Day 4986

Another busy day. We got up a little later this morning and the park was already filled with people when we took Dawn on her early walk. I think everyone is starting to realize that just before sunrise is the only time even worth thinking about going outside. We passed a lot of people walking their dogs this morning. It's way too hot for dog walks later in the day. The park department has even started putting up signs warning people of the dangers of walking your dog on hot pavement.

After breakfast I did my grocery shopping. My list was longer today and I had to go to several stores. It didn't take long to get oppressively hot. By mid-morning the temperature was already over 100 degrees. The traffic is terrible on weekends now. Where did all these people come from? Once again I ended up very close to my gym, but came home first because I had groceries in the car. My strawberries wouldn't last very long if I left them out in the hot sun for several hours. 

I went back to the gym after I put the groceries away. Usually the gym is virtually empty on Saturday, but there were lots of people today. Some people probably come here just because it's so cold inside. I completed my usual routine and came home again. I really ought to stay a little longer and use some of the many resources this gym provides. Somehow after an hour or so I'm almost always ready to come home. I like getting my steps every day, but don't really get that much pleasure from going to the gym. 

On the way home from the gym I stopped at Sprinkles and got cupcakes for Janet's birthday. I was going to get a special cake at Central Market but the decorated cakes were horrendously expensive. I probably should have got the cake. Sprinkles raised their prices again and I could have gotten a nice cake for the price of several cupcakes.

Janet wanted Chinese food so we went to a nice Chinese restaurant for her birthday. The food was terrific, but something seemed to be wrong with their air conditioning system. The place was too hot. I think everyone is struggling with this heat. Our house feels warmer and even the gym can't keep things as cool as they used to. The electric company probably loves this. When we return from our early walks, all we hear is the hum of everyone's air conditioner compressors. 

We sent our vet some videos of Dawn coughing, but he didn't seems to think it was serious. I beg to differ. This coughing doesn't seem normal at all. It sounds like she's choking on something. The vet doesn't think Dawn has kennel cough, but thinks she's doing something he calls reverse sneezing instead. We'll watch her for a while. We still haven't rescheduled her dental cleaning though.

Dawn has the next birthday on the calendar. She's the youngster in the family. Janet and I don't feel that old, but we're both getting up there. Oh, well. At least we don't need to think about aging for another year. Tomorrow I'll go mall walking and we'll take Dawn on her Sunday outing. I can't wait for Fall to arrive. This heat wave is starting to get on my nerves.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4925 - My Birthday

I turned 75 today. Any way you measure it, that's getting old. I think I'm hanging in there though. We started the day early to avoid the heat. Dawn got a nice sunrise walk and then I had my regular breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit. Right after breakfast I mowed the grass. I did both the front and back yards and was finished before 9 AM. The temperature was already in the mid-eighties, but it was still overcast so I decided to take a short walk and get my steps before it got really hot.

I'm definitely slowing down and am not as fit as I used to be, but I felt good that I was still able to do this much on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year. My Mom had already passed away before she reached 75 and my Dad had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and a host of other ailments by his 75th birthday. I'm basically still reasonably healthy. I try to walk six miles every day and am staying active. Who knows how long I can continue this, but nothing is stopping me at this point. I still hope to be attending launches at Kennedy Space Center when I'm 85.

I'm glad we walked Dawn really early this morning because it was way too hot for her to be outside later in the day. It looks like this heat wave is going to continue for the rest of the week. Luckily our air conditioner is working well and I think the insulation we added to the roof is helping keep the house cooler. I'm glad we didn't have to deal with the power outages that plagued other parts of the community after last week's storms. This is not the time to be dealing with power outages.

It was a low key and largely uneventful birthday, but I felt good about it. I didn't do much during the afternoon. I took a shower and looked at my birthday messages on Facebook. I'm not a big fan of social media anymore, but I still think these birthday messages are a nice thing. Nobody sends cards anymore. I got one birthday card from my Luddite sister who has probably never even looked at Facebook. Later in the afternoon I tried to take a nap with Dawn but she wasn't in a celebratory mood. As soon as I went in the bedroom, Dawn went out in the kitchen.

Janet and I went out for dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant. We've been there for birthdays before and the food is always good. The prices were a bit higher and the portions were slightly smaller, but what else is new. All restaurants are doing this. At least the place was still in business. A lot of our favorite restaurants didn't survive the pandemic and are no longer here. Our waiter seemed disappointed that we weren't having dessert, but we had cake at home. We wanted to include Dawn in the birthday celebration.

After some cake and a glass of champagne, I did what I always do every evening. I wrote a blog post. Since I will have reached my 5000 Day goal before my next birthday, this might be my last birthday post. We'll see what happens.

Inky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4621

Today is Janet's birthday. We dressed up a little, went to a nice restaurant, and had a great dinner. We were both born on the 19th, but two months apart. Neither of us is getting any younger, but we seem to be doing well. Janet is still doing a better job of staying in shape than I am. The birthdays come too fast now. It doesn't seem like a year has passed since our last birthday celebration. Hopefully, there will be many more.

