Day 3328 - Superbowl Sunday

I guess I expected the Patriots to win today. It was almost inevitable. What I didn't expect was that this year's Superbowl commercials would be even worse than last year. I've spent most of my adult life in advertising and I never thought I'd see the day when we collectively lost our sense of humor. Superbowl commercials used to be hilarious but today's batch were no laughing matter. Have the bright young creatives who made these commercials forgotten how to laugh? Everything was so serious this year. The commercials were all about social justice and saving the planet. Even my favorite commercial featuring a good looking Dalmatian with her ears flapping in the wind was all about using wind power to brew beer. Where are the companies who are willing to poke fun at themselves and make people laugh?  I think everyone was playing it safe this year. Humor can be controversial and nobody wanted to risk being politically incorrect. It's sad that we've come to this. I don't think shows like Seinfeld and All in the Family could even get on the air anymore.

I was really hoping that the Rams would win today's game, but it wasn't meant to be. Jared Goff got knocked around so much by the Pats that I was amazed he finished the game. At least our Superbowl meal was a winner. I picked up some pork ribs from my favorite barbecue place on my way home from the gym. They were delicious. The people waiting for the pit-master to get their order ready weren't exactly a testimonial for eating smoked meats. They were overweight, looked to be in poor health, and one guy was pushing a walker. Maybe this is why I save barbecue for special occasions. I know the difference between "good for you" and "good with a beer," but I still think that few things can top well prepared brisket and ribs.

Dash felt a little better today. The diarrhea is gone and he is pooping normally again. Keep in mind that "normal" for Dash still means pooping in the house, but at least his poop isn't a liquid mess anymore. We discontinued the Metronidazole because it seems to be making him even weaker and more confused than he usually is. Hopefully, when the medicine gets out of his system he won't be quite so shaky on his feet. He was still pretty weak today, but we think we are seeing some improvement.

It's time to fit Dash for his Help 'Em Up Harness. It's becoming too difficult to keep him upright on walks using the Ruffwear harness. The fitting was more difficult than I thought, because Dash can't stand upright on his own for very long. The Help 'Em Up Harness comes in male and female versions, but I'm not sure how well the male rear section of the harness will work with Dash. Due to the way he normally pees, I could end up washing the thing every day. I've got the front section of the harness sized correctlly now, but the rear section still needs some work.

None of my trains sold in January. This was disappointing. My friend who is helping me sell the collection says the market for collectibles isn't what it used to be. I'm not surprised. Few people younger than me probably even know what a train is.

Casey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 2948

Another uneventful Friday. My pancakes were delicious. Maybe next week I'll make an omelet. I'd almost forgotten that my special omelet recipe made it into the South by Southwest cookbook a few years ago. I was probably the least famous person in this celebrity studded cookbook, but it was still cool to be selected. The only downside to today's meal was that I used up the last of the Italian sausage. There's only one place in town that makes this stuff the way I like it, so I'll have to drive across town to pick up a new supply next week. Let me know if you hear of any amazing new breakfast restaurants. Until then, I'm content to eat at home.

I talked to a dealer I've known for years about helping me liquidate one of my collections. I didn't think he'd be interested, but he seems willing to help for a percentage of the sale. Before we can get started, I need to provide a complete inventory of the collection. Lord knows how long that will take. Most of the stuff is in unmarked boxes in the storage warehouse. I don't even know what I have anymore. If making an inventory was a pleasant task, I would have done it years ago. I guess I should have known that you can postpone unpleasant tasks, but you can seldom avoid them entirely.

People who collect memories probably have an easier time decluttering than people who collect stuff. We all become forgetful as we grow older. When you forget your memories, your problem is solved. When you forget where you've put all your stuff, the problem just becomes more difficult. I hope I can take care of this collection by the end of the year. Then next year, I'll start on another one.

It was much warmer today. Dash didn't need to wear a sweater under his harness and I didn't need to wear a second coat under my down jacket. The fact that I would call a windy, forty degree day "warm" just goes to show you how cold it's been for the past week. I'm ready for Spring. Unfortunately, I don't think Winter cares what I think. We've had plenty of ice storms in February and March.

