Day 3262

I feel like I washed everything in the bedroom today. Dash pooped everywhere last night and made a huge mess. He's totally unpredictable. Some days are fine and others I'd just as soon forget. I don't think there's a solution. Dash has always moved around at night and as long as he's able, he's going to continue to do so. If you try to pen him in a safe area, he barks and gets very upset. When he gets upset, it can trigger a seizure. It's best to keep him happy and let him do what he wants.

As I predicted yesterday, there was no problem getting up early today. I was already doing wash, cleaning the floors, and remaking the bed at 5 AM. Getting up at night is a piece of cake. Getting any sleep at all is the problem. By the time I finished breakfast this morning I felt like I'd already done a full days work. I'm dreading this weekend's photo shoots. I have a feeling that Dash will continue to throw us a curve and I'll be worn out before I even arrive at the first location.

The cameras all check out OK, but I need to get some new batteries for the flash triggers. I should have ordered these batteries online because I couldn't find them at the grocery store and I didn't feel like driving all over town. Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow. The trip to the store wasn't a total loss because I did come home with something for dinner. I'm starting to be alarmed that I appear to be the only one buying the flash frozen Cadence Kitchen meals I've grown to love. Why aren't more people trying these things? They're delicious. Flash freezing prepared meals with nitrogen does an amazing job of preserving the flavor. You just heat the frozen nuggets in a frying pan and ten minutes later you're done. This is so much easier than those Hello Fresh meal kits and the results are just as tasty. Like most things I like, this product will probably disappear within a year or two.

An online auction I'm participating in went live today. I think I like the live auctions a lot better. Maybe things will improve, but it didn't seem like my items were getting a lot of activity. Oh, well. Beggars can't be choosers. These second tier items weren't desirable enough to be included in a live auction. I guess if they sell at all, I'll be happy. I definitely don't want this stuff back.

Dash seemed lethargic today. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether he's tired, confused, or in pain. I think he was just tired, because he was happy enough to take a nap with me this afternoon. This worked out well, because I was tired too. Naps are good but I don't think they really make up for losing a lot of sleep at night.

Jeez. Dash just pooped in the house again. He was sleeping and didn't even wake up. Sleeping poop is easier to clean up because it's all on one place. Hey, I'm going to look on the bright side. Since it's already pretty late, maybe this means that he'll make it through the night.

I've already taken this week's trash to the curb. I think I'll go back to the hotel for breakfast tomorrow. The hotel is very peaceful. Peaceful sounds good right now.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3245

What a day. Dash started us off by pooping in the bed. He strayed off his protective pad during the night and ended up pooping on the bedspread. Then when he tried to get up, he stepped in the mess. I took the bedding outside so I could hose it off before putting it in the wash and discovered that it was pouring rain. It was a very cold rain too. By the time I got the bedspread in the washing machine, I was freezing and fairly wet.

I didn't even notice until the next morning that the roof had started to leak in an entirely new location. This time the leak was in the hallway. Since the first leak appeared over a month ago, it has never been dry enough to inspect the roof for damage. With all the rain we've been having, there has been standing water one the roof for the entire time. The roof seems hopeless at this point. I don't want to put an entirely new roof on the house, but it may come to that.

Dash wouldn't walk this morning. Maybe it was too cold for him, but I suspect that it was because Janet wasn't with him. He follows her around like glue these days. I tried several times to get him out the back door, but all I succeeded in doing was get him to poop in the house again.

We walked later in the day when Janet returned. That's all he wanted. As soon as she was leading the way, he was eager to follow behind. It makes it a lot harder to walk Dash if we both have to be there, but that is apparently what Dash wants. It is almost impossible to get him to walk alone with me anymore.

I woke up this morning with an upset stomach, heartburn, and a bad back. These middle of the night cleanup routines are taking a toll on me. I'm a light sleeper anyway and now it seems like I'm getting no sleep at all. I take naps during the day, but it would be much more enjoyable to do my sleeping at night like a normal person. This new routine doesn't seem to bother Dash at all. He still seems to sleep eighteen hours a day.

