Day 3171

I sent in my application to join the InSight team at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for the spacecraft's November landing on Mars. A little while later, I received a conformation from NASA thanking me for my interest while telling me that I was application number 61005. Wow. The last time I did this in 2014, there were only several hundred applicants. Now there appear to be over sixty thousand. Times have definitely changed. I probably don't have a chance in hell of being selected. Only 30 people will be given social media credentials.

Hey, nothing ventured, nothing gained. At least I made an effort to venture out of my comfort zone and expand my horizons beyond picking up dog poop. We'll see what happens. If Dash's condition remains stable, everything should be fine. I had to decline an invitation to view an Orbital ATK Cygnus launch at Kennedy Space Center when Dot became very sick, but I'm going to remain positive for the moment. What have I got to lose? It would be pretty cool if I made the final cut.

Dash got me up several times last night, but he ate well today and seems to be in good spirits. So far, there has been no pooping in the house. Lets hope this continues. I wish Dash had more energy, but he's actually doing amazingly well, considering the severity of his heart condition. I wish there was a cure for Dash's heart problems and vestibular disease. There isn't. We do the best we can managing the symptoms, but it is stressful knowing that your faithful companion could die at any time.

One day at a time has become my motto. When you take things one day at a time, long-term goals become irrelevant. There are just good days and bad days. Today was a reasonably good day. Dash didn't fall down. He didn't poop in the house. And he seemed happy.

Dash's mood must have been contageous, because I felt pretty good as well. I got off my butt and applied for the NASA media credentials. I even had an appetite and went out and got some delicious barbecued ribs for dinner. This was probably my first mistake of the day. Damn. I've already got heartburn. I wish I had the discipline to eat like Janet does. Her post-cancer diet is about as healthy as you can get. I don't do so well. My health regimen is basically occasionally eating her leftovers.

This month has flown by. I can't believe it is almost Labor Day. Pretty soon I'll have to start watching out for School Zones again. I don't drive much, but wherever I go, there always seem to be lots of schools. It really slows things down when you get stuck in one of those lines of people waiting to pick up their kids. Traffic in the city seems to double when school is in session.

I set the bar pretty low, but I think I was adventurous today. I wonder if I can be as adventurous tomorrow and try eating breakfast at a brand new restaurant. We'll see.

Tessa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2933

It's not a good sign when your vet keeps saying "I'm so sorry" as he explains your dog's test results. The blood clot inside Dash's heart has grown larger. This means the treatment he has been receiving is not working. We added a second medication today to help dissolve the clot, but I'm not optimistic. We've known from the beginning that blood thinners are only effective in helping the body reabsorb blood clots about 50% of the time. Dash's blood just seems to clot unusually easily.

It's kind of scary knowing that your best friend is a ticking time bomb. As long as the large clot stays together, Dash will be fine. If the clot breaks apart and travels to other parts of his body, he could die in a matter of minutes. Dash could have two weeks or two years. We just don't know. The sad thing is there is absolutely nothing we can do. Surgery isn't an option and we're already giving him the only medications that even has a chance of working. We have been told to avoid stressful situations and not to let Dash run off leash. The running isn't a problem, but everything is a stressful situation for Dash. He has never been a calm dog.

When we returned from the cancer center, Janet and I resumed our regular lives. What else can you do? I finished my breakfast and did some chores around the house. Later, I paid some more January bills and wrote a letter to my sister. On my way back from the post office, I though I'd take my old down booties to the neighborhood tailor and see if she could repair the worn waterproof cloth on the bottom. Although the booties were made of nylon and oilcloth and appeared to be easy to sew, the tailor said she didn't work on shoes and told me to see the shoe repairman next door. The shoe repairman told me that the booties weren't really a shoe and to take them back to the tailor. Nobody wanted to fix these things. Oh, well. I tried. I have a new pair anyway. I'm just a Gemini who likes to have a spare for everything.

