Day 2774

The only thing memorable about today was the heat. I was hot when we woke up. It was even hotter when I began running my weekend errands after breakfast. It was so hot that even our sunrise walk with Dash was uncomfortable. On days like these I'm really thankful that we have a working air conditioner. I've gotten used to the heat over the years, but I still remember the day I stepped off a plane arriving in Dallas from Seattle for the first time in the mid 1970's. I was interviewing for a job that I subsequently took, but as I stood in front of the Dallas airport waiting for a taxi to take me into town, I wondered if I'd made a huge mistake.

We are totally at the mercy of the weather in the summer. Cars seem to break down more frequently in the summer. I see them on the side of the road all the time in July. I don't even care about the huge electric bills. All I want is for the air conditioner to keep running. Once, a summer thunderstorm knocked our power out for almost five days in July and it was like camping out in hell.

Luckily, everything is working like a charm this year. The car has just been serviced and seems reliable. The air conditioner has a fresh filter and can still keep things twenty degrees cooler than the outside air. The dehumidifier faithfully sucks the moisture our of the air. We are all pretty comfortable as long as we stay inside.

To stay cool, I ran my errands right after breakfast this morning and then came home and vacuumed the house. This was the first time I'd touched the vacuum cleaner since the dog bite and the house was definitely dusty. By the time I'd finished cleaning both bedrooms, the canister on the Dyson was completely full. Janet had already mopped the brick floors in the living room yesterday, so the house is probably as clean as it's going to get.

I was pleased that pushing the heavy Dyson around didn't seem to bother either my wrist or my legs. There will be some scars on my legs for a long time, but I think I'm getting back to normal. Normally, I would have mowed the grass today, but it was just too hot. Hey, the house was clean and I felt like I'd accomplished something. It was a good time to binge watch a few more episodes of The Expanse.

So, how does this show compare with Babylon 5, Farscape, Battlestar Galactica, Lexx, Dr. Who, or Firefly? Most of these shows are kind of like Westerns with space ships, but I enjoy them. Somehow, when the future arrives, I doubt that it will be like Dodge City on a different planet, but it does make a good story. I think Firefly was my favorite sci-fi series because it really was a true space Western. Star Trek never appealed to me because the writers made it a morality play. Hey, don't preach to me when I'm trying to be entertained. Just show me cowboys in space.

The neighbors brought over a gift basket this afternoon. I know they are trying to be nice, but it made me a little uncomfortable. They didn't need to do anything. I'm not mad at them and certainly don't blame them for anything. The whole thing was just an unfortunate accident. If anything, the dog bite was my fault. I should have just minded why own business and left that credit card in the alley.

Think is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2105

The Emmy Awards are on tonight and I don't know hardly any of the nominees. I've never even heard of Andy Samberg, the host of this year's show. Unless someone like Billy Crystal, Neil Patrick Harris, or Ellen DeGeneres hosts these type of things, I'm lost. Janet likes a few current shows like Modern Family, but other than Dr. Who and Sherlock on BBC, I rarely watch anything that isn't at least thirty years old. Most of the shows I like would never get on the air in today's politically correct world. Great shows like Seinfeld and All in the Family made fun of everybody. Southpark still tries to spread the insults around equally, but I've never been a fan. I'll never really understand why shows like The Big Bang Theory are popular and nobody is making shows like Fawlty Towers anymore. I date myself. John Cleese. Pink Floyd. Hunter S. Thompson. Now, that's entertainment.

I never really planned to establish a Sunday routine, but it appears there is one. For over a month I've been getting up early so we can walk Dot before she poops in the house. We feed the dogs and eat breakfast when we get home. After several cups of coffee, I check my e-mail and head to the gym. Going to the gym in the morning is definitely an improvement. My workout lasts about an hour and then I come home and vacuum the house. There are always a few other chores as well. Sometimes I'll mow the grass. Other times I'll wash the car. There are rare occasions when I need to finish a job on Sunday to meet a deadline, but this doesn't happen very often. Janet likes to cook on weekends, so we usually eat our biggest meal of the week on Sunday evening. I eat the leftovers for the rest of the week. The dogs always get an evening walk before I start writing the blog. This routine rarely varies.

Dot had a lot of energy today. She got out of bed and walked to the kitchen without any assistance this morning. She was relaxed on her walk, stopping to sniff the same things that interested Dash along the way. Later in the day, when I let Dash out in the back yard to pee. I was startled to see Dot right beside me. Where did she come from? I'd left the back door open and Dot had managed to negotiate the small step that led to the porch all by herself without falling. I was amazed, because she still stumbles a lot if I'm not holding the rear part of her harness.

I wish I could tell you that something really exciting was going to happen this week, but I suspect that I'll have to be satisfied with the small things. Small things are OK. Today I was happy that I sunk five "nothing but net" baskets in a row while I was shooting free throws at the gym. Maybe I'll add some cinnamon or a different type of berry to my morning smoothie next week. I might get a check from a client in the mail. Maybe the odd noise my car is making is covered by warranty. We'll see what happens. As long as Dot and Dash stay healthy and I don't have to go to any meetings, I'm fine.

Rosie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day