Day 4993

Another busy day. It never cools down anymore. Our air conditioner runs throughout the night and our early morning walk feels more like a midday walk. At least it's still cool enough before sunrise to give Dawn a walk. It's far too hot later in the day.

We had a big weekend breakfast and then I left to do my grocery shopping and other errands. I had to get a prescription transferred to a different pharmacy this morning because my regular pharmacy couldn't obtain the pills anymore. The new pharmacy said the pills were on backorder as well, but luckily they still had some in stock. Hopefully this problem will be resolved before my 90 day supply runs out.

I filled my car with gas and noticed that gas prices are going up again. I guess the gas companies don't want to be left behind. All prices keep going up. It's a regular guessing game to see what the prices of my regular items are going to be this week. At least I could find everything today. Some common items seem to be in short supply as well.

After I put the groceries away, I let Dawn out to pee, checked my messages, and went to the gym. My gym is always pretty empty on weekends. This seems counterintuitive to me, but I'm always happy to have the place to myself. I did my three mile walk around the indoor track and was disappointed in my time again. I wasn't great on the basketball court either. I didn't even bother with lifting weights today. I was ready to come home and take a nap.

I'm still disappointed that I'm not down in Florida this weekend. Other people's photographs of the Crew 7 launch early this morning looked great and there was a Starlink launch just about an hour ago. There will be a third Space Force launch on Tuesday. It's rare to have this many launches so close together and I could have been approved for all of them. Oh, well. I need to think of the money I'm saving. At least that's a positive.

I went out and got a pizza for dinner tonight. Our favorite pizza place has raised their prices as well. You wonder where this is going to end. Everyone can't keep raising their prices indefinitely. If I was working I would probably raise my own prices as well. Retirees can't do this though. We're kind of at the mercy of everyone else.

I keep checking my weather app to see if there is a chance of rain. Nope. We're looking at clear skies for the rest of the month. They say a cold front will be arriving on Monday, but temperatures will still be in the 90's. It's going to be a while before I can resume my long walks in the park. Tomorrow I'll go back to the mall. Mall walking is pleasant and it's always nice and cool inside. I don't think Dawn is going to get a Sunday outing walk. We'll still go for ice cream though. An ice cream cone on a hot day always makes things a little better.

Cammy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4643

Just a normal Saturday doing normal Saturday things. I wished I'd worn a jacket on our sunrise walk with Dawn. It was the first time I've felt chilly outside for a long time. It was a beautiful morning with clear skies and temperatures in the mid 60's. When we returned home, we had our weekend breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast. I made the bed, checked my messages, and got ready to go grocery shopping again.

I still can't get used to how expensive everything has become. It's not just food either. Even furnace filters have doubled in price. At least gas is more reasonable now. I filled my tank for quite a bit less than what I was paying two months ago. Strawberries are expensive again. The price goes up and down throughout the year depending on where they are imported from. I've got to have strawberries though. They have become an essential part of my morning routine.

It's weird how quickly it heats up during the day. I was thinking of walking in the park today, but by the time I was ready it was already too hot. Mornings feel like Fall has arrived, but by noon it is obvious that Summer is still hanging around. The leaves haven't started to fall yet, but that is coming soon. It's a shame that the yard will be covered in Oak leaves in a month or so. Our yard is finally looking nice for the first time all summer.

I went back to the gym this afternoon since I didn't feel like dealing with the heat. We seem to have a thirty degree temperature swing every day. My gym is always nice and cool. You can have a pretty good workout without even working up a sweat. I completed my usual routine and went home again. I'm still slower walking on the indoor track than I am outdoors. This remains a mystery to me. Logically, I should be faster walking indoors in a nice climate controlled environment.

I hope that my favorite Chinese restaurant hasn't gone out of business. I was going to get take-out tonight, but the website wasn't working and when I called to place an order, no one answered. The last time I picked something up at this restaurant nobody was there. It was sad seeing the place completely empty and I wondered if they were having trouble. I should have driven over to the place to see what was going on, but I just ordered a pizza instead. The pizza place changed their menu and prices have gone up, but the pizza was still good.

There were lots of things on my to-do list that got ignored this afternoon. I just didn't feel like doing anything. The rest of the world was watching shows about the queen, but I watched another Starlink launch on the Space X live stream. Why do I keep watching these things? All these Falcon 9 launches are identical.

These weeks really go quickly. It's already time for Dawn's Sunday outing and another walk at Northpark mall. Didn't I just do this a few days ago? You'd think I'd get bored with such a repetitive, regimented routine, but I find the monotony strangely comforting. Don't expect me to be spontaneous. It's just not going to happen.

Cleo it today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4223

I got a letter from the observatory saying that they were returning to pre-covid operations in September and were looking for volunteers for star parties and special events again. Sounds good to me. I told them that I could spend a week or so out there whenever they needed me. I was thinking of going out to the observatory in October anyway, but September is close enough. I don't know why I like staying out at the Astropnomer's Lodge so much. It feels a bit like a strange secular monastery. I have a simple little room with fast WiFi and all my basic needs are taken care of. You get three meals a day and the food is great. There is no TV or radio at the lodge, but it's easy enough to make a phone call if I need to reconnect with the world. It is very peaceful living on top of Mount Locke. I'm not looking forward to the long drive, but it's always worth it when I get there.