Maybe I should have made a few New Year's resolutions. I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do in the year ahead. My life has been centered around caring for sick dogs for so long now that it's hard for me to conceive of anything else. I really enjoyed going to Vandenberg Air Force Base several years ago and watching a satellite launch. Maybe someday I'll become a space groupie again. Following launches gets expensive though. I'd need a new source of money. Money is always the problem. Once you start to relax, the money starts to disappear fairly quickly.

For now I'm going to enjoy my remaining time with Dash. He can be stubborn and ornery at times, but he has an amazing personality and always makes me laugh. Dash has been my friend and companion for a long time now. He and Dot made it possible for me to work alone in a little office for all these years. They were really the heart and soul of my company and of this blog. It's very hard to be lonely when there is a Dalmatian nearby.

I'm glad that Dash didn't really understand what happened at the vet today. He's still a happy dog who takes things one day at a time. I'm going to try to do the same.

Hunter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2711

Dot has forgotten a lot, but she hasn't forgotten birthdays. We celebrated Dash's twelfth birthday this evening and Dot ate her birthday cupcake like a champ. I was surprised, since the Sprinkles doggie cupcake was larger than the things she can normally chew. Motivation is everything, I guess. Dot has always loved cake.

I wish she was equally motivated to eat her dinner. I couldn't get Dot to eat dry food at all today. So far, her somewhat eclectic menu has included three thin slices of turkey breast, a piece of cheddar cheese, and two crackers. This isn't enough.

At least Dot has been calm and peaceful today. There has been none of the anxiety we saw last night. We'll never really know what caused yesterday's problems, but I think she might have gotten a pill caught in her throat. Dot wasn't eating food when she took her evening pills, so she might not have swallowed them completely. When we took her outside and squirted some water down her throat with a syringe, the anxiety seemed to go away and we were all able to go to sleep.

The weather has been hot and humid all day. It's starting to feel like Summer. I'm dreading the warmer weather. Dot can't handle the heat and I can't handle the bugs. I've already started seeing an increase in the number of bugs hanging out on the back porch. Since I am unable to close the back door when I take Dot outside, many of these bugs get inside. Nighttime is the worst, since a lot of the flying insects are attracted to light. I keep several strategically placed flyswatters around the house now. I still think the bugs are winning though.

I wish there was some sort of breakthrough I could report. I know it's not going to happen. We will continue taking things one day at a time. There will be good days and bad days and then there will just be little good moments within the bad days. I have a feeling that Janet will be the one who decides when it is time. I'm not really good at evaluating quality of life. I've experienced little good moments within bad days for so long now that it just seems normal to me. I hope I am not fooling myself about Dot. I really think she enjoyed Dash's birthday party tonight. I could tell that she remembered all the other birthday celebrations and at least for a little while, she was happy. That's worth an extra day in my opinion.

Libby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2696

If you are a regular reader, you are probably wondering how long things are going to go on like this. Is Dot getting better? Is she getting worse? What is her quality of life? I wonder about these things too. When Dot is eating and has some energy, I am tremendously encouraged. When she shows no interest in getting up, I am discouraged. When something unexpected happens, like vomiting in the middle of the night, I am alarmed. All I can tell you is that Dot isn't ready to leave us yet. There's always a point in the day when she is determined to take our short, but very slow, walk to the edge of the park. There are moments when she still barks at Dash, as if to say "Remember I'm still the alpha dog around here." I never know when she is going to become hungry, but when she does I'll hold her up by her bowl as she slowly eats her dinner one kibble at a time.

Today was like most days this week. There were high points and low points. The Cerenia pills definitely helped her sleep. There was no nausea last night and Dot slept comfortably all night. When Dot sleeps comfortably, we all sleep comfortably. I got more sleep last night than I have all week.

This morning, Dot wasn't hungry, but she did have energy. Luckily the weather was cool and we were able to take a nice walk to the edge of the park and sit in the grass for twenty minutes. I'd like to say that things got better and better, but Dot didn't have much of an appetite today. I had difficulty getting her to eat until very late in the day. When she did eat something around sunset, it wasn't enough to make up for the food she missed earlier in the day.

