Day 4906

I finished my article this morning, edited some pictures, and sent the package off to SpaceFlight Magazine. The pictures were almost identical to other rocket pictures I've taken. The article was pretty similar to other articles as well. It kind of made me wonder why I continue to do this. I guess I chase rockets for fun. What is fun though? I don't really know.

Today wasn't just warm, it was hot. The temperature got up to over ninety degrees. I guess it isn't Spring anymore. Summer has arrived. It was still nice outside when we took Dawn on her early morning walk, but I should have taken my long walk right after breakfast. By the time I got around to leaving the house, it was already too hot. I'm always slow to change my routines, but it's about time to go back to using the treadmill at the gym instead of walking outside.

I still haven't fixed the screen door, but I did update the Dalmatian Rescue website this afternoon. I do so little web design and maintenance anymore that I'm starting to forget things. The applications I use are becoming out of date as well. Luckily I still remember enough to get things done. It seems strange now that I used to have lots of clients and did this every single day. There are times when I miss the structure imposed by work.

The friend who is selling my model train collection sold a few more things today. Sales have slowed down to a trickle, but it's still a nice surprise when something sells. Why did I collect these things in the first place? It's a mystery. I wish I could find someone to sell my watches. I've really lost interest in watches over the years and only wear the Apple Watch anymore. There is nothing wrong with collecting things, but it can become an obsession. There is always something new and you never seem to have enough. I collect absolutely nothing these days. Too bad it took me thirty years to arrive at this point.

I'm still resisting the urge to climb up on the roof and inspect things after yesterday's big rain. If I keep climbing up on the roof it will have defeated the whole purpose of getting a new roof. The roof doesn't leak any more, so I should just leave thing alone. I wonder how many days it will be before curiosity gets the better of me. Realistically, I'll still need to go up on the roof from time to time. We have lots of trees and branches occasionally fall on the roof that need to be removed. I'm not going to make visits to the roof a regular occurrence though. Those days are over.

Dawn did well at training class tonight. She seems to love this class even though she hates riding in the car. I probably need to find some sort of class as well. At this point Dawn is probably learning more than I am.

Amy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4852

I'm beginning to realize why I used to collect things. When I collected watches I was always looking for interesting and affordable old watches. I did a lot of reasearch and bought watches from all over the world. I read books on how to repair watches and began to accumulate watch repair tools. My interest in watches even led to having several watch brands and retailers as clients. All this kept me busy, but how many watches do you really need? I just wear an Apple watch now.

I've had similar experiences with collecting other things. I collected model trains and construction equipment for a while. I can't even remember how I became interested in this, but there were little brass trains all over the house for many years. I never built a model railroad or joined a club. I just liked the way these precise little models looked. They were art. I remember the best models were made in Japan and Korea. 

When I was young and living in Seattle I  collected art. I went to gallery openings and was always on the lookout for up and coming artists. I didn't spend much but I did have a good eye. I was surprised decades later to discover that some of the things I had acquired in my 20's were worth a lot. Eventually I sold everything at an auction house in New York and I haven't been interested in art since.

Collecting things was kind of like a perpetual treasure hunt. I didn't need any of these things and eventually began to wonder what I was doing with this stuff. It wasn't the stuff that mattered, it was the process of finding it. You read books to collect knowledge. You travel to collect experiences. I think a lot of photography is just collecting memories. Collecting things is a way of learning. Maybe I need something new to collect.

There was certainly nothing new today. I did exactly the same things I did yesterday and the day before. I don't really get bored because my mind wanders a lot. I'm always wondering about things while I walk and spend a lot of time at the computer going down rabbit holes on the Internet. If I lived in Florida I'd spend a lot more time chasing rockets. Probably attending launches is just another way of collecting things. Just like watches or model trains, each launch is very similar. There is just enough difference to keep you wanting to see one more. Hopefully, I will get approved to attend a few launches toward the end of this month. I'm certainly not collecting anything else these days.

We've almost stopped worrying about Dawn. The swelling in her neck is gone and her front legs don't seem shaky anymore. We'll keep the step at the foot of the bed and try our best to keep her from jumping. It was frightening to see her start to stumble and fall. I've always worried more about our dogs health than my own, but health issues are always on the table. Sickness can come out of nowhere and it makes you quickly realize how fragile life is.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3688

Facebook is supposed to know everything about us, but it still routinely reminds me to say Happy Birthday to people who are already dead. The older I get, the more frequently this happens. If they can figure out what I'm going to buy when I go to the grocery store, you'd think they could figure out when a friend has died. I hate to admit that I don't even know if you're dead or alive half the time, but that's the way it is. I guess I should pay more attention.

Without dogs to take care of and client deadlines to meet, I'm often at a loss for things to do. These two activities filled my days for years at a time. I guess my renewed interest in astronomy and my new fascination with space travel is some sort of search for a replacement activity. I've always stayed busy. Until recently I never realized how much time I used to spend collecting things. When I collected art, I used to go to museums and gallery openings a lot. When I collected watches I wanted to know everything about them. I even tried to teach myself how to repair watches and bought an assortment of watch repair tools. Being a collector is kind of a world unto itself. It's hard to say exactly when I lost interest in collecting, but one morning I woke up and realized that I just wasn't interested anymore. Jeez. How many watches do you really need? I will say that acquiring stuff is more interesting than getting rid of stuff.

