Day 3633

I am terrible at multitasking. Getting ready for my NASA trip and the Santa Paws photo shoots at the same time is wearing me out. There really isn't even that much to do. I just can't seem to do two things at once. I guess I'm making progress though. My travel arrangements have been made. I'm starting to get my camera gear organized. And amazingly, the new photo backdrop arrived from China this evening, right on schedule. I never even heard the DHL driver arrive, but he sent me an e-mail two minutes after he delivered the package. Those Germans are pretty efficient.

Every time I travel I try to think of an easy way to get the same things on my laptop that I have on my  desktop computer. This is impossible of course because the desktop computer has a humongous hard drive and the laptop has a relatively small one. I'm always forced to make a list of important information that I might need while traveling and copy it over to the laptop one file at a time. I really don't want all the e-mail I've ever received or all the photos I've ever taken to reside on the laptop, but it can be a pain to sort through the maze on information on my main computer. I usually just end up writing down a few important things on a piece of paper and putting it in my suitcase.

I need to go out and buy batteries and a roll of blue painter's tape tomorrow. I do this every year before we begin the Santa Paws events. I still have plenty of batteries from previous years that I've never even used, but I'm never sure if they are any good. Fresh new batteries make me feel more secure. I've got plenty of Duct Tape, but it is sticky and can make a mess. Painter's tape is much better for taping down power cords to keep them out of the way. I take a spare camera just in case my main camera malfunctions, a spare power pack for the strobe lights, spare bulbs for the modeling lights, lots of batteries, and extra memory cards for the cameras. What I really need is a spare photographer.

Spaceflight Magazine contacted me and said my proposal for an article sounded interesting. It was so interesting in fact that the magazine has been working on the same idea for several months now. Timing is everything. All is not lost however. They asked if I would be taking pictures while I was at the Michoud Assembly Facility and said they might publish them with the article that was already being prepared if I could get them to the magazine in time. I'll give it a try.

There were lots of things I should have done today, but I insisted on taking my five mile walk first. When I returned from the walk, I was too tired to do the other things. This happens almost every day. I'm not sure if I'll have time to walk tomorrow. All the gear bags for the photo shoot need to be packed and I need to start packing my suitcase as well. Did I mention that I'm terrible at multitasking?

It took forever to add my blog post to Facebook last night. For a long time Facebook refused to load a preview picture with the link. This happens sometime and it drives me nuts. I want everything to be consistent. I hope things go smoothly tonight. I've still got to take this week's trash out to the curb and there there's another old Perry Mason episode to watch before I go to bed.

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3256

It was unusually warm today. I didn't need my Winter coat on our morning walk and I didn't need a coat at all later in the day. Is this normal for November? Or were the chilly temperatures we had last week normal? It's hard for me to tell anymore. Texas weather is all over the place.

As much as I would have rather done nothing today, I knew I needed to take advantage of this opportunity to finish up some outdoor chores for the year. I reconnected the battery to the lawn mower again and charged it up for it's final run in 2018. I'm almost certain I won't need to mow the grass again this year because it has already gone dormant. I should have gotten a new battery several months ago, but I wanted to wait until Spring. The battery won't hold a full charge anymore and I was barely able to trim the front yard before the mower died.

With this task completed, I raked some leaves, cleaned the front porch, and got ready to use the touch up paint I'd bought earlier for the car. I don't know why I thought I'd be able to make a perfect repair. These little automotive touch up kits don't work that way. You basically have a tiny vial of paint that you apply like nail polish. Even if you are really careful using the applicator, there is almost always some overlap. I did pretty well, but my hand/eye coordination isn't what it used to be. I could have used a finer brush as well. From more than three feet away, the scratch is gone. If you look closely though, it is apparent that this paint job isn't auto body shop quality.

As I predicted, I was still too full from Thanksgiving dinner to go out for breakfast this morning. I just stayed home and made a smaller version of my normal morning smoothie. It definitely didn't feel like Friday. I guess yesterday didn't feel like Thursday either. I didn't remember to take the trash out to the curb until almost midnight. Hey, at least I remembered. It's always a mess when I forget trash day.

Maybe we just got lucky, but Dash's paws didn't bleed at all today. The cut is starting to scab over nicely and hopefully we can avoid further mishaps until it is completely healed. The paw bandages we got from a veterinary supply company seem to provide better protection than the socks we normally use under his boots. They are meant to be disposable though and can only be worn a few times before you have to use a new pair. This could get expensive, but hopefully we can go back to using his regular socks when the cuts have healed.

This afternoon, Janet and I went to the new storage warehouse to gather up the gear we'll need to do this year's Santa Paws photo events. I don't know where everything is in the warehouse yet, since the movers helped me put everything back on the shelves. I told the movers to put the heavy things on the bottom shelves and the light stuff on top. Unfortunately, they didn't always follow my instructions. These guys were young and strong, so probably everything seemed light to them. Eventually we found what we needed. It's too bad that all this stuff will need to go back in the warehouse when the photo events are over. I'm really tired of moving heavy stuff.

