Day 3775

We're having a nice Spring. So far we've avoided any of the severe weather that has caused so much damage in other parts of the South. It's hard to complain about sixty-five degree days and clear skies. We've started walking Dawn early in the morning to avoid the crowds at the park. The park is pretty busy because what else are you going to do during a lockdown? We see lots of families walking with their kids now. I'm glad that Dallas hasn't closed down their parks like some cities. Fresh air and sunlight are good for you. So is exercise. I'm convinced that the people I see walking in the park are going to be ahead of the game when the pandemic is over.

I was bragging about Sam's Club last week. This week there was a line to enter the store, just like many other grocery stores. I don't know what the line proved. They were letting people in as fast as they could grab a buggy and once inside there were no rules at all. Toilet paper was still in short supply, but the fresh fruit has never looked better. Evidently growers are having difficulty finding an outlet for all their fruit without institutional and restaurant customers. There was an abundance of really fresh looking strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries today. I can't believe people are stocking up on canned food when there is so much nice looking fresh fruit and vegetables available. If you're worried, just wash the stuff when you get home. We've been washing fruits and vegetables for years, mostly because of pesticides. I'm not much of a cook, but I do know that canned food is full of salt. Fresh food is just better in every way.

I'm rooting for Sweden to win the lockdown sweepstakes. I'm convinced that if everyone used a little common sense, you wouldn't need draconian rules. I'm really getting tired of people using the pandemic to score political points as well. Good grief. Trump didn't actually tell people to drink bleach. He was just wondering if there was a way to flush the virus out of the lungs the way you would clean a countertop. I've wondered the same thing. Doctors actually do wash people's lungs occasionally. Large volume pulmonary lavage has been used by physicians for quite some time when certain types of lung disease disease cause the lungs to fill with lipoproteinaceous fluid. Several quarts of saline solution are placed into the lungs through a breathing tube to wash the lungs while the patient is sedated and then the liquid is suctioned away. It's kind of a radical procedure but patients typically improve rapidly after this is done. And if you don't think doctors routinely inject poison into patients veins, you haven't had chemo or know someone who has. Chemotherapy drugs are extremely poisonous, You typically have to sign a waiver saying that you understand the treatment might kill you before chemotherapy can begin. Doctors just hope that the drugs kill the cancer before they kill you.

I'd hate to be a doctor right now. They are under tremendous pressure and they still don't know how this virus works. They are learning things quickly but treatment is still basically an experiment. We are learning that ventilators can do more harm than good. Blood clots are a much bigger problem than originally anticipated. Nothing is behaving in the way it should. So far, your best friend is a strong immune system and a healthy lifestyle. Hopefully people will learn this lesson when the current crisis has passed. Is it really that hard to eat healthy food, manage your weight, and only put air into your lungs?

I started cleaning my office today. I filled a large trash bag with old magazines, empty boxes, and other stuff I couldn't even identify. Sadly, the office still looks the same. I think I'll have to fill twenty large trash bags before I start making any real progress. Hey, if this plague lasts long enough I'll eventually have a clean office.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2366

Dot's appointment at the cancer center took forever today. They were short staffed and there was only one oncologist to see a lot of sick dogs. There are usually st least three oncologists on duty, so Dot's ultrasound scan and exam took a while. Dot definitely wasn't happy about the situation, but there was nothing we could do. When the nurse took her blood pressure, I was not surprised to see that it was elevated. Dot has been to this place many times and she doesn't like it. I don't blame her. She is flipped over on her back for the ultrasound scans, strapped in a special cradle when she has an MRI, and poked with big needles when they need to get a tissue sample. I don't like to wait either, because I'm always wondering what Dash is doing at home. Usually, I can check on him with the baby monitor, but it wasn't working today.

When we eventually saw the oncologist, there was somewhat good news. The two tumors in her liver were stable and hadn't grown any since our last visit. Since we haven't been doing chemotherapy for over a month, this essentially means the Palladia pills aren't very effective and we don't need to resume taking them. The oncologist asked whether we would like to consider a different type of chemotherapy to see if it might shrink the tumor. I'm reluctant to start intravenous chemotherapy infusions though, since the side effects are often more severe. I think we'll just continue the ultrasound scans once a month to monitor things.

Today was tiring. I couldn't get Dot's harness on quickly enough when I woke up this morning and she ended up peeing on one of the big rugs in the living room. Getting the harness on is definitely easier with two people. Janet usually puts on the front half while I put on the back half and link the two pieces together. Also, I need to remember to keep Dot inside after dinner until at least ten PM. If she goes outside at 8 PM, she won't go again right before bedtime and had trouble making it through the night. That's what happened this morning. She really needed to go bad when she woke up and I just wasn't fast enough. For the record, pee is actually harder to clean up than poop.

To add to my problems, Dash wouldn't eat his breakfast this morning. He isn't sick or anything. He is just a finicky eater and gets bored with his food about every three months.  We rotate through about three brands of dog food because after a while he forgets he doesn't like a certain brand and starts eating it again. It took a while to find several brands that were equally healthy, didn't cause him to put on weight, and wouldn't create kidney stones. I just need to remember to change his food tomorrow morning.

I actually had some website revisions to make today, but the work seemed inconsequential compared to all my dog problems. It was a lot easier to update the websites than it was to clean the two area rugs that Dot peed on. I had to spray the rugs with an enzyme cleaner to eradicate the smell and then come back later and rinse the enzyme away with a garden hose. It will probably take the rugs two or three days to dry out.

