Day 3534

I've decided that I like the hilly parts of Texas a lot more than the flat parts. The Davis Mountains were beautiful. We had breakfast this morning at Indian Lodge. This adobe hotel was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1930's in the most scenic part of Davis Mountain State Park. It has been well maintained over the years and has the look and feel of those grand old lodges you see in some western national parks. The Big Bear Restaurant was superb. A hearty breakfast at this place was a great way to start the day.

The Texas Hill Country is pretty nice too. We are in Fredericksburg now. This picturesque little town is noted for it's German heritage and the many wineries that surround it. I hope more people learn about the National Museum of the Pacific War as well. I guess I'd heard of this museum, but I didn't know much about it. Since the museum was near our hotel we decided to visit. Janet and I were blown away. This is a world class museum worthy of anything you'd see at the Smithsonian. Why is it here?. I guess this location was picked because Fredericksburg was the boyhood home of Admiral Chester Nimitz. If you are interested in history you've got to put this amazing museum on your bucket list. One of the docents told us that it can take up to six hours to view the entire exhibit, but that we were welcome to come back tomorrow if we ran out of time. Maybe we will go back tomorrow.

I wish my Dad had a chance to see this place. He served in the Navy during World War II and was stationed in the Pacific for most of the war. Although he seldom talked about the war,  I'm sure he would have seen this museum as a tribute to the men he served with. The weird thing to me was how much of this history was new to me. Like anyone my age, I took American History and World History classes in school. We knew about Pearl Harbor, Iwo Jima, and the atom bomb but there was so much we never learned. What an awful, brutal war.

I don't think most of us realize how lucky we are today. I have lived my life in relative peace. My parents didn't have that luxury. World War II was so massive and all encompassing that it affected everyone. It's sad that the history of civilization is basically a history of war. I wonder if we will ever get beyond this?

The trip continues. If you have to drive across Texas I would try to take I-10 instead of I-20. Today's drive was much more peaceful without all the huge oilfield equipment on the road. I still wonder why anyone would want to live in Midland or Odessa. I had reservations about taking a long road trip, but the experience has been a lot more enjoyable than I expected. Even though I rarely travel further than the post office, the drive hasn't been that bad. I'm actually a pretty good long distance driver.

Our only plan for tomorrow is to avoid Austin at all costs. Janet and I have enjoyed the serenity of driving on empty roads. You're not going to find that in Austin. I imagine I'll return to Fort Davis someday. I like wide open spaces. If I return, Indian Lodge seems like a nice place to stay. Especially when the skies are clear.

Mandy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2801

I wasn't expecting things to go so smoothly today. We didn't get any rain, so I was able to walk Dash before we went to the vet. The walk made a difference. Dash wasn't as wild in the car, and more importantly there was no poop to clean up. The car still smells clean. I think the Phenobarbital level test was done correctly too, so we probably won't have to do this again.

After I brought Dash home, I went out for breakfast and ran a few errands. I had Lox and a bagel, which always reminds me of traveling. Maybe when life returns to normal, I'll do some traveling. NASA still offers writers like me opportunities to view launches from time to time. It would be fun to apply for press credentials again. We'll se how the rest of the year goes. Right now there are bills to pay and Janet needs to get healthy again.

The roofers delivered a big can of the special elastomer coating for the roof. I would have preferred that they applied the coating themselves, but this is a reasonable compromise. The problem now is that the five gallon can of elastomer is way too heavy for me to move to the roof.  One of my errands today was to find smaller cans that I could transfer the product to and them hoist them up to the roof with a rope. I'm not sure how the roofers got the large cans up on the roof, but I certainly can't move this thing by myself. I've got plenty of time to come up with a plan. It looks like it is going to rain all weekend.

We're getting better at changing bandages. Luckily, Janet goes back to the doctor on Monday so somebody who knows what they're doing can review our work. I'd hate to think that we were doing something wrong day after day. You'd think that after complicated surgery, doctors wouldn't want to leave anything to chance. Changing dressings yourself seems fairly universal though. Unless you go home in a cast, you'll eventually have to change a bandage or two.