We slept in a bit later today, but still got a fairly early start on Dawn's morning walk. Janet and I are both retired but we still keep the same basic schedule we did while we were working. Weekends are for shopping and sleeping in, even though we could easily do this any day. I noticed that Dawn's paws still looked red and raw while we were walking this morning. As soon as she finishes her antibiotics and gets a clean bill of health on her urinary tract infection, we are going to get her tested for allergies. My gut feeling is that the problem isn't allergies, but a skin patch test is the next logical step. One way or another we've got to figure out what is is causing Dawn to bite and lick at her paws and get her back to normal again. There's a solution for everything, but sometimes it can be very hard to find.

Signs that there was a pandemic last year are slowly starting to disappear. There are no mask mandate notices on the front doors of stores anymore and I noticed today that those stickers on the floors of grocery stores showing you how to stay six feet apart in checkout lines have disappeared as well. About 25% of the people you see still wear masks. I suspect that some people will continue wearing them forever. I still carry a mask in my back pocket because it hasn't really sunk in that this is over yet.

It was too hot to walk today, but the gym was closed and I felt compelled to get my steps. I soaked my clothes and hat in water, thinking that this would keep me cool during the walk. The plan actually worked pretty well, but my clothes were dry again around the halfway point. The skies were partly cloudy though, so the sun was under a cloud a lot. I guess I'll do the same thing tomorrow since the gym still isn't open on Sundays either. I wonder how long it will take them to get back to pre-covid operations? Maybe they're aiming for September as well.

I picked up a pizza for dinner tonight. I love pizza, but it is number one of the list of foods that give me heartburn. I'm already regretting eating the pizza. You'd think I'd just quit eating problem foods. You'd think I'd stop shopping on busy Saturday's as well. I'm a creature of habit and I keep doing the same things over and over again. Some of the things like long walks are good. Other things like pizza are not so good. Janet is trying to convince me to take my own car out to the observatory this Fall, but I'll probably just keep renting cars. Rental cars have gotten to be a habit as well. I'm superstitious that my car will break down in the middle of nowhere, so I just don't drive it out of town. Don't ask. It all makes sense to me.

Riley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4167

I'm a terrible shopper. When I went to the grocery store, Janet wanted me to get her some cream cheese and showed me the tub it came in. All I remembered was the tub and came home with a tub of sour cream instead. I actually saw cream cheese on the shelf next to the sour cream, but it came in a little foil wrapped brick. That couldn't possibly be right. I was looking for something in a little plastic tub.

Our rainy weather continues. There were plenty of dry periods between the showers today. I had no trouble finding time to walk, but it's still pretty wet outside. It's actually raining right now. We had been planning on doing some yard work last week so we could throw away the debris on bulky trash day. The trash pickup got delayed, but we never found a dry enough day to trim the bushes and get rid of the rest of the dead Asian Jasmine. Oh, well. There's always next month.

I updated my company website today and then decided that the update didn't make any sense and didn't bother to upload it. Somehow this wasted effort still seemed more productive than editing more Milky Way pictures. I think I'm burned out on astrophotography for a while. Maybe there's gold hidden away in the images I took out at the observatory last week, but it's been very hard mining it. I'll wait a while before  I resume this activity. I should have learned from last time. After my first astrophotography workshop I didn't even look at the pictures for almost a month. I think the wait allowed what I'd learned to slowly seep into my brain, because when I finally opened the files, everything clicked together fairly quickly.

I thought I'd get wet on my long walk today, but the occasional drizzle kept me cool instead. It's been really humid lately and if the sun was out I would have been miserable. It was a nice day for a walk, but there was no spring in my step today. I was really slow. My feet bothered me a little, but that wasn't the real problem. I was just tired. I shouldn't have been tired. I actually got more sleep than usual. I guess I'm just getting old. For every good day there are usually three bad days. 

I still think I need to stay active. Without ongoing activity and a certain amount of effort I probably wouldn't even be able to get out of bed. I hate to think what the aches and pains are going to be like five years from now. We'll see. I wonder how long I can keep walking six miles a day?

Dawn had a good day. Even though the ground is still soggy, she seems to have overcome her fear of getting her paws wet and is walking well. She was very enthusiastic about her little one mile loop this afternoon. Her appetite has definitely returned. For a while we were worried about a hesitancy to eat, but she devours her meals now. Dawn is fine. I think we just worry too much.

I went out and got a pizza for dinner. Even though pizza is absolutely the worst offender in the heartburn department, I still enjoy a slice now and then. All my favorite foods like spaghetti and chili give me heartburn. It's a shame. I try to eat sensibly, but I'd hate to be limited to a bland diet for the rest of my life. Spice is nice. For now, there's always Pepcid, but it's probably not a good idea to take too much famotidine either. 

I hope it's not raining tomorrow. Dawn missed her ice cream outing last Sunday because of rain. It would be a shame to miss this again. Hard to believe that it's been raining almost continually for an entire week, but that's the way it is in May. Pretty soon I'll be complaining about how hot and dry it is.

Rosco is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4083

I woke up early this morning, which meant I got even less sleep than usual. It was damp and foggy outside and I was convinced that it would start raining any minute. As soon as we finished breakfast we took Dawn on her short walk and then I went and got my grocery shopping done. There wasn't much on my list this week and I was home before I typically even start my Saturday errands.