Things have been working out well with the dog walker, although Dot seemed unusually tired and slow tonight. She is probably still sore from being on her back for the ultrasound scan. The dogs are both sleeping now, but they are not sleeping soundly enough. My allergies have been acting up this week and every time I sneeze, it wakes the dogs up and they start barking. I'm hoping that tomorrow will be less stressful for everyone.

Wendy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2321

I thought Dot would get stronger when we discontinued her chemotherapy, but she appears to be getting weaker. Maybe she just had a bad day. Sometimes if her bad leg gets in the wrong position while she's asleep, she has trouble getting it moving again the next day. Maybe the weather is bothering her. It certainly is bothering me. The humidity is bouncing up and down like a boomerang with all the Spring storms moving in and out of the area. Allergies are terrible this Spring too. My eyes are watering constantly and I'm sneezing most of the day. Hopefully, Dot will feel better tomorrow. We've still got a few more days of nice weather before the next wave of thunderstorms is due.

I was surprised to get a text message from an old friend of mine who I hadn't heard from in years. I think the last time we talked, texting hadn't even been invented yet. I still don't understand the fascination with texting. Everybody I know seems to love texting. I still prefer to use the telephone. Of course, I don't answer the phone much anymore. Maybe that's why people text me. The way we communicate has gotten so complicated. I have a sister who refuses to use the Internet, so I write her old fashioned letters in longhand. Some friends only communicate using that message thing on Facebook. Others prefer e-mail. Janet is the only person I text regularly and usually it's just about whether to pick up strawberries at the store. Life was much simpler when we all talked to each other on the phone. That was the only option we had. Increasingly, I don't think a wealth of options makes life better. It's just makes life confusing.

I didn't accomplish much today, but somehow the day went quickly anyway. I need to change the alarm setting on my activity tracker because I'm always up well before the alarm goes off each morning. What was I thinking when I thought I needed an alarm at 7 AM? I'm lucky if I sleep until 5 AM anymore. Dot was restless this morning and got us all up early. When she appears restless, we try to get her outside as soon as possible, so she won't poop in the house. We were successful this morning, but of course she pooped in the house later in the day anyway. Several walks for Dot and Dash, a few loads of laundry, breakfast, dinner, and a trip to the grocery store seemed to consume the entire day. I did complete one small website update, but it was so minor that I almost forgot about it.

My Facebook feed is still inundated with tributes to Prince.  I always liked his music, but never realized what a big deal he was to a generation slightly younger than me. Prince had a huge influence on this generation, just like The Beatles, The Stones, and Pink Floyd had on me. Ever since I was a sophomore in high school, I've been able to measure time by which Rolling Stones song was popular at the time. Truthfully, Prince was a better musician than any of my rock heroes, but he wasn't around when I became fascinated with music. I was preoccupied trying to learn Jimi Hendrix songs.

It looks like it's time to mow the grass again. I never notice until the neighbors mow theirs, and then almost instantly my yard looks like shit. Hopefully, after I mow the grass I'll still have energy to go to the gym. Shooting baskets in a climate controlled gym seems far more appealing than working outside where the air is filled with ragweed and pollen.

Wyatt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2312

When I was working on a website update this morning, I noticed that one of the design tools I use to create mobile friendly sites was about to expire. The software you need these days is increasingly available only on a subscription basis. I guess I'll need to renew my expensive subscription for another year, even though I don't make that much money designing websites anymore. It's frustrating. I still need my cameras, editing equipment, and sophisticated software, even though my workload has decreased precipitously. It won't be long before it costs me more to maintain my business than I actually make from the business.

Today was a chemotherapy day for Dot. When I was giving her the Palladia pills, I noticed that there weren't enough left to make it until her next exam date. I have a feeling that the cancer center miscounted the pills last month and gave me too few. Of course, they didn't actually give me the pills. I think they cost about $20 each. The question now is did I already pay for the missing pills or not? I called the oncologist and asked what to do next. It looks like I'll have to go to the cancer center and pick up the missing pills tomorrow. I bet I'll have to pay for them too.

I moved my trash can to a different position on the street this week in hopes that the trash crew will notice it tomorrrow morning. My theory is that the truck was turning the corner when they skipped my trash last week. Maybe they didn't see it. It's possible. Of course, maybe they know that I have OCD and just ignored my can to drive me crazy. Hopefully, I'll have better luck this week.

I was going to go back to the sporting goods store that is going out of business to see if I could find some more bargains, but work got in the way. Today's website update was kind of complicated and took a lot of time. This job requires new photography too, so I'll have to schedule a time to go take pictures of new employees next week. Most of my clients have abandoned their employee pages, but a few still seem to like to show the world how quickly their staff turns over. I never recommend employee pages anymore. It looks embarrassing when people keep changing every few weeks.

I think I'll go back to the hipster restaurant tomorrow. The place isn't as fancy as the restaurant I tried last Friday. The silverware is non-existent and there are only three tables, but the food is fabulous. The first time I ate here, I thought all the customers seemed a bit odd. Now, I realize that's why I like the place. I fit in.

When I was paying bills this afternoon, I realized that I simply have to get some more business. The money I used to spend buying cameras and microphones is now used to pay vet bills. I hate feeling broke. In theory, it shouldn't be that hard to get new business. The website I was working on this morning was quite complicated and I knew exactly what to do. There ought to be plenty of other people who could use these skills. I'm sure these people still exist, but I'm not going to meet them in my current reclusive state of mind. I tend to avoid people at all costs. Hmm. I think I've answered my own question. It's a no brainer. If you avoid talking to people and never answer your phone, you're not going to grow your business.