This afternoon, I went to check out the location for the photo shoot this weekend. I was happy to discover that I'll be inside. I have a feeling that it will still be very cold this weekend. I still can't decide whether to get a flu shot before the event. The last time I got a flu shot I actually came down with a mild case of the flu. I still blame the flu shot and haven't got a shot since. My fear of crowds probably trumps my fear of flu shots though. Whenever I'm around a crowd of people, I'm convinced that I'll catch a cold.

Once again, I checked the mail for most of the day before I realized that it was a holiday and there was no mail delivery. I wish the stock market was closed today along with the post office and the banks. We had another major sell off. Basically nothing went smoothly today. Hey, there's always tomorrow.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3229

I didn't even try to go back to sleep after cleaning up the mess Dash made in the bed last night. There's nothing like cleaning up poop in the middle of the night to wake you up in a hurry. I got dressed and went outside to look at the stars for a while. Orion was rising in the East and there was a gibbous moon overhead. It's peaceful at 3 AM, but there was still too much light pollution to see very much. I returned to the house, brewed some coffee and watched TV while doing several loads of wash. Needless to say, I was tired for the rest of the day.

The weather remains beautiful. Dash, who went back to sleep immediately after his accident in the bed, woke up rested and was ready for a walk. This time I was the one who was walking slow. We took our time and returned just in time for breakfast. I'll probably never get to sleep tonight because I followed my middle of the night coffee with even more coffee.

On the way to the grocery store I stopped by the new storage warehouse and made arrangements for a move in early November. I'm going to have to rent a truck because it will take forever to move everything in the car. It still seems like a good idea to hire someone to help me with the move, but I'm not sure who to call. I have a feeling that I'll just end up moving everything myself.

After making sure that Dash ate his lunch and had gone outside to pee, I returned to the old storage warehouse to continue my efforts to thin things out before the big move. I found some things that I could donate to an animal charity and filled the car again. I continue to be amazed that my efforts are having such a small impact. The warehouse still looks pretty full.

When I dropped my items off, the organization was having a volunteer appreciation party. Technically I'm still a volunteer, even though I haven't done much lately. I hung around for a while and helped folks clean up. I wish I'd come a little earlier, since the food truck was just leaving as I arrived. The volunteers were eating some delicious looking sliders.

Today would have been a good day to wash the car or remove the water from the roof. I was too tired to do either. Hey, at least I got something done. Thirty more days like this and the warehouse will be empty. There are a bunch of old typewriters in the warehouse, so I looked online to see if people collected these things. Yep. Tom Hanks is an avid collector of old manual typewriters and apparently so are a lot of other people. There are several websites for collectors where people buy and sell these machines. Now there is one more category of things I can consign and try to get rid of.

I don't know what to do about Dash's incontinence. He can't wear diapers and he never stays in one place at night. Often his efforts to get up and move to a new position are what causes him to poop in the first place. Dot's incontinence was a piece of cake compared to Dash. Dot would stay in one place all night, so it was much easier to protect the house.

I shouldn't have any problems getting to sleep tonight. I'm exhausted. None of this makes any difference to Dash. Lord know what he has planned for me tonight.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3219

I don't know how to keep Dash from pooping on the bed. He's slept on the bed for his entire life and he's not about to stop now just because he's become incontinent. We've tried all sorts of comfortable dog beds on the floor, but Dash isn't interested in them. He's still mobile enough to move around at night, so if we manage to get him positioned on a protective pad, he's usually somewhere else by the time we wake up.

Last night when Dash woke me up trying to reposition himself, I smelled something. Although most of his body was still on his protective blanket, his butt was on the comforter. This was messy poop too. Everybody got up. We cleaned Dash off. I took the large comforter outside and hosed it off and then threw it in the washer on the super hot germ killing cycle. We re-made the bed and tried unsuccessfully to get back to sleep. No wonder I'm sleep deprived. This happens almost every night.

