Day 3320

The original Bladerunner took place in 2019. We don't have replicants or flying cars yet, but in many ways we are already living in a dystopian world. The pumps are falling apart at the place where I regularly get gas. I have to stick my credit card in the slot four or five times before it registers and activates the pump. The thing that prints your receipt is perpetually out of paper and sometimes the switch that selects premium gas doesn't work. I could go somewhere else, but this place is convenient. I've learned to adapt to the dilapidated machinery.

When I go to the grocery store, I rarely get a cart where all four wheels work. Usually at least one wheel is stuck, twirls around aimlessly, or doesn't even touch the ground. Again, I've learned to adapt to pushing a three wheeled cart around the store. Slowly but surely we are getting used to living in a world where nothing works. I don't pick up the phone anymore because it is just an automated voice trying to sell me something. When the cable TV stops working, which it does almost every day, I just turn it off, wait thirty seconds and then turn it on again. Sometimes this works, but nobody knows why. Going to the airport is a nightmare. So is driving in rush hour traffic. This isn't going to end well. Not only have we lost the ability to build a better world, we can't even cope with living in the world we've got.

I certainly don't have any answers, I can barely cope with an old house and a sick dog. Dash wouldn't poop before he went to bed last night, so I knew I wouldn't get much sleep. At around 3 AM, he had to go. He pooped on his puppy training pad, got up, pooped again in the hallway, and then about thirty minutes later, pooped a third time on a fresh puppy pad as we were trying to get back to sleep.

I've been trying to trim Dash's nails while he takes his morning nap. I can usually only trim one or two nails at a time, but he takes a lot of naps, so it's worth a try. Today I managed to trim both his dewclaws. Then I hit the quick on one of the nails on a rear paw which quickly ended today's grooming session. The all black nails are hard to trim because you don't really know where the quick is. It took a while to stop the bleeding. Amazingly, Dash never woke up during this entire process. It was a blessing that he stayed sleeping, because otherwise there would have been blood all over the house.

I think we may have found something that will work to protect the bed at night. It is a rubberized canvas mat that we used to use when we took the dogs in the car. I originally thought that this would be too heavy and awkward on the bed, but it seems to stay in place. Our motto these days is "whatever works."

I read an article today that said gum disease can contribute to the development of Alzheimer's Disease. Maybe this is what is happening with Dash. He does have gum disease and his cognitive abilities have certainly declined. It's really a shame that you can't effectively clean a dog's teeth without anesthesia. We brush his teeth and use an oral rinse to keep his mouth clean, but it is an uphill battle. I wish the vet had cleaned his teeth one more time before everybody decided that Dash wasn't a candidate for anesthesia anymore. They don't think he would wake up if he was anesthetized again. I feel bad that we can't do a better job of keeping Dash's teeth and gums healthy, but we're doing the best we can.

Tomorrow it's time for the gym again. I'd really rather just sleep, but something tells me that in a dystopian world you've got to keep moving.

Jazz is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3312

I let Facebook pick the restaurant this morning. Maybe privacy is overrated. The food was delicious. I had Shrimp Grits with andouille sausage, peppers and leeks. All things considered, it was one of the best meals I've had in quite a while. I never would have known about this place if Facebook hadn't been snooping about my likes and dislikes. They've actually done a pretty decent job of helping me find a new pair of work boots and giving me a heads up about upcoming lunar eclipses and satellite launches.

I wish Facebook would fine tune their algorithm a bit more. With a bit of tweaking they may be able to find me the perfect restaurant. The only thing wrong with this morning's meal was that the place was crowded and a bit noisy. I guess that's to be expected when you're popular. I'm not used to popular. Most of the places I frequent for breakfast are half empty. I don't know how they stay in business.

I seldom see a lot of people together in the same place. Breakfast gave me an opportunity to see how society has changed. A lot more young people wear glasses now. Has staring at cell phones made people's eyes worse, or are contact lenses just out of fashion? I don't know. Apparently, nobody works on a fixed schedule anymore. I typically eat late and when I went to breakfast this morning, everybody should have been at work. The place was packed.  It was clear that most of these folks had a job. They just didn't work 9 to 5.

Some things were unexplainable. While I was waiting to be seated, I noticed that the woman ahead of me was wearing Louboutin stilettos at nine in the morning. A guy at a table next to me pulled a Ziploc bag full of credit cards out of his pocket when he was ready to pay his bill. Are plastic bag wallets a thing now? I'm clearly too old to know. Even though this new restaurant was a bit too trendy for my taste, I'm sure I'll be back. There were too many things on the menu that I'd like to try.