I'm trying to convince myself that acquiring experiences is the next journey for me to take but it's an uphill battle. I'm not a terribly adventurous person and new experiences often fill me with dread. Familiar things are still my comfort zone. I'm hoping that following space launches will eventually become familiar enough that hopping on a plane to Kennedy Space Center won't be a big deal. Spending weeks on a remote mountaintop to look at the stars is more of a stretch. When I took the trash out tonight and realized that it was even colder in the Davis Mountains, I thought I must be crazy to even consider something like this. We'll see how it goes though. I may end up loving the long, dark nights.

Until these new adventures take place, roof leaks and plumbing problems will continue to be the things that fill me with dread. Luckily, it was dry today but it wasn't warm enough to pour some of the remaining silicon material over the spot where the leak occurred. It probably isn't worth bleaching the sheetrock ceiling again either. The rust colored stains are back and I definitely haven't found the leak yet.

I hope it is warmer tomorrow. I had a hard time even getting out of bed this morning. Cold gray days just aren't very inspiring. Luckily, I don't need to be inspired to take a walk. I'll walk tomorrow, just like I did today. I'll make a blog post too. I can always write a few paragraphs even if nothing happens.

Spirit is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3233 - Halloween

The only thing scary about today was the weather. The rain has returned with a vengeance. For some reason the rain usually starts about 9 AM, so I was able to give Dash a morning walk. After that, we were both housebound for the rest of the day. The roof leak hasn't returned yet, but I'm sure it will. The rain was certainly heavy enough.

Needless to say, I curtailed my storage warehouse moving activities today. There is no point in moving wet stuff. I need a rest anyway. When I woke up this morning, my back hurt even more than it did yesterday. A friend gave me the name of another mover, so maybe I can still get someone to do this for me at a reasonable price.

There is no consistency to Dash's sleeping habits anymore. He woke me up every hour on the hour last night. Half the time he was just twirling around on the bed to reposition himself, but occasionally I had to race to the back door to let him out. Our timing was good last night. Dash made it outside to poop every time. Amazingly, I was actually able to get back to sleep after these outings. I must have been really tired.

Sales from the model train collection are slowing down. I hope there are still collectors out there who want a nice rare train for Christmas. I've liquidated less than 20% of the collection so far. I've got a long way to go. At least the first series of art auctions at Phillips went well. My next auction starts in December.

It's weird that I spent the first half of my life accumulating things and will probably spend the rest of it getting rid of stuff. Possessions don't have the same meaning that they used to. Increasingly, everything just seems like clutter. My Dad had family to take care of his clutter when he died. I won't have that option. I keep thinking that I'd better get things organized now while I've still got my wits about me.

I got a reminder for an early morning doctor's appointment next week. I was confused at first, since I never make early appointments. Then I remembered that the doctor probably needed fasting blood work. I used to do these fasting blood draws all the time, but it's been a while. I think I'm healthier now.

I may be wrong, but Dash appears healthier too. He doesn't cough nearly as much at night and he is definitely eating better. Incontinence and weak rear legs seems to be his main problems now. We both have physical exams in November. I hope there are no surprises for either of us.

The rain should be stopping before midnight. Actually, it's supposed to be a clear day tomorrow. We'll see what happens. If the weather is nice, I'll continue moving things from one storage unit to another. I'm only going to move light things though. I learned my lesson.

Roxy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3208

It's time for the annual Dalmatian Rescue Golf Tournament again. Time flies. I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow. Rain is always a worry in October. Even the State Fair of Texas gets rained out a lot. The Golf Tournament is our biggest fundraiser of the year and the dogs always need food and medical care. For years and years I used to take photographs at these events. Now, it seems like I've been home with a sick dog for years and years. Jeez. Have I really been involved with Dalmatian Rescue for eighteen years? It doesn't seem possible. At any rate, I hope that everyone stays dry and has fun tomorrow. I'll be home with Dash.

Having just been through the auction process myself, I was amused to read today that a Banksy painting self destructed moments after being sold for over a million dollars at Sotheby's. Evidently a paper shredder had been cleverly hidden inside a special frame that had been programmed to shred the painting the moment the hammer fell. This sounds like something Banksy would do. The art world is very weird. Pieces of paper and canvas change hands for insanely high prices. At the end of the day, they are still just pieces of paper. It makes you wonder. I like watching that show Strange Inheritance. Antiques Roadshow is pretty interesting too. There are all these stories of ordinary things  in people's attics that end up being worth a fortune. What makes us value some things and toss other things aside? There is no rational reason why a Banksy stencil of a girl with a balloon should be worth a million dollars. There is no reason why an old baseball card should be worth thousands of dollars. I guess there is no reason why my collection of electric trains should be worth anything. I could never begin to afford a Banksy painting. I am a collector though. At least I used to be. I'm kind of glad that Banksy found a way to poke fun at the whole idea of collecting.

