Day 4899

Good grief. I failed the eye exam this afternoon and the DMV won't renew my license until I get glasses. Jeez. I've never worn glasses in my life, but I guess things change. Up until a year or two ago I had 20/20 vision. At my last eye exam, the doctor said my vision had deteriorated and wrote me a prescription. He didn't seem alarmed though and said it was up to me whether I wanted to get it filled immediately. "Fill the prescription if you start having trouble seeing things," he told me. I promptly forgot about the prescription because I thought my vision was fine.

I think I got cheated at the DMV because the lady renewing my license just held up an eye chart card behind her desk in a slightly darkened room. If the chart had been illuminated better I think I would have passed the test. You don't argue with the DMV though. I went home and looked through piles of paper until I found the prescription. Luckily it hadn't expired yet. I went to a Lenscrafters store in the mall, picked out some frames and got the prescription filled. At first I though that I was going to walk out of the store in an hour with new glasses because they had an in-house lab. Nope. It wasn't going to be that easy. It turns out that my eye doctor wrote me a prescription for progressive lenses. Not only are progressive lenses much more expensive, they are also more difficult to grind and must be sent out to another lab. 

Janet says progressive lenses are hard to get used to and I probably should have found an optometrist to write me another prescription for simple distance only glasses. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow because it's going to take up to ten days to get the progressive lenses made. Ten days is cutting it close since my license expires soon. I still don't understand why I need the glasses. I can read all the road signs just fine.

The examiner didn't even ask for all the documents that I got out of the safe deposit box. I had everything she wanted right in my wallet. I hope I can get this mess resolved soon. You need a driver's license for just about everything these days. I certainly couldn't cover launches at Kennedy Space Center without one.

The rest of my day was fairly uneventful. We walked Dawn early in the morning, I ate my breakfast, and then I took my long walk. I made good time today and completed my walk five minutes earlier than I normally do. Ironically, my Fitbit said that I don't burn any more calories though. Sometimes I think the Fitbit is worthless. It measures the distance traveled fairly accurately, but the number of calories burned is all over the map. Some day when I'm slow it says I've burned a lot of calories. Other days when I'm feeling more active, I says I'm burning less. The sleep function never agrees with the Apple watch sleep function either.

I've got to pick up a bunch of prescription at the pharmacy tomorrow. Every time I get a physical exam my doctor renews everything whether I'm running low or not. I'd rather renew pills one at a time on an as needed basis, but I can never get the pharmacy and my doctor on the same page. I'll just have to find a place to put the new pills until the old pills run out. I guess I'll take all the driver's license documents back to the safe deposit box. They certainly weren't needed. 

Hopefully things will go smoother tomorrow. The weather was nice, but today wasn't a great day.

Ziggy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4816

The squall line with severe winds just passed through our area and I'm happy to report that we survived without any damage. I was expecting the worst because of all the media hype about this storm. We were told to expect hurricane strength winds and tornados. I don't think any tornados touched down nearby but there were some strong winds. Love Field had gusts of over 75 miles and hour but I don't think the wind in our neighborhood ever got above 35 miles an hour. We've still got power and there are no downed trees, so all is good. Luckily Dawn is not frightened by bad weather. Some of our previous Dalmatians went nuts during bad storms. Dawn was cool as a cucumber. All she was concerned about was getting her dinner on time.

Amazingly, the pumps on the roof didn't get blown over by the wind and are still working. I'm going to wait a while to take the trash out to the curb though. There's still quite a bit of wind and I'm afraid the trash can will get blown away. We're going to get more rain this evening, but I think there are clear skies in the forecast for tomorrow. Clear skies couldn't come soon enough for me. I hate severe weather warnings because we don't really have a safe space in our house. There are no interior rooms in the entire house and there is floor to ceiling glass everywhere. It's not a great place to be during a tornado.

The day started normally enough. We had a pleasant sunrise walk with Dawn before breakfast and then I took my long walk earlier than usual in case the weather forecast was wrong. For the most part this morning was just a normal overcast day. Maybe it wasn't that normal though. It was still very warm for early March this morning. Of course all that's changed now. When the squall line blew through town about an hour ago the temperature dropped by at least twenty degrees.

I had a tele-visit with my gastrointestinal doctor this afternoon. I don't know why doctors love these things, because they seem next to worthless to me. I got a text message on my phone with a link to the doctor's tele-visit app. My cell phone gets terrible coverage inside the house and I didn't feel like doing the entire tele-visit sitting out in the back yard, so the app kept crashing. I finally convinced the doctor to just call me on the land line phone. We mostly talked about the meds she prescribed for me several years ago. They work great, but you are not supposed to take this medication long term. The doctor says I'm on a low dose and it's completely safe. I'm not so sure.

The heavy rain will ensure that the roof keeps leaking for the next several days. If the weather is nice tomorrow I'll go up on the roof and sweep the remaining standing water away. I don't expect to hear from the roofers anytime soon. With severe winds throughout the metroplex today, I suspect that they will be busy with emergency work for a while. Quite a few roofs got damaged today. I'm glad that ours wasn't one of them. I can deal with a leak, but losing your roof in a storm is another matter entirely.

Here's hoping that tomorrow is a completely uneventful day. I'm tired of dealing with severe weather and am ready to go back to talking about roof leaks and foot pain.

Tucker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4719

Most of the leaks have stopped, but there's one stubborn one still dripping away in the office. The cadence of drips is much slower now. Maybe things will be back to normal by morning. When everything dries out I will need to bleach away the brown stains in the ceiling and start pretending the house is fine again. I still can't find a good carpenter and my list of potential roofing companies leaves a lot to be desired. A new house sounds appealing, but we already live in the best part of town to have a dog and Dallas real estate is still way too expensive. For better or worse, this is home until we get carted away to assisted living.