The weather is still a little cooler. Dawn enjoyed her sunrise walk and it was still nice enough for me to take a long walk in the park later in the morning. I probably should have gone to the gym because it did seem pretty hot by the time I returned home. I managed to complete my full six mile route, but it's starting to seem a little harder that it did a year ago. I'm determined to keep moving though. I think I would deteriorate pretty rapidly if I stopped moving.

I had trouble posting the blog to Facebook last night. I finally discovered a work around, but it did make me wonder why I still post something every day. I really don't have that much to say. Computer problems are becoming more common now. I keep getting messages that my browser is out of date and is no longer supported. The computer is old and can't run new systems. I don't feel like buying a new one though. As far as I'm concerned the computer worked fine ten years ago. Why do people insist on changing things? At any rate, I hope the blog posts normally tonight. I'm tired and want to get to bed at a reasonable hour.

There were more bills to pay today. Living on a fixed income in inflationary times is not something I'd recommend. When I was working I could just work a little longer and make more money when prices started to rise. Now I have to pay more attention to budgeting. I don't buy as many things I don't need now. Maybe if I did this when I was younger, I wouldn't even need the storage warehouse.

I think there might be a Space X Starlink launch while I'm down in Florida. It would be nice if I could see two launches in a single trip. I'm not sure about the date though. Some places say the Space X launch will take place two days before the Artemis launch. Other places say the day before and one website says that the launch has been postponed until some time in September. Probably the most accurate website just said "launch date subject to change."

I think Dawn finally accepts me as a family member. We're getting along pretty well now. We certainly share some of the same interests. We both like to eat and we like to nap. I don't think that Dawn will ever be completely comfortable with men, but this is close enough for me. She is a good dog.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4560 - My Birthday

Another trip around the sun. I'm 74 now. I'm definitely feeling a little worse for wear.  I'm still hanging in there though. I walked my full six mile route this morning. We'll see if I can keep this going for another year. I'm already doing better than my parents were. My Mom was dead before she turned 74 and my Dad had already been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease.

We went out for dinner at my favorite restaurant this evening. We hadn't been since before Covid and things had changed a bit. The place was seriously understaffed and everyone seemed a bit stressed. The food was still good though. My favorite dish wasn't even on menu anymore. That was a little disappointing. I was surprised because it was still on the online menu, it just wasn't on the actual menu that the waiter brought us. Oh, well. I found something else I liked and we had a very nice dinner. 

I wouldn't want to be in the restaurant business right now. Everyone is still trying to recover from the Covid shutdowns, the cost of ingredients has gone up, and fewer people are dining out because of out of control inflation. We arrived a little early tonight, but they wouldn't seat us until our scheduled time even though the restaurant seemed half empty. I'm sure it was company policy. I bet they thought if they could shuttle everyone to the bar for a while before they were seated, they would sell a little more. I can't really blame them. It was clear that this place was just trying to keep their doors open.

We always have Sprinkles cupcakes and a little champagne to celebrate birthdays. Dawn gets a pupcake as well. I forget how long we've been doing this, but it's been quite a while. I enjoy the celebration, but I don't look forward to birthdays anymore. I'm clearly on a downhill glide path. I'm doing the best I can to stay healthy, but you never know. People my age are dropping like flies. I know a few people who are still active in their 90's though, so maybe I'll get lucky.

I get fewer Facebook birthday greetings every year. The difference isn't dramatic, but it is consistent. I think the smaller numbers correspond pretty well to the number of friends who have died during the year. I should do a better job of keeping up with my remaining friends, but I probably won't. I'm a solitary person and if I could just get my dog to like me I'd be a happy camper.

I was a little surprised that I got 20,000 steps today. I guess I was busier than I thought. Dawn still got her Sunday outing, even though she only took a very short walk because of the heat. She did get a nice sunrise walk earlier in the day though. These early morning walks are the only times when it's still pleasant to be outside. We didn't spend a lot of time outside on Dawn's outing, but we did still go and get ice cream. Dawn even got an extra treat today when they gave her a free doggie cone.

All in all it was a good day. I tire easily and my feet hurt, but I'm still in pretty good shape. I think I've still got a few good years left. I hope I've managed to see a few more rocket launches and made at least one more trip to the observatory before I turn 75. There are no big plans anymore. Little day to day plans are all I need. I think we'll go visit the rescue Dalmatians tomorrow. I'm a year older now but it's time to get back to our regular schedule.

Jade is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4194

I'm getting used to the new schedule. Dawn likes the early morning walks. Maybe she's always been an earlybird. I wouldn't know, because I'm definitely not. I'd sleep till noon if I could, but it's definitely worth the effort to get out of bed if it helps us avoid the heat. Dawn walks briskly before sunrise and then waits patiently for me to make the bed when we return home. She used to just hop on the unmade bed and refuse to leave. We're making progress.

