Day 4992

We keep setting record high temperatures every single day. I'm beginning to think this heat wave will never end. They say a cold front will arrive next Monday though. For a few days the high temperature will only be in the 90's. We got a late start on our sunrise walk this morning, but very few people were out on the trails. I think the entire city has retreated indoors.

Dawn had lots of energy this morning. She wanted to take a longer walk than usual. She's still coughing a little but seems to be feeling much better. One thing we learned from the x-rays they took at the vet yesterday was that Dawn has hip dysplasia. She doesn't show any signs of discomfort yet, but this is troubling. One of our earlier Dalmatians had hip dysplasia and had to take Rimadyl for years. There is always a danger of liver or kidney damage with this drug.

After breakfast this morning I tried to do a few useful things around the house. I deep watered some trees in the front yard that were starting to look dry. Then I attempted to bleach away some of the water stains in the ceiling. This was more or less a failure. When I got a ladder out so I could inspect the damaged areas more closely I discovered that the sheetrock around the cracks was more of less ruined. It was all powdery and probably spreading a coat of mud over the cracks isn't going to help much. I need to find a tape and bed guy to completely replace the damaged sheetrock. This is going to create so much dust and mess in the house that I'm reluctant to do this yet. Maybe the solution is just to not look up at the ceiling.

I'm beginning to regret that I didn't apply to attend either the Crew 7 or Silent Barker launches. Since there is a Starlink launch as well, there will be three different rockets launching within a few days of each other at the end of the week. It would be a good time to be down at Kennedy Space Center. Oh, well. Snooze, you lose I guess. There will always be other launches later in the year.

I didn't do well at the gym today. I was slower walking around the indoor track and I was definitely off my game shooting baskets. It's weird how much things can change from one day to the next. I have a hard time telling whether it's my body or my mood that affects my performance. I got a good night's sleep last night and wasn't all that tired. I wasn't in a good mood though. Maybe that was it. Since I go to the gym every day now, maybe there's a chance to redeem myself tomorrow.

I don't think I like my new phone as well as my old phone. The touch screen seems way too sensitive. Several times the camera or flashlight apps have opened on their own while the phone was in my pocket. If the flashlight app is running in your pocket the battery can be drained in just a few hours. I guess I could always go back to using the old phone, but this new one is so much faster.

This day was more exciting for Dawn than for me. It was grocery day again. She always gets so excited when Janet returns with groceries. I need to make my own grocery list soon because I always complete the week's grocery runs tomorrow. There will be triple digit temperatures again this weekend, but I'm looking forward to Monday. The prospect of a cold front arriving sounds appealing.

Pinky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4835

What happened? Today was supposed to be nice and I was going to go up on the roof and look for leaks. It wasn't warm and nice at all. It was very chilly outside and there was an all day drizzle. It never rained very hard, but it never stopped either. I waited and waited to take my long walk and I finally gave up, put a raincoat on and walked in the rain.

Dawn had a minor setback this morning. When we took her out to pee in the yard, she saw the neighbor's dog in the back alley and started barking and running toward the fence. She always barks at anything in the alley, but this was an unfortunate time. She was running too fast and must have strained a muscle in her weak leg. She didn't fall, but she was limping a bit. 

We helped her back on the bed and she didn't want to get off again for quite a while. We had to feed her breakfast in bed again. Eventually today's Rimadyl pill kicked in and she started walking normally again. We don't want Dawn to be in pain, but we definitely would like her to take things easy for a while. We're making progress, but it's going to take a while for her to heal. We would have been fine this morning if Dawn hadn't seen the neighbors walking down the alley with their dog. You win some. You lose some. Dawn is a very protective dog. I can't seem to explain to her that it's not our alley.

I was the only one walking in the park today. I saw one man walking his dog but that was it. There were no bicycles and no joggers today. I did see a group of park employees laying new sod in a bare area. I guess they don't get the day off when it rains. My raincoat kept me surprisingly dry and I was able to complete my entire route. My shoes and socks got wet though. Why didn't I think to wear my waterproof Hoka boots? Days like today were exactly why I bought those boots. 

I got a form letter from my accountant today saying that since my tax materials arrived later than their self imposed in-house deadline, they might not have time to finish my return by April 15. They could need to file an extension on my behalf. First in, first out the letter said. What? I delivered the materials the same time I always do every year. It's never been a problem before. I don't want to file an extended return. I'll have to give the guy a call. My return is always pretty simple. I can't believe it would take them that much time to prepare it this year.

I'm so sick of all this rain. It just seems to go on and on. We're going to miss bulky trash pick up this month because the remaining leaves in the back yard are too wet to rake. The roof still isn't leaking, but I have very little faith in my repairs. It never gets dry enough for me to find and seal the remaining leak. Dawn doesn't like the rain either. It's really hard to get her to poop when the ground is wet. If we do managed to get her down to the park, the ground is slippery and that increases the danger of falling. The rain isn't over either. Tomorrow is supposed to be dry, but there will be new storms arriving on Thursday and Friday.

Hopefully there will be no surprises tomorrow. Is a predictable life, a healthy dog, and a dry house too much to ask?

Big Boy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4831

It was clear and cold this morning. This always seems to happen in March. It gets warm so everything starts to grow and then we get a late freeze and have to start over again. It was well above freezing this morning, but it looks like we might get that late freeze later this week. At least there is no more rain for a while. So far there have been no leaks in the house after yesterday's storm. Maybe I got lucky. I haven't gone up on the roof to investigate yet. I'll probably regret that decision later.

