Day 2770

I went car shopping with Janet today. For me this would have been the beginning of a three month ordeal. Janet is much more decisive and came home with a new car. I was glad she invited me along. I love looking at cars and it was actually a very enjoyable afternoon. We visited several dealerships, but the cars that caught Janet's attention were the Audi's. We spent most of the afternoon at the Audi dealership. I always thought that Janet would get another Land Rover, but prices have gone up and service isn't as good as it once was. I could see why an Audi seemed appealing. These cars were pretty cool.

The first thing I noticed was a lot has changed since either of us bought our last car. I was impressed that you can use Google Earth as your GPS display now. You can also set a destination by just speaking to the car. Somehow, the GPS knows the speed limit of every road in the country and warns you if you are speeding. I'm not sure if I like that, but it is impressive. You can change from a soft to a firm suspension with the touch of a button and there's even a built-in WiFi hub.

By the Time we got around to taking a test drive, I think Janet had already decided she wanted an Audi. The dealership was very pleasant and the salespeople weren't pushy at all. I think the car more or less sold itself. One of our friends from Dalmatian Rescue worked at the dealership, so we caught up on dog stories while the bean counters worked out the numbers on her trade in. I wouldn't have had the nerve to buy a car after a single afternoon of car shopping, but I think Janet did the right thing. The car is beautiful and Janet certainly seemed happy on the drive home.

Dash wasn't very happy when we arrived home two hours after his normal dinner time, but he forgave us as soon as we fed him. It's kind of a luxury to be able to leave the house again. When Dot was sick, we could never have left her alone for this length of time. Dash might have been a little lonely, but he was just fine. I'm sure he slept most of the afternoon anyway.

I was planning on renewing my passport today, but going car shopping was much more enjoyable. I'm not in the market for a new car yet, but it's always fun to dream. I did see a few cars this afternoon that would definitely be fun to drive. Hopefully, my car has a few good years left. Cars have gotten so expensive now that I'm not looking forward to the day when I'll need to go car shopping myself.

When I opened my e-mail this evening, I discovered that I'd lost one of my very last website accounts. The client had replaced me with one of his sons. This is actually the third time that I've been replaced by one my my client's children. I should never have picked a profession that was so popular with millennials. Janet could have a steady job for the rest of her life if she wanted because young people aren't interested in her job. I don't know why millennials want my job. It isn't nearly as glamorous as it seems.

I wonder if I could ever work in an office again? It would certainly be easier to buy a cool new car if I had a steady income. I have a wealth of unique skills and loads of experience, but I haven't had a boss for so long that some of my friends tell me that I'm unemployable. They're probably right. Nobody has told me what to do for a long, long time.

Puppies are our Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2702

Dash's bloodwork came back today and his triglyceride levels were sky high. This wasn't just a little spike. The tests showed triglyceride levels that were ten times higher than they should be. Dash's vet wanted us to change his diet immediately. This should be interesting. Dash is picky about food already. I can see him turning up his nose at the special low fat diet.

Abnormally high triglyceride levels can mean a lot of things. Sometimes the levels are high if the blood test are done right after a meal. Other times they are an indicator of poor thyroid function, pancreatitis, or liver disease. Hopefully, we just tested Dash too soon after a meal. We'll have to test him again in a couple of weeks. He'll have to fast this time. That's always fun. Dash hates to miss a meal.

I wish Dot and Dash could eat the same thing. Life is complicated enough as it is. Now we have to feed Dot a high calorie, high fat diet and Dash needs to eat just the opposite. The triglyceride levels could have become elevated just from all the food Dash steals out of Dot's bowl. At any rate, we need to get this under control. One sick dog at a time is plenty.

Dot still isn't eating in the morning. This makes giving her morning set of pills quite a challenge. It always worries me when Dot refuses to eat. So far, her appetite always seems to return late in the day, but I'm sure there will come a day when Dot quits eating completely. I don't know why Dot has adopted this strange new schedule, but I'm trying to adapt to it. I never used to appreciate how consistant the dogs were about just about everything. They always ate at the same time, walked at the same time, and slept at the same time. Now any semblance of consistency is out the window. Every day is a new day.

I bought some audio gear online today. I could justify the purchase because the gear was on sale and I got a tremendous bargain. That wasn't the reason though. I bought the stuff because I was frustrated. I always buy gear when I'm frustrated. The gear doesn't necessarily make me take more photographs or write more songs, but I always hope it will. I remember when I used to spend almost every evening writing and recording songs. Those were good times. Maybe someday the urge to write and record will return. I want to be ready when it does.