It still looked like the rain would start any minute, so I thought I'd see how far I could get on my long walk. I knew I'd probably get wet, but it didn't really matter. I needed those steps and I wasn't going to get them staring at this computer. I did get a little wet, but the rain mostly bypassed us today. This happens surprisingly often. People living to the North and South of us seem to get a lot more rain than we do.

The afternoon was uneventful. I practiced processing some pictures of the Andromeda galaxy that I'd taken last October out at McDonald Observatory. The pictures weren't that good and I've been looking forward to returning to the observatory to improve on my technique. Sadly, that's not going to happen this Spring. A lot has changed in a year, and I doubt that they'll be needing volunteers for quite a while.

One year ago today, I was visiting a small private observatory north of Dallas to prepare myself to a two week stay out at the observatory. I didn't know it at the time, but this was the beginning of a year long adventure that resulted in a growing interest in astrophotography and a cover story in Sky & Telescope. I'm having trouble planning future adventures now. Covid has taken the wind out of my sails. Maybe after Janet and I complete our second vaccinations next week, I'll feel confident enough to start making plans again.

There are certainly some things worth exploring. I'd like to go down to Boca Chica and do a story on Starship and all the Space X activities there. I have to figure out how to get myself invited though. That might take a while. I definitely want to be down at Kennedy Space Center for the Artemis 1 launch. The launch is still supposed to happen this year, but I have a feeling it will be postponed. I've heard rumors that there will be a follow up to the astrophotography workshop I took last October. That sounds interesting as well. I need to remember that there are always things to do, but nothing is going to happen if I just sit here.

I went out and picked up a pizza for dinner tonight and almost immediately got a bad case of heartburn. It's a shame that many of my favorite foods give me heartburn. I love spaghetti, chili, ribs, fried chicken, and pizza. They all give me heartburn. It's kind of a shame that most of my favorite activities all involve trips to places thousands of miles away as well. Wouldn't it be easier if I enjoyed bland foods and doing things right here in Dallas? Maybe that's not the point though. At least I have interests.

I hope the weather is better tomorrow. A gloomy day usually results in a gloomy me. The forecast says it will be raining in the morning, but it might be clear. Texas weather is full of surprises.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3936

I didn't see any coyotes today, but the rest of the White Pelicans seem to have arrived for the Winter. There were way too many to count today. I wonder whether these birds arrive at night. I never see them flying in, but there always seem to be additional birds when I arrive at Pelican Bay on my daily walks.

Dawn continues to take much shorter walks, so I am faced with making up the extra steps I need on my own. The park was busy today. There were people playing rugby and baseball on city maintained fields. There were lots of families having large picnics and barbecues. I passed a young couple having their wedding pictures taken. It really just seemed like a normal Fall day. A lot of people are still wearing masks, but it appears that Dallas has collectively decided that the virus is over.

One of the many changes I have noticed is that there are a lot of Airstream trailers in the neighborhood now. I counted four Airstream Internationals today. There are big, expensive trailers and seeing so many is probably a good sign that it's going to take a long time for air travel to recover. More and more people are taking car trips now. They say that National Parks have become overcrowded this summer. I thought about getting an RV when I first began contemplating spending a lot of time out at McDonald Observatory. That didn't last long. The bathrooms in an RV or travel trailer leave a lot to be desired. I like to take long showers and dealing with grey and black water tanks is disgusting. Even in a post-Covid world, I still think a nice hotel is much better.

Grocery shopping went smoothly today. I found most of the things on my list, but I have been noticing that there just aren't as many items on the shelves these days. There is plenty of food, but just not as much variety. It still feels like the entire supply chain is messed up. I wonder how long it is going to take for the world to return to normal. Maybe it never will. Sadly, we might just redefine what normal is.

My seasonal allergies have returned with a vengeance. Occasionally a cold front will bring a few days of relief, but it's pretty bad this Fall. I forget how long this typically lasts, but I've had enough. It's awkward having to blow your nose all the time when you are wearing a mask. I don't do well with antihistamines either. Those heavy duty blue shop towels are a lot better than Kleenex. I make sure to stuff my pockets with a few shop towels before I go anywhere. Seasonal allergies are probably one more reason I shouldn't attempt to fly anywhere in the near future. 

I went out and picked up a pizza for dinner tonight. I continue to be amazed at how full the restaurants are. Texas must have returned to full occupancy because a lot of the restaurants I passed on the way to the pizza place appeared to be full. Shopping malls and big box retailers seem to be full as well. It's weird. You turn on the television and you see one world. Then you drive around town and see a completely different world. 

Dawn seems a lot better now. Around the house she seem perfectly normal. She still won't take long walks though. It's kind of hard to tell whether she is becoming tired more easily or has just discovered that she's in charge now. Now that she has learned that we will turn around and head home again whenever she sits down in the road, it might have gone to her head. Dalmatians are high energy dogs, but they can also be very lazy.

Hobbs is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3852

Saturday is my day to venture out of the house and see if the world is still there. This isn't a big change from my life before the pandemic, but I'm still making an effort to stay isolated. Dallas is officially a hotspot now. You wonder what made things suddenly spike? Everyone I know is still acting responsibly. We don't have a beach, so it wasn't that. We did have some protests, but ours weren't nearly as bad as some other cities. The few things Janet and I have done after the city opened up again have all seemed quite safe. Nevertheless, there has been a huge surge in new virus cases.