I think someone is poking fun at me at the gas pump. For at least the fourth time in the past several months, I put my credit card in the pump, had my transaction accepted, and ended up with no gas. When the display told me to start pumping, no gas came out of the hose. They tell me this happens when the station runs out of premium gas. You'd think they could put a sign on the pump. I know I'll get charged a dollar for this non existent transaction and I know I'll decide that it's too much trouble to dispute it. I wonder who gets to keep the dollar?

Dash had a good day. He slept through the night, which was a minor miracle. It is so rare to get a good night's sleep these days. There wasn't a lot of poop to clean up in the house either. You know your life has changed when you measure your days by the amount of poop you clean up. I hear some thunder in the distance, but I hope Dash sleeps well tonight as well. Fitbit says I have a sleep deficit for the week. Some extra shut eye tonight might help bring things back to normal.

We had some delicious takeout for dinner. It's hard to have a bad day when you have steak quesadillas and barbecued brisket enchiladas for dinner. No heartburn either. Hey, when your dog makes it through another day and you don't have heartburn, life is good.

Cassie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3172

I actually did go to a new restaurant this morning. Never been there before. This was a Mexican restaurant that catered to a Hispanic audience. All the menu items were listed in Spanish. Not a problem. Even a gringo like me knew what Huevos con Chorizo were. The food was pretty tasty but I'll probably go back to eating waffles next week. Like I've mentioned many times, I'm set in my ways.

I did so many chores today that it wasn't long before I started thinking it was Saturday again. I'm surprised at how easy it is to get the days confused now that Janet isn't working on a regular basis. It used to be that if the alarm went off at 5:30 AM, I knew it was a work day. If the alarm didn't go off and we slept in late, it was the weekend. I could always tell which day of the week it was by how many bananas were left in the fruit bowl. It's all different now. I'm going to have to become more aware of what's going on around me.

Mowing the grass was more of a chore than I'd thought it would be. I let the grass grow too high in the front yard and the mower wasn't really up to the job. I think I'm going to have to get a new 24 volt battery for the mower. By the time I finished mowing the small yard, the battery was dead. Too bad the battery wouldn't hold out for a few more months. I'd rather wait until next Spring to buy a new battery for the mower, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen. The grass is going to continue to grow for quite a while. Batteries are such a nuisance. I like the idea of driving a Tesla, but I can't imagine depending on a car that ran on batteries. What could possibly go wrong?

I made the mistake of washing some of Dash's dog blankets with a batch of black t-shirts. Now I've got dog hair all over my clean clothes. I guess it doesn't matter. I always have dog hair on my dirty clothes. Why should the clean clothes be any different?

Dalmatians shed so much that you have to make an effort to control the dog hair. I vacuumed today and the entire Dyson canister was filled with dog hair. It's like this every week. Despite all the shedding, Dash always has a thick, healthy coat. It makes you wonder where all this hair actually comes from.

The friend who is selling my trains wants to lower the prices on some of the items. I told him that he's the expert and to price things accordingly. Even if I don't get what I initially expected from this collection, it's still a lot better than having a bunch of strangers fight over my stuff on a future edition of Storage Wars. I wish it was easier to unwind a lifetime of collecting. Everything will eventually find a good home with another collector, but it's going to take a while.

Dash used to walk well ahead of me on our walks. Now, I have to be right by his side so I can grab the handle on his Ruffwear harness and keep him from falling when he stumbles. Dash stumbles a lot these days, but it hasn't deterred him from walking. Our slow trips through the park are the favorite part of his day. I think one of the reasons he spends so much time smelling things is that his eyesight isn't good anymore. He is developing cataracts, but surgery is out of the question. Since Dash is no longer a candidate for anesthesia there are a lot of things we can't do anymore. I'd love to get his teeth cleaned again. Unfortunately the dental procedure requires anesthesia. Both of his vets say it is too risky.

I'm going to think it's Sunday tomorrow since I did a lot of my Saturday chores today. Oh, well. At least something got done. I'm not sure if I'm becoming forgetful or if time just doesn't matter anymore. It could be a little bit of both.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3161

Good grief. The dehumidifier has started to leak. This trusty little machine has been running 24/7 ever since we had our big water leak several years ago. I've grown to depend on this thing. Now it has joined both toilets, the shower stall, a bathroom sink, and of course the impossible roof in a coordinated effort to drive me crazy. Why do I have all these water problems? I've come to the conclusion that there's only one thing for certain about water. Eventually it's going to wind up someplace it doesn't belong.

I guess I'll go ahead and order a new dehumidifier. I'll probably even get the same brand again. This thing has worked like a champ. Nothing lasts forever unfortunately. I'm reminded of that almost every day.

It certainly seemed like Monday today. I'm perpetually slow anyway, but on Mondays it seems like I'm moving around underwater. I guess I accomplished something, but it would certainly be hard to prove. Our morning walk took forever. There was nothing wrong. Dash just didn't feel like going very fast. Breakfast was equally slow. I don't think I made my smoothie larger than usual, but it took almost until lunch to drink the whole thing. I spent a long time trying to figure out where the leak in the dehumidifier was coming from. No luck there. Water just seems to be dripping through a screw hole on the bottom of the sealed system.