I've got a weekend of Fall chores to look forward to Hopefully the weather stays nice until I get finished with the outdoor stuff. Who knows. If Dash doesn't let me get some sleep tonight, I'm going to be too tired to do chores anyway.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2316

Today wasn't as bad as I expected. It rained from time to time, but mostly it was just overcast. The absence of thunder and lightning made life much easier. The dogs got their normal walks. The power stayed on. And I didn't have to worry about Dot when I had to leave the house for a photo assignment. I'm sure there's water on the roof, but I didn't bother to remove it. With several more days of inclement weather in the forecast, it would be pointless to clean things up now.

It took longer to drive to the client's offices than it took to take today's photos. Some companies make a big deal out of employee pictures. I've spent all day doing these things before. This place just wanted me to be as quick as possible.  I can be pretty fast if that's what you want. I was finished in less than fifteen minutes. When I returned home, the dogs were ready for lunch and then I had the rest of the day to add the new pictures to the website.

My new activity tracker can measure REM sleep, along with light and deep sleep. I think REM sleep is where you do most of your dreaming. Some days I have lots of REM sleep and other days I have none at all. I had always though I had dreams every night, but maybe not. I evidently didn't do any dreaming last night. You couldn't prove it by me, since I never remember my dreams anyway. So far, I see no discernible patterns to my sleep. The only thing that's clear is that I don't get nearly enough of it. I go to bed too late. Janet gets up too early. And the slightest noise during the night wakes me up. No wonder I'm always tired.

I forgot to put all the ingredients in my morning smoothie and it actually tasted better. Apparently, less is more. This surprising turn of events got me wondering where I got the original recipe from. Did I invent this concoction, or did I get the recipe out of a book? I really don't remember. I ought to experiment more. There are probably other happy accidents out there just waiting to be discovered.

Now that Dot's vet has agree to switch her therapy appointment back to the morning, I'm wondering if this was such a good idea. I tried to get her up this morning at about the time we would have to leave for a morning appointment and she wouldn't budge. It looks like in the morning I'll get a sleepy, grumpy dog and in the afternoon I'll get a dog that poops in the car. I'm beginning to think that the appointment time makes no difference at all. Dot is a high maintenance dog and there's always going to be some sort of a problem.

I've got some websites to update tomorrow morning, but it looks like it's going to be a slow day. I hate that I'm going to have to wait until 2017 for the next new Dr. Who episode. I've seen the old episodes too many times to enjoy seeing them again on a slow, rainy day, but a new episode now and then would have been nice.

Mattie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2177

The photo shoot went pretty much as expected. One of the people I was supposed to photograph said I had the day wrong and was supposed to come on Wednesday. I'm pretty sure I got the day right, but I could be wrong. Everybody was too busy to take photographs. One person didn't like her hair. I had trouble getting a good white balance while bouncing the flash off the brownish ceiling tiles. No matter what the background was, I told everybody that I could crop the photos to make them look good. Like I said, it was all pretty normal.

I'm still fascinated with the dehumidifier. How can there be so much water in the air?  I never really noticed the moisture before, but the air in the house does feel noticeably drier now.  Every time I empty the condensate bucket, there seems to be another gallon of water. Is this just water vapor that is naturally in the air? Is water being sucked out of the porous brick walls? Were our clothes, bath towels, and sheets gradually absorbing water over the years? Who knows. I sure wish somebody had told me about dehumidifiers about fifteen years ago. If the house was dry, I probably wouldn't have had to re-paint the trim around the windows so often. I might not have ruined my old Vox Mark VI guitar either. I left the guitar in a damp closet for too many years and the hardware rusted, the neck warped, and the sunburst finish became hopelessly cracked. Live and learn, I guess.

The weather seems to be improving. I actually saw a few patches of blue sky today. It's still cold outside, but that's to be expected for the first of December. At least we don't have snow like some parts of the country. I used to live in Alaska and spent a year in Idaho, but I still don't understand the fascination with snow. To me, snow is just like rain except it is a lot messier. Maybe we'll have a warm Winter. I'm all for warm Winters and cool Summers.

I revised one of my mobile friendly websites this afternoon. It's a bit disconcerting that my new coding skills seem to go in one ear and out the other. These complex sites don't come naturally to me and I'm constantly having to relearn things that I've already done. Hopefully, this knowledge will become second nature at some point and stick in my brain, but it hasn't happened yet. Usually, after I watch a couple of tutorial videos, I'm back up to speed again. I don't think I'll ever really catch up, because the online world keeps changing. By the time I master responsive design it will become obsolete and there will be something newer and and even harder to learn on the horizon.

