Day 2735 - Summer Solstice

Summer is officially here. I used to think that the Summer Solstice always occurs on June 21, but it moves around a bit for the same reason that we have leap year every four years. The year isn't exactly 365 days long. I didn't need a calendar to remind me that Summer arrived today. It was really hot outside. I waited until late in the day to take Dash on his evening walk, but it was still too hot for him. Dash doesn't do well in the heat. If it gets any warmer, we will have to curtail these evening walks entirely.

I got Dash's blood test results today and they were encouraging. His triglyceride levels went all the way from over 2000 to 168. This dramatic reduction amazed our vet, but I'm thinking that the lab just made a mistake on the first set of tests. It happens. I've had really screwy results on my own blood tests from time to time. It's a shame that insurance won't pay for more frequent lab work. There can be anomalies in any test and you really need to test frequently to see if there is a trend or pattern to the results. If you only get your blood tested once a year, you may be worried all year about something that isn't even a problem.

I did some more cleaning around the house today. I'd read that you could remove lime and scale off the inside of shower heads by tying a bag full of vinegar around the shower head and letting it soak for a few hours. I was skeptical but what did I have to lose. The water did seem to come out of the nozzle a little better after I was done, but it still wasn't anything like our old shower head. Somewhere along the line, manufacturers changed the design of faucets, toilets, shower heads, and other plumbing fixtures to save water. I hate these low volume fixtures because it just doesn't seem like there is enough water pressure anymore.

Things are probably as clean as they're going to get. We've just about run out of preparation time since Janet goes in for surgery tomorrow. Life is going to be different for a while. They move you out of the hospital so quickly now that a lot of her recovery will take place at home. Hopefully, I will be a good nurse. I learned a lot during the years I took care of Dot, but this will be more complicated. Once again it will be important to stay flexible, have a positive attitude, and take things one day at a time. I've read all the information the doctors have provided, but there are still a lot of questions.

I wonder if life will ever return to normal. When Janet recovers, probably something will go wrong with me. Dash is getting older too. I really hope he stays healthy and happy for a few more years. It would be nice to have a block of time where everyone was relaxed and healthy and all the stress just disappeared.

If normalcy ever does return, it would be nice to travel for a while. Living and working in a very old house for all these years has made me feel like the captain of a sinking ship. Right now, restaurant meals and having a maid make your bed every morning sounds pretty good.

Alamo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1920

Things are looking up. Dot seems a little stronger today. Her energy level and ability to walk varies from day-to-day, but today was one of the good days. Dot and Dash both seemed calmer than yesterday. They were content to sleep while I worked and let me eat my breakfast without any major disruptions. I wish I knew why Dot seems better on some days than others. Her recovery is not a linear process. Maybe she just got a good night's sleep last night. Maybe I slept better as well. From what I can see, a relaxed family seems to be a happy family.

Towards the end of the day, the UPS man delivered the collapsible dog pen that we've been waiting for. So far, Dot seems to like it. The pen is large enough for her to stretch out and reposition herself when necessary, but it is still small enough to keep her from getting into trouble. The six-sided, segmented metal pen is heavier than I thought it would be, but it is well made and should be durable. We'll see how easy it is to move it from room to room later.

All things considered, I got quite a bit done today. I made some website revisions, finished my writing assignments, and made quite a bit of progress in getting my tax materials ready for the accountant. I'm getting used to the new coffee maker and all the household appliances are working properly. On days like this I think that maybe I'll survive this ordeal after all.

It probably helped that it didn't rain today. Rain was in the forecast, but all we got were a few light sprinkles. I think the rain just got postponed until tomorrow. All the current forecasts suggest that tomorrow will be very wet. It doesn't look like I'll get to go out for breakfast tomorrow. I'm still not comfortable leaving Dot alone in the pen and there may be thunderstorms anyway. I guess I can survive one more day eating cold cereal.

Now that our house is filled with cheap rugs and there is a metal playpen in the living room, I'm feeling better about our rehabilitation program for Dot. We've had a few false starts and bought some things we didn't actually need, but we're getting there. Now I just need to figure out an easy, safe way to transport Dot back and forth to her physical therapy sessions. So far, I've found some easy solutions that aren't really safe and some safe solutions that aren't easy to implement. I know there is something better out there. Dot is doing well, but when we are able to resume her acupuncture sessions and underwater treadmill workouts, I think we'll see even more progress.

It's weird not going to the bank, post office, and pharmacy almost every day. I do these things on weekends now. These little rituals only took me away from the house for a few minutes at a time, but somehow they made all the difference. I can tell that Dot is really looking forward to regaining her freedom. So am I.

Pringles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1056

Occasionally, I look at the profiles of people who appear on my Google+ stream and become envious of how idyllic their lives seem. Then I look at my own profile and realize that it's not that different from the rest. I guess appearances can be deceiving. I think even the scrupulously honest often put the accent on the positive to avoid depressing those around them. I do this myself sometimes. It's good to have a positive attitude. I just don't always believe you.

The fog was thick as soup when I took the dogs out this morning. I though I'd take a good camera with me on our walk and try to get some pictures before the fog lifted. What a disaster. The big camera around my neck was continually getting tangled in the dog's leashes. When I did find something to photograph, Dash would tug on the leash just as I was pressing the shutter and ruin the shot. If I spent too long looking through the viewfinder, I would inevitably look up to see one of the dogs eating something disgusting at our feet on the ground. I did get a few decent shots, but it was hardly worth the effort. It is much easier to take pictures with a cell phone when you are walking Dalmatians.

I didn't have much better luck trying to find out why the State of Missouri is telling me I owe them money. After sitting on hold for an inordinate amount of time, I finally was able to speak with someone in the state's tax office. They weren't much help. All they could tell me was that they had received a 1099 form with my name on it. They couldn't tell me what I supposedly owed, or why I was on their list. I kept telling the official that I had never lived in the state of Missouri in my life and that I had already paid all my taxes for the year in question anyway. My very rational argument seemed to fall on deaf ears.

Sadly, I think this is the shape of things to come. Government agencies at all levels are strapped for cash and they are getting more and more creative in their attempts to reel in the money they need. I've already noticed that the Dallas County government is quick to raise real estate taxes whenever house values go up, but they are very reluctant to lower taxes when real estate values go down. Income taxes are only a small part of the total picture. Have you looked at your phone bill lately? It's appalling how much of your phone bill goes to pay a bunch of weird hidden taxes. Are you concerned about the price of gas? If you could just get rid of all the taxes they place on gasoline, you could fill your tank for a very reasonable price. I don't think I would mind paying taxes so much if I could control where my money went. I have very little control of where my tax money goes however, and neither do you.

I think this is really what the election is about tomorrow. People want to control where their money goes. Each side has very different ideas of how to spend the tax money we send them. If you don't happen to agree with these ideas, you can start to feel like you vote isn't worth much. It doesn't have to be this way. I'm convinced that if people could decide where their tax money would go when they paid their taxes in the first place, we wouldn't have the divisiveness we are experiencing today. Hey, if you want to fund the military with your taxes, go ahead. If you want to fund social programs, send your tax dollars there. Roads and bridges seem important? That's OK too. If you just let the people decide for themselves where their tax dollars went, a lot of current problems would vanish. Some programs would thrive. Others would vanish. So be it. The people would have spoken. With something this direct and simple, maybe we wouldn't need congress at all.

Coach is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day