Day 4581

This has got to be one of the hottest summers on record. I remember one summer like this, but I was a lot younger then. If this continues, I may just start saying that this summer is the worst ever and chalk the past up to memory loss. If I were smart, I would have just stayed inside today, but I'm hooked on getting my steps. Getting at least 10,000 steps every day and writing a blog post every evening are about the only goals I have left.

I got an early start on my long walk this morning, but it didn't help much. It was already too hot when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk. In this weather I soak my hat in cold water before I leave the house and it is already dry before I reach the halfway point. The wildflowers are almost all gone now and the grass in the meadows is turning yellow. I still see a few ducks, but most of the other animals are in hiding. I don't see as many joggers anymore, but there are still plenty of cyclists. Maybe it feels cooler when you are moving faster. Surprisingly, I was able to complete my entire route today. My pace was really slow, but that had more to do with foot pain than with the heat. 

Dawn did get her Sunday outing, but we were careful to make sure she didn't get overheated. We only spent a few minutes in our Sunday park and then went straight to the ice cream store. It wasn't surprising that the place was pretty busy today. Ice cream and hot weather were made for each other. Sometimes we bring home a pint of our favorite flavor. They said they were out of that today, so we picked something else. We had some of the ice cream for dessert tonight and were surprised to find the flavor that the store said they were out of. It was a small surprise, but a nice one.

I hope I can get my car worked on tomorrow. I don't drive much, but it is still a real inconvenience being without a car. I can't get to the gym for starters. If the car ends up being in the shop for a while, I'm going to have to continue these very hot walks in the park. I stay hydrated and don't think there is any danger in walking in the heat but it isn't very pleasant. It definitely helps to get an early start. I don't think it would be wise to walk in the afternoon. I'm still hoping that the problem with my car is minor. The check engine light came on in my old Defender whenever the gas cap went bad. The same thing happened back when Janet had a LR-2. There is even a sign inside of my gas filler door that says to turn gas cap until you hear a clicking sound or the engine light will come on. Replacing the gas cap is easy. Replacing a major engine component is something else entirely.

Janet tells me that there is a new Dalmatian up at the kennel now. We'll get to meet this new boy tomorrow. I think we are supposed to take him to the vet as well. I need to remember to take my camera. The new guy will need to go on the website soon. It been a while since we've visited the rescue Dalmatians. Last week was the July 4th holiday and the week before that Janet was on vacation. I always enjoy visiting the dogs. Playing with a dog is so much more enjoyable than dealing with people.

The in-door water supply in our refrigerator doesn't work anymore. When did that happen? It might have happened months ago, since I usually just drink bottled water. You can still get ice through the door, but no water. Oh, well. One more thing to fix. So many problems around our house involve water. The washing machine has been repaired several times. We just got a new dishwasher. I need to get a new toilet as well. These are all basically water problems. Our worst water problem was having a water line break under the concrete slab of our house. What a mess. Hopefully that will never happen again. 

Keller is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4580

Not a great day. The app that lets me bypass the checkout line at the grocery store didn't work this morning and there were no berries. All they had were grapes. These were minor annoyances though. When I got back in the car, the check engine light came on. This is not a light you want to see, so I curtailed the rest of my shopping and went back home. The last thing I wanted today was for my car to die in a grocery store parking lot when I knew the dealership closed at noon. 

When I called to make a service appointment, they said that the earliest they could get me a loaner car was the middle of August. What? I tried calling the other place that services Land Rover, but they weren't open on the weekend. I don't drive much so this isn't a serious inconvenience. I'm more worried about the cost. Engine problems can be expensive. Hopefully this is something minor. The car didn't overheat on the way home and the engine sounds normal. I will need to take the car in for service though. It's not a good idea to ignore the check engine light.

Since I couldn't make it to the gym today, I took my walk in the park on what was probably the hottest day of the year so far. The temperature got up to 109 degrees today. Not surprisingly, I wasn't able to complete my full route because it was so hot, but I was able to get at least 10,000 steps. It probably wasn't a good idea to walk outdoors on such a hot day, but I hated the idea of starting over on steps. The bad news is that I'll have to do the same thing again tomorrow. I'll try to get an earlier start though.

Our air conditioner is having a hard time keeping up with this heat. I set the thermostat at 76 degrees and then watched the temperature slowly climb to 80. We just have too much single pane glass in the house. These large windows aren't insulated like double pane glass and on a hot day you can feel the heat just standing next to them. After the sun set, the inside temperature started falling again, but the air conditioner has been running all day. I don't even want to think about what our electric bill is going to be next month.

I certainly didn't accomplish much this afternoon. I did a load of laundry and watered a few plants. This heat takes away my desire to do anything. I wanted to check the oil level in my car to make sure it wasn't low and discovered that there wasn't a traditional dipstick in the engine compartment. There's a setting on the dash where you can check the oil level there. Why am I just now discovering this? Probably because this car has never leaked oil and I get it changed routinely at service checks. I was always checking the oil on my Defender. It did leak.

