Day 3815

I'm more forgetful now. The other day I forgot to take my house keys with me when we walked Dawn. Luckily Janet had her keys with her, but it was a reminder that I need to be even more methodical than I already am. It's important to keep your mind sharp as you grow older. I remember watching my Dad descend into senility in his later years while thinking that I wasn't going to let this happen to me.

I don't think you can prevent the inevitable, but I do think it is possible to postpone things for a while. Eating healthy food and getting plenty of exercise can do wonders for an aging body. The mind is a little trickier though. Is it better to remember the past, or is a mind unencumbered with a ton of old baggage healthier? Is knowledge cumulative, or should you wipe the slate clean and be receptive to new things?

I wonder about all this as my memory banks slowly become scrambled. I don't know if your brain can only hold so much, or if your memories remain forever and just become lost over time. Some things only appear in dreams now. There are a few recurring dreams that I genuinely can't decide whether they really happened.

I'm always putting my brain through its paces when I walk. I'll pick out a specific rock or tree and always try to account for it when I pass. I count ducks and try to remember the names of flowers and trees. There are hundreds of objects in the park that I have committed to memory, but it is surprising how often I'll forget about them. If I'm daydreaming, an entire mile can go by and I won't notice anything. It is a very rare walk when I can remember my entire list.

There is a large sailboat anchored out in the lake and I always try to notice when it is exactly perpendicular to me. There will always be a point when I am looking exactly at the bow or stern of this boat. The position of these encounters changes from day to day and I've learned to estimate wind speed from how quickly the boat turns in the water. I used to try and keep my eyes agile by alternately focusing on something very close and then turning my vision to something very far away. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed. My distance vision is still good, but my close up vision is shot.

It's interesting watching Dawn while we walk. She has a mind of her own. Now that she knows her way around, I've noticed that she likes to choose her own route. When we come to a fork in the trail, I  like to keep her on a loose leash to see which direction she'll choose. Often I am surprised. What is going through that dog's mind? Dawn will always follow us when Janet and I are leading the way, but she will make her own decisions when left to her own devices. She is a very smart dog.

This week has gone quickly. The trash is out on the curb again and my supply of fresh fruit is almost gone. Tomorrow it's time to make my signature omelette again. I edited a bunch of pictures to send to Sky and Telescope today. Eventually the magazine will need them. I just need to remain patient.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3394

I wish we could get Dash eating normally again. All the changes we've had to make to keep him eating are causing havoc with his digestive system. We had more diarrhea last night. Solid poop is easy to clean up. Diarrhea is a mess. We had to take Dash outside in the middle of the night and hose him off. There was a lot of laundry to do as well.

I'm pretty sure that if we could get Dash back on track with his chicken, rice, and vegetable stew his digestive problems would go away. He won't touch the stuff anymore. We can't use Metronidazole to clear up the diarrhea either. He seems to have a bad reaction to the stuff. In the past, these digestive problems have been temporary. I'm still hoping that we can get back to normal soon.

Maybe normal doesn't even exist anymore. Walks aren't normal anymore. Dash seems confused and gets lost more often. I can sense when he's becoming tired before he does, but it can be very difficult to get him turned around. Dash may have dementia, but he's just as stubborn as he always was. The rubber boots are wearing out faster because Dash is dragging his right rear leg more. We are walking slower too. Despite all these difficulties, Dash still insists on these daily walks. They are the one thing he still seems to enjoy.

I picked up prescriptions for Dash and myself today. My co-pay has gone up because my pharmacy isn't on my provider's preferred list anymore. This is such a nuisance. I like my pharmacy and they know my history well. I don't really want to change. You've got to wonder what is going on behind the scenes to try to force customers to go to certain pharmacies? Truthfully, I probably wouldn't want to know. The same drug should cost the same everywhere. Sadly, we're not even close to uniform drug prices. Dash's prescription are always much easier to deal with than mine.

What an amazing time we live in. First we get pictures of Pluto and today we see a black hole for the first time. I read several articles about how scientists imaged the back hole. It all sounded incredibly complex to me. Surprisingly, the black hole looked very much like the ones you see in science fiction movies. It's a big week in space. Tomorrow Israel will try to land a spacecraft on the moon and Space X will try to launch its monster Falcon Heavy rocket for the second time. Things are moving fast. Maybe I might live to see humans land on Mars after all.