When I went to the bank this morning, I noticed that a client had failed to sign a check they sent me. The bank took the check anyway. Did they not notice or did they just not care? I didn't care that much. This client has done this before. The bank probably sees unsigned checks like this everyday. I have a feeling that the entire world is becoming sloppy and forgetful. Hey, I'm certainly doing my part.

I wrote a letter to a friend with a sick dog who thought the diagnosis they received from their vet might be wrong. I encouraged them to get a second opinion. It is not that uncommon for an initial diagnosis to be wrong. Dogs can't talk and symptoms are often confusing. It has often taken us several tries and an expensive MRI or two to figure out what was going on with Dot and Dash. The important thing is to never give up. Especially when you think there is still hope.

I got a lead this weekend about someone who might be interested in another collection I have. I tried to call the guy, but of course he wasn't in. I wrote him a letter instead. Letters still have their uses. They somehow seem more serious than a voicemail message that would probably be mistaken for spam anyway. Whether I hear back from the guy or not, it is going to take a long time to unload these collections of mine. It definitely took a long time to assemble them.

Maybe I actually accomplished more than I thought today. It just seemed like everything was moving in slow motion. I'll try to pick up the pace tomorrow. There's no point in going too fast though. I've got an entire week to fill.

Blackjack is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3150

Dash is so slow now that the weather forecast can change during our walks. That's what happened this morning. When we left the house the weather radar looked OK and I wasn't expecting rain until this afternoon. Things can change quickly in Texas though. The dark skies on the Western horizon began growing closer and closer. I started hearing thunder. It wasn't long before I began feeling raindrops. The surprise storm didn't seem to faze Dash. He kept inching along at a snail's pace, stopping to smell every bush along the way. Dash used to be frightened by thunder, but he doesn't hear well anymore. He didn't even appear to notice that we were starting to get wet. Amazingly, we made it home before the storm arrived. Usually we aren't so lucky.

Dash seemed unusually tired today. He slept for most of the day and wasn't interested in eating at all. He didn't finish his breakfast until 4 PM and we're still working on dinner. Dash's good days and bad days are totally unpredictable. As recently as yesterday I was feeling that he was getting stronger. Whenever Dash is lethargic like this, I start to worry. There's not much I can do, but this type of fatigue is usually a sign that his heart condition is getting worse.

I'm still trying to downsize, but it appears that the low hanging fruit is gone. When I began this quest, I purposely looked for items that would appeal to other collectors. Now that the good stuff stuff has all been consigned, I'm having a lot more difficulty unloading the second-tier collections. I apparently has a discerning eye for art back in the 1970's. I had good taste in model trains too. Not so much with the watches I began collecting a few decades later. My taste in vintage watches turned out to be terrible. The only things I was interested in were early tuning fork watches, LED watches, and calculator watches. Very few people work on these things anymore. I had a guy in California who used to fix my Accutrons, but he died. A lot of early electronic watches used mercury batteries and never worked reliably using modern replacement batteries. Parts for LED watches are almost impossible to come by. All these problems could be overcome if people actually desired these geeky timepieces. They don't. Everybody wants an old Rolex instead.

We ended up getting a lot of rain today. There is no point in removing the water from the roof though. It's supposed to continue raining for the next several days. Let's hope that the roofers did a good job. I really don't want to deal with a leak again. I'll go up and inspect things when rain is out of the forecast, but there's no point in doing anything now. I'm going to just keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best.

I hope the forecast is wrong. Dash does much better when he gets his morning walk. I can't go out for breakfast if it's raining either. Dash is just too unpredictable. We'll see what happens. The forecast wasn't very accurate today. It probably won't be tomorrow either.

Nautica is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3105

The walls are looking pretty bare. The art shippers arrived today, packed up the pictures, and took them away. I hope I don't regret this decision. I've had these pictures on the wall for a long time and some of them have become old friends. I think it's time though. If Janet and I ever want to move somewhere else in the future, we certainly don't want to haul a bunch of stuff we don't need to a new location. Downsizing isn't easy, but I think it's necessary. I've seen many people wait too long and leave a horrible mess for relatives to clean up later.

I've always been a collector and somewhat of a packrat. I never thought I'd reach a point in my life where I could willingly part with stuff. Surprisingly, it's not that hard. The older you get, the less meaning a lot of your possessions have. A lot of stuff, especially clothing and old computers, I should have gotten rid of years ago. Right now, living minimally again seems like a worthy goal. I'm sure Janet will be encouraging me to continue this quest. She's been wanting me to get rid of stuff for as long as I can remember.

I took a sample of Dash's poop to the vet today so they could test for occult blood. Hopefully, the lab will have the results tomorrow. Something isn't right and I hope it isn't internal bleeding. Bleeding isn't uncommon when you are taking blood thinners. It could be something else though. There are dozens of reasons that dogs could have occult blood in their stool. I wish there was a simple explanation for the dark stools. I'd much rather learn that we were feeding Dash the wrong food than learn that he has a tumor.