Every day is like this. Some days mornings are good. Other days, afternoons are better. Dot doesn't eat much, but the food she is eating now is nutritious and good quality. We do our best to make sure Dot is well hydrated and not starving herself. There are many small meals throughout the day. Dot eats when she wants and sleeps when she wants. If she heads toward the back gate, I take her on a short walk. I don't know how long she has left, but the goal is just to keep her happy, out of pain, and as well nourished as we can during her remaining days. It's not an easy job, but I feel that it is well worth the considerable effort it takes.

I didn't end up cooking this morning after all. I just didn't have the energy. I got some pancakes in a take-out box at a nearby restaurant and came home again. There were so many dog things to do this morning that it was almost noon before I got around to actually eating the pancakes. This is definately a work in progress. I'm still having problems keeping Dash from getting jealous when I'm feeding Dot. It's best if I do this while Dash is sleeping in the bedroom, but it doesn't always work out that way. Things need things to be calm and quiet while Dot is eating. If Dash starts barking, or swoops in to steal her food, progress usually stops.

I try to make a big deal about feeding Dash too, so he feels special. This has been partially successful, but dogs are dogs and Dash just isn't able to resist the sight of me sitting on the floor with Dot, surrounded with little plates of turkey, cheese, and other tasty food. Usually, if I can get Dot interested in food with something really tasty, she will then want me to hold her up so she can eat her regular kibble from her bowl. I'm counting on this, because it is the regular food she eats that is keeping her nourished.

My phone has been giving me problems lately. Almost every day I get an error message saying "No SIM card installed." Of course, there really is a SIM card and the phone works normally again once I turn it off and on again. It's just irritating. Today I thought I'd take the SIM card out and clean it. Hey, I've already tried everything else. I never realized that the SIM card was so small. I almost lost it when I popped open the tray and the little card fell on the floor. The SIM card is probably dirtier now than it was before, but the phone still works.

We're not going to give Dot a Cerenia pill tonight to see whether the nausea returns. In many ways it would be easier to just keep giving her the pills, but this is not a medication designed for long term use. We need to know what is causing the vomiting too. It might not be nausea at all. I hope that everyone sleeps well tonight and that the weekend is peaceful. We all need to recharge our batteries.

Dodger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2685

I've decided that you can't schedule death. It's not right. I canceled the appointment for 5 PM today and the tentative one for 10 AM tomorrow. I'm going to quit calling the vet to make an appointment for Dot and then canceling it the next day. When the time does arrive, I'll do something. For now I'm going to concentrate on keeping Dot alive.

Amazingly, Dot seems a little stronger today than she did yesterday. She tried to eat the same food for two days in a row. By the end of the day, she'd eaten an entire can of the tasty stew we introduced her to yesterday. She should be eating twice as much, but this is real progress. The food is nutritious. Dot likes it. And she's not throwing up.

I think I've entered a new phase in my life. For lack of a better term, I'll call it extreme hospice care. I spent most of the day trying to get Dot to eat, but it was very gratifying when she did. We've been so close to giving up at several points. Figuring out what works and what doesn't has been a learning experience for all of us.

We've gotten better at managing the cancer pain. Dot sleeps better now and no longer sits in her bed panting in the evening. I've become much better at administering her pills. I wrap each pill in a small ball of cheddar cheese so there won't be a bad taste when I put them down her throat. Dot has finally learned to trust me and doesn't try to bite when I open her mouth to pill her. This has taken time and patience, but it makes a huge difference. Following each pill with something tasty to keep her swallowing helps too.

I've abandoned the traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner and feed her smaller amounts throughout the day. I cut her food into very small pieces so she won't choke on it. We keep the house very cold now and only walk her during the coolest parts of the day. We don't use the fancy wheelchair as much as I thought we would, mostly because Dot likes to sit down and rest at several points during the short walk. Everything is a learning process. I need to pay more attention to Dash as well, so her doesn't get jealous. He has already noticed that I spend a lot more time feeding Dot than him. Dash wants the special food too.