This week has gone quickly. I almost forgot to take the trash out to the curb this evening. It didn't seem like Thursday. I won't be going out to breakfast in the morning. Like songwriting, that activity has been postponed until sometime in an indefinite future. I do have pancake mix though and there are sausages in the freezer. It's always easy for me to eat. I just wish it was equally easy for Dot.

Skippy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2694

I talked with two vets today. One was very pessimistic about Dot's future while the other was slightly optimistic. I guess the difference of opinion comes down to how you define "quality of life." If I'm happy for an hour each day, I'm good. I probably assume that Dot thinks the same way. How can you ever know for sure? I think that Dot is still happy because she seems to enjoy her short walks and barks whenever she needs attention. Maybe she's miserable though. She certainly can't do much in her diminished capacity.

I"m feeling uncertain today because we got off to a terrible start. After spending most of the day yesterday making sure that Dot got enough food, she ended up throwing up everything she ate around two in the morning. One vet told me that the symptoms Dot was exhibiting just before she threw up indicated that she was nauseous and suggested giving her a Cerenia pill before bedtime tonight. The other vet was worried that Dot's impaired swallowing was causing food to back up in her esophagus and she was regurgitating it before it ever reached her stomach.

It's all getting very complicated. Dot is supposed to be eating bland food like chicken and rice or low fat cottage cheese. These things don't appeal to her though and it's easier to get her to eat rich, strong smelling food containing things like duck or venison. The rich food is likely to cause an upset stomach and could lead to her throwing up again. After the phone calls I made today, it became apparent that it wasn't really OK to let Dot eat anything she wanted. Nobody answered my questions about how to convince her to eat things that don't appeal to her. It's hard enough to get her to eat anything at all. If she continues to throw up, dehydration becomes a real worry. I already worry that she's not getting enough water because she takes such tiny little sips.

I went out and bought some low fat cottage cheese this evening. We'll add that to the growing array of choices that Dot already has. I'm kind of at my wit's end. Every positive thing we do for Dot seems to be accompanied by negative side effects. I guess I should expect this. All medicine is this way. Just look at the commercials on TV from the pharmaceutical companies. The disclaimers about all the horrible things that can happen if you take their pills are often longer than the commercials themselves.

Dot still doesn't have much interest in eating until later in the day. This means that she'll probably go to bed again with a full belly. I hope she doesn't get indigestion. I've been trying to keep her active for a while so that the food she eats with her final set of pain pills actually gets out of her esophagus and into her stomach. I gave her a Cerenia pill too. With any luck, we'll all sleep a little better tonight.

This morning while I was walking Dash, I saw a Great Egret catch and eat a fish. Nature is cruel and beautiful. I watched in fascination as the Egret ate the fish, thinking that I'd sure hate to hand feed one of those birds.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2692

I've never spent so much time focused on eating. It takes an entire day to feed Dot. She eats tiny amounts and then turns away. An hour or two later she'll eat a little more. I'll feed her whenever she shows any interest in food. Dash has become obsessed with Dot's food, but it makes him sick. Getting both dogs to eat is proving to be quite a challenge. Dot's appetite often returns while I'm eating breakfast or dinner, so my own meals are continually getting cold, or in the case of my morning smoothie, becoming warm. Dash is moody and often I have to trick him to eat. When he won't touch his breakfast, I transfer it to Dot's bowl. Oddly, this works sometimes, because Dash thinks he is stealing Dot's food.

Eating a relaxed meal used to be the favorite part of my day. Cleaning up poop during breakfast, or keeping a constant eye on Dash to make sure he doesn't wander off and vomit in the office has changed things though. There is nothing relaxing about mealtime. Typically, it has become one of the most stressful times of the day.

Dot must be feeling a little better, because she's starting to remember how much she hates taking pills. It's harder to get the pills down her throat, because she knows the routine. I try to find something she really likes to feed her after each pill, so she gets some positive reinforcement. You never know when she's going to be hungry, but amazingly she still has an appetite a couple of times a day. I really have to work on becoming more patient. Hand feeding a dog a couple of kibbles at a time can take forever.