It was supposed to rain today but it never did. The forecast kept changing by the hour. Something is clearly happening. The wind has picked up and the temperature is supposed to be below freezing tomorrow. Hey, I'll take what I can get. I don't like the cold but if I've got to endure freezing weather I prefer that it be dry.

One of Dash's paws was bleeding a bit when we returned from our morning walk. It looked a nail was scraping against the adjacent skin. It's about time for a nail trim again. I'm trying to learn to do this myself while Dash is asleep. In theory this sounds like a good idea, but I can usually one clip a single nail before Dash wakes up. I've got a good pair of clippers, but so far I've only been trimming a tiny bit off each nail. Maybe if I get better at this, we can avoid the trauma of going to the vet for a nail trim. I'm also trying to rinse Dash's mouth with Dentahex while he's asleep. Dash hates the oral rinse but it's necessary to keep his Periodontal Disease from getting worse. Since Dash is no longer a candidate for anesthesia, it's been really hard to keep his teeth clean and his gums healthy.

All in all it's been a good day. I did something new. It didn't rain. And nothing terrible happened. I hope it stays dry this weekend. I've got a ton of errands to run tomorrow and there's a total lunar eclipse on Sunday. We'll see how it goes.

Dovey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3261

Dash got a good report card today. Nobody said he was healthy, but he was very well behaved. I think the vet was as surprised as we were. Considering that Dash had to endure a number of procedures he normally hates, I was amazed. The vet was able to draw blood for a necessary test, give him a Bordetella shot, express his anal glands, and trim his nails without much of a fuss. The little guy made us proud.

I feel much better now that his nails have been trimmed. They grow rapidly since the protective boots keep them from being worn down on walks. I remember how much he bled the day he ripped his dew claw out and I don't ever want that to happen while he's taking blood thinners.

Now that Dash has survived his trip to the vet, I need to start thinking about this weekend's Santa Paws photos. I tested my back-up camera today and began charging batteries. I'll continue checking equipment for the rest of the week so everything will be ready by Saturday morning. My equipment is getting older now and I don't entirely trust it. I'd hate to have to replace something at the last minute, but hopefully everything will last for one more year.  I hope I last for one more year as well. I'm not very agile anymore and photographing pets is hard on my knees and shoulders.

The good news is that we're only doing two events this year. We used to do more, but the volunteers and I are all getting older. The Santa photos are still quite popular, so we should have a good turnout. In recent years people have started bringing their children as well as their pets because they say we are much better than the shopping mall Santas. It's amazing how long we have been doing this for Dalmatian Rescue. The team we've put together over the years is very good. I'm probably the only grumpy one in the bunch.

Christmas is definitely on the horizon. In addition to preparing for this weekend's Santa Paws events, I put our Christmas tree up this afternoon. We haven't bought any ornaments for quite a while, but luckily very few of the ornaments have broken. I don't think I broke anything today. Everything on the tree is a Dalmatian. We used to buy Dalmatian ornaments whenever we would see one, but we ran out of room on the tree a long time ago. If we break ornaments now, we can always get a smaller tree.

Our vet had never seen the slip-in bandages Dash wore to his exam before. She was interested in getting some for the clinic. It weird that Janet and I have inadvertently become experts at protecting a dog's feet. I guess necessity is still the mother of invention. It's too bad we haven't come up with a way to make Dash's legs stronger. If he could walk normally we wouldn't need all the protective gear. Amazingly, we may even need more gear in the future. The vet detected some instability in Dash's left knee today. He may need to wear a brace on both rear legs at some point.

I watched the latest episode of the National Geographic Mars series after I finished my chores today. The story arc is still pretty interesting, but I don't like the show's format. They continually switch back and forth between the present and the future in an effort to show that the Earth could wind up like Mars if we don't quit screwing up the planet. Everything they say is true, but the show is far too preachy for my taste. Dr. Who has become the same way. Can't we have a good old fashioned adventure without all the social justice and environmental lessons?

Janet said that we have to get up early tomorrow because she has to leave the house at 8 AM. Piece of cake. Dash has been waking me up early for months now. Just pick a time. I'll probably already be up cleaning up poop.

