Day 4538

It was hot this afternoon, so I finally went back to the gym. I hadn't been there in such a long time that there were new owners and I had to enroll all over again. I still had a membership, but they wanted me to sign some new waivers that basically said that they weren't responsible if I dropped dead on the gym floor. I went through my old routines on my favorite machines, worked with some free weights for a while, and was totally dismayed at how much harder everything seemed. Use it or lose it, I guess. I really need to make an effort to go to the gym a couple of times a week this summer. My upper body strength is terrible now. I guess I've been fooling myself with these long walks. They are really just leisurely strolls.

On the way home I stopped at REI and got some new shorts for Summer. The shorts I've been wearing on my walks are practically rags by now. The store was having a big sale, but there was really nothing else I needed. I find this happening at almost every store I find myself in these days. I'm losing my desire to buy stuff. Now what? Buying things I didn't really need kept me occupied for many years.

The weather was perfect for our sunrise walk with Dawn, but she didn't seem all that interested in walking this morning. She's started her freezing in place behavior again. I thought we were going to have to turn around and go home, but then another dog passed us on the trail and Dawn decided she wanted to follow it. After that she was perfectly normal again. She didn't seem interested in the dinner I fixed for her tonight either. There was nothing wrong with her appetite though. As soon as Janet came home, she raced out to the kitchen and ate everything. I have no idea what is going through this dog's head, but it doesn't seem normal.

Janet and I went out for dinner tonight. It's been a while since we've done this and it was a nice change of pace. I've noticed that you can't just pick up the phone and make a reservation these days. Restaurants increasingly want you to use Open Table, or something similar to make your reservations online. I liked the old way better, but things change and you learn to adapt. It's weird. I made my living designing websites for quite a few years, but I'm not a fan of the online revolution. Things were better when we weren't as connected. Try explaining that to someone who has had a phone or a tablet in their hands since they were a baby though. They just don't understand.

The traffic seemed really light for a Saturday. The stores weren't crowded when I was grocery shopping this morning either. It's a holiday weekend and people must be traveling. There is such a pent up demand to do stuff after two years of Covid restrictions that I don't even think that the high price of gas is slowing down the desire to travel. There's got to be a breaking point though. I was amazed at how much more expensive my two trips this year were compared to similar trips in previous years.

We're going to have to watch the temperature tomorrow. Last week it was almost too hot for Dawn on her Sunday outing. Dawn looks forward to this Sunday trip though. If it's too hot, we'll skip the walk and go directly to the ice cream store.

Sam is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3550

It looks like the highway department is already late on their bridge project. Our road was supposed to close today, but now it looks like it won't close until late tomorrow evening. From what I've read, the new bridge won't have any more lanes than the old bridge but will have better sidewalks. Pretty expensive sidewalks if you ask me. Construction is supposed to be finished by March of next year, but that seems unlikely. Highway projects never seem to get finished on time.

I thought today would be a good day to see if I could fix the old dehumidifier. I've been meaning to do this for a long time, but the unit has proved very difficult to disassemble. I finally got the thing apart after removing almost forty screws. Even then, it was difficult to gain access to the guts of the machine. The dehumidifier is put together like a Rubik's Cube. I patiently disassembled the unit one slow step at a time and then discovered what the words "sealed system" mean. Although there was plenty of dust inside the unit, the parts I really wanted to clean were inaccessible. I was able to clean the front surface of the evaporator coil, but the rest was out of reach. Maybe my cosmetic cleaning job will help, but I doubt it. I should have just believed the instruction manual when it said "no user serviceable parts."

I wasted a lot of time today with my futile repair efforts, but at least I was inside. Our Fall heat wave doesn't show any signs of abating. When I gave up on the dehumidifier and decided to take my walk, I was wondering if we were ever going to get any Fall weather. Hey, it's supposed to be nice in September. I read that somewhere. For now, I'll continue to drink lots of water and sweat even more.