I still feel full from our big Thanksgiving meal. It would have been a good day for a long nap, but I got up and went through my regular routine instead. We took Dawn on her sunrise walk, I ate my breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit, and checked my messages before going on my long walk. It wasn't raining today, but it didn't feel dry either. There was a light mist in the air for most of the day. It kind of felt like walking through fog.

I was very slow today. I didn't feel unusually tired, but my walk seemed to take forever. There must be better way to use my time. My doctor did explain why my Fitbit continues to say that my fitness level is low, even though I spend an inordinate amount of time walking and staying active. Evidently one of the medications I take slows down my heart rate, so I never achieve the elevated levels Fitbit is looking for. This made me feel a little better. I think I'm in pretty good shape and couldn't figure out why the Fitbit wasn't agreeing with me.

I picked up a prescription at the pharmacy this afternoon. I'm still getting better rates using GoodRx than my Medicare Part-D plan provides. The prescription drug plan isn't cheap, so I keep wondering what I'm paying for. The pharmacist answered that question today. She said that they were getting bought by another company that didn't honor GoodRx prices. "You'd better keep that Part-D plan," she said.

It's Black Friday today. Everyone in the world wants me to buy something. My inbox was filled with special deals for everything from astronomy gear to wool socks. Some of the deals were tempting, but I really didn't need anything. I didn't buy anything either. I guess this is progress. A few years ago I would have almost certainly bought something I really didn't need just to get the Black Friday price.

It's time to make a grocery list again. Unlike most people we don't have a lot of Thanksgiving leftovers in the fridge. I need to remember to pick up the camera gear I will need for our upcoming Santa Paws photo shoots while I'm out tomorrow. The two day event will be here before you know it. I guess it's time to put up a Christmas tree too. Where did this year go?

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4556

Today was busier than usual for me. I actually got a few things done. After our sunrise walk with Dawn and my usual bowl of shredded wheat for breakfast, I decided to mow the grass instead of taking a long walk. I still need to replace the batteries in the electric mower because a charge only lasts long enough to mow half the yard. No problem though. I find that I need to recharge myself as well these days. I mowed the back yard and then checked my e-mail while the mower was charging before I went back outside and mowed the front. I don't know why I keep doing this. I've found someone who will do the mowing for me, but old habits die hard.

The new dishwasher is a success. Janet likes it anyway. I didn't have much faith in the unusual drying system when I started an overnight cycle before I went to bed last night, but all the dishes were clean and dry when we woke up this morning. The tub was dry as well. I think this machine takes longer to dry things than our old dishwasher, but it isn't a problem since I only run the machine once a day before I go to bed. This thing sure is quiet. I can't even tell it is on when it is running. 

Since I used up the cooler part of the day mowing the grass, I went to the gym this afternoon to get my steps. I stopped at the pharmacy on the way to pick up a prescription and discovered once again that GoodRx had a much better price than my Part-D prescription drug plan. The pharmacist said my Part-D rates would get better once I met my yearly deductible, but why bother. The GoodRx price is so much better.

I'm glad they opened up the basketball court again at my gym. Shooting baskets is one of the few things I actually enjoy while I'm there. They closed the court for a long time because I guess they thought people might catch Covid by touching basketballs. Sadly, now that things are finally returning to normal at the gym, they are crazier than ever everywhere else. Gas is expensive, food is expensive, the stock market is tanking, and everyone seems angry.

It was still pretty early when I finished my workout and returned home, so I decided to bite the bullet and upgrade the star tracker again. I wish they'd decide that this thing was ready for production and stop the almost weekly upgrades. Some of the upgrades make things better and others make things worse. Every time I do an upgrade, I'm afraid my Polaris will stop working again. Actually I'm surprised that the Benro folks have done as well as they have. They're attempting to create a product that can be controlled by hundreds of different cameras that all work a little bit differently. Luckily, this upgrade went smoothly. Everything still works. I took a few test shots and put the contraption back in its box. I"m sure there will be at least ten more firmware upgrades before I get a chance to take this thing back to the observatory again.

It was one of those rare days when everything went right. I didn't kill myself mowing the grass. The new dishwasher works like a charm. And the star tracker still provides me with an odd amount of pleasure every time I can get it to work. Dawn was even a bit friendlier with me today. All in all, I'd call today a win.

Shadow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4512

There are only four Dalmatians at the kennel now. Dorothy found her forever home this week. Sammy has not been staying at the kennel since she's been busy raising eleven puppies. The puppies are all weaned now and ready to go to their new homes, so Sammy was able to go to her forever home this week as well. Rocket is the only one of our puppy mill dogs that has not found a home yet. He will soon though. He is overcoming his fears and each week we see him he acts more and more like a normal dog.

We are really pleased with Rocket's progress. He has gone from a terrified dog who wouldn't even come near us, to a much happier dog who wags his tail and runs to greet us when we arrive with a bag of treats. We even managed to teach Rocket to sit today, which was a major accomplishment.

We know why it is going to take Charlie a little longer to find a home, but it's a mystery why Oliver and Jo Jo haven't already been adopted. Both dogs are some of the friendliest we've ever had in the program. Oliver loves to play and Jo Jo just wants attention. Maybe people want a smaller dog. Oliver and Jo Jo are both larger male Dalmatians. Maybe their luck will change soon. All these dogs really deserve a great home.