I don't think we will be walking on Dawn's Sunday outing tomorrow. Dawn will get her sunrise walk, but it's just too hot during the middle of the day. We will get ice cream though. Dawn doesn't like the heat but she does love her trips to the ice cream store.

Greta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4099

What a weird day. We were getting ready to go visit the rescue Dalmatians when Janet discovered that she had a flat tire. Neither of us could remember how to change a tire, so we called AAA. A guy came out to the house and put on the strange little skinny tire that a lot of cars have nowdays so Janet could go to a garage and get the flat fixed. On the way to the garage, all the warning lights lit up on her dash and she had to have the car towed to the dealership. This all took a long time, so we didn't go visit the Dalmatians at all today.

It was a nice day, but I knew that Dawn wouldn't walk with me if Janet wasn't around. I left the back door open so she could go in and out and sun herself in the backyard when she felt like it. Unfortunately, what she really felt like doing was rolling in the dirt. When my back was turned, she managed to get absolutely filthy. She also came back inside and hopped on the bed. I had to get her cleaned up, but I knew it wasn't going to be an easy task. When Janet isn't around Dawn becomes very wary of me. I got some wet towels and gently began to clean her off. Not surprisingly, this frightened Dawn and she began to whine and cry. It's sad to see how easily Dawn can get herself in a panic. I managed to get Dawn reasonably clean, but I still have to wash the bedding. I don't know why Dawn is so fearful, but I don't think it is going to change. I'm learning to live with her weird ways.

I called Janet and asked if I could come pick her up, but she said that the dealership was going to look at her car soon and she was going to stay until it was finished. I didn't understand why all the warning lights came on at once, but apparently they just needed to be reset. I left Dawn to chill out in the bedroom and went on my long walk. It was a windy day, but very warm. I think the temperature got up to eighty degrees today.

I hope that we don't get any more freezing weather because the trees are definitely starting to bud. Every day I walk, the park looks a little more green. Our own trees are starting to bud as well, so I think that everything with the exception of a few shrubs survived the freeze. The yard could definitely use some sprucing up though. The house could use even more. I don't know if I have the energy to do anything substantial, but I'll give it a try. 

By the time Janet returned with her car it was almost dinnertime. We took Dawn on a short walk and called it a day. Dawn is starting to freeze on her short walks now. We got her going again and completed our short one mile loop, but it is frustrating to realize that we haven't really solved anything. Janet did manage to get Dawn clean again though. She doesn't seem to mind Janet cleaning her with wet rags. We should have just hosed her down, but that would have brought on a major panic attack. 

Very little was accomplished today, but there's always tomorrow. I need to make one more sweep of the yard and see if there is anything else that I can take to the curb for the bulky trash trucks. The trucks might actually come tomorrow. At least the washing machine is working well again. I'd better go wash the bedspread while I've got a chance.

Carmine is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3243

Winter is here. We woke up to near freezing temperatures this morning. We found our Winter coats and took Dash on his morning walk. When we returned, we discovered that our power had gone out. Why would the power go out on a completely clear day? I suspect that everyone woke up and turned on their furnace at the same time. Since nothing was working, we went out for breakfast. Restaurants in the neighborhood were out of power too. This was worse than I expected. We drove a little further and ate breakfast at my favorite restaurant in the hotel. Janet liked the place too.

Power was restored later in the morning, but that wasn't the end of today's mishaps. When I left to run my Saturday errands, the first thing I did was get gas. After I filled my tank, the car wouldn't start. It was completely dead and there were all kind of warning lights on the dash. I called AAA and they got me to the dealership, where I discovered that I not only had a dead battery, I also had a broken water pump. Damn. Another expensive repair. My service adviser got me a loaner car and said that he might be able to complete the repairs by the end of the day. Land Rover prices are ridiculous, but at least they have good service.

I continued my Saturday errands in the loaner car, hoping that I never have to buy a car where the engine automatically shuts off when you stop at a traffic light. This "feature" is included on almost every new car these days and it is terribly annoying. After a lifetime of worrying that my car is going to die in heavy traffic, the last thing I want is a car that does this on purpose.

I should have checked the weather last night. I forgot to bring the lawnmower battery inside, so last night's cold weather probably ruined it. I'll see if it still works the next time we get some warm weather. This may be tomorrow, or next Spring. You never know with Texas weather. I suspect that the cold weather might have had something to do with my car's bad battery as well. Why did the car start when I left the house with a cold engine, but refused to start after I got gas and the engine was warm? Why did the car work at all with a broken water pump? Some things will always remain a mystery. I suspect that any car can be on the verge of breaking down for quite a while before it actually does.

I found another pair of dog boots that seemed softer than the ones we've been using. Neither Janet or I could remember where these boots came from. Perhaps they were Dot's. Dash's paws didn't bleed today, so these boots are a winner. I don't think they'll last long though, since the rubber on the outside is thin and soft. Maybe I'll just have to buy new boots every few weeks. Repairing torn areas with Shoe Goo tends to make the boots harder and more abrasive on the inside. I guess I shouldn't worry about what the boots cost. They're cheap compared to his veterinary bills.