I didn't get a lot accomplished today because I spent most of the day waiting for the shippers to arrive. The whole process took longer than I thought because the two guys that came to the house had to create a special package for each picture. I was impressed. The guys definitely knew what they were doing. I looked up the shipping company on the Internet and these are the same guys that move presidents out of the White House on inauguration day. A little different than sending something by UPS. When the truck left, the guys said they were headed to Fort Worth to pick up another shipment. "Lots of luck," I said. I don't think they realized how bad Dallas traffic gets during rush hour.

The security light in the back yard is working again. I didn't even have to call the electrician. After about 48 hours, the light seemed to fix itself. I'm not sure what happened, but I suspect that a rat or a squirrel fell asleep on top of the photocell. It could have been a giant spider too. We've got some pretty big spiders. Since the light and the sensor are on top of a tall pole, I never really know what is going on at the top. Hopefully, this thing will keep working for the rest of the Summer. Electricians are expensive.

I'm going to have to go to the storage warehouse and look for something to hang on the bare walls. There's plenty to choose from. I still have quite a few of my own photos that never sold at my last gallery show. I think that show was twelve years ago.

Shiner is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3098

I was surprised that Dash and I got caught in the rain this morning. I'm obsessive about checking the weather and I wasn't expecting rain at all. Although we both got wet, it was a gentle shower and ended up taking the edge off the Summer heat. When Dash was younger, he hated walking in the rain. Today, he didn't even seem to notice. He maintained the same slow pace he does on dry days.

I'm continuing to look for things to consign at auction. Today, I took a small picture out of its frame to see if there was a signature on the back. In the process, I discovered how dusty a nearby bookcase had become. One thing usually leads to another around here and pretty soon I was carefully vacuuming all the nik naks on the shelves. Nothing has changed in the office for years. I need to throw away a lot of useless, obsolete stuff and give the place a thorough cleaning. Given the extent of the clutter, it seems like an impossible task. I always wondered how my Dad's place became so cluttered in his later years. He and Mom were neat as a pin when they were younger. So was I. In my early thirties, I was a devoted minimalist and nothing was ever out of place. I guess there is a little Grey Gardens in all of us as we age.

I sent the landscaper a text message today. Nothing else has worked. I hate to be a pest, but I hate being ignored even more. It continues to amaze me that so many people in the service industry provide terrible service. When my business was active, I tried my best to be responsive. I usually avoided making promises though. Promises can be hard to keep. It's OK to say you're not going to be able to get to something for a while. Just don't say you're coming over tomorrow and never show up.

I wonder if future generations will ever collect old computers. I have lots of old computers. Most things that are collectible now were considered worthless at some point. Who ever thought that baseball cards and school lunch boxes would become valuable? My Mom threw away a big box of baseball cards I had as a kid. She just thought they were junk. I wish I still had every guitar I ever purchased. I got rid of a few that later proved valuable. As I survey the office now, it's hard to tell the treasures from the junk. It's very tedious to research everything too. That's probably why the bookshelves are so dusty now. I still want to downsize, but it is a lot of trouble. I bet I'll still be thinking of downsizing next year when things are even dustier.

Rugby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3093

The dog days of Summer are here. It's hot. It's humid. It's hard to concentrate on anything. I drifted through the day, trying to focus on little things. I got some blueberries at the grocery store. I took some shoes to the shoe repair guy to see if they could be repaired. I looked for some more Shoe Goo so I could keep fixing Dash's protective boots, but the hardware store was out of stock. I did remember to set the DVR to record The Expanse this evening, but I probably won't watch it until tomorrow. Even though it was very hot, Dash still wanted his walks. Our morning walk was fine, but we waited until after sunset to venture outside again. We took it slow and Dash did fine. There was a light breeze and the 95 degree temperature didn't feel that bad.

I wrote another letter to my sister today, but I'm not expecting anything in return. The last time she wrote, she told me that her condition was getting worse and she didn't feel up to talking anymore. I was hoping that the clinical trial she was in would help, but it doesn't appear to be working. Cancer definitely sucks.

The more I talk to these auction people, the more it seems like the auction business might be an interesting line of work. There are all these energetic young people who have a wealth of knowledge about stuff. Some are experts in photography. Others are experts in rare book, coins, and even comic books. I learned today that people even collect manual typewriters. I know a lot about stuff too, but I've never put my knowledge to good use. The fun thing about collecting is sharing esoteric knowledge with like minded people. I always enjoyed it when watch aficionado friends could instantly recognize a weird watch, just from seeing it on my wrist. When I lost contact with the watch collectors, train buffs, and art mavens, my interest in stuff seemed to vanish overnight.

This would have been the perfect week to fix the roof. It's been hot and dry for quite a while now. Unfortunately, rain is on the way. The long range forecast says we might be looking at a full week of rain starting sometime next week. If only I could get the roofer and the landscaper to come out to the house tomorrow. If the dead grass was replaced now, the rain might help it grow. If the roof was fixed now, I wouldn't have to worry about a new water leak next week. This is all just a fantasy though. I obviously have very little influence on repair people. They come and go as they please.

