Day 4208

The power has been going on and off all evening. It's been that kind of day. There have been no storms that might explain the intermittent power outages. It's probably just one of those things that happens when a large city is getting ready for a long weekend. Hopefully, the power will stay on for a while because I'm not sure I have charged the laptop.

Power outages weren't today's only frustration. Dawn is not eating her food anymore. We don't think she is sick because she is more than happy to eat people food. She just decided rather abruptly that she doesn't like her dog food. This is frustrating because we carefully researched this brand and felt it would be good for her. You have to be careful with Dalmatians because a lot of diets will cause crystals to develop in their urine and they can develop bladder stones. Dawn seemed to love this food several weeks ago. Now she won't touch it. 

We've got to find a new healthy, low protein diet that Dawn will actually eat. We've been through this with other dogs and it's not an easy process. I wish dog food was available in variety packs like those breakfast cereals we used to eat as kids. There used to be a pet store that had sample packs of all the food they sold. Now it's hard to find any size smaller than a five pound bag. Hopefully we can find something that works this weekend. Janet ended up cooking fresh meals for Dot and Dash when they became old and sick. Dawn is pretty young to go this route though. According to the lab reports, she is very healthy too. We think she is just being stubborn.

I'm amazed that the roof didn't leak today. We certainly got a lot of rain. It rained during the night, but we got lucky and were able to walk Dawn before it started again this morning. Although there was no dripping water this morning, it appears that water is still getting in. The area around the leak in the ceiling is dark and stained now. All this has happened before. I painstakingly bleached most of the stained areas about six months ago, but now I'm going to have to do it all over again. These water leaks really test my patience. What else is new though. Almost everything tests my patience these days.

I thought about taking a long walk today but it was oppressively humid and I was never sure when the rain was going to start again. I went back to the gym instead and tried a few new machines. My Fitbit says I get more exercise on a long walk than I do at the gym. It doesn't feel that way though. I'm really tired after a workout at the gym. I still like the long walks better, but it looks like I'm going to have to wait until Fall before the walks are enjoyable again.

I'm not spending as much time thinking about astronomy or rocket launches lately. This is another sign that the dog days of summer have arrived. When I wake up, all I want to do is get through the day without sweating excessively or having something break around the house. I envy Dawn's ability to sleep most of the day. Sleeping seems like a better way to spend the summer than doing yard work or fixing leaks.

It's time to make a grocery list again. I guess I'd better get another big bag of ice because I still haven't gotten the ice maker in the refrigerator fixed. We don't have any plans for the Fourth of July. Usually we fix burgers of barbecue, but lately we haven't even bothered to watch the fireworks. There are too many mosquitos out at night. 

Bud is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4138

I had to scramble to get our walks completed before the rain began today. I took my long walk immediately after breakfast and actually made good time. When Janet returned from grocery shopping, we took Dawn on her short one mile loop. Less than half an hour later it began to rain pretty hard. It continued raining for the rest of the day, but it felt good to get most of our major chores out of the way before the deluge began.

It's still raining and I think we got some hail at one point. It could have been a lot worse however. Other parts of North Texas saw tornados. We didn't even have much wind. The two pumps on the roof are working well today, so all is well. I'm continually grateful that Dawn has no storm phobias. Thunder and lightning don't bother her at all. She just freaks out if I'm in the kitchen with her.

The park was pretty empty when I walked this morning. I guess a lot of people didn't want to risk getting wet. I don't want to get wet either, but I've grown to depend on a multitude of weather apps on my phone. I never take selfies, but I do check the weather a lot. Sometimes the weather radar lets me down, but everything worked perfectly today. Hopefully this storm will have moved well to the East by tomorrow when I need to do my own grocery shopping.

My missing package has mysteriously reappeared. It has taken 12 days for it to move from one post office in Indiana to another post office in Indiana. I suspect that it was thrown in the wrong bin and was only recently discovered. The post office assures me that all is well though. The package is on the move. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get it sometime next week.

I didn't wake up in time to watch the Crew-2 launch live on the Space X stream, but I watched the replay later. What a beautiful launch! This would have been a great one to see in person. When I see the pictures some of the other launch photographers take, I can't help being a bit envious. I've got to figure out how to get credentialed again. Sometimes I ask photographers I know what their secret is, but nobody has revealed it yet. I'm sure it all depends on who you know. That's how it works in every other aspect of life. Why would it be any different at NASA?

Dawn didn't eat her breakfast this morning. We left the food out and she ate everything normally around noon. When I fixed her dinner this evening, she didn't eat that either. About an hour later when I wasn't in the kitchen, she wandered out and ate everything. Now that Dawn is becoming more confident, she is starting to set her own schedules. There is nothing wrong with this. It is actually a good thing, but it is a bit unnerving for a person like me who had a fixed, inflexible schedule for almost everything.

There are some large, older houses near the halfway point of my daily walk. They were probably built in the 1940's and I've always liked them. Today I noticed that one of my favorite houses was being demolished. This is a trend in our part of town. Developers will buy a house on a large older lot, scrape it, and then put up two large homes on the same lot. There never was a lot of respect for history in Dallas, but   now the old buildings are disappearing faster than ever. I'm sure our house will be scraped someday. It's a shame. A decent person would restore it instead.