I was very encouraged today. This was the first time in a week where there wasn't a period during the day when I thought Dot was going to die. I'm going to ask the oncologist if regular B-12 shots might help stabilize her anemia. We're definitely not out of the woods with the swallowing problem. Dot still has a lot of difficulty chewing and swallowing. You always hear that dogs lose their interest in food when they are near the end of their life. Dot has not lost her appetite. She is still hungry. She just has a lot of difficulty eating.

I'm still kind of amazed that a chance encounter with a total stranger provided the breakthrough we needed. Doctors have suggested everything from strong medication that would increase her appetite to placing a feeding tube down her esophagus. Vets are so locked into Hills Science Diet products that nobody even mentioned simply changing her food.

Don't expect a full recovery or anything miraculous to happen. This was just one day. It was a good day though. A very good day.

Betsy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2603

Dash had a seizure last night. This was very alarming, since he hasn't had a seizure in well over four years. We just did a check of his phenobarbital levels last month and everything was normal. Janet and I were convinced that we had his epilepsy under control and seldom worried about it anymore. Luckily, we still remembered what to do when a seizure occurs. Dash was very frightened during the episode, but we kept him calm and 45 minutes later he was acting like nothing had happened.

Hopefully, this is an isolated incident. If the seizures continue, we'll have to adjust his phenobarbital levels. I hate to give him more phenobarbital than he's already getting. It's a pretty powerdul drug. I wish I could train Dash to sleep on the floor with Dot. He likes to sleep on the edge of the bed, and could easily fall off the bed and hurt himself during a seizure. Needless to say, I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. The air was very dry and both dogs kept waking up with a dry mouth. Instead of going to their water bowls and drinking some water, they kept swallowing loudly, which made me think they were having trouble breathing. Dot pooped in her bed at some point during the night as well.

Janet cooked a special Superbowl dinner tonight. I was really looking forward to this meal when I was at the gym this afternoon. Unfortunately, neither of us realized until late in the day that the Superbowl is actually next Sunday. When Janet told me that the game was today, I had no reason not to believe her. I don't really keep up with these things. I guess if we'd thought about it, we would have realized that the game has been in early February for a long time. Oh, well. Dinner was delicious. Maybe we'll have the same thing again next week. I still think that if the NFL hadn't made that bad call during the Packers game and mistakenly penalized Dallas fifteen yards for having too many men in the huddle, the Cowboys would be playing in this year's Superbowl.

Despite starting the day with a medical emergency, it was actually a good day. The weather was crisp and cool like Dot loves. She had several good walks today and seemed to enjoy herself. Dash seems to have fully recovered from his unexpected seizure and acted completely normally today. I had a good workout and was surprisingly accurate shooting free throws on the basketball court. By the end of the day, I kind of forgot that I woke up dog tired.

My iPhone became a brick today. The screen was dark. It wouldn't respond when I plugged it into a charger. None of the buttons seemed to work. I thought I was screwed until I remembered that you can find the answer to anything on Google. Within thirty seconds I learned that by pressing the home and power buttons simultaneously for thirty seconds, you can almost always revive a dead phone. I tried the trick and it worked. I still don't know what was wrong, because this has never happened before. I did upgrade my system yesterday. Maybe that was the problem.

I hope that the weather stays nice and the dogs stay healthy next week. The stress is getting to me. I'm tired of waking up in the middle of the night thinking that Dot might be dead. I don't know if it's even possible to get a good night's sleep anymore. The slightest noise wakes me up. Now, I'm going to be wondering if Dash is going to have another seizure too. I need to remember to take things one day at a time and not to get ahead of myself. Today was good. There's a good chance that tomorrow will be good as well.

