Day 2546

I was surprised that our first photo shoot went as well as it did today. When I got up to load the car, it was cold and raining. I took a shower last night, because I knew there wouldn't be time this morning. By the time I got to our location, there was barely time to set up before our first customers arrived. Nevertheless, everything went well. For the most part the pets we photographed were well behaved and their owners were friendly. We photographed almost as many cats today as dogs today. When we started doing Christmas pictures for Dalmatian Rescue, it was almost unheard of to bring a cat to one of these events. Now, cats wearing costumes are everywhere. We even had a rat today. The owner said it was a gerbil, but it sure looked like a rat to me. Several families with small children used the occasion to take a family portrait and most agreed that crashing a pet picture event was a lot easier than waiting in line so their kids could see a shopping mall Santa.

I lost my fitness tracker today. Who know when the thing fell off my wrist, but I couldn't find it anywhere. I was pretty sure that I lost the UP band while I was loading the car this morning, but after carefully retracing my steps, I couldn't find anything. When I got home from the photo shoot, I noticed that the tracker still appeared to be paired to my phone. The app showed that it was still counting steps too and even measuring a heart beat. It was almost as if the thing was still on my wrist, but had become invisible. The whole thing is baffling. I wasted a huge amount of time this evening looking for the wayward fitness band, but I still can't find it. The app shows that the battery has just about run out. Where is this thing? When the battery goes dead, it will disappear on the app and become even harder to find. I did find my reading glasses while I was looking for the missing band, so I guess there is still hope.

Tomorrow's photo shoot location if much further away than today's, so I will need to get up even earlier. I wish I could just leave all the equipment in the car to save time, but I don't have that much faith in my fellow man. I don't ever leave anything unattended in the car anymore. Today was busy, but I think even more people have signed up for Santa photos tomorrow. I need to stay focused and quit worrying about the fitness band. It will either turn up or it won't. At this point there isn't much I can do about it.

All in all, things went pretty well today. One of the flash triggers broke, but the other one worked just fine. Everyone loved the new backdrop we got this year. No dogs have peed on it yet either. So far, so good. Dot and Dash did well today, although I don't think Janet enjoyed staying home all day to keep an eye on them. She enjoys these special pet picture events more than I do. It's too bad we couldn't have just switched roles today.

I think my obsession with the missing fitness band reveals a disturbing character flaw. A weird mystery will capture my attention far easier than the ongoing needs of daily life. Maybe that's why I spend more time trying to figure out when Dot is going to poop next than I do trying to solicit new business. I keep trying to predict things that just can't be predicted. And when is the FedEx guy going to deliver that package anyway? That at least should be completely predictable. In the end, I want everything in life to run like clockwork and it just doesn't work that way. Even my watches don't run like clockwork.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2084

When I arrived for my photoshoot today, I was greeted by two kids, a cockatiel, several parrots, a rabbit, a Labrador retriever, a basset hound mix, a large iguana, a lizard, a box of puppies and kittens, and two very large snakes. Through a process of elimination, we selected five animals that seemed to get along well with the children and each other. Amazingly, the children weren't afraid of the snakes, but I got a little nervous myself when a large yellow python wound up in my lap while I was looking through the viewfinder.

These type of photos aren't easy. Is everybody looking at the camera? Is the cat going to go after the bird? Will the snake eat a puppy? We had wranglers for each animal to keep things safe, but still there were a lot of surprises. The seventy pound snake moved pretty fast and always seemed to slither out of the frame. The bird flew away several times. The iguana was getting old and occasionally fell off its perch and landed on the floor with a thud. I was amazed that the rabbit was so calm. Most rabbits wouldn't want anything to do with a situation like this, but our bunny was calm and collected and stayed with us for the entire shoot. I think the photo came out great. I'm not sure what the snake thought.

I thought Dash was sick this morning. He got us up early, went outside, immediately pooped in the yard, and then wouldn't eat his breakfast. This had me worried. Dash always eats his meals. He seemed perfectly normal on our morning walk and as soon as we got home again I figured out what was going on. There was a smell of brisket in the air when I opened the back door. Janet was fixing a slow cook meal in the crockpot and the smell of the meat simmering overnight must have driven Dash wild. He's a very stubborn dog and he woke up wanting brisket for breakfast instead of his dog food. As soon as we gave the dogs a little taste of the brisket, they both were happy and spent the rest of the morning sleeping quietly on their dog beds. This evening when the meat was safely in the refrigerator, Dash thought his dog food was just fine and ate it eagerly.