I hope I see blue sky in the morning. It's grocery day tomorrow and my list is pretty long. Janet and I have a system on groceries. She buys the things that require a discerning eye and I buy the commodities. It's hard to go wrong when you are just buying beer, laundry detergent, and toilet paper.

Wyatt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3393

I mowed the grass for the first time this year. I had to mow twice because the weeds were overpowering the mower. One pass took care of the top of the weeds and after I lowered the blade, the next pass took care of the rest. I used to spend hours weeding the lawn every Spring until I discovered that these weeds died on their own around April. Mowing the lawn seems harder with each passing year. The wheels aren't powered on this mower and the hills seem steeper than they used to be. One of these days I'm going to give up and hire a lawn service like all the other neighbors.

Dash got another bath today because he pooped on himself during the night. We cleaned him up the best we could around 2 AM, but when daylight arrived it was clear that we could have done better. It's sad that Dash won't eat the chicken, rice, and vegetable dinner we've been fixing for him. He did so well on this diet. Now that he's become an extremely picky eater again, we basically feed him anything that he will eat. The list seems to change every day. These frequent changes in diet are making his stools loose again. We've been through this before. So far, Dash's eating habits have returned to normal after a week or so. I've always thought the vestibular disease caused these episodes, but maybe it's something else. When Dash has an upset stomach, the important thing is to find something he can hold down and keep him taking his pills. So far, there's been no vomiting. It's always harder when there's a problem at both ends.

It's nice that warmer weather has returned. It's not so nice that the bugs came along with it. Every Spring we have a terrible problem with ants. They're everywhere. Old houses are full of cracks and these cracks are superhighways for ants. Mostly we are seeing small sweet ants. They're easy to kill, but they just keep coming. At least this onslaught is seasonal. Ants can be very irritating.

I didn't think that Dash's walks could get any slower, but they have. We just inch along these days. I try to get an early start so Dash won't get overheated. Unfortunately, an early start means nothing to Dash. It almost always feels ten degrees warmer by the time we return home. I don't know what we're going to do this Summer. Today was a beautiful, very mild Spring day and Dash was already too hot. He does best when it's about 40 degrees.

It's time for a haircut again. It seems like I just got a haircut but I guess it's been almost three months. Time seems to go by so quickly now. When I went to see the doctor the other day, it seemed like I'd just been too. It had been six months since my last appointment. Bills only arrive once a month, but it seems like I'm paying bills continuously. When I was busy with work, a month seemed like a very long time. Now that life has slowed down, time goes by much more quickly. Maybe when nothing happens, time doesn't exist. Those people who study black holes ought to look into this.

I've got to look for a birthday card tomorrow. There used to be a nice Hallmark Card store in the neighborhood, but it went out of business several years ago. I don't like the cards you find in grocery stores, but I don't feel like driving all over town either. It's not worth the effort. No wonder people just sent birthday greetings on Facebook.

Livy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3392

I had my semi-annual physical today. The doctor ran all the usual tests and seemed pleased with the results. A nurse got a blood sample so they could compare it with my previous blood work. I got my prescriptions renewed and my parking validated. In less than an hour I was ready to go home again. There is no waiting with this new doctor. I get seen almost immediately.

Since my appointment was early, I didn't have time to walk Dash. This morning, I led the way to the park and Janet walked Dash. It all worked out pretty well. It was good to know that either of us can do these walks when necessary. Dash can be quite a handful. Janet said that Dash still got very tired and stumbled occasionally, but they had a good walk.

Meals have been more of a problem than walks this week. Dash has become a very picky eater again and it's getting harder and harder to find anything that he'll touch. It was very difficult to give him his pills this morning. Nothing seemed to work as a pill pocket. Eventually, he took the pills and ate about half of his breakfast, but he definitely needs to eat more. Dash was trying to eat grass and leaves in the back yard today, so part of the problem seems to be an upset stomach. I'm hoping that he'll feel better tomorrow.

I didn't feel like making my smoothie after I returned from the doctor's office, so I ate cold cereal. I haven't done that for a while. It was surprising that we even had any cereal, but there was still a box of granola in the back of one of the cabinets. I wonder how old it was? Having cereal for breakfast is quick. I was done in no time. I've been making the smoothie for so long now that I've almost forgotten what a long and complicated ritual it is.

It must have rained a lot last night, because there was a ton of water on the roof. I removed as much as I could using the pumps and then swept the rest away with the big push broom that resides permanently on the roof. If I go to hell, I think my punishment will be pushing water off a flat roof for eternity. It's really a terrible job. Massive amounts of catkins falling from the Oak trees in the back yard make the job even slower and messier than usual. At least the forecast looks good. Hopefully, I won't have to go back up on the roof for a while.

The touring company of Hamilton is in town this month. I was amazed at how much tickets are. I remember seeing Phantom of the Opera on Broadway at the height of its popularity for far less. Ditto for Jersey Boys. What has happened with prices lately. I don't go to concerts anymore, but from what I've heard, top acts are outrageously expensive too. Maybe I'm just getting old. I just can't relate to today's prices. I read recently that the median home price in the United States is $300,000 now. Jeez. I bought my first house for $45,000. It was a nice house too. When I started working you could buy a new Porsche 911 for under $9,000. A Jaguar XKE was even less. No wonder I wish I had a time machine.

There's not much on the agenda for tomorrow. I'll probably spend most of the day trying to get Dash to eat.