Amazingly, the dealership did finish my car today. Everything works great now. I hope I can rely on the car for the rest of the Winter now. After switching storage warehouses and hiring movers, I think I've had enough large expenses for the rest of the year. Dash pooped on the bed again last night. I've had enough of that as well. At least we're getting better at cleaning up the mess. In less than fifteen minutes, everything was clean, in the wash, and we all went back to sleep again.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3240

So I get in my car this morning to go to my doctor's appointment. I'm late as usual. I press the ignition button and immediately get a Low Coolant warning light on my dash. Do I ignore the warning and proceed to the doctor's office, or cancel my appointment and go looking for some antifreeze? This is how people wind up getting towed to the dealership. I decided to keep going and just make sure that the car didn't overheat. Everything turned out OK, but I hate situations like these.

As far as I can tell, my physical exam went OK. There were no surprises anyway. The phlebotomist was great today. I didn't feel a thing. It's still surprising that my new doctor and my old doctor seem so different. Each has their own priorities. Some tests that my old doctor routinely preformed are considered unnecessary by the new doctor. He's added some new tests that the old doctor never bothered with however. Who is right? I guess it's all a matter of who you trust. I'm screwed because I basically don't trust anybody.

After my appointment, I immediately drove to the Land Rover dealer to ask them about the coolest level. The warning light actually went out after the engine warmed up, so I didn't think the problem was serious. My service adviser topped up the reservoir with antifreeze and told me to give him a call if the warning light came on again. He said the sometimes an air bubble gets trapped in the cooling system and causes a false reading. He also said the coolant level actually was pretty low, so who knows what is going on. I'll keep an eye on things in case I have a leak. At any rate it was certainly easier to have the dealership take care of this for me than to go to Auto Zone and wonder which of twelve brands of antifreeze to buy.

I never ate breakfast at all today. By the time I returned home, it was way too late and I wasn't very hungry anyway. I'll return to my smoothie tomorrow. Dash did get a walk this morning, but he seemed kind of lost as soon as we got to the park. I had to return to the house and get Janet to walk with us so he'd have someone to follow. Lately, he's been very tentative about walking unless he has someone to follow. I think his vision has gotten much worse in the past several months.

Evidently, I need to worry about my own vision as well. My doctor made an appointment for me to see an ophthalmologist. He said it was important to see an eye doctor at least once a year since I was being treated for diabetes. I've always thought I was pre-diabetic but my doctor said to stop kidding myself. "If you're taking Metformin," he said. "you've got some form of diabetes." I'm a long, long way from needing to take insulin, but I do need to be careful. I probably need to go back to my rigorous, no sugar, no wheat diet too, but I do love bread, pasta, and dessert.

I'm glad I'm moving to the new storage warehouse. When I went back to the old warehouse today, the entry doors at the back of the building wouldn't accept my code and the manager didn't know when they'd be able to get things fixed. I had to carry my stuff all the way to the other side of the building to load the car. I hope the get the door fixed before the movers arrive. My move is going to be more expensive if the guys can't park their truck near my unit.

Dash had a cut on one of his paws this morning. Even though he wears a special sock under his protective rubber boots, his feet still manage to get scraped up. It's frustrating. He needs to stay active, but he also needs to stay protected. Any type of bleeding is not good at all.

It was really a long day. I should have no problem sleeping tonight. I hope that Dash feels the same way.

Chase is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2559

Why do car problems always take place at the worst possible time? When I got in the car to go to breakfast this morning, I got a big surprise. I pressed the starter button and nothing happened. The engine didn't turn over at all. I immediately knew that this was going to be a bad day. Dot had an appointment with her oncologist today and it can take months to get an appointment with this woman. I definitely didn't want to cancel. There were several other appointments today as well, but Dot's visit to the cancer center was the big one.

When I talked with my service guy, he seemed fairly convinced that it was just a bad battery. He sent a technician over to the house to see if he could get the car started. If we could get the car moving, I could drive up to the dealer and get a new battery installed. I called the cancer center and they were nice enough to reschedule my appointment for later in the day. I rescheduled or canceled my other appointments as well and started to think that this day might have a happy ending anyway.

While I was at the Land Rover dealer, I got a call from UPS and they said they had found my package. This was good news too, but I wasn't sure if I'd have time to drive down to the service center today. Dot's appointments at the cancer center often take a very long time. Walk in emergencies at the dealership often take a long time too. It was a busy, hectic Friday and they had to work me in. Eventually, they discovered that the battery was the only real problem, so I bought a new battery and was on my way.

When I got home, I resumed cleaning the rugs that Dot had peed on when I was trying to get her out of the house this morning. Everything has to be just right if I have any chance of getting her outside without an accident. Last night she peed too early. She really needs to pee at 11 PM, and last night she seemed to think that 9 PM was a better time. I wish I could explain to her that she just can't hold it that long.

I thought I'd have time to run down to the UPS service center and pick up my package before taking Dot to her appointment, but a major accident along the way foiled my plan. I saw four fire trucks and two ambulances, although I wasn't close enough to see what actually happened. The road was blocked in both directions. After waiting about ten minutes, I gave up and drove over the median so I could exit the mess and get out of the traffic jam. This was a very bad wreck, but I didn't see much compassion on the faces of the other drivers. You could tell that like me, they just wished the fire trucks had pulled over to the side of the road.