Spirit is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1944

In case you haven't noticed, there isn't much point to this blog. I'm not selling anything. I don't even care if I have a lot of followers. This is just a marathon record of everyday life, which I slowly expand, one day at a time. Maybe it will mean something one day. I don't know. When I started this, I knew I wasn't very good at making commitments. I thought writing something that I would continue until the day I died would be rather audacious. It probably is. I haven't missed a day yet, but I sometimes wonder how much longer I can continue this quest before it drives me stark raving mad.

The trouble with everyday life is that in between the occasional awards, accolades and moments of discovery are long stretches of nothing. Maybe finding meaning in the long stretches of nothing is what life is all about. Today, when Dash and I were walking in the park we crossed paths with an avid birder who was trying to take pictures of owls. He wasn't able to find the owls today, but seemed excited that he saw a rare red headed woodpecker. We talked for a while and I realized that even though I was no naturalist, I had observed every one of the animals, including the rare woodpecker, that the birder regularly drove across town to catch a glimpse of. This guy knew a lot more about birds than I'll ever know, but I had an advantage. I am always here. Day after day I watch the seasons slowly change and I see things. I see things that others don't because I don't have to be lucky to be at the right place at the right time. There's always another day. Maybe that's what this blog is really about. When you relentlessly do something over and over again, you eventually start to see things that others don't.

Dot is really feeling better. She still stumbles and her legs are weak, but she walks with purpose now. You can tell she wants to walk, and that's probably the key to her recovery. Today she made it all the way to the top of the small hill we are now including in her short morning walk. It's taken about a week to conquer the little hill a few steps at a time, but we're making progress. This is one thing I've learned by keeping this extended journal. Change doesn't often happen fast enough and it seldom happens on your schedule, but changes do occur if you are patient enough. By taking things slowly and not expecting miracles to happen overnight, Dot is slowly but surely beginning to walk normally again. Maybe, over time, my shoulder will return to normal as well.

The yard looks nice now. I mowed the grass in the front yard this morning and watered the new grass in the back. I think I've gotten rid of most of the Tent Caterpillars, but there could be thousands more hiding in places I can't see. I saw my first snake in the yard while I was pulling weeds this morning. It was just a baby snake, but baby snakes have mothers. Have I mentioned I don't like snakes. Why can't there be more nice animals in the yard, like the pretty turtle I saw today at the lake? Of course if this turtle actually did live in the yard, lord knows what it would do. I'm sure it would eat something I planted.

Janet thought I should go to the gym today, but mowing the grass was plenty of exercise for me. The only place I went today was to the pharmacy to pick up some prescription refills and to the vet to get more heartworm pills for Dot and Dash. There was really no need to get out today. I had bacon for breakfast, the dogs were in a good mood, and I'm pretty well caught up with work. Even though nothing really happened, it was a good day.

Nellie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1740

I'm beginning to feel like I'm locked in a perpetual battle with the aging process. It's not just me that's aging; it's everything. I lost two of my favorite cars to this battle this year. I just couldn't keep them running any longer. I'm losing ground on the house as well. Even though the place is extremely well built, it is almost 65 years old and nature is taking its toll. When I was up on the roof today, I saw signs of carpenter ants again. The foundation is shifting a bit, even though there are concrete piers that go all the way to the bedrock. Lord knows how long the plumbing will last. The two inch cast iron drains are no match for today's larger washing machines and dishwashers. It's amazing how quickly nature wins if you don't keep making constant repairs.

There are small victories of course. I am so happy that the dogs are healthy again. They both could have easily died this year. I can't make them any younger though, so I know this is a temporary victory. When I took over my Dad's affairs toward the end of his life, it was frightening to see how quickly things can go downhill. I need to do a better job of appreciating each additional day that I am granted. None of us really know how many we will have. The dogs do a great job of living one day at a time. I should do better myself.

I tried to make the most of today by downloading and installing IOS 8 on my phone, removing a small mountain of cracked pecan shells from the roof, mowing the grass, and making sure that the dogs had two nice walks. It was surprisingly warm today for so late in the year. I guess since we've already had some very pleasant Fall days, I expect them all to be that way. It might have been too hot for me, but I think the dogs enjoyed the warmth. They spent quite a while sunbathing out in the back yard this afternoon.