I ate too much today. Not only did I have a big breakfast, we went out for dinner at one of my favorite smokehouses. I had Burnt Ends, which are even tastier than a rack of ribs. The food was delicious but barbecue is always too salty. I'm going to have heartburn tonight. I don't know why I continue to eat food that I know will give me heartburn. There are plenty of things that don't. I do try to eat a healthy plant-based diet, but pizza and barbecue are just too tempting at times.

I doubt that I'll be eating much for breakfast tomorrow, but there will be plenty of errands to run. Saturday's are always busy. I need to get more fresh fruit for my smoothies. I need to get some batteries and light bulbs at Home Depot. Maybe I'll do a side-by-side test of the old and new dehumidifiers. If the old one still isn't working well, I guess it goes out to the curb with the lawn mowers.

The new Dalmatians are finding homes quickly. It looks like Bandit will be the next to find a home. He might get adopted tomorrow. I wish more people would take a look at Charlie and Treasure. They've both been at the kennel a long time. Everyone finds their forever home eventually. I think the dogs are more patient than I am.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3417

Today was mostly about food. I went back to the hotel for breakfast this morning. This is the place I always go when I'm in the mood for French Toast. At the table next to me were two guys wearing expensive suits. They seemed to be bankers or hedge fund managers. They were mad because they couldn't do business in Iran. They were also mad because of the high taxes in New York. It was hard to tell whether they were Democrats or Republicans. Their conversation pretty much confirmed my opinion that business doesn't really care who is in power. They just want to know what the rules are so they can learn how to exploit them.

I took my walk after I returned from breakfast. So far the weather forecast has been wrong all week. I was worried about rain when I woke up, but the skies were actually starting to clear by the time I started walking. I'm seeing lots of nesting ducks now. They must have gotten a late start this year. I'm also seeing a lot of turtles. Every submerged log in the lake seems to have a turtle sitting on it. I frequently see Red Eared Sliders, Yellow Mud Turtles, and Missouri River Cooters. Occasionally I see large snapping turtles, but I keep my distance from these guys. Water turtles are surprisingly difficult to photography. As you approach, they almost always slide off their log and go back in the water.

Three miles doesn't seem quite so far anymore. When the dogs were healthy I used to take longer walks. Maybe I will again. I'm not really trying to walk fast, but I've already managed to take five minutes off my elapsed time. I can see a time where I increase the distance to five miles. I can also see a time where I get bored with all this and quit walking entirely. Right now it just seems like a good way to spend my time.

Janet and I went out for dinner this evening. We used to do this frequently, but it's been a while. Once cooking special meals for the dogs and getting them to eat became a complicated ritual, we quit going out entirely. Our dinner tonight was delicious but neither of us eat this much anymore. I'm stuffed. We're going to have to start ordering one meal and splitting it. One dinner would have been plenty tonight. Especially since both of us like seared scallops.

I'm glad I didn't stay up late to watch the Space X launch last night. It got canceled again. The CRS-17 Mission was one of those events I could have applied to watch in person as a guest of NASA. I'm glad I didn't. This launch has been postponed again and again. It was originally scheduled for October of 2018. The people who got accepted to blog about this event have probably had to reschedule their flights and hotel accommodations quite a few times by now. If NASA continues their outreach program for bloggers and social media influencers, I'm definitely going to send in my application when opportunities arise in the future. Why not? I certainly don't have anything better to do.

This week has gone quickly. I've spent an inordinate amount of time looking at the weather radar lately, but the rainy season should be over soon. By June I won't be complaining about the rain anymore, I'll be complaining about the heat.

Milo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3005

I certainly didn't accomplish much today. I did my grocery shopping and filled the car up with gas, but that was about it. Janet was away at a Dalmatian Rescue event today. Dash usually follows Janet around like glue on weekends, but he didn't seem to notice she was gone. I suspect he just thought it was another work day. We ate breakfast and took our morning walk just like we did yesterday and then I started my Saturday errands. When I returned Dash was asleep.