Dawn woke us up during the middle of the night and needed to go outside and pee. The drugs she's been taking are making her drink more water. She seems to be feeling better now that we've resumed the Rimadyl. The vet said she could continue taking it for another week and then we should slowly start weaning her off the drug. We don't have a long term solution yet. Maybe there isn't one.

I had to pick up some prescriptions today and the pharmacy doesn't seem to like GoodRx anymore. They used to always check and see if the GoodRx price was lower than my Part-D health plan. Now they say that this is too much trouble. I have to show them the GoodRx coupon for the drug on my phone and wait fifteen minutes wandering around the store while they refigure the price. "Can't we just do this the way we used to," I asked the pharmacist? Nope. They can't or won't use GoodRx as my default payment method. So it goes. Nothing is easy anymore.

I walked later in the day today, hoping that it would warm up. It didn't. I dressed warmly and had a nice walk, but my feet hurt again. I should probably throw away my old Hoka shoes and start wearing the new pair, but I keep thinking that I can get a few more months out of them. Truthfully, the shoes probably don't make much difference. I've got osteoarthritis and I don't want to start taking pain pills for minor aches and pains. 

I wasted a lot of time today watching Dawn to make sure she didn't try to jump off the bed. She's happy sleeping on the bed and I hate to gate her in a hallway. I didn't really have any plans anyway. My day usually consists of eating and walking lately. All I really did today was go to the pharmacy. I'm sure the long walks are beneficial, but I need to add a few more things to my daily routine. The trips to Kennedy Space Center are few and far between and I'm not sure that I will ever return to McDonald Observatory. Age is catching up with me and I hate that long drive.

Janet did her grocery shopping today and I'll do mine tomorrow. We both think that there's been a sea change since the pandemic. Stores always seem to be out of things these days and it's a hassle to find what you need. I think all businesses are understaffed too. There aren't as many employees in the stores now and the ones who are working seem grumpy. At any rate, grocery shopping takes more time now, costs more, and is definitely less satisfying.

I'm having Internet problems again. I can't even access my own domains. I hate to call my hosting company because that's usually just an exercise in frustration. I think I'll just post this and go to bed. So many things are just random these days. Probably everything will be working fine in the morning.

Allie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4830

Yesterday was such a nice day and today was exactly the opposite. It turns out that it was the drugs that were keeping Dawn happy. After 24 hours without pain meds she woke up stiff and painful again. There were no falls, but there was one stumble where she almost fell. We've had to go back to having her wear a harness with a handle all the time so we can help her on and off the bed and make sure she doesn't fall when going out to pee. After giving her another Rimadyl she is much calmer this evening. We'll have to check with the vet and see how long it is safe to continue this medication.

Today was a dismal rainy day, but I did manage to get a few things done. I finished gathering and preparing my 2022 tax information to take to the accountant. During a break in the rain I took a fat folder with my tax materials and another with Janet's information to the accountant and then dropped off the old printer at an animal rescue donation site. When I returned home it looked like there was still enough time to take my long walk before the next round of storms arrived.

I completed my entire route today but I was pretty slow. My feet weren't having a good day. We didn't give Dawn a morning walk today and probably won't tomorrow either. Since she seems to feel good when taking pain medication it's hard to know what to do. We don't want to aggravate the situation, but it isn't good to be completely inactive either. Dawn is much happier when she can follow her regular routine. She and I are pretty similar in that regard.

The dreaded severe storms we've been hearing about for several days finally arrived late this afternoon. Usually bad storms go either to the north or south of us, but today they appeared to be headed directly in our direction. It all looked pretty serious for a while. We started getting warnings on our phones and then the tornado sirens started going off in the neighborhood. The local weather said the entire area was under a tornado warning and sure enough when I looked at the weather radar our house was inside the tornado warned zone. This hasn't happened for a long time. We gathered up Dawn, her dog bed, several blankets and our phones and headed for our safe spot. Truthfully, we don't have a safe spot in our house since it is an open plan design with no interior rooms. There is a ton of single pane glass that would break easily in a bad storm. We ended up huddling next to the refrigerator in a little alcove in the kitchen that was as far from windows as we could find. This still wasn't a great location because we were near the utility room with a gas furnace and water heater.

Dawn was good in her inaugural safety drill. She was nervous for a few minutes and then settled down and was pretty relaxed. I think she felt comfortable that both of us were right there next to her. Dawn didn't want us on the dog bed with her though, so she ended up having more room than Janet and I. The storm blew over pretty quick and everything is quiet again. A cold front has arrived though and it is almost thirty degrees colder than it was a few hours ago. When I took the trash out to the curb about an hour ago it felt like a completely different day than it did this morning.

There are no roof leaks yet, but I expect we'll start to see some soon. The pumps are running now and it's clear that there's a lot of water on the roof. I wish I knew where to place the buckets before I go to bed tonight, but the leaks never seem to appear in the same place. I actually hope the dripping noises wake me up tonight or there might be a big mess in the morning. The good news is that there is no more rain in the forecast for a while. The bad news is that Dawn isn't out of the woods yet. Whatever's wrong is still bothering her.

Ruthie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4818

I got a lot done today. Well, I got something done anyway. In addition to grocery shopping and my perpetual walks, I washed the car and defrosted the little refrigerator. The little refrigerator was a spur-of-the-moment purchase when we were having problems with the big refrigerator. I can't remember whether there was a power outage or a mechanical problem, but we needed a temporary way to keep things cold. It was never meant to be permanent, but here we are. Now the little refrigerator is essential. We need both. This small dorm room refrigerator doesn't have an automatic defrost cycle, so every once in a while I have to unplug it and let all the ice melt. I transfer the food to the big refrigerator, stuff some old towels in the empty refrigerator to soak up the melting water, and wait a few hours for all the ice in the freezer section to disappear. Usually I only have to do this about every three months.