Tonight was supposed to be a good night to see Mercury on the Western horizon. I noticed that there were clouds on the horizon when we took Dash on his sunset walk, so I didn't even bother to go down to the lake and look for the planet. I can't even see the horizon from the house. There are way too many trees. If I had a bucket list, living in a place with clear, dark night skies would definitely be on it. You can't even see the Milky Way in Dallas. I have seen Mercury though. Occasionally, I get lucky.

I just got new socks last week and I've already lost a pair. Why are socks so easy to lose in the wash? It's one of life's great mysteries.

Marcie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3085

The landscapers work late. They're in the back yard right now installing the St. Augustine sod. It will be nice to have a decent looking yard again. I've grown accustomed to the fact that grass doesn't last long in our back yard. The extensive root network for our big Oak trees immediately sucks up all available water. I'll probably have to replace the turf again next year. That's OK. At least things will be nice for Dash this summer. Hopefully, he will start pooping in the grass, instead of venturing into the thick Asian Jasmine ground cover at the back of the yard. Dash's rear legs are so weak that he occasionally gets stuck in the ground cover and I have to go extricate him.

I never dreamed that selling art at auction would be so complicated. I got a contract from one of the big New York auction houses and it was page after page of fine print. From all appearances, it would be much easier to sell a house. I'm glad and somewhat surprised that there is interest in the things I've collected. I've never thought of art as investment. I just bought things that I could afford and made me happy. I certainly never thought of the model trains as an investment. I had every intention of building a big model railway someday and just never got around to it.

It was sad to hear about Kate Spade's suicide. I remember listening to an interview with her on NPR while I was driving to the gym a few months ago and she certainly seemed like a happy, well adjusted person. She and her husband built their business from nothing and lived to see it become an international success. Why wasn't she happy with her life? I was equally surprised when I learned of Robin William's death. It just goes to show that depression has nothing to do with success or failure. Rich or poor, famous or obscure, depression seems like an equal opportunity curse.

I wish I could find some more durable dog boots for Dash. We've tried three different brands and all of them are wearing out. Even the indestructible Ultra Paws boots we got recently are starting to wear out. If a dog scuffs their feet while they walk like Dash does, nothing is going to last that long. The ToughTek material on the Ultra Paws boots is no match for Dash. It has completely worn through to the nylon shell below. The dog booties may not last that long, but they definitely do their job. Dash's paws haven't bled since he started wearing them.

I wish I'd remembered to ask my doctor about my irritating cough when I had my exam last week. It feels like I've got cracker crumbs caught in my throat. Maybe I do have cracker crumbs in my throat, but this feels more like when I used to take Zestril for high blood pressure. When I switched to Benicar, the coughing stopped. When a generic equivalent for Benicar was approved, I started taking that instead. I didn't have a choice. I've always wondered if generic and brand name drugs were the same. Maybe there is a difference that's causing this cough. It probably doesn't matter anyway, since my insurance won't pay for brand name medications when there is a generic available.

I'll read the contract from the auction house tomorrow. If I'm lucky, maybe Janet will just read it for me. Trying to understand legal documents makes my head spin.

Scooby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3082

I was expecting the landscapers on Monday, but they decided to come today. There was lots of work to do. Most people use a lawn service on a weekly or monthly basis. I use one once a year. Today, the guys pulled weeds and hauled away a year's worth of dead leaves. I think they're coming back tomorrow to install the new St. Augustine grass. It's a shame that grass never lasts more than a single season in the back yard, but that's just the way it is. The large Oak trees have such an extensive root system that they suck up all available water. The grass never has a chance to develop deep roots of its own. Even though the new grass isn't in yet, the yard already looks better. A year's worth of Oak leaves can really make a yard look messy.

I got my first check from the friend who is selling my train collection. Not bad for one month. Seven items have sold already. My friend says it might take two years to sell the entire collection. That's OK. It took me way more than two years to accumulate this stuff. I wonder what has caused me to have such a change of heart? As recently as five years ago I wouldn't have even considered selling my collections. Now, getting back to basics would be a blessing.

Dash was real interested in what the landscapers were doing. He watched at the window for hours. I couldn't let him outside because the gates were open, but he definitely knew that something was going on in his yard. I hope I cleaned up all the dog poop before the guys arrived. Stepping in dog poop is no fun for anyone. At least it will be easier to clean up after Dash now. During the Winter, the poop just disappeared under a mountain of leaves.

I went to my safe deposit box on the way to the grocery store to look for documents and records about my artwork. The galleries and auction houses want a lot of documentation. I found a few receipts, but not nearly as much as I'd hoped. Actually, there was very little of value or usefulness in the box. I wonder why I even have this thing. It's kind of like the storage warehouse. Twenty years ago it all made a lot of sense. Now, not so much.

Maybe now that the yard is clean, I won't get so many bug bites. I've got so many bites that I'm starting to look like I've got chicken pox. Each bug leaves their own distinct signature. Ant bites are small raised welts. Mosquito bites are wide pink blotches. Chigger bites are smaller and redder than the mosquitoes. All of them itch. I just hope I don't get any spider bites. Spider bites are the worst.