I went back to the gym after breakfast. I think I prefer my long walks, but that really isn't an option until it cools down a bit. I try to add a few extra repetitions to my routine every day. I'm not getting as many steps as I used to, but I'm still burning the same amount of calories. I've still got a lot of work to do, but hopefully I'll be back to where I was a year ago in a reasonable amount of time. I'm surprised at how much stopping going to the gym for a year has affected my overall strength. Snooze, you lose I guess.

Janet and I went out to dinner to celebrate my birthday this evening. My birthday isn't until tomorrow, but it worked out better to go out to eat tonight. I was surprised to see that my favorite item wasn't on the menu anymore. I asked the waiter what had happened and she gave some sort of a Covid related excuse. This made no sense at all, but luckily everything on the menu is delicious. I ordered something else. We had a nice relaxing meal and pretty soon I will be one year older. The restaurant was full and everyone was acting normally. It was almost as if Covid never happened. The disease may still be an issue in some parts of the country, but it basically seems to be over in Dallas.

The replacement for my damaged iPhone case arrived today. It's been so long since I ordered this thing that I'd almost forgotten about it. I think the package came directly from China. That's the only way I can explain the excessive amount I paid for postage. I'm still using the damaged case. I don't think it's waterproof anymore, but I seldom get near water anyway.

I noticed that Dawn was limping when I took her outside after breakfast. I tried to look at her paw, but she wouldn't let me get close to it. It's a shame that Dawn is still frightened of me. Janet examined the paw when she returned home and found nothing wrong. Dawn isn't limping anymore, so I suspect that she got an acorn stuck between her paw pads. This happened frequently with Dot & Dash. If you have large Oak trees, your yard is usually filled with acorns.

I'm not wild about doing yard work on my birthday, but I've still got to cut down the remaining dead Photinia trees before the bulky trash trucks arrive to haul everything away. It's about time to mow the grass again as well. I have a feeling that I'll just wait until Sunday to tackle these chores. I seldom have a good excuse to avoid work, so I might as well take advantage of it. 

Rugby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3891 - Janet's Birthday

Janet is two months younger than me. Neither of us can believe that the world considers us senior citizens now. It doesn't seem possible that the years have gone by so quickly. We went back to our favorite restaurant for dinner. It was the same place we went to dinner for my birthday two months ago. The place still seemed safe and the food was still delicious. I don't know how the restaurant can make money now with so few tables though. I hope the restaurant is still around when our birthday's roll around next year.

A lot of places we like just haven't been able to make it. The pandemic hasn't been kind to bars and restaurants. We wondered what we were going to do for Thanksgiving this year. For at least five years we've been going to a hotel that has an amazing Thanksgiving buffet. Buffets were one of the first casualties of the pandemic unfortunately. Nobody wants you serving your own food anymore. That was the very first thing they eliminated at the Astronomer's Lodge last March.

We keep hoping for normalcy to return, but the opposite seems to be happening. All the weirdness is just starting to seem normal. When we were walking this morning we saw an older lady and her dog that we haven't seen for quite a while. Evidently she lives in a nearby senior center and she told us that they had all been quarantined for several weeks. Today was the first day the residents could go outside again. Probably someone had gotten sick in the building. All this is going on right around us and yet on the surface everything still seems pretty normal.

I heard today that McDonald Observatory is going to start opening up again at the end of the month. They are not inviting visitors indoors yet, but they are going to have their first star party a few weeks from now. You have to make reservations well ahead of time and they will be operating at 25% of normal capacity. I doubt that the place will need any volunteers for quite a while with so few people visiting. I'm a little surprised that the observatory is opening up at all since the place is very remote and none of the staff can afford to get sick. I hope it all works out well for them. I'm still looking forward to returning to the Davis Mountains sometime in the foreseeable future.

Truthfully, I'm looking forward to doing anything in the foreseeable future. In the beginning I thought the pandemic wouldn't affect me at all since I'm a bit of a loner. You realize quickly though that everything is connected to everything else and when one thing starts to crumble, it doesn't take long for other things to fall. So many things I used to take for granted just aren't working properly anymore.

When we started on our walk this morning the temperature was in the low seventies. Dawn loved it. She had a spring in her step and we were able to complete our full five miles. It warmed up quickly later in the day, but for a while early this morning it was easy to imagine that it was already Fall. Fall is going to seem a little weird without the State Fair of Texas or the Dalmatian Rescue Golf Tournament. I'm still looking forward to the cooler weather though.

We got a late start this morning but we're going to try to do better tomorrow. I really enjoy these pre-dawn walks. I'm not so sure about the rest of the day though. Basically, the pandemic still sucks.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3830 - My Birthday

Another trip around the sun. I guess I'm doing pretty well for 72. My Dad already had Parkinson's and Macular Degeneration at this age and my Mom didn't even make it this far. Janet and I do our best to stay healthy, but when you are over seventy, every extra year is a gift. I figure that I've got a good ten years left before I start to fall apart, but you never know. Not all of us are destined to be Betty White.

We went out for a birthday dinner at our favorite restaurant this evening. With all the controversy about whether Texas has reopened too soon, I didn't know what to expect. We were both pleasantly surprised and felt completely safe. The tables were spaced far apart, the staff all wore masks, and everyone was super nice. Our waiter even recognized me and said that it was nice to see us again. I always enjoy dining at Knife and was glad we didn't decide to stay home.