I spent a big chunk of today unpacking and doing laundry from the trip. Everything is back in it's proper place now and ready for the next adventure. It's a shame that travel has become so expensive. I wouldn't mind spending more time at McDonald Observatory as well as Kennedy Space Center. You may wonder why I spend so much time at these two locations. The answer is easy. They feel like home. I avoid people in Dallas, but I always find folks that seem like kindred spirits at the observatory and the space center. Rocket launches and the night sky never get old to me. I'll keep going back because it is just more satisfying than visiting someplace new as a tourist.

I went to the bank today and picked up prescriptions for myself and Dawn. When I went to pick up my prescription at the pharmacy, I was confused. "Didn't I just pick up this same pill last week," I asked. The pharmacist checked and sure enough I was right. It turned out that I had two separate prescriptions for the same medicine. One renewed in 30 days and the other renewed in 90 days. "Let's just cancel the 30 day prescription," I said. One more example of automated systems run amok. For some reason neither my doctor or the pharmacist ever noticed that there were two identical prescription floating around in the system.

Almost every day something we need goes up in price. It's not just travel expenses. My storage warehouse had a dramatic price increase this year. Real estate taxes are up. The cell phone bill keeps getting higher even though I don't make any calls. Today I got a letter from my primary care doctor saying that the clinic was going to raise rates again in July. Concierge doctors were always expensive, but this is getting ridiculous. I'm just glad I'm not trying to buy a house. Housing is what has really gotten ridiculous.

Dawn didn't want to walk this morning because it rained last night. She's a strange dog. The thunder and lightning last night didn't bother her at all, but getting her paws wet is another story. She just doesn't want to walk on wet ground. By the time Janet and I returned from the kennel, the weather was nice again and we had a nice walk with Dawn. As I often do, I continued walking after Dawn finished her one mile loop. I guess I'm still tired from my trip because I couldn't complete my regular six mile route. Maybe I'll have to change the name of this blog from "Some Assembly Required" to "Perpetually Tired."

Bogart is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4503

I had to pick up some prescriptions while I was grocery shopping this morning and out of curiosity I asked the pharmacist if I would save any money if I used GoodRx instead of my prescription drug plan. "Well, let's see," she said. The pharmacist picked a random bottle out of my order and looked it up. "This would cost you $3.65 using GoodRx and $34 using your Supplemental Part-D plan. I was shocked. "So why am I paying all this money every month for my prescription drug plan," I asked? The pharmacist just shrugged. "A lot of people are just using GoodRx these days," she said. Looks like I'll be adding another app to my phone.

Smartphone apps have taken over the world. They're cheaper and more efficient than employees and everyone wants you to use them. Janet wanted me to pick up something at the store that she said was on sale. I returned without it, because it wasn't on sale after all. "You have to use the coupon on the store's app," Janet said. "They scan it at the register and the price comes off your bill." Who knew? Janet has apps from dozens of different stores on her phone. I have none. Well, I guess I do have one, but even that app that lets me bypass the register at one store is starting to irritate me. I've learned how to do things a certain way and find it frustrating when I am forced to change.

It was even windier today than yesterday. I wonder what is causing this? At least we still get a decent amount of rain, so the wind doesn't cause wildfires like it does out west. Our part of the country seems to be in some sort of a sweet spot where the climate isn't changing as rapidly as it is in other parts of the country. Temperatures are getting much hotter out West. They are actually getting a little cooler here.

It was nice and cool today. If it wasn't for the unrelenting wind, it would have been a very pleasant day for walking. I completed my full six miles this afternoon, but foot problems definitely slowed me down. I can't decide if the Hoka boots or the lighter Hoka running shoes are more comfortable. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages. Basically, the last mile is hard no matter what I'm wearing.

It's been interesting to watch the construction of the new bike trail through the park. Whoever is building this thing is much more efficient than the highway department. I've been amazed at how fast the construction is proceeding and how nice the results look. It looks like the entire project will be finished by early Summer, just like they promised. The only bad thing about this new super trail is that it will bring even more bicycles to the park. Bicycles and dog walkers don't mix well. We always have to keep any eye out for bicycles when we are walking Dawn. She likes to meander from one side of the trail to the other following the best smells. Bicycles are silent and deadly. We always have to make sure that Dawn isn't wandering into their path. It seems to be an unwritten rule that bicycles never slow down for anymore.

I tried to learn a few more features of the star tracker camera this afternoon. It would be nice to just take one camera out to the observatory and this one has to go with the star tracker. Once again I'm faced with the issue of learning new things. I know the camera I use for taking dog pictures backwards and forwards. This new one, not so much. The menu structure on these two cameras is completely different even though they can share lenses. I may end up having to take both cameras because the learning curve on the new one is a bit steeper than I'd hoped.

I got Chinese take out for dinner again. This time I checked my order at the restaurant to make sure that I was actually taking home what I ordered. This week has gone quickly. It's almost time for Dawn's Sunday outing again. Hopefully, it won't be quite so windy tomorrow.

Wyatt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4327

I ran a bunch of small errands today. I picked up the prescriptions my doctor called in when I had my physical exam a few days ago. My prescriptions always get renewed whenever I have an exam whether I need more pills or not. Now I've got too many pills again. I got a new aerator for a bathroom faucet at a plumbing supply store. I forgot to have the plumber replace this when he was out to the house a few weeks ago. It was surprisingly hard to find an aerator that fit because the faucet was European and had different threads than most faucets. I took my vaccination card back to the doctor's office so the nurse could add my booster shot information. Now I'm wondering what the new electronic card on my phone is good for if it can't be updated. Actually, it probably can be updated, but it will take most doctors forever to learn how. My doctor didn't even know there was an electronic card. Since the colonoscopy doctor was just across the hall from my regular doctor, I visited them too to ask if they'd filled the prep kit prescription yet. Nope. I hope they remember because their office isn't open this weekend. I wasted a lot of time doing not very much, but all these things needed to be taken care of.