Usually I only wash the car about every three months as well. It doesn't get very dirty because I don't drive much. The car definitely needed some attention today. West Texas dust and Spring tree pollen were making it hard to see out the front window. It takes longer to clean the wheel rims than the rest of the car. The front wheels get dirty quickly and I have to clean them with soapy water and a rag. Like just about everything else these days, this chore is hard on my knees.

The stores were crowded again today. I guess this is the new normal. I got what I needed and headed home without going to the gym. I would have had to go to the gym first so food wouldn't spoil sitting in the car. It just didn't seem like it was worth the trouble since I can always take a walk in the park. I know I'd been planning on working on my upper body strength, but I think climbing up on the roof and sweeping all the standing water away with the big push broom is all the upper body exercise I need. I know I'm getting a good workout because my muscles feel the same way they do when I'm lifting weights at the gym.

The park was really busy today. I guess that makes sense because was a warm, beautiful day. People of all ages were jogging, roller skating, cycling, and walking their dogs. So much for solitude and communing with nature. Today's walk felt more like I was at the State Fair. I still had an enjoyable walk, even though I was quite slow. Foot pain was pretty bad today. I still can't figure out why some days are better than others. I walk the same route every day, wear the same shoes, and am walking using he same pair of feet. I guess I should just be glad that there are still good days.

Dawn seemed a little painful in her rear end today. She wasn't limping, but was definitely moving slower and seeming to have trouble lying down and getting up on the bed. I hope there's nothing wrong. I don't think she's torn an ACL or has hip dysplasia, but something isn't normal. We gave her a Rimadyl and will take things easy tomorrow. Maybe we'll skip the Sunday outing walk and just go for ice cream.

I'll probably still go mall walking tomorrow. Why not? Even though the weather forecast looks good for Sunday, I've done enough walking in the park this week. It looks like next month might be a good time to go back to the space center. There are several interesting launches scheduled for April. Dark Sky week is also in April out at the observatory, so I ought to start making plans to go somewhere. With my luck April will be when the roofers want to put on the new roof. 

In other news, we've started seeing ants around the house again and the Crane Flies are back. Even though these are both signs of Spring, they are not welcome. I'll try spraying around the exterior of the house to control the ants. There isn't much I can do about the Crane Flies. Whenever I open the back door they fly inside.

Orion is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4258

Dawn didn't want to walk this morning. She still seems uncomfortable after the bladder stone removal procedure. The vet said this was normal, but I hate to see her this way. She's always waiting for the other shoe to drop anyway. We got her some Rimadyl for pain and that seemed to help. We would never use Rimadyl on a long-term basis, but it is effective for short-term pain management. Dawn will only need to take the pills for a few days.

I stopped at a little Mexican garage on my way to the gym this morning and got my safety inspection done. They were so quick that I wasn't sure that they did anything at all. I got the paperwork I needed to get my window sticker though. The little garage was a pleasant surprise. It takes forever to get the simplest thing done at the Land Rover dealer and it's always so expensive. My car is getting older. Maybe it's time to abandon the dealership.

It works out well to go to the gym before I do my grocery shopping on Saturday morning. I wonder when they are going to get their machines fixed. They are currently having a campaign to get new members, but I don't think anyone is going to be impressed by the growing number of 'temporarily out of service' signs on the exercise equipment. Maybe I ought to start using the weight room more. Free weights don't break.

Everyone is wearing masks again in grocery stores. There are no mask mandate signs on the doors anymore, but there are enough stories out there about dire 'long Covid' side effects and fully vaccinated people getting the virus that fewer people want to take chances. I certainly don't want to get sick. I've never really liked crowds anyway. This virus will give me all the excuses I need to remain an aloof loner forever.

I got a letter from my editor at SpaceFlight Magazine today saying that he was no longer with the magazine. This sucks. I really liked working with the guy and it took me forever to build a relationship with the magazine. Now I'm going to have to start all over again with the new editor. I'm not having a lot of luck getting published again at Sky and Telescope either. Most of their articles are scientific in nature. I just got lucky when they became interested in publishing my astronomy related travel article.

My Fitbit died at the gym this morning. I'm afraid I'm going to have to get a new one. The battery isn't holding a charge anymore. I can get it to charge by using a higher wattage charger, but it won't stay charged very long. I watched a YouTube video showing how to change a Fitbit battery yourself. Lots of luck with that. I'd have as much luck fixing a Fitbit by hitting it with a hammer as I would by taking it apart. My hands just aren't that dexterous.

We're not sure that Dawn will want to take her Sunday outing tomorrow. She didn't want to walk today and we don't want to push her. We'll see how she feels in the morning. Even if she doesn't feel like walking, I'm sure she'll still be up for an ice cream cone.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3397

We lost Dash today. He passed away around 11 AM this morning. We knew Dash was sick when we took him to the vet this morning, but we fully expected him to come home with us. We were even slightly optimistic because we had finally been able to get him to drink water and eat a little food yesterday evening. It wasn't meant to be. When the lab results came back this morning, it was clear that Dash was suffering from kidney failure. The vet told us that they could put him on IV fluids for several days and possibly clear some of the toxins from his system. The real danger was excessive levels of phosphorus in his blood. Even if the toxins could be removed, the problem would return because Dash's kidneys weren't operating properly. Even after IV therapy, Dash still might not eat and probably would be very uncomfortable.

