Day 2787

When I went to breakfast this morning, a waiter immediately came to my table and brought me a tall Diet Coke. When I told him that I didn't order a Diet Coke, he got kind of snippy and said "That's funny, you asked for one just a minute ago." I didn't feel like arguing. I had only arrived at the restaurant a few minutes earlier and the guy with the Coke was the first person to approach my table. I just told him that I'd prefer some coffee and left it at that. Was this guy stoned or just a jerk? I probably just sat on the wrong side of the restaurant. I usually sit on the empty side when I eat at this place. Today I sat on the side full of people. This was a mistake, I'll go back to the empty side next time and let the bartender serve me breakfast.

I was sure it was going to rain when I walked Dash this morning. There were ominous looking clouds in the sky all day, but it was always raining elsewhere. I was actually hoping for rain this morning to lower the water bill a bit. No such luck. When I got home from breakfast, I turned the sprinklers on and started my day.

Watching grass grow was about as exciting as it got today. I glued the tail back on a ceramic Dalmatian that sits on the coffee table in the living room. I don't know how long the tail had been broken, but fixing the broken figurine has been on my to-do list for the past several weeks. Since the repair job was a success, I thought I'd try to repair the band of one of my favorite watches. Rubber from the 70's must not have been very good, because almost everything from that era with any rubber in it has disintegrated. This repair wasn't quite as successful. The watch looks fine sitting in a case, but it would probably break again if I ever wore it anywhere.

I had a conversation today with the creative director of a company I've worked with for a long time. He indicated that the company was moving in a new direction. I don't know if this means I will have different responsibilities, or just gradually be phased out. I said that I have always enjoyed working with them and hoped I would be able to help them in the future. What else could I say? When a bunch of young people want to move in a different direction, it often doesn't include someone my age.

Dash is still eating well, but he is becoming very bossy. If he doesn't get his meals or even his pills at what he considers to be the appropriate time, he starts barking incessantly. He wants to eat his dinner earlier now and that means that he wants his evening meds earlier too. You can't really shift the meds around too much, since they need to be given at specific intervals, but Dash is definitely a force to be reckoned with. We are having to shift our entire day around just to keep him from barking.

Tonight is supposed to be the best time to view the Perseid meteor shower. They will be visible from midnight until just before dawn, but I don't know if there will be much to see. We saw some pretty impressive storm clouds rolling in when we were taking Dash on his evening walk. It looks like we still might get that rain they've been forecasting.

Hannah is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1494

I returned to a restaurant I hadn't visited in about three months and was surprised to discover that the entire staff had changed. All the waiters were new. Even the chef was new. The new staff was almost painfully friendly, continually smiling and making sure that they told you their name. When my order arrived, my suspicions were confirmed. This place had hired a restaurant consultant. I ordered the same thing I always order at this place. The portions were slightly smaller, but everything was exceptionally pretty on the plate. The restaurant consultant had probably given the new staff a seminar about interacting with customers and plating food.

I found all the changes a bit sad, since there was nothing wrong with the restaurant in the first place. I actually preferred the slightly grumpy original waiters to the forced cheeriness of this new batch. I'm sure the restaurant was profitable, since it was almost always full, but I'll bet the owners weren't satisfied and wanted to make even more money. I don't know why people are always compelled to change things. My motto has always been "if it's not broke, don't fix it."

My haircut later in the day was equally interesting. It's easy to get the pulse of the nation if you listen to what people are talking about in a barber shop or hair salon. The woman getting her hair done next to me was telling her stylist that she wanted to take her vacation in Marfa or Area 51, so she could look for aliens. My own stylist was telling me how she likes to take her cats on car rides, so they can watch birds through the sun roof. Lately, I've noticed that hair salons try to shame you into leaving a tip. When you hand them your credit card, they look you in the eye and ask if you'd like some cash back for a tip. Like $75 for a simple haircut isn't enough? Jeez! Today, all the people in line ahead of me were leaving lavish tips, so I guess the shaming worked. I left a tip as well.

I've got to do something about my work load. One of my clients has already doubled the number of pictures they want to change out on their website every week, and another wants to double the amount of writing assignments they give me each month. So far, I'm keeping up but the house is sure getting dirty. I really don't have time for anything other than working and walking the dogs these days. Sadly, nobody seems to think that writing the blog every day is important but me.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 808

I'm really getting the urge to play the guitar again. There were several points in my life where guitars were real important to me. I played in several different bands throughout high school and college, put the instrument down for well over ten years and then joined yet another band. Now, I find myself languishing in another one of those periods where I haven't played a note for over ten years. Nevertheless, I find myself strangely attracted to guitars again. Too bad I never kept all the guitars I've had over the years. Some of them would have been collectable rarities by now. I didn't collect things back then though. Collecting came much later.

If I do start playing again, it won't be be to meet girls or become famous. I have this feeling that moving my left hand up and down a guitar neck again might be just the exercise I need to hold the carpal tunnel in my left wrist at bay. My physical therapist gave me a whole set of exercises to do that are designed to stretch the nerves in my wrist. I hate lifting weights though, or doing resistance training with a bungee cord. I really don't like exercise period. I like activities that kill two birds with one stone. Walking the dogs four miles a day is great exercise for me, but it also gets the dogs walked. Ditto for things like vacuuming and getting the water off the roof. I don't necessarily enjoy these things, but they provide exercise while getting something else accomplished as well. The way I look at it, practicing the guitar again would flex exactly the same muscles and help stretch the same nerves as I'm doing now using small weights. It would be a lot more fun though, and if I worked at it, I might get to the point where I could play decently again.

Do you ever notice how chatty some waiters are when you go out to a restaurant? When I went out for breakfast this morning, my waiter would answer everything I said by saying "Awesome." "Would you like some more coffee?" "Sure," I would say. "Awesome." says the waiter. "How are those eggs." "Very good," I say. "Awesome." says the waiter. The guy must have said "Awesome" twenty times during the course of breakfast. I much prefer those waiters in fancy steakhouses who invisibly hover in the background, filling your water glass and bringing you more dinner rolls without saying a word.

The Dalmatians seem to be finding new homes very quickly this year. I think I saw on Facebook that Lady found a home today. For every dog that finds its forever home however, there is always a new dog ready to take its place at the kennel. Another new girl arrived late this week. Janet and I will have to go up and meet her this weekend.

Tucker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day