I got two more writing assignments today. Two articles isn't enough to pay the electric bill, but it's nice that a few people still remember me. I could write two articles a day indefinitely, but I was in no hurry to start writing immediately. I'm going to save these jobs for next week. Hey, I already wrote something last Thursday. With assignments so few and far between, I need to spread these things out.

Am I the only one who's grown tired of all the drama in Washington DC? All the TV stations have a countdown clock showing how many hours are left before the government shuts down again. Who cares. These shutdowns are meaningless. The government starts back up again in a few days. All the government workers get paid. Both sides blame each other for the mess and then the whole cycle starts all over again. The next time the government shuts down, we should just leave it closed indefinitely and see what we can do without. Congress would be the first to go. They aren't doing anything anyway.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 2943

I used to be an avid railfan. I liked to ride trains, read books about trains, hang out in hobby shops, and buy model trains. I built several model railroads, although I never really had a place to keep them. Eventually all three train stores in Dallas went out of business, people I knew stopped collecting trains, my own trains wound up in the storage warehouse, and I completely forgot about my old hobby. Today, I was thinking about the owner of one of those old school hobby shops and thought I'd look him up on the Internet. I wasn't expecting to find anything. The guy is older than me and I thought he retired years ago. Much to my surprise I discovered he was alive and well and owns what is billed as "The largest train store between Chicago and Atlanta." For some reason this made me feel great. It's nice to know that it is still possible for old men to pursue an obscure dream and succeed at it. I don't know anyone in Dallas these days who even knows what a train is, but apparently they are still quite popular in Kentucky.

If this store were closer, I might start hanging out in hobby shops again. Kentucky is a long way away though. I'm not much of a collector anymore either. I really doubt that I'll pursue a hobby that involves collecting things ever again. The last thing I need is more useless stuff. That being said, I hope my friend's store stays in business. I'm going to need a place to sell my trains someday and it sure isn't going to be eBay.

Since I can't hang out in hobby shops anymore, I go to the gym. Hobby shops were more fun, but the gym will keep me alive longer. I've started going right after breakfast on Sunday mornings now. The place is practically empty and there is never anyone on the basketball court. It always surprises me that I am so inconsistent on the court. Some days I can sink quite a few free throws in a row. Other days, I can't seem to hit the basket at all. I was not at my best today and I have no idea why. I was actually in a pretty good mood.

I'm getting closer and closer to binge watching on Netflix. I've set up the account on both Apple TV and the Roku Stick, but I haven't actually watched anything yet. I can't get past the enormous menu. I scan through this menu from time to time and it seems endless. You could spend the rest of your life watching Netflix movies if you were so inclined. I was bored this afternoon, so I looked at the menu again. As always, there were too way many choices. There were several things that Netflix said I had a 96% chance of liking. How do they know that much about me already? Hey, I was thinking about watching Black Mirror anyway, so it might be a good idea to just go with their suggestions.

The weather was nice today, but it is supposed to rain tomorrow. Then on Tuesday, another cold front arrives and the temperatures are expected to drop into the teens again. I wish the weather would just make up it's mind. I don't even know what to wear anymore.

Kasey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1707

Today was a mixed bag. I walked the dogs together again for the first time in over a month. I had to slow Dash down a bit, but generally everything went fine. I'll try this again tomorrow. If I can go back to walking both dogs together, it will simplify things a bit. We won't have to get up so early every morning and Janet can go back to her regular schedule. I was so pleased with Dot's progress that I became over confident and let her roam around the house unsupervised while I was eating dinner. She promptly peed on the carpet in the bedroom. I was surprised, since we'd just returned from a walk and Dot hadn't had any prior accidents today. I guess it's hard to predict when a dog with a weak bladder is going to need to go. Maybe she just drank too much water with her dinner. I'm not going to let a little pee dampen a great day. Dot is still making fantastic progress. Last night was the third night in a row that we all slept peacefully and woke up in a dry bed. Dot had lots of energy today and was eager to take her walks. Hopefully, tomorrow will be even better.

I took care of most of the weekend's unfinished errands today. After a trip to the post office, the pharmacy, the bank, and the grocery store, I went to Sprinkles to get cupcakes for a birthday celebration. I've never been to this store when there wasn't a long line. Even at 2:30 in the afternoon on a workday there was a long line. I was gone longer than I expected, so I thought that Dot might have had an accident while I was gone. Nope. No problems at all. Unbeknownst to me, she was saving it up for dinnertime.

