Day 2148

Dot's cancer continues to be in remission. The ultrasound scan we did today showed no growth in the tumor whatsoever. The oncologist was pleased and said that since this was a slow growing cancer anyway, Dot had a good chance of leading a normal life. It is questionable how normal Dot's life actually is at this point, but at least we can concentrate on her neurological issues instead of trying to fight the cancer at the same time. We will continue doing the Ultrasound scans at two month intervals just to be on the safe side, but cancer isn't nearly as high on my worry list anymore.

During Dot's exam, I asked the oncologist about Dash's recent eating problems.  She listened to me describe his symptoms and asked me whether we had any acorns in our yard. Yup. There are thousands of acorns on the ground right now. Evidently acorns can be toxic to dogs and cause nausea and digestive problems if ingested. Dash doesn't have a specific taste for acorns, but he could easily have eaten a few while he was trying to eat bugs, nasty things the feral cats left behind, and other crap in the yard. I never realized that acorns could be a problem, but I shouldn't have been surprised. Just about anything can end up being a problem for Dash.

Today was busy. In addition to taking Dot to the cancer center, there was a growing list of writing and website assignments I needed to deal with. As soon as Janet left for work, I turned up the heat in an attempt to eliminate the dampness we'd been experiencing. I'm not sure my plan worked. The house warmed up quickly, but it still felt humid. Dampness has been a problems for a long, long time in this house. I think it was one of the reasons I got the storage warehouse in the first place. When we first moved here, I stored some of my guitars in a ceiling level storage closet in my office. A year later I discovered that dampness had ruined the finish on two of the guitars. I digress though. In spite of all my fiddling with the temperature and humidity this morning, I still managed to finish several new articles and send them off to their destination. I'll tackle the new website project later in the week.

Dot was a little shaky today. I had to support her rear legs while she was eating to prevent them from slowly sinking to the ground. She also stumbled a bit during her morning walk. On the other hand, Dot seemed active and energetic during her exam with the oncologist. The oncologist was impressed. That's the way it is with Dot. There are good days and bad days and very little is predictable. We are thankful for the good days and do our best on the bad ones.

Tomorrow, we deal with the plumber. Neither of the dogs like repairmen in the house and Dot poops whenever she barks these days. It should be an interesting day. I seriously doubt that the water heater will be replaced tomorrow, but hopefully the plumber will be able to diagnose the problem. I could keep a plumber busy for a long time if we addressed all the water related issues in the house. Some aren't serious though and can probably wait. If the dogs are cooperative, I ought to get the plumber to fix all the faucets while he's here. One of the toilets needs a new flushing mechanism too. French Porcher toilets are impossible to find parts for. You just can't go to Home Depot to fix these things and many plumbers are unfamiliar with the oddly designed French components. We'll see how the day goes. I'll be happy if the plumber can just stop the hot water from flowing through the pipes when it isn't supposed to.

I'm optimistic at this point. I could just as easily be pessimistic. It probably wouldn't make much of a difference.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2146 - Halloween

When I was walking Dash this evening, I noticed that some of the neighbors were turning a nearby tennis court into a Halloween party. There were spooky Halloween decorations and tables had been set up with baskets filled with candy. This seemed like an odd way to trick or treat, but I guess it made sense. There aren't many children in the neighborhood and since parents only seem to take their kids to houses with other children of the same age, having a central trick or treat location probably saved these people a lot of driving across town. Dash seemed curious about what was going on, so I took him down to the tennis court to investigate. Right after we arrived, someone decided to test the sound system by playing spooky witch noises. The cackling witch scared Dash and he immediately lost interest in the party preparations and headed toward home. Poor Dash. He is scared of just about everything.

It was a dreary day, but after 24 hours of solid rain, damp and overcast was just fine. We didn't have the flooding problems that plagued Austin and Houston this week, but we certainly got a lot of rain. Basically, we received our entire Summer's quota of rain in two days. Once I determined that things were drying out, I went up on the roof and cleared away the standing water. Every time I do this I find thousands of new acorns on the roof. I sweep them over the edge and more appear the next day. This bumper crop of acorns probably means that there will literally be hundreds of little Oak seedlings sprouting in the St. Augustine grass next Spring.

The FedEx driver did make an appearance this morning to deliver my package. I was glad to have that issue resolved. I could have asked the driver why he blew me off yesterday, but what would that prove? Yesterday is in the past and I have my package now. It made more sense to just sign for the package, thank the driver for coming out on a Saturday, and move on. The package wasn't damaged either, so that was a bonus.

Tonight's episode of Dr. Who seemed more like an episode of the X-Files. The whole show seemed to be some sort of an allegory about immigration, terrorism, and other contemporary events. A lot of fans seem to think Season 9 is great. Personally, I prefer the Christopher Eccleston/Billy Piper era. I got bored with the show at some point and switched over to Saturday Night Live, watching Barack Obama introduce the opening sketch wearing a Barack Obama mask. Strange times. I couldn't decide if it was weirder to see Dr. Who making a thinly veiled statement about radicalization and terrorism, or see the President of the United States wearing a Halloween mask of himself.

Janet wanted to dress the dogs up for Halloween when we took them on their evening walk. The complex harnesses they both wear now don't lend themselves to costumes though. We found an old tutu that Dot used to wear and just put it around her head like a necklace. It's just as well. If she wore the costume properly, she would have peed on it or worse. Dot has worn many memorable costumes over the years, but she probably never liked any of them. Halloween and Daylight Saving Time don't make much sense to a dog. When the time changes tomorrow, we're going to think it's 6 AM, but Dot and Dash are going to think it's 7 AM and time for a walk. So much for sleeping in.

Roxie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day