The week is moving swiftly. I still need to get a haircut. I need to pick up something to eat for dinner tomorrow too. The refrigerator is looking empty. Scratch that. Actually, the refrigerator is full, but it's all things for Dash to eat. Hopefully, he'll find something he likes.

Apollo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3388

I'm glad I never had a parent with Alzheimer's to take care of. Now that Dash is showing signs of dementia, it's easy to see what a monumental task this could be. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether Dash's problems are physical or mental. I suspect that is usually a combination of both. Dash gets confused on his walks and sometimes reverses direction for no apparent reason. We end up walking in circles occasionally. There are no regular mealtimes anymore. Breakfast can be at noon and dinner can be at midnight. Dogs are creatures of habit and I think it bothers Dash that he can't always remember his old habits. I wish I could help, but I can't always remember my old habits either. I do what I can. I make sure he takes his pills, gets enough food, and has a little exercise. Most of Dash's day is spent sleeping.

I never realized that half of my blog readers came from Google+. Now that the platform is gone, so are the readers. I guess it all makes sense. I had over 30,000 followers on Google+ at one time. Most of these people were photographers or loved photography, but some of them must have become blog readers. I'd almost forgotten what a great place Google+ was for photographers in the early days. You could actually have conversations with and get tips from some very well known photographers. I learned a lot.

I think the Covenia is working. The open sores on the underside of his muzzle are already starting to heal. I think the loose flaps of skin on the sides of a dogs mouth are called flews, but I keep wanting to call them lips. I guess dogs don't really have lips. Since Covenia targets bacteria on the skin, I'm not sure how well it will work with Dash's periodontal disease. Bacteria under the gum line, especially under the teeth can be very hart to eradicate.

I'm getting discouraged with my attempts to liquidate my collections. I've spent so much restoring my vintage synthesizers that I probably won't make any money at all when they eventually sell. The same thing is true for an Ellsworth Kelly print I had an art conservator restore. She did a fantastic job, but the print is expected to go under the hammer at auction for about the same price as I spent restoring it. I thought the vintage guitars would go quickly, but that hasn't been the case. One guitar sold quickly but the buyer changed his mind and convinced the dealer to let him exchange it for a different guitar. I'm still waiting for the guitar to sell. The main problem with the train collection is that nobody knows what a train is anymore. Old men still buy these things, but there are fewer and fewer of them left. I've consigned my collection with one of the best dealers in the entire country, but sales are still very slow.

I wish sleep would restore Dash's energy. He certainly sleeps a lot. Unfortunately, he still seems to be getting weaker. We had a real problem on our walk this morning. He was determined to keep going, but I could tell he was getting tired. I tried several times to cut the walk short and return to the house, but Dash refused to turn around. He is very stubborn. It was almost like his brain and his body weren't on the same page. When we eventually made it home, Dash was exhausted.

Somebody parked their car where I usually take my trash on Thursday night. Little things like this bother me. I'm superstitious about the garbage truck and always want to make sure that my trash is in exactly the same place so the driver will see it. One more thing to fret about tonight.

Dottie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3376

It has become so obvious Dash is old and tired that people are stopping me on our walks to tell me stories about their old dogs. Every week I hear about dogs that have recently passed away or are having difficulty walking. Despite all the stories, we see very few other older dogs on our walks. When the weather is bad, Dash is often the only dog walking at all. I feel sorry for the old dogs who just get a towel under their belly occasionally to help them go out in the yard and pee. With a little help, a lot of these dogs could still lead a relatively normal life.

I don't think Dash even realizes that I am helping him walk. He can still move his legs. He just isn't strong enough to fully support his own weight. I can feel his legs moving through the leash. I provide just enough support to keep him from sinking, while letting his legs move naturally. It took three dogs to perfect the technique, but I think I've gotten pretty good at walking disabled dogs.

One thing I can't do is give Dash more energy or help him think clearly. He's starting to become senile and sometimes appears lost or confused on our walks. You wonder when senility becomes dementia and if dementia can turn into Alzheimer's? When Dash's mind goes blank, you've just got to be patient. Eventually he clicks into gear again and off we go. I think being outside helps. Dogs have such an amazing sense of smell that the abundant smells in the park reconnect him to the world. I think he could take his walks blindfolded because he's really just moving from one smell to the next. The smells are a trail of breadcrumbs that take him away and then bring him back home.

