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 3270

Some days are a total loss. When I woke up this morning, I discovered that the roof was leaking again. This was a new wrinkle because typically the roof only leaks during severe storms. It had been raining during the night, but it was a gentle rain. I wasn't really expecting this. I also wasn't expecting Dash to make a huge mess when he woke up this morning. I saw him heading for the back door while I was attempting to deal with the leak and I quickly opened it to let him out. When I looked back I saw a trail of poop leading all the way back to the bed. In addition to pooping on the brick floors, Dash managed to soil two blankets, the bedspread, the step he uses to climb into the bed, the bedroom carpet, and his own tail. What a mess.

I had to prioritize the damage, cleaning Dash's tail and rear end first while he was outside, then finding several buckets to catch the dripping water, then cleaning the living room floor so I could let Dash back inside again. I gated off the bedroom so Dash wouldn't sit back down in the soiled bedding and then methodically proceeded to clean up the rest of the damage.

Needless to say, there was a lot of laundry this morning. I felt like I washed everything. The washing machine is still working great, but the dryer is having problems. A bearing in the drum assembly has gone bad and the dryer makes an awful screeching sound until is gets hot. I need to have the appliance repairmen come fix this but there always seems to be something else I need to deal with first.

I didn't even bother to go out for breakfast this morning. The weather was terrible and there was plenty to deal with at home anyway. I didn't finish getting all the bedding and blankets clean until two in the afternoon. I'm still dealing with the roof leak. This leak is in an awkward location where the ceiling joins a wall. Not only is the water dripping from the ceiling, it is also coming down the brick wall.

To make matters worse, the stock market continues to tumble. I hate periods of extreme volatility like this. My Dad had a nice defined pension when he retired. I've got to rely on the market. With interest rates so low, you don't even have the option of buying Treasuries or CD's. You've just got to find stable, profitable companies to invest in and hope that sanity returns at some point.

I have no idea what happened with Dash this morning. He has been doing great for most of this week. His diet and feeding times haven't changed. His poop was even getting firmer. Now we're back to square one. It's really discouraging. Dealing with Dot's incontinence was easier. Dash is stubborn, moves around a lot at night, and absolutely insists on sleeping in the bed with us.

I'm not expecting much to improve tomorrow. There is more rain in the forecast this weekend and lord knows what surprises Dash has in store for us. I just hope that nothing else breaks. So far so good with the furnace and the dehumidifier. One of the toilets runs a bit, but at least it's not a leak. When I was younger it never even occurred to me that the house, the dog, and my own body would all start to fall apart at the same time. It gets to be a bit much at times.

Humphrey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3154

I spent some time talking with auction houses today. I've got to finish consigning things before I totally lose interest in this downsizing venture. I wish I'd methodically inventoried everything when I was younger. It would make life a little easier if I actually knew what I had. It's probably just as well that my younger self wasn't this obsessive. I'm obsessive enough as it is. Maybe I will regain my enthusiasm if the first batch of auctions go well. Right now, downsizing seems very tiring.

The weather hasn't gotten much better. The sound of raindrops on the roof woke me up again last night. The showers were sporadic today, but it's still pretty dark and dismal outside. I'm amazed that I've still been able to give Dash a walk every day. I don't know how I survived before I had weather radar on my phone. We go outside when it's dry and stay inside when it's wet. Usually it works out pretty well.

I had to pick up some meds for Dash at the vet this morning, but that was the extent of my travels. I really don't put many miles on the car anymore. According to my Fitbit, I walk about as much in any given week as I drive. I drive so little now that I wonder if I'd save on car insurance if I put one of those little tracking devices the insurance companies are pushing in my car. I hate the idea of being tracked by an insurance company, but anyone who uses less than a quarter of a tank of gas a week is bound to get a discount.

I wish someone could explain to me what is is going on in Dash's head. It's easy to say he's becoming senile, but I'd like to know exactly what is going on. I'm not sure there's much we could do at this point, but it's sad to see him so disoriented. He'll stand at the back door forever before making a decision to go outside and pee. Sometimes he'll aimlessly walk in circles while we're at the park, and occasionally he seems to get lost in the house. There are still plenty of times when Dash seems completely lucid, but the moments when he appears totally out of it can be pretty scary.

I have a meeting scheduled with my financial advisor tomorrow. I used to be very interested in the stock market and we would have some lively discussions. Not anymore. I've done the best I can to prepare for the future, but the future seems to be growing more uncertain every day. It would be a miracle if I have thirty years left. Sometimes I think it would be even more of a miracle if civilization has thirty years left. There are way too many potential disasters on the horizon.

The one good thing about aging is that the older you get, the less impending doom matters. Hey, I'm already a survivor. I could be wrong too. Maybe the glass is actually half full. I could be more optimistic, but it would be even better to be more like Dash. I doubt that he spends a lot of time thinking about the future. For a dog, the future is always tomorrow morning.