It was still windy and cold today. It's time to start wearing long sleeved shirts again. There's a fine line for me between pleasantly cool and cold. It was getting pretty close to cold this morning. I have a coat for every season, so I was comfortable walking, but I still enjoy shirtsleeve weather the best. Dawn certainly seems to enjoy the cooler weather, although the wind sometimes scares her. She took a longer sunrise walk today on a very brisk early morning.

My arm doesn't hurt any more from the Covid shot. I don't feel as tired either. I guess this means that I have no excuse to keep postponing mowing the yard now. I keep wanting to wait a little longer so I only have to do this one more time this season. It's hard to predict when the grass will stop growing. Occasionally we'll get a warm spell in December and the grass will start growing again.  I should probably get a yard service like all my other neighbors, but we have a small yard and mowing is actually good exercise. I don't like mowing the grass at all, but I do like being self sufficient.

I ran all my errands today early in the afternoon, hoping that there would be less traffic. This plan didn't work at all. Traffic has gotten so bad in Dallas that it seems like rush hour all the time now. If doesn't matter when I leave the house. There are always a ton of cars on the road. There's always a lot of construction too, which makes things even worse. I definitely miss the empty roads of far West Texas. I won't be going back there any time soon though. I'd better get used to life in the city for a while.

I have this urge to buy more gadgets when I really should be saving my money to fix things around the house. I keep putting things off because I hate the idea of having strangers inside the house. Other than the plumber and my HVAC guy, I don't know anyone I trust anyway. When I used to own rent property I always had repair work done between tenants. It's a lot easier to work on a house when it is empty. When you are actually living in the place, even simple things like painting or replacing carpets can be problematic. Just removing all the books from the bookshelves in my office so someone could paint behind them would be a nightmare. Workmen are always going in and out and leaving doors open too. That just doesn't work when you have dogs. 

Tomorrow is grocery day again. Where does the time go? My list is a little longer this week, so I'm going to get started as early as I can. Anything to avoid the crowds.

Dakota is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4191

We came up with a new plan to beat the heat. It involved getting up early and walking Dawn before sunrise. It was actually quite nice outside at 6 AM. The temperature was only 75 degrees and there was a pleasant breeze. Dawn loved the early walk. She walked briskly without any hesitation at all. I was planning to go to the gym today, but our early walk was so enjoyable that I thought I'd take my own longer walk right after breakfast. I probably should have just skipped breakfast and kept walking. The temperature wasn't bad when I left the house, but by the time I reached my halfway point it was getting pretty hot. It's amazing how quickly the temperature rises on a sunny day. I should have left the house an hour earlier. By the time I returned home I was just as hot and sweaty as I usually am.

Getting up early is a good plan. We've done this during the summer with our other dogs. The older you get, the easier it is to sleep in late though. Dawn is no help. She'd sleep till noon if Janet didn't go out to the kitchen in the morning and start rattling plates. I'm just going to have to start going to bed earlier. I should have started writing the blog in the mornings about what I planned to do instead of writing in the evenings about what I actually did. As it stands now, it's hard for me to get to bed before midnight.

Getting an early start didn't help me get any more done today. It was way too hot outside to do yard work and I'm growing tired of watching YouTube videos about astrophotography. I ended up paying some June bills and then going to the pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions. I thought I had a good prescription drug plan, but my prescriptions keep getting more expensive. What else is new. Everything keeps getting more expensive.

While I was driving to the pharmacy I noticed that there was a road crew re-paving one of the streets in our neighborhood. I wonder how the city decides which streets to fix? This street had been resurfaced only a few years ago, while other streets in the neighborhood have been ignored for decades. We may need to take a different route tomorrow, since we typically use this street to get down to the park.

The new mount for my star tracker arrived today. There were no instructions. Figuring out how to use this thing will give me something to do tomorrow. I don't think I need to worry about breaking it. The mount looks indestructible. I wonder how long it's going to be before I start actively using this stuff? I'm sure I could find dark skies closer to Dallas than McDonald Observatory, but I don't feel like wandering around in the dark in a strange area. Maybe I need to join a local astronomy club. Even after in-person viewing events resume, I'd still have to drive home very late at night though. It's a problem. I feel much more comfortable all alone on the top of Mount Locke than in the middle of a city full of crazy people at night.

I need to get Penny's picture up on the Dalmatian Rescue website. I should have done this today, but I'm slow about everything these days. There was a small plumbing leak I was going to fix today as well. Oh, well. There's always tomorrow. I can already tell that it's going to be a long, hot summer. I just hope the air conditioner doesn't break.

Shadow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4039

Whenever I tackle a project that I've been avoiding for a long time, I usually realize why I kept putting things off. Today I cleaned the deterrgent dispenser in the washing machine. This is a long sliding drawer with slots for detergent, bleach, and fabric softener. Over time it becomes caked with a nasty black scum. You'd think that if you kept pouring soap into this thing, it would stay clean. Nope. I don't know why it gets nasty like this, but it's a bear to remove from the washing machine and clean. Today, when I removed the dispenser I noticed a crack in one of the machine's exterior panels. The cracked panel had been hidden by the dispenser and was probably caused when an appliance repairman didn't reassemble the machine properly. I can't really blame the repairman. Modern equipment isn't built to be disassembled. I've taken apart enough things to realize that it is almost impossible to reassemble something to factory tolerances.

Eventually I got the part cleaned and reassembled, but I was smart enough not to start another project. I turned on the computer and paid some bills online. This was much easier. When I saw an option to go paperless on the bill payment websites I clicked on it. The only way I'm going to get rid of all these paper documents in the office is to stop getting new ones.

