Day 4898

Since I had to fast for my physical exam this morning I couldn't have my morning coffee or breakfast. It showed. I felt like I had no energy for the rest of the day. Of course this might have been some sort of jet lag effect from my trip. I never get much sleep on these launch trips. The exam went well though. The doc thinks I'm in great shape for my age. Of course "for my age" probably just means that I can still move around without using a walker.

I wish now that I'd asked the doctor about all the bug bites I've got. They're horrible. I think Florida mosquitos are much worse than Texas mosquitos. I get bites like this every time I visit Kennedy Space Center because I'm outside a lot. Since the bites don't go away quickly and I'm a terrible hypochondriac, I always worry that I've caught some strange disease. Were there bedbugs in the hotel? Did I eat tainted food? Did I sit next to the wrong person on the plane? Of course not. These almost have to be mosquito or chigger bites because I've experienced the same thing every time I go to Florida. The bites usually go away in about a week.

On the way back from the doctor I had to stop at the bank and get some documents out of my safe deposit box for tomorrow's driver's license renewal. Something must have changed in the law because I've never needed so much documentation before. I used to just renew my license by mail. The weird thing is that I already have a Real ID, so DPS should know exactly who I am. The letter I got for my appointment said to bring two forms of ID to prove I'm a US citizen, two forms of ID to prove I'm a Texas resident, an original Social Security card, and the title to my car. I've had numerous background checks run on me since I visit military bases to watch launches. Seems very strange that it's easier to visit high security areas at Kennedy Space Center than it is to get a Texas driver's license. At any rate, I've got a pile of documents now and hope I have everything I need. I definitely don't want to have to do this again.

When I returned home I mowed the grass in the back yard and then I took my long walk. The yard looks much better now, although there are still a few dead spots where the roofers left pallets of material while they were working. The grass will grow back quickly and I'll have to mow again pretty quickly as well. At least the new batteries I bought for the mower worked. I'll try to mow the front yard tomorrow.

I finally threw away my worn out Hoka shoes and broke in a new pair on my long walk today. These shoes are comfortable and help with my foot pain, but I sure wish they lasted longer. I've had hiking boots that can be resoled for a lifetime, but any type of sneaker is basically a throw away item. If you're active, you're lucky if they last a year. I was exceptionally slow on my walk today. I got started late and the  weather was hotter than I expected. My feet bothered me as well, but mostly I was just tired. I mentioned to the doctor this morning that I don't have as much energy as I used to. He just laughed and told me I was getting old.

Maybe Dawn did miss me while I was gone. She seems a little friendlier toward me now. One of these days we'll finally be friends. Hopefully there will be no problems with my driver's license renewal tomorrow. I need that license to travel. I also need to get started on my Axiom-2 article soon. There is no rush deadline this time, but I promised my editor that I'd get him something by Friday. Right now I just need to get some sleep.

Willie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4529

I had my semi-annual physical today. It seemed exactly the same as every other physical exam I've ever had. What medications are you taking? Same as always. Do you have any questions or concerns? Not really. My doctor wants me to continue to take baby aspirin despite the negative press it has received lately. He asked if I wanted a second Covid booster. I told him I didn't think I needed one. A nurse gave me an EKG. Another nurse took my blood. I gave them a urine sample and I was done. It looks like I'm still in pretty good shape. The doctor probably made some notes about cognitive decline though. I couldn't remember the names some of the specialists I've been seeing. I couldn't even remember the names of most of the medications I'm corrently taking. In fairness, how can anyone remember these long incomprehensible names? I did remember the color and shape of each pill though.

Medical exams are one of many things that make me think of the Ground Hog Day movie. So many things in life are exactly the same no matter how many times we experience them. We repeat these things over and over again. Whenever I brush my teeth, load the dishwasher, go to the post office, or even take my daily walks, I feel a sense of déjà vu. I've been here before.

I had to fast before my medical exam this morning, but that didn't prevent me from having breakfast when I returned. It was almost lunch time, but I still had a big glass of orange juice and a bowl of shredded wheat topped with fresh fruit. My doctor seems to approve of my long walks, so I took another one after I finished my late breakfast. I completed my full six mile route, but it took me a while. There just isn't much joy in walking in hot weather. I should start going back to the gym, but it's so much easier to head out the back door and start walking instead of driving all the way to the gym. Even when I'm exercising, I'm basically lazy.

The batteries have gone bad again in the backup UPS for my computers. I'll have to take the heavy UPS to the battery store and get the batteries replaced this weekend. I might as well have the lawn mower batteries replaced while I'm there. I think all these people buying electric cars are forgetting some very basic things about batteries. They don't really last that long and they can be quite expensive to replace. If you forget to remove the batteries from an unused item, they can leak and ruin your expensive gear. Batteries have always been my nemesis.

I watched the livestream of the Boeing Starliner launch this afternoon. I kind of wish I'd been down there. United Launch Alliance lets you get a lot closer to the pad to place remote cameras than Space X does. This was a daytime launch too, so the bugs aren't so bad. I always get eaten alive by mosquitos on night launches. Don't think I'll be traveling any time soon though. I paid my remaining travel bills today. Ouch. This is getting ridiculous.

I took the trash out to the curb this evening. This always marks the end of the week for me. Tomorrow I'll think about going out for breakfast, but will probably just stay home and have another bowl of shredded wheat. It's time to mow the grass again. I should call a lawn service, but I'll probably just continue doing it myself. Hey, it's good exercise. My doctor would probably approve.