Kidney failure explained a lot of things. Lethargy, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, urinary incontinence, bad breath, and ulcers in the mouth can all be early signs of kidney failure. Dash had all of these symptoms. Increasing Dash's pain medication wouldn't help at all, since the Rimadyl he's been taking is hard on the liver and kidneys to begin with. We had to make a very hard choice today. We could leave him in the ICU for four days, fill him with IV fluids, and if we were lucky, get to spend a few more days or weeks with him. Our vet, a gifted oncologist who helped Dash survive cancer, didn't think he could survive more than a month no matter what we did. Our other choice was to say goodby today.

We never wanted any of our dogs to suffer. In the best of worlds, they all would have died peacefully in their sleep. That never happened. I have so many vivid memories of dying dogs that it's hard to remember all the good times. There were definitely lots of good times. Dot and Dash were both amazingly good dogs. We were lucky to have both of them. Dash was very tired after his exam. I took him outside one last time in the rain to smell things and then we returned to the clinic to say our goodbyes. He lay quietly on a warm blanket in the exam room when we returned and I could tell he was exhausted. As he went to sleep with his head in my lap, the vet prepared to administer the Propofol that would relax and sedate Dash and then the Barbiturates used to stop his heart. Dash was very peaceful as he made his journey to the Rainbow Bridge. He yawned once as the Propofol began to sedate him and just like that, he was gone.

It was very strange to come home to a quiet and empty house. We've shared our home with a Dalmatian for over 32 years. Living with dogs has become a way of life. Living with a sick dogs becomes a way of life too. It's been almost five years since Dot first became sick. There have been a lot up ups and downs along the way, but I wouldn't change a thing even though some days have been extremely hard. I really think we did the best we possible could for all our dogs and they definitely returned the favor. I just wish that dogs lived longer. They capture your heart and then they're gone.

I don't think we will realize for months just how much life has changed. We are both getting older and have our own medical problems. Dash might be our last dog. It's way too early to make that decision now, but we do need to rest and recuperate. It's been a long four years. Rest in peace Dash. I hope you knew that you were dearly loved.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3298

While I was eating breakfast this morning, a man walked over to the chef after paying his bill and shook his hand. I heard him say, "I travel all over the world and I want to tell you that this is the best French Toast I've ever had in my life." I smiled and gave the chef a big thumbs up. So did several other people in the restaurant. The chef pointed over at me and said, "He agrees. He eats these every day." The encounter was over quickly, but the chef was smiling as he went back to work. I love little moments like this. The chef wasn't invisible as he quietly worked behind his counter and apparently neither was I. I don't know who the world traveler was, but he did have an eye for quality.

It was nice to see the sun again. A sunny day can dramatically improve my mood. I thought Dash would enjoy the nice weather too, but he seemed sluggish and disoriented on his walk this morning. Maybe the additional pain pill his doctor recommended was too much for him. We've seen this reaction before when we tried giving Dash Gabapentin. We're going to try going back to the original dose for a few days and see if Dash returns to normal. "Back to normal" is a strange concept with Dash because there is absolutely nothing normal about him. Too much pain medication makes me feel terrible. Maybe dogs can have the same reaction.

I wish I knew more about medicine. I think some of my own meds are unnecessary but I've learned not to self medicate. There is too much I don't know. For a long time I thought that Adequan might help Dash because it helped Spot when his rear legs got weak. Then I did some research and discovered that Adequan injections can inhibit blood clotting and should not be administered to dogs with a history of bleeding abnormalities. I'm sure the vets probably knew this all along.

I was really surprised when the roof started leaking again early this afternoon. The last time I looked the roof was dry. The leak was small this time but there was definitely a slow drip. The roof was still dry when I went up to investigate but I could tell that there was still some residual water trapped under the silicon coating in a few places. This water was probably still looking for a way out. Strangely, this mysterious leak only lasted a few hours during the warmest period of the day.

I had to use some of Dash's Shoe Goo to repair my own boots this afternoon. The soles are starting to come apart. I'm really hard on shoes but I was hoping that these boots would last forever. I've been wearing them for about five years and they are finally comfortable now.

I think I'll take the Christmas tree down tomorrow. The holidays are over. I wish it were Winter that was over. I'm afraid we've got a lot more rain to look forward to and maybe even some snow. One way or another, the leak will eventually get fixed. I just hope it doesn't take as long as it took to fix the refrigerator. With a little luck I can postpone putting on a new roof until Spring when the weather is nicer, but we'll have to see what happens. In my world it is best to take things one day at a time.

Hunter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3213

I had an enjoyable conversation with the art expert at the auction house today. I'd made an appointment so he could appraise the stuff I wanted to consign. The guy was German and loved mid-century houses, so we had a lot to talk about. I achieved my objective too. All the work was accepted to go to auction and I returned home with an empty car. It's been years since I've had a serious conversation about art with anyone, so I was surprised that I still had knowledge and opinions. Talking about art and artists made me a bit nostalgic for my younger gallery hopping days. Good times. Maybe collecting is a meaningless activity, but I did have a lot of fun.

Dash is wearing me out. He got me up three times last night. Then he got alarmed when Janet left the house while he was asleep and he couldn't find her when he woke up. Dash doesn't react well to surprises these days. The good new is that the Rimadyl we've started giving him for pain appears to be working. He's walking steadier now and seems to have more energy. I've never been a fan of Rimadyl, but I don't want him to be in pain. Hopefully, there will be no serious side effects like there were with one of our other dogs. We'll see what Dash's lab results look like at his next exam.

