Day 3395

Every year around this time I get an e-mail from GoDaddy asking me to confirm the contact settings for a domain that isn't mine. Every year, I try to call GoDaddy to find out what is going on. I can never connect with customer service because I don't have the correct customer ID or PIN number. "I'm sorry, we can't authenticate your records," an automated voice says and then the line hangs up. I want to tell somebody that of course I don't have the right customer ID because I'm not a customer. The utter futility of dealing with automated customer support systems says everything you need to know about the world we live in today. Good luck if you want to call someone and ask a simple question. It's almost impossible. I'll probably get the same stupid e-mail next year.

I was sad to hear that the little Israeli lunar probe crashed on landing today. It almost made it. The main engine cut out just a few hundred feet above the lunar surface. I was hoping that this inexpensive, privately funded spacecraft would make it. The moon, or anywhere else for that matter, shouldn't be the exclusive purview of big governments.

I was also disappointed that Julian Assange was arrested. Assange should be viewed as a hero instead on an enemy. Everything he has revealed on Wikileaks has turned out to be true. Governments, including our own, shouldn't be able to hide under a cloak of secrecy when they are doing something wrong. There are no good guys in Washington. They all claim secrecy is vital for national security when the truth would damage them. On the other hand, they clamor for "full disclosure" when they think the truth would damage their opponents. It's disgusting.

At least there was some good news today. The second falcon heavy launch was a resounding success. The satellite went into orbit and all three of the booster stages landed successfully so they can be used again. Elon Musk has been able to do something that has so far eluded every government space agency in the world. We need a lot more people like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs and a lot fewer folks  like we've got in congress right now.

Dash continues to be a mystery. I don't understand how he can continue to walk in the park when he can barely stand up at home. The contrast is astonishing. He needs assistance on his walks, but his legs move properly and when he is moving he can support his own weight. Even when he can barely stand up in the mornings, he still tries to head for the back gate. These walks seem really important to him.

I wish the walks weren't so exhausting. As soon as we return home Dash's legs turn to jelly. He immediately goes to sleep. It is often hours before he moves again. We were able to get him to eat some chicken and even some Hills ID yesterday so the diarrhea has subsided. If he gets really hungry, he'll eat, but he just doesn't have much of an appetite. I've seen all these signs before. Dash is slowly shutting down. I don't know how much time he has, but he has made it clear that he's not ready to go quite yet. We'll do our best to keep him comfortable and happy for as long as we can.

I finally made an appointment to get a haircut tomorrow. If Dash does well in the morning, maybe I'll go out for breakfast too. Who knows at this point. I can kind of relate to Dash's loss of appetite. The reasons are different but I've lost interest in food too. In case you're interested, today's watch used to belong to Alice Cooper.

Tyson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3394

I wish we could get Dash eating normally again. All the changes we've had to make to keep him eating are causing havoc with his digestive system. We had more diarrhea last night. Solid poop is easy to clean up. Diarrhea is a mess. We had to take Dash outside in the middle of the night and hose him off. There was a lot of laundry to do as well.

I'm pretty sure that if we could get Dash back on track with his chicken, rice, and vegetable stew his digestive problems would go away. He won't touch the stuff anymore. We can't use Metronidazole to clear up the diarrhea either. He seems to have a bad reaction to the stuff. In the past, these digestive problems have been temporary. I'm still hoping that we can get back to normal soon.

Maybe normal doesn't even exist anymore. Walks aren't normal anymore. Dash seems confused and gets lost more often. I can sense when he's becoming tired before he does, but it can be very difficult to get him turned around. Dash may have dementia, but he's just as stubborn as he always was. The rubber boots are wearing out faster because Dash is dragging his right rear leg more. We are walking slower too. Despite all these difficulties, Dash still insists on these daily walks. They are the one thing he still seems to enjoy.

I picked up prescriptions for Dash and myself today. My co-pay has gone up because my pharmacy isn't on my provider's preferred list anymore. This is such a nuisance. I like my pharmacy and they know my history well. I don't really want to change. You've got to wonder what is going on behind the scenes to try to force customers to go to certain pharmacies? Truthfully, I probably wouldn't want to know. The same drug should cost the same everywhere. Sadly, we're not even close to uniform drug prices. Dash's prescription are always much easier to deal with than mine.

