Day 3049

I went down to the bank today to see why they were deducting $30 a month from each of my accounts. Did I need to keep a larger balance? Was I making too many transactions? Nope. None of the above. Apparently, my plan was obsolete and I never responded to their offer to upgrade me to one of their modern, but decidedly inferior plans. The new fee was just punishment for trying to keep my old plan.

When I asked why I wasn't warned about this change, the bank told me that they'd sent me a letter last Fall. "Did this letter happen to come in an envelope that looks just like all the other junk mail you send me," I asked? "Probably," said the banker. Hmm. I probably shredded the letter without even reading it. At any rate, I was forced to sign up for one of their new plans. It's more or less the same as my old plan except that my account doesn't earn interest anymore and there are no paper statements. I'm sure the paper statements on my old accounts were what was really bugging the bank. Everyone hates paper. There's a note in almost every bill I pay these days begging me to go paperless.

The banker urged me to try online banking. "You'll like it," she said. I didn't want to seem like a grumpy old man, so I didn't try to explain why I'm turning into a Luddite and am growing increasingly suspicious of the online world. There's something reassuring about keeping all your information in ring binders, but I think that ship has sailed.

I received a short letter from my sister today that confirmed some of my suspicions. Her cancer is not responding well to treatment and she's become too tired to write. Cancer is such a cruel disease. The treatments we have today are still pretty crude. I think in the future we'll look at radiation and chemo the same way we now look at Medieval doctors applying leeches. Gene replacement therapy shows a lot of promise, but we're not there yet. I hope the researchers keep making progress. Current cancer therapy is basically just trying to poison you without actually killing you.

Dash and Janet are both cancer free. They are the lucky ones. Spot and Greta both died of cancer.  Dot's abdominal cancer reappeared in her liver toward the very end of her life. My Dad had prostate cancer, but that was the least of his problems. He also had Parkinson's Disease. I'm trying to exercise, watch my weight, and maintain a healthy diet, but you never know what is in the cards. Growing old is not pretty.

Dash had a good day. I think the Movoflex is helping him. The changes are subtle, but he does seem to be walking better and has more energy since he started taking the supplement. Dash's appetite was great today. I think he ate more than I did.

Bea is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2822

I'm getting so tired of telemarketers, Caller ID spoofing, Phishing attempts, and data breaches that it seems like it would be easier to be off the grid entirely. I just don't understand why some people go to such extraordinary lengths to make life difficult for others. It's only going to get worse. After the whole Equifax debacle, I think it's just a matter of time before 100% of the population has their personal information compromised.

The older I get, the more scammers I seems to attract. It's irritating. My Dad was the victim of a telephone scam. That was back in the day when people were trusting and just picked up the phone whenever it rang. Now, even with Nomorobo and assorted call blocking apps provided by the phone companies, the telemarketers still manage to break through. I'm beginning to understand why people prefer to send text messages. Answering your phone has become a liability. I don't even trust my Caller ID anymore. You never know who is on the other end of the line.

Today I had to block my own phone number. Apparently it is pretty easy for spoofers to makes calls seem like they are originating from your own phone. They can also make them appear to be coming from someone in your own neighborhood. I don't understand why the phone companies can't get a handle on these scams. Probably for the same reason that Facebook can't seem to get a handle on fake news. Perhaps humans are just too inherently evil to be trusted with technology. When I was a kid, people even trusted door-to-door salesmen. The Fuller Brush Man was a well respected member of the community. What have we become? My mailbox is filled with junk mail. I'm inundated with telemarketing calls, and I never open my front door to a stranger.

Almost lost in today's batch of junk mail was a letter from my sister telling me that she has stage three cancer. She seemed upbeat and pretty matter of fact about her prognosis, but I was stunned by the news. Way too many people I know are dealing with cancer. It hits pets pretty hard too. Dot and Dash were both diagnosed with cancer and so was Spot, our very first Dalmatian. I'm kind of nervous about going in for my own annual physical. I feel healthy, but lord knows what the doctors might discover this time.