I can't believe how slow I've become. I made my appointment with the art appraiser for noon, thinking it would give me plenty of time. I barely made it. All I did this morning was walk Dash, eat breakfast, and take a shower. I used to be able to do all this by the time I left for work at 8 AM. If I get any slower I'll soon be spending the entire day making the bed.

I noticed that the little circus in the park was having a performance while we were taking Dash on his evening walk. I wonder how these guys make any money? It didn't look like they had much of an audience tonight. I thought these guys must be local, but I looked them up on the Internet and they appear to be national. Their next stop is somewhere in California. What ever possessed five people to start a miniature circus and travel around the country giving performances in public parks? I'm curious, but apparently not curious enough to buy a ticket.

Another week is drawing to a close. For some odd reason I keep thinking that Thursday is the last day of the week. It feels that way to me. The week is over when I take the trash out to the curb on Thursday night. Maybe my breakfast excursions on Friday morning seem like a new beginning. I guess it doesn't really matter when the week starts or ends. All the days seem the same anyway.

Katy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3071

As usual, Dash was not a model of good behavior this morning. He barked at the vet and pooped in the lobby. Dash used to be so well behaved, but now he's old and cranky. I'm glad everyone is patient with us. We couldn't trim his nails this morning, because Dash wouldn't let anyone get near his paws. We did get all his vaccinations though, and that's what we came for. Dash's vet was pleased at how well he was responding to the antibiotic, but warned us that it wasn't a good idea to take Rimadyl with blood thinners. This was our fault. Actually, Dash's other vet did recommend stopping the low dose aspirin when he initially prescribed the Rimadyl. All this got forgotten because we didn't give Dash the Rimadyl anyway and tried the safer Movoflex supplement instead. When Dash's blood clot appeard to dissolve and disappear, the doctor wanted to continue the Plavix and low dose aspirin combination because it was working. When Dash became painful, we remembered we already had the Rimadyl, and forgot the complicated path we took to get where we are. No harm was done because Dash only took the Rimadyl for three days, but it was a good reminder to check and re-check everything when it comes to a change in medication.

I thought that Dash would be tired after his trip to the vet, but he was surprisingly active. Even though it was later in the day and things were starting to warm up, he took a very long walk. He was actually a little too active, because we lost a shoe. I eventually found the rubber boot, but it was hard to get Dash to turn around and retrace our steps. It was important to find the missing boot, because these little things are way to expensive to leave them lying around in the park. I've got to figure out a better way to keep the boots secure. As his rear legs grow weaker, Dash seems to loose these shoes more often.

I looked like a dork this morning. I wore both the Fitbit and Jawbone trackers on my right wrist to compare the way they counted steps. After wearing them together most of the morning, they were only about 75 steps off. The surprising thing was that my Apple Watch counted over 1500 extra steps. It was way off. I would have thought that the watch would be the most accurate but that didn't appear to be the case. Since your natural arm movement is part of the algorithm that is used to calculate distance, I wonder if any of my trackers are even close. When you are holding on to a dog leash, your arms don't tend to move back and forth at all. With an active dog, they are often straight out in front of you.
  
Our mild Winter has been a bonanza for biting insects. I don't think I've ever gotten so many mosquito and chigger bites this early in the season. I have to worry about spiders too. When I leave my dog walking shoes outside to dry after our walks, I always check to make sure no spiders have crawled inside before I put them on again. The spiders are everywhere. I dream of a place with cool, dry air, infrequent rain, and an absence of insects. I wonder where that would be?

I'm looking forward to a new episode of The Expanse tomorrow. This shows just how slow and uneventful life has become. I shouldn't be waiting all week for an hour of TV. Oh, well. That's the way it goes. I suspect that waiting for your favorite TV show is a lot more normal than spending the morning comparing fitness trackers.

Dash has been in good spirits all day. Maybe being bad at the vet was fun for him.

Rosco is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3061

Lots of errands today. I had to get new halogen bulbs for the living room lamps. These little bulbs cost ten dollars each and I'm lucky if they last a month. It's ridiculous. Why doesn't anyone make a really bright LED bulb with a candelabra base? I couldn't be the only person who uses these type of floor lamps.

Next on the list was something to relieve the itching from chigger bites. I seem to get bit every time I walk Dash now. There used to be a product called Chigarid that worked pretty well, but you can't find it anymore. I use clear nail polish now. Chigger bites itch a lot worse than mosquito bites, but at least you can't catch Lyme Disease from a chigger.  I can tell that Summer is on the way. The bugs are biting and the seasonal allergies are terrible. I kept sneezing and my eyes were watering all day long.

I needed coffee pods today. Coffee pods are almost as overpriced as halogen light bulbs. I could save a lot of money on coffee if I went back to buying beans and grinding them myself. Sadly, I've become hooked on the single serve pods. It's so convenient to make coffee this way that it's worth the extra expense. You don't even have to clean the coffee maker if you always fill it with distilled water. I've seen ads trying to make me feel guilty about using coffee pods. I don't really understand these ads. Plastic containers can be recycled 7 to 9 times to make more plastic. The reason this plastic winds up in the ocean is that too many people don't even bother to reuse it. So there you have it. I want to be lazy and use the pods, but I don't want other people to be lazy and throw them away.