I spent a long time trying to figure out where to store a huge box of toilet paper I got at Sam's Club. Buying in bulk does save money, but it sure is difficult to store the stuff when you're living in a small house. I guess I could have done some house cleaning, but I got distracted looking for a technical service manual for my refrigerator online. There are all types of sites that will sell you duplicate service manuals, but I wanted to find a free one. I eventually found what I was looking for and started reading the diagnostic section. It's probably not helpful that I want to figure out what is wrong before the service technician arrives on Monday, but that's just the type of guy I am.

I suspect that one of the two remaining original thermistors has gone bad. Hopefully that's all it is. If the mother board I replaced a few months ago is already defective, I've got a big problem. Truthfully, I have no idea why the refrigerator isn't working. It should be working perfectly. When I read through the technical service manual, it appeared that the previous technicians had done exactly what the manual recommended.

While I was searching for the cause of my refrigerator problem, I started looking up the side effects of some some of the meds I'm taking. That was a mistake. A hypochondriac should never start reading about side effects. It's easy to imagine that you have all of them. I'm trying to decide whether a brand name drug I'm taking is worth the extra money. The brand name and the generic are similar, but for some reason the side effects are different. After comparing both, I felt like someone was telling me to pick my poison. I miss the days when I didn't even have a doctor and took no meds at all. As you might expect, those days were a long, long time ago.

We were going to go out for pizza tonight, but Janet ended up getting a free pizza at the grocery store.   We thought about going out anyway and then it started to rain. Once I started to hear thunder, I knew we were staying home. We've learned that it isn't wise to leave Dash alone in a storm. The free Tom Thumb pizza wasn't bad, but it didn't come close to the pies at our neighborhood Italian restaurant. Who knows when we'll have the urge for pizza again. Usually, both of us eat amazingly healthy meals. Sometimes you just crave pizza though.

I hope I wake up tomorrow with more motivation than I had today. I could have easily stayed in bed all day. Luckily, I don't need motivation to go to the gym. I've never been motivated to go to the gym. I just go because that's what I do on Sunday.

Allie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2566

Janet and I decided to go out for an early Christmas dinner before she leaves for the holidays. We went to Knife to try their burgers. Knife is basically a steakhouse, but after a well known food critic wrote that Knife's hamburgers were in his opinion the best in the entire world, I've been curious to try them. I'll have to say that I wasn't disappointed. These burgers were amazing.

I've learned not to check the pet cam when we are trying to do something enjoyable away from home. It always spoils everything. We had a relaxing and very enjoyable dinner, but I wasn't surprised to see that the house was a disaster when we returned. Dot is completely unpredictable now. When she poops, it might be ten hours before she goes again or ten minutes. I thought we had a chance this time, because she'd pooped about an hour before we left the house. It wasn't meant to be. My poop forensics abilities were able to determine that she'd heard a noise outside and pooped while she was struggling to get up and investigate. It's so much easier when Dot poops while she's asleep. This time she stepped in the stuff and tracked the mess all over her penned in area in the hallway. Three blankets and a large waterproof floor protector all needed to be hosed off and thrown in the washing machine. Dot needed quite a bit of cleanup herself.

Janet had a vacation day today, but it still seemed like a normal Friday to me. I checked to make sure the trash had been picked up, went out for my regular Friday morning breakfast, and then returned home to finish writing my last article before the Christmas holidays. I wrote the article quickly enough, but then I discovered that my client hadn't been receiving my mail all week because their IT department was blocking me again. This happens every couple of months and it is infuriating. Guys, how many times do I have to tell you that I'm not a spammer. I'm sure that there are a few spammers using Bluehost servers, but you don't have to block the entire hosting company to catch them. To make a long story short, it took more time to successfully send the article than it took to write it.

This has got to be the worst weather for fighting a cold. It's cold and damp outside and warm and dry inside. I'm constantly taking Dot out without adequate clothing, because there isn't time to bundle up. At least I've got a bunch of cough drops now. I'm surprised that the dogs haven't caught colds too. It's really nasty out. If Dot didn't need me, I'd probably spend the entire holiday weekend sleeping. It's almost certain that she's going to wake up at 5:30 AM tomorrow morning though, just like she always does. If I don't get her outside by 5:31, there will be pee on the floor.

