Day 4345

I tried to repair a tear in the carpet with duct tape today. If that sounds just as pitiful as trying to repair body damage on a car with duct tape, it is. The tear was created years ago when one of our dogs tried to eat the carpet. I slapped some tape over the tear, thinking that I would replace the carpet soon. That never happened. Now the original tape has worn away and the tear is exposed again. I went to Home Depot and found some brown colored duct tape, since the carpet is brown. The colors didn't match of course, and I'm thinking now that my second repair looks even worse than my first one. We still need a new carpet, but a new roof comes first. I'd hate for a roof leak to ruin a brand new carpet.

I'm still frustrated by my apparent inability to get things fixed. I used to have a group of trusted repairmen who could fix just about anything. I knew really great carpenters, plumbers, electricians and more. One by one, all of them have either retired or died. Now, if I need something done I guess I'm going to have to use Angie's List or something similar. I hate having strangers in the house as well. They upset the dogs and make me nervous. It's hell getting old and having the world change on you. If this was still 1975, everything in the house would be fixed by now. 

My feeble attempt to get things done today also included sending a message to NASA to try and clarify my status for a number of upcoming launches I want to attend. I also wrote a letter to my sister and took it to the post office. I wish she would read the blog so I wouldn't have to repeat myself so often, but she is a confirmed Luddite and doesn't like to use the Internet. I also bought a new sink strainer for the kitchen sink while I was looking for colored duct tape. I've almost quit using the garbage disposal because I've convinced myself that debris in the pipes is what causes them to get clogged. I have no evidence that this theory is true, but I'm always looking for a better sink strainer.

My feet felt better on my walks today. I can't figure out why they hurt on some days and are fine on others.   I always wear the same shoes and follow the same paths. I usually get the same amount of sleep as well. A little more consistency would be appreciated. I've always disliked surprises and hate it when the car won't start or a toilet starts running. I wish everything would stay the same. This is probably why the weather is seldom my friend. The weather is always full of surprises.

Dawn has a vet appointment tomorrow to check and make sure she is not forming stones again. She seems fine since the bladder stones were removed a few months ago, but as with all medical matters it is better to be safe than sorry. We're hoping that we can get her off the special Hills Prescription Diet the vet suggested, but actually Dawn seems to like it. I don't know why I've never liked Hills. It's probably the ingredient list. The food seems way too processed. 

I'm trying to look up when I walk so I'll see the eagles more often. All I saw today was a lot of road construction on the main road through the park. I wish they'd just take all the roads out. The place would be a lot more peaceful without all the people.

Alvin is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4312

The rain appears to be over for a while. I'm glad because we did get a small roof leak last night. This wasn't in the living room where it usually leaks. It was in the office. Water was dripping around the edge of one of the can lights in the ceiling. There have been leaks in this location before, but they are rare. I've never found the source. Since there was a leak, I decided I couldn't postpone going up on the roof any longer. I had to remove the standing water.

Since the drip in the office stopped after about an hour,  I was in no hurry. I had breakfast and took my long walk first. Dawn got her sunrise walk as well. The standing water refused to go away on its own, so I eventually climbed up on the roof and dealt with it.

I really hate this job. It's fairly strenuous and it's getting harder and harder for me to climb up on the roof. The neighbor's pecan tree is no friend of mine. It drops tons of pecans on the roof every Fall and the squirrels break them open and make a mess. The pecans turn the standing water into a brackish brown mess which stains the roof and makes it harder to find any tears in the elastomer. I really need to bring the power sprayer up on the roof and clean up this mess, but the sprayer is heavy and I'm afraid that power washing the roof might cause even more leaks. I still push all the standing water over the edge with a big push broom which resides on the roof permanently. Even on a good day it takes me well over an hour to remove the water. Today, since I was removing a ton of broken pecan shells as well, it took me even longer. I've said this many times, but never buy a house with a flat roof.

It would be nice to live in a new house with no problems, but I've never seriously considered moving. The house was paid for years ago and we live in a great neighborhood. I like living by the lake. There isn't a better place in the entire city to have a dog. Things will continue to break and I will continue to fix them. It's too bad that all the repair people I used to use have either retired or died. This new generation of repair people aren't nearly as talented as those older guys. Back in the day I always felt like the guys from "This Old House" were coming over to fix things. Not anymore. That's why I try to do as much as I can myself.

The launch photographers I know are all getting ready for the Lucy launch this weekend. Somehow major science missions always seem a little more interesting than your routine communication satellites. I can't help being a little envious of these Florida photographers. Photographing rockets is one of the few things I actually enjoy, but traveling to the space center for every launch is way too expensive for me. I probably won't return until the Artemis 1 launch in early 2022.