We gave Dash a Rimadyl last night, but it was hard to tell if it is working. He had a lot of energy this morning, but his rear legs are still very weak. Dash is having increasing trouble getting up and down and it often appears like he might be in pain. We'll try the Rimadyl until his next exam at the cancer center in June and then do new blood work to see if his liver enzymes have become elevated. I always worry that Rimadyl can cause liver or kidney damage. If we see anything abnormal in the lab work, we'll discontinue the drug.

It's weird that two of the most common drugs that vets give dogs for pain are in the news for having adverse effects on humans. Tramadol and Gabapentin are both getting a bad reputation for abuse and overdose problems. I wonder if dogs get addicted too. I never want a dog to be in pain, but there are so few problem free pain medications. I won't even take an Advil myself.

Jupiter is closer to earth right now than it's been in two years. I took a pair of binoculars out last night to look at the planet and it definitely appeared larger. I could see all four bright moons and was even able to detect a little cloud banding. If you have any interest in this sort of thing, you ought to go outside just before you go to bed and take a look at the planet. A month or two from now it won't be as bright or large in the night sky.

I'm pleased that the new manual focus app on my phone actually works. I can take pictures of flowers now without the camera always trying to focus on the grass behind them. I've never liked the way the iPhone's autofocus mechanism worked. Maybe I won't have to take a real camera with me on walks now.

I'm either gaining weight or the earth's gravity has increased. I'm definitely going to have to go to the gym tomorrow.

Dixie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3057

I'm glad I only had one thing on my list today. Two things would have been too much. After walking Dash and eating breakfast I went to the bank to set up the new account I needed. If you ask me, I have too many accounts already, but apparently I need this new one to serve as a conduit from my IRA account to the operating account that I pay bills with. I was surprised at the number of people who wanted to "get to know" me. One guy told me that he'd watched me come and go for seventeen years and I'd never stopped and introduced myself. Sadly, this was probably true. I never talk to anyone at the bank. I just hope I don't get stuck in the slow line at the teller window and leave as soon as I've made my deposit. The bank is like the post office to me. I could easily make deposits using my phone these days, but I like to go in person. I'm a Luddite. It's hard for me to believe that anything is actually happening if I don't physically hand the postal clerk my letters or the bank teller my money.

It took a long time to get things set up the way I wanted, but I'm ready to go now. Even if I get dementia or go stark raving mad, my bills will still get paid. I saw how forgetful my Dad became as he got older. You need to get prepared while you've still got your wits about you. I definitely don't want my electricity cut off because I forgot to pay the electric bill. I'm going to gradually set up all my recurring bills to auto pay and quit writing checks. My plan seems pretty solid unless I become a nonagenarian and run out of money. I don't think that's going to happen though. My family is not noted for longevity.

I think we're going to have to consider pain management for Dash pretty soon. The signs are subtle, but he seems more uncomfortable than he did even a month or two ago. Gabapentin didn't work, so we may have to resort to Rimadyl. Rimadyl is very effective, but it has some nasty side effects including gastrointestinal bleeding and liver disease. Hopefully, Dash will continue responding well to the Movoflex supplements and we can postpone the harder drugs for a while. I think pain management is important. It doesn't matter whether it's your dog or your Dad. Nobody should live in pain. I hope we can continue Dash's daily walks as long as possible. When he is no longer mobile, he is going to go downhill rather quickly.

Peaches are back in season. I'm always glad when peaches are plentiful at the grocery store. My morning smoothies taste better when I add a peach to the usual strawberries and blueberries. A peach makes a pretty good dessert too. I wish I could get my diet as organized as I've got my finances. I'm convinced that if I were eating exactly the right things, I would enjoy every meal and still never have heartburn. I need to talk to a nutritionist who doesn't just want me to become a vegetarian. Eating pizza is a disaster, but I can often eat pasta and spaghetti without any problems. Vietnamese Pho doesn't give me problems, but similar Chinese dishes can keep me up all night. I eat earlier now and avoid acidic foods like tomatoes. The holy grail would be a meal that provides the satisfaction of barbecue with the health benefits of kale. I'm still looking.

The weather is perfect for putting in new grass and repairing the roof. Why am I having so much trouble contacting the roofer and the landscaper? They should both be out here now. Guess who I'll be calling tomorrow.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2962 - Ground Hog Day

I felt better this morning, but I still didn't go out for breakfast. A bowl of oatmeal seemed just fine. After breakfast, Dash and I had a nice long walk before I got started on an equally long day.

I called the vet who prescribed Carprofen for Dash and expressed my concerns. He said that there was another nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory that didn't have Carprofen's side effects, but that he wasn't very familiar with it. We decided to just discontinue the drug until next month's exam and then see what our options were. Since the Carprofen has very little to do with Dash's heart condition, this seemed like a good plan to me. Next, I talked to a different vet to ask some questions about Dash's eye infection. It's getting better, but we ran out of eye drops before the infection cleared up. She said to continue the drops until the infection goes away and renewed his prescription.

I felt a little more comfortable about Dash's health, so it was time to deal with the refrigerator again. I called the sales guy at Nebraska Furniture Mart to see if the model we are currently looking at is really out of stock until the middle of March. It was. Since this same model is also for sale at Home Depot, I drove over to our neighborhood store to check on its availability. I didn't get any answers because there was no one available in the appliance department to answer my questions. Somebody in the plumbing department told me to come back tomorrow.

Even though I was busy today, it's doesn't seem like I accomplished much. The vet convinced me yesterday that Dash was uncomfortable, probably as a result of arthritis. Since his solution to the problem was Rimadyl, I still don't know what to do. I really don't think Rimadyl is a safe drug. Janet seemed surprised that I haven't bought a refrigerator yet. I tried to explain that it wasn't that easy, but I don't think she liked my answer.