What an amazing time we live in. First we get pictures of Pluto and today we see a black hole for the first time. I read several articles about how scientists imaged the back hole. It all sounded incredibly complex to me. Surprisingly, the black hole looked very much like the ones you see in science fiction movies. It's a big week in space. Tomorrow Israel will try to land a spacecraft on the moon and Space X will try to launch its monster Falcon Heavy rocket for the second time. Things are moving fast. Maybe I might live to see humans land on Mars after all.

The week is moving swiftly. I still need to get a haircut. I need to pick up something to eat for dinner tomorrow too. The refrigerator is looking empty. Scratch that. Actually, the refrigerator is full, but it's all things for Dash to eat. Hopefully, he'll find something he likes.

Apollo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3393

I mowed the grass for the first time this year. I had to mow twice because the weeds were overpowering the mower. One pass took care of the top of the weeds and after I lowered the blade, the next pass took care of the rest. I used to spend hours weeding the lawn every Spring until I discovered that these weeds died on their own around April. Mowing the lawn seems harder with each passing year. The wheels aren't powered on this mower and the hills seem steeper than they used to be. One of these days I'm going to give up and hire a lawn service like all the other neighbors.

Dash got another bath today because he pooped on himself during the night. We cleaned him up the best we could around 2 AM, but when daylight arrived it was clear that we could have done better. It's sad that Dash won't eat the chicken, rice, and vegetable dinner we've been fixing for him. He did so well on this diet. Now that he's become an extremely picky eater again, we basically feed him anything that he will eat. The list seems to change every day. These frequent changes in diet are making his stools loose again. We've been through this before. So far, Dash's eating habits have returned to normal after a week or so. I've always thought the vestibular disease caused these episodes, but maybe it's something else. When Dash has an upset stomach, the important thing is to find something he can hold down and keep him taking his pills. So far, there's been no vomiting. It's always harder when there's a problem at both ends.

It's nice that warmer weather has returned. It's not so nice that the bugs came along with it. Every Spring we have a terrible problem with ants. They're everywhere. Old houses are full of cracks and these cracks are superhighways for ants. Mostly we are seeing small sweet ants. They're easy to kill, but they just keep coming. At least this onslaught is seasonal. Ants can be very irritating.

I didn't think that Dash's walks could get any slower, but they have. We just inch along these days. I try to get an early start so Dash won't get overheated. Unfortunately, an early start means nothing to Dash. It almost always feels ten degrees warmer by the time we return home. I don't know what we're going to do this Summer. Today was a beautiful, very mild Spring day and Dash was already too hot. He does best when it's about 40 degrees.

It's time for a haircut again. It seems like I just got a haircut but I guess it's been almost three months. Time seems to go by so quickly now. When I went to see the doctor the other day, it seemed like I'd just been too. It had been six months since my last appointment. Bills only arrive once a month, but it seems like I'm paying bills continuously. When I was busy with work, a month seemed like a very long time. Now that life has slowed down, time goes by much more quickly. Maybe when nothing happens, time doesn't exist. Those people who study black holes ought to look into this.

I've got to look for a birthday card tomorrow. There used to be a nice Hallmark Card store in the neighborhood, but it went out of business several years ago. I don't like the cards you find in grocery stores, but I don't feel like driving all over town either. It's not worth the effort. No wonder people just sent birthday greetings on Facebook.

Livy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3391

I stopped by REI on the way to the gym this morning. I had a coupon for 20% off anything in the store, plus my annual REI dividend. This was the day to get a bargain. I couldn't find anything that I wanted and walked away without buying a thing. This is happening more frequently now and I find it perplexing. I don't need anything. I don't need business equipment because there's no business. I don't need clothes because there's nobody to impress. Dash doesn't care what I wear. I don't need more cameras. I've got plenty of shoes. Anything I might buy will just add to the clutter that I'm trying to eliminate. Janet says she feels more or less that same way after she retired. Maybe this just happens as you grow older.

There is a huge storm in South Texas that's been heading our way all day. It must be really moving slowly because it's still not here yet. I've been prepared for rain since I got up this morning. I walked Dash early. Luckily he was in the mood to walk early. Sometimes he isn't. I cleaned the gunk out of the pumps on the roof and made sure they were working properly. I went to the gym about an hour earlier than I usually do. I'm glad that the storm never materialized, but I sure wish that weather was more predictable.

Grey, damp days are always a good time to do chores. I'm good at avoiding things, but eventually it all catches up with you. I reluctantly tried to unclog the large production printer this afternoon. I waited too long. I've lost interest in this thing, but realize that it's just a big pile of useless metal unless I can keep it running. Unfortunately, I ran out of ink before I could get the lines completely unclogged. Now I have to buy more expensive ink. Since I failed to get the printer running, I thought I'd try something easier. I replaced a broken latch on a cabinet door in the bathroom. I also replaced some rusted out screws in the glass shower door frame.