Cooper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3386

And just like that, Google+ was gone. I thought the last day was going to be today, but I guess it was actually yesterday. Everything I posted to Google+ over the years has simply disappeared. I was going to write a goodbye post like everybody else, encouraging people to follow me somewhere else. Too late now. I still think Google+ was the best social network. The whole idea of circles was so much better than friends or followers. I'm going to miss this place. It was definitely an idea worth keeping.

My teeth are still in good condition. The dental hygienist cleaned my teeth and I got new x-rays, but that was it. When I was younger I was lucky if I went to the dentist every ten years. Now I go every six months and do everything the dentist recommends. Eventually, you realize that you've only got one body and it's up to you to take care of it. Surprisingly, my dentist said it was just fine to continue wearing my broken Essix retainer. "It still fits perfectly," He told me as he inserted the left side and then the right side. I was worried that my teeth might have shifted, but the dentist said I was imagining things. "This retainer is a very tight fit," he told me. "If your teeth had shifted, you wouldn't be able to put it on." Works for me. I'm always happy when someone wants to save me a little money.

I got some bad news from the synthesizer repairman today. One of the Sequential Circuits synthesizers I've having restored can't be fixed. A critical custom voice chip is no longer available. Two of the three synthesizers are working perfectly now, but this one will only be good for parts. The technician has already spent a lot of time trying to repair this thing. I hate paying for something that will never work, but the technician has spent months working on these ancient analog synthesizers. He did the best he could. You win some. You lose some.

I wish Dash's appetite would return. He's gone through at least two episodes before where he was an extremely picky eater and it is always frustrating. In the past, his appetite has always returned after a few weeks. Hopefully, it will this time too. Usually by the end of the day we manage to get him to eat something. A lot of food gets wasted and he's still not eating enough. We're constantly changing things to find something he likes. It's hard to tell if this is a physical or a mental problem. We've got a vet appointment scheduled for tomorrow morning to examine his mouth. There's a good chance that his gum infection could be part of the problem.

When I was clearing out my spam folder on the mail server this afternoon, I became alarmed at the enormous amount of phishing attacks that were headed my way. I called tech support and asked if this was normal. "Sadly yes," the technician told me. "These people are relentless." I never could have predicted thirty years ago that most of the messages I receive would be attempts to scam me. My hosting company has an excellent spam filter and Nomorobo catches most of the telemarketing spam on my phone. It's still irritating though. You shouldn't have to feel like you're constantly under siege.

Hopefully we can get Dash's gingivitis under control when we visit the vet tomorrow. It would be so much easier if a dog's dental exam was as simple as the one I had today. When it became unsafe to anesthetize Dash for routine dental cleanings, his mouth began to go downhill. Maybe if we can find the right antibiotic we can still clear this problem up.

I'm still not getting enough sleep, but what else is new.

Miracle is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3385 - April Fool's Day

I went to Fry's to get some printer ink today. This used to be the place everybody went for anything related to technology. The store is a ghost town now. The aisles look like they haven't been restocked in months and there are usually only one or two people manning 45 empty check out registers. Most of the printer ink was gone. The few ink cartridges that remained seemed like they'd been sitting on the shelf for five years. Of course they didn't have the ink I was looking for. I really wonder how this store manages to stay open. It looks like I'll have to start buying all my ink online.

I had a lengthy work related conversation this afternoon. It's been a while. A former client and I were trying to figure out something we'd done five years ago. Google was finding html documents that we both thought had been erased long ago. Where were these files located and how could we get rid of them? We finally figured out how something had slipped through the cracks and were able to find the files on a server I thought wasn't even being used anymore. Hopefully, we erased the files correctly this time.

Dash is getting really picky about food again. This has happened before, but I thought we'd put this problem behind us since Dash has been eating well for quite a while now. It's been really hard to give him his meds this week and we've had to look for alternatives to his regular meals. He'll eat a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but you can tell he just isn't interested in food. Today he only ate about half of what he should be eating. This isn't good. Dash was losing weight even when he was eating well. I'm really hoping this is temporary. Maybe he just has an upset stomach. We've got a vet appointment scheduled for Wednesday. Maybe the vet can give us some suggestions.

I couldn't find my regular coffee this week, so I bought another brand that seemed similar. It tasted fine, but there is more caffeine than I like. My head has been buzzing today. I've also got heartburn from eating leftover pizza. None of this stuff used to bother me. It sucks getting old. I'm sure Dash would agree. Probably something similar is going on with his stomach. I wish he could tell me what is bothering him. If I knew, I'm almost certain it wouldn't be that hard to find something he would eat.

I've got a dental appointment tomorrow. In theory this is just a routine cleaning, but you never know when you go to the dentist. I guess I'll take the broken Essix retainer with me. I'm hoping they'll tell me that I don't need to wear this thing anymore, but probably they'll want me to come in next week so they can make new impressions.

The first bid to replace the roof came in today. A little higher than I expected. A lot higher actually. I think I bought my first house for less than these guys want to put on a new engineered roof. I wish I could fix the roof by buying a few cans of that Liquid Rubber in a Can that you see advertised on TV. Unfortunately nothing is ever that easy. Maybe the remaining bids will be more reasonable.

The roof can wait. All I want now is a good night's sleep. Are you listening Dash? I need you to cooperate.