I'm really disappointed that the stock market dropped 666 points today, although I don't think this inauspicious number is a sign of the beast. I just think a lot of people are nervous and wanted to take some profits while the market was near an all time high. Jeez, I'm nervous myself, but I can't think of any rational reason to sell. The business climate is good around the world and most companies are optimistic about the year ahead. That being said, I still wish that the stock market wasn't ruled by fear and greed. Irrational fear is at the root of most market sell offs.

Apparently ground hogs are just as divided on the issues as humans. Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of Winter, but Staten Island Chuck predicted an early Spring. I wasn't aware that there were so many of these prognosticating rodents. Six predicted a longer winter, and four predicted an early spring. One of the prognosticating ground hogs isn't even alive. Washington, D.C. relies on Potomac Phil, who was taxidermied quite a while ago. Why am I not surprised that Washington, D.C.  would use a dead ground hog for this all important task?

I don't think our neighborhood squirrels could predict anything. Their only interests are tearing up the yard and pestering the dogs.

Jasper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2961

Dash's blood clot isn't any bigger this month. It isn't any smaller either. His doctor thinks this is good news, but it would be a lot better news if the clot was starting to shrink or dissolve. The vet wants Dash to discontinue one of the blood thinners and start taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug called Carprofen instead. The plan sounded reasonable during the exam, but when I did some research on the drug later I discovered that it is exactly the same chemically as Rimadyl. Years ago, one of our dogs died of kidney failure after taking Rimadyl for a long time. I swore that I'd never use the drug again.

Why is life so complicated? Now I've got to call the vet back and express my concerns. He'll probably say that most dogs tolerate the drug well, just like vets have always told me when they prescribe Rimadyl. Known side effects of Carprofen include increased risk of heart attack, staggering, stumbling, or partial paralysis, loss of coordination, and increased aggressiveness. Why would you ever want to give something like this to a dog like Dash?

I made some calls about the refrigerator Janet likes and discovered that it is on back order at Home Depot until February 28, and isn't available at Nebraska Furniture Mart until March 15. I doubt that our current refrigerator is going to last until then. Again, why is life so complicated? I should have been able to find an acceptable refrigerator and had it installed by now.

Dash seems to be frightened of the alley behind our house now. I can tell he wants to walk when we leave the house, but as soon as we get to the alley, he freezes and won't go any further. This is unfortunate, because the only way to get to the park is to walk down the alley for about fifty feet. Dash has been walking down this alley for his entire life, so I don't know what is going on. After several tries, I finally got him to take a morning walk, but I never could convince him to go on our evening walk.

I think I've come down with some sort of stomach flu. I woke up with a stomach ache this morning and have had one all day. It is very rare for me to have stomach flu, but whenever I do I think I've been poisoned. I picked up a burger for dinner yesterday. Maybe the meat was bad, or maybe the cook dropped it on the floor. Who knows? I am so suspicious of other people that I should probably fix all my food myself. At any rate, I'll probably be getting up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom for a while, just like Dash.

There's not much point in going out for breakfast tomorrow if I've got a stomach ache. Maybe I'll just fix myself a bowl of oatmeal. We'll see if Dash will walk in the morning. If he won't, I'm just going to crawl back in bed with him and take a long nap.

Myles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2430

I took Dash back to his regular vet today. Dash is not a good patient. By the time he gets to the vet, he is barking, his adrenaline is pumping, and he is so wound up that it is often difficult to diagnose anything. The vet agreed that he was walking a bit oddly, but when she took x-rays, there seemed to be no basis for his stiff, almost robotic gait. She told me that there were no obvious signs of arthritis or hip dysplasia. There were no signs of soft tissue injuries either. Dash was quite limber and was able to extend his legs through a full range of motion. As always, the dog continues to remain a mystery. Since dogs are often very good at hiding pain, the vet suggested that I give him Rimadyl for 14 days and watch to see if he changes the way he walks. If the stiffness disappears, something is causing him pain. It's worth a try. Of course, the Rimadyl won't tell us where the pain is coming from. Since the x-rays don't tell us much, he might need to have a MRI. There's always a chance that there is nothing wrong at all and this is just the way Dash normally walks.

Tomorrow, it's Dot's turn. I'm taking her back to her physical therapy vet to see if she's strong enough to resume using the treadmill. I have my doubts, since she appears to be growing weaker. There's always the chance that she's becoming weaker because we stopped the therapy. I'd hate to think I stopped the therapy just because of all the poop in the car. At any rate, we are going to evaluate her tomorrow and then we'll decide what to do next. Even if she's not strong enough for the underwater treadmill, she could still probably benefit from acupuncture.

I received some new writing assignments today. These ought to keep me busy for the rest of the week. It's time to send out August invoices, but I think I'll wait until I finish these new jobs. Maybe I'm just robbing from September to make August look a little better, but every dollar counts. I wish I could think of something lucrative to do that would boost my billings. It's getting harder and harder to compete with large high volume solutions.

Today, when I was waiting in the lobby with Dash to see the vet, I noticed a cool looking application that was running on a large flat screen TV which displayed the clinic's Instagram and Facebook posts in real time. This looked interesting and I started wondering if I could create something like this for my clients. I did some research when I got back home and discovered that the clinic had just bought a prepackaged solution from a large national digital signage company. They didn't have to hire a programmer at all. All they did was pay a monthly fee, plug a special box into the back of their TV, and they were done. It wouldn't matter if I learned how to do this. I could never compete with the signage company's prices.