I had to go to the pharmacy and pick up a prescription as well. If I don't pick these up promptly, the pharmacy keeps calling me every day. I never run out of meds now. For some reason all my prescriptions get filled way ahead of time. I've told the doctors to just wait until I run out, but everything is on automatic pilot these days. It's easier to just save all the pills until I need then than it is to get anything changed.

Janet is making progress with Dawn. They walked a little further today and Dawn didn't balk or freeze at all. Janet said Dawn seemed to enjoy her walk, even though they didn't go nearly as far as we used to. It will be interesting to see how Dawn reacts when I rejoin them. We'll continue solo walks for a few more days and then see if we can all walk together again. It shouldn't make any difference, but we don't really know what Dawn is thinking.

In an effort to keep things interesting, I walked someplace new today. In this section of the park the Double-crested Cormorants roosted in trees and there were lots of small Bufflehead and Ruddy ducks. I wasn't that far from my usual path but the lake and the wildlife looked completely different. I ended up walking about six miles and that was plenty. I still don't think I'm getting as much exercise as I was when I went to the gym, but I'm not ready to return yet.

While I was at the pharmacy to get my meds, I picked up some fried chicken and a kale salad for dinner. You might not think these two things go together, but this is how I eat. I like smoked meats and fried chicken, but I do eat a lot of green vegetables. I don't walk fast, but I do keep moving. All in all, I think I'm doing a pretty decent job of staying healthy without punishing myself.

This week has gone quickly. I've taken the trash out to the curb, looked up at the grey, light polluted sky and wondered what I'm doing in Dallas. Next week I'll do the same thing.

Kasey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3960

Another wet day. Today seemed almost identical to yesterday. It was cold and raining when we woke up. We had to delay our morning walk. And it was still cold when things tried off enough to walk later in the day. Damp cold days aren't the same as dry cold days to Dawn. About halfway through our planned five mile walk she stopped in her tracks and wouldn't go any further. She'd had enough of the wet weather and was ready to go home. She was the wise one today. When we arrived home a little earlier than we'd planned, I realized that I didn't want to walk any further either. It was a nasty day and staying at home in a warm house was definitely the smart thing to do.

My senior moments come more frequently now. Last night I discovered that I had completely run out of one of the pills I take every evening. Since most of my meds auto-renew, I don't even think about running out anymore. I was sure I must have a new supply somewhere, but I couldn't find it anywhere. Oops. When I tried to sort things out this morning, I discovered that the annual exam when I usually get this pill renewed for another year was always in September. Why did I think it was in November this year? The doctor never reminded me of the September appointment because I never made an appointment. My bad. I'm so used to doctors and dentists pestering me about upcoming visits that it never occurred to me that scheduling appointments was my responsibility. It's all sorted out now, but I still don't have the pills I need. They were out of stock at my pharmacy and needed to be ordered.

I tried to buy some N-95 masks for my trip to Florida on Amazon this afternoon. The first thing I discovered was that you needed a business account to shop for PPE. No problem. I have a business account on Amazon. I found the masks I needed and put them in my cart. The checkout process seemed normal until I got to the end. Instead of completing my order, I got a message saying that there had been a problem and my order had been canceled. I tried several times to complete the order and finally discovered that Amazon didn't think my company was a proper medical organization. They could have just told me this up front and saved me a lot of time. 

When I was trying to select the mask I wanted, I read a lot of the comments. Evidently most N-95 masks are not made for medical use. They are made for drywall contractors, exterminators, woodworkers, and other trades that do dusty or hazardous work. These people are furious that they can't find the masks they need for their trade anymore. Jeez. It's been over eight months now. Wouldn't you think that someone would have figured out how to make enough of these things? Hardware stores used to be filled with industrial masks. Not anymore. I can't believe there is still a shortage of N-95 masks and Clorox wipes. 

Truthfully, I can't believe a lot of what goes on these days. The world has gone nuts. The European nations who supposedly did everything right about the pandemic are having a huge resurgence of the virus. The Chinese, who started this whole mess, don't appear to be having any problems at all. It doesn't make sense. Two senile old men are running for president and nobody seems to realize that this is a problem. There is no objective news media anymore. Everyone is just pushing an agenda. If you don't like something, you just call it fake news. Social media isn't content with controlling our friendships and buying habits. Now they want to censor us as well. The world is slipping off the rails, but instead of rational, logical solutions, people keep asking for more empathy. 

I'm tired of all this. I wish there was a remote island where I could put up some solar panels and have a helicopter drop me supplies from time to time. I'm a realist though. Little islands routinely get blown away by hurricanes. If the weather stayed nice, I'd probably get eaten by alligators. I guess I've got to make my peace with the world, even if it means wearing my crappy Chinese made KN-95 masks to Florida.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3394

I wish we could get Dash eating normally again. All the changes we've had to make to keep him eating are causing havoc with his digestive system. We had more diarrhea last night. Solid poop is easy to clean up. Diarrhea is a mess. We had to take Dash outside in the middle of the night and hose him off. There was a lot of laundry to do as well.

I'm pretty sure that if we could get Dash back on track with his chicken, rice, and vegetable stew his digestive problems would go away. He won't touch the stuff anymore. We can't use Metronidazole to clear up the diarrhea either. He seems to have a bad reaction to the stuff. In the past, these digestive problems have been temporary. I'm still hoping that we can get back to normal soon.

Maybe normal doesn't even exist anymore. Walks aren't normal anymore. Dash seems confused and gets lost more often. I can sense when he's becoming tired before he does, but it can be very difficult to get him turned around. Dash may have dementia, but he's just as stubborn as he always was. The rubber boots are wearing out faster because Dash is dragging his right rear leg more. We are walking slower too. Despite all these difficulties, Dash still insists on these daily walks. They are the one thing he still seems to enjoy.