Emma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3063

We're making progress. The roofers came out today and fixed the area above where water has been leaking into the living room. I reluctantly agreed with them that it wouldn't be wise to repair the entire roof, since there is a 40% chance of rain tomorrow. It probably wasn't even wise to repair the small section above the living room, but it's so hard to get the roofers to come out here that I figured that something was better than nothing. The elastomer material needs 24 hours to fully cure. According to the current forecast, it will probably rain in 16 hours. The roofers said this was OK, but we'll have to see. If it rains really hard, today's patch might just wash away.

I was pleased that the roofers made a firm promise to return and fix the rest of the roof. Lord knows how long this will take, but they've always kept their word in the past. It would be nice if by the end of the Summer, all the house problems that are currently plaguing me are solved. Old houses are relentless taskmasters unfortunately. As soon as today's problems are solved, new ones will crop up to replace them.

Dash's vet is going to prescribe a new antibiotic to see if we can clear up the infection on his lip. I think we tried this before and it was only a temporary solution. Maybe this is a virus instead of a bacteria. I sure wish that Dash wasn't so interested in smelling things in the park. There are tons of animals that call this place home and not all of them are healthy. The main reason that Dash gets a Leptospirosis vaccination every year is that here are a lot of raccoons and rodents in the park that carry the disease. If you're listening Dash, please quit smelling other animals pee.

I've just about got everything set up to start taking distributions from my retirement account. I was hoping this day would never come, but this is what retirement accounts are for. Hopefully, I will be able to live comfortably for a long, long time, but you never know. I had to get a power of attorney and take over my Dad's affairs during his final years, so I have a realistic idea of what might happen. All it takes is one really serious illness to wipe almost anybody out. It was shocking for me to see how quickly medical bills can suck up all available resources. Medicare and supplemental insurance help a lot, but they don't even come close to paying for everything.

I wish Dash had a way of telling me what he wanted to eat. I picked the wrong can tonight and he refused to touch the stuff. Last night, this was his favorite. Even the fresh boiled chicken breasts he gets for breakfast aren't a sure thing anymore. He didn't finish his breakfast until almost 11 AM this morning. We still think it's the vestibular disease that's making Dash such a picky eater. It could be something else though. All I know is that it's getting harder and harder to feed him. Dash has a birthday coming soon. I hope we can find something he likes for his birthday meal. If I asked Dash, he would probably choose a cheeseburger.

Lady is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3057

I'm glad I only had one thing on my list today. Two things would have been too much. After walking Dash and eating breakfast I went to the bank to set up the new account I needed. If you ask me, I have too many accounts already, but apparently I need this new one to serve as a conduit from my IRA account to the operating account that I pay bills with. I was surprised at the number of people who wanted to "get to know" me. One guy told me that he'd watched me come and go for seventeen years and I'd never stopped and introduced myself. Sadly, this was probably true. I never talk to anyone at the bank. I just hope I don't get stuck in the slow line at the teller window and leave as soon as I've made my deposit. The bank is like the post office to me. I could easily make deposits using my phone these days, but I like to go in person. I'm a Luddite. It's hard for me to believe that anything is actually happening if I don't physically hand the postal clerk my letters or the bank teller my money.

It took a long time to get things set up the way I wanted, but I'm ready to go now. Even if I get dementia or go stark raving mad, my bills will still get paid. I saw how forgetful my Dad became as he got older. You need to get prepared while you've still got your wits about you. I definitely don't want my electricity cut off because I forgot to pay the electric bill. I'm going to gradually set up all my recurring bills to auto pay and quit writing checks. My plan seems pretty solid unless I become a nonagenarian and run out of money. I don't think that's going to happen though. My family is not noted for longevity.

I think we're going to have to consider pain management for Dash pretty soon. The signs are subtle, but he seems more uncomfortable than he did even a month or two ago. Gabapentin didn't work, so we may have to resort to Rimadyl. Rimadyl is very effective, but it has some nasty side effects including gastrointestinal bleeding and liver disease. Hopefully, Dash will continue responding well to the Movoflex supplements and we can postpone the harder drugs for a while. I think pain management is important. It doesn't matter whether it's your dog or your Dad. Nobody should live in pain. I hope we can continue Dash's daily walks as long as possible. When he is no longer mobile, he is going to go downhill rather quickly.

Peaches are back in season. I'm always glad when peaches are plentiful at the grocery store. My morning smoothies taste better when I add a peach to the usual strawberries and blueberries. A peach makes a pretty good dessert too. I wish I could get my diet as organized as I've got my finances. I'm convinced that if I were eating exactly the right things, I would enjoy every meal and still never have heartburn. I need to talk to a nutritionist who doesn't just want me to become a vegetarian. Eating pizza is a disaster, but I can often eat pasta and spaghetti without any problems. Vietnamese Pho doesn't give me problems, but similar Chinese dishes can keep me up all night. I eat earlier now and avoid acidic foods like tomatoes. The holy grail would be a meal that provides the satisfaction of barbecue with the health benefits of kale. I'm still looking.

The weather is perfect for putting in new grass and repairing the roof. Why am I having so much trouble contacting the roofer and the landscaper? They should both be out here now. Guess who I'll be calling tomorrow.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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