Haley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3381

The vet called me back and said that the warnings I'd read about Clindamycin were mainly intended for people and that dogs tolerated the drug well. That's good to know. Dash is still going to need some sort of an antibiotic for his mouth. A friend suggested feeding Dash a cod and sweet potato recipe her vet recommended to cure his diarrhea problem. That's good to know too. She even gave us a sample for Dash to try. The meal she fixed looked delicious. We'll see how our picky eater responds.

There were no accidents in the house last night. I had to take Dash outside around 2 AM to pee, but he slept pretty good for the rest of the night. I actually got some sleep as well. I wish I could count on nights like these, but I've learned you really can't. Every day is different. If there was a formula that worked, I'd have it memorized by now. I'm happy when Dash has a good walk and eats his food. I'm worried when he stumbles a lot and wakes up during the night with a bad cough. Often I'm pleased and worried at the same time.

One of Dash's vets called to ask if we had any recommendations for dog boots. I guess we've inadvertently become the dog boot experts. I was kind of amazed at the detailed knowledge I had about just about every brand of dog boot and sock. I recommended a few brands and told him about the benefits of multiple layers and how to repair boots when they became worn. I hope the information was useful. I think we've done a pretty good job of protecting Dash's feet. He definitely wouldn't be able to walk far without the boots.

My taxes are done. I signed an amended return today and shifted some money around so I'll be able to pay the IRS. I'm curious what makes electronic signatures official. They certainly don't look very official, but that's what everyone is using these days. I haven't signed a paper document in a long time. Forms for just about everything are completed online now. If you didn't have a computer in today's world, you would be at a serious disadvantage.

Just about everyone on Google+ is saying goodbye now. In less than a week the platform will be gone. It's remarkable how many things I like disappear. It doesn't matter if it is a furniture store, a brand of clothing, or an Internet platform; if I'm fond of something, it's a pretty good bet that the general public won't be. Maybe I'll go back to Usenet. Amazingly, Usenet is still around after all these years. For a writer, text based forums are just fine. I never missed not being able to share pictures anyway. Usenet worked just fine on a 300 baud dial up connection. Try that with Facebook.

I'm going to have to go out this weekend and take pictures of wildflowers. They're starting to bloom. It's become just about impossible to take pictures while I'm walking Dash. I've got a leash in each hand. There's one for the front part of the Help 'Em Up Harness, and another for the rear. It's a full time job to keep Dash upright. I couldn't even get my phone out of my pocket today. When worse comes to worse, there are always houseplants. There are definitely no orchids growing in the park.

The trash has been taken to the curb, Dash has taken his evening meds, and I'm ready for bed. I've got to think about what I want for breakfast tomorrow.

Doc is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3380

The smallest change in Dash's routine can cause havoc. We definitely shouldn't have changed his diet. He had another bad case of diarrhea last night. I think the canned food we fed him was too rich, because the last time we tried this brand the same thing happened. Our options are getting smaller. Dash is getting extremely picky about food again and we've got to keep him eating.

Things are better today, but I feel like I've gotten no sleep for the past 48 hours. Life is beginning to seem like a perpetual boot camp. We were initially happy when Dash chose to sleep on the floor last night but it turned out to be a bad choice. He slipped off his dog bed which was protected and ended up pooping all over the carpet. It's a lot harder to clean the carpet than small things you can take outside and hose down. One of the things we hosed down last night was Dash. He was covered with poop.

Maybe I got a little sleep last night. It's hard to tell. There was lots of laundry to do and a liberal amount of Nature's Miracle was used to sanitize the carpet. Dash got another bath this afternoon and the carpet is drying out. Dash is eating the food he rejected a few days ago and we had a nice walk. Basically, all is well. I'm still tired though. Very tired.

One of Dash's vets recommended clindamycin as an antibiotic to treat his gum infection. I guess I failed to tell him about Dash's diarrhea problems. Clindamycin has an FDA black box warning saying that it can cause severe diarrhea and even colon damage. Hmm. Might not be the best drug to take at this time. There's got to be another alternative without all the side effects. For the time being we'll continue the oral rinse we use every evening. I'm not sure it works, but it's better than nothing.

I went up on the roof today and was pleased to discover that the warmer weather is causing the standing water to evaporate faster. It was fairly easy to clear away the remaining standing water from our recent rains. The only problem with Spring is that pollen from the trees mixes with the water and creates an ugly brown mess. The sticky brown water stains the elastomer coating, making it harder to find potential tears that could cause a leak. Nothing is easy these days.

I've got another auction coming up in early April. I was all excited about the first series of auctions in New York last year, but now I just wish the whole process was over. I can't decide whether to put a reserve on this lot. I don't want this stuff to sell for nothing, but I don't want it back either. The auction house has been encouraging me to tell my friends about the auction. Not very likely. It's been years since I've had any art buyer friends.

Dash has been sleeping like a baby all evening. This probably means he'll be awake later tonight when I'm trying to sleep. I'll be happy to take you outside to pee little buddy, but I'm not looking forward to cleaning up diarrhea again.

Chloe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3152

We're getting a lot of rain. I know it's been dry and we really need need this, but I'm starting to worry about the roof. I can't leave all that standing water up there forever. The new elastomer coating had plenty of time to dry, so maybe there won't be a problem. My experience says otherwise unfortunately. For the time being I'll just wait and hope. There is no point in removing the water while it's still raining.