It's hard to believe it's December already.  The dogs got their heartworm pills today and I started thinking about putting the Christmas tree up. When we walk the dogs in the morning, we can tell that several of our neighbors have already finished decorating for Christmas. There's no shame in being late though. I promise I'll get everything finished before Christmas Eve.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2079

We heard thunder off in the distance when we woke up this morning, but we went on our morning walk anyway since the weather radar showed the storm would pass to the East of us. Distant thunder doesn't bother Dot as much anymore since she is so hard of hearing. She's still scared of lightning though, but I had that covered. I upgraded my weather app recently to show real time lightning strikes and there was no lightning in the vicinity. Personal weather radar has made it so much easier to walk the dogs. I could live without a lot of things, but I'd have a hard time giving up my weather radar.

I hope my broker didn't decide that today would be a good day to pick up some bargains. The market was up over 300 points while I was eating breakfast and then went up and down like a yo-yo for the rest of the day. At the close it added another 200 point loss to an unrelenting week of big declines. I don't even look at my stocks these days. It's just too depressing. Even stop loss strategies can't really protect you in times like these. In a volatile market like this you can get stopped out of a good stock in a matter of seconds when an unpredictable wild move triggers a sale that you didn't really want. You can't chase trends either, because they change too quickly. You pretty much have to stick with your convictions and weather the storm. I agree with Dot and Dash on this one. Weathering a storm is not much fun.

Today was pretty slow. Slow is good though. I wish things were even slower. I stayed busy by finishing a writing assignment and making arrangements for an upcoming photo shoot. There were several vet appointments I had to schedule for Dot in September and Dash was low on phenobarbital, so I made a trip to the vet to get another month's supply. That was about it. I kind of wish I had one new writing assignment each day and one new website to design each week. This would give me an almost ideal workflow with minimal boredom or stress. It seldom works this way though. Writing assignments tend to come in clumps and most of my website work is just maintenance and updates now. Designing a brand new website is much more fun. I don't even solicit photography jobs anymore because I hate carrying the heavy equipment. I'm kind of dreading my photoshoot this weekend and hope my shoulder doesn't go out again.

Don't get me wrong. I still like taking photographs, I just don't like hauling a ton of strobes, power packs, soft boxes and backdrops to a location shoot. I was actually kind of pleased this afternoon to capture two ducks gazing into each others eyes. It sure looked like duck love to me. Photos of duck bills don't pay my bills though. Luckily, I'm still pretty good at lighting, even though the equipment seems to have grown a lot heavier in recent years. Maybe I've just gotten grumpier.

I'm really starting to fade. When I played in a band, I used to lug our entire PA system, my guitars, and a huge bass amp to every gig. I couldn't even lift those large speakers anymore. Some of the equipment has gotten lost over the years, but some of it is still sitting in the storage warehouse. It will probably stay there forever, because it has become too heavy to move.

Getting old sucks. Just ask Dot. I'm sure she'll agree with everything I say. At least I can still walk normally. I thought switching back to Benicar would stop my cough, but it hasn't helped much. The cough must be something else. Do I go back to the doctor and have him add yet another drug to the laundry list of prescriptions I take every month, or do I just forget about it and live with the cough? It probably doesn't even matter. I'm inclined to do nothing and just switch back to the old blood pressure medication. It was certainly a lot cheaper.

Listening to the current crop of political candidates is certainly more entertaining than watching the stock market crumble, but it is equally depressing. I'd like to say "Not my circus, not my monkeys," but they actually are my circus and monkeys. I've got to vote for one of these clowns. So far, I don't like any of them.

Pinky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1816

Breakfast and a haircut. That pretty well sums up today's activities. You wouldn't think I could use up an entire day with so little on my plate, but I'm getting pretty good at it. Add in two exceedingly slow dogs walks and a trip to the grocery store and the day was gone.

Walking the dogs seems to take twice as long as it used to, because Dot has slowed down considerably. Sometimes I have to take baby steps so she can keep up with Dash and I. Dash would like to go faster, but he's pretty understanding. Both dogs enjoy ambling along, stopping to smell each and every bush, so that's what we do. I can tell that our morning walk is the most enjoyable part of Dot's day, so I do my best to make it as easy as possible to continue this decade long tradition as long as she's able.

You wouldn't think getting a haircut would take that long, but it does during Christmas season. Just finding a parking place at the mall is a nightmare. If today's crowds are any indication, retailers should have a pretty good December. The stores were packed and it's still pretty early. I don't even start thinking about Christmas this early. It was probably a good idea that I got a haircut now. Next week, the stores will be even busier and I won't have any extra time anyway.