I picked up prescriptions for Dash and myself today. My co-pay has gone up because my pharmacy isn't on my provider's preferred list anymore. This is such a nuisance. I like my pharmacy and they know my history well. I don't really want to change. You've got to wonder what is going on behind the scenes to try to force customers to go to certain pharmacies? Truthfully, I probably wouldn't want to know. The same drug should cost the same everywhere. Sadly, we're not even close to uniform drug prices. Dash's prescription are always much easier to deal with than mine.

What an amazing time we live in. First we get pictures of Pluto and today we see a black hole for the first time. I read several articles about how scientists imaged the back hole. It all sounded incredibly complex to me. Surprisingly, the black hole looked very much like the ones you see in science fiction movies. It's a big week in space. Tomorrow Israel will try to land a spacecraft on the moon and Space X will try to launch its monster Falcon Heavy rocket for the second time. Things are moving fast. Maybe I might live to see humans land on Mars after all.

The week is moving swiftly. I still need to get a haircut. I need to pick up something to eat for dinner tomorrow too. The refrigerator is looking empty. Scratch that. Actually, the refrigerator is full, but it's all things for Dash to eat. Hopefully, he'll find something he likes.

Apollo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3253

I got a letter saying that I needed to change my pharmacy to continue getting the "preferred rate" on prescription drugs. This has happened before. I wonder what goes on behind the scenes at insurance and pharmaceutical companies. Prices and procedures are always changing with no explanation. Are generic drugs really the same as their brand name equivalent? Why do Dash's pills cost substantially less than mine? Often he takes the same pills that humans do. All I know is that healthcare has become way too complicated and is much more expensive than it needs to be. Jeez. I don't want to change my pharmacy for some stupid bureaucratic reason. I like my pharmacy. I need to check and see what this "preferred rate" really is. It may be nothing. The government always likes to scare you into doing things their way. I'm always willing to pay a little more to do things my way.

I was surprised to see that half the junk I took out to the curb yesterday is already gone. All the metal objects are gone. People drive by and scavenge the bulky trash piles. I guess they sell the metal at recycling plants. The city seems more than happy with this practice because there is less trash for them to pick up. The whole thing seems kind of sad to me, but what do I know. You know the old saying: one man's trash is another man's treasure. I did haul some pretty heavy metal objects to the curb yesterday. There was no copper though. It was only steel. Can you make money scavenging steel from trash piles? Like the true cost of prescription drugs, this is probably something I'll never know.

I had to leave the house for a meeting at noon today. Once again, it was hard to get ready in time. By the time I clean up all the poop, make the bed, walk Dash, eat breakfast, and take a shower, it is almost always noon. It's getting harder and harder to do more than one thing a day now. Today's meeting wasn't even necessary. My business bank wants to start selling me investments now that I'm retired. I keep telling them that I already have all the investment advice I need, but they are persistent.    I wonder why they don't understand that I want from them is the kind of service they were giving me fifteen years ago. Unfortunately, nobody wants to provide the type of service they offered fifteen years ago. That ship has sailed.

How do you prescribe bed rest for a dog? I'm having a hard time getting the cut on Dash's paw to heal, because he is always scraping the scab that is trying to form. He wears socks in the house now, but they are always falling off. The boots are too heavy to wear around the house, but the boots are what keep the socks on. At least the wound is trying to heal now. Dash just isn't a very good patient.

I woke up to find poop in the bed again last night. Dash didn't even wake up. Sometimes when the poop is firm I can pick it up with a poop bag without leaving a stain. I did this last night and just went back to bed without waking anyone up. I did wash the bedspread in the morning, but it still looked pretty clean. I don't know if I'm becoming better at cleanup or just more casual about poop. When stuff like this happens every night, it's hard to get very upset about it.

I've got my eye exam tomorrow. I think my eyes are still pretty good, but I have a tendency to rationalize my body's slow deterioration. I guess it wouldn't be the end of the world if I needed to wear glasses. I just hope I never have macular degeneration like my Dad.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3212

I woke up this morning thinking that Hurricane Michael was going to be the only calamity today. Then the stock market dropped 800 points. So far, the hurricane seems to have done less damage than everybody expected. I'm kind of worried that today's big market sell off is just the first sign of more damage ahead. I can avoid hurricanes by choosing not to live near the coast. I'm not sure I can avoid financial disaster though. I don't think I'll live long enough to recover from another crash like we had in 2008.

Is a little stability too much to ask? The weather seems to be becoming more volatile. Politics has become way too volatile for my taste. The financial markets have always been volatile. Even my own house seems volatile, with something breaking or falling apart almost every week. I would love to see stability return. Persistent chaos is wearing me out.

Dash woke me up three times last night. The first time I took him outside, he did nothing. The second time, he eventually peed after smelling every bush in the yard. The third time, he pooped on the porch and then turned around and stepped in his mess on his way back inside. By the time I'd finished cleaning his feet and the porch, I was wide awake again. Eventually, I returned to bed, only to discover that Dash had already stolen my place.

I made arrangements this morning to take my remaining art to the auction house. Luckily, this auction house is located right here in town, so I won't need to pack or ship anything. One photo I was consigning had been on the wall for so long that I had ended up building a bookshelf around it. I had to disassemble part of the bookshelf so I could reach behind the frame and remove it from the hook on the wall. It was a lot more work than I anticipated. I certainly hope the auction house accepts everything tomorrow. The walls are starting to look pretty bare, but I'm not in the mood to deal with this stuff again.