We had to wait until mid-morning to give Dash his walk because it was raining pretty hard when we woke up. The showers we've been having are sporadic, but they never stop long enough to get anything done. We got a little break in the weather after breakfast, but by the time we finished walking Dash, it was already raining again.

On days like these I have to forget about keeping the car clean. Ther's no avoiding Saturday errands. Today, I needed coffee and fresh fruit a lot more than I needed to stay dry. At least the strawberries looked good today. I hate to brave the weather just to find some rotten fruit.

Dash had a really good appetite today. Go figure. He ate all his meals without having to bribe him with peanut butter and dog treats. He still seemed hungry after his regular breakfast, so we fed him a little more. I can't figure out these daily fluctuations in appetite and energy. It doesn't make sense. Everything is so consistent in Dash's life that you wouldn't expect dramatic changes. All that being said, I'm really happy whenever Dash has a good day. He needs a lot more good days.

There isn't much to do on dark, rainy days. I tried to diagnose a problem with Janet's laptop. I watched a cooking show on PBS. I read a long online article about how the dinosaurs died out. I'm fascinated by theories of how the universe began or how the dinosaurs died. Basically a lot of really smart people are just guessing. I know of at least three distinctly different theories of how the dinosaurs became extinct. They all sound plausible to me.

Dash slept well last night, but I didn't. I woke up every time I heard rain on the roof. My Fitbit says that I experience normal periods of deep sleep, but I don't believe it. I'm such a light sleeper that the slightest noise always wakes me up. This is good when I've got a sick dog that needs attention. It's bad when I'm tired and really need to sleep.

If I can't sleep tonight, I might turn on the computer and watch the Parker Solar Probe launch. This launch has been delayed several times but it is scheduled to lift off around 2:30 AM this morning. I almost applied to NASA to view this launch in person, but I can't bring myself to leave Dash. It's not a big deal to miss this one. I'm sure they'll be launching plenty of satellites for the rest of my lifetime. It is a pretty audacious idea to send a spacecraft right through the sun's corona without burning it up. I hope they succeed, but it will be seven years before we find out whether the mission is a success.

I guess today was a success. Dash is happy. There are no signs of roof leaks. And the refrigerator is full again. Pretty soon it will be time for another trip to the gym.

Hannah is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3146

If I kept this busy every day I'd be in great shape. I had 10,000 steps on the Fitbit before noon. We started out with a nice sunrise walk. It's amazing how much the temperature can vary in a single day. It was in the low seventies when we woke up and back around one hundred by dinner time. Since the weather was cool, I mowed the grass in the front yard right after breakfast. I'm going to have to buy a new battery for the mower. It won't hold a full charge anymore. I barely got the yard finished before the mower went dead. It feels like I'm always replacing batteries.

Mowing was tiring, but I went to the gym anyway. I still feel guilty for not going three times a week, so I try my best not to miss Sunday. I wasn't very good on the basketball court today. My coordination seems to come and go. I'm sure that mowing the grass before my workout didn't help. My heart rate was a bit more elevated today. Maybe that's a good thing. I think your heart rate is supposed to be elevated when you work out.

Dash is getting very picky about his food again. He even turned up his nose at his usual breakfast of a fresh chicken breast. In an effort to keep him eating, Janet decided to start cooking for him again. The recipe she picked smelled really good. It was chicken and rice with vegetables. The dish was made with no seasoning and should be very healthy for Dash. If Dash won't eat this, I'll just add a little salt and pepper and eat it myself. Dash tried the recipe for supper and liked it. Janet made quite a bit, so I hope he doesn't change his mind during the week.

I looked at the vintage guitar website today and one of the guitars I consigned was gone. I hope this means that the guitar sold over the weekend. If so, this would be very good news. The guys initially told me that it could take at least six months for the guitars to sell. It hasn't been nearly that long yet. I wish that everything in the office was as desirable as the guitars and model trains. I'd really like to clear this place out. It's going to be really hard to throw some of this obsolete stuff away, but it may come to that.

I watched the Great British Baking Show again this afternoon. I'm fascinated by baking, but bread isn't good for me. It's kind of become a forbidden pleasure. Unfortunately flour converts into glucose rather quickly in the body and I've got to watch my blood sugar. The contestants made crackers and ginger bread houses today. I had no idea that crackers could be so difficult.

Another uneventful week begins tomorrow. I hope the mornings continue to stay cool. It's amazing what a difference the cooler weather makes with Dash. He's enjoying being outside again. Evening walks are another story, but at least he gets one good walk a day.

It's a good thing that I have a high tolerance for boredom. I miss having interesting website problems to solve, but I don't miss having clients. Keeping clients happy was always a nuisance. It's interesting that I'm making almost the same thing selling model trains as I was designing websites. I don't know if this means the trains were more valuable than I thought or the websites were less valuable than I thought.

Morgan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3115

I'm going to have heartburn tonight. The refrigerator was kind of empty, so I picked up a frozen pizza on the way home from the post office. I was only going to eat two slices, but ended up eating the whole thing. Why do I do this? I wasn't even that hungry.

I still haven't painted the wall. Every time I get ready to start, I realize that I've got the wrong kind of paint brush. I made my third trip to Home Depot and this time I got a small four inch roller. The first time I got a regular bristle brush. The second time I got a handful of those cheap foam brushes. Maybe the third time is the charm. It probably won't make any difference, because I'm the one doing the painting. I want a smooth enamel finish with no streaks. I always seem to leave brush marks.