It was a long day, but we're all still here. Dot has eaten about 3/4 of her daily quota and Dash finally ate his own food without throwing up. Hopefully, Dot will eat a little more when she takes her final set of pills at the end of the day. I never dreamed that eating could become so complicated. Often Dot will refuse to eat something she seemed to love the day before. We need to keep a wide variety of choices available for her. Today, she's back to eating dry food again. To reward her for taking her pills, I've been giving her little bits of sliced turkey today. Who knows if she'll like turkey tomorrow.

I need to rearrange the refrigerator. It is so full of options for Dot, that leftovers I need to eat myself often get misplaced.  I really need a shelf for each day of the week in the refrigerator. I would put the oldest food on the Monday shelf, so I would be sure to eat it first. I hate it when food goes bad simply because I've forgotten about it.

I wrote some friendly letters today to clients who have seemingly forgotten about me. If they don't reply to these messages, I will conclude that they actually have forgotten about me. I hope these folks aren't reading the blog and concluding that I'm too preoccupied to meet their deadlines. I still need the work. I never miss deadlines either.

I wish I had a better understanding of what is going on in Dot's body. She's not giving up, but these days have got to be tough on her. Her activity level changes from day to day. Last week I thought she was becoming nocturnal because she was still active when Janet and I were ready to go to bed. Today, she was active all morning and is sleeping soundly now. Some days I think she isn't going to eat at all, and then an hour later, she'll be hungry again. I think this is a learning experience for all of us.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2691

Dash threw up again today. I'm pretty sure that Dash's problem is that there are seven different brands of dog food in the house now and it's driving him nuts. He always tries to steal Dot's food unless I pen him in the back of the house while I'm feeding her. Dash has had a sensitive stomach for most of his life and he can't handle eating something different everyday. The rich canned food that Dot is eating now was not meant for dogs like Dash.

Feeding the dogs is complicated. The whole process works best if Dash eats before Dot even wakes up and I don't begin feeding Dot until Dash has gone back to the bedroom for his morning nap. This works great when all the stars are aligned perfectly, but on a normal day, things are fairly chaotic. Today Dash ended up eating a fair amount of Dot's food. I feel like I don't have enough hands anymore. It takes both hands to hold Dot's harness while she eats, poops, walks around the house, or basically does anything. Dash takes advantage of the situation whenever he can.

We gave Dash a Cerenia pill tonight and hope that it will take care of the situation for a while. He's got to go back to his special diet though. There just isn't any other alternative. I wish Dash understood how difficult it is to keep Dot with us a little longer. Dot is special to Dash too. When we first adopted Dash, he was scared of everything. Dot was the one who gave him confidence. You can't expect a dog to act differently though. He sees all the attention Dot is getting and all the exotic food she is allowed to eat. All he wants is to be treated the same way.

It's weird being the one to make all these decisions for the dogs. What is kind and caring for Dot would be unkind and irresponsible for Dash. As I try to keep life in balance for both dogs, I sometimes wonder how people with severely disabled kids keep it together. One of our neighbors has a boy who looks a bit like Steven Hawking. They have to do everything for him. How do they do it without going crazy? My problems are nothing compared to the problems that many people have. I think I've reached my limit though. So far, I'm doing pretty well, but I don't think I could handle much more.

Maybe we just don't know what we can handle until we try. I felt that I needed to up my game at the gym today. I can't really help the dogs if I'm always tired myself. My workout was more strenuous this afternoon and a doubled my free throw goal on the basketball court. The fitness band on my wrist told me that I did pretty well, but I still didn't really enjoy the exercise. All in all, I would have rather taken a nap.

While I was walking Dash this evening we happened to see the woman who gave us the can of food for Dot last Sunday. She was really pleased to hear that her food proved to be the key to getting Dot eating again. I still have no idea who this woman is.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2689

I didn't get any sleep last night, but today went reasonably well. I actually had time to run down to the hipster restaurant and pick up some breakfast to go before Janet left for work. I gave Dot her morning pills and then sat down to enjoy some delicious cinnamon pancakes. Dot didn't eat her own breakfast until almost 11 AM, but who care about timing anymore. She ate pretty well and wanted to eat out of her bowl again instead of being hand fed.

The reason I didn't get much sleep last night is that Dot can't seem to sleep all the way through the night anymore. She peed in her bed around 3 AM and while I was cleaning her up, she decided to poop as well. It was a mess. By the time I took her blankets and harness outside to rinse off with the garden hose before throwing everything in the washing machine, I was wide awake. Maybe I went back to sleep and maybe I didn't. It's hard to tell.