The restaurant wasn't crowded. Everyone was responsible. You could tell that the entire staff was trying hard to make this work. Too bad everyone doesn't seem to be able to reopen this way. It's crazy out there. Some stores are still completely closed. Others have you order online and then they bring your merchandise out to your car. A few stores are just pretending like none of this ever happened. I find this inconsistency confusing. Clearly we can't keep the entire country quarantined forever, but it is equally obvious that the virus isn't going away. Texas is having a big spike in new cases at the same time the state is trying to reopen.

Everyone was really pretty good about staying quarantined for several months, but it feels like everyone has had enough. "We did our part," you can almost hear people saying. Now they expect the virus to go away. I'm going to continue to stay away from people. I've never liked crowds anyway. I think that as long as you avoid public transportation, bars, sporting events, concerts, weddings, church services, and other situations where people are crowded together you are probably OK. I might even go ahead and get a haircut. When Janet went to the salon last week, she said that everyone was so careful and that they only let a few customers in at a time.

When we came home from the restaurant the skies were clear and now we are under a severe weather warning. Texas weather is always full of surprises. I hope we don't lose power. The wind is blowing pretty hard outside. It is always a pain when we lose power right in the middle of a blog post. I've got to get all the emergency power devices working and then start over again using the laptop.  Hopefully that won't happen. I don't have that much more to say anyway.

Thanks for all the birthday greetings. Checking to see who sent you a birthday message on Facebook has become a ritual part of almost everyone's birthday these days. Did Facebook always send out birthday notices? I can't even remember when this started. Nobody sends birthday cards anymore except my sister who refuses to use the Internet. I wonder if people have started having birthday parties again? During the lockdown, people in our neighborhood would put up birthday signs in their front yards and drivers would honk when they drove by.

It is a little weird to be 72. Most of my NASA and astronomy friends are half my age. I don't feel old at all. Hopefully I'll feel as healthy when I turn 73 as I do now. I'm not doing anything special, but I can tell you for a fact that lots of exercise and a healthy diet work wonders.

Inky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3525

This was the first day I haven't walked in quite a while. There just wasn't time. I had quite a few things I needed to do before we headed up to the Dalmatian Rescue kennels, so I decided to skip my morning walk. By the time I ran a few errands and went to the post office it was time to go. I can't say that I missed walking today. It was way too hot to be outside for any length of time.

The dogs were all doing well. Since there aren't a lot of dogs in the program at the moment, we were able to spend quite a bit of time with each one. Dalmatians love attention. I think they were all glad to see us. It's fun to see their personalities develop as they become more relaxed. Rolly still needs to finish his heartworm treatment before he can go to his forever home, but other than that, these dogs are ready. I hope that they all find great homes.

As we were driving back from the kennel it became apparent that school was back in session. Traffic seemed to double overnight and there were school zones everywhere. When school is out, mid-afternoon is often the best time to avoid bad traffic. The lunch crowd is back at work and rush hour hasn't started yet. Those days are over. This afternoon it seemed like the entire city was starting to queue up to pick up their kids from school.

Janet likes watches and loves going to the gym, so I thought she might be able to use my old Apple Watch while she was working out. I figured out how to restore the watch to its factory settings and gave it to her. She reminded me that she had given me the watch in the first place, but I think she was still glad to have it. The Apple Watch workout app is much better than Fitbit. At least the watch will get used. I don't need to wear two of these things.

Janet and I both try to eat healthy, but we love a good burger. In recent years we've been exploring new burger places on our birthdays. This evening we went to a place that has gotten great reviews for several years but that neither of us had ever tried. It was surprisingly close to home, but we don't go out much anymore. Eating healthy is almost impossible if you spend too much time in restaurants. It's OK to indulge every once in a while though. We got lucky tonight. The reviews were accurate and the burgers were delicious. I'm very full. I don't think I'll be eating much tomorrow.

We're both 71 now. All things considered, we're doing pretty well. Two years ago at this time, Janet was getting ready for a second round of cancer surgery. Five years ago, I was being treated for Hepatitis C. We're both healthy now and reasonably happy. I hope this continues. The older you get, the more you realize that having your health is a blessing. All the things you worried about when you were young just don't seem that important.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3464 - My Birthday

Another trip around the sun has been completed. Last year at this time I felt old. This year I feel like each additional year is a bonus. Janet and I are reasonably healthy. I don't have much of a bucket list or any grand plans, but there is nothing stopping me from pursuing anything that capture my fancy. I have no idea what the future holds for me, but at this age it's good to still be among the living.

Birthday's are pretty subdued when you're 71. I had my smoothie, took my morning walk and picked up a prescription at the pharmacy. It was very hot today, so one walk was plenty. Janet and I went out for a birthday dinner tonight. I love barbecue, so we tried out a new smokehouse in the neighborhood.  I had burnt ends, fried okra, and cilantro coleslaw. It was delicious.