Hurricane Harvey looks pretty bad. I'm watching the Weather Channel now and wondering why whenever there's a hurricane, reporters like to stand out in the rain and get blown around by gusts of wind. It seems like a broadcast tradition. I'm always amazed that people like to live in low costal areas. Hurricanes are nothing new. They occur over and over again. Towns get flooded and they just rebuild in the same place and start over. Hopefully, everyone will stay safe, but I have a feeling that a lot of people are going to have some serious flood damage tonight. Here I am worrying about a few inches of water on my roof and there are thousands of people dealing with a nine foot storm surge.

When Janet is home I forget what day it is. They all seem the same. Today seemed a lot like Saturday. You can't tell what day it is by the traffic anymore. There is horrible traffic everyday. I actually did think it was Saturday for a while when I was grocery shopping this afternoon. Maybe I'll think it's Sunday tomorrow.

Pinky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2767

I finally finished cleaning all four sides of the house with the pressure washer this morning. This is a somewhat futile effort, since spiders have already returned to the part of the house I cleaned first. I've finally learned to wear long pants and a hat when I do this job. It's pretty messy and the spiders aren't happy. I also learned that my wrist hasn't really healed yet. It wasn't very comfortable holding the pressure nozzle for any length of time.

In an attempt to beat the heat, we got up before sunrise to walk Dash. There was a light breeze and the temperature was only in the mid-80's, so the walk was actually enjoyable. Two hours later, it would have been an entirely different story. We got an unusual amount of rain in June. As soon as we put the new grass in, the rain stopped. I run the sprinkler for an hour or so every morning, but I still worry that the grass will dry out before it gets established.

I think we had a heat index of over 105 degrees today. When it gets this hot, it's hard to get motivated to do anything. I did go grocery shopping, but came right home afterwards because I didn't want the fresh fruit to spoil in the car. Several times today, I joined Dash on the bed for a nap. Hey, I had already battled spiders and won. I deserved a nap. Later in the day I did manage to finish one quick website update because I knew that the guy who sent me the job probably wasn't napping with his dog.

Janet and I are becoming so forgetful. We never used to forget things. When we finished our errands this afternoon, we had both forgotten essential  things that should have been on our lists. Oh, well. I guess we will have to go back to the store tomorrow. This is probably what happens when you get old. You spend your entire day trying to remember what you forgot.

We're still debating whether to take a car trip somewhere before Janet returns to work. It would be nice to get away, but the thought of being on the road in August with a dog who could have a seizure at any time in a car that could break down at any point just isn't very appealing. This is probably why we never take car trips. There was a time when we used to travel quite a bit. It was easier when the dogs were young and healthy and we didn't have to leave them in a boarding kennel. We had good friends who would look after Spot when we were away. Spot absolutely loved visiting Lynn and Bob and got along well with their dogs. That was a long time ago. Bob is dead and we haven't seen Lynn in years. I can't imagine leaving Dash. There are just too many health issues.

I was thinking about going to the gym again tomorrow, but after wrestling with the pressure washer this morning, I don't think I'm ready yet. I'd hate to screw up my wrist before it has had time to heal. I asked the doctors at the emergency room how long I needed to wear the splint on my wrist. They just said to ask the orthopedic specialist they referred me to. I don't think they realized that it would take a month to get an appointment though. I don't see any need to wear the splint now, but I probably shouldn't be lifting weights yet.

I just fell asleep at the computer while trying to think of what to write next. I assume that means it's time for bed.

Pongo os today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2289

Dash survived his dental exam. You'd think having your dog's teeth cleaned would be easy, but nothing is easy with Dash. He has a history of waking up hard after anesthesia, so the vet has a special way to sedate him so he won't be frantic when he wakes up. She was really pleased at how calm Dash was today. When I drove him home I was thinking that we'd dodged a bullet this time, but less than an hour later he was racing around the house in a panic and drooling profusely. I had to put him on a leash when I took him outside so he wouldn't eat grass and leaves. I occasionally get nauseous when I am recovering from anesthesia, so this must have been what Dash was feeling. Things are better now, but it was a three ring circus for a while.

At one point, both dogs wanted to go outside at the same time and I just couldn't manage it.  If I was holding up Dot's rear legs, I couldn't keep Dash from eating leaves. If I was attending to Dash, Dot couldn't even get up. It was a mess. Eventually, Dash calmed down and Dot pooped, but there were some very unhappy dogs for a while. I just couldn't explain to them that I had to deal with them one at a time.