I've more or less lost interest in collecting things, so I don't visit eBay much anymore. I keep getting notices to change my password though after the big security breach, so today I finally got around to changing it. Out of curiosity I checked a few of the categories I used to follow. Nobody was bidding on anything and prices were much lower than they used to be. All my collectible treasures had fallen out of fashion. I guess it makes sense that nobody would collect film cameras anymore when you can't even buy film for them. The same thing probably goes for model trains. Why would you be interested in trains if you'd never ridden in one? Even though there were bargains galore, I wasn't tempted to bid on anything. I just felt old.

Dot has another physical therapy day tomorrow. It's too bad she can't just go to the gym with me. It would sure save time if she could work on strengthening her legs while a worked on strengthening my shoulder. I guess I shouldn't worry about running out of time though. I've got plenty of time. I just can't figure out what to do with it.

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1104

I am finding it much more difficult to de-construct a life than it was to construct it in the first place. I've been trying, with some degree of difficulty, to fill the packing boxes I bought a few days ago and cart them over to the storage warehouse. When I discovered that the small book boxes I had bought were perfectly sized to hold vinyl record albums, I decided to retire my record collection. I should have done this several years ago, since I no longer have a turntable and couldn't even play these records if I tried.

Sometimes I wish I had Janet's ability to simply throw things away. I continue to make excuses and invent reasons why I need to keep everything a little while longer. Hey, I'll sell it on e-Bay someday, I tell myself. This brings back good memories, I'll think. Hey, what's wrong with good memories? Occasionally when I'm cleaning out the office, I'll become so enthralled with some old treasure I've retrieved that I'll actually start using it again.

I doubt that I'll be playing these vinyl records that I boxed up today anytime soon. It's much easier to listen to digital versions of the same songs on my computer or phone. One thing I noticed while I was boxing things up was that I used to have a very eclectic and extremely wide ranging taste in music during the days of vinyl. I sorted through hundreds and hundreds of records in every genre imaginable. Steve Reich's process music epic "Come Out" sat next to vintage Aerosmith, which in turn sat on top of a hodge-podge of Dave Brubeck, Paul Simon, The Doors, and Bedrich Smetana's The Moldau. There was a little bit of everything. Some of the albums I'm boxing up are quite rare, since DJ friends used to give me promotional copies of albums they received at the radio station from unknown musicians that didn't get any airplay. Like my watch collection, my record collection mostly consists of stuff that nobody has ever heard of.

Dash threw up again last night, which seems to prove that the antihistamines the vet prescribed aren't doing any good. Once again, after he woke everyone up at 4 AM, he was completely fine for the rest of the day. I don't know what is wrong with the dog. Maybe nothing is wrong with him. Dash has always been a very sensitive animal and manages to get himself worked up over nothing time and time again. Maybe he just got upset that Dot stole his place on the bed last night. If Dash could talk, I'm sure we'd get to the bottom of things in just a few minutes.

It's hard to believe that it's Christmas Eve tomorrow. Somehow it seems like we should still be getting ready for Thanksgiving. Things just move too fast these days. While those Mayans were predicting the end of the world, I wonder if anyone else was predicting that time would actually speed up some day and entire years would zip by before you could get anything accomplished. I think it's already happening.

Katy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 906

I'm thinking of pairing down my collections. A wiser decision would probably be to stop collecting things entirely. I've collected stuff since I was a kid. When I was young, I collected Dinky Toys. When I was in architecture school, I started collecting chairs. When I became an adult and had a real job, I started collecting art. Over the years, I've collected things as esoteric as the first editions of all John Fowles books, and as ridiculous as brass scale model trains. There are even people who say the only reason I have friends is so I can collect memories. I don't know why guys collect things. Just about every guy I know collects something. Probably guys collect stuff for the same reason women buy shoes. It's just in their DNA.

The only thing I managed to collect today was another cell phone bill, an electric bill, and a new batch of website revisions. I'll deal with all of these things on Monday. Today, I wrote the articles on my to-do list and got my June invoices in the mail. Oh, I also had a delicious stack of pancakes for breakfast. After a month of experimentation, I've reverted to my original breakfast restaurant and I'll probably stay there for a while.