A lot of things just don't make sense about this virus. You'd think that African countries would be hit the hardest since they always are during any type of pandemic. Medical care isn't good in Africa and people in many countries are packed together in unsanitary conditions. So far, there have been very few deaths in Africa. China, which started this whole thing, isn't even on the list of affected countries anymore. If you believe all the charts and graphs, little countries like Peru are apparently doing much worse than China. The United States seems to be doing worse than Sweden, which didn't do anything at all to flatten the curve. It all makes you wonder.

They say that someone has invented a new heated air filter that kills the virus instantly. If heat does the trick, why are we still having all these problems in Texas? It has definitely been a hot summer. We got started a little late on our walk this morning and had to cut things short as a result. It was already getting too hot for Dawn around 8 AM. Later in the day when I took my afternoon solo walk, it was miserable outside. I guess this is to be expected. It is almost the middle of July.

The skies look clear tonight, so I think I'm going to set an alarm and go look for that comet tomorrow morning. I'm seeing so many cool pictures on the Internet that I'd like to see the comet for myself. Some of the best pictures have been taken by my friends out at McDonald Observatory. I'd like to trade places with those guys. They are so remote that since the observatory closed, they have become almost completely insulated from the problems we are seeing in the cities. This is extreme social distancing and it works for me.

I'm going to skip going to the gym again tomorrow. If I went, I'd probably change my mind because the gym is air conditioned. Of course they now say that building air conditioning systems spread the virus, so there's that. You really don't know who to believe anymore. I have a feeling that the governor is going to close gyms again pretty soon anyway. Texas isn't doing very well these days.

I brought a pizza home for dinner, even though pizza gives me heartburn. Actually the Cowboy Burgers we had for dinner last night gave me heartburn as well. I may be good at social distancing, but I'm not very good at staying on a bland diet.

Sophia is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3810

It was nice to see something positive today. The Crew Dragon launch was flawless. It was amazing how clean and futuristic the capsule looked. Somehow the two astronauts even managed a change of clothes a few hours after liftoff. I wonder how long before scenes like this become commonplace again. I'll have to remember to watch TV again tomorrow when the capsule arrives at the space station. Maybe I'll get to see one of these launches in person someday. The world has to return to normal eventually.

Normalcy is already returning to Dallas. There are no lines at stores anymore. The grocery store wasn't even crowded this morning. It's still impossible to find Clorox wipes, but almost everything else was on the shelves. I wonder how long we will continue wearing masks? If there isn't a huge surge in new infections two or three weeks from now, I predict they will slowly disappear. We'll probably be like Asian countries where some people will always wear them. I'll probably ditch mine later this Summer as the virus fades from the news.

Of course, maybe it doesn't fade from the news. Maybe all the large crowds we are seeing on TV will trigger a whole new wave of outbreaks. Almost anything could happen in a year like 2020. I'm just waiting for hurricane season to start.

The weather is still very pleasant. We had a nice walk with Dawn this morning. We started before 7 AM, but there were already a lot of joggers and cyclists in the park. More people must be working again, because weekends are starting to feel different than weekdays. As the day grew warmer, large groups gathered in the park for picnics and play. I'm sure people are still being diagnosed with coronavirus in area hospitals. There are probably protests in town as well. Nevertheless, it still seemed pretty much like a normal Saturday in Dallas. Normal is good. We need a lot more normal.

I wasted a lot of time watching the launch on TV today. This stuff never gets old for me. I wondered whether the black boots the astronauts wore are actually part of the spacesuit, or were more like the rubber garden boots I wear on rainy days. Maybe the white space suit was under these boots. I wonder whether toy stores are already sold out of sparkly toy dinosaurs? I was surprised to see that one of the astronauts wore glasses. I guess perfect vision isn't a requirement. It's amazing these rockets even work at all. They are so complicated. My car doesn't even work all the time. Neither does my computer.

I went out and brought home a large pizza for dinner. Pizza and beer, a friendly dog looking for table scraps, a warm Spring evening, and a rocket launch. Sounds like a good day to me.

Ollie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3490

I finally got some better pictures of Charlie when we visited the Dalmatian Rescue kennels today. He's a hard boy to photograph because he never stays still. I wanted a picture where his ears looked nice, his tongue wasn't hanging out, and there wasn't a ball in his mouth. Eventually I got one.

All the dogs have adjusted well to being in the kennel. They get a lot of attention, are well fed, and are recovering from the medical problems many of them had when they entered the program. They all seem so normal now that I don't think any of them will have any problems adjusting to life in the forever homes each of them will find soon.

We spend a lot of time at the boarding kennel so I don't take a morning walk on Monday's anymore. I still had time for a leisurely breakfast and a few errands before we left for the kennel, but that was about it. I had just enough time to pay some bills, go to the post office, and pick up a few things at Home Depot before we left.

I still had to take some sort of walk when we returned late in the afternoon. This was probably a mistake, but I'm addicted to those Fitbit steps. It was really hot and humid today. I had to stop several times to wet down my shirt and hat in a nearby water fountain. The Pelican has returned but the Egrets are gone. I guess these birds don't like to share the same water. There were water turtles basking on several semi-submerged logs. I guess they liked the sun better than I did.