My accountant called today to let me know that he had some preliminary results on my taxes. I was really disappointed to learn that despite my paltry earnings this year, I still owed money to the IRS. I think old people get screwed. Your social security gets taxed as income. Required distributions from your IRA account are taxed as income. If you planned ahead and managed to save something, your dividends and interest are taxed as well. It's ironic that when my business was booming I paid less in taxes than I do now. When you have lots of clients, there are lots of business expenses you can deduct. It goes without saying that without clients or business activity, there are very few expenses  either.

It rained again today. I'm glad that Dash still got to take his walks. I'm not so glad about going up on the roof again. I'll wait until the forecast clears, but the key to keeping the leaks at bay is getting the standing water removed as soon as possible. The pumps help, but I've always got to go up on the roof and finish the job. I'm surprised that I still haven't gotten any bids to replace the roof.  Apparently I'm not a priority. The same thing happened the first time I put a new roof on the house. Since the house is small, roofers are always more interested in larger and more lucrative projects.

I should go to the gym tomorrow since I missed my workout last week. I'm not getting much exercise walking Dash. I guess my arms are getting stronger but the walks certainly don't provide much of a cardio workout. We move at a snail's pace these days. I doubt that my heart rate changes at all.

Ariel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3309

It's come to this. Dash can't remember where to pee anymore and I can't remember what day it is. When I let Dash outside to pee while I was fixing breakfast, he wandered around for a while and then came back inside after doing nothing. This is common with Dash, so I didn't think anything of it. Almost immediately after returning to the house he peed all over the floor. He kept walking while he was peeing, so there was a long wet trail of pee all over the place. Why would he do this? He had plenty of time to do his business outside. It took quite a while to clean up the mess. Actually, cleaning up poop is a lot easier.

At times like this I'm convinced that Dash is suffering from dementia. I may not be far behind him. I was getting ready to leave for my haircut today when I looked at my phone and realized that it was Tuesday. Hmm. My appointment is actually on Wednesday. Why did I think it was Tuesday yesterday? Usually Mondays are quite distinctive, as any working person can attest. Maybe the problem is that I'm not a working person anymore. All days seem the same.


No harm done. I'll still get a haircut and I'm sure that Dash will continue peeing wherever he pleases. The accident this morning reminded me that I needed to find a quieter way to protect the bed. The loud crackling sound the plastic shower curtain I bought makes is making it even harder than usual to get to sleep. I'm not quite ready to buy an expensive high tech nylon backpacking tarp from REI, so I thought I'd try a lighter, thinner shower curtain first. I found something very light and flexible, but Dash will probably destroy it. We'll give it a try tonight.

While I was out, I got another hundred pounds of rocks for the driveway. The first pile of rocks I got were actually pretty effective, so I thought that a few more would help smooth out some remaining low spots in the driveway. The river rocks are actually very attractive. Maybe I should keep buying rocks and resurface the entire driveway. I bet it would be a lot less expensive than asphalt. There is something satisfying about fixing things with rocks. A rock is about as low tech as you can get. Filling a hole with rocks is much simpler than repairing a French toilet or figuring out why my computer is running slow.

I've really got to watch Dash carefully now. He falls so frequently that I've got to plan ahead and make sure he is secure in a safe place before I leave him unattended. Today, I had to pen him in the bedroom while I took a shower. If he wakes up and I'm not nearby, he comes looking for me. There are lots of rugs in the kitchen but the bathroom tiles are off limits now. It's too easy to fall on the slippery surface.

There are no wildflowers in the park now. Hey, it's Winter. The flowers you've been seeing lately are just part of a sad little display of bedding plants at the Home Depot where I bought my pile of rocks. I guess I could have showed you a big puddle of pee on the floor today, but I still prefer a pretty theme picture. I'll be getting a haircut tomorrow, but I guess you know that already. I told you yesterday.

Betty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3193

I was so tired this morning. Dash got me up three or four times last night. As soon as I got him outside, he seemed to forget why he was out there and just wandered around aimlessly. As soon as I brought him in again, he would remember he needed to do something and head for the back door again. We did this over and over. Eventually he pooped and we went back to bed. About thirty minutes later, we woke me up again. This time he needed to pee. He wouldn't pee right away though. We had to leave the house three more times before he got the urge. This has to be some form of dementia. Sometimes he goes outside and has no idea why he's out there. This is one of the reasons why he frequently poops in the house. When Dash's brain finally kicks into gear and gets the message that it's time to go, it's often too late.