Tomorrow we begin the first of our December Santa Paws Christmas pet picture events. These events benefit the Dalmatian Rescue group that Janet and I work with and have helped quite a few dogs find homes over the years. I'm charging batteries and gathering up equipment now, so I'll be ready to pack the car first thing in the morning. I used to do a lot of location photography for my business, but these annual events are the only thing left where I'll still pack up a bunch of heavy equipment and set up a full studio on location. If this wasn't for a really good cause, I wouldn't even attempt something this tiring. Pet photos are a lot more difficult than taking portraits of people, since dogs typically don't stay still for very long. I'm constantly moving around trying to capture the moment and by the end of the day my knees are killing me.

I listened to an interview with Ian McLagan on NPR while I was driving home from the mall this afternoon. Ian played keyboards for The Faces on some of their biggest hits like Maggie May and You Wear It Well. Later he played keyboard with the Rolling Stones for quite a few years. Ian died of a stroke a few days ago, which was probably why PBS was replaying the decade old interview. It seems like rock icons about my age are dropping like flies these days. It's the end of an era and is kind of sobering as well. We really don't have as much time on this earth as we think we do.

I'm going to go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and then we've got to turn around and do the same thing all over again on Sunday. Monday should be easier. I'll just be sitting in a dentist's chair on Monday.

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1748

The golf tournament photo shoot ended well, but it certainly didn't get off to a good start. I loaded my gear in a golf cart after I arrived and was just about ready to get in the cart myself when two other golfers commandeered the cart and drove away. I had turned away for just a few seconds to talk with someone and when I turned back, my cart was gone. I told two nearby club pros what had happened and they went looking for the cart. Within five minutes I had all my gear back. No harm was intended. The other golfers just thought the cart was empty and didn't notice the stuff in the back.

About ten minutes later, I kneeled down to get a better angle on a guy teeing off and I stuck my right knee straight into a fire ant mound. Almost instantly I had hundreds of fire ants crawling all over my leg. I knew I shouldn't have worn shorts. Yikes! These little critters can really sting. One of the nearby golfers asked if I needed to worry about anaphylactic shock. Thankfully, no. Luckily, I'm not allergic to bee stings and ant bites because I tend to get stung a lot.

The day ended well and I wound up getting hundreds of nice shots of golfers, Dalmatians, and golfers with their Dalmatians. I did find myself briefly going the wrong way on a one way street while I was driving home from the tournament. It was just that kind of day. I'm glad we left the dogs at home today. As accident prone as I was this afternoon, I probably would have dropped Dash's leash and he would have run off.

It's hard to believe that the rescue group has been having these charity golf tournaments for well over a decade now. I think this year's tournament was our thirteenth. We're all older now and there aren't as many dogs in the program. Dalmatians aren't as popular as they were when the Disney movies made the breed famous. That's a good thing, because far fewer dogs are being abandoned. I doubt that we would have the energy to deal with twenty-five dogs at a time like we used to anyway.

Janet won a gift certificate for 24 Sprinkles cupcakes at the tournament silent auction this evening. At the rate we eat cupcakes, this should keep us in birthday and celebration cupcakes for another year. The birthdays are all finished for this year, unfortunately. We'll have to figure out something else to celebrate, because those cupcakes sure are good!

It looks like next week is going to be busy. I've already got several new projects queued up and it isn't even Monday yet. I could have showed you dozens of people hitting a little white ball off a tee today, but I thought the clouds overhead were more interesting. This was definitely a Texas sized sky.

Spanky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1714

I went up to visit my watchmaker today. I guess the guy is still a client, although I haven't really done anything for him in years. When I was still an active collector, I was a frequent visitor, bringing the watchmaker a steady stream of new acquisitions to repair, evaluate, or just take a look at. I used to tell people I collected watches because they were smaller and easier to store than cars. That was only partially true. The real reason guys collect things is so they have something to talk about with other guys who collect the same things. I used to love visiting with the watchmaker. We both were interested in European cars and mechanical things. I had other friends with similar interests, but few of these people collect things anymore. Life eventually gets in the way. Unless you are very rich, the pressures of putting your kids through college, paying medical expenses, and dealing with a somewhat unforgiving economy gradually make any collection almost irrelevant. The watch I brought in for repair today was only a token gesture. I could have easily brought in twenty more in a similar state of disrepair, but what would be the point? I don't really need these things. There's nobody to impress anymore.

Somebody asked me today if I still did personal portraits. They way they asked led me to believe this was to be more of a favor than an actual job. I decided to be honest for a change and tell them I wasn't interested. I've grown weary of lugging hundreds of pounds of lighting gear and equipment around for nothing. Now that everyone has become an Instagram expert, people tend to think that photographers like me just take pictures for fun. Nope. It used to be a great business. Maybe it still is for a few.

I was going to brag about how well Dot had done today but I just noticed that she has peed on the carpet again while I've been writing the blog. It was her first accident of the day, but she could have definitely picked a better place. I had waterproof pads all over the place. I don't know how she managed to find the one place that wasn't protected. This is my day these days. No wonder I've lost interest in collecting things and taking portraits.