The city finally mowed the meadow behind our house. This will make it much easier to return home after Dawn's sunrise walk. When the grass was tall, our shoes and socks would get wet for several days after a rain and Dawn's paws and legs would always get sticky from the grass pollen. Every morning we'd have to clean Dawn with a wet rag before we went back in the house. Maybe since it is so late in the year, the grass won't start growing again until Spring.

The week's trash has been taken out to the curb and Dawn is sitting alert on the bed, waiting for Janet to return from a meeting. I'm happy to say that this day is just about over.

Abby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3511

We went and met the new boy today. Rolly is a sweet four year old male who seemed like he'd been living on the streets for a while. He was skinny and has heartworms. If you made any sudden movements he flinched and moved away from you. Once he decided that we were OK and didn't want to hurt him, he was extremely gentle and friendly. Rolly wasn't interested in chasing a ball, but he loves treats. As soon as he puts on a few pounds and we treat his heartworms, this dog is going to make a wonderful companion for some lucky family.

The rest of the crew was in fine form. Treasure has perfected her roll over trick. Charlie can now catch his treats in mid air. And Hank wanted to make sure we knew he was the fastest. The kennel staff treats our dogs really well. They are all more relaxed than when they initially arrived. You can tell with each passing week that they are becoming well socialized canine citizens.

It's still extremely hot and humid. With the exception of Rolly who actually seemed to enjoy being outdoors, all the Dalmatians wanted to stay inside. Who could blame them. I should have stayed inside myself today. I probably keep walking because I can't think of anything better to do. I'm hooked on getting as many steps as I can too. It's weird that a little band on my wrist controls my day.

My memory is better than I thought it was. I've been trying to memorize things I see on my daily walks and I'm surprised at the level of detail I've been able to retain. I know what signs say now before I approach them. I remember the street numbers on people's houses. When little things change, I notice now. It's just a silly game, but maybe it will prevent me from getting Alzheimer's someday.

The AT&T crew still hasn't showed up to bury my fiber optic cable. The roofer hasn't showed up with his long promised bucket of silicon material either. For the moment I don't feel like adding to this list of suppliers who are ignoring me by calling the electrician. I may have to though. The security light in the back yard still won't stay on all night. All these things are irritating, but none of them really matter. Maybe things don't get done because I seldom get mad. It's a waste of energy to get mad about most things.

Tomorrow I'll update the Dalmatian Rescue website, adding Rolly and marking several other dogs as adopted. I guess I could do this tonight, but it's getting late and I'm ready for bed. I need something to do tomorrow anyway. I don't think I'll be watching the business channel during breakfast. I'd rather enjoy my meal. Something tells me that today's nasty selloff is going to continue. It's probably best not to turn on the TV at all. There's no good news anywhere these days.

Morgan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3504

It's nice to have Janet back again. Nine days is a long time to to go without talking to anyone. Actually I did talk to a few people during the week. I talked to the couple who adopted Jenga. I talked to my friend who fixed the sculpture that the falling tree demolished. And I talked to the AT&T repairman. It still seemed like a pretty silent week though. Janet enjoyed her trip. I guess nine days in the Caribbean is more relaxing than nine days in Dallas.

I received the press proofs for my article in Spaceflight Magazine today. The article looked great and the editor told me that they liked my writing style and hoped that I will work with them again. He even told me that the magazine would help me get a press pass if I want to cover future launches. That was an easy question to answer. Yes I do. The magazine has already gone to press but I can't share the article until the issue is available to subscribers late next week. I'm sure you'll see it eventually. I can't resist sharing stuff like this.

I'm already thinking about what to do next. I'm wondering if an article about a 71 year old guy going to Space Camp would be interesting. It probably could be humorous as well. I'm no spring chicken. I need to check with my doctor first to see if being put in a centrifuge or a multi-axis trainer might kill me. Part of the training involves assembling things underwater using scuba gear in a neutral buoyancy tank as well. All of this is way outside my comfort zone, but if I stay in this zone indefinitely I'll never leave the house.

I actually did leave the house today. I went to Central Market to pick up the things that Janet always eats for breakfast and of course I went on my morning and evening walks. It's probably too late for sunblock, but I need to do something to save my skin. This sun is brutal. I probably should start walking much earlier, but if I don't eat breakfast early, I usually don't feel like eating at all. It's a tough choice. What I need at this point are more cloudy days.