We always have Sprinkles cupcakes on birthdays, but it was weird not having any special doggie cupcakes for the dogs. For years and years we always got doggie cupcakes for Dot and Dash. They were always more excited about our little birthday celebrations than we were. It was pretty quiet this year. Even the dog's bowls are gone; carefully stored away in my storage warehouse.

I'm still waiting to see it the static fire test of the Falcon Heavy rocket takes place tonight. This is a key step along the way to a successful launch. There were thunderstorms and lightning warnings at the space center earlier today. Hopefully things will clear up so the test can take place. I'm really glad I decided not to drive to Florida. We would have been leaving tomorrow with no idea whether the launch would actually take place. As things stand now, I don't have to make a decision about my travel plans until late Friday night. Lets hope the weather clears up.

I think it's raining everywhere. There are thunderstorms this evening at Kennedy Space Center. It's raining where my sister lives. And North Texas has severe weather warnings for the third night in a row. Thunder and lightning woke me up again last night. It was probably a good thing because while I was awake I remembered I had forgotten to take my evening meds. If you wonder what it's like to be 71, all I can say is that you'll probably become more forgetful. We got a lot of rain last night, but at least we didn't lose power again.

Hopefully, it will be quiet tonight. I'm getting behind on sleep again. There's something about severe weather that makes sleep difficult. I'm always worried about roof leaks and power outages. I'd much rather be having mildly pleasant dreams about being lost somewhere. Maybe the launch date will be finalized tomorrow. I'd like to cross this uncertainty off my perpetual worry list.

Inky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3463

We spent the afternoon with the rescue Dalmatians again. All the dogs love to have visitors. There were fewer dogs this week because Xander, Chloe, and Little Penny all found their forever homes recently. We're hoping that the remaining dogs will find homes soon as well. Each of them has their own unique personality, but they all would make a wonderful companion. We always spend some time trying to teach them basic commands like sit and stay, but mostly we just feed them treats, pet them, and throw the ball. These dogs love to chase a ball.

It's really starting to get hot outside. I may have to start walking on the indoor track at the gym soon. When I  took my regular morning and evening walks today, I was drenched in sweat by the time I returned home. I guess I could always start walking before sunrise like I used to do with the dogs, but I'm enjoying getting enough sleep. It's a new experience getting to sleep as long as I want. I don't think I'm going to get tired of this any time soon.

I'm glad I abandoned my plan to drive to Florida. Based on current forecasts, I would have been driving most of the way in heavy rain. There is so much rain in the long range forecast that I keep waiting for NASA to postpone the launch. We should find out more this week when they finish the static fire test of the rocket. If that goes OK, they only thing that can delay the launch is bad weather. I guess I'm ready when they are. All my travel plans are flexible now and can be changed with little notice.

I hope my sister isn't disappointed that I won't be visiting after all. I wrote her a 'change of plans' letter two days after the letter where I said I'd be passing through her town on my way home from the space center. I wish I was more decisive about these type of things. If I knew I wasn't going to drive, I could have saved some of the money I spent getting the car ready for the trip. I don't really think I needed new tires to go to the post office.

Janet asked where I wanted to go to dinner on my birthday and my immediate response was "Where do you want to go?" "It's your birthday," she said. Jeez. I have no favorite restaurant anymore. I looked up a few place I'd heard about recently and was totally confused by the reviews. People seem to either love a place or hate it these days. I kept seeing one star reviews followed by five star reviews. It was hard to believe that people were even talking about the same place.

The dog in the picture above is Jenga. He's deaf, but you'd never know it. This well adjusted, happy boy was a pleasure to visit with today. Actually, all the dogs were a pleasure to visit with. We'll be back soon.

Rugby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3160 - Janet's Birthday

It's hard to believe that we're both 70 now. Where has the time gone? Birthdays are pretty subdued these days. At this point, we're just glad to be alive. Janet and I went out for dinner at Knife and had a small celebration with cupcakes when we got home. For the most part, it was just a normal Sunday. Janet cleaned the floors. I changed the sheets on the bed. And we both made sure that Dash took all his pills.

When I went to the gym this morning, the place was flooded. The scene was reminiscent of the time when a pipe burst under the slab at our house. A restoration crew was vacuuming up the water and placing large dehumidifiers everywhere. Water can sure do a lot of damage. It looked like water had gotten under the wood floor of the basketball court, because they were already starting to rip up the floor. All this water made me remember that I forgot to turn off the pump on the roof before I left for the gym. Damn. If the pump runs dry, it's real easy to burn out the motor.

By the time I returned home, I'd forgotten about the pump again. It was on for most of the day, or more likely until it burned out. Sadly, I've wrecked several pumps this way. The pump wasn't the only thing I forgot today. When I went to Sprinkles to pick up cupcakes, I forgot the gift certificate I always use. It never occurred to me to check and see if the certificate was actually in the envelope.