The only benefit to this nocturnal mishap was that it was pretty easy to get her outside again when I woke her up around sunrise. There were no leaks on the way to the back door at all. Usually Dot sleeps for hours after breakfast, but she remained active today for some reason. Maybe she's starting to feel a little better. She certainly kept me busy. I could tell that all this activity was making it hard for her to stand, so we used the wheelchair for our evening walk. I wasn't sure if she'd ever be strong enough to use the wheelchair again, but she did pretty well today. I continue to be amazed at how easily Dot is able to walk using this contraption.

I made an appointment to get a haircut tomorrow. I'm way overdue, but it's been hard to get out of the house this Spring. Today I made a ten minute trip to pick up breakfast and another ten minute trip to pay the phone bill, but that was it. The rest of the day was non-stop dog wrangling.

My new driver's license arrived today. That was quick. I was convinced that the process would take months. I probably should start doing more things online like this. The whole world is optimized for online transactions these days. Nobody wants you to go to the post office or the bank anymore.  I'm afraid I'm becoming a Luddite just like my sister. I'm just more comfortable doing things the way I've done them for most of my life.

I'm curious to see if Dot's blood work and vital signs have improved the next time we take her to the cancer center. She was genuinely close to death for almost a week and now she seems to be slowly improving. Dot is still very week and has a lot of trouble swallowing, but the fact that she is trying to eat on her own again and still wants her daily walks is pretty amazing. I'm not going to get my hopes up, but it would be really nice if she could make it to her seventeenth birthday. Hey, it's possible. Her birthday is this summer.

It took about five tiny meals, but Dot ate her full two cups of food today. I had a decent breakfast for a change and Janet and I had a nice dinner. Even Dash acted pretty normally. Not a bad way to end the week.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2688

I'm having trouble with schedules. Dot has a schedule. Janet has a schedule. And Dash has a schedule. All these schedules are different. We get up early on Janet's schedule, so she can help with the dogs before she goes to work. Dot doesn't want to get up this early and won't eat much until almost 11 AM. Dash wants things the way they used to be where both dogs ate and walked together. We have to give Dot's pain pills before she is really ready, because she needs to take them every eight hours. If we started the pills later, she'd be taking the last set at three in the morning. Dash hates how long it takes me to feed Dot and usually starts his high pitched barking before we are finished. Even though Dot can't hear well now, she flinches every time Dash barks. I think Dot is starting to become nocturnal. Because she gets up late, she often isn't ready to go to bed with the rest of us. I don't have a schedule at all. I just try to keep things moving from one end of the day to the other.

Last night we had a reminder that Dot is still a very sick dog. She was sleeping peacefully, but woke up about 3 AM and started crying. I took her outside and she peed, but she still seemed uncomfortable and wouldn't go back to sleep. I got a pillow and sat with her on the floor. I could hear her stomach rumbling and suspect she had a belly ache. Since Dot gets hungry later now, she often feels like eating just before we all go to bed. This probably isn't a good idea. I'm just guessing about the indigestion. Dot could have been uncomfortable last night for dozens of other reasons. I slept on the floor with her, thinking that she'd probably throw up on me, but she held her food down despite all the stomach rumbling and eventually went back to sleep. This morning Dot seemed fine. I was exhausted though.

I had a lot of trouble giving Dot her pills today. Maybe Dot is becoming wary again, or maybe it was just me. There's an art to pilling a dog properly and I don't think I was quick or coordinated enough today. Eventually I got her to take all her pills and eat a modest amount of food, but the effort seemed to take forever. It doesn't help that Dash is becoming a picky eater as well. I have to mix in a little bit of Dot's food to get him to eat. It's all way too complicated. Dash has always had a sensitive stomach and it has taken us years to find a diet that he liked and was healthy for him. Now all that's out the window. I feed the dogs what they'll eat and just hope for some peace and tranquility.

I think my body is falling apart. I've lost five pounds in the past month and a half while still eating normally. This doesn't seem right. This morning, my right hand was swollen when I woke up and I could barely move my fingers. I'm pretty sure that holding Dot up caused this, but there is nothing I can do about it. I'm still deathly afraid of pain pills and refuse to take them. This leaves me with some pretty sore shoulders, knees, and wrists. I've seen what addiction to pain medication can do and I'm not going down that road. If I ever find myself in Dot's situation, I'll probably reconsider, but compared to Dot, I'm still pretty healthy.