I'm finally starting to get some bids for the last piece of art I put up for auction. I guess lowering the reserve made a difference. This is just an online auction so there is no drama. Maybe that's for the best. This piece got no attention at all when it was offered at a big auction in New York several months ago. I wish I had more art to unload. The bills for my trip to Florida are starting to come in and it is obvious that travel can be just as expensive as collecting things. I think travel is the way to go now though. When you collect memories they don't take up a lot of space.

I wish I didn't have problems with heartburn. I had some leftover pizza for dinner and I can already tell that it's going to be a long night. Pizza, spaghetti, and chili are just about the only things that give me problems. It's a shame because I love these things. We had steaks last night and a chicken casserole over the weekend and I had no problems at all. Whenever I eat vegetarian meals I don't have any problems either. It's clear that I shouldn't eat pizza, but I hate to give it up entirely. Every once in a while I just resign myself to heartburn.

A carpenter is coming over tomorrow to give me an estimate on repairing the greenhouse. If I like the guy I may get some bids on fixing other things around the house as well. There's certainly plenty of things that need to be fixed. It's hard to find an experienced carpenter who will work on small jobs. I don't know if this guy's any good, but one of my neighbors likes him a lot. I finally called the carpenter because I kept seeing his truck in front of the neighbor's house.

I'll add Charlie's new picture to the Dalmatian website tomorrow. I hope the carpenter shows up. You never know with these guys.

Lizzy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3466 - Summer Solstice

Today was the longest day of the year. It wasn't long enough however. I've felt way behind all day. I'm trying to get ready for my trip to Florida and as I often do, I didn't leave myself enough time. I did a bunch of stuff today that I should have done last week. I decided at the last minute that I needed to get a haircut. Then I decided that I needed a small backup battery I could use to recharge my phone. I already have something like this but it is too big to carry around with me all day. I wanted something I could put in my pocket. After getting a haircut, I found a slim phone recharger at REI that would fit in my pocket. Unfortunately, when I returned home I couldn't figure out how to hook the thing up to my phone. Back to the store. This time I picked up a pizza for dinner on my way home. I also paid a few bills and took them to the post office. There were no long walks today. There just wasn't enough time.

I still haven't packed my bags or decided what shoes to wear. This shouldn't be much of a problem. Some clean underwear, clean socks, black t-shirts, and an extra pair of jeans ought to do it. I need to remember to take a very small tube of toothpaste and little bottles of other liquids. I forgot last time and had to throw some stuff away. I need to take some slip on shoes too. Lace up boots are way too much trouble to take off for the TSA folks.

My exercise today was running errands and getting the remaining water off the roof. It's been so hot lately that most of the water from recent rains had already evaporated. I don't want to take any chances though. Last week I bought some of that Liquid Rubber in a Can that you always see advertised on TV.  Maybe this will work for sealing small tears in the elastomer material. If it works, it would sure beat calling the roofers over and over again and begging them to come out.

I didn't bother to go our for breakfast this morning. I just had a peach, a banana, and a cup of coffee. I thought this would save me some time, but it really didn't. You have to have a plan before time management actually means anything. Inch by inch I'm getting things done, but it's almost a certainty that I will forget something important. I always do.

Tonight I will put my meds in one of those flat plastic boxes with little bins for each day of the week. My parents used these pill containers when they traveled. I never thought I'd be doing the same thing. The little compartmented container certainly beats carrying a big sack filled with prescription bottles though. The compartments make it easier to remember if I've taken my pills too. Are there still pills in the Tuesday compartment? Oops. I'd better take them.

I wish I was a better traveler. I like being there. I just don't like getting there. I guess I've accomplished something. I've got new tires even though I'm not going to drive to Florida after all. I finally know my sister's phone number. I got a haircut. I've got a clever little gizmo that will let me recharge my phone in the field. Now all I need to do is pack my bags.

Barley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3382

A year ago today I was wondering whether the pizza I ate for dinner would give me heartburn and worrying about Dash's poor appetite and tendency to fall. The only difference seemed to be that Easter was earlier last year. I was also thinking about an Easter ham. It's remarkable how little actually changes. Day after day I repeat the same routines and deal with the same problems. Some days are identical, year after year.

Maybe this isn't so bad. I feel like I'm treading water, but I'm definitely not sinking. Life is not getting worse. In many ways Dash is a huge success story. His heart condition has actually improved. Few people thought Dash would still be with us this year. He's still got huge problems, but he's really not a whole lot worse than he was last year. I think we've done a good job. One thing I've learned about aging is that you can't turn back time. Maybe the best you can do is just slow it down a little.

Sometimes I'm surprised when people find my posts sad on Facebook. This is really a happy story. We're all still here. There will be a day when it's me that's pooping in bed. It happened with Dot and Spot. It even happened with my Dad. Until then, you just keep moving. Dash fell down on his evening walk and appeared confused for a while this morning. Despite these problems, he still loves getting outside. This is his link to better times. It's my job to keep this link active as long as possible.