With a concert and a photoshoot on the agenda, this turned out to be a very busy weekend. There was no time to mow the lawn or go to the gym, but I'm surprised that we got as much done as we did. The dogs still got their walks. The dog's bedding got washed. Dot only pooped inside once this weekend, but that still required a full load of laundry. The house could be a little cleaner, but I did manage to get all the photo equipment packed up and back to the storage warehouse. Tomorrow, I'll need to burn some DVD's so the client can sort through the hundreds of images I took today. I think there are still some website revisions I need to make as well. Oh, in case you're wondering, the brisket was deliciou.

Tessa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1621

Most of the neighborhood cats have learned to avoid our yard. Dot and Dash love to chase cats. There hasn't been a cat in the yard for quite a while, so I was surprised when I saw both dogs circling a tree today and barking like a pair of Coonhounds. I suspected that they were barking at a possum and went out to investigate. There was a scared little orange tabby sitting up in a branch. I recognized the cat. It was the same one my neighbor had lost two days ago. They had just adopted the cat and it ran out an open door and escaped the day after they brought it home. When I got the dogs back inside again, I talked the cat out of the tree and took it back to the neighbor's house. Hopefully, this will be an indoor cat. If it's an outdoor cat who decides to hang around our yard, it's going to be miserable. I need to go look for dead birds in the yard tomorrow morning. Usually, when there's a cat in the yard, there's a dead bird nearby.

We went and photographed a new dog at the Dalmatian Rescue kennel today. Max was a very small male and is a bit shy. We was very friendly though and will make someone a wonderful pet. I used to find myself taking pictures of new members of the rescue program almost every week. There aren't nearly as many abandoned Dalmatians anymore though. That's a good thing. There are so few Dalmatians in the rescue program now that there's a waiting list to adopt one. That's a good thing too.

Dash finally got a bath today. Considering how much he generally hates getting a bath, he was surprisingly good today. Maybe after all he's been through at the cancer center, he finally realized that getting a bath isn't a big deal. He does seem more comfortable now that he's clean again. There wasn't nearly as much scratching and itching today.

I'll be glad when the Spring allergy season is over. My eyes itch and water constantly now. I practically have to carry a bottle of Visine around in my pocket these days. It's a shame that my allergies are worst during the one time of year when the weather is nice in Texas. By the middle of June, the seasonal allergies have usually disappeared, but so has the nice weather.

I think I'll go to the gym tomorrow. Once a week isn't great, but it's better than nothing. Since life is slowly returning to normal, I may be able to find time to go two times a week soon. It won't be next week however. Dash gets his annual vaccinations on Tuesday. I go for another blood test on Wednesday. And Dot has an appointment for her dental cleaning on Thursday. There's rain in the forecast for next week as well. I'll be glad when Dot's dental exam is over. She's pretty old to have anesthesia, but we don't want her to get gingivitis or gum disease either. Her rear molars look pretty bad too and the vet says she really needs her teeth cleaned. I guess there's always something to worry about.

Ziggy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1462

Well, UPS will probably never deliver to our neighborhood now. While I was writing this morning, I heard a huge crash out on the street in front of the house. When I went to investigate, I discovered that a car had plowed into the back of the UPS truck while it was delivering a package to my next door neighbor. Then a van hit the truck again, trying to avoid the first wreck. The woman who initially hit the truck said she didn't see it. Jeez, how can you miss a huge brown UPS truck? I can spot these things from a mile away.

The embattled UPS driver didn't have any packages for me. I divert almost everything to the main depot now and drive down to pick it up. I did that again today and ran into another long  line of angry people waiting to send, receive, or complain about their package. My advice. Just send your stuff FedEx instead.

The weather was nice again today. I only had to wear a light jacket when I walked the dogs. This would have been a good opportunity to clean up the debris from the ice storm in the back yard, but I still have too many holiday related advertising assignments to complete. As some of you have already guessed, this is not my favorite time of year.

Only one day after I washed my car, the neighborhood redbirds are already pooping on it again. The only thing these tiresome birds enjoy more than pooping on the car is pecking on my office window in a vain attempt to get inside. I don't know why anyone would want a bird as a pet. Birds are filthy creatures. If Dot and Dash didn't like to chase cats so much, I would get a cat, just because they like to eat birds.

Did you know that the Chinese successfully landed a rover on the moon a few days ago? I'm amazed that there has been almost no news coverage of this event. Hey, it's a big deal. This is the first time anyone has landed something on the moon since the 1970's. So what are we talking about instead? Obama's selfies at the Mandela funeral. More school shootings. The healthcare mess. When somebody actually does something truly impressive, nobody seems to care. Nobody seems to read blogs anymore either, but that's another subject entirely.

Hannah is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1240

I got one of those birthday reminder messages on Facebook this morning. I'm sure you all get them too. The birthday boy used to be my boss many years ago when I worked in the ad agency world. When I went to my friend's page to wish him a happy birthday, I discovered that he had passed away last June. Oops. I'm sure glad I read the page before I left my "have a great day" message. That would have been embarrassing. The whole incident leaves me wondering if any of my other Facebook friends are dead. I know a lot of my Facebook friends are actually Dalmatians, but it never occurred that the human friends might not even be alive.