When I was going out to pick up some Thai food for dinner tonight, the "Service Required" message came on in my car. Damn. Whenever I see that message on the dash, I know it's going to be expensive. I still do all required maintenance though. I'm pretty sure I treat my car better than I treat myself. Ordinarily, I'd take the car in tomorrow, but I think I'll wait a few weeks so the charges will appear on next month's credit card bill. There's enough on this month's bill already.

I'm not sure what I'll do for breakfast tomorrow. Going out on Friday morning just doesn't work anymore. Maybe if we all get up early, I can run out and pick up something in a to-go box while Janet is getting ready for work. I did take the trash out to the curb tonight, but I've still got to give Dot her nighttime pills.

Crosby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2687

Dot didn't want to be hand fed today. She wanted to stand up and eat dry food out of her bowl. She was still slow as molasses, but she carefully chewed and swallowed each piece of kibble and then drank some water. It was like old times.

We still had our moments this morning, but the crisis appears to be over for now. Today's problems weren't life threatening and mostly involved Dot's ongoing incontinence problems. I wasn't prepared for her renewed energy this morning. When I woke up, Dot was already awake. I raced to open the back door, but by the time I returned to pick her up using the harness, Dot had already tried to get up on her own, started peeing, and then slipped and fell in the puddle of pee. I took her outside and then placed her on a protective mat so I could clean up the mess. While I was cleaning up the pee, Dot tried to get up again and this time she pooped on one of the living room rugs.

By the time I got Dot and the house cleaned up again, it was already pretty late. It looked like it was going to rain, so I decided to walk Dot before fixing my own breakfast. This was a good plan because it did rain shortly after I returned. Luckily, I didn't have to walk Dash this morning, because Janet had already walked him very early before I woke up. By the time I finished breakfast, washed all the soiled rugs, and did the dishes, it was noon.

Giving Dot her pain pills is still a problem. She hates having me put the pills down her throat. To make the process as smooth as possible, I sit on the living room floor with her, surrounded by little plates of her favorite food of the day. I make sure she's relaxed and still eating and then I hide each pill in a small ball of cheese and place them down her throat one at a time. Between each pill I make sure she eats something, to insure that the pill has been swallowed. If I can get the pills down her throat quickly, she hardly even notices. If I'm slow, or don't place the pill properly, there's always a chance that Dot will bite me. So far, she's only bitten me once. She wasn't trying to bite me. She just closed her mouth while my hand was still in it.

Dash has noticed the huge variety of food we've assembled to keep Dot eating and decided to become a picky eater himself. There's nothing wrong with Dash. He's just being a little shit. I've given up trying to make him eat his regular food. I just place a few kibbles of each variety we have on a large dinner plate and see which one he goes for. It changes from day to day. I fill his bowl with whatever brand he picks and usually we're good for the day. I've probably created a monster, but I can't think of anything else at the moment. My day is complicated enough as it is.

There is no consistency to Dot's eating and sleeping habits anymore. Sometimes she'll be hungry when she wakes up. Other times she won't have any interest in food until much later in the day. I feed her whenever she wants to eat and by the end of the day we're usually pretty close to our quota. She's still not eating enough, but I don't think we need to worry about Dot starving anymore.

I wish I could tell you that being a full time dog nurse was causing me to miss deadlines, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. Work is so slow that I have plenty of time to get everything done anyway. It's probably good that business is slow. I'm not sure how much stress I can handle. At this point, I definitely don't need to add website problems and writing deadlines to my day.

I continue to be amazed that Dot is still with us. I guess miracles do happen from time to time.

Milo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2036

I started on my new website project today. I thought that this one would be a piece of cake, but I almost immediately ran into a couple of snags. Absolutely nothing is a piece of cake anymore. In my experience, everything from getting a prescription filled to changing a light bulb can quickly turn into an unintended learning experience. Website design is always full of surprises. It didn't take me long this morning to learn that Plan-A just wasn't going to work. That's why I always make sure there's a Plan-B.