Holly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4329 - Halloween

There were more tricks than treats today. I started the day with a Covid test. This is a new requirement before you enter the hospital for anything these days. I assume that my test will be negative, but they'll let me know before I go in for my combo EGD/Colonoscopy. The test only took a few minutes. It was much easier to go to the hospital than to wait in my car forever at one of those drive-thru testing facilities.

I stopped at the pharmacy on the way home and there still wasn't a Colonoscopy prep kit waiting for me. I had a feeling that the prescription got sent to the wrong pharmacy. I wasn't sure how I could let anyone know, since the doctor's office was closed today, but I eventually found a number for the on-duty nurse at the hospital. She called me back in fifteen minutes and filled my prescription on the spot. Now all I have to do is drink the vile stuff.

Dawn was in an adventuresome mood this morning, so we took a longer than usual sunrise walk. This was before my Covid test, but I still got to my appointment on time. Later in the morning we took Dawn on her Sunday outing and we walked some more. The weather was still nice today, although it warmed up quickly after the sun came up. Dawn has grown to expect her ice cream cone on Sunday. I guess I have too. Dawn's Sunday outing has become a nice tradition.

After a short nap I took my regular long walk. My pace was slower today since I'd already done a lot of walking. At the end of the day I'd taken 22,000 steps and my watch told me that I'd achieved a personal best for my number of exercise minutes. It didn't feel like I'd done anything special today, but I did keep moving.

I think adults like to dress up for Halloween more than children do these days. When I went to the hospital for the Covid test I saw people in costume. The staff at the pharmacy were wearing Halloween costumes too. I even saw a couple of cyclists on my walk wearing costumes. I guess children still like Halloween costumes too, but I don't see many children these days.

We never get trick or treaters at our house. We live on a busy street with lots of traffic. There are auto accidents all the time and no sane parent would ever let their kids trick or treat on this street. I don't think there are many kids in the neighborhood anyway. They have all grown up. The kids that used to go trick or treating when we first moved here are in college now. Halloween is a non-event around here. We didn't even get a pumpkin this year, although I do like pumpkin soup. I wish pumpkin soup was a Halloween tradition.

Tomorrow is a fasting day. I get to have Jello for breakfast and a cup of chicken broth for dinner. That's about it. No fiber, no fat, no dairy products of any kind. Basically everything I like is off limits. The Colonoscopy prep stuff I have to drink is disgusting, but the good news is that this is the last colonoscopy I will ever need. Typically you have the procedure every ten years, but they stop when you reach 75. I wish all medical procedures stopped when you reached 75, but sadly they don't. The older you get, the more you see the doctor.

Roxy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4325

I now have a flu shot in one arm and a covid booster in the other. The rest of my exam this morning was fairly routine. The doctor always asks what medications I am taking, even though he was the one who prescribed them in the first place. He listens to my breathing with a stethoscope, tests my reflexes, asks a few questions, and then a nurse comes in and draws my blood. The whole process doesn't take very long and it is always the same. I hope doing this every six months keeps me healthy, but life is full of surprises. 

The doctor never told me that I would need gallbladder surgery this year. He did ensure that I got excellent care while I was hospitalized though. You can't ask for more than that. I still believe in preventative medicine. That's probably why I have so many exams every Fall. I still need to see the eye doctor, the dermatologist, and the urologist. There's that Colonoscopy/EGD procedure coming up soon as well. I guess I'll have to add one more doctor to the growing list of people keeping me alive.

I had to fast this morning because of the blood work. No breakfast today. When I got home from the doctor I was hungry and fixed myself a ham sandwich. It's hard to believe that I used to eat lunch every day. When I worked at the ad agencies, lunch was a big deal and we ate a lot. It's amazing that I never gained weight. I'd certainly gain weight if I ate three meals a day now. Breakfast and dinner is plenty these days. Sometimes I don't even feel like dinner.

It rained a lot last night and there was a very small roof leak in the office. The pumps worked well, so hopefully there isn't still a ton of water on the roof. I need to get up there and sweep the remaining standing water away. Now that it's cooler, the water just isn't going to evaporate. I hate going up on the roof now. I'm getting older and it seems much harder to climb up the access wall than it used to be. I guess I've got an excuse for a few days. My arm hurts from the covid shot. I was wondering if both arms were going to hurt, but it's only the left arm. I feel nothing from the arm that got the flu shot.

Last night's rain must have brought a cold front along with it. It was much colder today. I had to wear a light jacket on my long walk. The leaves are starting to drop, but I don't think we're going to get much Fall color. The leaves that were turning red last year are only turning yellow this season. The pelicans certainly seems to know that the seasons are changing. They are on the move now. When they first arrived at the lake, they just sat on logs for weeks at a time. Now they are swimming and flying around. They move around in large groups and usually the double-crested cormorants follow them. The pelicans always seem to know where the fish are and the other birds take advantage of this.

I really need to decide on a roofer and go ahead and replace the roof. I've been disappointed in every roofer I've interviewed, but the situation is just going to get worse if I keep ignoring it. I'm really getting tired of these leaks. I wish I'd never bought a house with a flat roof. I guess I'll never learn though. Every house I've ever owned has had a flat roof. 

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4262

One down, one to go. I had a procedure today to remove stones from my bile duct and apparently it was successful. The procedure is called endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and involves passing an endoscope about the thickness of a finger down your throat, through your stomach, and into your intestine where it meets the bile ducts. Special tools are passed through the endoscope to grab and remove the stones. The process has been explained to me several times but it still seems incredibly complicated. The doctors seemed pleased with their results today. Tomorrow they will remove my gallbladder which is the source of these gallstones.