I really shouldn't postpone my physical, but I've been postponing everything lately. My excuse for postponing my physical is that I'm thinking of switching doctors soon. Maybe that's a good excuse. I have no real excuse for postponing jury duty. I just don't want to serve on a jury. A lot of small home repairs have been postponed because I don't have the money to pay for them now. I'd postpone tomorrow if I could, but time just keeps marching on.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2658

When I went to the storage warehouse today, I couldn't remember my access code. Good grief. This is pathetic. If there is any code I should remember by now, it would be this one. I tried every code I could think of, but the door wouldn't open. I thought the warehouse manager might be able to help me, but he didn't seem to be on the premises today. I was just about ready to give up and go home when I remembered a sequence of numbers I hadn't tried yet. It didn't really seem like the right number, but oddly it worked.

Later in the day I couldn't remember whether I had given Dot her afternoon pain pills. I think I did, but it was a hectic day and I wasn't really sure. The breakfast and evening meds are easier to remember because they are part of a long established feeding ritual. The meds that must be administered at odd times during the day are much more problematic. Lapses like these may not seem like a big deal, but they never used to happen. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come, but it probably is. Memory lapses are one more reason that getting old sucks.

Dot seemed agitated this morning. It took me forever to finish breakfast because she wanted to get up and go outside every five minutes. I couldn't figure out what was making her restless until she threw up after about thirty minutes of pacing around. Once again, I think she drank too much water, but I'm not entirely sure. After Dot threw up, she calmed down rapidly and slept for the rest of the morning. Eventually, the house was calm enough so I cold make a quick trip to the grocery store to look for blueberries. No luck today either.

On my way home I stopped at the REI store because the member appreciation coupon I received a while ago was burning a hole in my pocket. REI has a brilliant marketing campaign. They have lots of sales and incentives, but they don't last very long. If you don't go to the store quickly and use the coupons they mail you, they just expire. Maybe this trick doesn't work on everybody, but it certainly seems to work on me. I've been to the REI store quite a bit this year. Actually Chili's does exactly the same thing. Unfortunately, if I went to Chili's every time I got something tempting in the mail, I'd be fifty pounds heavier and have diabetes.

After making a big deal about going paperless and wanting to be paid electronically, my accountant's office manager couldn't figure out how to get their Paypal account to work and told me to just mail them a check instead. So much for technology. It didn't matter to me. I had to go to the post office anyway because I'm trying to pay my bills on time now in an effort to avoid going paperless with AT&T. I never dreamed I'd become a Luddite like my sister, but I'm well on my way. What's wrong with paper checks anyway? Even my bank doesn't want to deal with paper. They keep trying to convince me to make deposits using my phone.

I hope Dot feels better tomorrow. Today was a rough day. I'd like to think it was just the heat that made Dot uncomfortable, but it's probably the cancer too. I still don't know whether I forgot her afternoon pain meds. I hope I didn't, but she's had her evening meds now, so we're back on schedule.

Dottie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2650

The restaurant I visited this morning was really old school. People were reading newspapers instead of looking at their phones. I didn't see a single phone in use in the entire restaurant. It was odd to see so many newspapers. I must admit that I haven't read the paper myself for several years. The food was good at this old fashioned place, but the portions were huge. I felt vaguely guilty that I couldn't finish my meal. I grew up with a mother who made me eat everything on my plate and I've religiously cleaned my plate ever since.

I actually struck up a conversation will a fellow diner, which was probably rarer than seeing a newspaper. The guy was wearing a t-shirt that said "the Falcon has landed" with a picture of the Space X Falcon 9 rocket. I was enough of a space nerd to realize that this was a play on words, referring to Neil Armstrong's famous phrase "the Eagle has landed" when Apollo 11 touched down on the moon. I asked the guy if he worked at Space X and he said "I wish." We talked for a while about NASA, the moon, Elon Musk, and our fascination with space flight. The guy asked me whether I collected space memorabilia.  I told him no, but that I did stay up late last night to watch the Space X Echostar launch.

