetic when you have to re-boot your car to get it out of the driveway.

Later at breakfast when I tried to check on Dash using the nanny cam, there was a big red warning message on my phone that said "We are not able to establish a connection with your baby." I bet this message has made a lot of worried parents rush back to check on their baby in a big hurry. Instead of rushing home, I remembered how I'd gotten the car to go in reverse an hour earlier. I turned off the iPhone and then turned it back on again. The next time I checked the nanny cam, it worked perfectly. Dot and Dash were sleeping peacefully on the bed, just like they always do.

I still haven't gotten the standing water of the roof. It was a very busy day.  In addition to my doctor's appointment, there were photos to edit and color correct, websites to update, and two more articles to write. Somehow, I managed to squeeze in my Friday breakfast outing as well.  I don't know how peaceful the weekend will be, but there will definitely be fewer pills to take. I'm going to follow my doctor's recommendations and cut out the supplements for now.

Pogo it today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1339

My photo shoot went well today. Taking pictures of a giant industrial machine wasn't the most exciting thing in the world, but I think my client will be happy with the images. The only thing that went wrong during the shoot was that I got grease stains on a nice new pair of shoes.  I should know by now that proper attire for taking pictures in a factory is always something you wouldn't mind being ruined. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks though. I always try to wear something nice when I meet a client. I spend so much of my life in ratty clothes only the dogs ever see, that I find myself actually looking for situations to look presentable.

When I was driving around today, I noticed something new about the Evoque. Not only does this car have a rear view camera, it has a total of five different cameras, including one pointed straight down at the road to make sure you are driving between the white lines. I found all these cameras more than a bit distracting. Shouldn't you be spending your time looking through the windshield?

I was so busy with work today that I didn't even bother to sweep last night's rain accumulation off the roof. That's one of the nice things about having a roof that doesn't leak anymore. The water can just stay up there until it's convenient for me to remove it. Granted, this is an odd way to look at the whole situation. It would be much nicer if the water just drained off the roof all by itself. I guess that's too much to ask though. I've never seen a flat roof in my life that really drained properly.

After I made some changes to a client's website this morning, I noticed that the new content we added was already there. I looked at the date stamp on the files I discovered and was a bit chagrined to realize that they had been sitting in plain view for over two years. The client and I had both just forgotten they were there.

I was having trouble making a restaurant reservation tonight and Janet told me to use Open Table instead. Sure enough, even though the person I talked to on the phone said they were completely full, I quickly and easily made a confirmed reservation at exactly the time I wanted using Open Table. Obviously somebody is wrong about how full the place is, but I guess we won't find out who it is until we arrive.

I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow. If things go according to plan, I'll spend my time describing real and imagined side effects of the meds I'm currently taking, while the doctor writes out new prescriptions for even more meds. I'm not nearly as enamored with prescription drugs as most doctors are. I'm convinced that some of the stuff I'm taking now will eventually wind up on one of those "1-800-BAD-DRUG" commercials twenty years from now. I'll be the first to acknowledge that some medications do exactly what they ware supposed to do. I just don't know which ones I can trust.

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1338

I took the Defender in for service this morning and ended up driving home in a new Range Rover Evoque. I'm kind of glad the dealer gave me a loaner with hail damage because I'm always nervous of getting a ding in these loaner cars. This one was so full of dings that I've got nothing to worry about. The Evoque seems to get a lot of good press, but I'd never buy one. It's too small, too low to the ground, and has terrible viability. I don't know who they're marketing this car to. It's not an off-road vehicle. It's not a family SUV. And it's not really pretty enough to be a sports car. I sure hope they don't make the new Defender look anything like these things.

This was another day where I had to schedule everything around a series of brief but intense rainstorms. The dogs managed to get both their walks, but just barely. Both times, there was a downpour within minutes of returning to the house.  When the sun came out right after lunch, I used the opportunity to clear the water off the roof. That was pretty dumb, because two hours later, it was raining again.

I was a little nervous about taking Dot to her acupuncture session today. Now that Dash has decided he's scared of rain too, I kept wondering if a sudden thunderclap might trigger another seizure. All was fine though. Although the sky was dark and ominous looking, it didn't rain at all while Dot and I were away. When I checked in on Dash using the nanny cam, he was sleeping on the bed, just like he always does.

In case you think I do nothing buy cater to the needs of spoiled dogs, there was other work to do as well. I finished several new articles, answered some client questions about online forms, and paid a pile of new bills that arrived in the mail today. When I entered the payments in my accounting software, they didn't balance. This happens a lot these days. No matter how careful I am, I inevitably make an erroneous entry and end up having to check everything a second time. This seems to be an unfortunate by-product of growing older. Even the simplest things seem to take an excruciatingly long time. The same thing happens when I'm writing. There are typos galore.

Hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow, because I've got a photo shoot scheduled. It's just some industrial photography that will ultimately wind up on a website, but it's still a nice break from sitting in a small room and writing with two dogs under my desk that think the sky is falling. I need to charge all my camera batteries and make sure the equipment is in working order before I go to bed tonight. The photography side of my business is not immune to my forgetfulness.

Elliott is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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