I'm really striking out with the repair people. The tree guy told me that he'd hurt his back and wouldn't be able to cut trees again until September. The carpenter made an appointment to come over at 4:30 this afternoon, but he never showed up. True to form, it rained before the roofer showed up with the silicon coating he'd promised me. It wasn't a heavy rain this afternoon, but it would have been so much better if I'd been able to make the repairs last week.

Tomorrow we go back to our regular routines. No sandy beaches for Janet but I'll still have my smoothie.

Tink is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3498

I noticed a big brown blotch on my arm today that wasn't there yesterday. It didn't hurt and it didn't look like a bite or infection. At first I thought the blotch was just grease but it didn't wash off. Was this an age spot? I recall that my Dad had blotches like this all over his arms and face when he got old. Was it melanoma? I doubt it, but melanoma is very common. Was it just some minor internal bleeding? Maybe I shouldn't be taking low-dose aspirin anymore. The weird thing is that this just happened overnight. I swear the blotch wasn't there yesterday. Getting old is full of surprises.

I kept switching between the morning news and an old rerun of Independence Day on TV as I was eating breakfast this morning. It became apparent after just a few minutes that just about the only thing that could ever unite humanity would be aliens. Humans have been fighting each other over ridiculous differences for centuries. It's impossible to turn on the TV these days without being bombarded with news about some sort of conflict. If only aliens would invade us. That would probably be the only thing that might actually bring people together.

To be fair, I don't think animals are much nicer than we are. Mockingbirds are horrible. They are always fighting with other birds. I've been dive bombed by angry Mockingbirds several times and poor Dash suffered a direct hit once. Raptors and Owls look magnificent but whenever I see them they always seem to be grabbing smaller animals with their talons and eating them. Don't even get me started about ducks. I've seen ducks do things during nesting season that should land them in jail.

Today was pretty uneventful. I paid a few bills and wrote a letter to my sister. While I was at the post office I asked the postmaster if they had any of the new Apollo 11 commemorative stamps. He said that local post offices didn't sell commemorative stamps anymore. You had to buy them online. This kind of sucks. I'm not a stamp collector, but I always liked to pick up some interesting new stamps while I was at the post office.

I sent friendly reminder messages to several of the repair people who have been ignoring me. So far none of them have replied. I don't know why this always has to be a battle. The first battle is finding someone good in the first place. The second battle is getting them to show up. And the third battle is getting them to come back when you discover that they didn't do the job properly.

I'll bug a few more people tomorrow but I don't really expect anything dramatic to happen. These are the dog days of summer. Nobody wants to deal with problems. I don't want to deal with problems either but I sure would like to get the torn spots in the roof fixed before it rains again.

Jewel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3497

I think Jenga is going to get a very good home. I went up to the boarding kennel today and met the young couple who wants to adopt him. I liked them. They were both very nice and much more conscientious than I was at their age. For what it's worth, I gave them my blessing. I doubt that I will see Jenga again. He will be in his forever home later this week.

I thought it was hot today, but it was much worse last year at this time. 111 degrees makes today's high in the mid-nineties seem mild by comparison. The truth is that late July is always bad in Dallas. I don't know how we survived last summer with Dash being sick. We certainly took our walks much earlier in the day. I got to know the morning stars pretty well last summer. Walking this early is actually enjoyable if you don't mind the lack of sleep. I'm enjoying getting a good night's sleep these days, so I deal with the heat.

I also need to deal with the people who were going to help me with the house. The tree guy still hasn't returned to remove what is left of the big Elm tree that fell on June 10. My roofer hasn't brought over the silicon material he promised me. I haven't got a bid to fix the greenhouse yet either. Come to think of it, there is still one roofer who hasn't sent me the bid for replacing the roof he promised me back in February. Most repair people seem to operate on the squeaky wheel principle. If you aren't hounding them constantly, they just forget about you.

It took me a little longer to make my smoothie this morning. I've been spoiled for a long time. Janet likes fresh fruit in the morning too, so she always fixed mine while she was cleaning hers just before she went to bed. Every morning there was just the right amount of fruit in a big aluminum bowl waiting for me in the refrigerator. I don't think I got the proportions quite right this morning. I'll add a few more strawberries to the mix tomorrow morning.

All I seem to think about these days is walking and eating. It's amazing that I can stretch these simple activities out to fill an entire day. It was a nice change of pace to go see Jenga this afternoon. The only thing I didn't enjoy was driving on the freeway. I hate being sandwiched between speeding eighteen wheelers so much that it's just a matter of time before I start taking back roads to local appointments. I don't know if the traffic is really worse or if I just have a lower tolerance for bad drivers. It's probably a little bit of both.