I watched a show about eating healthy on PBS this afternoon. It looks like Janet has already adopted the perfect diet. I still have a ways to go. I still consume too much wheat and it's pretty tough to totally avoid sugar. Neither of us drink soft drinks, but I still enjoy a piece of pie for dessert. Janet just has a slice of cantaloupe or watermelon. It will be a long time before I learn to substitute cantaloupe for pie.

We had to shorten Dash's walk today. It's getting too hot. Our cool, wet Spring is just a distant memory now. The temperature was over one hundred degrees this afternoon. This is not only dangerous for Dash, it's too hot for me as well. Let's hope the air conditioner keeps working.

Abby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3067

Janet is back. I think Dash and I did OK on our own, but taking care of this dog is definitely a team effort. We certainly had our hands full today. Dash isn't eating again. It was really hard to get him to eat enough this morning so he could safely take his pills. He didn't finish the rest of his breakfast until around 3 PM. Right around sunset, his appetite seemed to return, but then he threw up everything right after we finished a short evening walk. It is really frustrating that there doesn't appear to be a solution to this ongoing problem. He'll seem fine for a week or two and then he'll start throwing up again. I guess we could keep him on the Cerenia anti-nausea pills indefinitely, but there's a downside to that as well.

Dash has reached the point where everything he does can have serious side effects. The antibiotic he's taking to clear up the skin infection on his lip appears to be working, but one of the side effects is vomiting. Do we continue the antibiotic? Who knows. I'll contact his vet and see what she thinks. Dash sleeps so much now that he really needs the limited walks he gets to maintain his mobility. He's so fragile though that every time we walk I worry that he is going to injure himself. Maybe I worry too much, but I think I'm just being realistic. Dash is a very high maintenance dog.

I was sad to hear that Tom Wolfe died this week. You could not read something by Tom Wolfe and not be influenced by it. He was one of the most prolific and talented writers I have ever encountered. To this day, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, The Right Stuff, and Bonfire of the Vanities remain in my top ten list. John Fowles is gone too. I used to eagerly await anything new from these two authors. Maybe John Kennedy Toole would be right up there with them if he hadn't committed suicide before A Confederacy of Dunces was published. I wonder who the amazing writers are these days? Sadly, I don't read much anymore.

My friend in Kentucky has finished making an inventory of my collection. Seeing everything on paper makes me realize that I had assembled a much better collection than I realized. I was well suited to being a collector. I had good taste and enjoyed the process of finding a needle in a haystack. It's weird though. The process of collecting had a lot more meaning for me than the objects themselves. Once I stopped collecting things, the objects lost their meaning. Over time, the collections just became a lot of dusty, useless stuff.

I've got to find something to replace all the things that kept me so busy when I was younger. How did I ever find the time to do so much reading, collecting, and exploring new boundaries? Today I'm just tired. A lot of my friends have died. And every time I turn on the TV, I realize that the world has gone to hell in an handbasket. I'm still curious though. That's why I keep writing. Maybe that's why you keep reading too.

Skippy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3059

My friend who owns the train store is already promoting my collection. I read the description on his website and my first thought was "Wow, I used to own this stuff." If I were younger, had a good job and lots of space, this is definitely something I'd be interested in buying. I hope the collection finds a good home. I think I was a discriminating collector. Some of the items are quite rare. I spent a lot of time finding these things.

That's all in the past now. I've just begun downsizing, but I'd really like to get to the point where the house is clean and tidy again and Janet and I can spend our time traveling instead of acquiring stuff. There is nothing wrong with collecting. I'm still a big fan of collecting. Learning a lot of trivia about anything broadens the mind. You should only embark on a collecting odyssey if it brings you joy and you've got a group of like minded people to share your obsession with. A collection without other people who appreciate it is nothing.

Dash has been sleeping all night for the past week. I can't figure out what has changed. He's eating the same things and there has been no real change in his behavior. I appreciate the extra sleep, but I know that things could change overnight. I don't really know if Dash's new sleeping pattern is a sign that he's better or worse. You go through a lot of changes as you grow older and some of them are hard to explain. I monitor Dash closely, but there's only so much I can do. I've been taking things one day at a time for a long, long time.

Our morning walks take over an hour now, even though we don't go very far. I don't mind. Dash enjoys being outdoors and I don't have anything to do anyway. Today was pretty typical. I ate breakfast, did a load of laundry and cleaned the toilets while Dash was taking a nap. I did end up watching the new episode of The Expanse that I recorded yesterday. I think I enjoyed binge watching Season 1 and Season 2 better. There's a formula for episodic TV. There's always a cliffhanger at the end of each show to make sure you tune in for the next week's episode. I'd rather watch the entire series at once. The cliffhangers don't make much sense if you've already forgotten them by the time the next show airs.

I picked up some more meds for Dash today. Janet usually gives Dash his pills, but when she travels, I need to make sure he takes them myself. The older he gets the more complicated this becomes. Dash won't take pills in a dog food meatball or pill pocket anymore. He has lost interest in banana bread too. Janet says peanut butter still works. Before she goes somewhere, Janet packages morning and evening meds in separate zip lock bags and labels each one with the day they are supposed to be given. This may seem like overkill, but I appreciate it. I am becoming forgetful. I forgot my own meds last night.