It's sad to see Europe descending into chaos. I used to spend a lot of time in Europe, but I wouldn't feel entirely comfortable there now. I'm glad I saw Greece before it went bankrupt. I'm glad I visited Turkey while it was still a secular country. I'm especially glad I got to spend time in Paris before you had to be careful which arrondissement you were traveling in. Most of my travels took place before the European Union even existed. I bet some of my European friends wish they could go back to those days. Open borders seems to have created more problems than they solved.

I hope Dot's vet can explain why she became lame earlier this week. The leg was completely limp and useless and yet she recovered the next day. Maybe the Palladia pills are making her stumble and fall, but I suspect that another disc in her spine has become compromised. Dot has so many neurological issues that I forget she has cancer sometimes. Hopefully we'll find some answers at our physical therapy session tomorrow. It's hard to accept that nothing can be done at this point, but maybe that is the answer.

Today was tiring. I'm hoping that tomorrow will be uneventful and calm. It would be nice if Dot does well in the underwater treadmill. It would be nice if I can eat my breakfast without both dogs barking at me. We'll see what happens. If tomorrow is tiring too, I'll just take a nice nap.

Brooke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2239

It doesn't look like I'll be going to the NASA event in Houston next week. I forgot that my car insurance is due this month, so there isn't any extra travel money anyway. More importantly, Dot is growing weaker. Maybe the setback is temporary, but I'm having to support her rear legs even in the house now. She needs a lot of attention and I just don't feel comfortable leaving her alone for any length of time. I'd feel terrible if Dot took a turn for the worse while I was away on a pleasure trip. There will be plenty of opportunities to travel in the future, but for now I think I've got my priorities straight.

There are plenty of good reasons why I'd like to get out of town for a while. Work has become oppressively slow. I remain disciplined and try to maintain the enthusiasm I had during my salad days, but I think this ship has sailed. When you start to see more obituaries on Facebook than new business opportunities, someone is trying to send you a message. I can't really complain about my situation because I've made no effort whatsoever to make new friends or set new priorities. I don't want something new. I was happy with the way things were ten years ago. I was even happier with the way things were twenty years ago. Maybe I just want to slow down time. Watching life go by in dog year's really puts things in perspective. Those days when you thought you had all the time in the world were just an illusion.

The dogs got their heartworm pills this morning and I went to the post office and paid the first of the February bills. FedEx found my package and we're back on some sort of schedule for delivery again. Dot didn't poop in the house today, but I don't think this means much. I need to get one of those Shit Happens bumper stickers. Those two words pretty much say it all these days. There is no way to predict when Dot is going to have an accident and I'm beginning to think that the humidity level in the house is equally unpredictable. The new dehumidifier does make a difference, but the elephant in the room is always the weather. When the humidity is oppressively high outside, it rises on the inside as well. So, what have we learned here? You can't slow down time and you can't fight mother nature.

I'm no political junkie, but I was curious enough this evening to turn on the TV and see the results of the Iowa Caucus. I was surprised. I guess the pollsters aren't always right. The polls predicted that Trump and Hillary would win. Maybe Hillary still wins, but if she does it will only be by six or seven votes. Bernie was very strong and so was Rubio, who almost overtook Trump for the number two spot. I think I would have preferred that Bernie and Trump both had decisive wins, just to send the middle finger to the political establishment. I have a feeling that a year from now it's going to be Hillary against Rubio.

Tomorrow is another day. Unfortunately it is only Tuesday. I'm still watching the slow dance of the five visible planets when the sky is clear before sunrise. I'm still making breakfast smoothies using my secret recipe of eggs, half-and-half, strawberries, bananas, blueberries, oatmeal, and ice cream. Occasionally, there are things to write and websites to update. I keep the dogs happy and try not to make myself sad. I found a fat squirrel to photograph today. We'll see what turns up in my lens tomorrow.

Myles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2237

A year ago at this time I was a guest of NASA at Vandenberg Air Force Base. I had been invited to witness the launch of the SMAP satellite and still remember the experience fondly. I haven't been anywhere since. Shortly after I returned, Dot injured her spine and life changed radically. I had an opportunity to go to Kennedy Space Center and view another launch later in the year, but it wasn't very practical. Taking care of Dot requires all hands on deck. Now, I have an opportunity to take a much shorter trip to Houston to get a progress report on the Orion program and a tour of mission control. I think I could make the trip in a single day, but it's hard to decide whether this NASA event is feasible either. Even if Janet came home for lunch that day to check on the dogs, they would still be alone for a long time. Dot can get in trouble so easily now that I hesitate to leave her at all. I need to think about this. I can't stay home forever, but I can't leave Dot and feel comfortable either.