Instead of watching Perry Mason last night I watched part of Alien: Covenant on the FX channel. Jeez. How many of these Alien movies are there? I've lost count. It didn't really matter that I tuned in in the middle of the movie. Just like Mad Max and Terminator sequels it was pretty easy to figure out what was going on. There seems to be a formula for these type of scripts. Of course there is a formula for Perry Mason scripts too. A very rigid formula. Probably being a Hollywood script writer isn't that different from being an advertising writer except that more money and even bigger egos are involved.

I'm not sure what I'll do tomorrow. There are bills to be paid, so I guess I'll start with that.

Pongo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3481

Another hot sunny day that ended with a thunderstorm. This has been happening all week. Most of the brief afternoon storms have missed us, but this one was a direct hit. Every time I hear thunder I worry that the power is going to go out or another tree will fall. No damage this time, but I'm definitely gun shy about storms.

I guess it's a good thing that I didn't attempt any roof repairs today. They wouldn't have had time to dry. Instead of going up on the roof, I went to Home Depot and bought some more river rock to fill the ever growing hole in the driveway. I thought I had fixed this several months ago, but the ground keeps sinking. Instead of buying sacks filled with rocks, I should just get a truckload delivered and cover the entire driveway with river rocks. It would be cheaper than repaving and I bet it would look pretty good. On the other hand, rocks are heavy. I can just see me spending hours shoveling and raking a huge pile of rocks so we can move our cars again. Maybe my minimal efforts to fix things will do just fine.

I keep buying peaches at the store, even though we already have peaches. Janet has already made peach bread and is making a peach cobbler tonight. It's a good thing we like peaches. I need to quit buying food out of habit and start checking to see what we actually have on hand.

Only one of the pumps on the roof seems to be working this evening. Mostly the problem turns out to be a kink in the hose, but I don't feel like climbing up and investigating. I'll fix the pump tomorrow. It's getting dark and there's still lightning in the area. It would be crazy to go up on the roof tonight.

If it had to rain I wish it could have rained this morning. The rain cools things down. I sure could have used a little cooler weather on my walks today. I'm always amazed that there are other people out jogging and cycling on these hot summer days. I feel sorry for the dogs. I think it is too hot to be walking your dog a long way on days like this. Despite the oppressive heat, I keep walking. It keeps me in shape and it beats doing yard work.

The guy who was going to give me an estimate on fixing the greenhouse never showed up. Scratch that guy off the list. It's really hard to find good people who are interested in doing little jobs. I have a lot of things that need to be fixed around the house, but they are all small jobs. Remember that handyman named Eldon on Murphy Brown? That's what I need. Somebody who's always around.  when you need them. I used to attempt difficult jobs myself. Not anymore. I think age is catching up with me.

It's time to go to the gym again. I could think of a lot more imaginative things to do on Sunday, but I guess I like staying healthy.

Cisco is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3427

Some workmen digging in the alley behind our house cut our fiber optic cable today. This was inconvenient because all of the sudden our phones, television, and internet were gone. AT&T told us that they buried the cables these days so they would be maintenance free. Good luck with that. I called the customer service number and waited forever to talk with a real person. An automated mechanical voice kept telling me to stay on the line while they ran some tests. I would wait and then a while later the mechanical voice would say that they were experiencing technical difficulties and to call back later. If I could have talked with a real person I could have told them immediately that the tests would never work because the line wasn't connected to anything. The workmen had cut it in half. Eventually I was able to schedule a service call by calling a different number. I certainly wasn't expecting anyone to cut through my buried fiber line, but this is why I still keep the little T-Mobile WiFi hotspot that I used to use on business trips. It's slow, but it usually works.

It's been a month to the day since Dash passed away. Since we no longer have a Dalmatian of our own, Janet and I have been visiting the rescue kennel when we have time. We went up this afternoon to play with the dogs. I was hoping to see the quiet little girl who crawled in my lap the last time we visited, but she already has a foster to adopt. I didn't think this girl would stay at the kennel long. She was adorable. We played ball with the remaining dogs who were anything but quiet. They were full of energy and loved the attention. The kennel staff told us that we were welcome to visit and play with the dogs any time we wanted. They said that they were usually too busy to spend this much individual time with the dogs and that it was good for them to get the extra attention. Over time we will learn more about each dog's personality and it might help them find a good home.

On our way back to town we stopped at Costco so I could get my membership card. Evidently I can get a card because Janet is a member. Janet likes this enormous store but I usually stick to places closer to home. It doesn't hurt to have the card though. Who knows. There might be a bargain some day that I just can't pass up.