I set the DVR to record the latest episode of Dr. Who before walking the dogs this evening. There will be no mini-revue tonight because I haven't even watched the show yet. Perhaps this will give me something to do while I am preparing the bed for Dot a few hours from now. Although she hasn't had an accident recently, I still can't bring myself to declare victory over the incontinence. Better safe than soiled is my new motto.

I saw more Christmas trees when I was doing my shopping this afternoon. They were artificial trees, of course, but there's still something wrong with seeing Christmas stuff for sale in September. When I was walking the dogs, I notice several yard signs announcing the annual DADA Fall Gallery Walk. I used to never miss this art walk. The fact that I am more interested in going to the gym than going on gallery tours probably tells you all you need to know about my changing priorities. Yep. I'm going to the gym again tomorrow, and after I burn off a few calories, I'll go to the store and buy some tasty sausages.

Rosie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1688

Janet took Dash to dog training class tonight, while I stayed home with Dot. Our instructor initially thought Dot had made an amazing recovery as he watched Dash sail over some high hurdles. "That's pretty good for an old, sick dog," he told Janet. Hey, it's an honest mistake. They both have spots. Maybe he got the dogs mixed up because Dash behaves better with Janet. She told me that he made it through the entire class without any of his typical annoying barking.

For her part, Dot had a very good day as well. We made it through the night without any accidents. She didn't even leak on the waterproof baby crib liners strewn around the house for her to sleep on during the day. We're all learning our new routines. I take her out every three hours to pee, and once again during the middle of the night. Dot is off pain medication now and her vet says that we can begin transitioning her back to her regular diet. You can tell that Dot is happy to slowly be returning to normal. She is holding her head up high for the first time in weeks, and her tail is starting to wag again. Dot doesn't understand the concept of baby steps. My big concern now is to keep her from overdoing things while her body continues to heal.

As Dot gets off the critical list and continues her recovery, my own life is returning to normal as well. I spent a busy day revising and adding pictures to one website while finalizing the design of another. I still can't leave the house, but that really isn't a serious problem, since I seldom leave the house anyway. It is usually boredom, not necessity that causes me to get in the car and go somewhere. I certainly haven't been bored this year, but I think I would prefer boredom to dealing with a constant barrage of major medical emergencies. This has been a rough year. It would be nice if life would stay in balance, but it seldom does. I'm still hoping for healthy dogs and a little variety in my workload.

Can you believe that tomorrow is the last day of July? This year has literally flown by. I'm grateful that so far this has been one of the coolest Summers on record. To be approaching August with only one or two days of triple digit temperatures is almost unheard of in Texas. There have been quite a few mornings where the temperature was in the low 70's while I walked Dash around sunrise. Most of the wildflowers are gone by now, but I did happen to see a few Lanceleaf Coreopsis flowers still blooming this morning. It will be nice when I can walk both dogs again. This is usually my most relaxing time of the day.

We'll waterproof the bed again tonight, but hopefully Dot's incontinence is nearing an end as well. She certainly had a good day today. Tomorrow, I'll continue taking things one day at a time. It's been working so far.

Penny is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1687

We got Dot's pathology report today. The growth that was removed one week ago today was a Low Grade Soft Tissue Sarcoma. Yes, this is cancer, but it's not quite as bad as it sounds. Most soft tissue sarcomas have a relatively low chance of spreading to other parts of the body. Since Dot's tumor was located in her intestines, it was not attached to surrounding tissue and it was possible to remove it completely with clean margins. This means that a healthy segment of the intestine was also removed on either side of the tumor to ensure that no cancer cells were left behind. The oncologist told me today that since Dot's tumor had clean margins, there will be no need for chemo or radiation treatments. With any luck, the surgery will be all that is needed.