The New Horizons spacecraft will reach Pluto tomorrow. I continue to be amazed by the audacity of this incredible journey. It takes Pluto 248 years to orbit the Sun. The last time Pluto was in it's current position in space, the United States wasn't even a country yet and nobody on Earth was aware of its existence. Pluto wasn't even discovered until 1930. A lot can change in a single orbit. The technology that sent New Horizons on its three billion mile trip is over a decade old. The iPhone wasn't even invented when the spacecraft was launched. The fact that everything still works after this nine year journey is a testament to what we can do when we really put our mind to it. Sadly, this golden age of exploration that began with Sputnik is drawing to a close. Enjoy the moment tomorrow, because you won't see anything like this again in your lifetime. We have lost the will to explore. Maybe Elon Musk will eventually figure out a way to get to Mars, but we won't get another first look at a new planet for a long, long time.

The dogs are driving me nuts at mealtimes. The barking has become a permanent part of the mealtime ritual. As soon as I start preparing breakfast or dinner, they start to bark. I'm not exactly sure when this started, but it didn't used to be this way. They don't bark when Janet eats either. It's just me. To keep them quiet, I fill a coffee cup with dry dog food and feed them one kibble at a time. I feed them slightly less at their own dinner time, so they won't get fat from this additional food. Dot and Dash are far more tenacious than I am. Maybe they would eventually quit barking if I ignored them, but I don't have time to find out. Instead of training them, they always end up training me. It all works out OK, I guess. They are still eating exactly the same amount of food as they always were; just in an irritating, unconventional way.

One of my cousins recently sent me a copy of a family history her mother had written for her before she died. I started reading the history today and was totally amazed at how richly detailed my aunt's recollections were. The history was 75 pages long and described a way of life that no longer exists. There were generations of Sealanders that I'd never even heard of. Families were closer then. I'd be lucky if a were able to write a single Tweet about each of my family members. I've just never kept up with anybody. It was fascinating to read about my Swedish and Norwegian ancestors, but it left me wondering if the story ends with me. I won't be taking this family history and passing it down to my children. There are no children, and my own family memories are fuzzy. I can tell you plenty of stories about dogs though.

Watson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2017

Today was slow. It was a good kind of slow though. We got up later than usual. The dogs got a long, leisurely walk before the temperature got too hot. I dawdled over breakfast, because there was no particular reason to be in a hurry. I did have a few website maintenance chores when I finally got around to turning on the computer, but I finished everything in less than an hour. By the time the dogs reminded me that I needed to fix their lunch, I had accomplished virtually nothing.

The afternoon was busier.  I went out and got a haircut, which took longer than usual because it was long overdue. I really should get my hair cut once a month, but often I go two or even three months between cuts because it's not really a high priority anymore. I feel better with a good haircut though, so I probably ought to make an effort to look presentable a little more often. I've worn my hair every which way over the years, but I think today's trim look is much better than those questionable years when I wore a mullet or tried to look like a member of The Grateful Dead.

On the way back from the hair salon, I stopped at the Apple Store to pick up my birthday watch. I wear lots of different watches, but I've got to say that I was impressed with the thought that went into the Apple Watch. It's extremely well made and a lot of the features are actually useful. I like that you can respond to a text message by just talking into the watch. Many apps are voice activated, so you don't have to do much typing on the tiny screen. A lot of things I typically use my phone for, like checking the weather or my appointment calendar are easily accessible on the watch. We'll see how long the battery lasts. Batteries usually end up being a disappointment on anything that Apple makes. I love the watch though. It's very useful and I have a feeling that it will be on my wrist a lot more often than the other watches I usually wear.

I've gotten into the habit of feeding the dogs little pieces of banana and kibble as I eat breakfast to keep them from barking at me. I think I've created a monster though. Now, they want me to do the same thing at dinner. Meals have turned into a ritual of one bite for me and one bite for you. I feed them tiny little pieces, so they won't get fat, but the ritual itself is getting complicated. Meals were much more relaxing when both dogs were just sleeping in the bedroom.

Dot resumes her physical therapy tomorrow. I assume that the underwater treadmill is fixed by now. Maybe I ought to check. I need to think about resuming my own physical therapy as well. I definitely have a greater range of motion in my shoulder now, but my therapist told me at the end of my first series of sessions that I ought to come in again in the summer. I'm not sure that insurance will pay for more therapy though. Another thing I need to check.

The Spring wildflower season is starting to come to a close. A lot of the flowers would be gone by now if we hadn't received so much rain in May. I'm starting to see seed pods though, and that's usually a pretty good sign that the flower show is over.

Rio is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day