Dash got me up in the middle of the night again. His stools were a little firmer, but still pretty soft. A lot of people have suggested that we add pumpkin to his diet. We'll give it a try again, but the last time we fed Dash pumpkin, it actually made his poop softer. We've tried pumpkin bread too in the past, but it was so tasty that I ate most of it myself. I don't think Dash's problem is simply an upset stomach. The most obvious thing is that we have to keep changing his diet too often just to keep him eating at all. In the best of circumstances, a dog should always eat a very consistent diet. These aren't the best of circumstances unfortunately. The vets think that Dash's vestibular disease is probably contributing to his loss of appetite. We might never know for sure, but we'll do whatever it takes to keep him eating.

I seem to be losing my appetite as well. Janet thinks that I'm not eating enough, but I think I just ate too much in the past. To me, it's natural that you would eat less if you weren't getting as much activity. I walked at least six miles a day for years and years when Dot and Dash were young. Not anymore. Luckily, there were no problems with my appetite this evening. Knife has a well deserved reputation as one of the best steakhouses in Dallas and Janet and I both really enjoyed our dinner.

Now that all the birthdays are in the rear view mirror, it seems like we're racing toward Christmas. Time moves far too quickly now. Even though I don't have that much to do, I can never seem to get caught up. Maybe catching up doesn't even matter. I think the point now for Dash, Janet and I is just to keep moving.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3099 - My Birthday

How did this happen? I'm seventy years old. That seems impossible. Just yesterday people were still calling me a forty-something. Where has the time gone? I shouldn't complain though. I'm still here. My Mom never reached this age and my Dad already knew he had Parkinson's Disease by the time he turned seventy. All things considered, I'm still pretty healthy and there is no reason not to enjoy my remaining years.

Birthday's are pretty low key these days. My insurance agent and dentist are the only people who send cards anymore. Lots of people send birthday greetings on Facebook though. I love the birthday feature on Facebook. Without it, I could never remember anyone's birthday.

Janet took me out for dinner tonight. We ate early, so there would still be time to walk Dash when we got home. Our meal was great. I never would have discovered this place even though it is located nearby. My knowledge of restaurants is limited to breakfast. Janet still works though and takes people to lunch. She knows where all the cool restaurants are.

She also knows what I like. My birthday gift was a trip to the Houston Space Center. This is perfect for an aging space nerd like me. When Janet retires (again) later this Summer and can stay with Dash, I'm going to enjoy visiting mission control, standing next to a Saturn V, and maybe even having lunch with an astronaut.

I wonder if the landscaper knew it was my birthday? Much to my surprise, he and his assistant came over today. They were very nice and said that they would have been here earlier if they hadn't been so busy. The replacement grass wasn't installed today, but they measured what was needed and said they'd be back on Friday. Sounds good to me.

Dash seemed very relieved when we returned from dinner tonight. We weren't gone that long, but he isn't used to being alone anymore. He knows he is a special needs dog and one of us is always around in case he stumbles or has a seizure. I thought that Dash would probably poop in the house while we were gone, but he waited until we returned to poop in the house. Poor guy. He doesn't enjoy having an accident. Incontinence goes hand in hand with aging though. In dog years, Dash is a lot older than I am.

I can't say that turning seventy is as much fun as turning 25 or 30, but it does have a silver lining. I am now permanently exempt from jury duty.

Inky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2733 - Father's Day

Every Father's Day I see all these pictures on Facebook of people with their Dad. I can't recall any pictures of me and my Dad together. Even when I spent a lot of time with him toward the end of his life, we never took a picture together. To be fair, I can't recall any pictures of me and my Mom together either. I don't know what this means, but our family certainly didn't spend a lot of time recording family events.

Maybe this odd tradition continues. Janet and I have taken an enormous number of pictures of our dogs in every conceivable situation, but we have very few pictures of each other. I wouldn't read too much into this. Animals are just more fun to photograph.

I moved the pressure washer to another part of the house this afternoon and continued my quest to clean the exterior. There seems to be a fine line between removing spider webs and removing paint. The exterior paint is old and if I try too hard to remove a stubborn web, I can easily strip the paint away too. I'm going to have to go to a hardware store and see if there is some kind of spray I can apply to keep the spiders from returning. It would be a shame to have invested this much time cleaning the place, only to have all the spiders return in a few weeks.

I wish good house painters weren't so expensive. I've gotten bids several times and have always been appalled at the cost of professionally repainting the house. I repainted the interior myself about eight years ago and I think this might have been the origin of my shoulder problems. Painting the ceilings with a roller was a bitch. About halfway through the job, I discovered a power roller that made the job quicker, but holding a paint filled roller at the end of a long pole was still tiring. Maybe painting the exterior will be easier since there are no ceilings. The exterior walls are mostly brick, so a few wooden walls shouldn't be a huge problem. Oops. I forgot that the long back porch has a ceiling. That's were all the spiders congregate. This area needs some kind of special spider proof paint.

Janet took me out for a birthday dinner tonight, since she'll have to work late tomorrow. Sometimes my birthday falls on Father's Day and even when it doesn't, the two days are always close together. Mom used to say that I was her Father's Day gift to Dad. I think Dad would have preferred a new fishing rod or some wood carving tools. It was enjoyable to go out to dinner for a change. We haven't been out together since Dot got sick and couldn't be left alone. We didn't forget Dash though. We ate early, so there would still be time for an evening walk before it got dark.