It was raining again when we woke up, so I had to keep checking the weather radar and wait for an opportune time to take our morning walk. Dash doesn't really understand waiting. He pooped in the house again while I was finishing my breakfast. I had to wait until almost 1 PM for the rain to subside, but Dash was still eager to walk when we finally got an opportunity.

Since I was stuck in the house for most of the day, I spent a considerable amount of time watching the Phillips auction in New York. My two lots didn't set any records, but they met their estimates. I'm happy. I must be totally out of touch with today's art world. Artists who I am familiar with often didn't do as well as I expected, but several names I'd never even heard of set off a frenzy of bidding. Who were these guys and why did people want their stuff? I thought I was knowledgeable, but apparently not.

My soggy bills have finally become dry enough to pay and take to the post office. Unfortunately the glue on the flaps of the return envelopes had become wet and sealed the envelopes shut before I could put anything in them. I had to cut the envelopes apart and then tape them back together. What a waste of time. Online payments are finally starting to make sense.

A pair of my favorite dog walking pants tore today. I've repaired these old pants several times before, but I don't think it's worth the effort anymore. They are pretty threadbare. It's finally time to throw these things in the trash and break out a new pair. It's weird. I've got plenty of clothes that I've never even worn. Unless I'm going to a meeting or doing something special with Janet, I just wear the same things over and over again.

I wonder if this rain is ever going to stop? We're starting to get on the news now with lots of stories about flooding in Central Texas. I guess Dash and I were lucky to get a walk at all today. Our little excursion turned out to be the only dry spell of the day. I got caught in a downpour when I went to pick up more Plavix for Dash at the pharmacy and it's still raining now.

There is more rain in the forecast. If cabin fever was a problem today, it's going to be an even bigger problem tomorrow. Where is that new season of The Expanse I've been waiting for?

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3193

I was so tired this morning. Dash got me up three or four times last night. As soon as I got him outside, he seemed to forget why he was out there and just wandered around aimlessly. As soon as I brought him in again, he would remember he needed to do something and head for the back door again. We did this over and over. Eventually he pooped and we went back to bed. About thirty minutes later, we woke me up again. This time he needed to pee. He wouldn't pee right away though. We had to leave the house three more times before he got the urge. This has to be some form of dementia. Sometimes he goes outside and has no idea why he's out there. This is one of the reasons why he frequently poops in the house. When Dash's brain finally kicks into gear and gets the message that it's time to go, it's often too late.

By the time I got back to sleep again, it was already time for Dash's morning walk. Janet got me up and we got Dash ready. I thought it was early, but I obviously wasn't thinking clearly. By the time we returned home it was almost too late to go out for breakfast. I was hungry though, so I drove to the hotel anyway. I made it a few minutes before they closed the kitchen.

I've been thinking that I'd found my new favorite place, but service was slow this morning and the place was crowded. The food was still good though, so I'll give Knife the benefit of the doubt. It was British Month at Central Market so I stopped by on the way home from breakfast and picked up some Steak and Stout pies, Celeriac Slaw, and Cumberland Sauce for dinner. Maybe next time I'll try a Scotch Egg and some Tikka Masala. When life is dull, something interesting to eat always does the trick.

I found myself falling asleep during the day. I really didn't get much sleep last night. I guess it didn't really matter if I wasn't very productive today. It's hard to get behind when there's nothing to do. I eventually made the bed, did some laundry, and repaired a pair of Dash's protective boots. I switched on the TV several times, but quickly turned it off again. I'm sick of politics.

It's nice that the market is at an all time high again. I think the last time was back in January. Why is it that every time the market is at a high point, my own stocks are actually lower than they were at the last market top? This happens frequently. I'd complain to my broker if it weren't for the fact that I've agreed with every trade we've made this year. You just can't predict the future.

