Day 2982

Is it time to build an ark? This rain is starting to seem biblical. The wet weather is definitely wearing me down. It's not easy to get Dash to walk on a nice day. When there is a never ending line of thunderstorms passing through town, it is next to impossible. This morning it was foggy when I woke up. Janet and I got Dash suited up and ready to go. I was optimistic, since Dash actually wanted to walk this morning. We went outside and the rain started as soon as I unlocked the back gate. We didn't even make it out of the yard.

Dash didn't want to get wet any more than I did, but he hadn't done his business yet. I must have opened the back door for him ten times while I was eating breakfast. Each time he would go outside, get wet, and then come back inside without doing anything. The conditions have to be just right before he will poop or pee. I could tell Dash was frustrated, but as I've told him many times, I can't stop the rain.

We didn't get a break in the rain until just before noon. The ground was soggy and there was still a light mist, but this looked like as good as it was going to get. According to the weather radar, it looked like we had about an hour to complete our walk. Unfortunately, Dash took an hour and ten minutes and we got wet on the way home anyway. I feel like I've spent most of the day cleaning clothes and drying Dash off.

The leak on the back porch is growing bigger. There is nothing I can do unfortunately. It is dangerous to go up on the roof in weather like this. I doubt that I could find the source of the leak anyway. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope that we don't get a leak inside the house. Eventually, things will dry out, but eventually seems a long way away right now.

The temperature in the refrigerator is perfect now. I don't know how long this will last. After I defrost the evaporator coil, the temperature is initially too cold. Then it slowly warms up until I have to defrost all over again. I wonder why things freeze up so fast? When I was growing up, my parents had a refrigerator that needed to be defrosted manually. We only had to do this every six or eight months though. I'm lucky if I can go two weeks with this refrigerator. There is no easy solution. The one refrigerator that will fit in our kitchen is on back order until the end of March. If I buy it, I have to pay for it right away even though I have to wait a month for delivery. That doesn't seem fair.

Nothing seems fair at this point. I try to keep my mouth shut because other people think my problems are trivial. Nobody wants to hear about a running toilet if they're having trouble getting health insurance. Nobody wants to hear about water on the roof if they're afraid of losing their job. I understand all this and yet it is still difficult for me to be upbeat and positive.

I think I'm a lot like Dash. We are both grumpy about everything and still remain amazingly resilient.  Whatever happens, we manage to make it through the day and are ready to start all over again the next day. I'm sure the glass will still be half empty tomorrow. There is a lot more rain in the forecast.

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2899

I need to stop going out for breakfast on Friday. I'm just not hungry anymore. I'll order something I usually like and then find myself unable to finish it. Dash seems to be having the same problem. He only ate half his breakfast this morning. Both of us are strongly motivated by food, so I don't know what's going on. For the past several months I've been going to a different restaurant every Friday in hopes that something would click. By the time my order arrives, I'm usually wishing I'd just stayed in bed. Maybe that's the answer. Perhaps Dash and I should just sleep in on Friday.

I tested the cameras and the wireless flash triggers this morning and everything works. Actually, I think the only thing that doesn't work is me. I try to remind myself that we only have two events this year. This should be a piece of cake. We used to do many more events during the holidays but we're all getting older. Two is plenty. Janet thinks I'm not friendly enough during these events, but I'll try to keep it together tomorrow. Nobody likes a grumpy photographer or a grumpy Santa.

I finally made it up on the roof today and patched a few more questionable areas. I also found another area where water had gotten under the elastomer, so I peeled the coating off so the damp section could dry. I was planning to re-coat this section tomorrow, but completely forgot that I'll be downtown taking pet pictures. My memory is shot. How could I immediately forget the photo shoot when I'd just spent the previous two hours checking my cameras and lights?  I think everything will be fine. There is no rain in the forecast. I guess I'll just look on the bright side. If I let the damp area dry for two days instead of one, my patch should last longer.

When I was walking Dash this afternoon, one of our neighbors told me that she's seen three adult coyotes walking down her street yesterday evening. Someone else told me recently that they'd seem a half eaten rabbit two weeks ago. I hate to see the coyotes moving back into the park. They were a real problem four or five years ago. I think they disappeared after they ate everything in the area. Now they're back. I wouldn't want to be a bunny this Winter.

I've got to get up early tomorrow if I want to walk Dash, eat breakfast, and take a shower before driving downtown for the photo shoot. I'd go to bed early tonight, but I missed that chance several hours ago. It seems impossible to get eight hours of sleep anymore. At least I'm getting six these days. When Dot was sick, I was barely getting four. Hey, a good night's sleep can work wonders. I'm going to bed as soon as I post this. I know I'm grumpy, but I'm looking forward to seeing a bunch of great people I haven't seen since last year. We're a good team. I still think we do the best Santa pictures in town.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day