By the time I got back to sleep again, it was already time for Dash's morning walk. Janet got me up and we got Dash ready. I thought it was early, but I obviously wasn't thinking clearly. By the time we returned home it was almost too late to go out for breakfast. I was hungry though, so I drove to the hotel anyway. I made it a few minutes before they closed the kitchen.

I've been thinking that I'd found my new favorite place, but service was slow this morning and the place was crowded. The food was still good though, so I'll give Knife the benefit of the doubt. It was British Month at Central Market so I stopped by on the way home from breakfast and picked up some Steak and Stout pies, Celeriac Slaw, and Cumberland Sauce for dinner. Maybe next time I'll try a Scotch Egg and some Tikka Masala. When life is dull, something interesting to eat always does the trick.

I found myself falling asleep during the day. I really didn't get much sleep last night. I guess it didn't really matter if I wasn't very productive today. It's hard to get behind when there's nothing to do. I eventually made the bed, did some laundry, and repaired a pair of Dash's protective boots. I switched on the TV several times, but quickly turned it off again. I'm sick of politics.

It's nice that the market is at an all time high again. I think the last time was back in January. Why is it that every time the market is at a high point, my own stocks are actually lower than they were at the last market top? This happens frequently. I'd complain to my broker if it weren't for the fact that I've agreed with every trade we've made this year. You just can't predict the future.

I wish Dash was stronger, but I think he's doing the best he can. Getting old is a bitch. His overall weakness is caused by his heart disease and the shaky stance and vertigo are caused by the Vestibular Disease. There is no cure for either. I try my best to keep Dash as comfortable as possible. I know this is my own fate someday. I often wonder who will take care of me.

Rowe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3154

I spent some time talking with auction houses today. I've got to finish consigning things before I totally lose interest in this downsizing venture. I wish I'd methodically inventoried everything when I was younger. It would make life a little easier if I actually knew what I had. It's probably just as well that my younger self wasn't this obsessive. I'm obsessive enough as it is. Maybe I will regain my enthusiasm if the first batch of auctions go well. Right now, downsizing seems very tiring.

The weather hasn't gotten much better. The sound of raindrops on the roof woke me up again last night. The showers were sporadic today, but it's still pretty dark and dismal outside. I'm amazed that I've still been able to give Dash a walk every day. I don't know how I survived before I had weather radar on my phone. We go outside when it's dry and stay inside when it's wet. Usually it works out pretty well.

I had to pick up some meds for Dash at the vet this morning, but that was the extent of my travels. I really don't put many miles on the car anymore. According to my Fitbit, I walk about as much in any given week as I drive. I drive so little now that I wonder if I'd save on car insurance if I put one of those little tracking devices the insurance companies are pushing in my car. I hate the idea of being tracked by an insurance company, but anyone who uses less than a quarter of a tank of gas a week is bound to get a discount.

I wish someone could explain to me what is is going on in Dash's head. It's easy to say he's becoming senile, but I'd like to know exactly what is going on. I'm not sure there's much we could do at this point, but it's sad to see him so disoriented. He'll stand at the back door forever before making a decision to go outside and pee. Sometimes he'll aimlessly walk in circles while we're at the park, and occasionally he seems to get lost in the house. There are still plenty of times when Dash seems completely lucid, but the moments when he appears totally out of it can be pretty scary.

I have a meeting scheduled with my financial advisor tomorrow. I used to be very interested in the stock market and we would have some lively discussions. Not anymore. I've done the best I can to prepare for the future, but the future seems to be growing more uncertain every day. It would be a miracle if I have thirty years left. Sometimes I think it would be even more of a miracle if civilization has thirty years left. There are way too many potential disasters on the horizon.

The one good thing about aging is that the older you get, the less impending doom matters. Hey, I'm already a survivor. I could be wrong too. Maybe the glass is actually half full. I could be more optimistic, but it would be even better to be more like Dash. I doubt that he spends a lot of time thinking about the future. For a dog, the future is always tomorrow morning.

Emma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3136

Our new schedule got off to a shaky start this morning. Dash didn't want to get up. I tried everything I could think of to rouse him, but nothing seemed to work. It's important to get an early start, because if we sleep in, it quickly becomes too hot to walk. I was almost out of options, but I thought I'd try waving a fresh piece of steak in front of his nose. That worked. He quickly became excited and headed toward the kitchen. The steak not only stimulated his appetite, it also stimulated his urge to poop. I was going to cut up the steak and use it as pill pocket to administer his morning meds. We'd finished half the pills when Dash got a funny look on his face and went racing for the back door. He didn't make it.