I wish Dash was stronger, but I think he's doing the best he can. Getting old is a bitch. His overall weakness is caused by his heart disease and the shaky stance and vertigo are caused by the Vestibular Disease. There is no cure for either. I try my best to keep Dash as comfortable as possible. I know this is my own fate someday. I often wonder who will take care of me.

Rowe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3187

We enjoyed meeting the new rescue dogs this morning. Dot and Dash have been dealing with serious medical problems since 2014, so it's easy to forget how much fun a young, healthy Dalmatian can be. The dogs we photographed today were all super friendly, very active, and loved to play. I don't think it will be long before each of these pups finds their forever home.

Janet and I have gotten to know hundreds of these dogs over the years. They all had their own unique personality. It's surprising how many of these dogs I still remember. It's hard to remember the names though. Especially since there were a lot named Domino, Lucky, Spot, Patches, and Oreo. The older we get, the harder it is to remember all these names. We both forgot the name of one of our favorites today. After ten minutes of guessing in the car, we finally remembered the name was Spirit. How could we have forgotten Spirit?

When we walked Dash this morning, we found ourselves right in the middle of a big charity race. There were thousands of runners, but Dash still wanted to criss-cross the road from one side to the other like he always does. The runners definitely didn't want to slow down for an old dog, so we tried to find a new route. I wonder how well Dash can see? He seemed oblivious to the runners. Luckily, we managed to stay out of the way. I always wonder why so many people like to jog? Over time, running is terrible on the knees.The high impact exercise isn't great for the feet either. I guess this is one reason why knee replacements have become one of the most popular surgeries for people my age.

Dash got me up in the middle of the night again. Actually, he got me up three times. I don't think there is anything wrong. Dash has just changed his schedule. He doesn't care if he wakes me up. If I'm not fast enough, he'll just poop on the floor. He's hungrier now late at night than he is in the morning. I guess it's no surprise that he needs to do his business at 3 AM. I don't even remember what uninterrupted sleep feels line anymore. I need to ask my doctor whether catnaps count. I rarely sleep more than three or four hours at a time, but I nap a lot. All in all I probably sleep more than you do.

I'm really tempted to get the latest version of the Apple Watch. I still wear the original version every day, but this new watch adds the capability to take your own electrocardiogram and will automatically dial 911 if you fall and can't get up. The watch also has it's own internal GPS and cellular phone. Pretty amazing to a gadget geek like me. Probably in the future, all I'll need are the watch and a phone. I'm finding fewer and fewer reasons to turn on the computer every day.

It's back to the gym tomorrow. Janet already goes to her new gym at least four times a week. I see no reason to compete. Once a week is plenty. Hey, I still walk Dash twice a day. We're slow, but we're consistent. If I were walking one of those young Dalmatians we photographed today, I bet I would be in better shape than those runners we saw this morning. I can tell you from experience that keeping up with a young Dalmatian is the best exercise you can get.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3038

The tree trimmer came over today to give me an estimate. The dead limb I was worried about hangs directly over the house and it seems like it would be difficult to gently lower it down with a rope. No problem, the guy told me. I'll take his word for it. This is something I would never attempt by myself. I need to schedule this work before the roofers come over, but that shouldn't be a problem. I'll be lucky if I can get the roofers over here by June.

I was reading the instructions for the special glue I bought to repair my fitness band and I noticed something in the fine print that said "Do not let this product come in contact with skin." WTF? How can I repair a wrist band if the repair can't come in contact with my skin? I need to contact the manufacturer about this. Silicon is used in all sorts of medical products. Silicon masks are also common in film and the theater. Why would anyone make a repair product that couldn't be used in these situations? Maybe the glue just can't come near skin until it has fully cured. I'll be real disappointed if I can't use this glue. Basically, if I can't glue the fitness tracker back together, it goes in the trash.

Dash seems to be slowly inching back to a more regular schedule. He got me up at midnight and again just before sunrise. While this may seem inconvenient, it is much better than getting up at 3 AM. I was hoping that Dash would sleep through the night like he did yesterday, but no such luck. At least he is eating normally again.