I made an appointment to get my oil changed and the soonest they could work me in was May 19. When I used to need this sort of thing they would just tell me to come on up anytime. Everything is way too hectic now. I also found out that my regular service adviser no longer works at the dealership. Jeez. Why does everything always have to keep changing.

One thing that never changes is my quest for the perfect breakfast every Friday. I still don't know where I'm going tomorrow, but hopefully I'll find something delicious on the menu.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3055

The trains are gone. My friend and I loaded box after box full of memories in his SUV and then he drove away. Admittedly, some of the memories are fading, but I enjoyed acquiring these things. Back in the day, my friend owned one of three train stores in Dallas and I was one of his best customers. Twenty-five years later, he owns one of the few remaining train stores in the entire country and I'm just a guy trying to downsize.

As I loaded the models onto a wheeled cart, I was surprised at how many I had. I'd totally forgotten about a lot of them. Actually, we couldn't fit everything into the car, but I made a sizable dent in the collection. My business must have been doing really well back them. I couldn't afford to buy this much useless stuff today. Actually, the models probably got me some business. I used to hang out at train stores a lot and met some interesting people. The owner of Cessna collected model trains. So did a lot of other rich old men. Most of these people are dead now. I don't know what people collect these days, but it certainly isn't trains.

I passed a classic car show in the park on my way to the storage warehouse. Back when I was collecting trains, I would have stopped at this car show. Old European sports cars were almost as interesting as trains. I drove a Citroën SM in those days. I thought my next car would be a Ferrari, but of course that never happened. Over time, my interest in cars, model trains, and even watches waned. I don't collect anything now.

Probably as my interest in dogs increased, my interest in other stuff decreased. I still like tools, however. That's something I share with my Dad. My Dad was surrounded by his tools until the day he died. If you're going to acquire something, you might as well make it a tool. Tools can be used to make a career. My tools of choice have always been cameras and recording equipment. Unlike model trains, these tools have always paid for themselves.

It was a beautiful day today. It's time to start wearing shorts again. Pretty soon it's going to be time to stay indoors. The furnace doesn't come on any more in the morning. I think another Texas Summer is on the way. I hope Dash can handle the heat this summer. He does fine on his morning walks, but he's already starting to get tired when it warms up in the afternoon. It's only going to get worse. We may have to scale back to one walk a day.

The gym was virtually empty when I went this morning. You have to be careful what you wish for. I enjoy going to the gym when it isn't crowded, but it's been so empty lately that I'm starting to worry that it might close. I don't want to look for a new gym. I like being surrounded by old familiar things. That's probably why it was so hard to get rid of the trains.

Patches is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3054

When I got up last night to take Dash out to pee, I noticed the moon centered between Mars and Saturn in the Eastern sky. The celestial display reminded me that the InSight Mars mission was launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base in less than an hour. I decided to stay up and watch the launch on NASA TV. Actually, I couldn't get back to sleep anyway. Just as I predicted, last night's pizza gave me a bad case of heartburn.

Seeing the rocket shrouded in fog just before liftoff reminded me of my own visit to Vandenberg Air Force Base several years ago. I could have applied to view this launch as well, but it wasn't in the cards. Dash is too fragile to take to a boarding kennel these days and I couldn't afford the trip anyway. Maybe someday. Being a space launch groupie seems to make as much sense in retirement as anything else I could think of.

When I looked at Mars this morning, it seemed amazing that someone could aim something so precisely at this tiny speck in the sky. I've always wanted to be involved in the space industry, but I was never good at math. It doesn't matter if you're Neil Armstrong or Steven Hawking, it's all about the math. I wish I understood orbital mechanics. I don't even understand why the moon seems to wander all over the sky.

Nice weather always puts me in a good mood. Even though I didn't get much sleep last night, I felt fine. I  definitely needed to stay in good spirits, because today was the day to go to the storage warehouse and get my collection organized. I sorted through box after box and was amazed at how much I had. I'd totally forgotten buying some of this stuff. I wish I had the foresight to collect something that the younger generation liked. Nobody collects model trains anymore. My friend says most of his customers are old men. I'm glad he knows where they are. I certainly couldn't find them.

My Dad was an accomplished wood carver and kept buying carving tools long after his Parkinson's Disease destroyed his dexterity. I think I finally realized the futility of collecting when I was dealing with his estate. There were boxes and boxes full of brand new tools that never got used. Hopefully, disposing of this initial collection of model trains will make it easier to do further downsizing in the future.

Dash had a lot of energy today. Maybe the Movoflex supplements we're giving him are working. At one point on his morning walk, he actually started to run. Running isn't a good idea for Dash. He's not very coordinated anymore and his back legs don't work as good as his front legs. When he feels like running, I run along beside him, holding on to the handle of his Ruffwear harness. I want him to enjoy himself, but I definitely don't want him to fall. Dash never runs far, but I'm glad he hasn't given up.

I haven't given up either. To the casual observer, it might appear like I've lost interest in everything. Not really. I've still got my curiosity.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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