Although Dash took a good walk this morning, he's been very lethargic today. All he wants to do around the house is sleep. It's weird that he can still walk reasonably well in the park, but he can barely stand up at home. He seems to use up all his available energy on his walks and is exhausted when he returns. I'm glad that Janet is still pretty good at getting Dash to take his pills and eat his meals. I couldn't get him to eat anything today.

I've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning for a semi-annual physical. Since they want to do new blood work, I won't be able to have breakfast. Do I have my smoothie when I return, or just skip breakfast? Such big decisions these days. I have nothing to complain about this time. I've actually felt pretty healthy during the past six months. I'm always tired, but that's all because of Dash. Anyone would be tired if their dog got them up three times a night. I still have heartburn, but it's very controllable. All I have to do is stop eating Italian food. I hope it's not time for a colonoscopy or anything else unpleasant. I'd just as soon forget about medical things for a while.

Looks like we're going to get some rain tonight. Hopefully, Dash will go outside and pee before the rain starts. I'll turn the pumps on before I go to bed. That's all you can do on a rainy day

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3389

I got up early this morning so I could walk Dash while it was still nice and cool outside. This seemed to help. Dash was still shaky on his feet and very slow, but he wasn't panting. Lately, each of his walks seems like it might be the last. Dash seems more confused and less coordinated with each passing day. I still think the walks are important because he seems to be at his best when he's outside smelling things. The smells seem to reconnect him with reality. There's a fine line between doing something that's beneficial and doing something that might cause further harm. Since Dash really seems to enjoy these walks even though they make him tired, we'll continue for a while, taking things as slowly as we can.

When I saw that Dash had settled in for his morning nap, I went out for breakfast. I'm starting to feel nervous about leaving him now. Usually he sleeps for a very long time after his morning walk, but you never know. There's always a chance that he'll wake up and be unable to stand up. There's always a chance that he'll poop on the floor too, but that's not a big deal anymore. I wasn't gone long this morning, but it was clear that Dash did get up while I was gone. He was in a different room when I returned.

I returned to the cool restaurant for Shrimp and Grits. The place is noisy and crowded, but the Shrimp and Grits are a winner. I'm not sure if this place is going to stay cool much longer. Old people have discovered the place. There were a lot of grandparents eating breakfast with their grandchildren today.

I have more art coming up for auction tomorrow in New York. There is a period of time before the auction starts where people can bid online. So far I have received no bids. There appears to be very little interest at all. Oh, well. Maybe things will improve at the live auction. Auctions are kind of nerve wracking. There are no guarantees and anything can happen. I think this is a great piece, but someone has to agree with me for it to sell.

I think I chipped a tooth. This sucks, because I was just at the dentist a few days ago. I'm tempted to ignore this because the damage seems very minor. The last time I ignored a chipped tooth though, I needed to get a crown. A crown is expensive and they don't feel natural to me. I don't want another crown

Dash has been very lethargic today. Janet says he's been lethargic for a very long time, but I've read so much about the Covenia controversy in the past several days that I can't help but wonder if the drug has something to do with it. Fatigue and lethargy are one of the most common side effects of taking this drug. Dash was already weak. Maybe the Covenia made him a little weaker. On a positive note, Dash's oral infection is already getting better. On the other hand, it's hard to ignore all those articles from people saying that Covenia killed their dog or cat.

We're supposed to have thunderstorms tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to that. I'd much rather have clear skies and a dog who felt like eating and walking again.

Angel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3388

I'm glad I never had a parent with Alzheimer's to take care of. Now that Dash is showing signs of dementia, it's easy to see what a monumental task this could be. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether Dash's problems are physical or mental. I suspect that is usually a combination of both. Dash gets confused on his walks and sometimes reverses direction for no apparent reason. We end up walking in circles occasionally. There are no regular mealtimes anymore. Breakfast can be at noon and dinner can be at midnight. Dogs are creatures of habit and I think it bothers Dash that he can't always remember his old habits. I wish I could help, but I can't always remember my old habits either. I do what I can. I make sure he takes his pills, gets enough food, and has a little exercise. Most of Dash's day is spent sleeping.