The weird thing was that it really wasn't a bad day at all. We had a great walk early this morning before the weather got hot. I actually did enjoy talking with the watchmaker, even though my interest in watches has waned a bit. I think I've become quite good at taking care of sick dogs, but I'm really tired. I'm ready to go to bed, but there's one more thing to do. I need to waterproof the bed first.

Pinky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1509

I shot lots of pictures of dogs in tutus today. You get a different crowd for Valentines Day pet pictures than for Santa pictures. There were very few big dogs and no families. Everybody was pretty young today. A lot of people wanted to have their picture taken with their dog. Your first thought is that the picture is going to be a gift to a special someone of the owner. Then you realize that the dog actually is the owner's valentine. That's OK, I guess. I've seen surveys saying that dogs are increasingly the significant other in many people's lives.

Christmas pictures are almost always expansive, happy affairs. Families bring in four or five big, rowdy dogs, a few kids, and even a cat and then try to cram everything into one picture. Valentines Day pictures are kind of lonely by comparison. It's usually a single small dog accompanied one well dressed young person.

I made it through the day with no further injuries to my shoulder, but realized that you can't really do much with one arm. There were so many things today that just required two hands. Maybe abstaining from walking Dot and Dash and limiting my workouts to walking on a treadmill will help the healing process, but there are so many other ways you use your shoulder muscles every day. A host of simple little things like putting on your pants in the morning, drying your back with a towel after taking a shower, or putting groceries into a grocery cart all have to be re-thought. This is probably why my rehabilitation didn't work out so well the last time I dislocated my shoulder. There are simply too many things that need to be done and too few people to lean on for assistance. I hate to ask for assistance anyway. I've done things my own way and on my own schedule for so long no, that it's really hard for me to change my ways. I'll just do the best I can and try not to do anything stupid.

The weather is turning cold again. They say we might have freezing rain by morning. At least we managed to get this photo event, and most of the weekend grocery shopping out of the way before the bad weather arrives. I think this has been one of the strangest Winters in recent memory. We continue to alternate back and forth between days where you can wear shorts and other days when the roads are slick with ice. It is not uncommon to have 50 degree temperature shifts in a single day. Yesterday there were lots of people having picnics in the park behind our house. I doubt that there will be many picnickers tomorrow.

It's been a long day. I'm tired, but I think the day was a success. We made some money for Dalmatian Rescue. Everyone seemed very happy with their pictures. And most of the photo gear has already been stowed away until it is needed again. I'm looking forward to sleeping in late tomorrow morning. I really hope that Dot and Dash have the same idea.

Myles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1432

It's that time of year again. We did our first Santa Paws photo shoot of the season today. At first I thought it was a little early for Christmas pictures, but so many people make elaborate holiday cards these days that this actually is when you need to get started. We had a good day. Photo sessions were booked solid from 10 AM through 3 PM. Only one dog peed on Santa. One more peed on the set. There were no dog fights or ugly incidents. When you're photographing dogs, you can't ask for more than this.

Since we were photographing city dogs today, our subjects tended to be smaller and a bit more upscale than their suburban cousins. Since most of today's dogs were small enough to sit on Santa's lap, we didn't have to worry as much about a dog inadvertently destroying the set. A single Yorkie is a lot easier to photograph than three full grown Rottweilers.

Somebody told me this afternoon that we've been doing these Christmas pet photos for seven years now. You couldn't prove it by me, but it does seem like we've been doing this for a very long time. I'm amazed that all the equipment still works. I hope that nothing self-destructs this season. We've got four more of these events to do before Christmas. My old Norman studio strobes are kind of like vintage Fender tube amplifiers. They just don't make them like this anymore. Hopefully, these trusty tools will keep working forever. I certainly don't want to invest in new studio lighting. I don't even have a studio anymore.

I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be even busier than today. Since the photo shoot took the entire day, all my normal Saturday errands got postponed. That means there's a lot of shopping that still needs to be done. The dogs are still going to expect a trip to the dog park as well. If there's time, I'd like to get to the gym, even though I feel like I've already been to the gym after a long day of alternately standing and kneeling to find the best angle for the perfect pet portrait.

I don't think I'll have any problems going to sleep tonight. These marathon photo shoots are tiring. The fingers and joints aren't as flexible as they used to be and I don't believe in pain pills. The arthritis isn't going away, but staying active is probably still the best medicine. You've got to keep moving.

Alvin is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1429

It's that time of year again. I brought home a big pile of photo and lighting equipment from the storage warehouse in preparation for the first of our Santa Paws photo events this weekend. If it seems a little early for a picture of your dog sitting on Santa's lap, just look around you. The Christmas season is already in full swing. There are Christmas tree lots on every other corner. Stores are filled with lights, cards, and decorations. Some people are even starting to decorate their yards.

