Day 3788

Fake news isn't limited to politics. If you try to fix a computer using online tips and suggestions, you will encounter an almost unlimited amount of nonsense. It's frustrating to wade through inept YouTube videos, argumentative user forums, and out-of-date manufacturer tutorials, but you can still learn a lot. That's how I spent my morning. I'm still trying to figure out what went wrong in yesterday's botched computer upgrade. I eventually learned enough to ask some intelligent question when I was able to connect with a tech support person later in the day. A sane person would probably realize that this computer is too old and give up, but I am determined to fix it.

We got a lot of rain overnight, but the skies were already starting to clear up when we got up this morning. As soon as the rain quit, we took Dawn on her morning walk. We took a different path today and saw some parts of the park we rarely visit. Dawn loved the cool, overcast weather. It was windy though and I should have worn a light jacket. It's almost impossible to know what to wear at this time of year. You can be cold one minute and then hot five minutes later. No complaints however. 60 degree days are so much better than 100 degree days.

Our Pulse Oximeter arrived in the mail today. Janet and I both have excellent blood oxygen levels. We'll add this little gadget to the infrared forehead thermometer and growing stack of masks on a shelf in the entry hallway. I was curious how pulse oximetry works. The device clamps on your finger  and sends two beams of light through your skin, measuring the level of oxygen saturation in your blood. By comparing the ratio of the red light to infrared light that is absorbed by the blood, a little computer in the oximeter can quickly determine your current blood oxygen levels. For an inexpensive little device, it is all very complex and surprisingly accurate. I have an oxygen saturation level of 97%. Not bad.

I wonder what I'll be measuring next month. People have become obsessed with their health lately.  Some of this is a good thing, but there is a lot of paranoia as well. Nobody wants something invisible in the air to kill them. When I see people driving around alone in a car wearing a mask and gloves I thing we may have gone too far. I'll give these people the benefit of the doubt however. Maybe they are headed toward a crowded destination and just wanted to get ready ahead of time. The masks I see in the park still baffle me. Usually these people are walking alone and are nowhere near another person. This is what fear will do to you. I continue to believe that fresh air is good. I'm not going to ride in a crowded elevatory with you any time soon though.

Tomorrow it's time to go to the store again. I don't really enjoy these excursions, but they don't take long. Grocery shopping is the only time I feel like I'm living in a science fiction movie. I don't know if I'll ever get used to seeing a store full of people walking around wearing masks. I ordered a new battery this evening, along with a few more installation tools for my laptop. I don't know if this will solve my problems, but I hope so. The computer still runs on AC power with the battery removed, so at least I haven't ruined the logic board. I'd like to say tomorrow is a new day, but it's still groundhog day at our house.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3754

I try to go out for supplies once a week now. When I made my weekly run this morning, the world looked a lot different than it did last Saturday. For the first time I felt like I was walking around inside a Steven King novel. It was easy to sense that something apocalyptic was happening. Almost everyone was wearing masks. You could tell people's professions by the type of mask they wore. Men in the building trades were wearing well made masks that dry wall workers, painters, and woodworkers often use on the job. My own mask fell in this category. It was old and smelled of sawdust. I found a few in the tool shed and I'm sure I'd used them once while sanding something. Nobody was wearing a N-95 mask, but quite a few obviously came from medical supply rooms. I don't think hospital workers are stealing masks but I'm sure they are taking a few home for their families. Who could blame them. The only people I saw who weren't wearing a mask were the senior citizens who probably needed them most. The stores weren't crowded and everyone seemed very polite. People were methodical about their buying and didn't linger. I got the impression that everyone knew that things weren't going to return to normal for a very long time.

There weren't any problems with overcrowding in the parks today. It was cold and rainy and the streets we're virtually empty. Janet and I timed our walks between storm cells and managed to give Dawn a nice walk and get our daily exercise without getting too wet. Only the most dedicated runners and cyclists were out today. It was pretty nasty. Technically, I guess it is Spring, but it definitely felt like Winter is Coming today.