Flash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2285

The Palladia appears to be working. When Dot had her Ultrasound scan this afternoon, there was no evidence that her cancer was continuing to grow. Everything appears to be stable. This was good news, although it does mean that she will need to continue her chemotherapy. We'll take things one month at a time, scanning her abdomen every thirty days to evaluate the status of the mass in her liver. Dot's oncologist seemed encouraged by today's results and told me that often the tumor starts to shrink after about three months of treatment. If Dot's mobility doesn't continue to deteriorate, I think we're OK. We can always discontinue the Palladia if it is making it harder for her to walk.

I went back to my original breakfast restaurant this morning. It was disappointing to see how much the new restaurant across the street has hurt their business. This morning, there were a lot of empty tables and it looked like they had to lay off some kitchen staff.  The food was still excellent, but you could see a look of resignation of everybody's faces. Things have changed.

It looked like the construction crews, cyclists, and moms who didn't have time to fix breakfast for their kids were still regular customers, but that the hipsters had all abandoned the place en masse. This confirmed something that I have long thought about hipsters. They are conformists at heart. If one hipster does something, they all have to do it.  Maybe this explains the proliferation of man buns, messenger bags, and Amish style beards. At any rate, the local hipster community has decided that the restaurant across the street is the place to be.

I got a call from the guy who has been hosting all my websites since the mid 1990's. He wanted to give me a heads up that he was planning on selling his business soon so he and his wife could travel more. The guy is 72 and I've been amazed that he's run a successful web hosting company for as long as he has. It's not an easy business. Almost every day someone is trying to hack into your servers and cause as much chaos as they can. I wished my friend well, but I was sad to hear the news of his retirement. It was the end of an era. I will probably have to move my websites somewhere else. There are plenty of places to choose from, but I really enjoyed having a friend I could talk to personally when things went haywire, instead of calling a tech support number and talking to somebody in India.

The decline of my favorite restaurant and the upcoming demise of my hosting company seem like different aspects of an ongoing trend. The march of time is gradually making my world irrelevant. Stores I have done business with for decades disappear overnight. Software I depend on is no longer supported. Clients retire or in some cases even die. I am forced to change or adapt just to survive. I don't like this. The world seemed as it should be from the day I graduated from college until the mid 1990's. Those were good times. Now, I can barely recognize where I am.

I'm always nervous that Google will abruptly decide to abandon Blogger someday. That would be just my luck. I'd wake up ready to continue my journey to Day 5000 and discover that my blog and all the other Blogger blogs had simply disappeared. It could happen. So much has changed already that further changes like this seem almost inevitable.

Nick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2278

Curiosity finally got the better of me. When I was driving to breakfast this morning, I turned right instead of left and pulled into the parking lot of the new restaurant across the street from my regular place. Yes, despite my loyalty, I abandoned ship. Hopefully, the consequences of turning right won't be as disastrous as they were for Dr. Who when Donna Noble made a wrong turn and then had to go back in time to convince herself to turn left and save the world. I liked the new place. Instead of breakfast tacos and migas, this place featured locally sourced meat and eggs. Apparently this is what hipsters like to eat, because the place was filled with men sporting long beards and man buns. I ordered cinnamon pancakes, bacon, and homemade biscuits and gravy. Everything was delicious. I won't abandon my breakfast restaurant, but I'll return to this new place whenever I'm in the mood for comfort food.

I can't figure this weather out. The day was punctuated by short fierce storms interspersed with longer periods of relative calm. During one of these calm periods, I thought the rain was finished and decided to clear the water off the roof again. As soon as I was finished, another squall swept through town and erased all my efforts. I'll never learn. I cleaned the car when I saw a patch of blue sky in mid-afternoon and then got it dirty again when I had to go out and pick up the take-out meals I had ordered for dinner. At least I was able to walk the dogs without getting wet. These relatively dry walks and my cinnamon pancake were probably the silver lining to a day filled with some some very dark clouds.

I had some website work to finish today, but it wasn't really enough to distract me from the terrible weather. I think I'll abandon any future plans to remove water from the roof or clean the car until I'm convinced that the skies have cleared. I've really wasted a lot of time dealing with water issues and accomplished absolutely nothing. I'm still trying to get Dash to go outside and pee and Dot hasn't pooped since breakfast. It's been that kind of day.

I'm worried about Dot. She has been stumbling a lot today and seems to have difficulty standing without assistance. Some of this weakness is caused by the weather, since the damp, cool air aggravates her arthritis. My fear is that the cumulative effects of her chemotherapy is starting to wear her down as well. We've got one more week to go before we do another scan to see whether the Palladia pills are working. Then we've got to decide whether all this is worth it. I wish we could ask Dot what she wants. I'm guessing that she wants to live as long as she can, because she still seems to enjoy her life and doesn't appear to be depressed at all. As long as Dot wants to keep going, I'll do my best to help her.

The weather forecast says the rain will continue thru tomorrow. Then we are supposed to have four days of sunshine before the Spring rains start again. That's about as good as you're going to get during the rainy season. We'll hope for the best.

Tyson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2277

I think I've entered my own private version of the Twilight Zone. I don't know how long you can spend endlessly cleaning up dog poop in the house, removing water from a flat roof, watching the political circus on cable news, and checking your Facebook feed for obituary notices before you go stark raving mad. The high point of my day is deciding what to eat. The meal itself is usually an afterthought, but the anticipation of eating is still kind of nice.