I used my GPS to find an alternate route to the UPS service center and when I got back home again, I was only ten minutes late. I quickly packed Dot in the car and we were on our way. Dot doesn't travel well these days. I dread driving with her, because she often panics and tries to escape. Since she can't move very well, her struggles usually result in her getting stuck somewhere. I try to drive in the far right lane, so I can always get off the road quickly if necessary. I'm worried that someday she'll accidentally manage to unlock one of the car doors while we are moving.

There was good news and bad news at the exam. Dot has a new tumor in her liver, but like the other existing tumors, it appears to be growing very slowly. Her liver still functions normally. Most of her blood chemistry looked good, but the doctor was worried that the muscle atrophy in her left rear leg was getting worse. She said we need to keep Dot moving and encouraged me to continue our slow walks each day.

The day was very hectic, but I guess it wasn't that bad after all. My car works, Dot's oncologist said that Dot is good to go for at least another two months, I finally have my package, and all the soiled rugs are clean and back on the floor again. I still have a bad cold, but maybe I can get some rest this weekend.

Hannah is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2450

Don't you hate it when a warning light comes on in the car and you're not in a position to do anything about it? You just keep driving and hope that nothing goes wrong. I was taking Dot to the vet this afternoon when the low tire light came on. Not good. The last thing I need is a flat tire with a sick dog in the car. I hate the low tire light, because I'm not really sure that I know how to change a tire on this car. It definitely wouldn't have been easy today, because the spare is located in a compartment directly under where Dot was sitting. The tire looked a little low when we got to the vet, but it didn't look alarming, so I decided not to worry about it.

Dot got her blood work done and we went home again without further incident. As soon as I got Dot situated in her bed, I drove up to the Land Rover dealer. Since the tires are filled with nitrogen instead of air, I couldn't just go to the gas station around the corner. There's always something that turns simple things into complicated things for me. The dealer checked the tires, refilled them all to the recommended pressure, and told me that nothing was wrong. My service guy informed me that I was lucky to have driven almost three years without the warning light coming on. Evidently nitrogen reduces tire pressure fluctuations, but doesn't eliminate them entirely. Since nitrogen is heavier than air, it's good stuff to put in your tires. Don't expect your local gas station to have any though.

With the warning light extinguished on the dash, I feel a little better about taking Dash for his neurological exam tomorrow. Dot poops in the car, but she's still a better passenger than Dash. I dread traveling with Dash, because he won't stay still and he barks nonstop. Dash barks so loud and becomes so agitated that I'm tempted to wear earplugs. I don't know if he's excited or scared, but he's definitely not a good traveling companion.

When I got my tire problems resolved, I paid a visit to the storage warehouse and renewed my lease for another year. I hate paying this much at one time, but if you pay twelve months in advance, you get an extra month for free. I've had the storage space for so long now, that I'm sure I've accumulated over a year of free rent by paying this way. Even with the extra month, I can't say that the storage warehouse is a bargain. They keep raising the rent on me every single year. The annual increase isn't that large, but over time it really adds up. You'd think they'd have some kind of loyalty program for long time customers like me, but I get the same rotten deal as the folks who pay month-to-month. Storage warehouse companies know that they've got a captive audience. It's so damn much trouble to move everything to another storage space, that they figure that you'll just pay the increased rent. Companies seem to be almost universally greedy these days. Hey, at least I don't need to carry an EpiPen around with me.

The rain returned today. I didn't think the weather was anything to get alarmed about, but Dash didn't seem to agree. I couldn't get him to leave the house this morning, so he didn't get a morning walk at all. The sun reappeared briefly around lunchtime and I was able to take him outside to pee. Then he heard some thunder off in the distance and became scared again. Dash's storm phobia seems to be getting worse. For the most part, all we had were gentle showers today, but Dash still spent quite a while hiding under my desk.

I'm tired of dealing with problems. I'd like an entire week with no problems whatsoever. That's very unlikely though. There are always problems.

Duke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2186

This morning was busy. We walked the dogs a little earlier so I could take Janet up to the Land Rover dealer before work to get a loaner car while hers was in the shop. Dot and Dash were a little miffed that they had to wait for their breakfast, but all was well as soon as I returned. By the time I finished fixing my morning smoothie and had my requisite two cups of coffee while watching the morning news, it was already time to take Dot downtown for her weekly physical therapy session. I don't know whether I'm unusually slow, or if time is running faster these days. Whatever it is, it's getting harder and harder to get anything done.

There are so many daily rituals that just didn't used to exist. It takes forever to sort through my e-mail each morning. Most of it is spam and junk, but there's always something important from a client buried in the spam folder, so I have to look at everything. I have to move all Dot's dog beds from their nighttime to their daytime positions each morning and wash anything that got soiled. Now, emptying the dehumidifier bucket is a regular ritual too. The machine has an automatic shutoff when the bucket gets full, but I've discovered that it is quite heavy and easy to spill on the floor if you let it fill to the top with water. There are so many little things like this that it is often 10:30 AM or even later before I get around to doing any actual work.