I've asked several doctors why we even have a gallbladder, since it is the most common organ to be removed. Apparently, you can live quite well without a gallbladder. Today I finally found an answer that made sense. The gallbladder only gets called into action when you eat really hard to digest foods. The bile the gallbladder produces breaks these foods down into compounds the body can digest. This is not good news for me. Among the foods that are hardest to digest are nuts and seeds. Jeez. I love nuts. They are my go to snack and I eat them every day. I had no idea that nuts are hard to digest. They are a healthy source of protein and much better to snack on than candy or chips. Oh, well. I guess I'm going to have to change my diet a bit.

I'm getting a much better idea of why medical care is so expensive. Every two hours someone is coming in my room and giving me some kind of test. I've lost track of how many blood tests I've had. Blood pressure and temperature are checked frequently and so are blood sugar levels. Every single time a nurse does something they ask me my name and birthdate and then check to see if if matches the information on my wristband. Sometime they give me little test to make sure I'm not senile. "Do you know where you are," they ask. "Why are you here?" Occasionally is gets ridiculous. "What month is this?" Can you remember what day it is without looking at your watch?" I'm not senile, but apparently the loud deaf lady next door is. I hear the nurses yelling questions to her, and the lady never knows the answers.

I can't figure out whether the hospital is padding the bill, or whether I actually need all this attention. I've never had so many meds in my life. I try to refuse some of the medication because I know from prior experience that it doesn't work on me or that I just don't need it. I wish they wouldn't give me so many pain pills. I"m not in that much pain at the moment. It's hard to get a nurse to change something that is one the schedule though. They follow orders.

I'm a little apprehensive about tomorrow's gallbladder surgery. This is real major surgery. I asked one of the doctors how long the operation takes. "Usually between 45 minutes and 4 hours,"  he told me. Wow. "Isn't that a pretty big range," I asked. "Sometimes there are complications," the doctor said. You always have to sign a ton to disclaimers and forms when you go to a hospital. I never read the fine print, but basically the hospital saying "is it OK is we accidentally kill you?"

I bet I've lost some weight. I haven't had any food today at all. I can't eat tomorrow either since I've got another surgery. A nurse asked me if I'd had a bowel movement today. Nope. Nothing in, nothing out. It's been a long day. You'd think it would be easy to sleep in a hospital since you are just sitting in bed most of the time. It's almost impossible to sleep though. Hospitals run on a 24 hour schedule and nurses think nothing of popping in at 3 AM. The machines I'm hooked up to start beeping a lot and have to be reset. Last night one of these machines had to be reset every two hours.

Pinkey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4163

Another rainy day. I think it's supposed to be this way for the rest of the week. This would have been the week to go out to the Davis Mountains. It's still clear out there. I don't know what this proves other than it's very difficult to plan ahead and sometimes I'm just unlucky

I guess having a regular physical exam is an attempt to plan ahead. I do try to stay healthy, even though maintaining your health depends on a certain amount of luck as well. Since I was having blood work done today, I needed to fast and couldn't eat breakfast before my 10 AM appointment. This made for a long morning. I drove to the doctor's office in the rain and noticed that I need new windshield wipers. One more thing to add to my to-do list.

Physical exams are always a mix of good and bad news. The good news was that my doctor seemed pleased with my overall health. The bad news was that I'm due for another colonoscopy. It doesn't seem like ten years since my last colonoscopy, but time flies when you are growing old. I always ask about my ongoing foot pain and my frozen shoulder, but I'm never happy with the answers I get. There's no real cure for osteoarthritis. When the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones wears down over time, there's not a lot you can do. Your choices are usually limited to pain medications, physical therapy, and surgery. I've known plenty of people who have had knee, hip, and shoulder replacements. I'm not sure I want to go down that road.

Dawn didn't get a walk at all today. We tried, but she had no interest in getting wet. It took some planning to take my own longer walk, but I managed to find some dry time between the bands of rain moving from the southwest to the northeast. I got caught in a few sprinkles, but for the most part I stayed pretty dry. This wet weather seems to bring out the snakes. I've seen snakes almost every time I've walked lately.

I made another attempt to process some of the pictures I took last week and wasn't happy with the results. It is much easier to take pictures of dogs. The night sky is quite dim and the stars are always moving, so you can't simply take a very long exposure. Successful astrophotography depends on taking a lot of shorter images of the same subject and then merging them together using specialized software that compensates for the rotation of the earth. There are many steps to this stacking process. You want to keep both your foreground and your stars sharp, while avoiding the camera noise that often accompanies long exposures. I'm learning, but I've got a ways to go.

The Atlas V SBIRS GEO Flight 5 launch was successful today. Several of my launch photographer friends were there and got great pictures. I'm always a little envious when I see these pictures, but I don't think I'll be returning to Florida any time soon. The East Coast gas shortage, lack of rental cars, and the huge number of people who want to get out of the house and return to Disneyland or the beach are going to make travel difficult for a while. I'm hoping that life will eventually return to normal, but clearly we're not there yet.

Dismal weather always puts me in a bad mood. I wonder how long it's going to be before I see the sun again? I spent a lot of time napping today, but that's the way it goes on a rainy day. I'll make up for lost time when the sun returns.