Dot had her monthly cancer recheck this afternoon. She rides so much better in the car now that Janet has started going with us to the exams. Janet sits in the back of the car with Dot and is able to calm her when she gets frantic and has a panic attack. Dot was actually calm enough when we arrived at the cancer center today that the nurse was able to get a decent blood pressure reading for a change.

The good news is that the growth of the tumors in Dot's liver has slowed. Each mass only grew about one millimeter this time. She still has four tumors, but no new ones have appeared. The oncologist seemed pleased that Dot was responding well to the pain medication and said her condition was more or less stable. She still wants us to come back every month for an ultrasound scan though. One of the tumors is large enough that it could become a problem at any time. Greta, one of our earlier Dalmatians, also had liver cancer. I wish we had handled Greta's illness the same way we are doing now with Dot. Greta was old as well when we discovered her cancer and wasn't able to survive the surgery. She died at the hospital. It would have been better to just keep her comfortable at home during whatever remaining time she had.

I got a notice from AT&T today saying that my wireless bill was overdue. Jeez, I sent the guys a check over two weeks ago. AT&T gave me an extension until next Wednesday to see if the check shows up. Maybe it will and maybe it won't. How could it take two weeks to get a letter to Atlanta?  I have a feeling that it's finally time to give up on the US mail. The post office has lost things of mine before and I'm sure they will again. Janet pays all her bills online and has urged me to do the same many times. At least when you pay online, you know instantly if your payment went through. Unfortunately, I'm just about as old school as the restaurant I visited this morning. I like traditions like going to the post office and the bank. There is something nice about these traditions, just like writing letters on paper to my sister.

I hope Dot sleeps well tonight. We kind of had a rough night yesterday and neither of us got very much sleep. I remember cleaning up poop and throwing rugs in the washing machine at 3 AM. Hopefully tonight will be calmer. We could all use the rest.

Alison is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2643

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I ventured outside the neighborhood this morning. My breakfast was delicious, but I felt oddly uncomfortable. The restaurant was crowded and nobody knew me by name. The place seemed like a more upscale version of the restaurant I frequently dine at near my house. Maybe this was it. This new neighborhood was more upscale than my own and I didn't really fit in. Don't get me wrong. This was a nice place and the atmosphere was friendly and warm. You know when you fit in though. I guess I'm just more comfortable in my own neighborhood.

After breakfast, I picked up some groceries for dinner and then drove down to the UPS service center to get the WiFi blood pressure monitor I'd ordered earlier in the week. I never bother with having the truck come to the house anymore. Shippers seem to demand a signature these days and it's just not worth the trouble waiting around for the driver. I go to the UPS service center so often now that these guys know me by name.

The WiFi blood pressure monitor is very cool. It automatically takes three readings and then averages the results and sends them to an app on your phone. My own doctor never bothers to take three readings, but this is always what the vets do when taking Dot or Dash's blood pressure. As usual, the veterinarians are more professional than the human doctors.

I was glad to see that my blood pressure was still normal, even though my doctor reduced the blood pressure medication I was taking a few months ago. Evidently, my blood pressure had been so low that it was screwing up something else. I wish someone could steer me to the perfect diet so I could discontinue all my meds. It's hard to get specific dietary advice from a doctor. They know all about pharmaceuticals, but not that much about nutrition. It's difficult to get beyond generalities like "eat a lot of vegetables." Once a doctor told me that he liked pills better, because most of his patients didn't have the discipline and self control to eat properly for years at a time. This is probably true. I'm a very disciplined person, but when I'm under stress, comfort foods call out to me. Kale does nothing to alleviate stress. Ice cream, on the other hand, works pretty well.

Dot does seem more comfortable now that we've increases her pain medication. I guess I'm going to have to acknowledge the fact that Dots cancer has grown to the point where she is starting to feel it. At this point she is still taking a rather minimal dose of Tramadol and Gabapentin. We'll probably have to increase the dose in the future. For now, Dot is comfortable. I wish the pills made her stronger. I'm spending more time than ever lugging Dot around. She wants to do more, but her body just isn't strong enough. If I were a Zen master, I could probably handle this whole situation a lot better. It takes so much patience to hold up a dog's legs all afternoon. I'm not a patient person, but I'm slowly getting better at it. Maybe when I begin to get weak and senile myself, I'll finally have the patience I need.