Scooter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3183 - 9/11

Pretty soon September 11 will be like December 7. Babies born in 2001 are entering college now. It's just a matter of time before this day becomes a page in a history book instead of a shared memory for an entire nation. Pear Harbor was real for my Dad. He fought in World War II. 9/11 was real for me. I took this picture of the twin towers out of my hotel room window in the late 1970's when I used to fly from Seattle to New York to edit commercials. I enjoyed my periodic visits to lower Manhattan back then. Anyone could walk around the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and it was always exciting to take the express elevator to the roof of the South Tower and look out over the city. I always wanted to eat at Windows on the World but never got the chance. It was a little pricey for a young advertising copywriter.

Sometimes I think the terrorists won. The world is not a friendly place anymore. We have become hopelessly divided on just about everything. My Dad spent several years in the Pacific during World War II and there was a clear and decisive victory. We've spent decades fighting in the Middle East and accomplished nothing. I don't have a lot of hope for the future. If we can't collectively agree on anything, it's going to be very difficult to fix anything. It's interesting. People used to spend a lot of time envisioning utopias. Now, we've replaced these utopian futures with dystopian calamities. Science fiction used to be about how we were going to reach the stars. Now, it's mostly about how we're going to die.

We didn't get off to a good start this morning. Dash pooped in the bed again and when we took him to his vet appointment, he didn't want anyone to even get close to his feet. Our very patient vet was finally able to trim Dash's nails, but it wasn't easy. Hopefully, we won't need to do this again for another two months. It's kind of alarming how easily Dash bleeds now that he's on Plavix. We were super careful about avoiding the quick, but several nails still bled a bit. I wish we'd come away with a good solution for ending Dash's loose stools, but there are too many possible causes. Dash's age, the meds he's taking, and his multiple illnesses all contribute to the problem.

I was glad I was able to walk Dash before our appointment this morning. By the time we left the vet, it was already starting to rain. The rain continued off and on for the rest of the day. We had a short power outage, but the lights came back on again before I was able to file a report. I have no idea why the power went out. There was no wind and the rain was just a gentle shower. Even though the outage was short, I still had to reset all the clocks and automatic timers. Just about everything has a clock in it these days. Even the thermostat and the coffee maker needed to be reset.

Dash doesn't want to go outside because it is raining. This increases the odds that he will poop in the house tonight. I've thought about placing puppy training pads under him while he sleeps. This worked with Dot when she became incontinent but I'm not sure if we'd have any success with Dash. Dash is still mobile enough to move around at night while we're asleep. He can poop just about anywhere.

Shadow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3121

I didn't see the roofer today, but I did get a visit from the electrician. I'd almost forgotten that I'd called the electrician. When I originally called weeks ago, the photocell that controlled the security light in the back yard wasn't working correctly. The light would come on at dusk, but it would shut off about three hours later. To get the light to turn on again, I would have to go to the breaker box and turn the circuit breaker for the light off and on manually. It was irritating to go out at midnight and do this, but it certainly wasn't an emergency. Somehow during the ensuing weeks, the light seems to have fixed itself. It's been working perfectly for over a week now. The electrician replaced the photocell with a new one anyway. I thanked the guys, but was kind of embarrassed to have them replace something that seemed to be working fine. Hopefully, there won't be any problems with this new photocell. These guys could get tired of me real quickly.

Dash did very well at the vet. I was proud of him. He didn't struggle or snap at anyone while his nails were being trimmed. He didn't poop in the lobby either. Amazingly, he even rode quietly in the car. I think he was just tired. We had a rough night. He woke up in the middle of the night and seemed to forget where he was. He just stood frozen in place in the living room with a vacant look on his face for the longest time. He wouldn't go outside and he wouldn't come back to bed. This didn't seem like a vestibular seizure. It was something else. I'm starting to worry about dementia now. This isn't the first time Dash has seemed totally confused. The vet recommended some things that might help with dementia at his exam today and checked his heart. There is no quick fix for anything anymore.

This morning when we got Dash suited up for his morning walk, he seemed frozen in place again. Usually, he heads straight for the back door as soon as Janet leaves for work, but this morning he refused to move. He had the same confused look that he had last night. Eventually, I took his harness and leg brace off and he immediately went to sleep. Later in the day, he woke up and seemed somewhat normal again. We took a short walk, but it was too hot to go very far.

Dash seems fine now. He had a good appetite at dinner. We took a normal evening walk and he's barking at Janet for treats now. There are so many surprises these days. Almost every day something happens that I don't expect. I try my best to keep Dash calm, keep him eating regularly, and make sure he moves around enough so his muscles don't atrophy. There is very little we can do about the vestibular disease or the blood clot in his heart.