Skippy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3987

No big problems or revelations at today's doctor visit. Apparently my Vitamin-D levels are too high and I need to start taking a smaller dose. All my other lab results were right in line. My A1C levels keep decreasing, so diabetes continues to be less of a worry. All in all, I'm feeling pretty good for a senior citizen with all the usual aches and pains. 

I finally remembered to ask the doctor about my foot pain and my tendency to have coughing spells while I eat. I have referrals now to see a podiatrist and have some imaging done on my esophagus. The doctor wants me to take part in a swallowing study where I swallow a variety of liquids and solids while x-ray imaging is being filmed. The procedure is called fluoroscopy and it reminds me of of those machines they had at shoe stores when I was a kid where you could look through a viewing window and see the bones of your feet in real time. I asked the doctor what would happen if they found a problem. "Well, a speech pathologist will probably show you how to eat your food properly," he said.

We had time to walk Dawn before my doctor's appointment, but I didn't have time for breakfast.  This was a good thing because I wasn't supposed to eat anyway. Surprisingly, I wasn't even hungry when I returned home. I had a piece of toast and a cup of coffee and I was good for the rest of the day. I probably still eat too much, but I'm not gaining weight, so I'm not going to worry about it.

I called the manufacturer of our dehumidifier today and talked to their tech support guy. He told me that my problem was most likely a low refrigerant level in the compressor and encouraged me to take advantage of the company's five year warranty. He said that small portable dehumidifiers were hard to service and the even their own dealers didn't like to work on them. I told him when I bought the machine and he said all I need to do is get a diagnostic report from one of their authorized service centers and the company would send me a new dehumidifier. The only problem is that the closest service center is fifty miles away. The whole process takes a while, so Janet and I just ordered a new dehumidifier on Amazon Prime. I'll probably still do the warranty replacement procedure eventually. You can't have too many dehumidifiers.

Since it was Monday, we went and visited Charlie at the kennel this afternoon. He is always glad to see us and we enjoy playing with him and teaching him new tricks. Charlie is definitely not a calm dog. He's not very predictable either. This is probably why he's been at the kennel so long. Charlie is extremely smart and probably would excel at agility. He does have issues with other dogs however and would require a patient and careful owner. I'm convinced that the right person is out there. Charlie will make a great companion for the right person.

We will be doing Santa Paws pictures at the kennel in early December and I was surprised at how many people has already made reservations. It looks like we'll have a busy day. This wasn't what I expected. I thought traffic would be light because of Covid. Apparently few people are concerned about the virus in Texas even though infection rates keep rising. Oh, well. I've got my new N-95 masks. The chances are higher that I will get bitten by a dog than catch the virus at one of these photoshoots anyway.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3986

Another cold front must be moving through the area. The temperature actually fell as the day progressed. I only needed a light jacket when we took our morning walk with Dawn, but a warmer coat was required by the time I took my afternoon walk. I was surprised at how cold it was this afternoon. The rain we were expecting has been postponed until Tuesday as well. All this is fine by me. I do wish the weather was more consistent though.

I'm getting bombarded with Black Friday deals. This happens every year. These deals always make it extremely tempting to buy camera and electronic gear that I don't really need. Today I was tempted enough by deals on Panasonic GH-5 and Olympus OM-D E-M1X camera bodies to waste about an hour online  researching features while trying to convince myself that I actually needed another camera. I don't. That's never stopped me before unfortunately.

What we do need is another dehumidifier. The performance of our current dehumidifier continues to deteriorate. The symptoms I'm experiencing appear to be caused by either operating in too cold of an environment, a dirty air filter, or leaking refrigerant. The house is pretty warm, the air filter is clean, so it must be the refrigerant. This, unfortunately is expensive to fix and it's a lot easier to just buy a new unit. Maybe it's time to change brands. I have a Friedrich now but the online reviews say a Frigidaire might be the better choice. This is what I do on uneventful days. I don't watch Netflix movies or get distracted by politics. I methodically research my next purchase.

The only thing I bought today was socks. REI had the wool hiking socks I like for 30% off. I don't know why socks have gotten so expensive, but if you walk a lot you've got to have good socks. While I was at the store, I picked up a small LED headlamp. I've been meaning to do this for quite a while. This headlamp has a red setting that won't affect your night vision and will be very useful the next time I attempt astrophotography or photograph a rocket launch at night. It's harder than you think to adjust camera settings in the dark without a red light that won't ruin your night vision.

We got a late start on our morning walk, so I got to sleep in again. Janet and Dawn like to get up earlier than me, so I'm usually struggling to get ready in time. Maybe it would be easier to get up early if writing the blog wasn't the last thing I did every day before going to bed. Lately, these posts have been taking longer than usual. The writing is easy when something interesting happens. Uneventful days can be a challenge.

I have to remember not to eat breakfast tomorrow. I have a semi-annual physical at my doctor's office and I have to fast for the blood work. I need to remember to ask why I frequently have coughing spells while I am eating and why my feet hurt all the time. Neither of these conditions are new. I just forget to ask about them. Maybe I'll wear one of my new N-95 masks and see whether the doctor notices. I guess I should ask about my insect bites as well. They still haven't cleared up.

Dawn continues to have much more energy and enthusiasm than she did before her seizure. It's hard to believe that a simple course of antibiotics and Prednisone would make such a difference, but Dawn is definitely feeling better. Maybe the cooler weather helps as well. At any rate, it nice to see her enjoying life again. Now I just need to find a little more energy myself. I didn't hear a thing about Dealey Plaza or the Kennedy assassination on the news today. I think the world has forgotten about it.