Dot did great at her therapy session today. She even rode better in the car on the way to the vet and I didn't have to stop and re-position her this time. Dot's vet was one of our locations for Santa pictures this year and I was happy that everyone enjoyed the event and was pleased with their pictures. Now, they want Dalmatian Rescue to come back and do another photo event later in the year. We used to shoot photos on all the major holidays, but everybody was younger then. Now, we mostly just work during the Christmas season. Valentine's Day pictures were surprisingly popular though. A lot of people think of their pet as their favorite valentine.

I got my December invoices in the mail today. Billings were pitiful this month. The declining nature of my business is a big reason why I was upset with my financial adviser yesterday. I always expected that as I eased into retirement, my investments would replace the lost income and allow me to maintain my lifestyle indefinitely. It's not working out that way. I never dreamed that interest rates would drop to 0%, that the entire middle class would start to disappear, and that my hard earned skills would become a somewhat worthless commodity. At least I'm not burdened with debt. I'd hate to have a lot of debt at my age. A lot of my friends still do.

It's all about the little things now. I'm pleased that I've temporarily outwitted the bird who poops on my car with my clever rubber snakes. I'm pleased the the dehumidified continues to suck water out of the house. I'm pleased that the bananas we bought last weekend lasted all the way through the week. I'm especially pleased that Dot pooped outside after dinner. Enough time has passed that I've almost forgotten the mess she made in her bed this morning.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2185

I had one of my periodic meetings with my financial adviser today. Usually we just chit-chat about the market a bit and he makes a few recommendations that I almost always go along with. Today was not going to be one of those days. When he asked how I was doing, I told him as politely as I could that I was not a happy camper. We've been working together for almost five years and my account hasn't really grown very much. Actually, performance has been pitiful. Sure, the market has been extremely volatile and a lot of things haven't gone as expected, but that's what you pay these guys for. I honestly expected that my adviser could do a much better job of growing my portfolio than I could, but so far that hasn't been the case. I actually did a pretty respectible job of managing my own investments, but it was very stressful for me. I don't like dealing with money. I did my research, but I got tired of fretting about whether I did the right thing. Eventually, I hired a financial adviser. The guy I chose was highly recommended by people I respect, but I'm beginning to think I made the wrong decision. I know hindsight is always 20/20, but there are just too many common sense things that should have been done differently.

I caught Dash drinking out of the toilet again and when I yelled at him to stop, it must have startled him. He jumped backward and ended up flipping over the water bowl on the floor that he should have been drinking out of. The spilled water soaked a large rug in the bathroom and generally made a mess everywhere. When I was mopping up the water, I got a call from Janet telling me her car had died. She mentioned yesterday that she was hearing a funny noise but didn't think it was serious. I guess it was serious after all. I told Dot not to poop all over the place while I went to pick her up Janet, but I didn't have high hopes.

It was just one of those days. I went to Home Depot earlier in the day to look for a replacement for the mini-blinds  I'd singed with the ceramic heater and discovered that they no longer made the size I needed. I was told to buy a larger blind and then cut it to the proper size myself. The sales associate who helped me said there were videos on YouTube that would show me how to do this. This wasn't what I expected, but I bought the blinds anyway. How hard could it be to watch a YouTube video?

I'll probably regret my decision tomorrow. Everything is harder than expected these days. I haven't had much luck sealing the tile floor in the shower and didn't do a very good job at cleaning the muslin photo backdrop that got peed on this weekend. Actually, the only success I've had this week was figuring out where to place the rubber snakes to scare the evil bird who's been pooping on my car away.

Tomorrow will be busy. As soon as we finish taking the dogs on their morning walk, I need to take Janet up to the Land Rover dealership so she can pick up her loaner car. Dot has another morning physical therapy session, so it will be a quick turnaround when I get home again. Hopefully, I will still have time for breakfast. I never do well when I don't have time to fix my smoothie and drink some strong coffee while I watch the latest bad news on TV.

My Dad would have been 98 years old today if he were still alive. He died quite a while ago though.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2048

On hot July days it's a miracle if I can come up with anything to tell you at all. There's certainly not much going on today. There is little incentive to go out in this heat. We mostly just hunker down, hoping that the air conditioner stays cools and the cars don't break down. Neither of us like to drive in the Summer. Janet has been getting nails in her tires recently and even though I have a reliable car now, I have too many memories of sitting on the side of the road in 100 degree weather, waiting for a tow truck to come haul the Defender back to the dealership. I'm always worried that the car is going to break down when I'm taking on of the dogs to the vet.

Luckily, the dogs didn't need to go anywhere today. I only got out of the house briefly to get more Palladia pills for Dot at the cancer center and pick up Keurig pods and blueberries at Sam's Club. I should have picked up a sprinkler at Home Depot, because the sprinkler in the front yard broke while I was watering the lawn this morning. Sprinklers, especially the unreliable oscillating kind, never seem to last more than a year.