When we got back to the house there was an AT&T technician waiting for us on the front porch. "But our service appointment isn't until Wednesday," I told the guy. "I wouldn't know about that," the technician said. Then he added "If you can give me access to your back yard, I can fix your cable today." This was a baffling, but welcome surprise. It looks like I can watch Perry Mason tonight after all.

I'm still taking long walks every day. I wonder if I can keep this up during the Summer. It was warmer today and I could definitely feel the heat. I don't think these walks will be nearly as enjoyable when the temperature is over 100 degrees. I need to make the most of this limited window of opportunity. Spring is beautiful in Texas, but it doesn't last long.

I need to quit checking the stock market on days like today. The market was a disaster. I have no control over the market whatsoever. I need to stick to photographing butterflies and petting Dalmatians and hopefully everything will be fine.

Haley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3284 - Winter Solstice

Now we're talking. For the first time in over a week, I felt like I was actually making progress. The dryer is fixed. I'm glad I didn't try to do the job myself. I would have ordered the wrong parts and I don't think I would have had the strength to remove the dryer drum. I wish everyone who came to the house was as good as the appliance repairmen. So far, he's fixed the refrigerator, the washing machine, and now the dryer. The only thing left is the dishwasher.

The guy who's going to give me a bid on replacing the roof came over to measure things and take a look at the situation this morning. He seemed knowledgable and thought he could put a pitch on the roof without destroying the appearance of the house. We'll see how the bid comes in. I have a feeling that adding a pitch to the oddly shaped roof will be quite expensive. I'm thinking about a metal roof too. If the current leak can be successfully repaired, I may be able to postpone replacing the roof for a while. I have my doubts though. Nothing has worked so far.

The crew that is repairing the leak got approval from their boss to complete the work today and they will be coming back tomorrow morning. I hope they are successful, because there are thunderstorms in the forecast for Christmas Day. I don't think anyone expects these repairs to be permanent, but if they work, they will give me time to develop an effective plan to re-roof the house later in the Spring.

For the first time ever, Dash pooped on a puppy training pad last night. He not only hit the target one, he did the same thing again on a fresh pad three hours later. I don't know whether this was a random accident or a training breakthrough, but it sure made me happy. Clean up was so much easier this morning. I've still got an entire case of puppy training pads in the storage warehouse that Dot never used. I'll go get them tomorrow and hope for the best. If we could get Dash used to using these things, life would be a lot easier.

It didn't seem like the first day of Winter today. We've already had some very cold weather, but today was rather nice. It was warm enough that we tried to give Dash a bath outside this afternoon. He didn't like the idea, but he certainly needed a cleanup. After your dog has sat in poop a few times, it takes a real effort to totally eliminate the smell. I think we succeeded. We've got a clean dog, a dryer that doesn't squeal anymore, and a promise to fix the roof leak tomorrow.

I wonder how much further the stock market is going to drop? This sell off has become a little alarming. I depend on my investments for a retirement income and I don't really think I have time to recover from another big crash like we had in 2007. Markets can go down very quickly, but usually they take a long time to recover. I hope we're near a market bottom, because I've still got to fix a lot of things around the house and the money's got to come from somewhere.

Willow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3072

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Willie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3042

The appliance repairman said that there was nothing wrong with the stove. He agreed that the stainless steel countertop got pretty darn hot when the burners were on high for a while, but could find nothing wrong with the wiring. He suggested that we stop boiling large pots of water on the stovetop, but I don't think Janet is going to like this idea. Sadly, the stove repair was a failure, but I was able to get the washing machine fixed.

All front loader washing machines have a thick rubber gasket that seals the door when you are doing a load of wash. Unfortunately this gasket retains water after you've finished doing a load and since it never gets dry, eventually the rubber starts to mold. Almost all front loader washing machines do this, which is why they are not as popular anymore. A YouTube video showed me how I could replace this gasket myself, but I'm glad I didn't try. The repairman had to to use a special tool to unlock the clamp that held the gasket in place. The YouTube video never mentioned this tool. He also had to remove a large and very heavy concrete counterweight that keeps the metal drum in balance while it is rotating. You basically had to take the machine apart to remove the thick rubber sleeve. I guess the effort was worth it though. I now have a brand new door gasket that probably won't begin to mold for another three years.

Dash slept through the entire two hours the repairman was here. Actually, he continued sleeping for an additional hour after the guy left. Dot would have spent the entire time barking. I don't know if Dash is really tired or he just doesn't care. Either way, repairmen just don't seem to bother him.

I was surprised to get a call about a very old invoice that I'd almost given up on. Apparently, the bookkeeper quit and nobody was aware of the invoice. The owner's wife was doing the books now and asked if I took credit cards. None of this sounded normal, but at least this February invoice might finally get paid. I wonder if I'll ever get any more work from this company? They used to keep me pretty busy, but these days they seem in worse shape than I am.

