Day 3743

We took Dawn to the vet today. It wasn't the first time she's been to the vet. All the Dalmatian Rescue dogs get an extensive vet check when they enter the rescue program. She also spent several days at the emergency vet after she was attacked by the two pit bulls. This was the first time she'd seen our own vet though. It was good to see some familiar faces again, although neither Janet or I had expected to be back in an exam room so soon.

It was reassuring to confirm that Dawn was reasonable healthy. Since she had worms when the rescue group picked her up, we wanted to make sure that the first treatment was effective. Hookworms can be difficult to eradicate. Dawn's heart seemed strong and there was no telltale murmur that might indicate an enlarged heart. We did an ultrasound and it is possible that she might be a stone forming Dalmatian. Urate bladder stones are common in Dalmatians. We'll have to see the results of her urinalysis to confirm this. The vet thought that her front teeth were worn not from age, but by being caged for long periods of time. She was used as a breeding dog in her former life and never got a chance to live the life she deserved. Apparently she really is six year old. We thought she was much older. Considering that she has had a hard life, she is still very healthy.

We hadn't seen our regular vet since Dash died and it was nice to catch up on things. The clinic was quieter than usual for obvious reasons. I was glad they were still seeing patients. The place was sparkling clean and the entire staff had done an excellent job of adapting to the coronavirus threat. If only the grocery stores could do this well.

Our visit to the vet reminded me how expensive owning a dog can be. I told Dawn that she's going to be just fine until we go bankrupt. The stock market had a massive rebound today, but I don't think it means anything. It is too early for things to return to normal. It took me so long to get back to even after the 2008 crash that I knew I never wanted to do this again. Surprise. I'm going to have to pick up the pieces and rebuild all over again. I'm too old for this. Even if I do some smart strategic buying when the market finally bottoms, this is going to take a long time.

I know the virus is a serious health threat, but I wish the media would quit trying to instill fear in everyone. The media always loves a catastrophe. Jeez. This is not the zombie apocalypse. It's easy to forget how many people die every single day from other causes. If the media covered deaths from cancer, suicides, gunshot wounds, and car accidents with the same relentlessly zeal they're using to cover this virus, we'd be living in fear for the rest of our lives.

I guess most of the new safety guidelines seem reasonable to me. I've been staying at least six feet away from other people for most of my life. It doesn't bother me to shun crowds. I hate crowds. I've always gone shopping when other people are working just to avoid them. I think the real danger we are facing isn't the virus. It is a lack of common sense. If people used common sense and always acted rationally, I'm convinced that the dire problems we're facing now wouldn't be nearly as bad.

Hang in there guys. I'm glad some of you are still making funny memes. We still need to smile.

Chelsey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3742

If we all die it will be because of a basic lack of common sense instead of the coronavirus. I really wonder about people. We are not running out of food. If we all just started shopping normally again, there wouldn't be shortages of anything. You don't have to stay indoors either. Just stay away from other people. I could be wrong, but I still think outdoor air and lots of exercise is good for you. And couldn't the people we elected just quit fighting for a while? Is it really that hard to pass a bill that would give hospitals and first responders what they need without trying to pack it with a long wish list of pet projects? Democrats and Republicans are equally guilty of this. I don't understand why quarantined senators and representatives aren't allowed to vote. Do you really have to physically be on the floor of the senate to vote? This is silly. It is just political gamesmanship with one side trying to gain an advantage over the other. There ought to be a way to test for antibodies, so people who have developed an immunity to the virus can get back to work. A complete shutdown just isn't sustainable for very long. The deaths ought to be put in context too. I suspect that a lot more people are still dying from auto accidents and gunshot wounds than from the virus here in the United States.

I went to the audio repair shop to pick up my Sequential Circuits synthesizers this morning. The employees were all wondering how long they could stay in business without musicians. Live music venues throughout Texas are all closed. There are no concerts either. Working musicians aren't thinking about repairing their equipment these days. They are more likely to be thinking about pawning something.

The head electrician who owns the company came over to look at my switch today. He said a lot of his younger employees didn't want to go into people's homes anymore because they had young children at home. I guess that's understandable. I have no desire to go into other people's homes these days either. The electrician did figure out what was wrong with my switch and said he could order a part to fix it. You can always depend on the old guys to actually fix things.

The baby owl has been gone from its nest for several days now. I'm thinking now that I may have seen the owl on the day it finally decided to fly. It was tentatively flexing its wings when I was photographing it. I suspect that both baby owls are still in the area. I hope they stick around. Since owls have taken up residence in our neighborhood, there has been a noticeable decrease in the number of mice and rats we see in the yard.

I finished my article about McDonald Observatory and sent it to the editor at Sky and Telescope. Now I wait. Unfortunately, I'll probably have to wait a long time. This magazine is not terrible responsive. I often wait weeks, wondering whether my e-mail has wound up in someone's spam folder. Since this has happened before, it is a concern. I think my article turned out pretty well. I hope the editors agree.

Dawn got another long walk today. Luckily, walking your dog is still acceptable under the new citywide lockdown. I see more people in the park lately, but social distancing isn't a problem. Most of the people we saw today were several hundred yards away.

Ariel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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