When I was walking Dash this afternoon, I saw a small plane circling the lake towing a banner asking someone to marry them. I wonder if the girl even saw the proposal? Who would just happen to be outside looking up at the sky on a hot 100 degree July afternoon? I certainly didn't see many people out on the lake today. Most people had the good sense to stay inside. We didn't stay out long either. As soon as Dash did his business, we headed straight back to the air conditioned house. I bet that girl would have preferred a nice candlelit dinner instead of an airplane towing a big red banner.

I rarely watch TV, but when I do feel like watching, there never seems to be anything I'm interested in. How long do I need to wait before there's a new season of Dr. Who? Top Gear seems to have disappeared from the airwaves entirely after Jeremy Clarkson got fired from the show. At the very least there ought to be an old episode of Firefly that I haven't already seen. This afternoon I would have settled for a channel that played Faulty Towers over and over again. Since I have little interest in reality TV, real estate and home improvement shows, or news about the middle east, I just turned off the television and took a nap with the dogs.

Dot and Dash must have been bored too, because they weren't content with napping. As soon as I got comfortable, they both started barking and wanted to do something. I got Dot hooked up in her harness and took the dogs outside several times. As soon as they got out in the back yard they remembered how hot it was and wanted to come in again. We did this over and over until it was time for their dinner.

Maybe tomorrow will be more interesting. If it's not too hot, we'll take Dash to the small dog park again. He seemed more comfortable with the little dogs last week. I'll probably go to the gym in the afternoon. If I've got to work up a sweat, I'd rather do it indoors than mowing the lawn in 100 degree weather.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1344

If you didn't know any better, you'd probably think I operated a pet taxi service. The day was spent carting Dot and Dash back and forth to various vet appointments. I'm happy to report that Dot's condition continues to improve. She's moving around fairly well now, and although the Rimadyl she's currently taking to reduce inflammation in her leg might be partially responsible for her seemingly overnight recovery, it does appear that she suffered no serious damage last weekend. All Dot's vital signs looked good at her annual physical today. If I can keep her calm for a few more days while her leg continues to heal, I think she'll be walking normally again.

When I got Dot back home again, it was time to take Dash to the vet.  Nothing was really wrong with Dash this time. He just needed his bi-weekly antigen shot. There's one more vet appointment with Dot tomorrow, and then it's time for me to go back to the doctor again. A new ultrasound test one of my doctors wanted me to take got approved by insurance today, and I made an appointment to get the test done on Thursday.

The touch screen display quit working on the Evoque loaner car this afternoon. Now, when you touch the on-screen buttons, nothing happens. I can't believe that so many things are broken on a car with only 6,000 miles on the odometer. Of course there is always a chance that the odometer is broken too. I may be driving an older car than I think. I'm definitely never going to buy one of these things. The entire car is just a giant electrical problem waiting to happen.

Even though I was continually driving around, running errands, getting prescriptions filled, and taking dogs to the vet, I still managed to get quite a bit done today. The web-servers that were down for repairs yesterday were running normally again, so I was able to upload quite a bit of new material to client websites. There was a rush article that needed to be written in a hurry, as well as some pictures that still needed to be edited in Photoshop. I may have forgotten one or two things, but I think I did pretty well for a Monday.

I didn't have time to go to the gym today, which meant I didn't have time to stop at the grocery store on the way home either. Although there was nothing to eat for dinner in the refrigerator, there was plenty of soup in the cupboard. Janet loves soup. No matter how forgetful I am about grocery shopping, there is always plenty of soup to eat.

I'm hopeful that Dot's condition will continue to improve and that after tomorrow's vet appointment, life will return to some semblance of normality. If two dogs leave me with a feeling that I have a full plate, I wonder how people with small children and busy lives manage at all. Maybe they all have nannies.

Blackjack is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1324

I'm always relieved when Dot and I return from her weekly therapy appointments. Driving an old, frail dog around in 102 degree heat in a less than reliable car is never something I look forward to. There are so many things that could go wrong. The car could overheat. The air conditioning could go out. The vibration damper I have on order from England could get worse and throw the fan belt off. Even a flat tire would be disastrous, since Dot's crate would quickly become too hot inside a stationary car. There isn't even a safe way to get Dot out of the car if the Defender broke down on a busy freeway.

At times like these, I wish I lived in a tiny little village that still offered big city services. Do places like this even exist? I'm kind of hooked on taking the dogs to big, full service veterinary hospitals. I like Central Market and Whole Foods for groceries. I enjoy having lots of interesting restaurants nearby and it's always handy to have a Guitar Center in the neighborhood. Everything else, I could live without.

I could certainly continue working from a small town. I never see my clients anymore. Even the folks that are right here in town find it easier to just send me an e-mail. My e-mail assignments kept me pretty busy today. Once Dot's vet appointment was out of the way, the day was virtually identical to yesterday. There was another website to update and three more articles to write. I didn't pay any bills today though.

I'm surprised that the dogs did as well as they did at training class this evening. It was really hot. Dash did a good job with the exercises that didn't involve moving, but I could tell that he would much rather have been at home, sitting near an air conditioning vent. I was so hot that I was very tempted to drink the dog's water. Luckily, the class only lasted an hour.