I hope it dries out and warms up a bit tomorrow. There are too many wet leaves on the floor and too many wet paws on the bedspread. It would be nice if I quit coughing too. At least I didn't cough during dinner tonight. Dinner was definitely the high point of the day.

Ziggy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2440

I was going to take Janet out for a birthday dinner this evening, but there was a horrendous rainstorm and both dogs were freaking out. We canceled our dinner and huddled with the dogs until the storm blew over. You really don't have a lot of flexibility with storm phobic dogs. Dot and Dash get so upset that they could easily injure themselves. Since Dot is already injured, there isn't much margin for error. I learned my lesson about Dalmatians and thunderstorms with an earlier dog we had. We came home after a surprise thunderstorm to discover overturned furniture and a big hole in the bedroom carpet where Petey had apparently tried to dig an emergency storm shelter. He dug completely through the carpet, the carpet pad, and the plywood sub-floor. When the weather's bad, it's much easier to just stay home.

I felt bad about canceling dinner, since Janet thinks I never do anything fun anymore and seldom leave the house. Some things can't be helped though. We'll go out for a nice dinner when the sun returns. I wish Dot and Dash were a little calmer when it rains, but that's just the way it is. Back in the days when the roof used to leak, I was probably just as bad are they are.

With the exception of the bad weather, the day was pretty uneventful. When I went out for breakfast this morning, there were two huge trucks in the parking lot, apparently transferring sewage from one truck to another. I took a gamble that the restaurant's air condition system would filter out the smell and went inside for breakfast anyway. Throughout my meal, I kept thinking that the smell was seeping through the walls, but I was probably just imagining things. I still have no idea why the trucks were there or what their smelly cargo really contained.

It's been so wet lately that mushrooms are cropping up everywhere. They're in the yard and they're in the park. Some of the mushrooms are pretty, but I have no idea which ones are poisonous. I do my best to keep the dogs away room all of them. I have enough trouble keeping Dash from stepping on broken glass or getting stung by a bee. The last thing I need to worry about is whether he's been eating mushrooms.

My credit card bills were lower this month. It's a start. I've been trying to cut back on spending to compensate for my paltry income, but the exercise hasn't been easy. I'd still rather go buy something than read a book. I saw an article the other day about how important it was for older people to begin downsizing and simplifying their lives before they become senile. It was disheartening to realize they were talking about me.

Hopefully, the weather will improve this weekend. The dogs aren't calm on a normal day and it's even worse when they've got cabin fever.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1881

I discovered today that I can use the physical therapy room at the gym on Sunday because the physical therapy staff doesn't work on weekends. I wish I'd thought of this earlier, because now I can do all the rehab exercises properly, instead of trying to improvise something at home. I completed every exercise the therapist taught me and went home with a somewhat flexible but very sore shoulder. I wonder how long this is going to take? Probably a lot longer than I've got patience for.

Yes, it's still February, but it was warm enough to wear shorts today. I enjoyed the unseasonable weather, but even though the temperature was a mild 75 degrees, Dot appeared to be uncomfortable. She just can't handle the heat anymore. She likes the really cold days when the rest of us are freezing, but the warmer it gets, the slower she walks. We had to cut our evening walk a bit short, because she was panting and wanted to go home. I don't think all old dogs are this way, but Dot is definitely going to want the air conditioner cranked up this Summer.

Janet and I went out for dinner this evening. This is a rarity for us, but we found another unused gift card lying around the house and decided tonight might be a good time to use it. Every time I go out to a nice restaurant, I remember how much I like bread. I've almost eliminated bread from my diet since it converts to sugar so readily, but I sure do enjoy the stuff. Now that my liver is functioning properly and my blood work looks good, there isn't as much reason to cut out bread. Nevertheless, I tried not to eat a whole loaf this evening, while I waited but my pork chop to arrive. Cutting down on my wheat consumption was one of the main reasons I lost weight last year. I need to remember that, every time a get near a tasty loaf of bread just out of the oven.