We slept in too long this morning. Dot is used to our weekday schedule where everybody is up at the crack of dawn. I think she tried her best not to make a mess, but we weren't there when she needed us. I heard her wake up around six AM, but before I could grab her harness and get her suited up, she had already headed toward the back door, leaving a trail of poop along the way. Ironically, I couldn't sleep well last night, and had gotten up briefly around 4:30 AM to go outside and look at the stars. Everyone was sleeping so peacefully that I was very quiet and did my best not to disturb Janet and the sleeping dogs. I should have taken Dot outside then. Luckily, the two soiled rugs were small enough to stuff in the washing machine and clean.

It's weird how bothered I get when a UPS or FedEx shipment is late. I was supposed to get a piece of camera equipment I ordered this morning, but found out later in the day that the shipment had been delayed. It won't arrive until sometime next week. This was just a small little adapter. Not a big deal at all. Nevertheless, I was looking forward to see whether this gizmo was going to solve my connection problem as I anticipated. I'm not very flexible anymore. I don't like surprises and expect everything to stay on schedule. Of course this never happens, so I am always frustrated.

I renewed my computer's anti-virus software today. I don't even know if this application actually works, but it's kind of like car insurance. You'd hate to be without it if you actually needed it. Increasingly, you don't buy software anymore. You just subscribe to it for a year at a time. I don't like software subscriptions any more than I like late FedEx shipments, but what can you do? Uber cabs, Air B&B, and software subscriptions are the future, whether I like it or not.

I should have gotten a head start on my weekend chores today, but it was hard to stay focused. I dawdled over breakfast, spend too long just staring aimlessly at things in the grocery store, and took a nap with the dogs instead of vacuuming the house. Luckily, there's always tomorrow for that sort of thing.

Malcolm is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1872

It's Friday and I'm back in Dallas. I'm not much of a traveler, but when you do get me out of town, I always hate to come back. My Friday breakfast outing didn't seem so special today. Since my memory is like a sieve, I quickly forget all my responsibilities when I'm away and learn to enjoy living on the road. It's kind of nice having a maid make your bed everyday and clean up after you. Eating out in strange new cities is usually an interesting change of pace from my usual fare as well. I never listen to the news when I travel and seldom use my phone. It's kind of peaceful staying in a nice hotel. The only thing that would make the experience better would be if the credit card bills went to someone else.

Even though I enjoyed my trip, I'm glad that I didn't end up staying in California another day. The launch didn't happen this morning after all. It ended up getting postponed until Saturday morning and some of the people who ended up going to a lot of trouble getting their airline reservations changed, just so they could come back to the viewing site on Friday, still won't be able to see the launch. When the launch was scrubbed yesterday, one of the NASA folks standing next to me said, "This is what NASA is like. It teaches you patience."

I do have the patience, but I also had other things to do. I have a big photo shoot tomorrow and there isn't that much time to get ready. I spent the morning unpacking from the trip to California and the afternoon gathering my gear together for tomorrow. Our house is so small that I can never keep everything in one place. Backdrops and props I don't use very much often get lost in the storage warehouse when I throw other stuff on top of them. As most of you know, I'm pretty forgetful too. When I was in California, two people retrieved my reading glasses for me after I'd inadvertently left them someplace. The rental car agent had to remind me that I'd left my laptop on the counter. When I went to return the rent car on my way out of town, I couldn't find the car keys. I was just about ready to go back to the hotel and ask them if they let me back in the room again to search for the keys when I eventually found them in a jacket pocket. The reason I thought I'd lost the keys was that I always keep car keys in my left front pants pocket. Lord know how they got in the jacket pocket, but I never thought to look there.

I spent quite a while today answering the messages that had accumulated during my trip. There was nothing as urgent as the voicemail messages made it seem. In fact, there was nothing urgent at all. I could have easily gone another week without checking my voicemail and the world wouldn't have come to an end. I'm convinced that some people like a crisis. If there isn't a handy crisis available, they will invent one. It isn't just clients that like a crisis either. My bank seemed worried that I hadn't picked up my new checks yet. Jeez, I still have some of the old checks left. Why would I need the new ones now?