I was planning to take my car in for service tomorrow, but the dealer called this evening and said they weren't going to have any loaner cars tomorrow. That seemed weird, since everything was fine when I called to confirm the appointment this morning. They asked if I wanted to go ahead with the service and use their shuttle instead. No thank you. These guys are so slow, that I'd probably be without a car for a week. Maybe I'll just wait until August to schedule the service again. Then I could get my state inspection at the same time.

I cleared the water off the roof again. I knew this was a waste of time, but I wanted to be ready just in case the roofers decided to come over anyway. They didn't. I'm aiming for next week now. The weather app on my phone shows a lot of sunny days next week. Every time it rains, the roof problems seem to get worse. We've really got to get this fixed.

I'm not sure what we're going to do tomorrow. I'm getting used to slow, uneventful days. As long as Dash is acting normally and eating his meals, I'm fine.

Sophia is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3002

We managed to get Dash's nails trimmed this morning. It's hard to believe that this used to be an easy task, Now, it is next to impossible. These days if you touch his feet, Dash thinks you are trying to kill him. I don't think we would have had a chance if we weren't going to see his favorite vet. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Dash still trusts Molly. Even with expert help it wasn't an easy job. I held Dash and Janet fed him treats to distract him while the vet clipped. Each time we do this, it gets a little harder. I wish his nails would just quit growing.

Ever since Dash ripped out a dewclaw, I've been worried about his nails. The risk of bleeding is very real. It took several weeks and three trips to the vet before the bleeding completely stopped when he tore the dewclaw. This was before he was on blood thinners too. Today, the consequences would be far worse. The rubber boots he wears on walks are primarily to reduce the risk of cuts and bleeding. We do the best we can, but this is going to be continual problem.

The nail trim wasn't today's only dog problem. Dash peed in the bed while he was asleep last night. I spent most of the morning cleaning all the bedding. I hope this isn't the start of incontinence. Dash still seems to have bladder control, so maybe last night was just a fluke. I hope so. An incontinent dog who insists on sleeping in the bed with you is a major problem. Dot was incontinent during the last years of her life, but she was too weak to jump in the bed anymore, so it was easier to create a safe space for her. Dash is stubborn. Even if I brought home all the rubberized mats we sewed for Dot, he might refuse to use them.

I didn't get much done today. Our trip to the vet put me several hours behind on our daily routine. By the time I gave Dash his morning walk and fixed my breakfast, it was well past noon. Even with such a late start, I wasn't really behind on anything. Other than fixing a never ending assortment of broken things around the house, there is very little to do.

Maybe if I get organized tomorrow, I'll take my computer to the repair shop. I don't know why it is important to me to have a working CD burner. Nobody asks me to make them a CD anymore. Probably the best reason to repair the computer is that parts might not be available in the near future. I got the computer in 2010. Apple doesn't even put CD/DVD burners in newer computers, so OEM Superdrives won't be available forever.

The weather continues to be beautiful. No Spring allergies yet either. I don't think the rainy season is over yet, but I doubt that we have to worry about snow. It's hard to believe that large sections of the country are still dealing with snow when it is 70 degrees outside. It was so nice today that I was even able to convince Dash to take two walks. Hey, when your dog takes two walks, eats all his food, and has nicely trimmed nails, it's a pretty good day.

Humphrey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3001

I still haven't adjusted to Daylight Savings Time. Why are the stars out when it's time to get up in the morning? Isn't it Spring yet? I'm having a hard time getting out of bed in the dark. I know the days are getting longer, but everything was fine before the time change. By the time I wake up to sunshine again, it will probably be too hot.

Dash has adjusted to the time change better than I have. He gets up in the dark with Janet because he knows who feeds him. By the time I'm up, he's ready for his morning walk. At least the weather is nice. We're walking at sunrise again. All the trees are starting to bud and I see a few new wildflowers every morning. I enjoy our walks in the Spring. There's always something to see.

Dash might not get a walk tomorrow morning. It's time to get his nails trimmed again. I was lucky that Dash's vet could work us in. She was completely booked, but told us to come over before her first appointment. She's the only one left who is able to trim Dash's nails, so I think she knew how desperate we were. I hope Dash is well behaved tomorrow. When he was healthy, Dash used to actually enjoy going to the vet. He's always been a social dog and enjoyed the attention. Now, it's a different story. Even something as minor as a nail trim sends him into a panic.