I have mixed feelings about the non-stop news coverage of the virus. I guess it's good to know what is going on, but there is no new information. People still don't know how this virus works or how to stop it. The talking heads just repeat the same information day after day. Unless you've been living under a rock, you already know to clean everything obsessively and to stay away from other people. Mostly what the news coverage does is stoke unnecessary fear. We should all be cautious and methodical but it won't help much to be fearful. The situation is what it is. This virus is like a runaway freight train. It will eventually run out of gas but we aren't going to stop it.

Janet and I are a good team when adversity strikes. I think we are going to be OK. I'm glad Dawn is with us. We had no idea that things would get this bad when we adopted her, but this is definitely not a good time for a dog to be alone in a kennel. I'm glad that Dalmatian Rescue has done such a great job of placing dogs this year. Six months ago we had dozens of dogs in the rescue program and now just about all of them have found their forever homes.

I didn't even bother to get gas today. At this rate a tank of gas will last me all year. I'm still having problems wrapping my head around the idea of exponential growth. Too many people seem to be dying unless we are all already infected. It would be nice to know how long it takes to show symptoms. Is is four days or four weeks? Nobody knows. When I have to venture out, I would like to be able to count the days until I felt safe in my house again.

Dottie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3688

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

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

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

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

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

Spirit is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1541

Today was a nightmare. Dash managed to wriggle out of his harness during our morning walk and escape. I've been afraid this might happen ever since we started using the harness. This guy is a harness Houdini. He can get out of virtually any harness on the market in a matter of seconds if he really wants to. He just moves backwards very quickly, ducks his head and the whole thing comes off over the top of his head. His shoulders are so narrow and his front legs are so close together that the harness quickly falls to his feet and he's out.

I was terrified, because Dash wasn't even wearing a collar because of his neck incision. He has a tendency to run away too. Dash immediately ran about ten feet from me and stopped. I put Dot in a sit-stay and told her to not to move while I cautiously approached Dash. With no collar and no harness, there was little to grab hold of. Dash is not a very obedient dog, but he is very empathetic. I think he knew I was frightened, and became frightened too. When I cautiously reached out and held him tightly to my body, he was shaking like a leaf. I literally begged him to stay still while I tried to get the harness back on. Getting the harness attached can be difficult even at home and it was much harder in an open field. Dash panics at just about anything and I was continually afraid that he was going to bolt and run away. Eventually, I had him secure again and we all headed immediately home.

Through the whole ordeal, the ever-obedient Dot didn't move an inch. I think Dot may have saved the day. The always insecure Dash has become very dependent on Dot and I think he didn't want to leave her behind, with or without a leash. If I was alone with him, it might have been a different story. He probably would have thought it would be great fun to run as far and fast as he could. I know one thing for sure. I'm never going to trust that harness again. This was the highly recommended "inescapable" harness too. I still haven't come up with a good "Plan-B" for tomorrow.

When I got the dogs safely back home again, I ate a bowl of oatmeal and set about dealing with the day's other problems. I got on the phone and tried to resolve a vexing Medicare issue. Then I tried to get my jury duty summons postponed until sometime this Summer. Since both of these things involved dealing with government bureaucrats, it was a very unsatisfying experience. I still don't know whether anything actually got resolved.

Dot panicked and started to swim again during our water therapy session this afternoon. I don't know what causes this, because 80% of the time, she's just fine. My theory is that occasionally, the technicians add too much water to the tank and Dot starts to float. She's got a good set of lungs. I imagine she would float quite easily. At any rate, maybe my theory is correct. When I asked if they could drain three inches of water from the tank, everything was fine again.

I did some work today, but it was all a blur. Dash totally stressed me out. The two dogs provide the only real sense of purpose I have left. I try my best to protect them, and don't know what I would do without them. Luckily, everything ended well this morning. I didn't panic. And neither did Dot or Dash.

Rory is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1490

There was so much to do today that it was hard to believe it was only Monday. There were photos to reformat and transform in Photoshop. There were websites to update. And of course, there were the inevitable articles to write. None of these tasks were particularly challenging on their own, but collectively they just about wore me out.