I cleaned up the poop, finished giving Dash his meds and got him dressed for our walk. Amazingly Dash stood still through this ordeal. I learned quickly that Dash needs to be standing on carpet when I suit him up. The brick floors are too slippery and he falls over. By the time we left the house, the sun was already peaking over the horizon. An hour makes a big difference. We had to shorten our walk this morning because of the heat, but we'll try to do better tomorrow.

6 AM until 9 AM can be pretty hectic, but after that, nothing happens. Dash sleeps most of the day. After I finished my breakfast and washed the dishes, I went back to the camping store and bought the dog boots I saw yesterday. Will these boots be any better than the boots Dash already has? Who knows. It's worth a try though. We've finally found boots that will stay on his feet, but nothing really lasts that long. After about three months of wear, they start to fall apart. I can keep the boots going for six months by fixing the worn areas with Shoe Goo, but the holy grail is something that would last as long as my own shoes. We've got a long way to go.

Our vet recommended giving Dash SAMe to help prevent dementia and cognitive disfunction. I used to take this stuff for my liver, but I guess it has many functions. I started giving him these pills recently. He's no Einstein yet, but hopefully the SAMe will help. Dash is definitely becoming more forgetful and is showing some early signs of dementia. This is one of the saddest parts of aging. It happened to Dot. It happened to my Dad. And it will probably happen to me.

I found the telescope, but it was much smaller than I remembered. My image stabilized binoculars actually provide a much better view of the sky. I didn't want my search efforts to go to waste last night, so I took the telescope out and looked at the moons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn, and a bright red ball called Mars. It's too bad the sky never really gets dark here in Dallas. There's a lot more up there to see.

Dash has taken his evening meds and appears ready to call it a day. Hopefully, things will go a little smoother tomorrow. It's a learning experience.

Smokey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3121

I didn't see the roofer today, but I did get a visit from the electrician. I'd almost forgotten that I'd called the electrician. When I originally called weeks ago, the photocell that controlled the security light in the back yard wasn't working correctly. The light would come on at dusk, but it would shut off about three hours later. To get the light to turn on again, I would have to go to the breaker box and turn the circuit breaker for the light off and on manually. It was irritating to go out at midnight and do this, but it certainly wasn't an emergency. Somehow during the ensuing weeks, the light seems to have fixed itself. It's been working perfectly for over a week now. The electrician replaced the photocell with a new one anyway. I thanked the guys, but was kind of embarrassed to have them replace something that seemed to be working fine. Hopefully, there won't be any problems with this new photocell. These guys could get tired of me real quickly.

Dash did very well at the vet. I was proud of him. He didn't struggle or snap at anyone while his nails were being trimmed. He didn't poop in the lobby either. Amazingly, he even rode quietly in the car. I think he was just tired. We had a rough night. He woke up in the middle of the night and seemed to forget where he was. He just stood frozen in place in the living room with a vacant look on his face for the longest time. He wouldn't go outside and he wouldn't come back to bed. This didn't seem like a vestibular seizure. It was something else. I'm starting to worry about dementia now. This isn't the first time Dash has seemed totally confused. The vet recommended some things that might help with dementia at his exam today and checked his heart. There is no quick fix for anything anymore.

This morning when we got Dash suited up for his morning walk, he seemed frozen in place again. Usually, he heads straight for the back door as soon as Janet leaves for work, but this morning he refused to move. He had the same confused look that he had last night. Eventually, I took his harness and leg brace off and he immediately went to sleep. Later in the day, he woke up and seemed somewhat normal again. We took a short walk, but it was too hot to go very far.

Dash seems fine now. He had a good appetite at dinner. We took a normal evening walk and he's barking at Janet for treats now. There are so many surprises these days. Almost every day something happens that I don't expect. I try my best to keep Dash calm, keep him eating regularly, and make sure he moves around enough so his muscles don't atrophy. There is very little we can do about the vestibular disease or the blood clot in his heart.

