Day 2423

The roofers came today. I don't know why they made me wait so long, considering how little time it actually took to make the repairs. In fairness, I do think they did a pretty good job. We'll have to wait until it rains to see if the repairs were successful. The high-tech coating they used is amazing when it works. If it doesn't dry completely, or the surface isn't cleaned properly before the coating is applied, it just washes away with the first rain. Maybe we'll get lucky this time. According to the weather report, it is supposed to be hot and dry for the rest of the week. The roofers tell me that the product needs 24 hours to cure. In my experience, it would be a lot safer to let it cure for 24 days.

The weather is so hot now that I'm faced with the choice of a huge water bill or a dry and parched lawn. If our yard got more sunlight, I'd plant one of those Xeriscape gardens. Many of our neighbors have landscaped using native plants that don't require much water. Some of these gardens look very nice, but they all seem to require a lot of sunlight. There really isn't a good solution for our yard, since the root systems for the large Oak trees steal the water away from all the other plants. No matter how much you water, the trees seem to get most of it. I didn't water today, but I'll probably have to soak things down tomorrow if I want the grass to stay green.

The only water I used today was for washing the car. I don't know why a clean car is important to me, since it mostly just sits in the driveway. Since Dot doesn't have physical therapy this week, there is no reason for me to leave the house at all until I run out of food. Mostly when I go places these days, it's just to avoid cabin fever. I still go to the post office, although I could easily just leave outgoing mail in my box for the postman like a normal person. I don't really need to go to the bank either, because there's an app on my phone that lets me scan and deposit checks electronically. It's kind of silly that I spent so much time worrying about the pet cam yesterday. Most of the time, the dogs are less than ten feet away.

Instead of leaving the house and spending money I didn't have, I sat down and wrote another letter to my Luddite sister. It's weird to think that fifteen years ago, this was the way I communicated with everybody. There's something quaint about picking up a pen and writing a letter. It reminds me of a time when life was simple. I could pick up the phone and call this sister anytime, but I never do. I kind of like the slow ritual of sending letters back and forth.

Dot almost caught a squirrel today. The hotter it gets, the slower our yard squirrels move. This afternoon there was one lounging on the back porch who didn't appear to want to get out of the way at all. Dot got real excited as she slowly approached the slow moving squirrel. "I got this one," her eyes seemed to be telling me. The squirrel hopped up a nearby tree in the end, but Dot still seemed energized. It was nice to see her acting like a dog again.

Scout is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2328

There was an educational event in the park today to build awareness about the remaining segments of the Blackland Prairie in the area. Only about 1% of the original prairie still exists, but a lot of the remaining grassland is right in our neighborhood and the dogs and I walk through it every day. I was tempted to go to the event and see if I could learn the names of some of the over 190 species of plants that grow in the prairie. A lot of the plants are familiar to me, but there are still a lot that aren't. I notice something new almost every week and am always curious to know what it is. In the back of my mind, I knew I would end up skipping this event, because that's just what I do. There just doesn't seem to be enough time any more. By the time I finish running errands, caring for the dogs, and doing regular weekend chores, the day is gone. I have my priorities too. I would much rather relax and enjoy a leisurely meal, than grab a bite at at a fast food restaurant just so I could drive across town to see something.

I really didn't have much of an excuse for missing the talk about the Blackland Prairie. The event was free and it was only a five minute walk from my house. What did I do instead? I took a nap. I felt quite justified in taking a nap because I don't sleep well these days and my regular routine is tiring. I'll probably miss an upcoming home tour that I used to go to every year for exactly the same reasons. I forget sometimes that I used to enjoy gallery hopping and going out to movies. I don't anymore. I watch movies on a large flat screen in the bedroom and satisfy my curiosity for everything else by looking it up on Google.

Janet is at a Dalmatian Rescue event this evening. She says it would drive her crazy to live like I do. It's a good thing that the reclusive life doesn't bother me, because I'm convinced that Dot depends on having me nearby. Since she stumbles and falls so easily, you can't let her wander around the house unsupervised. She will inevitably fall somewhere and hurt herself. You can't crate her anymore either. Since she is incontinent, she becomes frantic if she poops in her cage and can't get away from the mess. Writing the blog while the dogs sleep actually works out pretty well. I can always see Dot from where I work. If she starts to struggle or need assistance, I'm right there.

I was going to watch the White House Correspondents Dinner on TV tonight, but I discovered that like most events, the dinner was preceded by a pre-game show and a long red carpet segment where reporters gushed about what celebrities were wearing to the event. I got bored and turned the TV off long before the actual jokes even started. It is mush easier to watch events like this on the Internet. I found a live feed from the Washington Post that excerpted the funniest jokes and printed them out in real time. I was able to scan the whole thing in less time than it took to write this paragraph.