Ely is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2640

Every time I write a letter I keep thinking that if everybody would just read the blog, there would be no need to keep in touch. It's all here really. Despite the duplicate narrative, I still write my sister. We haven't seen each other or spoken on the phone in decades, but the occasional letter still reminds us that we are family. I used to be a lot better at letter writing before the Internet made me lazy. There was a long list of people I corresponded with and I even dabbled in mail art for a while. That's all gone now. The only person I write is my sister and my one page, single spaced messages are basically just a personalized blog post. Today's letter was very similar to yesterday's blog entry with a little extra information about the dogs. I really should pay more attention to friends and family, but like I say, it's all here if they're interested.

Dot's left rear leg continues to get weaker. If I don't guide her, she just walks around in circles now. I take a break and sit in the grass with her before we return from our short afternoon walks. The weather is nice and she likes the breeze and the fresh air. The rest is necessary because she tires so easily now. It's sad to watch this slow decline. We've been doing this dance of diminishing returns for over two years now. The deterioration is so slow that we continue to adapt and after a while it just seems normal. I dread the day when the cancer finally overtakes her. The oncologist says we've still got a while, but when her liver begins to fail the end will come quickly.

These days go so slowly now. It takes me about an hour to drink my smoothie in the morning. The concoction, filled with raw eggs, oatmeal, fresh strawberries, blueberries, bananas, and ice cream is least a quart in size and is typically my main meal of the day. There's no hurry. I sip the huge smoothie while drinking two cups of strong coffee as I watch the morning news. I channel hop between liberal and conservative stations until I am sufficiently discouraged and then I watch old Dr. Who reruns. Usually Dash is right there with me, barking for slices of banana.

Usually after breakfast there is time for one serious work related task. One job a day is all I feel like doing these days anyway. I let the dogs sleep as long as they want in the morning because they never sleep in the afternoon. I have to get Dot up at 2 PM to give her some meds and from that point on, it's a three ring circus. To keep the dogs engaged, I have split their dinner into two parts, separated by Dot's afternoon walk. It takes almost 45 minutes to walk Dot to the end of the street where she can enjoy sitting in the park for a while. When I return, we do part two of dinner and then I take Dash for his afternoon walk. This works pretty well, because Dot is usually tired at this point and will sleep while we are away. When she relaxes and goes to sleep, Dot often poops. At least 30% of the time, there is poop to clean up when I return with Dash.

The sky was clear tonight so I did a little exploring with the new binoculars. Binoculars are great for deep sky objects. The Orion Nebula looked spectacular, but the moon was too bright to see some of the other deep sky objects I was looking for. A lot of things are out of reach as long as I live in Dallas. There is way too much light pollution in the night sky. I don't think I've ever seen the Milky Way inside the city limits of Dallas. Light pollution or not, the binoculars are a good diversion. There is a lot to see in the night sky.

I suspect that tomorrow will be a lot like today. That's OK though. The dogs will make sure that I don't become complacent.

Connor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2468

We got some bad news today. After six months of remaining stable, one of the tumors in Dot's liver has started to grow again. There is also a new small cyst in her spleen. None of this is very surprising, but it is discouraging. This is what cancer does. It progresses erratically, often staying in remission for long periods of time, only to reappear again later. Dot's oncologist said she wasn't alarmed by the rate the cancer was advancing. There's not much we can do anyway. Palladia pills aren't the only type of chemotherapy available, but they are less invasive and have fewer side effects than the other alternatives. The oncologist doesn't recommend chemotherapy for an incontinent dog anyway, because the poop becomes toxic. That's all I need right now is poison poop.

I went back to the hipster restaurant this morning. One thing about this place is that the people who eat there seem happier than at other restaurants.  It gives the place an authenticity that is hard to explain, but easy to acknowledge. Even though I don't belong here, I kind of feel like I belong. The food is good too. If these guys would just start serving their meals on real plates and quit using plastic silverware, I'd be a happy camper.

