Day 3321

I got a bill from my web hosting company today. I've been a good customer. So why was my bill 30% higher than it was three years ago? This happens again and again. Companies continue to screw their best customers while simultaneously offering special deals to attract new customers. It doesn't make sense. The storage warehouse, the phone company, the cable company, and even my gym tend to raise prices annually for existing customers while at the same time offering special promotional prices to new customers. This is backwards. I've always thought the most loyal customers should get the best rates.

I play by the rules. I always pay my bills on time. I watch my weight. I monitor my blood pressure and cholesterol levels and do what it takes to stay within acceptable guidelines. I even make my bed every morning. Maybe this is why it seems normal to me that the Chinese government wants to surveil and classify every one of it's billions of citizens. Wouldn't you want to know who the good people are so you could reward them? Our country tends to do the opposite. We romanticize bad behavior, making heroes out of everyone from Bonnie and Clyde to Walter White. Hey, what could be more American than a high school chemistry teacher who turns himself into a drug kingpin.

When I go to the gym, I'm pretty sure that the other customers play by the rules, just like me. I see the same people over and over again. They are so dutiful, striding purposefully on their treadmills and stairmasters. I don't know who any of these people are, but we definitely need more of them. I'll take someone on a treadmill any day over someone riding around on a motorized shopping cart stocking up on Cheetos.

Dash got me up early enough this morning to see Venus and Jupiter close together in the predawn sky. Dash has been so good recently that I'd almost forgotten that every night is a potential disaster. He woke up as he was pooping in bed this morning and tried to get off the bed. This was a mistake. Since he wasn't fully awake, he stumbled and fell in the poop. Instead of an easily contained mess on a puppy pad, there was poop everywhere. I had to go outside and hose off the soiled bedding before it could go in the washing machine. While I was doing this, Janet was cleaning Dash. By the time we got everything cleaned up, it wasn't worth going back to bed again. So much for sleeping in late on Sunday morning.

I was going to clean the house today, but it took too much time to clean and dry all the laundry. Vacuuming can wait. Hey, Dash got two walks and all the poop is gone. That should be enough for one day. I still can't tell if the new My Pillow I got is helping me sleep because Dash keeps waking me up all the time. I don't think those happy people in the My Pillow commercials spend all their time cleaning up dog poop.

The weekend went quickly. It always does. Now it's back to five more days of fruit smoothies. At least the park will be empty again. It was super crowded today because the weather was so nice. Lots of people ask about Dash's red boots when the park is busy. I usually just tell them that Dash is old. I've learned that very few people are interested in a long winded explanation involving neurological disorders, heart problems, Plavix, and bleeding risks.

Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3076

Maybe it's just the nice weather, but we are encountering an increasing number of aggressive dogs in the park. These dogs are on a leash, but just barely. I still don't understand why people insist on walking their dogs in a public place when they can't control them. The woman we encountered today kept apologizing for her dog's bad behavior but couldn't seem to stop it. We watched as several other dogs narrowly avoided disaster and kept far, far away.

It's hard to blame the dog for bad behavior. Usually the owner has made no effort to properly socialize and train their pet. A well socialized puppy seldom becomes a bad dog. I've learned to keep my distance when I see a dog on one of those long flexi-leashes that won't come when it's called. When another dog approaches, the owner struggles to retract the leash like they are reeling in a fish. Jeez. A sturdy leather leash and a little training goes a long way. We safely completed another walk, but it would be nice if we could relax and enjoy the outdoors without constantly looking ahead for danger.

I may need to find a new time to go to the gym. For the second week in a row, I haven't been able to use the basketball court because a game was in progress. These impromptu pick-up games come and go, but I'm never very good at predicting when the court will be in use. I'm always a little disappointed when I can't shoot baskets. It seems like a small reward for the twenty minutes I spend on the hand bicycle.

I needed to buy a new nozzle for the garden hose in the back yard today. I've bought a new nozzle every year for the past three years. Why don't these things last? I'd much rather spend $25 for a sturdy nozzle that would last a lifetime than pay $7 for a new nozzle every year. Sprinklers are even worse. Most oscillating sprinklers won't even make it through a single season.

Although I'm willing to pay more for garden equipment, I'd like to pay less for socks. Why are socks so expensive? Maybe I'm hard on socks, but I'm always needing to replace them. It doesn't take me long at all to get a hole in the heel. I went looking for socks on my way home from the gym today and a lot of them were over $20 a pair. That's ridiculous for something that won't last six months.

Dash had a good day. He's seemed a little more sure footed on his walks lately. I can tell by the sound his protective boots make on the pavement that he's not dragging his feet so much. This could all change tomorrow, but I'm always happy when Dash has a good day. I'm still confused about his changing eating habits. Dash prefers to eat later in the day now. There's no more barking for breakfast right after he wakes up. Lately, he's been sleeping through the night too. I need to stay flexible, which isn't always easy. I'm not a very flexible person.

I watched the last episode of Detectorists last night. Now what? There just aren't many shows that I like. Maybe I should start reading again. My standards are pretty high. I'm looking for books like The Milagro Beanfield War, A Confederacy of Dunces, Geek Love, Danial Martin, Sometimes a Great Notion, and The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Truthfully, I don't think they make authors like Ken Kesey, Tom Wolfe, and John Fowles anymore.

Libby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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