There were multiple accidents to clean up today. I'm amazed at how well the washing machine is working, since its been getting quite a workout this year. Dot is starting to feel the Palladia pills she took on Wednesday. It takes 24 to 36 hours before I notice any difference. Typically, she starts to become more tired than usual about 24 hours after she takes the pills and then starts to recover again on the day she is due for another pill. The new schedule gives her two days to recover between each chemotherapy treatment and it appears to be working. I hope the Palladia pills are actually doing what they are supposed to do, because I hate to see Dot have a bad day.

I got my March invoices out today. It didn't take long, because there aren't many to send out anymore. Since there wasn't much food in the refrigerator, I thought I'd pick up some Chinese take out on the way home from the post office. I found a nearby Pei Wei where I could order online and ended up getting the Pad Thai I was hungry for yesterday. It wasn't the best Pad Thai I've ever eaten, but it was fresh and reasonably priced. It certainly beat having a peanut butter sandwich for dinner. I've become a fan of ordering take-out online and picking up the meal while I'm running errands in the neighborhood. If you pick the right restaurant, there is virtually no waiting. I'll probably go to this Pei Wei again. It seems a little healthier than the bacon cheeseburger I usually pick up when the refrigerator looks empty.

I was really hoping that the rain might end today, but the forecast shows that there will be more thunderstorms tomorrow and Saturday. I try to take a picture of something interesting every day, and I will admit that the rain creates interesting droplet patterns on plants. That's about all it's good for in my opinion. Rain also means wiping the dogs paws and cleaning my boots every time I come inside. It means an influx of cockroaches trying to get into the house. It means a dirty car. It means the dehumidifier has to work harder. And of course it means six inches of standing water on the roof. I hope my regular readers will bear with me. You've probably been listening to my rain rants every Spring for many years now.

The trash has been taken out to the curb. The wet clothes are all dry again. The dogs have had their evening meds and been outside to pee one last time before going to bed. All I have to do is brush my teeth and this day is over.

Ely is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2263

I fixed myself French Toast and sausage patties for breakfast, but I think I overestimated the effect that a little infusion of variety would have on my day. Today was basically exactly the same as yesterday. I made the bed. I cleaned up poop. I took a dog to the vet. I wrote another article. That was about it. Since it was Thursday, I also gathered up the trash and took it out to the curb.

I could tell that Dot has lost a little more energy when we had our water therapy session this morning. The decline has been subtle since we resumed her chemotherapy, but there definitely is a difference. It's going to be tough to decide whether to keep taking the Palladia pills or discontinue them again. I guess it depends on whether they are actually helping to slow the cancer growth. We will probably continue the pills until it's time to take another scan and measure the two tumors again. Since we have already established a baseline rate of growth, it should be possible to determine whether the addition of Palladia helps or does nothing. If the chemotherapy is working, we continue it. If the results are ambiguous, as they often are when you're dealing with cancer, we'll discontinue the Palladia. Dot is running on empty when it comes to her strength and energy level, but she still wants to live. Hopefully, with the help of Dot's oncologist, we can strike a balance that will keep her walking while continuing to fight the cancer. It's hard to make these kind of decisions, but it's not really fair to ignore them.

I read an article today that said there are a growing number of people making six figure incomes by posting pictures on Instagram and Pinterest. Evidently all you have to do is get 200,000 followers and post a continuous stream of selfies. When you develop a following, manufacturers will pay you to take selfies with their products. Somehow, all the success stories seem to involve young women taking pictures of purses and shoes. I doubt very highly that any men are making $100,000 a year on Pinterest.  I find this all a bit disheartening. I feel like Don Quixote by spending hours each day writing this blog for a few dozen readers. It's all tilting windmills.

I find myself losing interest in food. I hope this is temporary. Looking forward to meals is one of the few things that has kept me going this Winter. Most of my energy is used up taking care of the dogs and it's hard to get excited about anything else. This is when I should be writing new songs and assembling images for a gallery show. It's not going to happen though. I've just lost interest.

I am interested in going out for breakfast tomorrow. This is a good sign, since it means that my stomach has finally quit rebelling and my extended bout with the flu is just about over. I'll probably go vote after breakfast. Don't ask me who I'm voting for though. I think the old rule about no talk about politics or religion at the dinner table should extend to social media. I wish I didn't know who many of you are voting for. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. 

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2258

I'm still under the weather. My nose is red. I've got a persistent cough. My fever has subsided, but I've added a bad headache to my laundry list of symptoms. All I really wanted to do today was sleep, but when I lie down, sinus drainage quickly clogs my nasal passages and fills my throat with phlegm. Basically, I'm a mess. I still don't know how I managed to come down with the flu, since I avoid crowds at all costs and can't think of anyone in my small circle of friends who is sick. It's a mystery.

I'm so tired that I haven't been waking up when Dot has to poop at night. Even in the best of times, I had to be very quick to get her outside before she made a mess. Last night I didn't even notice when Dot struggled to change position during the night and ended up pooping in her bed. By morning, there was almost nothing left, because Dot had eaten the poop. I find this disgusting, but Dot's vet says it is completely normal. Mother dogs routinely eat the poop of their puppies to keep their bedding and immediate surroundings clean. Dot has always been a clean, tidy dog. I'm sure she just thinks she's doing the right thing.

I need to let Dot's oncologist know about this situation. I know that you've not even supposed to get anywhere near a dogs poop during their chemotherapy treatments. The poop turns toxic. I guess when your dog has cancer, you don't want it to be incontinent as well. There's not much I can do about the situation. I'm pretty sure that the oncologist will tell me that while picking up poison poop is not ideal, to just live with it and do the best I can. What else could I do anyway.