Every year the equipment seems heavier and it seems to take me a little longer to set up for these events. These Santa photos are all for a good cause though. I guess lugging this heavy gear around is what I've been doing all the workouts for.

I picked up my suit from the tailor today and the moth holes are gone. Reweaving is kind of amazing. Even when I look at the repair with a magnifying glass, I can't see any evidence that a moth hole was ever there. Now that I've taken care of the moth problem, I need to take care of the ticks. Dash seems to attract ticks like a magnet. Oddly, even though they walk together, I rarely see a tick on Dot. I check Dash for ticks every evening, but sometimes I miss a few. This morning I found one crawling on me. Yuck. It's all part of having dogs though. If you have a dog, you're eventually going to find a tick.

Dot did really well at her water therapy session today. She seems to enjoy these sessions. The water is nice and warm. The place is quiet. And the vet techs all like her and feed her treats. Dog class is another story entirely. Sometimes the dogs like their training class too, but not tonight. The only thing Dot and Dash wanted to do at class this evening was go home again. I can't really blame them. It was really cold this evening. I thing the temperature is supposed to get down in the mid-twenties later tonight. I finally remembered to set the outdoor faucets dripping, so they won't freeze. Since there are no valuable plants to bring inside, I guess we're all set for the first hard freeze of the season.

It looks like my breakfast recipe is actually going to be published in the SXSW Cookbook. I had to sign a release form today verifying the my recipe was original and not copied out of another cookbook. I'm glad I didn't have to sign anything guaranteeing that nobody would get sick from eating my recipe. I'm not really a very good cook. If somebody told me a few years ago that I would end up being featured in a film festival cookbook, I would have just laughed at them.

I wish tomorrow was Friday. This week is kind of dragging along. I've got lots of writing and website assignments to finish tomorrow. It's time to go to the gym again as well. One of these days I'll surprise you with something new and original. It won't be tomorrow though.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1384

What a busy day! I removed yesterday's rain water from the roof as soon as I got up this morning. When the roof was dry, we ate breakfast, and then it was off to the Dalmatian Rescue golf tournament. This year's tournament was held at a course where every hole was a replica of some famous golf course in Scotland. The clubhouse was supposed to be a replica of a famous Scottish clubhouse as well. You certainly couldn't have proved it by me. The golf course looked just like every other North Dallas golf course to me. There must be hundreds of golf courses scattered throughout the Dallas suburbs. They all are designed so that people can buy homes overlooking the course. Why anyone would want to live in a gated community overlooking a golf course in the middle of nowhere is a mystery to me. The club we played at today was so far away, it seemed like we were halfway to the moon.

I don't play golf myself. My job at these events is to take pictures of all the golfers and put together a slide show that the players can watch during the dinner and awards ceremony that takes place after the tournament. I get in a cart and drive from hole to hole until I have captured all the golfers doing something that looks like they know what they're doing. Some of the golfers are quite good. Others, not so much. Everyone seems to have fun at these charity tournaments though.

A lot of people bring their dogs to the Dalmatian Rescue golf tournament. The dogs are initially excited by the fresh air and large expanses of green grass. They think they are going to a dog park. When nobody will let them off leash to race around the golf course, the dogs turn their attention to the buffet table. Dot and Dash got to eat all sorts of things that aren't on their regular menu today, but they still got bored quickly. Golf tournaments last a lot longer than a dog's attention span. By the time the day was over, Dot and Dash were so tired that they slept all the way home in the car.

Occasionally, I think it might be interesting to learn to play golf, but I don't really think it's my game. I'm a lefty for one thing, and can't even hit the ball off the tee with right handed clubs. It's an expensive game as well. I can think of dozens of things I'd rather do with my money. It's definitely a game of skill, but I get bored spending an afternoon on a golf course. Even taking pictures of golfers gets boring after eighteen holes.

I'm glad today's tournament was a success. The weather was perfect. All the golfers seemed to enjoy themselves and many of them said they'd return again next year. Most of the silent auction items got bids. This is Dalmatian Rescue's big fundraiser of the year and when the event is a success, it goes a long way toward helping the group continue to rescue dogs like Dot and Dash.

Sweet Pea is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1339

My photo shoot went well today. Taking pictures of a giant industrial machine wasn't the most exciting thing in the world, but I think my client will be happy with the images. The only thing that went wrong during the shoot was that I got grease stains on a nice new pair of shoes.  I should know by now that proper attire for taking pictures in a factory is always something you wouldn't mind being ruined. It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks though. I always try to wear something nice when I meet a client. I spend so much of my life in ratty clothes only the dogs ever see, that I find myself actually looking for situations to look presentable.

