Day 3309

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

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


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

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

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

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

Betty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2619 - Valentine's Day

We woke up this morning to the sound of rain on the roof. It was raining quite hard, so walking the dogs was out of the question. Apparently, Dot and Dash thought going out in the yard was out of the question too. Dot peed on the porch and Dash wouldn't go outside at all. I don't blame them. It was wet and very cold.

I was hoping that the rain would quit before I made my annual trip to Sprinkles to get Valentine's cupcakes, but it never did. Actually, the rain turned out to be a good thing this year, because there wasn't a line. There is almost always a long line at this place. I can't even remember how long Valentine's Day cupcakes have been a tradition at our house, but it's been a long time. On the way home I stopped at Central Market and got an orchid in a pot. I joined a long line of tired looking men holding flowers and chocolates. The men were from all walks of life, but they all had that slightly confused look in their eye that told me they weren't sure if they got the right thing. Of course we did the right thing. We didn't forget.

Sick dogs and an all day rain aren't a good combination. Dot seemed totally unaware of the rain and took just as long looking for the right place to pee as she does on a warm sunny day. I just about froze taking her outside today. Dash did his business quickly, but always managed to find the muddiest part of the yard before he came inside again. I was constantly cleaning dogs, floors, and rugs today. This weather certainly isn't doing me any favors. My cold seems to be getting worse.

Work continues to be slow, but I did manage to get my February invoices in the mail today. It occurred to me this weekend that I'd be a lot busier if I actually started looking for work. Like that's ever going to happen. I hate cold calling. Most of my friends and contemporaries have retired. And millennials irritate me. I don't think websites really matter anymore either. When everybody has one, they just become a contemporary version of a Yellow Pages ad. People are spending all their time on Facebook anyway. I mostly visit websites to find an address or a phone number these days. The design of the website doesn't matter nearly as much as how easy it is to navigate. Like it or not, what I do has become a commodity.

The stock market hit another all time high today. I hope this rally continues, but I suspect that it won't. It's always hard to know when to sell. You want to ride a rally as long as you can, but you don't want to be the last one to leave a sinking ship. My opinion changes from day to day. Tax cuts and deregulation will definitely be good for business, but chaos isn't good for anyone. Maybe I should sell a few things just in case.

I sure hope it warms up tomorrow. The combination of dark gray skies, wet dogs, and a bitterly cold wind do nothing to improve my mood. The cupcakes sure were delicious though, and I think Janet liked the flower.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day