We got off to a late start this morning, so I had to go back to the trendy restaurant. It's the only place that still serves a good breakfast at 10:30 AM. The food is delicious at this place, but it still makes me uneasy. Call me old fashioned, but there shouldn't be so many adults eating breakfast at 10:30 AM. Why aren't these people at work? I have a feeling that my 9 to 5 idea of work is outdated. It probably doesn't even exist anymore.

The breakfast Reuben sandwich I ordered this morning was excellent, but it looked pretty nasty, so I'll show you some flowers from my accountant's office instead. I had a few questions and needed to go back there this afternoon. Other than that, it was an uneventful day. Janet and I felt like pizza for dinner, but I discovered that my favorite pizza place had moved. When did this happen? Their rent probably went up when the strip mall where they used to be located remodeled. I found the new location, but it isn't as convenient. We'll see if this place remains a favorite.

It was supposed to rain tomorrow, but now the forecast appears to have changed. We'll see. Every time I look at a weather report I'm worried that the roof leak will reappear. So far, so good, but I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Elliott is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3340

I wish the Shrimp Grits weren't so good, because I find the trendy restaurant troubling. The place is crowded and loud. You often have to wait a long time for a table. Worst of all it provides me with a glimpse of the future. Apparently, the future will be filled with fat people wearing skinny jeans, man buns, over the top painted on eyebrows, and very delicious food. There is a friendly vibe to the place. The waiters are super friendly and the customers appear to be enjoying themselves as well. Jeez. How can they enjoy all this chaos and noise? It is clear that I am the odd duck in this place.

The reason I went to the trendy restaurant is that I got off to a late start again. Dash was ready to walk on his own again this morning, but he was very slow. He took his time, smelling every bush and clump of grass. Dash does seem to walk better without the leg brace, so we'll go with that. I want him to enjoy these walks. When we got back home, Dash found multiple reasons to keep me from leaving for breakfast. He would head for the back door, so I would let him out to pee. He would head for the kitchen, so I would try to get him to finish his chicken. He would head for the bedroom, so I'd see if he was ready for a nap. Basically he was just not ready for me to leave the house.

Eventually, Dash settled down and took a long nap. This was a good thing, because I needed to go pick up my Aeron Chair. The Herman Miller people had finally finished their repairs. It was a long drive to the warehouse and the route took me past a lot of places I used to frequent. It always amazes me what a transitory place Dallas is. Virtually all the restaurants, computer stores, client headquarters, and other places that were familiar to me were gone. Every five years Dallas seems to completely reinvent itself.

The chair repair people were very nice but they said they had no way to take my money. They let me walk away with the chair without paying for it. "Are you sure this is OK" I asked? "Don't worry about it," the head repair guy told me. "Eventually, you'll get a bill from Herman Miller." Works for me. I wish everyone were this trusting.

Aeron Chairs have a reputation for lasting forever. "You ought to be good for another twenty years," the repair guy told me as I left. "I'll see you then" I told him and we both laughed nervously. The repair guy was about as old as I am. Chances are that neither of us will be around twenty years from now.

We were having pizza for dinner tonight, so I had to go park the car on a side street around mid afternoon. I knew I would need to pick up the pizza. The traffic has gotten so bad that I can't get out of the driveway during rush hour anymore. Businesses come and go in Dallas, but one thing stays the same. The traffic always gets worse.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3322

There appears to be a gas leak in the neighborhood. You could have fooled me, since we walk by the area where all the digging is going on every morning and I've never smelled gas. I have smelled a skunk in the vicinity recently, but I don't think that's what everybody's looking for. Finding the leak must be a high priority since the crews have set up lights and look like they are ready to continue digging throughout the night. Hopefully, they'll find what they're looking for. The gas company has had some highly publicized problems with leaks in other parts of the city that have resulted in fires and explosions.

I called my web hosting company this morning to ask about the huge increase in my bill. The customer service representative I talked to explained that my last bill included a generous sign up bonus that would never be repeated. They set the trap and lured me in. Now, I've got to pay full price. This scenario was exactly what I was dealing with a few months ago when it came time to renew my storage warehouse lease. The customer service representative was sympathetic. She said the same thing happened to her recently with her phone bill. Her Verizon bill tripled as soon as the special promotional offer expired. I'm a small business owner and an unabashed capitalist but I do think a lot of companies are greedy bastards. Couldn't you guys just charge a fair price in the beginning and stop all the confusing bait and switch trickery?

The increase in web hosting fees wasn't the only dismal financial news today. Apparently I'm going to  need to wait until mid February for my next payment from a very tardy auction buyer. This buyer must be special. There was nothing in the contract that said it was OK to pay a month and a half late. Somehow, I don't think the auction house would be nearly as lenient with me if I was a month and a half late. It looks like I'm going to need the money because apparently even though I made virtually nothing last year, I still need to pay taxes. That's what my accountant tells me anyway.

Dash doesn't have money problems but he definitely has pooping problems. The bed escaped unscathed last night but I had to watch my step around the house. I don't think Dash even realizes he is pooping any more. He just walks around the house and poop falls out. Getting up after a nap is especially hazardous. The extra effort he has to make to stand up these days often causes him to poop.

The weather changes so frequently now that I never know what to wear. I always look at my phone or the thermostat before we go on a walk but I don't think the temperature readings are up to date. This afternoon the thermostat said the outside temperature was 65 degrees so I just wore a light jacket. I just about froze. A rapidly moving cold front had just blown through and the real temperature was much colder. The temperature is still continuing to get colder, so I really hope that those gas company repairmen don't shut off our gas during the night.

