Day 1820

The city was enveloped in a thick blanket of fog when I woke up this morning. I love foggy mornings. They're great for taking ghostly pictures of trees and sailboats. I will typically go back to the park with a camera after I walk the dogs on foggy days like this. Not today though. I felt terrible. I don't just think I've come down with a cold. I feel like I have the flu. My joints ache. I have a dry cough. And I feel very tired. Jeez. I was just fine until I was around a lot of people at last weekend's photo sessions.

Instead of photographing the fog, I went up to the Land Rover dealer and got my car. I wanted to get this over with, because I didn't know if I'd feel even worse later in the day. As expected, the service was expensive and I'll never really know if it was even necessary. Better safe than sorry though. One thing I've learned by driving Land Rovers since the early 1990's is that it is never wise to skimp on maintenance.

I didn't really feel like fixing breakfast, so I stopped on the way home and picked up a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast burrito and a sausage kolache. Usually this would have been a delicious way to start the day but this morning I felt nauseous after eating only a few bites. I put my uneaten breakfast in the fridge to eat tomorrow morning and went back to the bedroom to take a nap with the dogs.

When I woke up around 10 AM, I felt quite a bit better.  At least I wasn't nauseous anymore. Once I got the computer turned on, it was a fairly typical Tuesday. There were websites to update, bills to pay, and correspondence that needed to be answered. There haven't been many writing assignments this month, but that's just as well. I've got a pretty full plate this month anyway.

Dash goes back to the cancer center tomorrow for another periodic re-check. He's been doing so well lately that I would be very surprised if the oncologist noticed anything abnormal. I know that Dash will need to continue taking his Palladia chemo pills for another two months, but hopefully we are nearing the end of his treatment. If I were to ask Santa for anything this year, it would be an uneventful 2015 with no medical surprises.

Janet thinks I should go to the doctor tomorrow morning and get some Tamiflu. I'm inclined to let nature take its course. I have so many mandatory meds already that I hate to add even more to the mix. We'll see how I feel in the morning. If I feel even worse than I did today, I think I'll be willing to take just about anything.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1760

I think I'm up to speed again. A severe weather forecast for tonight and tomorrow provided the excuse I needed to finally go out and buy the generator I've been talking about. It's not the world's greatest generator, but it met my criteria. It was light enough that I could get the box in and out of the car by myself. The box was filled with warning labels. I never realized that there were so many ways a generator could kill you. I promise not to try to run the thing indoors, attempt to hook it up to the house wiring, or  start the engine without first adding engine oil.

Both dogs now have their follow-up appointments confirmed at the cancer center. I kept waiting to be reminded about these appointments, but apparently I was the one who needed to remind them. I've noticed the same thing with my own Hepatitis C treatment. The healthier you get, the less visible you are on the hospital's radar. No complaints though. It's good to be healthy. I keep hoping that the dogs will be declared officially cured at one of their follow-up exams, but that's probably never going to happen. Cancer just doesn't work that way.

The new car finally got a door ding when I went to the grocery store this morning. It was inevitable. You can't drive a car in the city without getting door dings. It's not really a new car anymore anyway, since I've had it more than a year now. It just seems new compared to the Defender 90, which I drove for decades. You never noticed door dings on the Defender. The thing was put together so crudely with sheets of aluminum and rivet guns that I'm sure it came straight from the factory with door dings.

I tried again without success to get some pictures of the Monarch butterflies before they continue their migration South and disappear for another year. I think I got my best animal pictures in 2011 when the dogs were at that perfect age between being wild puppies and grumpy seniors. Back then, I could tell them to sit and stay while I took a picture and they would actually do what I said. Those were the days. The occasional great picture is just a happy accident these days.

I hope the weather forecast is wrong for this weekend. I'd much rather wash the car and do normal weekend chores than console storm phobic dogs and worry about the power going out.  I picked up some Texas style sausage kolaches while I was at the store this morning and there's still some bacon in the refrigerator. Rain or shine, at least the day will start well.

Neo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day