Chelsey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3792

I got my second of two Shingles shots today. I was a little late, but still well within the recommended time period. I was initially going to postpone this injection until things returned to normal, but now it appears that normal is out the window. My pharmacist gave me the usual warning about side effects. "I didn't have any side effects with the first vaccination," I said. "Well, you might this time," the pharmacist told me. So, what are the most common side effects you might experience after getting a Shingles shot? Fever and flu-like symptoms. Great. That's exactly what I need at this moment in time.

I mainly got the shot today because I have my annual physical exam tomorrow and the injection costs twice as much at a doctor's office. Why? Bureaucratic nonsense. The Shingles vaccine is classified as a prescription drug and most healthcare providers haven't set up billing systems to file claims through prescription drug plans. So if you end up getting vaccinated at your doctor's office, you are required to pay the full retail cost of the vaccine. Why isn't the Shingles vaccine classified as a necessary preventive service under Medicare Part B like flu and pneumonia vaccines? Your guess is as good as mine. Oh, well. The deed is done. Hopefully, my doctor won't turn me away if I have a fever tomorrow morning.

When the doctor's office called to remind me of my appointment tomorrow, they went over their new post-pandemic procedures. They weren't as bad as I expected. No doctors wearing spacesuits or anything drastic. I'll need to wear a mask and they take your temperature at the front door before you enter. That's it. No valet parking anymore either.

We got caught in the rain again while we were walking Dawn this morning. Timing these Spring storms is tricky. After looking at the weather radar, we thought we'd have plenty of time to take a shorter walk. Wrong. We got wet, but luckily we weren't that far from a picnic shelter when the rain started. We waited for about fifteen minutes for the storm to pass while we were inside the shelter and then continued our walk. I'm so glad that Dawn isn't afraid of storms. Thunder and lightning doesn't seem to bother her at all.

Since I've been successful with my first two computer upgrades, I asked Janet if she wanted me to fix her computer as well. She's been telling me that she can't go to several websites she needs. It turned out that she just had an ancient browser installed. The system was pretty old too, but I left that alone. The system seemed to be working fine. My rule of thumb is if it's not broke, don't fix it unless you are really, really bored. After installing a modern browser, everything seems to work fine.

I have to fast tomorrow since the doctor will be doing new bloodwork. With an early morning appointment I won't be able to enjoy my morning smoothie. Janet will probably have to walk Dawn while I'm gone. It's weird that even tiny changes in my personal schedule bother me. Most of the huge sweeping changes imposed by the pandemic I don't even notice. For the most part, my life in the slow lane is just the same.

Dixie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3392

I had my semi-annual physical today. The doctor ran all the usual tests and seemed pleased with the results. A nurse got a blood sample so they could compare it with my previous blood work. I got my prescriptions renewed and my parking validated. In less than an hour I was ready to go home again. There is no waiting with this new doctor. I get seen almost immediately.

Since my appointment was early, I didn't have time to walk Dash. This morning, I led the way to the park and Janet walked Dash. It all worked out pretty well. It was good to know that either of us can do these walks when necessary. Dash can be quite a handful. Janet said that Dash still got very tired and stumbled occasionally, but they had a good walk.

Meals have been more of a problem than walks this week. Dash has become a very picky eater again and it's getting harder and harder to find anything that he'll touch. It was very difficult to give him his pills this morning. Nothing seemed to work as a pill pocket. Eventually, he took the pills and ate about half of his breakfast, but he definitely needs to eat more. Dash was trying to eat grass and leaves in the back yard today, so part of the problem seems to be an upset stomach. I'm hoping that he'll feel better tomorrow.

I didn't feel like making my smoothie after I returned from the doctor's office, so I ate cold cereal. I haven't done that for a while. It was surprising that we even had any cereal, but there was still a box of granola in the back of one of the cabinets. I wonder how old it was? Having cereal for breakfast is quick. I was done in no time. I've been making the smoothie for so long now that I've almost forgotten what a long and complicated ritual it is.

It must have rained a lot last night, because there was a ton of water on the roof. I removed as much as I could using the pumps and then swept the rest away with the big push broom that resides permanently on the roof. If I go to hell, I think my punishment will be pushing water off a flat roof for eternity. It's really a terrible job. Massive amounts of catkins falling from the Oak trees in the back yard make the job even slower and messier than usual. At least the forecast looks good. Hopefully, I won't have to go back up on the roof for a while.

The touring company of Hamilton is in town this month. I was amazed at how much tickets are. I remember seeing Phantom of the Opera on Broadway at the height of its popularity for far less. Ditto for Jersey Boys. What has happened with prices lately. I don't go to concerts anymore, but from what I've heard, top acts are outrageously expensive too. Maybe I'm just getting old. I just can't relate to today's prices. I read recently that the median home price in the United States is $300,000 now. Jeez. I bought my first house for $45,000. It was a nice house too. When I started working you could buy a new Porsche 911 for under $9,000. A Jaguar XKE was even less. No wonder I wish I had a time machine.

There's not much on the agenda for tomorrow. I'll probably spend most of the day trying to get Dash to eat.

Cooper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3078

There was blood in Dash's water bowl this morning. Where did this come from? His gums looked good and his mouth wasn't bleeding. The clump of blood in the bottom of the bowl looked more like something he had coughed up. This certainly wasn't normal. I've watched Dash all day and he seems absolutely fine, but now I've got one more question for the vet at his next exam.