I had some left over pizza for dinner. I hope it doesn't give me heartburn. I could have eaten something bland, but I hate to let food go to waste. We'll see what happens. My chances of getting heartburn are about the same as the chances of Dash waking me up during the night.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3319

I thought a place that could make delicious Shrimp Grits would be even better at making Eggs Benedict. Wrong. I was disappointed this morning. Damn. I should have had the Shrimp Grits again. This is the problem with being adventurous. Often things don't turn out as planned.

I'm not that interested in being adventurous, but I do realize that you can't spend your entire life doing the same thing over and over again. I'll admit that I come closer to monotony than most people, but everyone needs a little variety. I once found a restaurant that served absolutely perfect Migas. I ordered this dish for breakfast every Friday for three years. One day my breakfast tasted terrible and two months later the restaurant went out of business. I never really discovered what happened, but I've been looking for perfection ever since.

I do think I've found the perfect French Toast, but I don't always feel like something sweet. Oh, well. I guess the search for perfection continues. This odd quest does make Friday a little different than the other days of the week, so I guess all is good. I have a feeling that I'll go back to having French Toast at the hotel next week.

I need to remember that morning walks are for Dash and not for me. It takes a lot of patience to walk Dash these days. It's difficult to take photographs along the way like I used to because I'm spending all my time making sure that Dash stays upright. A small twig can make him stumble and fall. He can't seem to walk in a straight line anymore. We meander all over the place. Dash will often backtrack and return to smell something he forgot. Sometimes he refuses to leave a smell and starts sneezing when the odor becomes too strong. It's almost like he is getting high on the things he smells. I wonder how well he can see, because it seems like he is just traveling from one smell to the next without really looking where he is going. I have to be real careful when we come to gullies and ravines. Dash seems to have no depth perception anymore. If I wasn't holding tightly to his harness today, he would have fallen into a gully. All he cared about was a smell right on the edge.

The buyer for one of the items I auctioned in New York has missed their payment deadline. The payment is not just a few days late, it's almost a full month late. Unfortunately, I don't get paid until the auction house get paid so I'm starting to get frustrated. Auction houses never provide personal information about buyers. I'm starting to have fears that the buyer is a Russian oligarch who just had all his funds frozen. My contact at the auction house says not to worry. Easy for her to say.

The weather is still very cold, but the skies are clear and the humidity is low. Everything is starting to dry out again. I was going to get up early and look for Jupiter and Venus in the predawn sky. When the time arrived, I chose to sleep for another twenty minutes instead. Dash was restless last night and I didn't get much sleep. Janet thinks the new waterproof dropcloth I got recently is making the bed too slippery for him. Who knows. Maybe it is. I guess I'll be looking for another bed protection alternative this weekend.

We had pizza for dinner tonight. A good New York style thin crust pizza is hard to beat. I'm almost certain that this meal will give me heartburn, but somehow a little heartburn seems a fitting way to end a less than perfect day.

Bones is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3263

I think we're ready to go. I've finished testing the photo equipment and it all works. I located the battery I need. Everything is packed in bags and waiting to be loaded into the car. The only missing link is me. I'm still tired, but I guess I passed my test as well. I made it through the day.

Pooping in the bed has become a nightly occurrence. Dash has lost control of his bowels. Since he is pooping in his sleep more frequently now, there is hope that we'll be able to slide a puppy training pad under his butt at some point. If he would sleep soundly and stay in one place, cleanup would be easy.

I thought that I got up early this morning, but tomorrow I'll need to get up even earlier. The photo event starts at 9 AM and it takes me about an hour to set things up. Add in the drive to the location and I'll need to leave the house around 7 AM. I'm not sure how Dash is going to get his walk tomorrow. We need to wait until it is light to walk because of the coyotes. I'm nervous about the coyotes this year because there is an aggressive coyote in a town just North of here that has already bitten several people. No giant earthquakes down here, but we do have a mean coyote.

The earthquake in Alaska today seems pretty major. It reminded me of the big quake in 1964 when I was in high school in Fairbanks. We weren't even close to the epicenter but the pine trees in our yard were waving around like matchsticks and all the water sloshed out of the kitchen sink. Earthquakes are weird and kind of frightening. If you've ever experienced one, you won't forget it.

I was surprised at how difficult it was to find the lithium battery I needed today. I had to go to four different stores. The battery store, which usually stocks every type of battery known to man, was out of stock.  The store manager told me that a man came in last week and bought 600 of these things. Jeez. All I needed were two.

I'll probably regret having pizza for dinner. Pizza almost always gives me heartburn. It tastes good though and neither Janet or I felt like cooking this evening. I didn't feel like cooking this morning either. As soon as I finished walking Dash, I went out for breakfast and ordered the Brioche French Toast and bacon that has become my Friday morning favorite.

None of my model trains sold in November. Damn. I was hoping that November would be a good month. December is bound to be better. Surely somebody will want a train for Christmas. I'm hoping that interest will pick up for the online Prints and Multiples auction I'm currently participating in. My consignments are bargains. They'd make good Christmas presents too. It's weird that I've become so interested in selling things these days. I'm not interested in buying stuff at all. That's definitely a first for me.