I also found out that Dot's incontinence probably has nothing to do with the surgery itself. Her internal medicine specialist told me that incontinence is very common when a dog has been receiving IV fluids for an extended period of time. These fluids help prevent dehydration and are used to flush toxins out of the body, but they can also interrupt normal kidney function. "Sometimes it takes four to six weeks before the incontinence goes away," the doctor told me. At least we've got a plan now. Whenever she wakes up and starts looking around, we assume that she has to pee. I took her outside around 2:30 AM this morning, and she made it through the rest of the night without incident. I try to take her outside every three hours and that seems to do the trick. There were no major accidents today. I only had to wash two small baby crib liners, instead of all the bedding we own.

I'm starting to get cabin fever from watching Dot 24/7. Her condition continues to improve, but she's still not stable enough to leave on her own. She still has a bit of trouble getting up and down and needs to be kept off the bed and furniture. Usually, she follows me around anyway, so keeping her nearby is not a problem. Dot has clearly regained her appetite. I decided to fix myself a nice breakfast this morning, instead of just eating my regular oatmeal and both Dot and Dash wanted the sausages I fixed. Instead of a relaxing meal while watching old Dr. Who episodes, I had two dogs barking at me. It's good to see Dot active and engaged though. Slowly but surely, she's getting back to her old self.

Last night we made elaborate preparations to ensure that Dot wouldn't wet the bed.  In addition to the layer of waterproof baby crib liners, we placed a thin sheet of vinyl between the comforter and Dot's blankets. This might have been a mistake. The bedding didn't breathe anymore and I woke up about 3 AM in a pool of sweat. At first I thought that Dot had managed to get under the covers with me, but then I realized the problem was me. It was Niacin flushing. Live and learn. I guess taking a big dose of Niacin at night for cholesterol while laying under a sheet of vinyl isn't a good idea.

I hope Janet and I stay healthy. Having two dogs with cancer at the same time is just about all I can handle. We're doing pretty well though. Against some pretty long odds, Dash is making a spectacular recovery and Dot is doing her best to follow in his footsteps. For my part, I'm trying to take things one day at a time even though this doesn't come naturally to me. One way or another, we'll pull through this.

Tink is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1619

I think one of my clients has fired me. They haven't told me yet, but I see all the signs. The workload has slowed down. I'm starting to get that weird "it's not you, it's me" vibe from the client. And most telling of all, I saw an ad today searching for my replacement. Oh, well. I thought I did a good job. For the most part, I even enjoyed working with these guys. Nothing lasts forever though. I learned that a long time ago.

What I work on changes continually. At the first of the year I was doing mostly writing. Now, after almost two years of inactivity, my photography business has mysteriously come alive again. It's hard to believe that when I started my company in 1990, I was doing big budget network TV commercials. Things ebb and flow on an almost daily basis and I've never been able to predict what's coming next. That's why I wear many hats. I'm still busy, but I no longer look for new business. I've grown tired of updating Photoshop and Dreamweaver every year, and when clients start demanding a faster, cheaper, younger version of me, I'll know it's time to retire.

Until then, I'll just take things one day at a time. Today I helped one client find some pictures for a brochure and helped another edit an article she wrote. The weather was nice and the dogs got two very pleasant walks. I was hungry and finished off the last of the fresh food in the refrigerator. Tomorrow I'll go to the store again. I found some bleach in the utility room and cleaned up the blood stains Dash had made on the wall the day he came home from the cancer center with a bloody tail. Yes, I know that was several weeks ago, but it takes me a while to get around to things.

I've already taken the trash out to the curb for tomorrow morning's pickup and washed a load of towels as well. There are still several website revisions to complete, but I think I'll save those for tomorrow. It's always nice to have something to do on Friday. I'd watch TV if there were anything worth watching. I miss the days when there were shows like Firefly, Farscape, Babylon 5, and Lexx on TV. Nothing like that anymore, because young people seem to prefer zombies these days. There's still Dr. Who of course, but new episodes are few and far between. I think I've seen all the old episodes five times by now. I watch them every morning while I eat breakfast. I've practically memorized these old shows, but they're still better than watching the news.

Rosco is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day