I never realized that half of my blog readers came from Google+. Now that the platform is gone, so are the readers. I guess it all makes sense. I had over 30,000 followers on Google+ at one time. Most of these people were photographers or loved photography, but some of them must have become blog readers. I'd almost forgotten what a great place Google+ was for photographers in the early days. You could actually have conversations with and get tips from some very well known photographers. I learned a lot.

I think the Covenia is working. The open sores on the underside of his muzzle are already starting to heal. I think the loose flaps of skin on the sides of a dogs mouth are called flews, but I keep wanting to call them lips. I guess dogs don't really have lips. Since Covenia targets bacteria on the skin, I'm not sure how well it will work with Dash's periodontal disease. Bacteria under the gum line, especially under the teeth can be very hart to eradicate.

I'm getting discouraged with my attempts to liquidate my collections. I've spent so much restoring my vintage synthesizers that I probably won't make any money at all when they eventually sell. The same thing is true for an Ellsworth Kelly print I had an art conservator restore. She did a fantastic job, but the print is expected to go under the hammer at auction for about the same price as I spent restoring it. I thought the vintage guitars would go quickly, but that hasn't been the case. One guitar sold quickly but the buyer changed his mind and convinced the dealer to let him exchange it for a different guitar. I'm still waiting for the guitar to sell. The main problem with the train collection is that nobody knows what a train is anymore. Old men still buy these things, but there are fewer and fewer of them left. I've consigned my collection with one of the best dealers in the entire country, but sales are still very slow.

I wish sleep would restore Dash's energy. He certainly sleeps a lot. Unfortunately, he still seems to be getting weaker. We had a real problem on our walk this morning. He was determined to keep going, but I could tell he was getting tired. I tried several times to cut the walk short and return to the house, but Dash refused to turn around. He is very stubborn. It was almost like his brain and his body weren't on the same page. When we eventually made it home, Dash was exhausted.

Somebody parked their car where I usually take my trash on Thursday night. Little things like this bother me. I'm superstitious about the garbage truck and always want to make sure that my trash is in exactly the same place so the driver will see it. One more thing to fret about tonight.

Dottie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3384

I went to get some beer on the way to the gym this morning and when I got to the register, the clerk said "We can't sell you that yet." I must have had a puzzled look on my face because he quickly added "It's Sunday and we can't sell beer and wine until noon." The time was 11:50 AM. Jeez. I'd totally forgotten about Blue Laws. Do these things still exist? I guess they do. This little encounter in the grocery store is a perfect example of how government works. Laws get created. Over time, people forget why the laws were passed in the first place, but they are still enforced. It's all very arbitrary. If I'd had the patience to wait ten more minutes, everything would have been fine.

I felt tired and overweight at the gym today. I must not have been that tired because I completed my workout in one hour and four minutes, just like I always do. I probably wasn't overweight either. This was just a day when I would have preferred to sleep until noon. Sleeping until noon, or even until 8 AM isn't an option anymore. I need to walk Dash when he is awake and active. This is usually right after he's taken his morning meds. I've learned that if I miss this opportunity, it can be very difficult to get him moving again.

Dash has a good walk this morning, but he seems to be dragging his right rear leg more. He's been going through the disposable rubber boots at a rapid clip this week. Sometimes he tears a hole in the cotton sock as well. So far, the base layer bandage has remained unharmed. I think the reason the boots are getting torn up is that we are walking on pavement more. Dash likes variety and seems to get bored easily. We are always changing our route as we make our way through the park. I'd like a little more consistency, but it's Dash's walk, not mine. If I can keep him happy and engaged, he's going to keep moving. Muscle atrophy is real. I'm trying to keep those muscles from deteriorating even further.

When I went back to Kroger to get the peaches I forgot yesterday there was only one peach left. I bought the peach along with a few nectarines, wondering why peaches are so hard to find at this time of year. The produce aisles at Whole Foods and Central Market are overflowing with fruit from all over the world, but there are no peaches. There are plenty of pears, plums, oranges, mangoes, and kiwis, along with an enormous variety of apples, but no peaches. One of life's mysteries, I guess.

It's hard to believe it's going to be April tomorrow. This year is really going fast. It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between real stories and April Fool's jokes on social media. Modern life has become so bizarre that real life often appears to be an April Fool's joke. Last year it was Easter on April 1. That was real. I think it was cold last year too.

It's almost time to start mowing the grass again. I wonder if I'll have the strength to push the mower this year. It seems to get harder and harder with each passing year.