I got a post card from my sister thanking me for a voicemail message I'd left on her birthday. She never returned the call, but the cryptic message on the postcard was reassuring. I'm not terribly close with family, but when someone has cancer you start to worry if they disappear for a while. I guess we can go back to sending letters back and forth every few months.

I wore the silicon fitness tracker band I repaired today and it didn't immediately fall apart. In my book, that's a success. So far, there's no skin irritation either. I'm already looking for more broken silicon stuff to repair. I'm sure the Jawbone tracker will break again eventually. It might break tomorrow. For now, I am satisfied that both the tracker and the front loader washing machine will live to see another day.

Wyatt 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 3004

I met a refrigerator repairman while I was grocery shopping this morning. He was parked next to me and the message on his company truck sounded intriguing. I knocked on his window and asked him if he was familiar with my refrigerator. The guy was very knowledgable. I was actually surprised that he spent so much time talking to me in the Central Market parking lot. I asked for the guy's business card and told him I'd give him a call. When I looked up the company website when I got home, they had excellent reviews. For comparison, I looked up the repair shop I'm currently using and they had terrible reviews. I've never seen so many single stars. I wish I'd checked out the Yelp reviews before I'd scheduled three unsuccessful service visits. The new company I discovered today offers a full year warranty on parts and labor. The parts warranty actually ran out at the other place before they even fixed my problem. I knew Janet would be skeptical, but I decided to try one more time to fix my existing refrigerator.

I think there are a lot of good reasons to try to save this refrigerator. The GE model that I have has a better service history than the Maytag I'd be replacing it with. The Maytag is smaller and holds less food. It also doesn't have an ice dispenser in the door like the model I have now. I always read the testimonials and a lot of people said the Maytag model didn't keep food cold enough and that the ice maker had a tendency to leak. So here we are. I may be throwing money down a rabbit hole, but I'm going to give this new company a try. I really like the refrigerator I have now. I wish GE still made this model.

After spending so much time thinking about refrigerators this morning, I decided to go ahead and defrost the evaporator coil before the weekend. The refrigerator is still cooling fine, but I know this drill pretty well by now. I've probably got four days before performance begins to suffer. It made sense to go ahead and take care of this now. I removed the ice on the coil and put everything back together in less than an hour this time. I think the repairman I met this morning was surprised that I knew actual part numbers and was familiar with the inner workings of kitchen appliances. It's too bad I don't know a little bit more or I could fix this thing myself.

Breakfast wasn't bad this morning, but it wasn't great either. I just picked a restaurant that was on the way to the grocery store. Maybe my problem is that I'm just not as interested in food as I used to be. I eat smaller portions now and occasionally even the thought of food turns my stomach. If a great meal can't turn my day around, I wonder what can? Food used to be an easy, almost foolproof way to perk me up. It doesn't work anymore.

Luckily, food still works for Dash. His appetite has really improved. I hope this means that his heart condition is improving as well. I have a feeling that when he was refusing to eat, he was in worse shape than we or the vet thought. The only problem with Dash's new interest in food is that he wants a treat before he'll do anything. He learned too well that we really want him to eat and now he wants to eat all the time. It's hard to teach a dog to do things in moderation.

The weather is still nice. Our Oak trees are starting to bud and that means the messy catkins are starting to fall. The pollen in these tiny flowers stains the car, causes me to sneeze, and makes a huge mess on the roof. I guess even nice weather has a downside. If this weather continues, it won't be long before I'm mowing the grass again.

Ruthie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2862

Janet helped me get Dash's orthopedic and protective gear on before she left for work this morning. I let him wander around the house while I was fixing breakfast, hoping that he'd forget he had it on. This plan seemed to work. He quickly became far more interested in begging for treats from me than in obsessing about his knee brace. About halfway through breakfast, Dash headed toward the back door and I knew he was ready. I was ready too. I put my smoothie in the refrigerator, grabbed a leash, and off we went. Could it be that Dash just wants to walk a little later in the day? Who knows. We took a nice long walk and then I finished my breakfast.

Since this little excursion went well, I decided to take him to the vet to get his anal glands expressed. As usual, he was terrible in the car, but at least I didn't have to worry about poop. He'd already taken care of that on our walk. While we were at the vet, I had the nurse trim his remaining dew claw. Since he tore the first dewclaw riding in the car, I'll always be apprehensive that this type of accident will happen again.