The older I get, the less I look forward to birthdays. I'll be 69 tomorrow. Despite what some people say, 69 is not the new 49. The aches and pains are real. I feel old. I look old. I am old. My Mom didn't even live this long, so I really should look at each additional year as a gift. It would be beneficial to develop a positive attitude. Youth is very forgiving to negative people, but it's silly to be negative when you're old. You just don't have that many years left. I don't want to waste the time I've been allotted. There might not be a bucket list, but there is still a lot of stuff I'd like to do.

Rugby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2442

Janet's birthday dinner was a few days late, but it was still very nice. We went to Knife, a new steakhouse in the neighborhood that has received national attention recently. The place was started by John Tesar, who was once a Top Chef contestant, and according to D Magazine, it is this year's Best Steakhouse in Texas. I prefer to think of the place as the hotel restaurant in the pet friendly hotel where we always stay when the power goes out or a water leak floods the house. We didn't have the nerve or the money to try the signature 240 day dry aged rib-eye, but our meal was very good.

It's a good thing I went to the gym today, because I definitely ate more than I usually do on a Sunday evening. I noticed this afternoon that my workout is remarkably consistent. I'm usually done after about 62 minutes and seem to burn roughly the same number of calories every week. The only thing that seems to vary is how long it takes me to sink five baskets from the free throw line. Sometimes I do this almost immediately and other times it seems to take forever.

I came closer to meeting my sleep goal last night than I have for a long time. We didn't get up until almost 8 AM, which is almost unheard of in this house. It certainly helped that Dot and Dash didn't wake us up like they usually do. Dot made it all the way through the night again without pooping in her bed and Dash didn't make a loud, noisy spectacle out of changing position during the night like he usually does. We need more days like this. Getting enough sleep really makes a difference.

The rain appears to be over for a while. It was somewhat surprising to see blue sky for a change. I'm amazed at how crowded the park has become on a nice day. When we first moved to the neighborhood, we practically had the place to ourselves. It's like a amusement park on weekends now. Dash likes to crisscross from one side of the paths to the other, depending on which side smells the best. I have to really watch out for cyclists now. They appear out of nowhere going very fast, and they never slow down. Bicycles are fine, but I'm not a big fan of cyclists. Why do they all act like the roads and trails were created expressly for them? Today, when I was driving home from the gym, I encountered three cyclists riding side-by-side so they took up the entire road. This made it almost impossible to pass them and traffic was backing up. Did these guys care? Not in the least.

I got another two month free trial offer from SiriusXM radio. I wonder why they sent me this offer, because I didn't bother to sign up when they sent me the same offer last year. I'll probably take advantage of the free offer again, just like I did before. Two months is plenty of time to discover that the service isn't actually worth paying for.

Next week is going to be busy. Dot has three vet appointments scheduled, each at a different vet. The first is her annual wellness exam, the second is her physical therapy session, and the third is a cancer re-check. I don't know how I screwed up and scheduled these so close together. In my defense, the appointments were all made at different times. It's not easy to transport Dot anymore, so one appointment a week is plenty. We'll make it work though. I certainly don't have anything better to do.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2441

In an ideal world, I'd get up early on Saturday and have all my shopping done before 11 AM. It just makes sense to get your chores done before everyone else in town starts doing the same thing. Unfortunately, it also makes sense to sleep in when you don't have to get up. We got off to a late start this morning. I should have checked the weather radar as soon as I got up. It looked like there would be plenty of time to walk around the block before it started to rain again, but I was wrong. We only walked about 300 yards before the skies opened up and the deluge began. Oh, well. Dot needed a bath anyway. We were all soaking wet before we were able to retrace our steps and return home again.

Oddly, this ten minute downpour was the major rain of the day. If we'd just waited until after breakfast to walk the dogs, we would have stayed dry. It didn't start to rain again until I was on my way to the grocery store. I probably could have avoided this as well, but I'm getting sloppy. It's getting way too hard to do everything at the best possible time. I was trying not to leave the house this morning until Dot had pooped, but she wasn't very cooperative. Eventually, I just gave up and decided I'd take my chances on coming home to a big mess.

I love the new Scan and Go app on my phone. It makes grocery shopping so much easier.  I can't wait until all stores give you the option of bypassing the checkout lanes. The app is perfect for grocery stores, but it would be useful for clothing stores as well. I hate it when sales people hover nearby, trying to be helpful. I know my own size and am perfectly capable of selecting a pair of pants myself. Groceries are a good start to this brave new world of automated shopping. Maybe someday, I'll never have to stand in a checkout line again.

I couldn't figure out why the pump on the roof wasn't working and then I remembered that the roofers disconnected everything a few weeks ago when they applied the patch material. I went up on the roof to reconnect the pump and was pleasantly surprised that all the new patches had survived the recent rains. The roof was under about three inches of water, but other than reconnecting the sump pump, I didn't make much of an effort to dry things out. Why bother. It's just going to rain again tomorrow.