I was planning to take my car in for service tomorrow, but the dealer called this evening and said they weren't going to have any loaner cars tomorrow. That seemed weird, since everything was fine when I called to confirm the appointment this morning. They asked if I wanted to go ahead with the service and use their shuttle instead. No thank you. These guys are so slow, that I'd probably be without a car for a week. Maybe I'll just wait until August to schedule the service again. Then I could get my state inspection at the same time.

I cleared the water off the roof again. I knew this was a waste of time, but I wanted to be ready just in case the roofers decided to come over anyway. They didn't. I'm aiming for next week now. The weather app on my phone shows a lot of sunny days next week. Every time it rains, the roof problems seem to get worse. We've really got to get this fixed.

I'm not sure what we're going to do tomorrow. I'm getting used to slow, uneventful days. As long as Dash is acting normally and eating his meals, I'm fine.

Sophia is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2565

I had to do some last minute Christmas shopping today, so I used my free time while the dogs were sleeping to make a quick trip to the mall. I'll have to remember that early mornings are a good time to go to the mall. Even though it was only a few days before Christmas, the crowds weren't that bad. I had no trouble finding a parking place. If I had waited until this afternoon to do my shopping, parking would have been impossible. Sad to say, I'm still not feeling the Christmas spirit. I navigated my way through the holiday shoppers and mall displays filled with thousands of Poinsettias as quickly as I could. My time is limited these days.

Dot was just starting to wake up when I returned and there was no poop on the floor, so I considered my trip a success. I should have gone to CVS and bought a giant bag of cough drops. I should have gone to the Container Store and bought some new wrapping paper. I should have done a lot of things while I was out, but I just didn't want to clean up any more poop.

Since I had already squandered today's productive time, I had trouble finishing my one remaining article. I literally had to write the thing one sentence at a time. I don't know why Dot is so active in the afternoons now. She sleeps from the time she returns from her morning walk until about 1 PM. After that, she tries her best to stay on all fours for the rest of the day. I think it's great that she's trying to walk around; I just wish she was more successful at it. To keep Dot from injuring herself, it is really essential that I have her back at all times. I follow her around, steadying her rear legs by holding up the rear of the Help 'Em Up harness. Dot is showing signs of dementia. Sometimes she just forgets where she is. Other times she is alert and seems like a young dog trapped in an old dog's body. I'm learning how to adjust to these changes and hope that she is too.

Caring for Dot has got me wondering what will happen to me when I get really old. Humans without strong family ties are pretty much on their own. It's bad enough now, and I'm still pretty healthy. I often feel like I am operating without a safety net. What would happen if I had a heart attack or fell off the roof? Nobody would even notice. Even if I managed to call 911, I worry that the dogs might escape or get taken to the pound when the EMT's arrived. With that in mind, my goal while Janet is away is just staying alive.

I wish I could shake off this cold. It has lingered far longer than I thought it would. I still haven't taken any antihistamines. I just try to remember to keep a few cough drops in my pockets in case I need to talk with someone. The cough drops won't cure anything, but they do seem to prevent violent coughing spasms. It probably doesn't help matters that I race out of the house every morning in my underwear, trying to keep Dot from peeing on the floor. Once I see her start to wake up, there just isn't time to get dressed. I was successful this morning, but the odds are about 50/50 that we won't make it to the door.

I guess I'll finish writing my article tomorrow. I don't think there's much else on the agenda. I'm going to try my best to go out for breakfast in the morning. I've had to skip my weekly breakfast outing for several weeks in a row due to bad weather or dog emergencies. A tasty meal and an hour or two of peace and quiet can make a big difference.

Two sisters are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2420

I've seen the future. When I was at the grocery store today, I noticed that they were promoting a new app that allows you to scan, purchase, and pay for items using your phone. You purchase as you shop and bypass the checkout line entirely. As soon as you scan the last item on your list, you are done. This is what I've been waiting for. I downloaded the app immediately. I used to like the automated checkout aisles, but now that people have overcome their fear of them, they are just as bad as the regular aisles.

I'm always standing in line behind some idiot who keeps inserting expired credit cards into the machine, hoping that one of them will work. This new app will allow me to bypass all these delays. If one store is doing this, pretty soon all stores will have apps that let you scan and go. Restaurants won't be far behind. You'll just sit down at a table, order from your phone, and the food will appear at your table.This is what I don't understand about politicians who promise to bring back jobs. The jobs aren't coming back ever. If there's a robot available that can take the place of an employee, the robot wins.