I feel like things are slowly coming together around the house. The landscaper finally contacted me and made a commitment to clean up the yard and put in new grass next week. The tree guy is coming over this weekend to remove the dead limbs from the Oak trees. Now, all I've got to do is get the roofers to come back again and finish what they started several weeks ago.

It looks like I've got a new website project. This will keep me busy during the month of June. I have mixed feelings about work now. It's good to be busy and I like to feel needed, but work is still work. Truthfully, I'm getting used to doing nothing. The older I get, the harder it is to maintain the work ethic I've had for most of my adult life. I've got nothing to prove anymore and napping with the dog seems to make as much sense as anything else I might try.

I got a call from my doctor reminding me of my appointment tomorrow. I've got to fast so they can do new blood work. Ordinarily, I would have made an early appointment and stopped for breakfast on the way home. This won't work with Dash's new schedule. He doesn't like to walk before Janet goes to work anymore so we no longer walk at sunrise. We'll walk at our regular time and I'll just skip breakfast tomorrow. This is probably the only way I can lose weight anyway. I should try intermittent fasting sometime, but it's hard to skip a meal. Eating is my primary form of entertainment these days.

It's going to be a bad summer for bugs. This always happens after a warm Winter. I knocked down some wasp nests in the back yard this afternoon. As soon as the landscapers finish putting in the grass, I'm going to treat the yard for mosquitoes. I don't know know what I'm going to do about the chiggers. This has been the worst season for chiggers that I can remember.

I hope they don't find anything wrong with me tomorrow. I feel OK, but I've grown to expect surprises. Just when I think I'm home free, someone says I need another colonoscopy or adds a new prescription to my growing list of meds. I feel like I'm in better shape than my Mom or Dad was at my age, but that isn't saying much. Until I hear otherwise, I'll just keep eating healthy food and walking everyday.

I'm not looking forward to lab work tomorrow. Last time, the phlebotomist had trouble finding a vein.  Maybe she's gotten better in the past six months. It's not a big one deal one way or the other. At least there'll be a new episode of The Expanse to watch tomorrow evening.

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2480

It's never wise to disrupt a dog's schedule when food is involved. This is why I dread those days when one of the dogs has to fast before going to the vet for lab work. Dash needed a 12 hour fast with no food whatsoever in preparation for this morning's visit, so he couldn't have his breakfast at the regular time. The only way we could make this work is for none of us to have breakfast. We took Dot and Dash on our short walk around the block as soon as we got up and then I just kept walking with Dash as we started returning to the house. Luckily, Dash was in the mood for a longer walk. While we were gone, Dot and Janet had time to eat. As soon as we returned, I got the car ready and off we went to the vet.

I'm surprised that things worked as well as they did. Maybe I fooled Dash this time. I hope the test for phenobarbital levels worked, because I'm not looking forward to doing this again anytime soon. Once, the 12 hour fast wasn't long enough and we had to fast Dash for 24 hours. That wasn't fun. At any rate, Dash and I ate our breakfast when we got back from the vet, even though lunch would have been more appropriate.

The vet visit and the preparations surrounding it took up most of the morning and I filled the afternoon with mindless chores. I washed the car because it was a nice day and there wasn't anything important to do anyway. Washing the car is one of the few chores that doesn't really feel like a chore. Going up on the roof is definitely a chore. I did that too. This is the worst time of the year to remove water from the roof because the leaves are starting to fall and they pile up and turn the roof into a duck pond. It takes me twice as long to remove the standing water when there are lots of wet leaves. Keeping the roof free of water and leaks is a thankless job. It's discouraging that there is no end to this. It's going to keep raining for the foreseeable future and the flat roof is going to continue to retain water.

There were no accidents in the house today. Occasionally, we get lucky. It's hard to tell when Dot will go next. Sometimes she surprises us and poops on her walks like a normal dog. Other times, the urge comes while she is eating her dinner, or even while she's asleep. Since she can't squat properly anymore, I have to hold her in place using her harness. Incontinence is not pretty. I really hope I never become incontinent myself.

I'm still enjoying the vegetarian dinners I buy to eat during the week. The little company that makes these meals does a really good job. The food is fresh, imaginatively prepared, and very tasty. These guys have a weekly plan where you get reduced prices if you puy a weeks worth of meals at a time. I may try this next week. I'm not missing meat nearly as much as I thought I would. I'm not dogmatic though. I'll still enjoy bacon and eggs on weekends.

There was a pretty sunrise this morning. A pretty sunrise is always better than a surprise thunderstorm.

Spanky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2003

Dot did great during her biopsy this afternoon. We won't have the cytology report until Friday, but Dot's oncologist said that they got exactly what they needed to find out what was going on in her liver and spleen. I learned something new today. I was worried that since Dot can barely walk anyway, she might have an an adverse reaction to the sedation that would make it difficult for me to get her home again. "She'll be able to walk just fine," the nurse told me. "We reverse the sedation when we are finished with the procedure." I didn't know your could quickly reverse the effects of a sedative, but apparently you can. They give dogs a drug called Dexdomitor to put them under and then give another drug called Antisedan to bring them back again and reverse the sedation. The combo apparently works, because Dot walked out of the treatment room like nothing had happened.