Dot did great at her acupuncture session today. She seems much more relaxed now that she is getting used to the routine. The only thing that seemed to upset her today was the vet's cat. When the cat wandered into the room, Dot curled up her lip and started to growl. The vet laughed and told Dot not to mess with the cat, because the cat would probably win. I was a little embarrassed by Dot's behavior and explained to the vet that this was why we don't have a cat. As least Dash wasn't there. Dash would have gone nuts with a cat in the house.

My seasonal allergies have returned with a vengeance. I was sneezing and blowing my nose so much at dog training class tonight that I became more of a distraction to the class than Dash's incessant barking. The dogs both did well in class this evening. I think all the dogs are doing better, now that the weather is warmer and sunlight has returned. I need to remember that there is no need for a warm coat anymore. I was a little out of place in my winter jacket tonight.

I managed to get caught up with all my writing assignments this afternoon, so I made an appointment to get a haircut tomorow. I'm long overdue for a haircut, but nobody sees me anymore, so I guess it doesn't really matter. Maybe I'll stop by the Apple Store on the way home. I always stop by the Apple Store after a haircut. I certainly don't need anything. It's just a habit.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 691

Most of the clocks in the house have been dutifully set back an hour, but I certainly don't feel like I've gained an hour today. Since we slept in a bit later than usual this morning, our extra hour was gone before we even got up. The time might have changed, but nothing else did. After breakfast, we took the Dot and Dash up to Wagging Tail Dog Park and on the way home we stopped by Vhea's LaundroMutt and gave them a bath. We don't give the dogs a bath every Sunday; just when we realize that they've started smelling like dogs again.

I mowed the grass for what is hopefully the last time this season. The yard will soon be covered with leaves and the lawn mower will be returned to the greenhouse again, where it generally serves as a Winter home for wayward rats.

In between chores, I started reading the owner's manual for the new AG-AF100 camera. Jeez, this thing is complicated. It supports both NTSC and PAL. You can shoot in 60i, 24p, 50i, 30p, plus a few other formats I'd never even heard of. There are so many options that the instruction manuel is an inch thick. All I basically learned today was how to set the day/date clock.

I got an e-mail from Design Within Reach this weekend, telling me that they were putting all their Sonno mattresses and bedding on sale. 15% off on everything! You'd think they could have told us this when we bought our mattress a few weeks ago. All they would have to have said was "hey, just wait a few weeks and you'll save some money." Few salespeople will do that though. They're all afraid that you'll change your mind and not buy anything.

The dogs certainly haven't changed their mind about the neighbor's cat. The cat jumped out right in front of us on the way home from our evening walk today and Dot and Dash just about pulled my arms out of their sockets trying to get at it. I'm pretty sure that these dogs are the source of all my shoulder and neck problems. You can't really blame them though. They're just acting like normal dogs.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 457 - St. Patrick's Day

Today's photo shoot was quite a bit different than yesterday's. Instead of taking pictures of search and rescue dogs, my job was to recreate the classic movie poster for Gone with the Wind using a dog as Rhett Butler and a cat as Scarlett O'Hara. My dog model was supposed to be very friendly with cats. And the cat was supposed to like dogs. As you might expect, that's not the way it turned out. I took some shots of the pair together, but it certainly didn't look like a love scene. After about five minutes miss kitty let us know that she wasn't going to tolerate a dog sniffing her much longer. We all decided that the prudent course of action would be to photograph each animal separately and then put the shot together in Photoshop. I really wish nobody even knew about Photoshop. Every time a shot gets difficult, I hear a chorus of "you can fix it in Photoshop" from whoever is on the set with me. You can definitely do a lot with Photoshop, but as far as I know, the software can't make animals like each other. It remains to be seen whether I can create any chemistry between this unlikely couple with my computer. Personally, I'd scrap the dog and just use the pictures of the cat. Apple, the cat, is hot. She's kind of the Heidi Klum of the cat world.

Today was a very busy day. When I wasn't trying to recreate Gone with the Wind with animals, I was working on my bid for the big week long oil and gas trade show in Houston this May. I think I'm already late in submitting this bid, but it's been complicated. I've finally got prices in from all the crew members I've assembled for the project, so all I need to do now is put everything together in Excel and turn it in. If the folks who are waiting for my bid happen to be reading this, I promise I'll have everything ready for you tomorrow. Really guys, your project is just as important to me as putting lipstick on a cat.

It was surprisingly warm today. If I didn't know better, I could have sworn it was early June. I resisted the temptation to turn on the air conditioner however. I know that as soon as I turn on the air conditioner, my electric bill is going to triple.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day