Janet doesn't want me to mow the new grass in the backyard, because she thinks I'll kill it. It needs to be mowed eventually though. With all the rain we've been having lately, the grass is doing fabulously. I haven't measured it or anything, but it's getting pretty tall. How tall are you supposed to let St. Augustine Grass get anyway? I don't know.

I've noticed that every time Thomas Hawk mentions my name that I get hundreds of new followers on Google. I hope that I don't run out of pretty things to photograph. Early in the year there was an abundance of beautiful sunsets. Then there were some spectacular foggy mornings. Lately, I've been photographing Texas wildflowers. This year, wildflowers are abundant, since the weather conditions are ideal. The Summer heat is on its way though. A month from now, all the flowers will be dried and withered. I'll need to find something new to photograph. Air conditioners would probably be a good subject.

Lacey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 658

I got a call from an antique dealer friend who said she had found some bone china Dalmatian figurines at an estate sale. Did I want them? Sure. Of course I do. Annette told me that she had already bought the figurines, since she knew I would like them, so I met her at a nearby Starbucks to pick them up. This is great! Now people know what I like so well that I don't even need to look for things myself. The ceramic Dalmatians are very pretty and soon will join all the other Dalmatians on the coffee table.

I spent the rest of the day dealing with living, breathing dogs and cats. I must have added at least twenty five new pages to the rescue website I'm trying to bring up to date, but there are still more animals to go. Probably by the time I get pages made for all the new animals the rescue group sent me, some of them will have been adopted and I'll have to take the pages right back down again. Hopefully, I can convince these folks to send me information about adoptable animals immediately after the animal is admitted, instead of waiting three months and sending me a huge pile of stuff all at once.

I actually found myself daydreaming again on our morning walk. This was the first day in a long time that didn't find myself focused on neck pain and worrying about slipping on a loose rock. The physical therapy is really making a difference. I'm sleeping better now as well. My physical therapist told me that drugs and steroid injections really don't work for my type of problem and that many people with neck pain are misdiagnosed. He said when tissue is physically caught and pinched by the vertebra, the only real solution is to physically work the tissue loose again. Maybe this is what chiropractors do as well. I've never been to a chiropractor, so I don't really know. I do like this approach a lot better than just throwing a lot of strong drugs at the problem. Pharmaceuticals aren't the answer for everything.

One of those red "check engine" lights came on in my car today. Damn! Now I can't postpone my next service visit much longer. I think this light just has something to do with the catalytic converter and isn't very serious, but you never know. I guess I'll make an appointment with the Land Rover dealer tomorrow.

Jersey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 438

I think I'm coming down with a cold. Actually, I know I'm coming down with a cold. I knew it the moment someone sitting next to me at last Wednesday's animal rescue meeting mentioned that she had a cold and shouldn't really be there. If I'm within fifty yards of someone with a cold, I usually catch it. The only reason I'm relatively healthy is that I don't really spend much time around other people. At any rate, I've been walking around in a fog all day. I took some antihistamines this morning to stop the runny nose, but all they did was make me sleepy and leave me with a weird buzzing feeling in my head.

I went to the storage warehouse after breakfast this morning and brought home some empty boxes that I plan to fill with things in the office that I haven't used or even looked at in a long time. Most of the boxes are for collectibles that were important at one time or another, but are now just gathering dust. I still love to collect things, but I ran out of room a long time ago. Somehow, I've got to get a handle on this mess. Here's a plan. I've always been good at acquiring stuff. Janet is equally good at getting rid of it. Maybe when we get old, we could have a tidy little business just selling off what remains of all my accumulated crap on eBay.

I think I'm finally starting to understand what Twitter is all about. Rather than just sit around passively as a motley crew of self-proclaimed SEO gurus and spammers start to follow you, it is actually possible to go look for people with shared interests yourself. I did a search today for people with the word Dalmatian in their profile and found quite a few interesting folks who followed me back almost immediately. I wonder why there are so many people on Facebook and Twitter who are obsessed with Dalmatians, but almost no bloggers? I've only run into one other blogger who has a Dalmatian. Maybe Dalmatians just aren't very conducive to writing.

Dalmatian of the Day

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