My dogs get so much better care than I do. When I go to one of the specialty vets that care for Dot and Dash, I always feel like I'm in the right place. The nurses are nice and always take time to answer all your questions. The people waiting in the lobby with their dogs are all polite, responsible people who genuinely care about their pets. The doctors themselves are amazing. In this kind of environment, I'm always hopeful. Unfortunately, I can't say the same when I go to a human doctor. A visit to my general practitioner is like a visit to Walmart. Where do these people come from? I usually feel like I'm going to catch something horrible just by sitting in the lobby for more than ten minutes. The lobby TV at the dog's cancer center shows PBS cooking shows. The lobby TV at my general practitioner shows Man vs. Food. Both places apparently know their audience.

Going out to eat is a good solution for dealing with dogs that need to fast for an upcoming medical procedure. Dot got her early breakfast with Janet this morning and when I returned from the restaurant a few hours later with my last cup of coffee in a to-go cup, both dogs were sleeping peacefully. They had completely forgotten about the banana I usually give them.

Considering that I spent most of the afternoon up at the cancer center with Dot, I actually got quite a bit done today. I'm making good progress on my latest mobile friendly website project. It's a good sign that each one of these projects gets a little easier than the previous one. I am apparently learning something. I wouldn't call my current project easy, mostly because there are so many pages involved. It's the process that's getting easier. Responsive design is still new enough that I should probably go out and try to get some new business. There are still thousands of old static sites out there and now I know exactly what to do with them.

Tomorrow is a new day. With any luck, I ought to be able to launch what will be my fifth mobile friendly website. We going to let Dot rest tomorrow morning and see if she does any better on the treadmill at her physical therapy session. I don't think she'll miss her walk tomorrow morning anyway. It's getting hot again and she had a pretty big day today. Dot is sleeping now. I think I'll join her soon.

Escher is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1552

I'm usually completely oblivious to anything that's not on my "to do" list. Whenever Janet travels, I become painfully aware that there is a lot more on her list than I thought. I've been going to the store quite a bit lately because I realize we've run out of something that is not usually on my list. So, wherever you are in the sunny Caribbean, thanks for looking out for me. Life is easier when you only have to remember half the stuff that needs to be done.

The only productive thing I did today was write a letter of resignation and formally end my membership in the Wednesday morning networking group. In fairness, this is a great group of guys, and I'm sure what they do makes perfect sense for them. I'm just not a group person and probably never will be. I thought it was time I finally admitted that I was just going to these meetings for the bacon. Hey, I like breakfast a lot more than I like business. What's wrong with that?

The rain finally stopped today, but that doesn't mean that Spring has returned. It actually got colder. A lot colder! I had to get out the duck down ski jacket again for our morning walk. I wonder how many more of these extreme hot cold cycles we are going to go through before the warm weather is finally here to stay? Even the landscape guy told me yesterday that this is the weirdest Winter he has ever seen.

Tomorrow is going to be interesting. Dash needs to fast because I'm taking him to the cancer center in the morning for another CAT scan. Both dogs need to go on a walk right after they get up, so they will poop and pee. The only thing Dot and Dash think about when they wake up in the morning is food. So how do I feed Dot without Dash noticing? I guess she'll just have to wait until I get back from dropping Dash off for his CT scan. It won't be so bad Dot. I'm not eating my own breakfast until I get back anyway.

I was going to get my taxes ready this afternoon and drop them off with my accountant on my way back from the cancer center. That didn't happen. The day just got away from me. Maybe I can still get all the files ready after breakfast tomorrow and drop everything off at the accountant's office on my way to pick Dash up later in the afternoon. That sounds like a good plan, unless a paying job magically appears overnight.

I need to figure out how to change the alarm on the clock radio. Janet gets up early and it's been going off at 4:45 AM every morning. It would probably only take me five minutes to find the instructions on Google for disabling the stupid thing, but so far it's been easier to just hit the snooze button.

Ruthie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1532

False start day. We got up extra early this morning, so we could negotiate feeding one dog while the other was fasting. Usually, this involves taking the fasting dog on a walk right after we get up, while the second dog stays home and eats breakfast. I walked Dash while Janet fed Dot, and then we were off to see the oncologist. Janet and I were both impressed with the doctor, who was very knowledgeable and explained Dash's thyroid issues in a way that was easy to understand. He was almost certain that Dash will require surgery, but wanted a CAT Scan to confirm his diagnosis and provide an accurate map for the surgeon.

I left Dash at the clinic to get the scan done and went home to eat breakfast and get some work done. Shortly after I got home, I got a call from the clinic saying that I needed to come back and pick up Dash again. They told me that both of the CAT Scan technicians were out sick today and there was nobody to run the machine. WTF? How could they not already know this when I was up at the clinic just an hour earlier? This is a cancer clinic and diagnosing things using a CAT Scanner is a big part of what they do. The machine is essential. At any rate, the doctor was very embarrassed by the situation and promised to get it sorted out, so I could re-schedule quickly.

It simply astounds me how often people fail to have any sort of a back-up plan these days. Individuals, companies, and even our entire country just seem to lurch through life on a wing and a prayer, hoping that everything will be OK. Here is this multimillion dollar machine that the clinic depends on and everything comes to a grinding halt when a technician's kid gets sick? This shouldn't happen. Worst of all, nobody at the cancer clinic appeared to even know that the technician had called in sick until after I had left Dash and returned home. At least they didn't pre-intubate him with drugs before they discovered their error. I always try to have a back up plan. When I go on a photo shoot, I always take three camera bodies and an extra strobe power pack, just in case something breaks. I have my own 4-G hotspot with me at all times, so I am never dead in the water during a power outage. When I was younger, there was a time when I had three cars, just to make sure that a dead battery or breakdown would never put me out of commission. OK, I shouldn't be sanctimonious here. I also liked cars a lot.