By the time I got Dash home and finished washing the breakfast dishes, it was almost noon. I'd already spent almost half a day dealing with a lovable but very stubborn dog. I fired up the computer to see if there was anything important that I needed to deal with. Of course there wasn't. It was time to get ready for the refrigerator repairman.

I was planning to have the repairman install the new temperature sensor I bought, so I watched a YouTube video to locate where the old sensor was. Locating and installing the sensor seemed simple enough, but after watching the video, I learned that the repairman was right. This particular sensor had nothing to do with my problem.

When the repairman arrived, he had the correct part this time and it only took him about thirty minutes to install it. We didn't bother to defrost the evaporator coil this time, because I'd already done this less than two days ago. The repairman said he was confident that the refrigerator would work this time, since we'd replaced all the parts connected with controlling the defrost cycle. I hope he's right. Having to deal with food that could spoil and go bad is almost as irritating as having to go to the laundromat when your washer breaks. When the repairman left, he told me not to worry. The parts are guaranteed for a year and if the evaporator coil still keeps freezing, he'll keep coming out until the problem is resolved. I thanked the guy and told him I hoped I wouldn't see him again for a long time.

A stray cat has been pooping in our yard and Dash is obsessed with finding and eating the stuff. Now, I've got to shadow him every time he goes outside to pee, so he won't sneak off and eat cat poop. The elusive poop is very hard for me to find, but apparently very easy for Dash to smell. I don't know how I'm going to put an end to this nuisance. The smell will go away eventually, unless the cat keeps coming back. Feral cats should know better than to hang around this neighborhood. There aren't many mice anymore and some of the cats routinely get eaten by coyotes.

I contacted the roofer again and tried without much success to get him to commit to finishing the repairs. This is the only major issue left on my Fall to-do list. There are a couple of holes that need to be patched immediately. I'd much rather have the roofing crew repair the damage, but I'd settle with another five gallon drum of the elastomer material at this point.

If I wasn't so apprehensive about leaving Dash, I'd go see Bladerunner 2049 tomorrow. I'm not very busy. This would be a good time to go. The film has done so poorly at the box office that it probably won't be around much longer. There are even matinee showings now. It won't be long before it will be at the dollar theaters.

Patch is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2853

It was a beautiful morning, but Dash refused to walk again. Does his leg hurt? Is he feeling dizzy or nauseous? Is he just being stubborn? It's hard to tell. I don't want to push him too hard, but he still needs a certain amount of activity. When he first wakes up, he does exhibit some telltale signs of vestibular disease. Maybe he doesn't feel steady on his feet. All I know is that he used to love to walk. This evening, he seemed eager to go outside when Janet returned from work, but the sun had already set. Our evening walk was very short. It's a shame that I've got all the time in the world and Dash doesn't want to do anything unless the entire family is nearby.

The refrigerator part didn't arrive today. This was the second time this part hasn't arrived on the date that was promised. I asked the company today when the part was really going to arrive, so I could plan accordingly and they just told me that they would call me when it got here. This is really frustrating, since I know how to get the part overnight. The appliance repair company refuses to work with anyone other than their own parts supplier. I suspect this is because their very slow supplier doesn't require them to pay immediately. I think I would have been happier if I'd just bought the parts myself and learned how to install them by watching readily available YouTube videos. I'm gradually learning exactly how the refrigerator works, but there is no joy in this learning process. I hate dealing with repair companies in a world where nobody keeps a parts inventory. Plumbers, HVAC repairmen, and electricians are all the same. There are no parts on the truck anymore. They diagnose your problem and then they order the parts.

I sent out my October invoices this afternoon. My monthly billing was so small that it probably wouldn't even pay the electric bill. It's hard to justify continuing the business. I did get a new writing job today and there's a potential new website job as well, but this isn't a profitable endeavor anymore. When I was eating breakfast this morning, I watched a GoDaddy commercial bragging about how anyone could build a sophisticated business website in less than an hour using one of their super cheap website builder widgets. How do you compete with that?

I had to pick up more phenobarbital for Dash today. Maybe the increased dose he is taking now is causing some of his problems. I'll never know for sure, because all the vets tell me that going without phenobarbital isn't an option for Dash. Maybe they are right. Once we took Dash off phenobarbital about five years ago when we were convinced he was cured. About a month later he had one of the most violent seizures he's ever had. There really aren't a lot of easy answers with this dog. We've got to deal with thyroid cancer, vestibular disease, epilepsy, a partial cruciate tear, and blood clots in the heart, all at the same time.