It's time to pick up a new supply of Phenobarbital for Dash. I wish he didn't have to take so many meds. He'd probably feel more normal without the Phenobarbital, but he'd almost certainly start having epileptic seizures again within a week or two. I'd like to stop taking some of my own meds as well. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, these medications actually do work. Dash and I both need to keep our blood pressure under control. I need to watch my cholesterol. Dash lost his thyroid to cancer, so he needs thyroid medication. The list is long. Taking meds has become a complex ritual, but these pills are probably why we're both alive today.

The weather was beautiful this morning. It was a little chilly and I had to wear a light jacket on our morning walk for the first time this Fall. I think I heard the furnace come on last night as well. Although everything looks fine now, I need to remember that winter is coming.

Neo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3010

Dash was in a weird mood today. We'd only walked about half a block this morning when he froze and wouldn't go any further. Although the street was completely empty, he seemed panicked for some reason and was trying to run back to the house. We tried again a couple of hours later and Dash refused to leave the yard. Inexplicably, around 11:30 AM, he decided he was ready to walk and headed toward the park as if nothing had happened. We took a nice long walk without incident and I never could figure out why he balked at the idea earlier.

When I tried to renew Dash's Plavix prescription this morning the pharmacist told me that the prescription had expired. It took forever to get the prescription renewed. The vet would tell me that they had called the prescription in and then the pharmacy would tell me that the hadn't received anything. I kept asking the vet to try again but the prescription wasn't going through. I think everyone was getting annoyed with me, but I really needed to get the Plavix today. Eventually, the vet and the pharmacist connected and I was able to go pick up Dash's meds. I had to pick up something for myself as well. The only problem with my prescription was that it was too expensive.

I haven't used my large format printer in several months, so I was apprehensive about turning it on this morning. I didn't have anything to print today, but knew that the longer I waited, the harder it was going to be to unclog the lines. As I expected, the printer was hopelessly clogged. I used up two of the eight ink cartridges running the cleaning program and was still not able to clear the lines. Reluctantly, I called my supplier and ordered some more ink. I might as well add the printer to all the other broken stuff that needs to be fixed.

There seems to be a perfect storm of bad news that is sending the market into a tailspin. I miss the days when people bought and sold stock based on whether a company was making money or not. Now market moves are almost entirely fueled by fear and greed. Why are people so upset about Facebook? Facebook's entire business model is based on selling our information. We are the product and advertisers are the customers. It's always been that way. It's pretty easy to opt out of just about everything on Facebook too. People are just too lazy to go to their settings page. I don't understand the panic about tariffs either. There is not going to be a trade war with China. Both countries depend on trade with each other. Tariffs are silly and ineffectual, but most modern presidents have imposed them at one time or another. I don't know why rising interest rates would cause a panic either. We actually need interest rates to go up a little. The Fed has kept interest rates artificially low for way too long. Why can't people act rationally about money? I guess that's too much to expect in a world ruled by emotions.

It was a slow day so I did an extensive search of nearby breakfast restaurants. I must have looked at two dozen menus and found nothing that appealed to me. Why is this so hard? I don't think I'm that picky. I've enjoyed a perfect breakfast numerous times. It just seems difficult to find this illusive meal again.

Truthfully, everything seems somewhat illusive these days. I don't know whether it's me or the world in general, but I'm beginning to feel like a stranger in a strange land. I think it would take a time machine to return me to a place that felt familiar.

Brooke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3007

We're making progress. It only took the new appliance repairman five minutes to find something that all three of the previous repairmen missed. It wasn't a bad component. It was just a loose wire. None of the previous repairmen had bothered to remove the evaporator fan. If they had taken this extra step they would have clearly seen the loose wire behind the fan housing that prevented the defrost heater from operating properly. After reconnecting the wire, today's repairmen tested all the components in the defrost circuit to make sure they worked and then told me that he suspected that none of the components I'd replaced were bad in the first place. We'll see if today's visit solves my problem. I think there's a good chance that it did.

I guess today was my lucky day. Not only did the refrigerator get repaired, Dash took an afternoon walk as well. I still have no idea why he'll refuse to leave the yard on some days and walk normally on others. I think it has something to do with smell, because Dash always smells the air intently before deciding whether to walk or not. The decision doesn't seem to have anything to do with whether he's tired or not. Sometimes he refuses to walk when he clearly has a lot of energy. I'll probably never know what goes on in Dash's mind. I was just glad that he decided to take two walks today,

I like talking with good repairmen. They seem similar to me in many ways. They all seem to enjoy the problem solving aspect of fixing things and can't stand to work in an office environment. Most of them like working on their own. The guy who came over today used to be an auto mechanic, but said he preferred repairing appliances because most garages weren't air conditioned. "It just gets too hot in the Summer," he told me. I've learned a lot by talking with repairmen. I doubt that I'd make a great repairmen myself, but I do enjoy knowing how things work.

I picked up the wrong meds for Dash again today. I've done this several times in a row this month. I really need to remember to check the pills before I leave the vets office, but my brain seems to be on autopilot. I always take the bag home and then I open it up. Old habits die hard I guess.

They say today's big market sell off was caused by Facebook. I don't know why people are so upset that Facebook is selling their secrets. I've known this for years. If I even think about buying something, there will be an ad for the same thing on my Facebook timeline within a matter of minutes. Every time you take one of those online quizzes, marketers know a little more about you. I think most people would be shocked at how much Google and Facebook already know about us. They didn't have to pry the information out of us either. We willingly just gave it away. I wouldn't be selling any Facebook stock. People aren't going to close their accounts because Facebook is selling their secrets. They're already addicted to social media.