Our yard squirrels seem to hate the August heat as much as I do. They don't even move around anymore. They'll find a place in the shade and just sit there, waiting patiently for sunset. I can walk right up to them and they don't even bother to move. I feel the same way and I have the luxury of air conditioning. I think we're all ready for Winter.

Nautica is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1959

When Dash woke up this morning, his limp was much worse. This was an unexpected surprise, since for several days his condition had been getting better. Dash refused to put any weight on the leg with the cut paw pad today and hopped around on three legs. This was not good. He could easily tear his cruciate on the remaining good rear leg if he continues to walk this way. It was clear that Dash needed immediate medical attention and I was lucky to be able to get him in to see Dot's vet today on very short notice. My initial worry was that he had torn a cruciate ligament, but the vet said that he was beginning to get an infection under his paw pad instead. It happens. We left with prescriptions for Clavamox, Rimadyl, and Tramadol, along with instructions to return for another exam if his condition hasn't started to improve within 72 hours. It's hard to imagine that a little cut could cause so many problems, but the vet said to imagine a paper cut on your finger, only ten times worse. There are lots of nerve endings in a dog's paw and this type of injury can be very painful.

Dealing with two dogs who are having trouble walking at the same time isn't quite as difficult as it was dealing with Dot and Dash when they both had cancer at the same time, but it definitely is tiring. Whenever you're trying to help one dog go outside, you're always wondering what the other dog is doing inside. When there's time, I always try to pen the dog I leave behind in a safe secure place. When either of these dogs has to poop though, you have to act fast. Neither one can hold it very long and there have already been a few accidents. Even the vet agrees that I have two very high maintenance Dalmatians right now.

Lately, every day of nice weather seems to be followed by a day of terrible weather. Today was grey and stormy again. Yesterday's nice weather didn't even last 24 hours. Luckily, it didn't rain while I was driving Dash to the vet. He doesn't ride well in the car even on a sunny day. Since he wouldn't go near the hammock contraption I use for Dot, I had to completely reconfigure the car and make the rear section flat again. Dash usually hops in the back when I open the tailgate, but since he can't hop anymore, I have to lift him up to get him inside. Did I mention that Dash hates to be picked up. He squirms around and squeals like something terrible is about to happen. I had a hard time even getting him in the car today. As I said, I have two very high maintenance dogs.

I hope the antibiotics kick in soon. Dash really needs to start getting better in a hurry. I have a feeling that I'll be having my own problems after the dreaded dental surgery. Maybe the dental work will go smoothly and there won't be painful side effects. I hope! I'm not expecting miracles though. Nothing else has gone smoothly this month. Why should my luck change now? It's weird that Dot was actually walking better than Dash today. It just goes to show that you should never take anything for granted.

Needless to say, work hasn't been going terribly smoothly either. There have been some miscommunication here and there this week and several things have had to be done over. I blame it on the weather. When is this rain ever going to stop? It's certainly not the end of the world, but a few days of sunshine and a little luck would definitely improve my mood.

Chance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1835

Today was pleasant. Janet walked the dogs this morning while I went up to the Land Rover dealer to get my tire fixed. I always enjoy going to the dealership. I've been going there for almost twenty years, so everyone knows me. They have good french roast coffee and if you get there early, there is always a nice selection of pastries from Corner Bakery. Everyone was in a good mood this morning because they all got off at noon for Christmas Eve. Even though I only went to get a nail removed from my tire, they washed my car and vacuumed the interior. If only all businesses were this nice.

On the way home I picked up some dog treats for Dot and Dash and got them each a fresh chicken breast so they could have something special for Christmas dinner as well. Janet and I are having a crown roast, so we'll all be eating well tomorrow. In keeping with my tradition of saving everything until the last minute, I spent the rest of the morning wrapping a few packages to put under the tree.

I sent a confirmation letter to NASA today, telling them that I accepted their invitation. It appears that the closest airport to Vandenberg Air Force Base is in Santa Barbara. There are no direct flights from Dallas, but this still seems better than flying to Los Angeles and then making a long drive up the coastline on Highway 1. I haven't driven a car in Los Angeles since my ad agency days and I remember the traffic being terrible even back in the 1980's. Now that traffic in Dallas is just as bad as LA traffic was in the 80's, I can't even imagine how bad California freeways are today.

We have started giving Dot a low dose of Rimadyl to reduce inflammation and hopefully alleviate some of the discomfort she is currently feeling. I've always been nervous about Rimadyl since it can cause problems with the kidneys and liver. Petey, one of our previous Dalmatians, had severe hip dysplasia and took Rimadyl for many years. It did help him keep walking, but I still keep thinking that it might have contributed to his eventual death from kidney failure. After a long talk with Dot's vet yesterday, I agreed to give Rimadyl a try. She said that side effects were minimal to non-existent at this low of a dose and that at Dot's age, pain management was more important than the possibility of long-term side effects. I like to think that Dot will live forever, but if she is still with us five years from now, she will be the world's oldest Dalmatian. The goal now is just to keep her happy and comfortable for as long as we can.

I saw on the news that Sony Pictures has decided to release The Interview on Christmas Day. I guess this strikes a blow for free speech and all, but it still seems like an odd choice for a Christmas movie. Who would want to go see this on Christmas Day? Call me old fashioned, but when I think of Christmas movies, I still think of things like Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life.

Dalmatian of the Day

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