If I get up really early tomorrow morning, I should be able to see a very thin waning crescent moon centered between Mars and Venus. Is this worth setting an alarm clock for? It probably depends on how late I go to bed tonight. I still like astronomy, but like everything else, enjoying this hobby seems a bit of a hassle.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2851

I'm so tired of continually fixing things. Today I noticed that the refrigerator was about ten degrees warmer and I knew it was time to defrost the evaporator coil again. The refrigerator seems to cool things normally for one and a half to two weeks before the coil freezes. It's not that hard to thaw the coil with a hair dryer, but it is a nuisance. I have to take all the food out of the freezer and put it in a large ice chest before I can begin. The shelves have to be unscrewed and removed so I can access the metal back panel. When this panel has been removed, I can see the evaporator coil. It takes about twenty minutes to thaw the coil and mop up all the dripping water. Then I put everything back together and the refrigerator works fine for a while.

I'm really disappointed that the appliance repairmen weren't able to diagnose the source of this problem on their first visit. The repair strategy seems to be to replace parts one at a time until everything starts working again. To the repairman's credit, he isn't charging me for service calls anymore, but I'm convinced that there's got to be a better way to repair things. In anticipation that the logic board he ordered won't solve the problem either, I ordered a few parts myself today. Two can play this game. If his part doesn't work, I'll ask him to install one of mine.

We tried the dog booties I repaired a few days ago on Dash's evening walk and I was pleased to see that the glue and patches held together. This is good news and means that I'll be able to extend the life of these protective shoes. Now I've got to start repairing the other boots, because they're all starting to become worn. The good news is that Dash can walk normally while wearing his boots and knee brace. The bad news is that he'll only walk when Janet and I both go with him. When Daylight Savings Time returns soon, our evening walks are going to become more difficult. Janet doesn't return from work until after dark in the Winter, so Dash doesn't have much time to get used to walking alone with me.

I've noticed that the neighbors have started piling up stuff on the curb for bulky trash pickup. This means that I've only got a few days to move all the elm tree branches from the alley to the curb. I should have done this today, since it is supposed to rain tomorrow. I just didn't have the time. By the time I'd finished dealing with the refrigerator and the dog boots, my day was finished.

I picked up one of my watches this morning and the bracelet fell apart in my hands. This seemed symbolic of everything in my life. I got my watch tools out and put the bracelet back together, but I don't know why I even bothered. I never wear these watches anymore. It just seems strange that I spent so much time collecting them. You should never have a lot of old mechanical things. Old machines require constant maintenance. Vintage cars, vintage houses, vintage watches, and even vintage guitars are nothing but trouble.

I hope nothing breaks tomorrow. Like I said, I'm tired of fixing things. Even my Sunday trip to the gym is an attempt to fix something. I'm falling apart too.

Abby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2841

Time slows down when you're waiting for a repairmen. They never tell you when they are going to arrive, preferring to keep you guessing. If you think they're going to be early, they'll be late. If you think they're going to be late, they'll arrive when you're taking your morning shower. I wish they'd just tell you how many service calls were ahead of you. Maybe then I could plan my day a little better.

Since the most likely components to fail have already been replaced, the list of things that could still cause the refrigerator to malfunction is growing smaller. I did a little research and found two more parts that could cause the evaporator coil to freeze. One of these parts costs $14 and the other one costs $250. You can guess which one the repairman said I needed.

It's kind of hard to decide at this point whether to give up on the refrigerator and buy a new one or just keep replacing parts until it finally works. The repairman said that if I bought a new refrigerator, I shouldn't expect it to last more than five or six years. "They don't build these things to last anymore," he said. I'm sure this is true. We live in a throw away society. Our whole economy depends on people replacing everything they own every five or six years. My parents had a refrigerator that lasted twenty five years. I don't think that's even possible anymore.

I'm inclined to buy the part and hope for the best. The weekend we went looking for refrigerators, I didn't see anything I liked that would fit in the small space we have available. If Janet has strong feelings one way or the other, I'll just do what she wants. That usually ends up being the best solution anyway.

Dash seemed to have a little more energy today. He still wouldn't take a walk this morning, but his appetite has improved. I don't know if we'll ever convince him to eat dry food again, but if he's healthy I don't even care. After sleeping most of the day, Dash seemed eager for an evening walk. When Janet got home from work we took him to the park and were genuinely surprised at how perky he seemed. Maybe the Plavix is starting to work. Since it is still important to keep Dash calm and rested, we actually had to slow him down this evening. I wasn't expecting that.

Last night the battery charger for my Anton Bauer batteries quit working. This morning the wireless mouse for my computer quit working. I wonder what will quit working tomorrow? Surprisingly, the shower didn't leak today. Go figure. As long as Dash keeps eating and continues to hang in there, I'm not going to worry about the little stuff.

Jersey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day