I might not know the names of all 190 plants in the park, but I did recognize a patch of Oenothera Speciosa while I was walking Dash this evening. Let's just call the plant a Pink Primrose. It's been a quiet, uneventful day and I'm grateful for that. As soon as I give the dogs their evening pills and take them out to pee, I'm going to bed.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2312

When I was working on a website update this morning, I noticed that one of the design tools I use to create mobile friendly sites was about to expire. The software you need these days is increasingly available only on a subscription basis. I guess I'll need to renew my expensive subscription for another year, even though I don't make that much money designing websites anymore. It's frustrating. I still need my cameras, editing equipment, and sophisticated software, even though my workload has decreased precipitously. It won't be long before it costs me more to maintain my business than I actually make from the business.

Today was a chemotherapy day for Dot. When I was giving her the Palladia pills, I noticed that there weren't enough left to make it until her next exam date. I have a feeling that the cancer center miscounted the pills last month and gave me too few. Of course, they didn't actually give me the pills. I think they cost about $20 each. The question now is did I already pay for the missing pills or not? I called the oncologist and asked what to do next. It looks like I'll have to go to the cancer center and pick up the missing pills tomorrow. I bet I'll have to pay for them too.

I moved my trash can to a different position on the street this week in hopes that the trash crew will notice it tomorrrow morning. My theory is that the truck was turning the corner when they skipped my trash last week. Maybe they didn't see it. It's possible. Of course, maybe they know that I have OCD and just ignored my can to drive me crazy. Hopefully, I'll have better luck this week.

I was going to go back to the sporting goods store that is going out of business to see if I could find some more bargains, but work got in the way. Today's website update was kind of complicated and took a lot of time. This job requires new photography too, so I'll have to schedule a time to go take pictures of new employees next week. Most of my clients have abandoned their employee pages, but a few still seem to like to show the world how quickly their staff turns over. I never recommend employee pages anymore. It looks embarrassing when people keep changing every few weeks.

I think I'll go back to the hipster restaurant tomorrow. The place isn't as fancy as the restaurant I tried last Friday. The silverware is non-existent and there are only three tables, but the food is fabulous. The first time I ate here, I thought all the customers seemed a bit odd. Now, I realize that's why I like the place. I fit in.

When I was paying bills this afternoon, I realized that I simply have to get some more business. The money I used to spend buying cameras and microphones is now used to pay vet bills. I hate feeling broke. In theory, it shouldn't be that hard to get new business. The website I was working on this morning was quite complicated and I knew exactly what to do. There ought to be plenty of other people who could use these skills. I'm sure these people still exist, but I'm not going to meet them in my current reclusive state of mind. I tend to avoid people at all costs. Hmm. I think I've answered my own question. It's a no brainer. If you avoid talking to people and never answer your phone, you're not going to grow your business.

Flash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2284

I woke to the sound of distant thunder. With rain on the horizon, we quickly got the dogs ready, so they could take their morning walk before we all got wet. It wasn't a long walk, but everybody did their business and we got back home again without being struck by lightening. The rain didn't last long, but it will probably be back tomorrow. This is just normal Spring weather in Texas.

After breakfast, I took care of a few new website requests and confirmed Dot's appointment tomorrow at the cancer center. I was glad I made plans to get a haircut today, because there wasn't much else to do. I often do a little shopping at Northpark when I get my hair cut, but I had no desire this afternoon. I drove straight to the salon and was back home again an hour later.

While I was in the chair, I overheard a young millennial talk to his stylist about trying to decide whether to take a vacation or stay in town to study for a test. Nearby an older women was talking to her stylist about selling a large house to live permanently in a motorhome with her husband. Occasionally, I have things to say myself, but today I just listened. I didn't even stop at the Apple Store on the way home. Jeez, I usually love the Apple Store. I hope this isn't a sign that I'm becoming more reclusive. I'm reclusive enough already.

The refrigerator was pretty empty and I thought about picking up some Thai food for dinner. Then I remembered I'd have to go out in rush hour traffic to pick up the to-go order and decided to make a sandwich with the few remaining leftovers instead. It wasn't a great dinner, but it seemed appropriate, since it wasn't a great day either.

Dot was surprisingly strong today. Several times she got up from her bed by herself and surprised me by wandering into the office or the kitchen to see what I was doing. I was impressed that I didn't have to support her rear legs while she was eating dinner this evening. She wobbled a little, but managed to stay on all fours as she slowly and methodically ate her meal. She even pooped outside after dinner. Even though this was a good day for Dot, it's going to be hard to decide whether to continue her chemotherapy when I meet with the oncologist tomorrow.

It's also going to be hard to decide whether to return to my regular breakfast restaurant or try something else on the menu at the new place across the street. The new menu looks tempting, but I'd hate to see the old place go out of business because I was a fickle and unloyal customer. Most of the places I like tend to go out of business anyway, so I like to do what I can to support them.

The trash has been taken out to the curb. The dogs are ready for bed. I'm caught up on work for the week and a have a fresh new haircut. As long as it doesn't rain tomorrow, I'm good to go.

Allie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2075

I feel poor. After paying a horrendous batch of August bills and watching the Dow plunge 531 points in a single day, it was easy to feel a bit discouraged. The stock market is right back where it was in 2011. Four years of gains have been erased in a single week. I just wonder how all this is going to end. Everything is getting more expensive, but wages aren't going up. The stock market rises and falls on political unrest instead of market fundamentals. Everybody wants a job, but fewer and fewer people have marketable skills. It's a mess.