I hope I survive tomorrow's photo shoot. Just kneeling to put on Dash's socks and boots in the morning makes my knees hurt. The thought of doing this all day makes me cringe. I'm going to look on the bright side. After this weekend it's all downhill. I have no plans whatsoever for the rest of the year.

Belle is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3242

The move is complete. I was really happy with the movers I hired. They were on time, courteous, and stayed within their estimate. They even helped me pack the loose items in boxes. I picked these guys because they had the best Yelp reviews. I guess that's how you do things these days. A few good Yelp reviews don't mean anything, but when they're all good you can usually rely on the results. I need to remember to leave a good review myself. I'd use these guys again.

The new storage unit is slightly smaller than the old one. It is twenty square feet smaller to be exact. This is unfortunate, because the metal industrial shelves don't fit quite as well. The movers and I eventually found a place for everything, but this new unit is a lot closer to being full than I had hoped. It's a good thing I threw away a lot of empty boxes. If I had kept everything, I don't think it would have fit.

After the movers helped me arrange the shelving and place the really heavy items on the lower shelves, they left me to sort out the rest. I was happy with this, because it allowed them to stay near the low end of their estimate. I spent the next two hours filling the shelves with a large assortment of boxes on the floor and then I dragged my aching body home and took a nap. Hopefully, my lower back and shoulder will recover soon. Right now, I feel a hundred years old.

This ended up being a very long day because it started around 4:30 AM by cleaning up poop on the floor. As he often does these day, Dash went outside to pee and went back inside and immediately pooped on the living room floor. He doesn't do this on purpose. I just don't think he's aware that he needs to poop until it starts coming out. Dash went back to sleep, but I wasn't so lucky. I stayed in bed and watched TV for a while until it was time to get up and give Dash his morning walk.

We tried to pack Dash's rear paws with gauze this morning before putting his socks on. In theory, this should have eliminated the possibility of abrasion, but one of his paws still bled a little when we returned. The boots are wearing out faster too, because Dash's paws are turning under more as he walks. Basically, his rear legs continue to get weaker and there's nothing we can do to stop it. If Dash would learn to ride in the car, I could take him downtown for water therapy like I used to do with Dot. This is out of the question though. Dash is horrible in the car.

I was so tired today that I felt I deserved pizza and a beer for dinner. Janet loves pizza, but it always gives me heartburn. Occasionally, it's worth the heartburn. I took a Prilosec and hoped for the best. The pizza was great. We'll see how well I sleep tonight. I wish I had an iron stomach. I love pasta and bread, but they have to be reserved for special occasions now. Anything that includes tomato sauce as an ingredient is a red flag. I can't handle tomatoes at all.

I'm glad I completed the storage warehouse move. I guess it was worth it. Even after paying the movers, I ended up saving quite a bit of money. I still don't understand why the old warehouse had no  interest in keeping me as a customer. I was a good customer. They seemed determined to get rid of me by raising my rent every single year until I'd finally had enough. My new storage unit is about the same size and I'm only paying about half as much.

I hope Dash has a good night. I really need to catch up on my sleep.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3164

A small stray dog ran past us while we were walking this morning. The dog looked scared but appeared healthy. I was simultaneously happy that the dog wasn't going to cause trouble for Dash and sad that I was unable to help. It wouldn't approach us and quickly disappeared down by the shoreline. Did someone dump this dog? Did it escape from someone's yard? It didn't look familiar, but that doesn't prove anything. There are a lot of new people in the neighborhood.

Finding strays in the park is all too common. It appears to be a dumping ground for people from all parts of town. Occasionally I've been able to catch these dogs and take them to a rescue organization.  Once, a long time ago, I was even able to find the dog's owner. Now, I've got my hands full with my own dog. Walking a dog like Dash is a full time job. I just wish that the owners of these strays I keep seeing would take their job as pet owners a little more seriously.

Dash seemed to rebound a bit today. He slept well last night and was eager to walk this morning. He wanted to go down to the shoreline which is always a good sign. Often he doesn't have the energy to take this more adventurous route. We stumbled slowly along the shore for over 45 minutes and even though he was tired when we returned home, he ate his breakfast.

It's weird how every day is different. Dash still seemed exhausted at times and had his forgetful moments, but I could tell that he was having a good day. I didn't even care that he pooped on the floor again. It's nice to see that there are still moments when there is a sparkle in Dash's eye and it's clear that he still enjoys being a dog.

I have good days and bad days too. Like Dash, my good days are rarely dramatic. To me, a good day is just when nothing bad happens. I guess today was a good day because very little happened at all. I paid my Mastercard bill and picked up a frozen pizza on the way home from the post office. I should never eat pizza because it always gives me heartburn. That doesn't stop me unfortunately. A frozen pizza is often the perfect solution when you've eaten all the leftovers and you don't feel like cooking. The pizza was tasty, but I'll pay for this tonight.

I haven't done a major website in so long that I think I'm starting to forget how to code. The same thing happened when I stopped playing the piano. Oh, well. I think we spend the first half of our lives learning things and the second half slowly forgetting them. I've learned a lot over the years, so I've still got a lot to forget. Something to look forward to, I guess.

Mickey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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