Today was slow. We got off to an early start, but by the time I finished my morning smoothie and cleaned up the dog poop in the yard, it was time for lunch. I don't actually eat lunch, but Dash does. Somewhere along the line we started feeding him a rice cake at lunchtime and now he insists on it. The rice cake doesn't add many calories and it's something he can look forward to in an often boring day. When Dash was having trouble eating, we started spreading something tasty on top of the rice cake to make it more appealing. Sometimes I add a little peanut butter. Other times I add some canned dog food. Now this rice cake sandwich is part of our daily ritual.

I took a small check to the bank and paid a few bills this afternoon. Checks from clients are infrequent now, but they are still appreciated. There are so many things on my to-do list, but it is hard to focus on them. Everything is necessary, but nothing is appealing. I have a feeling that I'll fix the CD burner on my computer before the toilet, the roof, or the refrigerator. The computer still seems like a friend. The other things, no so much.

It's taking me forever to completely shake off this cold. I still have some nasal congestion and an upset stomach. Luckily the night sweats seem to be gone. Maybe the upset stomach has nothing to do with the cold. The last batch of food I got at Central Market's deli counter was way too spicy. I got the same things I always do, but there must have been a new chef. I wish people would leave recipes alone. As soon as I get used to something, it changes.

Day 3001 was a bit anticlimactic. I shouldn't have been surprised, but very little happened. It's a bit early to start thinking about Day 4000 too. That's almost three years away.

Wyatt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2953

It was all about Dash today. We got up early to take him to his vet appointment and hoped for the best. Not only is Dash terrible in the car, he's usually not very good when we get where we're going. Today we needed to do three things that he hates. He has an eye infection and will need to take eye drops for a week or so. He always runs away when I try to put the drops in his eye. He was also way overdue for a nail trim and needed his anal glands expressed. He hates these things too. The only thing in our favor was that we were seeing Dash's favorite vet today.

The eye exam went well. Most dogs don't like it when you shine a light in their eye and Dash was no exception. He was well behaved though, so we dodged a bullet. The vet did a test to make sure his tear ducts weren't impacted or clogged and then prescribed some antibiotic drops. I wish I could apply the drops as well as she does. You've got to be quick and decisive.

The vet told us that our friends at the cancer center had good reason to be concerned about trimming Dash's nails, sharing stories of nail trims that went horribly wrong. It is apparently not uncommon for dogs to bleed profusely when their nails are trimmed too close to the quick. The vet was very careful and conservative about how much she trimmed, but one of Dash's nails still bled a little. This is going to be an ongoing problem. We can't ignore Dash's nails, because the longer they get, the greater the risk that he will tear one out. We definitely don't want another episode like the one where he tore his dew claw out in the car. Dash doesn't like it when you mess with his feet though, so nail trims will never be easy. At least there were no problems when he had his anal glands expressed.

After his adventure at the vet, Dash was eager to go back to bed. We skipped our morning walk and I ate a late breakfast. By the time I washed the dishes, took a shower, and cleaned up the dog poop in the yard, it was time for lunch. I don't actually eat lunch myself, but Dash always does. We started giving him a rice cake for lunch years ago because it kept him occupied without making him fat. Now we add some dry food to the rice cake, because it is the only time of day when he will eat kibble. When you start a ritual with a dog, you can never end it. They always remember.

Dash we eager to go outside after he had eaten, so I was able to take him on a nice long walk. The only problem with a noon walk is that it fouls up the evening walk. Apparently, Dash needs a certain amount of time between walks. Just as I expected, Dash refused to leave the yard when it was time for his regular evening walk. I put all his gear on twice, but he just wasn't interested. He didn't refuse to eat though. He was hungry all day.

I turned on the computer out of habit, but there was nothing going on. I've finished my writing jobs for the week and nobody seems interested in changing their website. I need to find something to watch on Netflix because I've certainly got the time. Maybe I'll watch Black Mirror. They say it's like a modern version of the Twilight Zone.

Space X did a static firing of the Falcon Heavy rocket today. This means that it will probably be heading toward Mars with Elon's Tesla Roadster sometime next week. Now this is something I definitely want to watch. There is also going to be an eclipse of the moon toward the end of the month. I may not be interested in much, but astronomy, space, and dogs still keep me tethered to the world.

Holly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day