This flu has killed my appetite. I just ate a tiny amount for breakfast and didn't feel like eating much for dinner either. My stomach still feels kind of queasy, so there's no point in eating a lot and just throwing it up again. Hey, maybe I'll lose some weight. The most foolproof way to lose a lot of weight in a hurry is to get real sick. The only times I can remember losing ten pounds in less than a week was when I had a horrible cold.

I was sorry to see Bernie Sanders lose the Nevada Caucus. A lot of Bernie's economic plans seem like rainbows and unicorns fantasies to me, but at least the guy is honest and sincere. I can't say the same for Hillary. Hillary and Ted Cruz are my least favorite candidates. Actually, I don't like any of the candidates very much. Where is this generation's John Kennedy? Sadly, I don't think we could elect Kennedy today. We've become too polarized and politically correct.

Jeez, Dot just pooped in her bed again. I've washed her favorite blanket three times today and her schedule is completely out of sync. Why is this happening? I'm very, very tired. It's time to give Dot and Dash their nighttime meds and call it a day. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

Odie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2257

My stomach vetoed going out for breakfast this morning. After we walked the dogs, I just ate a leftover frozen waffle I found in the refrigerator and went back to bed. I don't know what kind of bug I caught, but it's a lot more persistent than I anticipated. The first day was a runny nose and a sore throat. The second day was aching joints, night sweats, vomiting, and a mild fever. Today things seem to have settled in my chest. I'm coughing more and still feel tired. I think I'm getting better, but it's hard to tell. The aches and pains keep moving around.

Did I mention I'm a hypochondriac? I rarely get sick, but when I do, I always think I've come down with something much worse than I really have. Now, I'm wondering if the tick that bit me a few weeks ago caused this. It's highly unlikely that I have some strange tick-borne disease, since my symptoms seem exactly like the flu, but that's how my mind works. A mild case of the flu usually lasts about three days and a more serious case can last up to a week. My flu shot obviously didn't work, but maybe it is helping to keep things from becoming worse. There's got to be some reason why I keep getting these flu shots year after year.

I got off to an extremely slow start this morning, but I eventually finished my writing assignment and turned it in. The only other thing I did today was go to the grocery store and pick up something for dinner. I didn't feel like eating anything hot, so I got some chicken salad, potato salad, and broccoli slaw. I probably shouldn't have gotten anything, because I wasn't really hungry.

So far so good with Dot. She's only taken one round of chemo pills so far, but there doesn't seem to be any obvious adverse reactions. She still has a good appetite and enjoys her walks in the morning. Since Dot is tired and weak anyway, it might be hard to detect a subtle further decline. She gets her second set of pills tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. I'm hoping that the new lower dose and extra day of recovery will help prevent the weakness that was obvious the first time we tried chemo. If this works, the Palladia pills could add significantly to the amount of time we still get to share with her.

I think I'm going to skip some of my usual Saturday errands tomorrow. What's the point. There's nothing I do that can't wait a few days. I think the priority now is to shake off this cold and get better. I hate to take decongestants or cold pills, so the only thing that makes sense to me are some extended naps with the dogs. The house may get a little dirtier, but I think the dogs will understand.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2255

I was wrong. I don't have a cold after all. I have the flu. I don't know how I came down with the flu, since I got my flu shot this year. It sure feels like the flu though. When I woke up this morning, my bones ached and I was extremely tired. I thought about canceling my dental appointment, but ultimately ended up keeping it because I wasn't coughing or sneezing anymore. We walked the dogs like we normally do and then I sat down for breakfast. I drank about half of my morning smoothie and then I knew I was going to throw up. I couldn't even make it to the bathroom in time. So much for breakfast. I cleaned up my mess, took Dot outside to pee again, and then took a short nap.

When it was time to leave for my dental appointment, I was feeling fine again. I don't think anybody even realized how bad I felt earlier in the day. I didn't cough. I didn't sneeze. I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. The dentist took new x-rays and his hygienist cleaned my teeth. Everyone said I had been taking very good care of my teeth and then they sent me on my way.

When I got home, I realized I was tired again. I fed the dogs their lunch and then took a nap. Dash curled up next to me and I don't think either of us moved for hours. When I finally woke up, it was time to feed the dogs their dinner. I must have waited too long with Dot, because almost immediately after I got her up, she needed to poop. I tried to get her outside as fast as I could, but I was still sleepy and I couldn't get her harness on fast enough. By the time we made it outside, she had already left a little trail all the way from her bed to the back door. She made a mess in her harness too, so I had to take it off, hose it down outside, and then put it in the wash. Getting Dot to pee without her harness was a challenge, but somehow we succeeded.

After I walked Dash, it was time to give Dot her Palladia pills. I had forgotten how much trouble this is. I first have to pen Dash in a different room, so he won't inadvertently eat the pills himself. Then I put on rubber gloves and make a little meatball with the two pills hidden inside some wet dog food. Then I clean the gloves and anything else that touched the pills and put everything away. Hopefully, since Dot is taking a smaller dose and we are waiting an extra day between treatments, she won't be as uncomfortable as she was before. After three treatments, we go back to the cancer center and evaluate her progress.

Today wasn't a good day. I've known for a long time that Dot is frail and doesn't have much energy in reserve. What I didn't realize was that I don't have much in reserve either. The flu knocked me out. I need to have my wits about me to take care of Dot. When I spend as much time sleeping as the dogs, everything falls apart. Hopefully, I'll feel better tomorrow.