We start another new month tomorrow. It's hard to believe it's August already. The days are already starting to get shorter. We watched the sun set during training class this evening. Pretty soon the leaves will start to turn and before you know it, we'll be having class in the dark again. These cycles come and go so quickly now. I wish I could slow the clock down a bit. I find I still have time to make plans, but seldom have the time to act on them.

Shelby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1296

There was a package of socks on my front porch this morning. It says a lot that I'd rather buy something as utilitarian and easy to find as socks online instead of going to a store. I don't know how local merchants survive when everything from digital cameras to dog food is easy to find online. It's so painless to buy things this way. A few mouse clicks and the FedEx guy brings it to your door a few days later. The allure of online shopping is even stronger in the Summer. Who wants to park your car at the mall and return an hour later to find your steering wheel too hot to touch? People don't seem as patient in the Summer either. More cars cut you off on the highway and you'll get honked at or worse if you don't make those left turns at stoplights quickly enough. I think the entire city is in a bad mood on hot days like today.

I probably notice the traffic more on Wednesdays, because that's when Dot has her acupuncture appointment. Traffic slowed to a crawl on Central Expressway this afternoon when a wreck blocked traffic. As we inched along toward the vet, I kept wondering what would happen if our own car stalled out. I try to stay in the right lane, so at least I could get off the road if I had car trouble, but sometime that's impossible. Maybe I worry too much about driving around in the Summer with a dog in the dog, but there's so much that could go wrong when you're driving an eighteen year old Defender 90. If I had to get a tow, I'm not even sure the tow truck driver would let Dot ride in the truck with him.

Luckily, we made it to and from our acupuncture appointment without a hitch. Dot seems to like her treatments now. Even though her legs still seem weaker than they should be, I have to assume that the treatments are doing her some good. I wish I could say the same for myself. I got the results from last Saturday's blood tests back today and my liver enzymes are elevated again. I'm not sure what to do now. I'm already taking the recommend medications, eating the recommended food, and doing the recommended exercise.

Although tomorrow is a holiday, it's going to seem pretty much like a regular Thursday around our house. Janet has to work tomorrow and if the weather remains as hot as it was today, the dogs aren't going to want to go out of the house anyway. I'm pretty much caught up on my writing work. If nothing new comes in tomorrow, it might be time to watch another movie on Hulu.

Dash didn't do well in training class tonight. Actually, none of the dogs did. There was something smelly in the grass that the dogs wanted to eat. I couldn't tell what they were interested in, but there must have been something. Every ten feet or so, Dash had his nose in the grass, looking for some illusive treasure. No illusive treasures for me today. The high point of my day was getting a package of socks.

Bob Hope is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1196

There is a different rhythm to Mondays now. I need to remember to water the new grass and shrubs. Dot has a standing acupuncture appointment at the vet on Monday afternoons now. There are no eggs to cook anymore. I eat oatmeal mixed with fresh fruit these days. The sun hasn't quite caught up with Daylight Savings Time yet, so it's dark again in the morning when I wake up. The dogs don't like to get up in the dark, so we sleep in a bit later. Even the pills I take in the mornings are different now. Slowly, all these new activities are becoming habits. I am definitely a creature of habit, so it is only a matter of time before these new routines become the old routines again and I start thinking I've been doing them forever.

I found some additional tax documents when I was cleaning the office yesterday, so I drove them over to my accountant and told him to add them to my tax file. As I was driving, I noticed that the Defender still ran rough between 1000 and 2000 RPM. After two expensive repairs where I specifically mentioned that the engine was running rough, you would think that Land Rover would have the solved the problem by now. If someone would have spent ten minutes giving the car a test drive, they'd know exactly what the problem was. Nobody does that anymore though. They just hook the car up to a computer, and if they get a good readout, they're done. If I have to take the car back to the shop again, I think the repairs should be free this time. I've paid enough already.

I called another roofer today. Since I'm not having much luck getting a final bid from the first two roofers, I thought it wouldn't hurt to add a third to the mix. This guy was the one who specialized in sprayed on foam roofs that I told you about earlier. Since his company is located in Wichita Falls, lord knows when he'll actually show up to give me an estimate.

Dot did pretty well with her acupuncture treatment this afternoon. She's still nervous about going to the vet, but once she's looking like a pincushion, with a row of small needles on either side of her spine, she is actually quite relaxed. I'll probably never know if it is the acupuncture treatments, or just Dot's stubborn tenacity that is responsible for her walking again. She does seems better though. That's all that counts.

I'll be glad when Spring decides to return. I know we don't have snow like some parts of the country, but it's still unseasonably cold this week. I had to bundle up again this morning when I took the dogs on their walk. It's hard to believe that temperatures were over seventy degrees less than a week ago.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1181

The day started well, but ended with a mishap. Dot's rear legs gave out on her evening walk and she couldn't get up again. I've been afraid this was going to happen for a long time now. Dot is getting old. I knew she could never make it home, so I called Janet to come pick us up in the car. Dot is resting comfortably now at home, but she'll need to go to the vet tomorrow. Hopefully, she just overexerted herself today and maybe sprained something. There's a good chance she tore her anterior cruciate ligament though. ACL injuries are very common with older Dalmatians. Usually when an ACL injury happens, the dog isn't doing anything strenuous. Today, Dot was just walking slowly on level ground. That's the way it happens though. The ligament tears unexpectedly, just like an old rubber band breaking. I'm going to hope for the best and not even think about surgery at this point. We've done the TPLO surgery with other dogs, and it's pretty major. We'll know more tomorrow.