A few days ago, It looked like we were going to have clear weather for most of July. Now, the forecast shows thunderstorms all next week. I know what's going to happen. The next time I contact the roofers, they will tell me that were scheduled to fix my roof, but the rain made them change their plans. They've got this down to a science. It's never going to be clear long enough so they have no excuses.

Dash has me confused. He's not hungry in the morning anymore. His appetite doesn't seem to kick in until early evening, when he becomes ravenous. He still eats the same amount he always has, but this new schedule complicates things. It's hard to give him his morning pills, because most of them have to be taken with food. His late night meals also just about guarantee that he's going to wake me up at 3 AM to go outside and poop. Oh, well. At least he's still eating and seems pretty healthy.

I'm still wondering what happened to the Sequential Circuits synthesizers. How can something go bad just sitting in a box? It's probably just as well that this problem is out of my hands now. Maybe the guys at the guitar store can find a good repair technician. If the synthesizers were sitting here in the office, I'd spend the rest of the Summer fiddling with them and trying to diagnose the problem myself. I'd probably just make the situation worse. I have a modest amount of electronic knowledge, but it's usually just enough to get me in trouble.

It's almost Friday and I still don't know what to do for breakfast tomorrow. I've got to do better than the pitiful, stale breakfast taco I brought home from the grocery store last week. Maybe I should just go buy a box of Lucky Charms or Cap'n Crunch and a pint of milk. Lord knows, I've tried everything else. If Eggs Benedict and Belgian Waffles don't appeal to me anymore, I don't know what's wrong.

At any rate, I've grown to understand Dash's picky eating habits. I've become a picky eater myself.

Isabella is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3072

Dash surprised me today with explosive diarrhea. What a mess. There was a long line of liquid poop running from the kitchen to the back door. I raced to get the door open in time, but it wouldn't have mattered. It was obvious that Dash couldn't make it to the door. By the time I got everything cleaned up, Dash seemed fine again. I wish he was able to give me a little warning. Whenever Dash races to the door like this, I know that something is going to come out one end or the other.

I wish we could figure out what was causing Dash's digestive problems. He's become an incredibly picky eater. He throws up periodically. And just when we think he's getting back to normal, he has these bouts of diarrhea. If we could find something he would eat consistently, I'm sure it would help. Dogs do better on a consistent diet, but an inconsistent diet is still better than not eating at all. We haven't figured this out yet, but we're doing the best we can.

The electrician came over today and the security light in the back yard is working normally again. Hopefully, I won't get as many chigger bites now that I don't have to wade through the thick ground cover every evening to flip the switch on the breaker box to turn the light on manually. I've started to notice that the more technology is involved in a repair, the better service you get. The technician I use to repair my computers can fix almost anything I need the same day. The new appliance repairman who fixed my refrigerator usually responds in a day or two. The electrician always comes quickly and my HVAC guy is pretty good too. When no electricity is involved, things start to fall apart. It takes forever to get the roofers to make a repair and the landscaper is even worse. I'm still trying to contact that guy.

We had a tough time getting Dash to take his pills this morning. He wasn't interested in eating anything. He still wanted to walk though, and after a long, slow stroll through the park he decided to eat his breakfast after all. Every day is a cliffhanger. I never know if he's going to eat or not. We repeated this process at dinner and he finally finished everything about four hours after he started. I'd just let him wait until he got really hungry if he didn't need to take all these pills on a regular schedule. Most of the pills can't be taken on an empty stomach. This is what makes mealtime so difficult.

After cleaning up Dash's messy diarrhea, a lot of other unpleasant chores seemed easy. I cleaned the toilets and then tackled the grease stained wheels on my car. I was just about ready to clean all the spiderwebs off the back windows, but then I decided that enough was enough. There's always tomorrow, or more likely, next month.

I recorded tonight's episode of The Expanse and will watch it tomorrow. I've been hearing that there might not be a Season Four of this show. I hope that's not true. So far, this show, a series called Detectorists on BBC, and ancient black and white Perry Mason episodes are the only television I enjoy watching.

I hope that Dash can keep it together tomorrow. I'm tired of cleaning up vomit and poo.

Willie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3068

Janet enjoys watching royal weddings the same way I enjoy watching NASA launches. I think we've seen most of them. It doesn't seem that long ago that Charles and Dianna got married. It's easy to forget that William and Harry weren't even born then. Now, they're both married themselves. It's things like this that make you feel old.

I remember watching earlier royal weddings on a big, heavy Sony Trinitron with a CRT tube. The Internet and flat screen TV's didn't exist yet, but the queen looked the same and the cathedrals looked the same. Even the queen's royal Rolls Royce and the palace guards looked the same. I wish we had some traditions that stayed the same for thirty years. It doesn't take thirty minutes for something to change in this country.

I should be used to change after spending all these years taking care of Dot and Dash. Every day is a new day with Dash. I never know what he's going to eat, or when he's going to have enough energy to walk. Dash didn't eat much today, but at least he didn't throw up. We decided to try to finish his antibiotics, even though they might make him nauseous. If we stop the antibiotics now, they won't do any good. We've only got a few more days to go anyway. I though that it might be easier to feed Dash now that Janet is home, but she's having just as much trouble as I did. He's become an incredibly picky eater.