Whenever I fly, I'm struck by the fact that much of the country is still completely empty. Everybody is crammed into a few crowded cities surrounded by thousands of miles of nothing. Why do we even need these cities anymore. As soon as Elon Musk gets his network of cheap internet satellites launched and Amazon perfects it's drone delivery service, we could all live in the middle of nowhere without giving up much at all. More and more corporate people are working out of their homes already and GoToMeeting software has almost completely replaced sitting around a conference table. I'd love to live in an isolated area like the countryside around Vandenberg, as long as I had good broadband service and FedEx delivery. A helicopter to take the dogs to the vet would be nice too.

Malcolm 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

Day 1329

I set up an account with a new supplier today. Someday when pigs fly, I'll buy a lot of cool video gear from these guys. Until then, I'll just keep on doing what I do best: working for next to nothing. I managed to get two animal rescue websites updated today. Although adoptions always seem to slow down in the Summer, it is good to see that these dogs and cats are still finding homes.

I may be going back to Las Vegas to cover another fashion show later this month. Hopefully, we can iron out the details and finalize the trip in the next few days. I always enjoy an excuse to go to Las Vegas. Janet likes Las Vegas too, so it tends to be our most frequent travel destination.

My new gym is starting to be one of my more frequent destinations around town. I try to go at least twice a week, but apparently most members go a lot more often. I see the same people on the machines every time I go. I don't know where they find the time. If I went more than twice a week, I'd be way behind on my work.

Dash has recently learned Dot's trick of turning around and heading for home when she gets tired. I don't think Dash is actually tired though. He's just stubborn. Since both dogs have become fond of staying inside in air conditioned comfort, it's getting harder to get them the exercise they need. The heat is pretty severe though, so I'll let them call the shots. Until the weather gets cooler, when either dog turns around, we'll head back home. Too bad I can't just take them to the gym with me. It's nice and cool at the gym. All I'd have to do is train them to walk on a treadmill. Again, when pigs fly perhaps.

The dogs may be getting too hot during the Summer, but I'm getting too cold. I wake up warm enough, but as the day progresses, I find myself getting colder and colder. It's odd, because the temperature in the house always stays the same. It's not that cold in the house either. If I kept the place any warmer, Janet would have a fit. I have a feeling that my blood isn't circulating as well as it once did. At any rate, when I run short errands now, I don't even bother to turn on the car air conditioner. It's nice to warm up again.

Morgan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1256

While I was having my Black Bean Benedict breakfast this morning, two people seated at the next table were trying to explain the concept of purgatory to each other. I can't remember when I've heard a more confusing and convoluted explanation of anything. I'm not much of a believer. Belief requires a certainty I just don't have. I am a good observer though and try my best not to pass judgement on what I observe.

It was difficult not to pass judgement on the roofers carpentry skills however. When I got home from breakfast, I noticed that the new fascia trim the roofers had just finished attaching to the edge of the carport didn't match the existing trim on the house. The lumber they used for the fascia was an inch wider than the existing trim. Didn't the guys notice the obvious mismatch at the joint where the new trim met the old trim at the corner of the house? Jeez! I wish they'd measured the lumber before they nailed it up on the house. When I pointed out out the disparity in the two sections of trim, the guys seemed angry with me. Did they actually think I wouldn't notice this?  One of the roofers finally told me that they would fix the problem, but didn't tell me how. They all left for the day immediately afterwards.

The assignment to provide photography and social media coverage for one of my clients at a big watch and jewelry trade show got approved today. The schedule has changed though. Now I'm leaving earlier and staying longer than I anticipated. I wish I'd known this new schedule several days ago. I recently ordered an airport friendly rolling carry-on camera case in anticipation of this assignment. The UPS website says the case is scheduled to arrive the day after I leave.

It's raining now. The main roof is more or less finished, so I imagine we'll stay dry inside. I wouldn't be surprised if the cars were wet tomorrow morning though. The carport is definitely still a work in progress. When I looked this afternoon, it certainly didn't appear very waterproof to me.

I hope the wet weather clears up soon. We've got a three day weekend ahead and it would be nice to have some beautiful, sunny weather to go along with the holiday. I know the dogs are going to expect a trip to the dog park. Personally, I don't know what to expect anymore.