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but Dot isn't having quite as many problems with incontinence lately. She still poops in the house, but the intervals are less frequent. For the past three nights she's slept all the way through the night without making a mess. It would be great if she was actually improving, but I'm not going to get my hopes up. Neurological problems are weird. Things don't progress in a linear fashion. There are good days and bad days, and just when you think you've got things figured out, something completely surprising will happen.

I hope the weather improves tomorrow. I made dinner reservations again and I'd hate to have to cancel two times in a row. I've given up on keeping the car clean. I'm going to the gym tomorrow morning rain or shine.

Blackjack is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2379 - My Birthday

Every once in a while, my birthday coincides with Father's Day. I remember my Mom used to tell my Dad that I was his Father's Day present. I'm convinced that sometimes he would have preferred a new fishing rod or even a case of beer to a somewhat rebellious son who never listened to his old man. Hey, what can I say. We don't always get to choose. I eventuality became a responsible and quasi-respectable adult, but I still think Dad would have preferred someone who wanted to follow in his footsteps.

I'm 68 this year. There are days when I feel 86. One reason that I'm often tired is that I haven't slowed down all that much. I haven't retired and still try my best to please the few clients I have left. My body has seen better days, but I still walk three to five miles a day. Today should have been a day of rest, but instead I found myself up on the roof clearing away standing water, working out at the gym, and vacuuming the house with the Dyson. It might have been my birthday, but it was also Sunday. This is just what I do on a Sunday.

The gym was virtually empty today. I guess the other members were doing Father's Day things. Janet asked if I wanted to go out for dinner, but I really didn't. We stayed home and she fixed a delicious meal. We had pork chops, corn on the cob, new potatoes, and of course a birthday cupcake for dessert. I vaguely remember more elaborate parties, but I don't miss them. Today was exactly as it should be.

I'm not always a fan of Facebook, but I do like their birthday reminder thing. It's nice to hear from people in my past who I thought had forgotten about me. I don't get out much anymore, but the birthday greetings create an illusion that I'm still connected to a much wider world. Most of my Facebook friends are former co-workers, people who own Dalmatians, watch collectors, and fellow bloggers. Thanks to all of you who took the time to say hello today.

Dot perked up a bit when she discovered that she and Dash were going to get some birthday celebration treats, but for the most part she seemed unusually tired today. She was slow and stumbled a bit on her morning walk, so we curtailed the evening walk entirely and let her rest. I really hate to see her decline. I can tell that she still has the desire to do things, but her body often lets her down. Maybe after some extra rest today, she'll be able to enjoy her walk tomorrow.

Tomorrow we start another year. I hope Dot makes it to my next birthday. I'd like to see my business pick up a bit, but I'm not going to spend much time marketing myself. I'm thinking about becoming a vegetarian, but I doubt that I have the will power. I just like bacon too much. There will be some exciting days and a lot of boredom. Whatever happens, I hope you guys will join me for the journey.

Inky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1341

Today was a bit different. Janet and I went out to eat at a nice restaurant and then went to a friend's birthday party. The dinner menu at Central 214 featured items like Kobe beef pot roast, bacon wrapped rainbow trout and dinosaur kale. The party afterwards was a little more elaborate than the Sprinkles cupcakes and dog biscuits we typically celebrate with as well. There were at least seventy-five guests, an open bar, tons of food, and a fabulous band called Spector's Gun Collection. The name must have been a reference to the Phil Spector murder trial, but the songs were pure British Invasion. When I closed my eyes I could have sworn I was listening to Eric Clapton or The Who.

I was a bit nervous leaving Dash alone for so long, but it was nice to get out for a change. I felt a bit out of place pulling up at the valet park stand behind a Porsche, a Lexus, and a Mercedes. Then I realized I was still driving the Range Rover loaner car, so I guess I fit right in. If my memory was better, I probably would have recognized more of the guests. I probably worked with a lot of these people twenty years ago, but other than the birthday boy and his wife, I couldn't remember who anyone was. It was still a fun party though, even though we mostly just stood around aimlessly, ate cake, and listened to the band. It's a shame I can't drink anymore. The liquor was flowing pretty freely at this party.

Although the day ended with birthday cake and loud music, it started pretty simple. I was up on the roof at 7 AM, sweeping off yesterday's rain water while Janet walked the dogs. The weather was nice and cool this morning, so the dogs got a nice long walk and I got a dry roof. After breakfast, we went up to the Dalmatian Rescue kennels and took pictures of Logan, our newest member of the rescue program. Rescues are doing well this Summer. The pair of dogs we photographed last week have already found a home.

Hopefully, after a week on phenobarbital, Dash will have stabilized a bit and be able to enjoy his trip to the dog park tomorrow. Last week was a disaster, but he's seemed completely normal all week. Here's hoping for the best, anyway. The dog park is usually Dash's favorite event of the week.  I'm cutting it pretty close tonight with all the festivities this evening. Looks like I'm going to make my deadline though. Still haven't missed a day.

Toby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day