I went up to the Land Rover dealer this afternoon to get my oil changed, but the service manager said it would be better if I just waited until July when my next major service is due. "But the little sticker on my windshield says it time to change the oil now," I said. Apparently, the sticker means nothing. "Your oil is good for a year," the guy said. "Just come back in July. It's just as well that I did nothing today. The price for an oil change has doubled since the last time I had this done.

I'm going to have even more questions when I return in July. Why do I need a 90 thousand mile service when I've only got 47 thousand miles on the car? Apparently, the dealership wants to charge me a lot of money at least once a year whether I drive the car or not. I've only driven 3 thousand miles since my last major service. That isn't very much in a year. They need to have a special plan for low mileage drivers like me. I'll be dead before I put 90 thousand miles on this car.

I'm really getting sick of having heartburn. I found an old bottle of Protonix and took a pill this evening. I'll ask my doctor if it's OK to start using the Proton-Pump inhibitor again for a while. I took the drug for over ten years and it worked great, but new research indicates that long term use can cause bone density problems in older people. It's always something. I can't even remember what I started eating to make the heartburn go away. It was probably something I hated.

They say we're having the warmest May on record. I can believe it. It was really hot this afternoon. It's a shame that the weather isn't being cooperative. We have a hard enough time walking Dash in cold weather.

Holly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3065

I voted today. I don't always vote in primary elections, but I took this opportunity to vote against the candidates who irritated me the most with their incessant robocalls and spammy brochures. I still don't understand why politicians of the same party spend so much time trashing each other in primary elections. Both parties do this. All it does is leave voters trusting nobody when it's time for the general election.

Dash is still getting used to our new schedule. I was pleasantly surprised that he stayed still enough for me to put his leg brace and boots on by myself this morning. He was actually eager to go on his morning walk. Unfortunately, he wasn't so eager to take his pills and eat breakfast when we got home. This was equally surprising because usually a nice walk will give Dash an appetite. I had to experiment to find something he would take his pills in, but eventually we succeeded. He didn't seem very hungry this morning, but eventually he finished his breakfast around 11 AM.

It looks like we're going to have clear skies for the next week. There is no rain in the forecast at all. Now, all I've got to do is get the roofers to come back and finish the job before the next thunderstorm arrives. I tried to contact the foreman and schedule something but I kept getting a message saying "mailbox full" and the call would hang up. It's like pulling teeth to get these repairs completed. I feel certain that when the roofers eventually do return, it will rain the next day.

I went to the grocery store this morning to buy some more Chicken Tenders. When everything else fails, Dash will still usually eat Chicken Tenders. He'd probably like a bucket of KFC too, but I've got to draw the line somewhere. The store was out of Chicken Tenders, so I got some Steak Fingers instead. They might not taste the same, but they certainly look the same.

The temperature was in the 90's this afternoon. I didn't even try to take Dash on an evening walk. He just can't handle the heat anymore. As the temperature warmed up, I could tell he was reluctant to even go out in the back yard and pee. Thank goodness it is still cool around sunrise. We need a cool morning breeze or we won't be able to walk at all.

I set the DVR to record tonight's episode of The Expanse. I might as well just watch the show live. There isn't much else to do this evening. We've still got to take our evening pills. I'll do fine with mine, but I'm not so sure about Dash. He certainly wasn't very enthusiastic this morning.

Liberty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3064

Dash and I have a new schedule for a little while. Janet is traveling and I need to remember to do all the things she usually does. Janet usually prepares Dash's meals and gives him his pills. The meals are a guessing game, since you never know what he's willing to eat on any given day. No matter what his mood is, he always has to eat something early in the morning, because he can't take his phenobarbital on an empty stomach. Dash used to take his pills in a dog food meat ball, but now we have to resort to more exotic temptations. Today, I hid the pills in soft slices of banana bread with a little peanut butter on top. This worked pretty well. Meals are just as challenging. I opened three different cans this evening before I found something he would eat. When a dog turns up his nose at fresh chicken breasts, you know you are getting desperate.

Luckily, we were able to give Dash a good walk early this morning before Janet left for the airport. I knew I would have trouble with the afternoon walk, and even though I tried, we didn't even make it out of the back yard. Dash turned around and threw off one of his rubber boots before we even reached the back gate. When I got the boot back on again, he refused to move at all. Hopefully, he will still walk with me in the mornings. Morning walks are an essential part of the feeding routine. Without a walk, he rarely has much of an appetite.

It's not normal for a Dalmatian to lose interest in food. Something is definitely wrong, but so far his veterinarians have not been able to pin down a cause. We've done every type of test imaginable and so far the only plausible cause for this loss of appetite is the nausea that is commonly associated with vestibular disease. So far, we've always been able to get Dash to eat something, but it's getting harder and harder.

I think I got lucky with the roof. The rain that was supposed to arrive today never materialized. The area the roofers patched yesterday has had a full 24 hours to cure, so I think the elastomer coating is stable now. We may still get some rain later tonight, but if the roof stays dry, my next job is to get the roofers back to finish the rest of the repairs.