It's always kind of sad sitting in the lobby at the cancer center. We had a long wait today because the dog that was getting an Ultrasound scan ahead of us was having difficulty coming out of anesthesia. While I waited, I talked with some of the other people about their dogs. There is always someone who is visiting for the first time and is very nervous. There is usually someone else who has a dog that has been a patient even longer than Dot. There was a mother and daughter who were crying because they'd just learned that their dog had leukemia. I wanted to tell them that their dog would probably survive and that it would get easier after they'd been coming here for two or three years. I don't know whether that would have helped though. The relentless nature of cancer is what makes it so hard.

It's just as well that I didn't have much work today, since these vet appointments keep taking longer and longer. Well, I felt that way until I got my Visa bill later in the day. Then I wished I had a lot more work. I made a few minor website revisions, but that was about it. It's hard to get used to my new daily routine. Without deadlines to meet and meetings to attend, there isn't a lot of activity. I've had to trade efficiency for patience. Taking care of Dot requires lots and lots of patience.

The city picked up my trash this morning. That's always a good start to the weekend. I'm hoping that Dot continues to recover from her fall. She was walking a little steadier today, but she still has a ways to go. Probably lots of rest would do us all some good tomorrow.

Phantom is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2391

Vet appointments are taking longer and longer. A procedure that used to take thirty to forty-five minutes took us three hours today. Part of the problem was that it was a holiday weekend and a lot of people needed to have their dogs examined before the cancer center closed for the Fourth of July. The other problem was that the technicians wanted to wait until Dot calmed down before taking her blood pressure. She never did calm down. I can't complain though. Every time I spend any time in the cancer center lobby, I meet other people who have traveled for hours, just so their dogs can see one of the center's oncologists. I met someone who drove all the way from Louisiana today for their appointment. I only had to spend fifteen minutes on the road. You meet the nicest people at a specialty veterinary clinic. These people make all sorts of personal sacrifices so their pets can get the care they need. I admire these people. We trade stories about dealing with cancer while we wait for our turn with the oncologist. It's kind of humbling. I realize quickly that the problems I'm having with Dot's incontinence and neurological issues are minor compared to what others are dealing with. We try to give each other encouragement, but cancer can be a tough adversary.

I don't know why I returned to my original breakfast restaurant this morning. I thought I was over that place. I guess I was hoping that it would rise like a Phoenix and return to its former glory. Nope. I think they are going to survive, but it's not the same place anymore. I've ordered each item on the menu so many times that I can tell they are cutting corners now. Instead of cubing fresh potatoes and making their own hash browns, they appear to be buying a prepared, frozen product from a food service provider. The sauces taste a bit different. I don't recognize any of the staff anymore. I think they've got a new chef too. Don't get me wrong. The food isn't bad, but it's not something you'd get addicted to like I did before. I'm not sure if I'll be back again.

I tried to get a head start on the weekend chores by mowing the grass today. When I was mowing the front lawn, I noticed some tire tracks in the yard. Probably some drunk driver jumped the curb again and plowed through the yard after the bars closed. This used to happen with alarming regularity, until the city finally installed some warning signs just before a gentle curve in the road about 300 yards away. People would fall asleep at the wheel and miss the turn, sending their car on a trajectory that sent them straight through our yard. The damage was minor this time, but there have been some serious accidents in the past. Once, a car hit our neighbor's house. Another time, a car drove straight into a tree.

If you have a dog that is frightened of fireworks, I sympathize. The Fourth of July isn't a holiday that a lot of dog owners look forward to. Dot used to be terrified of fireworks, but they aren't much of a problem anymore since she's almost deaf now. We haven't gone out and watched a fireworks show for a long time. The noise doesn't bother me, but the mosquitoes and chiggers do. Why anyone would want to sit outside getting bitten by mosquitoes while watching some minor explosions off in the distance is beyond me.

The year is half over. The dogs had their monthly heartworm pill this morning. I'll need to get my car safety inspected soon. I hope this month is uneventful with no financial surprises. Some cooler weather would be nice too. Dot is having a tough time with this heat.

Bentley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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