Lexi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2254

Two vet appointments in a single day is probably too much. I basically spent the morning taking Dot to her physical therapy appointment and the afternoon taking her for a reevaluation at the cancer center. Dot was tired and so was I. Dot did well during the therapy session, as she always does, but the big news was that her blood pressure has returned to normal. The blood pressure medication she's taking appears to work. We'll recheck her urine and blood work in a week or so, but I'm not quite so worried about kidney failure anymore.

I am still worried about the cancer. Dot's oncologist wants to resume chemotherapy on a trial basis. We're going to try a smaller amount of Palladia and add an extra day between treatments to help her recover. We'll try this until next Friday and see how well she tolerates the new treatment schedule. The oncologist agrees that quality of life is more important than longevity at any cost. If Dot tolerates the Palladia, we'll continue the treatment. If it makes her miserable, we'll quit.

Hopefully, we'll have better luck with chemotherapy this time. I'm not looking forward to it though. It's a nuisance to put on the purple rubber chemo gloves every time you give her a pill and since Dot's poop will be mildly toxic during chemo, an accident in the house will be a bit more consequential than it was before. Incontinence and chemotherapy are not a good combination. As always, we'll do the best we can.

I'm coming down with a cold, which is rare for me. I can avoid colds almost indefinitely as long as I stay away from other people. I could have gotten the cold anywhere, but I have a feeling that I  caught this particular bug while I was at the photoshoot last weekend. Ironically, this is also where I probably got the nail in my tire. Maybe I should stick to photographing inanimate objects. I frequently get a cold when I'm doing holiday pet portraits for Dalmatian Rescue. If I'm photographing children, I'm toast. At least this is just a garden variety cold and not the flu. I woke up with a mild sore throat and spent the day sneezing, but that's about it. I should be fine in 48 hours.

I can't believe its been a year since I had my dental work done. It's already time for my annual checkup. In my prior life I would have ignored these annual checkups, but last year's dental adventure finally convinced me that I need to take care of my teeth. I want to keep the teeth I have left, so I'll do anything the dentist wants these days. I use a Sonicare toothbrush now and floss with a Waterpik before I go to bed each night. Hopefully they won't find any cavities when they clean my teeth tomorrow. The less time I spend in a dental chair, the better.

It would have been a good idea to go to bed early tonight, except that it's already late. That's the way it goes. The days are long and very little is accomplished. Now, if I could just remember where I put the cough drops the last time I had a cold.

Joshua is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2247

Today was discouraging. Dot's oncologist found a second tumor during her ultrasound exam. We won't know whether she also has kidney problems until the complete lab reports come back later in the week, but we did learn that Dot has high blood pressure. The high blood pressure could be causing the abnormalities discovered in the routine urinalysis we ran last week. None of this is good news. Dot's oncologist wants us to consider resuming chemotherapy at a lower dose to see whether Dot can handle it. This will slow down the growth of the cancer, but it might cause her to become weaker and make it harder for her to walk again. It's going to be a tough choice.

Cancer is so relentless that it's really hard to beat it entirely. Most treatments don't actually cure cancer, they just slow down it's advance. Despite her limited mobility, Dot is still a happy dog who enjoys her life. If we can come up with a treatment plan that will keep her happy and motivated, I'm willing to try it. The day Dot becomes severely depressed with her condition, it's all over. I think this is true with people as well when they become ill. You've got to have a reason to keep moving forward.

I'm having problems with my car and had to make a service appointment. It used to only take a day or two to get an appointment, but now the wait can be up to two weeks. I'm sure this has something to do with the economy. The dealership is still selling a lot of cars, but they haven't added any new mechanics. As a result, customers wait longer. The same thing seems to be happening when you need a plumber or make a doctor's appointment. Airlines are the worst. Fuel prices have come down dramatically during the past year, but have ticket prices decreased? Nope. Flying is just as unpleasant as it has always been.

I digress though. I was talking about my car. The car is still under warranty, but is getting old enough that things are starting to break. My current problem is with the electrical system. Modern automotive electronics are so complex that they are almost unfixable when things start to go wrong. Usually they end up replacing the expensive computer brain that controls everything. That's why I'd like to get this problem taken care of before the warranty runs out. I was able to keep my old Defender 90 long after the warranty ran out because it was basically a very simple machine. I don't think I'll be able to hang on to this car without a good warranty. The car is just too complicated. Repairs are already so expensive that it would make more sense to just trade it in as soon as the warranty runs out. Luckily, I've still got a few years to decide what to do next.

I don't think I've got a few years with Dot. I'm worried. After all we've been through, it's hard for me to accept that she won't live forever. I've never seen a dog with this much strength, determination, and resilience. We're getting near the end of the road however. I'm observant enough to see what's happening. I'm just not ready.

I was pleased to see the outsiders win tonight in New Hampshire. Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump are as different as day and night, but each is authentic in their own way. I hope this sends a message to Washington DC that politics as usual is over. I don't know what the solution is, but we've got to find a way to move beyond the total gridlock our current politicians have created. It won't be easy because we have allowed ourselves to become so fragmented as a country that nobody can agree on anything anymore. The next year or so should be very interesting.