I hope I have put my refrigerator woes behind me. I won't know for sure whether the repair was successful until the refrigerator goes through several normal defrost cycles. If the refrigerator is really fixed, I'm going to move on to the toilet. Fixing the toilet should be a piece of cake compared to this refrigerator.

Pringles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2974 - Valentines Day

I don't understand AT&T at all. A couple of guys came out to bury the fiber optic line today. After they'd been working for a while I went outside to see what they were doing. Much to my surprise, they were laying an entirely new cable. "Why aren't you burying the cable that is already hooked up," I asked? "That's just the temporary cable," one of the guys said. They didn't hear me when I mentioned that both cables were exactly the same. "Aren't you going to hook the new cable up," I asked when they were finished. "We don't know how," one guy told me. The other guy said that someone else would come back later in the week to connect the new cable they just buried. Jeez. That's three trips for one cable. I don't get it.

I ended up getting cupcakes after all. I'm superstitious and I hate to mess with tradition on symbolic holidays. As usual, there was a long line at Sprinkles. Every single woman in line was texting someone or checking their Facebook page. None of the men were. This probably means something, but I'm not going to hazard a guess.

I went to pick up a prescription on the way home from the cupcake store. "Medicare won't let us fill this prescription until Saturday," the pharmacist said. "But I'm out of pills," I told her. "You shouldn't be,"  the pharmacist told me. I couldn't convince her that I only had two pills left. I think they miscounted the number of pills they gave me 90 days ago, but there is no way of proving it. Whatever. I guess I'll just skip a few days.

I did get Dash's prescription filled. It's always easier to deal with veterinarians than with my own doctors. I often wonder why veterinary medicine is so much more straightforward and affordable than human medicine. Probably it's because insurance isn't involved. Once insurance companies enter the picture, prices tend to skyrocket.

I was going to pick up something for dinner at Central Market, but I couldn't find a parking place anywhere. Not only were all the spaces filled, there were dozens of car circling around waiting for people to leave. One long line was enough for today, so I gave up and went home. There wasn't much in the refrigerator, but I made some pasta with a leftover meatball, some olive oil, and a piece of cheese. My creation was surprisingly good. It's too bad I don't like to cook because my own meals are almost always better than the take out dinners I live on during the week.

I've started watching the Olympics because it's getting hard to avoid it on TV. Curling is surprisingly interesting. It took me a while to figure out what the brooms and all the sweeping was about. Did the sweeping make the rock go faster or slower?  Apparently, sweeping the ice decreases friction and makes the rock go faster and straighter. The game is kind of like shuffleboard, but involves a lot of finesse and strategy. Admittedly, curling is not as exciting as watching Shaun White do back-to-back 1440s, but it's an intriguingly pleasant game I can watch while I'm eating dinner.

I wonder when the fiber optic technician is going to return. I never dreamed this installation would be so complicated. A fiber optic connection is very fast, but I'm not even sure I need fast anymore. I rarely upload or download huge files anymore. I'd rather have rock solid reliability than speed. I was actually happy enough with the 2800 baud modem I used back in the 1990's.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2921

I went to a local smokehouse and got a smoked ham for our Christmas dinner. I'm quite fond of smoked and cured meats. It's a shame they are so bad for you. They say smoked meats can cause cancer. Unfortunately, just about everything in our modern world can cause cancer. Rather than trying to eliminate all these tasty things from my diet, I've decided that it's OK to enjoy them in moderation.

I have ambiguous feelings about meat these days. I still enjoy a good steak, but I feel guilty about my eating habits whenever I see those cute pictures of pet piglets on my Facebook page. Why does bacon have to taste so good? I've tried to become a vegetarian several times, but I've come to the conclusion that I don't really like vegetables. My favorite meatless dishes are Indian curries that so spicy you can't really tell what you're eating.

I do think the way pigs and chickens are treated on factory farms is terrible. You have to be honest about where your food is coming from. I know that's it probably just a token gesture to eat grass fed, pasture raised, hormone free meat, but that's where I am right now. There was a flyer in the smokehouse about how well their locally sourced, pasture raised pork is treated. Nevertheless, I'm still eating one of the smartest animals on the planet.

Dogs don't have to deal with all this moral uncertainty. They are natural carnivores who would never turn down an invitation to enjoy a juicy piece of meat. Dash's appetite has definitely improved after we decreased his intake of dry kibble and increased the amount of venison and chicken he gets. Animals are more honest about what they eat than we are. Carnivores eat other animals. Herbivores eat plants and in turn are eaten by the carnivores. This elaborate and seemingly cruel food chain helped keep the planet in balance for millions of years until humans started monkeying around with things. Vegans don't occur in nature. Humans invented the concept when some of us didn't like the fact that we are natural omnivores. I know processed foods are bad for you. I know that 70% of the food on my plate should be plant based. Hey, if I want to get my protein from meat though, that's OK. Food choices should be based on biology, not ideology.

I didn't really do much today, but as you can see, even a quick trip to the smokehouse can provide me with plenty to write about. Dash threw up this afternoon, but I don't think it had anything to do with his vestibular disease. We tried to brush his teeth today and he threw up right afterwards. I think he hated the taste of the toothpaste. It's getting harder and harder to keep his teeth clean now that he is no longer a good candidate for anesthesia.

I went to pick up some meds for Dash at the vet this afternoon and confused the pharmacist by giving him the wrong name for the pills I was picking up. Jeez, I need to stop asking for enalapril when I'm really trying to get amlodapine. Dash takes so many meds that it's easy to get confused. It's easy enough to get confused with my own meds. What did we do before there was a pill for everything?

I can't decide whether to go to the gym tomorrow. It's Christmas Eve, but it's also Sunday. For a creature of habit like me, it's a tough choice.

Ziggy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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