When I was driving around today, I noticed something new about the Evoque. Not only does this car have a rear view camera, it has a total of five different cameras, including one pointed straight down at the road to make sure you are driving between the white lines. I found all these cameras more than a bit distracting. Shouldn't you be spending your time looking through the windshield?

I was so busy with work today that I didn't even bother to sweep last night's rain accumulation off the roof. That's one of the nice things about having a roof that doesn't leak anymore. The water can just stay up there until it's convenient for me to remove it. Granted, this is an odd way to look at the whole situation. It would be much nicer if the water just drained off the roof all by itself. I guess that's too much to ask though. I've never seen a flat roof in my life that really drained properly.

After I made some changes to a client's website this morning, I noticed that the new content we added was already there. I looked at the date stamp on the files I discovered and was a bit chagrined to realize that they had been sitting in plain view for over two years. The client and I had both just forgotten they were there.

I was having trouble making a restaurant reservation tonight and Janet told me to use Open Table instead. Sure enough, even though the person I talked to on the phone said they were completely full, I quickly and easily made a confirmed reservation at exactly the time I wanted using Open Table. Obviously somebody is wrong about how full the place is, but I guess we won't find out who it is until we arrive.

I have another doctor's appointment tomorrow. If things go according to plan, I'll spend my time describing real and imagined side effects of the meds I'm currently taking, while the doctor writes out new prescriptions for even more meds. I'm not nearly as enamored with prescription drugs as most doctors are. I'm convinced that some of the stuff I'm taking now will eventually wind up on one of those "1-800-BAD-DRUG" commercials twenty years from now. I'll be the first to acknowledge that some medications do exactly what they ware supposed to do. I just don't know which ones I can trust.

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1338

I took the Defender in for service this morning and ended up driving home in a new Range Rover Evoque. I'm kind of glad the dealer gave me a loaner with hail damage because I'm always nervous of getting a ding in these loaner cars. This one was so full of dings that I've got nothing to worry about. The Evoque seems to get a lot of good press, but I'd never buy one. It's too small, too low to the ground, and has terrible viability. I don't know who they're marketing this car to. It's not an off-road vehicle. It's not a family SUV. And it's not really pretty enough to be a sports car. I sure hope they don't make the new Defender look anything like these things.

This was another day where I had to schedule everything around a series of brief but intense rainstorms. The dogs managed to get both their walks, but just barely. Both times, there was a downpour within minutes of returning to the house.  When the sun came out right after lunch, I used the opportunity to clear the water off the roof. That was pretty dumb, because two hours later, it was raining again.

I was a little nervous about taking Dot to her acupuncture session today. Now that Dash has decided he's scared of rain too, I kept wondering if a sudden thunderclap might trigger another seizure. All was fine though. Although the sky was dark and ominous looking, it didn't rain at all while Dot and I were away. When I checked in on Dash using the nanny cam, he was sleeping on the bed, just like he always does.

In case you think I do nothing buy cater to the needs of spoiled dogs, there was other work to do as well. I finished several new articles, answered some client questions about online forms, and paid a pile of new bills that arrived in the mail today. When I entered the payments in my accounting software, they didn't balance. This happens a lot these days. No matter how careful I am, I inevitably make an erroneous entry and end up having to check everything a second time. This seems to be an unfortunate by-product of growing older. Even the simplest things seem to take an excruciatingly long time. The same thing happens when I'm writing. There are typos galore.

Hopefully the weather will be better tomorrow, because I've got a photo shoot scheduled. It's just some industrial photography that will ultimately wind up on a website, but it's still a nice break from sitting in a small room and writing with two dogs under my desk that think the sky is falling. I need to charge all my camera batteries and make sure the equipment is in working order before I go to bed tonight. The photography side of my business is not immune to my forgetfulness.

Elliott is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1269

My models for today's photo shoot were a small puppy and kitten, sitting together inside a gold crown. I didn't think a dog and cat would play nice together for long enough for me to get the shot I needed, but we had an unusually calm kitten and some very good animal wranglers. I think the shot came out fine. I definitely don't think Dot or Dash would have been this calm in a similar situation.

Our power went out today during another surprise thunderstorm. After about six hours of being dead in the water, the power is still out. I can hear a repair crew from the power company back in the alley replacing a transformer on one of the telephone poles, so I have high hopes that our electricity will be restored this evening.

There was another roof problem today. The roof is mostly finished, but there is a small section of rotted wood that still needs to be replaced directly above the kitchen door. It rained so hard during today's thunderstorm that water got into the unfinished area and came spilling into the house through the top of the kitchen door. As I have mentioned already, I couldn't have picked a worse time to put on a new roof. It's usually not so bad at this time of year, but this has turned out to be the wettest Spring I can remember.