The rest of the day was just a normal Monday. I finished two articles and already have two more on deck for tomorrow. There was a long, involved website update which required a lot of Photoshop work. Facebook is destroying what remains of my website business. The pictures I get these days are horrible. Since it's so easy to upload your baby and cat pictures on Facebook, people just think that this is what I do as well. They don't seem to understand that I have to crop, re-size, and color correct every single picture they send me in Photoshop. I can't even batch process, since I usually get thirty different bad cell phone photos, all in their own unique format. Progress is weird. All it means for me is that my own job gets harder.

Tomorrow, we'll start over. We'll get up early again and feed one dog while the fasting dog is out taking a quick walk. I'll get mired in rush hour traffic again as I take Dash to the clinic for his early morning appointment. They've promised me that the all important CAT Scan technician will actually be there this time. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly.

Nora is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1218

Dot went to see the neurologist today. I don't know what Dot thought, but I found the entire visit a bit unsettling. After I described Dot's symptoms, the vet asked me a bunch of questions and then proceeded to tell me that in about 40% of cases like Dots, they were never able to determine what was causing the problem. After that, she proposed a number of tests, all of which required that Dot be under general anesthesia. The MRI she wanted to do would be taken at another facility, which meant that Dot would be transported to and from the specialty clinic on some of the worst freeways in Texas while still under anesthesia. I didn't like this idea at all. She also wanted to do a spinal tap, which made me nervous as well. I guess spinal taps are safe, but I've heard some terrible things about them.

I didn't mention this to the vet, but what made me the most nervous of all is that the recovery facility where Dot would be staying overnight after the MRI had gotten some terrible reviews on the Google Maps website. I know that some of the things people say online aren't fair, and in some cases aren't even true, but multiple bad reviews does make you stop and think things over. At any rate, I postponed the MRI and other tests until I could talk to Janet and my regular vet again. Dot is thirteen years old. Certain things could definitely help her, but sometimes the cure can be more traumatic than the disease. I think she's too old and frail to even consider spinal surgery.

I think my memory is shot. I completely forgot about Dot's acupuncture appointment yesterday. I looked on the computer and discovered that I had failed to make an entry for the appointment. I've gotten to where if something doesn't beep and remind me on my phone, I don't remember it at all. I didn't even think about the appointment until I was trying to remember my vets name at the specialty clinic this morning. There are just too many things going on for me to remember them all. At least I remembered Dash's antigen shot this afternoon. It seems like I spent my entire day at the vet.

I had terrible dreams last night. I frequently have dreams where I am lost and trying to find my way back home. Sometimes I am in a hotel, or in a city that I visited long ago. This time I think I was in Las Vegas. At least I started there. Every time I went through a door, or stepped out of an elevator in this dream, the environment changed completely and I was somewhere else. Then the door disappeared. There was no retracing my steps. I became increasingly lost and disoriented until eventually I didn't even know what planet I was on. Luckily, one of the dogs woke me up and when I got up to go to the bathroom, the dream disappeared.

In between the vet visits, I managed to complete quite a few small writing assignments. Dot ended up skipping breakfast for nothing, but she is happy to be home. I skipped breakfast as well. I didn't need to fast. I just ran out of time.

Becker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1217

The saddest thing about today's bombing of the Boston Marathon is that these horrific events are no longer surprising. Bombings, school shootings, mass murders and other horrors have become so commonplace that they are now just part of the tapestry of everyday life. I have to remind myself that the world wasn't always this way. I grew up in a small town that didn't have a single murder during the entire time I lived there. Neighbors didn't even lock their doors at night when I was a kid. I suspect that those days are gone forever.

The bombs that exploded in Boston weren't the only sign of the apocalypse today. The market had a huge sell-off, with the price of gold falling at an unprecedented rate. This extreme volatility is no longer uncommon either. The world has simply become a volatile and increasingly dangerous place.

If I hadn't turned on the television, I would never have known about all the turmoil however. My own world is quite calm. I walked the dogs, exactly like I always do, and ate a bowl of oatmeal mixed with fresh strawberries, blueberries and blackberries when I returned. I watched an old episode of Dr. Who while I was doing the laundry and cleaning up the kitchen. I paid a few bills, took my quarterly estimated tax voucher to the post office, finished an estimate that was due today, and even got a couple of checks in the mail. It was an absolutely normal day as far as I was concerned.

I hope I can maintain this fragile illusion of normalcy in the days to come. I have no desire to live on the bleeding edge of anything. A simple life like my parents enjoyed in the 1950's would be fine with me. Is this even possible? Probably not. If I'm being honest, I'll have to admit that during the 1950's, my Mom was wrestling with manic depression and my Dad was immersed in the cold war, making secret trips to the Nevada desert whenever there was a nuclear test. Maybe life never was normal.

I still find the innocence of the 1950's alluring however.  I enjoy watching old episodes of Perry Mason and The Twilight Zone as I drift off to sleep in the evening. The world seemed so simple then. It would be nice if we could figure out how regain the innocence we lost. I don't think it's going to happen though.

Dot has to fast for her CAT scan tomorrow. Janet and I have come up with a complicated plan to feed Dash in the morning without Dot knowing what is going on. The plan probably won't work though. Dogs always know what's going on when food is involved.

Krissy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day