I've got a meeting with my financial adviser later in the week. I wish I could get the guy to give me an honest answer about my remaining resources. If I can continue my current lifestyle without jumping through all these hoops, there is little point in continuing doing a multitude of things I don't really enjoy. I know we wants me to keep working though. He and I both know that there is no reliable way to predict the future. If you stay in the game, at least you have the reassurance that your fate won't be determined by the fickle nature of corporate dividends or government programs. I don't mind working, mind you. I just wish it was fun like it used to be when I was the Wizard of Oz.

Have any of you seen that show called Sherlock on the BBC? I don't know why I'd never seen it before, but I watched my first episode last night and it is brilliant. I guess it shouldn't be surprising that I liked the show, since it was written by Steven Moffat of Dr. Who fame. I really liked the idea of taking Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective stories and re-interpreting them for the 21 Century. I've never been a huge fan of mysteries or crime fiction, but I found this show mesmerizing. I'm sure I'll watch it again.

The dogs were bored today. They don't like it when I spend all my time working at the computer. In their minds, I'm just some sort of a dog butler who is here to keep them entertained whenever they're not sleeping. When they're bored, the dogs bark a lot and try to slap things off my desk with their paws to catch my attention. We has some nice, long walks today, but apparently that wasn't enough. Maybe they were just trying to tell me that the work I was doing was pointless. Of course, I know that already.

Tomorrow, Dash goes to the vet to have his teeth cleaned. We've done this before, but I always get nervous. Basically, I just don't like anesthesia. I worry when I have to be under anesthesia myself, and I worry even more when the dogs need anesthesia. I've heard all the arguments about the safety of Isoflurane and Propofol when administered by a trained anesthesiologist, but these are still strong and dangerous drugs. It's too bad it is so difficult to properly brush a dog teeth. Every two or three years the risk of periodontal disease overcomes my fear of anesthesia, and I schedule the dogs for a dental cleaning. Tomorrow is the day for Dash. If all goes well, Dot will get her teeth cleaned a few weeks later.

Taylor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1406

There are occasional benefits to dumping everything in the storage warehouse instead of just throwing it away like a normal person. While I was taking some things to the storage room today, I noticed some dusty old coats hanging in one corner. Among the coats was my favorite leather motorcycle jacket. This jacket was fairly snug even when I used to wear it in the 1970's. I haven't been able to get into the thing in decades. On a whim, I tried the jacket on again, and lo and behold, it fit. I know I've lost a lot of weight, but I didn't think that jacket would ever fit again. I dusted the coat off, put it on and continued my errands feeling younger than I have in years.

Although there were no new assignments today, there was still plenty to do. I have a long wish list from website clients that I'm still not sure how to fulfill. Whenever I have some extra time, I do a little research and see what I can learn to make these mostly odd wishes come true. I used to think I knew everything about the web, but increasingly I'm feeling like a stranger in a strange land. A lot has changed since 1995. I try to keep up, but I think I'm probably still a few years behind.

Dash saw a loose dog in the park this morning and panicked. Ever since he was attacked by another dog in the park several years ago, he gets extremely nervous whenever he sees a large dog off leash.  He has good reason to be afraid, since the other dog almost killed him during the attack. I feel terrible when I see how fearful Dash has become, but there isn't much I can do. I can't keep the dogs cooped up in the house all the time and Dallas is full of idiots who think it's perfectly fine to let their dogs off leash, even though there are sign ever 100 yards saying that it is illegal to do so. I just try to stay very aware of what's happening up in front of us and change direction if I see a loose dog.

I tried to make a doctor's appointment today and kept getting a message that said "due to unusually high call volumes, your wait will be longer than normal." I guess never is a lot longer than normal. They never did pick up the phone. I suspect that there never were high call volumes in the first place. It's a lot more likely that the receptionist just didn't show up for work this morning.

That bad thing is that other than driving across town to resolve the problem in person, I'll probably have to repeat this exercise in futility tomorrow. I still need to make the appointment. I did manage to get my toll tag account changed to my new license plate number though. Now, all I got to do is remember what this new number is. It took me years to remember the number on the old Defender plates.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day