Dot pooped in the house again. This time I was ready for her. I quickly moved a rug out of the way, held her harness so she wouldn't fall, and made sure she did her business on the brick floor instead of ruining another rug. We need to move some of the rugs around. She often poops while she is eating because food makes her excited, but unfortunately the biggest area rug we have is right under her food bowl. We need to start buying Outright by the gallon. Without enzyme cleaners like Outright and Nature's Miracle, many of our rugs would have been totally ruined by now.

I think we're just going to have to learn to live with Dot's condition. You can't leave her outside in the yard to do her business because she can't stand on her own. I can spend half an hour outside holding her harness, but she just won't go until something makes her bark or gets her excited. The challenge now is just looking for the best ways to control the damage. I talked to Dot's oncologist today and she agreed to discontinue the Palladia pills for another two weeks based on the initial results we have witnessed so far. Dot may not be any stronger, but she is definitely feeling better now that we have stopped the chemotherapy for a while. When a full month has passed, we will scan Dot again and see whether discontinuing the Palladia has caused the tumor to grow. Until then, we'll just hope she continues to grow stronger.

I managed to finish almost everything this week. My writing assignments have been turned in. Websites have been updated. Bills have been paid. And new piles of poop have been cleaned up. I'm ready for the weekend. My breakfast restaurant was kind of quiet this morning and I managed to snag one of the three good parking places. For some inexplicable reason, most of the parking places have been re-striped so they are about a foot narrower. Only a smart car of a Mini will fit in these small slots, but that doesn't keep the F-250 pickups from trying. I usually park far away to avoid door dings.

I tried again to get the big rug that Dot soiled yesterday clean. I've washed the rug thoroughly with a hose, but it's going to take about a week for it to dry. Janet already bought a replacement rug, but I'd like to see if I can clean the rug anyway.  I'm sure this is going to happen again. If the rug wasn't so stiff, I could probably take it to a laundromat and wash the thing in one of the big commercial washers. I don't think it would fit in the machine though. You can tell that my brain isn't being fully utilized if my big problem of the day was dealing with a poopy area rug.

We're invited to a party tomorrow. I'm always apprehensive about parties, but we'll probably go. There's a fine line between being a little reclusive and becoming completely anti-social and I don't want to cross it.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1607

I took Janet to the airport again today. Sometimes I think she travels a lot. Other times, I think she's the normal one, and I've become a hopeless recluse instead. At any rate, travel's loss has become the dogs gain. It's been years since we've had to board Dot and Dash. I'm just about always here; to walk them, feed them, and nap with them. Before she left, Janet typed up an elaborate list of medication instructions for the dogs. I give Dash his chemotherapy meds on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. She usually give the other regular morning meds while I'm still asleep and the evening meds while I'm writing the blog. I don't think I'll have much problem keeping things straight. I really don't have much else to remember this week.

It was a beautiful day. The mud from Thursday's storms has mostly dried up, but the grass and foliage are still lush and green. I wish things would stay this way all Summer. Everything dries up quickly when the temperatures are in the 90's for months at a time though. It actually got up over 90 this afternoon. I keep the Summer heat at bay by paying my utility bills. Water and electricity bills can get ridiculous in Dallas in the Summer. Later in the year, there are often water use restrictions, but this early in the season, people run their sprinklers like there's no tomorrow. Ditto for electricity. If I'm having my coffee outside on a Summer morning, I'll always hear a low pitched hum that's almost as loud as the ever-present Cicadas. It's the collective noise of all the air conditioner compressors, working hard to cool the neighborhood.

I can either clear the water off the roof tomorrow, or go to the gym instead. Both activities probably burn roughly the same amount of calories. Both are necessary, and neither is particularly fun. I'll just have to see what kind of mood I'm in. Many of you might think that pushing tons of water off the roof would never be the winning choice. Overpowering the forces of nature can be oddly satisfying though. We'll see what the weather is like. If it's really hot tomorrow, I'm going to the gym. The water on the roof will evaporate on a hot day and the gym is air conditioned.

Whatever I did with the ants yesterday seems to be working. I didn't see any ants today. I was hoping that since we had quite a few hard freeze days this winter, bugs wouldn't be as much of as much of a problem this Spring. Maybe this was just wishful thinking. So far, those cold days haven't made much of a difference at all. There's always some sort of bus related crisis in Texas in the Summer. Last Summer it was mosquitoes and West Nile Disease. This year, it's conenose bugs and Chagas disease. The conenose, or "kissing bugs," as they're known in many places, carry a protozoa that is already killing dogs in South Texas. The protozoa circulates in the blood until it takes up residence in the heart and begins damaging the tissue. Often, the first clinical signs of Chagas disease in dogs is sudden death from heart failure. Yikes! One more thing to worry about. As if heartworms, lyme disease, and leptospirosis weren't enough already.

It's time for the dogs evening round of meds and a snack before bed. After that, we'll all pile on the bed, watch a little TV, and sleep in late. Sounds like a plan to me.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day