I never would have dreamed that this would end up being a traumatic day. The morning was uneventful, and so was the trip to the dog park a little later. Dot even seemed playful at the dog park. Maybe she was a bit too playful.

I started getting my tax records organized to take to my accountant this afternoon. It's always disappointing to see how much money just evaporates in a normal year with very little to show for it. The gas and electric bills looked pretty normal, but the cost of phone, cable, WiFi, and Internet services has grown exponentially. Health care is even worse. You don't even want to know what I have to pay for health insurance these days. Oh, I sold a house in 2012 too. Uncle Sam is already waiting for his share of that sale. When I look at the numbers, it's hard to feel like I'm doing well. It's hard to feel like the whole country is doing well. I think we are all just treading water.

I'm doing my best to keep the economy alive though. The Land Rover folks should be doing well after they get finished taking my engine apart. Whoever wins the bid to put on my new roof should be doing pretty well to. I certainly haven't gotten any low bids on the roof yet. I've got to hire a landscaper later this Spring as well. I could always do things myself again, but that would just be throwing good money after bad. Everything I've planted in the past three years has died.

Send your prayers to Dot. She's going to need all the help she can get.

Ely is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1177

When the estimator came over this morning to look at my roof, I was pleasantly surprised at how knowledgeable he was. He seemed familiar with all the options available and I am confident that he can give me an accurate price. I'm not so confident that he'll be able to give me a price I can afford, however. I don't have any numbers yet, but when we were talking about what was needed to prevent my roof problems from reoccurring in the future, it became apparent that the new roof was going to be expensive. I am going to get several estimates, but the chances of getting a bargain and a good roof at the same time are slim.

My car started acting up again today. I called the Land Rover dealer and asked if I could bring it in for service tomorrow morning. Nope. They're all booked up for the next several days. It's just my luck that I have a doctor's appointment that is very difficult to reschedule tomorrow. If the car won't start, I'm really out of luck. It would take me half a day to get to the hospital by bus, and I don't really trust taxis around here either. Hopefully, the Defender will decide to work properly tomorrow.

I stopped by the Unrefined Bakery today to get a loaf of Paleo Bread. I wanted to see what the wheat free bread tasted like, because I really like my eggs on toast. The bread, which is baked using almond flour and flax seeds, was actually quite tasty. The small, freshly baked loaf cost me $13 however. A bit pricy for morning toast, I think. We'll see if there's any more Paleo Bread in my future. Maybe I'll save enough by keeping my liver healthy and diabetes at bay that I can afford little extravagances like this.

I figured out how to hook up one of my cameras to a WiFi network today. Pretty cool. Now, I can control the camera and take pictures using my iPhone and send the pictures directly back to my computer, or even to the web. The installation was far from intuitive, but eventually I got everything working. Unfortunately, this geeky task put me behind on everything else. I wasn't able to finish all my writing assignments today, which is a rarity for me.

No dog training class tonight. It's still pretty chilly outside and Janet had to work late anyway. Dot and Dash don't seem to mind that this is the third week in a row we've skipped class. They'd throw a fit if we ever skipped going to the dog park on Sunday, but missing training class is just fine.  I think I know exactly how they feel.

Anne is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1162

I've totally lost faith in my car. I had to take Dash to the vet and run a lot of errands today and the entire time I was on the road, I kept expecting a repeat of yesterday's mysterious mishap. I don't claim to be a master mechanic, but most car problems at least make sense to me. It's the ones that make no sense whatsoever that worry me. These mystery problems make me realize that I am out of my depth and probably just need a new car.

Luckily, nothing went wrong today. Nothing ever goes wrong when I'm just driving around the neighborhood. It's only when I'm on a busy freeway during rush hour that disaster strikes.

It looks like I'll be getting a new assignment from one of my German clients. I'll be writing about waste water treatment. If this doesn't sound very exciting to you, you're probably not very familiar with what I do all day. Water treatment is actually a lot more exciting than some of the things I write about. At the very least, I'll get to learn something new. New subjects are always more interesting than regurgitating the same old facts over and over again.

Dash's nurse at the veterinary hospital told me that there is supposed to be a big rainstorm tomorrow. Why? I'm just starting to get used to the unseasonably warm February weather we've been having lately. I'd hate to spoil things by going back to the cold, wet weather of a normal February. At least I don't have any out-of-the-office appointments tomorrow. Having the car die in the rain would be even worse than a normal breakdown.

Every time there's rain in the forecast, I wish I'd already gotten an estimate from the foam roof people. I'd rather wait until it's warmer to put on a new roof, but then again, I'd also rather have this whole mess behind me. No worries though if it does rain. The dogs and I will just watch old Dr. Who episodes on TV until the sun comes out again.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day