Jazz it today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2212

Dot's cancer is growing again. Her oncologist said that she wasn't that alarmed by the growth, but it was still disheartening. We had gone for over six months with no growth in the tumor whatsoever, so it was easy to start believing that the cancer was in remission. We talked about the merits of resuming chemotherapy and both of us agreed that in Dot's case, chemo probably did more harm than good.When Dot initially started taking Palladia to slow down the growth of the tumor, she quickly became weaker and within a week she could hardly walk. She was just too old and weak to tolerate the powerful drug. When we discontinued the chemotherapy, her mobility began to improve again. It's a tough choice when you have to choose between quality of life and length of life. Dot was miserable when she couldn't move around. Her mobility is still limited, but she can move around the house on her own and has a sense of independence. The cancer will win in the end, but for now she is a happy dog. I hope we did the right thing.

I wish I'd remembered to bring the lawn mower battery inside for the Winter before the temperatures dipped below freezing. I forgot, and now I've ruined another expensive 24 volt battery. I brought the battery inside this afternoon anyway, but I'm pretty sure I'll have to have it re-celled again in the Spring. I've learned the hard way that freezing weather and batteries isn't a good combination. This is the third lawnmower battery I've ruined. I wonder how car batteries survive as well as they do? They're out in the cold all the time. Any other type of battery is usually toast if you leave it too long in freezing weather.

Since it looks like it's going to be cold for a while, I'm doing my best to get ready for Winter. I've set the outside faucets so they drip a little to prevent the pipes from freezing. The dehumidifier has done wonders to lower the humidity in the house. Last Winter, I routinely had to mop the inside of the window glass with a towel in the morning to get rid of the condensation. Now, there is no condensation at all. We've learned how to attach Dot's Help 'Em Up Harness over a sweater, so she'll stay warm on our early morning walks. I've got a new pair of Winter gloves now, because my old gloves were falling apart. I can't say that I enjoy Winter, but I'm not going to let it get the best of me.

The year has just begun and there's already a stack of bills to pay on my desk. There's got to be more to life than paying bills and cleaning up poop. Maybe not. Sometimes I think I need to find a greater purpose to my life. Other times I think I've already found it. I do a good job of taking care of the dogs. I make enough sitting here writing so that I can pay the stack of bills on my desk without leaving the dogs. I haven't had a boss to tell me what to do in over 25 years. That's all got to be worth something. I'm not sure how writing this blog every evening fits into the grand scheme of things, but maybe this ongoing saga is valuable to someone.

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2061

I think we've got a plan for Dot now. She had an ultrasound scan of her abdomen today and the tumor has not grown any further. Her blood work still looks good as well. This is very good news. Dot's oncologist thinks it will be safe for us to discontinue her Palladia treatment for two weeks to see if this is what is causing the weakness in her rear legs. It is entirely possible that the lameness has nothing to do with Dot's chemotherapy, but since muscle weakness in a well documented side effect of Palladia, it would be good to know if this is what is causing the problem.

If discontinuing the Palladia makes no difference and Dot still continues to get weaker, we will assume the problem is neurological in nature and resume the chemotherapy. If she shows any sign of improvement, we will postpone the chemotherapy for an additional two weeks and then do another ultrasound scan. This way, we will learn two important things. We will know whether the Palladia is causing the muscle weakness and we will see if the tumor starts to grow again after being off chemotherapy for a full month. At that point we will have to decide whether to resume the chemotherapy for an extended length of time. The best case scenario would be if Dot's leg gets stronger without the Palladia and the tumor still does not grow any bigger. If this happens, maybe we just discontinue chemo entirely and monitor her condition every three months with an ultrasound scan.

When we left the cancer center today, the thermometer in the car said 118 degrees. I'm sure it wasn't really this hot, since the thermometer was picking up heat from the car itself. Once we got moving, the temperature went down to 106. That was probably closer to the real temperature. Either way, it was way too hot. Dot was happy to get home again where the air conditioner was keeping things comfortable. When the car sits out in the sun for any length of time, it takes most of the journey home just to get it cool again. At least Dot is riding better in the car now. I think I have finally learned how to get her situated so she doesn't slide around whenever I go around a corner.

The field monitor for my video camera finally arrived today. I discovered that every single device I want to use the monitor with requires a different type of HDMI cable. I didn't even know there were three distinct flavors of HDMI. I need a micro HDMI connector for the miniature cameras, a mini HDMI connector for the DSLR camera, and a regular cable for the video camera. This will require another trip to Fry's or Best Buy. All the cables I currently have are already attached to the TV.

When I was eating breakfast this morning, I was surprised to see that I was the only customer in the restaurant at one point. Often this place is so crowded that it's hard to find a table. Of all the people who come here, I seem to be the only one who is relentlessly consistent. I always arrive at the same time, order the same thing, and sit at the same table. There are lots of other regulars, but their schedules seem to vary. There are hundreds of reasons by people's plans change, but I still value consistency. I've always been a good observer.  When you look at the same things over and over again, you start to notice nuances and small details that other people miss. I can tell who cooked my breakfast now. Some of the cooks use more salt on the potatoes, others garnish the dish with extra cheese, or cook the Chorizo a little longer. I used to think the coffee was all the same, but now I can tell if they are using Ethiopian or Sumatran beans. These little things keep breakfast interesting.

I'm not sure what I'll do this weekend. Janet and I need to find time to photograph some new Dalmatians that have entered the rescue program. The house definitely needs to be cleaned. The hotter it gets, the more I'm craving an ice cold beer. I still can't bring myself to drink alcohol again though. The discipline I acquired when I was fighting Hepatitis C is apparently going to stay with me for life.