Ziggy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1243

I took Janet to the airport today. It used to be that I traveled more than she did, but now it's the other way around. I rarely leave the neighborhood anymore. That's just as well. I don't really like traveling anymore. The dogs definitely don't like the idea of traveling. Mostly because they usually don't get to go. Dot and Dash get upset whenever they see a suitcase. A suitcase means that something is going to change and their routines will be disrupted for a while. I try to compensate by feeding them extra treats and taking naps with them. This usually works. Luckily, dogs are easy to please.

It was a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky. Maybe that's why everything was so crowded. There were long lines at the grocery store. There were even lines of people using the self-checkout terminals, which are usually empty. There was an old woman ahead of me in line who kept swiping her credit card through the machine over and over again, swearing at it when it wasn't doing what she wanted. I was just about ready to move to another line, when a clerk came over to her and explained that she was already finished and could just take her buggy and go. I wonder what will baffle and confuse me when I get old? I sure it will be something. It will be something totally unexpected too. That's the way it usually works.

When I was watching Dr. Who this evening I noticed a glowing red light on the set top box. I had forgotten that I had programmed the DVR to record the show. I don't know why I'm so keen on seeing every episode, because I don't think this new series is quite as good as some of the previous ones. I still think I liked the ninth and tenth doctors the best, when they traveled with Rose Tyler. Oh, well. If I want to see this new episode again, it's in the box. Maybe the season will get better. There's already a lot of buzz about the season finale, when the Doctor's name is revealed.

I hope the dogs don't mind if we skip the dog park tomorrow. Yeah, I know. Some people take four or five dogs to the park by themselves. I don't. Maybe I'm overprotective, but Dot is getting old and I've seen some pretty rough dogs in the park. I just feel more comfortable when there's two of us watching over them.

Dodger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1144

I think even Dot was amazed today. Our first attempt at a car trip with the dogs was a resounding success. Dash was unbelievably good. He whined a bit for the first 50 miles, but after that we didn't hear a peep out of him. It probably helped that Janet sat in the back seat between the two dogs during the entire trip, but Dot and Dash certainly did their part. They were good little travelers.

When we arrived at our destination, the surprises continued. The hotel staff seemed delighted to see two Dalmatians checking in and were very nice to us. When we got the food and water bowls set up in the room and scattered a few dog blankets around, Dot and Dash acted like traveling was the most normal thing in the world.

Truthfully, the dogs adapted to the rigors of traveling much better than I did. I'm never very good at planning ahead. I should have checked the temperature and worn a warmer coat. I should have worn more comfortable shoes for driving as well. Luckily, I did remember my reading glasses, or I'd have had a hard time writing tonight's entry.

Dash seems to be having a great time making flying leaps onto the hotel bed. To make things easy on the dogs, we've always had very low platform beds at home. Dash seems very proud of himself that he can hop on top of a bed five times taller than the one he's used to at home. Dot, unfortunately is not so nimble anymore. She's getting old and we have to lift her into the bed. Luckily, she sleeps soundly. If we put her in the middle of the bed, there's little danger that she'll fall off.

Tomorrow will be an even bigger adventure than today. Dot and Dash, along with about a dozen other Dalmatians, will be featured guests in a big Mardi Gras parade. All the dogs have elaborate, satin embroidered Mardi Gras coats that make them look suspiciously like Elvis in his latter years. The dogs will all be riding in a special trolley and their handlers will be tossing small Dalmatian plush toys out to the crowd instead of the traditional beads.

I had initially thought about making a short documentary about this unlikely event, but holding on to Dash's leash during the parade will be a full time job. I've already learned the hard way that cameras and Dalmatians don't go well together.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 982

Everything is normal again. I'm back in Dallas. The dogs have returned from the boarding kennel and have resumed their regular routine. Although I have learned what the fashionable will be wearing next Spring, it really doesn't matter since I'll still be wearing a black t-shirt and jeans for the foreseeable future.

I hated to say goodby to Las Vegas. It was a nice change of pace. We got off to an exceptionally early start this morning. It actually seemed like we got up before we went to bed. I'm definitely not an early riser, but I've learned that there are advantages to getting to the airport at the crack of dawn. The line at the TSA checkpoint is much shorter, for starters. Getting through security at McCarran Airport has always been daunting, but we sailed right through this morning. There wasn't a line at all. Janet and I ate breakfast at the airport and then had an uneventful flight home.