It was bad enough that it was raining cats and dogs while I had to pack up all my equipment to go photograph some cats and dogs. It would have been even worse if the rain and ensuing power outage had happened yesterday though. I would have hated to be forced to complete my Photoshop marathon using a laptop with a low battery as my primary resource.

Everyone seems in a hurry except for me. I feel out of sync with just about everything this week. My client in New York is in a hurry to get all the Las Vegas pictures. My veterinarian client is in a hurry to get the kitten and puppy pictures. The roofers are in a hurry to get paid for their still unfinished roof. I'm trying my best to keep up with all the requests, but the only thing I'm in a hurry for is the weekend.

Dot and Dash did pretty well today, especially considering all the chaos going on around them. I had to leave the dogs right in the middle of the rainstorm, and amazingly they both seemed pretty calm when I left the house. I think they sensed that this was a day where I had few options and they were doing their best to help.

Hopefully, the power will be restored this evening and tomorrow will be calm and uneventful. I'm looking forward to sunny skies and my favorite Black Bean Benedict for breakfast.

Gypsy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1262

I haven't left the hotel since I arrived in Las Vegas. Luckily, it's a very nice hotel. I'm staying at the Wynn to cover Couture 2013 which has more or less taken over the hotel for the week. If you're not in the jewelry business, you've probably never heard of Couture. If you are in the jewelry business, you're probably here. Like most trade shows I've worked, this one made me wish I'd worn more comfortable shoes. After a day on my feet taking pictures, my feet are killing me. My feet have it easy compared to some people I saw today. I noticed scores of women at the show wearing towering Christian Loubouton platforms with six inch heels. Ouch is all I've got to say. A jewelry show is all about appearances. There are lots of pretty people and lots of pretty things. I doubt that many people attending this show have ever been inside a Walmart. I walked right by Ivanka Trump this afternoon. It's was a pretty high end crowd. Needless to say, I couldn't afford anything I saw today. It's still fun to look though.

Las Vegas is a weird place.  Looking out the window of my room, I can see a pirate ship battle at Treasure Island, a volcano exploding at The Mirage, and a fireworks show worthy of a big city Fourth of July celebration. Far below me, I can hear the music of Neon Trees, playing an outdoor concert for the Couture attendees. My credentials would have gotten me into the concert, but I'm too tired. When my shift was over for the day, I proceeded directly to the Wynn buffet, ate entirely too much for dinner, and retired to my room.

The day isn't over yet though. I still have to back up the hundreds of image and video files I took today.  I'm sure all event photographers have nightmares about losing an entire day's worth of work, due to a corrupted disk, a faulty camera, or even simple stupidity. The first thing I do after a day of photography is back everything up. It doesn't really matter if I'm taking Santa photos of Dalmatians, or product photos of a $100,000 watch. Sometimes you've only got one chance.

I hope I get more sleep tonight than I did last night. With all the flight delays due to bad weather, I didn't arrive in Las Vegas until almost midnight. At home, I always think I'd sleep better if the dogs weren't constantly crowding me out of bed. Without the dogs, it's another story entirely. Now, it seems hard to sleep without a Dalmatian on either side of me.

Chance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1185

I had a photo shoot today. More employee photos. Taking employee photos used to be a bread and butter item for my company, but plastering employee pictures all over your company website is gradually falling out of fashion. More and more people are discovering that these photos are way more trouble than they're worth. First of all, employees come and go. Once you've made a commitment to having all your employees featured on the website, you are constantly updating and changing things. All this activity is good for me, but it's not necessarily beneficial for the company. Even if the employees don't leave, they get married, divorced, promoted, change their hair color, or do something else to warrant a change on their page. I only have a few clients left who are still enamored with employee photos. I bet by this time next year, I won't have any. I don't even recommend employee photos anymore.

I asked my vet today what was the source of the muscle spasms that she said were probably causing Dot's rear legs to go out. She said the very same things that cause my own periodic neck and lower back problems. I took that to mean that she wasn't really sure. I still don't know what caused my terrible neck problems in Las Vegas a few years ago. My physical therapist told me that entrapped soft tissue in my neck vertebra was causing the pain. How did the tissue get entrapped in the first place though. I'll probably never know for sure. Dot could have easily strained a muscle walking up a steep hill just before her legs went out, but maybe that wasn't the cause at all. She's walked up that same hill day after day with no problems whatsoever.

I've given up on spotting the comet. I looked again tonight, but there's just too much dust and haze on the Western horizon where the comet is supposed to be located. Oh, well. There's supposed to be an even brighter comet headed our way toward the end of the year. Maybe I'll be able to see that one.

Even with my out-of-the-office photo assignment, I still managed to get a few articles written. I need to convince my client to start actually sending me to some of these events I'm writing about. Hey, I may be wrong, but it seems like interviewing people on the spot would make a much better story than just looking up facts on Wikipedia and then embellishing them with my imagination.

Humphrey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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