Lou is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2040

I think we've got a plan for Dot. The oncologist agrees that the Palladia could be causing Dot's recent lameness. The only way to know for sure would be to stop the chemotherapy entirely and see if her condition improves. The oncologist and I agreed to continue the Palladia for another three weeks and then take another Ultrasound scan to measure the tumor again. Comparing the results of this scan with the initial scan we made at the beginning of her treatment should give us a baseline that can help determine how quickly the tumor is growing, or hopefully shrinking. Once we have this information, we can then stop the chemotherapy for a few weeks to see if her rear legs start to get stronger again. Palladia may not be the problem, but at least a test like this would help eliminate the drug from a long list of possible suspects. Maybe by the end of August, we'll know what is actually going on.

Breakfast was enjoyable this morning, but the rest of the day was kind of stressful. It is becoming increasingly difficult to get Dot back and forth between her various vet appointments. She knows where she is going now, and when she decides she doesn't want to get in the car, even a short journey seems to take forever. Before we begin, I've got to get her harness on and take her out in the back yard to see if she'll poop. Then I need to get Dash situated in the room with the pet cam while simultaneously leading Dot toward the front door while I'm holding on to a short least attached to the rear of her harness. Getting both dogs in the right place requires lots of dog treats. If Dot poops in the car, it can get really messy, so I always make sure to line her space with protective mats first. When my shoulder is acting up, it can difficult to even lift her up and get her in the rear door. If I don't get get her positioned just right, her rear legs can get tangled up when I'm going around a curve, so occasionally  I have to pull over to the side of the road and reposition her again. I try to allow plenty of time, but it goes without saying that I am frequently late for my appointments.

I managed to finish my third article this afternoon, so I'm good to go for the weekend. Our wet, mild Spring is starting to seem like a distant memory. July is always hot in Texas and this July is no exception. The grass is starting to dry out and the dogs are no longer eager to go outside in the afternoons. Water restrictions are in place, so if I want to water the grass I need to remember to turn the sprinklers on first thing in the morning or late at night. Our air conditioner still seems to be working fine, but the electric bill is going to be much larger next month. I couldn't wait for the endless days of rain to stop last May, but now I'd welcome an occasional downpour as long as it wasn't accompanied by thunder and lightning. I've got enough problems with the dogs already without throwing thunder and lightning into the mix.

I keep seeing workshops and seminars on the Internet that I'd like to attend. Most of these involve film-making or audio production. This is a bit strange, since I'm not very involved in either of these areas anymore. Even though an interesting workshop has always been my idea of a vacation, I'm never very interested in in attending the many web design workshop that are out there. Web design is what occupies most of my time these days, but I never have fantasies about coding. It's curious that although I'll probably never make another documentary film again, I'm still fascinated by almost every aspect of film-making. I don't like setting up all the equipment any more, I don't have the patience to deal with hiring crews, and I hate all the travel I used to do, but there's still something that attracts me like a moth to a flame.

I doubt that I'll be thinking much about making films this weekend. Weekends are for mowing grass and picking up dog hair with the Dyson. If I'm lucky, I'll get to catch up on some sleep as well.

Riley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2011

I went and picked up Dot's chemotherapy medication after breakfast this morning. When Dash finished his year long Palladia treatment, I was hoping that I'd never see this drug again. The trouble with cancer drugs is that you can't be sure if they really work. The oncologist can cite all sorts of statistics, but in the end they are just statistics. You can still die of cancer even after extensive chemotherapy treatment and it's still possible to go into remission if you do nothing. My instinct is to find the best doctors and just do what they say, but the ambiguity of cancer treatment is still unsettling. Dot will initially take the drug for one week and then she'll have a blood test at the end of next week to determine if the Palladia has adversely affected her red and white cell count. If her blood chemistry looks good and she doesn't have excessive diarrhea, Dot will probably continue taking Palladia for the rest of her life, or until we run out of money. Chemotherapy can be very expensive.

I thought I'd get a lot done today since Dot had to cancel her physical therapy appointment because the underwater treadmill was broken. Unfortunately, I didn't get any more accomplished than any other day. Little things kept getting in the way. I'm beginning to wish that e-mail was never invented. Janet is continually answering work related e-mail at home and even with a smaller client base, I spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with e-mail myself. I'd like to say "not my circus, not my monkeys" to everyone, but if you have a small business like I do, you quickly realize that the problems actually are your monkeys.

At least the weather was nice today. There was a cool breeze when we took the dogs on their early morning walk and the temperature was still reasonable later in the day when it was time for the evening walk. Tropical Depression Bill has moved on and there was actually lots of blue sky today. I don't think there is any rain in the forecast for tomorrow either. All this really means is that it's time to get all the water off the roof again. We got a couple of products to control mosquitoes recently that are supposed to be organic and pet friendly. I did a little research on the Internet and discovered that one of the products was probably as safe as it claimed to be, while the other one was poison. The second product was so hazardous that I can't believe that someone sold it to us as safe to use around dogs. It's hard to trust anyone these days. While the mosquito treatment products may be questionable, at least there was some satisfaction in learning that the food Dot and Dash eat was still the best available. I saw a recent independent study that tested and ranked over 2000 types of dog food and the brand our dogs have eaten for years was among the elite top 25. Hey, at least we're doing something right.

I finished another article today, but I still have several more to write tomorrow. There is a long list of websites that I still need to convert to a mobile friendly format. Since I am no longer doing this for free, the list might actually be shorter than I think. I don't think I'll ever completely catch up with everything. It's an impossibility. I'm glad it's Friday tomorrow. Although the day happens to be my birthday, the important thing is that I'll get to go out for breakfast again.

Rugby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day