Since I'm not one of the ones who immediately checks their cell phone the instant the landing gear hits the runway, there was a ton of e-mail for me to sort through when I got back to the office. Hidden away among hundreds and hundreds of spam and marketing messages were at least ten legitimate letters telling me that I was already late on something. Tomorrow will be a busy day. There are dogs that need to be added to rescue websites. There are new services that my clients think the world needs to know about. There are articles that need to be written. Could all this wait? Probably. Would I have any business at all if each of these projects didn't receive top priority. Probably not.

Yesterday, at the WWD Magic show, I walked right past a panel discussion of fashion bloggers. They were all talking enthusiastically about emerging trends and the importance of the Internet to the fashion industry. And why wasn't I included in this illustrious panel, I wondered? Hey, I write about fashion. I blog. Hmm. Maybe it's because I'm not 22 years old. These kids were all so young. I say hats off to these young bloggers. I'm all for any 22 year old who is actually out in the world doing something and not still living at home with their parents.

I'm a reluctant traveler, but once you pry me away from my routine and get me out of town, I never want to return. It's nice to do something different. Regular day-to-day life can be mind numbingly boring no matter what you do for a living. OK. Maybe it's not boring if you are an ER nurse or a fireman, but I have a feeling that even those jobs eventually become largely routine. I need to mix things up more often. It's probably my own fault if life is a little dull. Now, if only that assignment in Singapore would come through.

Mickey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 978 - Janet's Birthday

I wonder how many hours I've spent on planes? A lot. I don't fly very much anymore, but whenever I get on a plane, the whole routine seems so familiar. It just takes longer these days with all the additional security at the airport and planes that are even more crowded than they were twenty years ago. Today's destination was Las Vegas. It's Janet's birthday today and she loves Las Vegas.

Some of you may remember my last trip to Las Vegas. That trip was a disaster. I had injured my neck just before we left and was in terrible pain. The pain killers my doctor gave me didn't work and gave me hallucinations instead. I saw bugs in the bathroom that Janet said didn't even exist and I had to sleep sitting up in a chair. I hardly left my room the entire time we were in town. At the time, Janet swore that she'd never travel with me again, but things are much better this year. I feel great this time around. Of course, some things never change. I'm up in the room writing the blog and Janet is already off gambling somewhere. We'll meet up later.

I continue to be amazed at how connected the world has become. Our plane had WiFi and everyone just continued using the Internet while they were flying. Remember when those TV's used to descend from the roof of the place and the flight attendant would come by and give you a headset? Not anymore. A lot of planes don't even show movies anymore. Everyone is doing their own thing on their laptops, Kindles, iPads, and phones. Who would have thought that I could be flying over the Grand Canyon and be able to check in on the dogs using a live webcam.  Yep, they're doing fine.

I'm terrible at packing. I always take too much of some things and not enough of other things. I often forget the basics, like a toothbrush, or socks. I think I remembered everything this time. We'll see. I'm glad I remembered my little 4G hotspot, because I couldn't seem to login to the hotel's free WiFi. When you go to Las Vegas, cab drivers at the airport always ask you if you want to take the fast route to your hotel. I've finally learned to say no. "No, I'd rather take the shorter route," I said today. "Oh, you want the lower fare," said the cabbie. The fast route just means that you drive faster on the freeway in the opposite direction of your hotel. Since the airport is located right next to the strip where all the hotels are, you really don't need to go on the freeway anyway. We were at our hotel in minutes.

Wish me luck. I never win in Vegas, but there's always a first time.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 946

I found out today that one of my clients is considering sending me to Las Vegas to cover a big fashion event next month. That's certainly an improvement over yesterday's dismal news. I just wish the good news was more consistent. If I had known what a roller coaster ride owning a small business was when I started my company in 1990, I probably would have been a lot nicer to the creative directors I used to work for.

Hey, I've got my freedom though. Today it was the freedom to be stupid. I mistakenly took my evening meds this morning instead of my regular morning meds. There is a reason that I'm supposed to take the evening meds just before bedtime. One of the pills I take is Simcor. This drug causes the small blood vessels near the surface of the skin to expand, resulting in a pronounced flushing sensation. All morning I felt like I was burning up. My skin was bright red and blotchy and I felt like I had a bad sunburn. This is normal, but usually you're asleep when the flushing occurs and you never notice it. It didn't help that I had four cups of coffee this morning either. You're not supposed to have hot beverages right after you take the pill. Oh, well.  I'm fine now and I'm less likely to absent mindedly make this mistake again.