I paid some bills this afternoon and picked up the new antibiotic that is supposed to cure the infected area on Dash's lip. Hopefully, this pill won't interact with any of the other pills he's already taking. Dash takes so many meds now that it gets complicated. I always hope that we'll be able to reduce the number of pills at some point, but that's probably being realistic. Dash hasn't had an epileptic seizure in year, but he will always need to take phenobarbital to prevent them from reoccurring. Even though the blood clot in his heart has seemingly dissolved, he will need to continue taking Plavix to keep new clots from forming. The list goes on and on. He has to take thyroid medication because he doesn't have a thyroid anymore and he takes blood pressure medication for the same reason I do.

I think we're going to go to bed early tonight. Why not? We've both finished our dinners. Dash has taken all his evening meds. And I'm almost finished with tonight's blog post. We're probably going to need a good night's rest. Tomorrow might be challenging.

Sadie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3063

We're making progress. The roofers came out today and fixed the area above where water has been leaking into the living room. I reluctantly agreed with them that it wouldn't be wise to repair the entire roof, since there is a 40% chance of rain tomorrow. It probably wasn't even wise to repair the small section above the living room, but it's so hard to get the roofers to come out here that I figured that something was better than nothing. The elastomer material needs 24 hours to fully cure. According to the current forecast, it will probably rain in 16 hours. The roofers said this was OK, but we'll have to see. If it rains really hard, today's patch might just wash away.

I was pleased that the roofers made a firm promise to return and fix the rest of the roof. Lord knows how long this will take, but they've always kept their word in the past. It would be nice if by the end of the Summer, all the house problems that are currently plaguing me are solved. Old houses are relentless taskmasters unfortunately. As soon as today's problems are solved, new ones will crop up to replace them.

Dash's vet is going to prescribe a new antibiotic to see if we can clear up the infection on his lip. I think we tried this before and it was only a temporary solution. Maybe this is a virus instead of a bacteria. I sure wish that Dash wasn't so interested in smelling things in the park. There are tons of animals that call this place home and not all of them are healthy. The main reason that Dash gets a Leptospirosis vaccination every year is that here are a lot of raccoons and rodents in the park that carry the disease. If you're listening Dash, please quit smelling other animals pee.

I've just about got everything set up to start taking distributions from my retirement account. I was hoping this day would never come, but this is what retirement accounts are for. Hopefully, I will be able to live comfortably for a long, long time, but you never know. I had to get a power of attorney and take over my Dad's affairs during his final years, so I have a realistic idea of what might happen. All it takes is one really serious illness to wipe almost anybody out. It was shocking for me to see how quickly medical bills can suck up all available resources. Medicare and supplemental insurance help a lot, but they don't even come close to paying for everything.

I wish Dash had a way of telling me what he wanted to eat. I picked the wrong can tonight and he refused to touch the stuff. Last night, this was his favorite. Even the fresh boiled chicken breasts he gets for breakfast aren't a sure thing anymore. He didn't finish his breakfast until almost 11 AM this morning. We still think it's the vestibular disease that's making Dash such a picky eater. It could be something else though. All I know is that it's getting harder and harder to feed him. Dash has a birthday coming soon. I hope we can find something he likes for his birthday meal. If I asked Dash, he would probably choose a cheeseburger.

Lady is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3040

I enjoy visiting the rescue Dalmatians. I often wonder how these wonderful dogs wind up stray, in animal shelters, or being surrendered by their owners. They all deserve better. The great thing about rescue organizations is that dogs like these get a second chance. For many, many years the dogs that Janet and I share our lives with have come from the Dalmatian Rescue group that we both volunteer with. This group has found good homes for hundreds of dogs like the ones we visited today. When they become part of the rescue program, the dogs are often scared, abused, and in poor health. It is our job to make sure that when they find their forever home, they are all healthy, happy, and well adjusted pets. I don't spend as much time with rescue as I used to, but I still think it is one of the most important things you can do. Even if you are not fond of people, you can still make a dog's life better.

It was a good day to visit the kennel. The weather was dismal today, so most weekend chores were out of the question. We did manage to give Dash his morning walk before the rain started, but after that it was better to stay inside. I guess this is normal Spring weather, but it sure seems wet to me. The trouble with Texas is that as soon as the rainy season is over, it's going to be hot and dry for the rest of the year.

Dash didn't seem to mind that we were gone today, but he was really interested in smelling our clothes when we returned. I wish he would get his eating habits sorted out. I had to open three different cans of food before I found something that he would eat for dinner. I wish I knew if he always felt symptoms from his vestibular disease. I'd hate to think that eating has become unpleasant, because every Dalmatian I've even known lives to eat. This was certainly true of the dogs we visited today. It would have much more difficult to photograph them if we didn't arrive with a pocket full of dog treats.

I think the silicon wrist band I repaired the other day has fully cured, but I still haven't had the nerve to wear it. Maybe tomorrow. It certainly didn't take much glue to fix things. If this stuff works, I have enough glue on hand to repair silicon watch bands for the rest of my life.

Janet made spagetti for dinner tonight. I love Italian food, even though it almost always gives me heartburn. I wonder how Italians deal with this? Tomato sauce is a well known trigger for acid reflux. If you have problems with acid reflux, the first thing your doctor will tell you is to avoid acidic foods. It's a shame that pizza and pasta are often at the top of the list. I could live on this stuff.

The best time to view the Leonid Meteor Shower is tonight. That's not going to happen. It's still raining. Dash didn't even get an afternoon walk today. I hope the weather clears up tomorrow. I need to go to the gym and it's time to start doing some serious yard work.

Joe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day