I got the roof prepared for the roofers today. It's dry now and as clean as I can get it. The standing water was so hot that I was surprised that it hadn't boiled away yet. If someone would invent a way to turn standing water into energy, I'd have free power for life. This roof is such a nuisance. I wonder if Janet and I will ever live in a house with a normal roof again? There was a time when I thought we would have moved to some idyllic location in the mountains by now, but life got in the way. The older we get, the more daunting another move seems. I may be stuck with this stupid roof forever.

Dot had a good day. Some days she seems lucid and other days she seems totally out of it. Today she seemed happy and had enough energy to get up by herself a few times. Aging is definitely not a linear process. It meanders around, trying to catch you by surprise. I saw this with my Dad as well. One day he'd be making plans for the future, and the next day he'd just be staring off into space. I hope I never succumb to dementia. They say a network of friends is vital to older people. I'm not looking good in that department. On the other hand they say that writing keeps the mind agile. I write constantly. Maybe it's a wash.

I accidentally erased my backup drive today. This is why I have two backup drives. I thought I could just reformat the drive and back everything up again. For some reason, the information wouldn't fit. WTF? Everything fit on the drive yesterday. Why won't it fit today? I'm sure there's a logical explanation for this, but I can't figure it out. Maybe dementia is already devouring my brain. I'm trying to convince myself that one backup drive is plenty.

I actually got a decent amount of sleep last night. That was a surprise. Would it be too much to ask for a few extra hours tonight as well?  I guess it's all up to Dot.

Penny is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2107

I wonder who reads this? According to Google, I have between 200 and 400 visitors every day. I can only account for about 17 of these people however. Actually, 17 readers is pretty generous. Maybe there are only 5. Back when blogging was new and somewhat popular, I though I might become an online Dave Barry, regaling readers with the humorous absurdities of everyday life. It is now pretty obvious that I am writing for myself. I write for the same reasons that a fitness advocate becomes compelled to do 50 push-ups on waking, or ride twenty miles on a bicycle before breakfast. It's an obsession.

I've convinced myself that writing is a more effective way to postpone dementia than solving Sudoku puzzles. It certainly helps take my mind off a perpetual cycle of cleaning up dog poop and fixing broken things around the house. That being said, it will probably take more than a blog post to compensate for today. Dot had three separate accidents in the house today. As soon as I got one set of soiled rugs and blankets cleaned, it was time to throw a new set in the washer. Sometimes I can predict when Dot needs to go outside. Other times I am completely surprised. Today was a bad day, but tomorrow might be completely normal. The incontinence certainly isn't Dot's fault. As much as I hate cleaning up dog poop, I've just got to learn to go with the flow. This is all part of the aging process and the same thing might happen to me someday.

I watched the Pope arrive in Washington DC this afternoon and was amused to see him drive off in a tiny little Fiat 500 after greeting the president and dignitaries. It looked like a clown car. Everything has become a symbol in today's world. I'm sure the small, humble car wasn't an accident. Democrats see the Pope as their friend because he cares about the plight of immigrants and worries about global warming. Republicans see the pope as their friend because he is does not support abortion or gay marriage. Everyone seems to forget that the Pope is not a politician at all. He's a religious leader. If the Pope agrees with you it is only because the Catholic Church agrees with you.

Dot's vet is changing her schedule around and we will no longer be able to have our physical therapy sessions on Thursday afternoons. This week, our physical therapy session will be tomorrow. We've never gone on Wednesday before, so hopefully it's not a bad traffic day. After a transition period, we will start doing our therapy sessions in the morning. I'm not sure I like this, but like I said earlier, you have to learn to go with the flow.

Sometimes things turn up in my photographs that I'm not even aware of when I take the picture. Tonight's picture of the setting sun revealed a jet contrail that was tangent to the base of the sun. If you click on the picture and enlarge it, you can clearly see the jet and its exhaust plume. It kind of looks like a thread of fire being pulled out of the sun.

I wish we didn't have to wait until November for Daylight Saving Time to end. The days are getting shorter and it is really dark when we start our morning walk. I can still see the constellation Orion in the morning sky, along with the planets Venus and Jupiter. I'm always amazed at how quickly the sky brightens at sunrise. The stars are out when we start our walk and the sun is up before we finish. It's really a beautiful time of day. Dot pooped so much today that maybe there's nothing left. Let's hope so. I'd like a good night's sleep.

Sadie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day