If I can get my work finished in time, I'm planning on going to a video production seminar hosted by Panasonic tomorrow afternoon. I used to go to these type of things quite often when I was doing more video production. Now, it is becoming harder to justify the time away from the office when I'm bogged down in website work. I think I'll go anyway though. For some reason I still think video production is fun and you've got to take your fun wherever you can get it these days.

Dot and Dash did well in training class tonight. It was hot this evening, but that didn't seem to slow the dogs down. They both had one of their better nights. I'm proud of the little rascals.

Beemer is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 939

I decided to merge the blog with Google+ this morning. I'm not sure what the implications of this move are, but Google has made the whole process so easy and transparent that I'm beginning to wonder if they are making plans to just abandon the Blogger platform at some point. The blog looks pretty much the same, so I'm happy enough. Who knows? Maybe I'll even find some new readers.

I haven't been getting enough sleep lately. I think one of the reasons I'm waking up tired every morning is all the weird dreams I've been having. I'm not much at dream interpretation, but these dreams are so consistent that they've got to mean something. I always seem to be wandering around looking for something that should be easy to find. I wander the halls of large hotels, looking for my room. I go from deck to deck on cruise ships, looking for my companion. Sometimes I just ride elevators up and down for the longest time. I've found myself in ad agencies where I used to work, looking for my office. Last night I dreamed that I was watching TV in bed and couldn't find the remote to turn the TV off. At first I wasn't sure that this was a dream, because I actually was in bed. When I woke up however, the TV was off and the only noise I heard was a dog snoring next to me. These aren't exciting dreams, but they are tiring.

I used my waking hours this afternoon to catch up on correspondence and finish some writing assignments. I'd already wasted half the morning watching back-to-back Dr. Who episodes while eating French Toast and sausages. Maybe travel would make things more interesting. One of my European clients caught my interest the other day by dangling the prospect of a trip to Singapore in front of me. The temptation was brief and tenuous at best, but it was enough to get me researching flights from DFW to Singapore. Wow! Singapore is a long way away. Travel time varies from around 24 hours to well over 48 hours, depending on how many stops you have to make along the way. One of the more popular routes to the Far East from Dallas goes through London. This seems backwards at first, until you look at a globe and realize the benefits of traveling over the pole. I'd love to go to Singapore to do the interviews for my new assignment, but somehow I have a feeling I'll be sitting right here at my desk, doing my research on Wikipedia.

The weather was beautiful for dog training class tonight. The nice weather didn't seem to impress the dogs however, because most of them weren't very obedient. The only thing Dash wanted to do tonight was the long down exercise, where the dogs had to lie down and stay in the same spot for five minutes. Dash is good at lying down and doing nothing. It is one of his favorite things.

Sophia is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 628

I’m writing this at 38,000 feet. I doubt that I’ll be able to post the blog until we land again, but it’s a good time to write. I don’t know how Janet managed to get us upgraded to first class without paying any more. She’s a lot better at travel planning than I am. I’d almost forgotten how much nicer first class is than coach. I don’t get up to the front of the plane much anymore. There’s plenty of room for your feet up here. The flight attendants are nicer. They even serve you a real meal. I could get used to this. I’m sure the next time I fly, I’ll be right back in coach however. If my clients are paying, I’ll definitely be back in coach.

I think it took longer to get the dogs ready for the boarding kennel than it took to pack our own bags. We packed their food, their meds, their dog treats and their toys. I’m sure Janet probably threw in a few dog blankies into their bag as well. I think we’ll be able to watch them on a webcam when we arrive. I’ve learned that live webcams aren’t very reliable though. About half the time when I go to view one, it has already crashed.

Janet is convinced that if I could just learn to relax, my neck pain would go away immediately. I don’t think it’s this simple, but I’m certainly willing to give it a try. When we get to our hotel, I’ll probably just upload this and immediately go to sleep with my special u-shaped pillow wrapped around my neck.

Tomorrow is another day. I may feel fabulous tomorrow. The hotel mattress is probably a lot better than our mattress at home, which has been ruined over the years by large dogs jumping all over it. Just a good night’s sleep would probably make a world of difference.

Domino: today's Dalmatian of the Day

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