The Grammys are on in another room, but I'm not really watching. Occasionally I hear something good and wander into the bedroom to see who is singing on TV. The best thing I've seen this evening was the duet with Hozier and Anne Lennox. Take me to Church is still one of my favorite songs of the year, and I've liked everything the Eurythmics ever did, so this seemed like an inspired pairing to me. Lady GaGa and Tony Bennett were good, but I thought Hozier and Anne Lennox were even better. Ed Sheeran was pretty good too. I like his voice. That was about it. I skipped most of the rest.

I've gotten hooked on watching rocket launches since I went to Vandenberg Air Force Base to see the SMAP launch. I tuned in this afternoon to watch Space X launch a Falcon 9 carrying the Deep Space Climate Observatory. The launch got scrubbed at the last minute because of a problem with a tracking radar downrange. It's amazing how many things have to go absolutely perfectly to get one of these things off the ground. It would be even more amazing if Elon Musk is able to land the first stage booster of this rocket on a floating barge as he is planning. I'll tune in again when the launch is rescheduled.

I guess tomorrow is Monday. It's getting harder and harder to tell the days apart now that Janet has retired. Without the early morning alarm clock that always used to designate work days, Monday seems just about the same as Sunday. The dogs aren't helping to keep me on schedule either. They've both adapted rather quickly to sleeping in late.

Taylor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1720

We went out to dinner tonight. This wouldn't have been a big deal if it weren't for the fact that it's been almost a year since Janet and I have gone to a restaurant together. This year has been so filled with work related stress and dog emergencies that going out to eat has been the last thing on our minds. On most evenings, all we really wanted was a good night's sleep. Since we have a three day weekend and both dogs are much better now, it was a good night to get out for a while. We went to P.F. Chang's using a gift card that had been sitting around the house for ages and had a very enjoyable evening. Since everything was just fine when we returned, it's probably time we got out more.

Actually, everything was just fine for the entire day. There was a hint of Fall in the air when we took the dogs on their morning walk. Although it warmed up later in the day, this morning was just about perfect. Dot has a good night and didn't pee in her sleep. When this happens, Janet and I get a better night's sleep as well. Since I slept well, I was surprised to wake up with a painful foot. At first I though I needed new walking shoes, or at least a new set of orthotics. Then I notice a big bruise on the arch of my left foot. It looked like I had dropped something heavy on my foot. How could I have dropped something on my foot yesterday and not even remember it? I have no memory of dropping a heavy object on my foot yesterday, but the foot tells a different tale. Maybe I dropped a tool on my foot while I was fixing the screen door. Maybe the picture frame I broke hit my foot before it hit the floor and shattered. You'd think I would remember something like this, but my mind is a blank.

The pain in my foot gradually subsided as the day progressed, so I went ahead and went to the gym as I had planned. I still need to go workout more than once a week, but all things considered, I'm doing pretty well. Probably walking the dogs several miles each day and doing chores around the house that most people reserve for their yard guy helps keep me in shape more than these weekly gym visits. I still need to start going to the gym at least twice a week though.

Janet sewed another waterproof pad for Dot to sleep on this afternoon. We have three of these over-sized absorbent pads now and there are better than anything available commercially. The front is a soft, absorbent terry cloth fabric and the back is a waterproof oilcloth like you would use for a tablecloth. We have already washed these things at least a dozen times and they work great. This wouldn't be the first time we've invented a product when none was available that met our needs. We'll never get rich from these endeavors though. When you design something for an audience of one, that's usually as far as it goes.

Tomorrow is the first of September. The dogs get their monthly heartworm pills and we get a rare Monday without the usual getting ready for work rituals. By the end of the month the worst of the Summer heat will be over for another year. The days will get shorter and I will start photographing sunsets again instead of wildflowers. I like these repeating rituals. This year certainly hasn't been what I expected, but it still feels familiar.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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