It was a nice day to be outside, so I tried to repair some of the roof panels on the greenhouse. It's been really windy this Spring and these panels keep coming loose. I definitely should have worn a long sleeve shirt. The translucent panels are made of fiberglass and my arms were itching for the rest of the day. Fiberglass is terrible stuff. It looks solid but there are always sharp little fibers that come off when you touch it. It's ironic that I was worried about the silicon glue today when I really should have been worried about the fiberglass.

I'm dreading going over to the storage warehouse and taking an inventory of my collection before my friend from Kentucky arrives in town to pick it up. This is going to take a long time and I'm sure I'll have misgivings about liquidating a bunch of stuff it took me so many years to accumulate. If I could go back in time, the first thing I'd do is tell my younger self not to bother with collecting things. The older you get, the less collections matter. In the long run, it is a lot better to have the cash than a bunch of dusty stuff in a storage warehouse.

This week has gone quickly. It is already time to take the trash to the curb again. On Thursday evenings I often read Yelp reviews about restaurants I'm thinking about visiting the next morning. Usually I just end up confused. There will almost always be great reviews right next to terrible reviews. It must be hard to run a restaurant. It's probably just about impossible to please everybody.

Marley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2935

We didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Dash had diarrhea and kept wanting to go outside on an hourly basis. I don't think this had anything to do with his heart or vestibular disease. He's become such a picky eater that we have to keep changing what we feed him just to keep him interested. Occasionally we pick something that doesn't agree with him. I'm not at my best in the middle of the night. Once I couldn't get my shoes on in time and Dash pooped in the living room. Sorry buddy, that was my fault. Around 4 AM, Dash's stomach settled down and we all went back to sleep,

Not surprisingly, we got off to a late start this morning. By the time we were ready to take Dash on his morning walk, the sun was already high in the sky. We didn't even need our Winter coats today. The weather was actually quite nice. It's a lot easier to get Dash ready, now that he isn't wearing the rubber boots. This isn't going to last long though. He drags his feet to much.

My day was filled with small errands. I went to my gym to find out more about their new membership plans. My old plan expired on New Year's Day and now my only choices are more expensive. I got all the details on the available plans, but didn't sign up for anything. Maybe it would be better to just go to a different gym.

On the way home I stopped at a fabric store and looked for material to fix my old down booties. Maybe I can fix these things myself. The store didn't have what I needed, but I was pleased that they treated me like I knew what I was doing. I used to be quite good at sewing things, although I still can't figure out Janet's fancy new machine. To me a fabric store is very much like a hardware store. They both have tools and materials to make things.

I discovered where all the missing movies went in my iTunes application. They aren't stored on your computer anymore. All the movies and songs are off in the cloud somewhere. If you aren't logged into your iCloud account, you don't see the purchases. This kind of irritated me and I decided to download the movies to my computer. Almost immediately, I discovered why Apple keeps these things stored in the cloud. HD movies take a long time to download. The movies that I used to buy were recorded at a lower resolution and were much smaller files. After downloading two HD movies and crashing my WiFi several times, I decided that storing the movies in the cloud was a better idea after all. Younger people probably don't have a problem with all this, but I was having trouble with the idea of purchases that weren't physically in my possession. I stubbornly wanted the files on my own computer. Oh, well. Live and learn. The cloud actually is better for some things.

When I was out this afternoon, I saw a huge line of cars in front of a neighborhood car wash. Don't these people know that it is going to rain tomorrow? I would never wash my car the day before it was expected to rain. Maybe these people aren't as obsessed with weather as I am. I am constantly checking the weather on my phone, computer, and even on the thermostat in the hallway. I hate being caught by surprise, although despite my best efforts I find myself caught out in the rain with Dash surprisingly frequently.

Dash seems better today. He is eating normally and his poop is slowly becoming firm again. I wish simple things like meals weren't so complicated, but I guess everything is complicated these days.

Alle is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day