Day 1852

I'm glad my video shoot got postponed today. The weather was nasty. It got colder and colder as the day progressed and then it started to rain. We may even get some snow later this evening, but we'll have to wait and see. I'm glad the furnace is working well this Winter, because staying warm was my number one priority today. The dogs got their regular walks of course, but they didn't dawdle around smelling things this time. Even Dash has finally learned that the quicker he poops on cold, wet days, the quicker we can all return home where it's warm.

Janet spent the day helping to transport a newly rescued Dalmatian from South Texas to the Dalmatian Rescue  kennels here in Dallas. I probably should have helped too, but I thought I would be working today. It was just as well that I stayed here. Dot and Dash didn't have to spend the afternoon alone on a cold, wet day and Janet got to get away from my gloomy negativity for a while. Jack, the new guy, is a bit overweight, but he's going to be a very handsome fellow after he goes on a diet for a while.

I'm very close to finalizing my travel plans now. I can get very close to my final destination if I'm willing to make one leg of the trip on a small turboprop commuter plane. On the other hand, I can stay on big commercial jets and spend a longer time driving up a remote stretch of California's scenic Highway 1. This may seem like an easy decision for you, but I don't like to drive and I don't like to fly in propeller planes either. Decisions, decisions.

I woke up this morning feeling like I'd slept on the brick floor. I was sore all over. My right arm is sore from all the stretching exercises I've been doing as part of my physical therapy. My left arm is sore because it's taken over the task of holding the dog leashes on our walks. Dot and Dash always seem to walk on my right side, so it's no surprise that my right shoulder eventually became a problem. Now that I'm consciously trying to use my left hand more, I'll probably just end up with two bad shoulders. Now that I think about it, I wonder why both dogs prefer to walk on my right? We've been going to training class for years and years. Our instructor always told us that a dog should heal on your left side. We practiced this every Wednesday for years. Evidently Dot and Dash didn't pay any more attention at class than I did.

If it warms up a bit tomorrow, I'll go to the gym. If it stays as cold and nasty as it is now, I think I'll just stay under a blanket.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1738

Very little went as planned today. A persistent telemarketer called over and over again at ten minute intervals until I finally figured out how to block the call. I got a past due notice from a vendor I had parted company with and paid in full over two years ago. I also almost threw away a check from a client because the envelope looked like it contained junk mail.

That was just the beginning. All the links suddenly went dead on a website I had just uploaded a few days ago and thought I was finished with. I have no idea what went wrong, but it took me quite a while to fix the mess. The only thing I can think of is that the server reverted to an older backup copy of the site which contained code that I had subsequently changed. Another client gave me the name of a new product they wanted me to write something uplifting about. I did a little research and discovered that they had named their product after an aircraft that had crashed, killing 73 of the 76 passengers on board. Somebody didn't do their homework.

Dot had a small accident last night because we went to bed late and forgot to take her water bowl up. She tanked up on water around 11 PM and just couldn't hold it. I still think her Incurin pills are working. This was our fault. If I drank a ton of water just before I went to bed, I couldn't hold it all night either. 

Dot is still a little sore from the rabies and leptospirosis injections she got on Tuesday, but she still did very well during her physical therapy session. She was able to go fifteen minutes on the underwater treadmill, which was much better than I expected. The only downside to today's visit was that the vet found several fleas on her. Fleas are always a problem, since we live so close to a large park filled with feral cats and other critters. Both dog have sensitive skin, so we can't use Frontline or other topical products. I actually thought her heartworm pills would guard against fleas, but the vet said they only prevented the fleas from reproducing and didn't kill live ones.

It looks like the city is going to tear up one of the trails the dogs and I like to use and replace it with a much wider concrete walkway designed for bicycles and joggers. I'm not looking forward to this. I liked the park a lot better when it was largely abandoned. Now that the park department considers the place an entertainment destination and keeps adding new things to attract more people, the place is turning into a zoo. There's not much I can do about this though. It's not my park. I guess I was lucky that the place lay dormant and unused for so long.

I'm really glad that tomorrow is Friday. From the way things looked today, this week couldn't be over soon enough.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1318

Just before the appliance repairman was scheduled to arrive this morning, I got a call from the technician asking me if I really wanted him to come to the house. "Garbage disposals can't be repaired," he said. "They can only be replaced." "Can you just replace it then," I asked. "Only if the plumbing connections exactly match those on your old unit," the technician told me. "Well, what if it's just an electrical problem," I asked. "You'll have to call an electrician," said the technician. I canceled the appointment and called a plumber instead. It was apparent that this guy was going to come out to the house, charge me for a $75 service call and end up telling me he couldn't fix anything. Now, I've got to go through this whole charade again tomorrow with the plumber. Maybe I'll get lucky though. I did call a good plumber.

Since the appliance repairman didn't come today after all, there was little point in spending the entire day writing. I finished two articles with short deadlines and went to the gym instead. Some people must go to the gym every single day. No matter when I go, there are a few folks who always seem to be there. They are usually working out on the same machines too. Since I don't go at any particular time, I find this strange. It's almost as if these guys live at the place.

Dot seemed tired on her morning walk. Usually she is perky and energetic on these early walks, but she seemed lethargic today. Maybe she was sore from yesterday's water therapy session. I guess that would make sense. I'm certainly sore the next day after a workout. I didn't want to push her too hard, so we turned around and came home much earlier than we usually do.

I had an animal rescue meeting after dinner this evening. When the meeting was over, my car was hard to start. Hopefully this was just because it was so hot outside, or because the car was at an angle on a hill. I'm afraid the starter motor might be starting to go out though. That's about the only expensive thing I still haven't replaced. We'll see how the Defender starts tomorrow. If I have to wait for the plumber a long time, I might not be going anywhere anyway.

I'd hate to miss my regular restaurant outing tomorrow morning, but I'd hate even more to go much longer without a working garbage disposal. To keep the sink from clogging, I have to fish little bits of food out of the disposal every time I rinse the plates off after a meal. Even though the machine is completely turned off, I don't trust it. I certainly don't want the disposal to mysteriously come back to life with my hand is inside it.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day