Smiley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3383

Go home Texas weather, you're drunk. I had just about convinced myself that Spring was here and then I wake up this morning to hear the furnace running again. Winter has returned. It was cold and windy when I walked Dash, which was fine with him. He was still slow and forgetful, but the cold seemed to invigorate him and he was determined to explore new paths. We followed a coyote trail this morning which is never a good idea. It wasn't raining, but the ground was damp. By the time we returned, Dash was dirty and his protective boots were wet. So were mine.

Dash didn't want to take his pills this morning. He kept rejecting all the usual treats we use as pill pockets. He didn't like ham. He didn't like cheese. He didn't like turkey. Eventually, he took the pills in some leftover Jimmy Dean sausage. I could always pill Dot by placing pills directly down her throat when it became necessary. This doesn't work with Dash. He tries to bite you and if you do manage to get the pill down, he gags and tries to throw it up. As always, all's well that ends well. Once Dash decided to take his meds, the rest of the day went smoothly.

I had to get a bunch of things at Sam's Club today. They completely rearranged the store this week. Every single aisle had been moved and nobody could find anything. All the customers kept asking employees where things were, buy nobody seemed to know. It was as if somebody had come in during the middle of the night and reinvented the store. Even the brands on the shelves had changed. To make matters worse, the app I use to bypass the checkout line had been discontinued and I was forced to download the replacement app in the store. Of course I couldn't remember my passwords and I had to start over from scratch. The old app was simple and just recorded your transactions. The new app was complicated, played ads while I was shopping, and tried to get me to buy things I didn't want. Jeez. Who thought this was a good idea? I was so disgusted by this display of corporate hubris that I completely forgot to go to Kroger and finish my shopping on the way home. I'll have to go back and get peaches tomorrow.

I'd forgotten over the years that Blogger and Google+ have always shared a lot of functionality since the are both owned by Google. I've been getting warnings for several weeks that I need to remove any shared profiles and widgets from the blog before April 2 or they would just disappear. I clicked the "return to Blogger profile" button this morning without realizing that I never had a Blogger profile in the first place. Suddenly my blog description was blank and there was no way to return to the Google+ profile to see what I had written. I had to write a new profile from scratch. I briefly wondered why I was even doing this. Very few people read the blog anymore. Blogging has become passé. I think the cool people have moved on to podcasts now. The popularity of blogging peaked quite a few years ago.

When I was walking Dash this afternoon, one of his rubber boots and a sock came off. This is the equivalent of having a flat tire in your car. I needed to replace the boot so Dash's paw wouldn't bleed, but Dash wasn't being very cooperative. I couldn't hold him up and replace the boot and sock at the same time, so I had to get him to lie down in the grass. The grass was wet and Dash wasn't pleased. I eventually got the boot back on, but when I got home I noticed that it was inside out. I'm glad this doesn't happen very often.

I hope it is warmer tomorrow. Flowers are blooming. Trees are turning green. It is supposed to be Spring.

Sparky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3379

I learn something new everyday. I've been getting letters from my insurance provider urging me to switch to one of their 'preferred pharmacies' so I could save more on my prescription co-pays. I've been reluctant to switch, since I've been going to this pharmacy forever and I like the people there. Today I decided to see how much I would save if I switched. Would you believe nothing. Absolutely nothing. Insurance hasn't even been paying for my prescriptions since the retail price for these generic drugs is less than the co-pay. Evidently, if the retail price is less than the co-pay, you just pay the retail price and insurance pays nothing. All this time I've been thinking that my prescriptions were a lot more expensive than they actually were. I thought I was getting a bargain, but I was just paying retail.

So why do I even have Part-D coverage if the insurance is paying nothing? I guess the answer is pretty simple. It's insurance. When I was being treated for Hepatitis C, one of the drugs I was taking was horrendously expensive. A lot of cancer drugs are extremely expensive as well. As I was told today, you don't have Part-D coverage to pay for common Tier-1 medications. You have it so you don't get wiped out if your doctor prescribes some life saving but hugely expensive drug. Fair enough. I just never realized that I'd been paying retail for my pills. I guess I could save a little by switching to a mail order pharmacy, but it isn't worth the trouble. I'll just leave things alone.

My taxes are ready to submit. I was still confused why I owed more than I did during my peak earning years, so I called my accountant again. I'd glad he's a patient guy. To make a long story short, social security payments, plus required IRA distributions, plus the art sales and the fact that I had nothing withheld this year put me in a higher bracket than I was before. "You're doing OK," the accountant told me. "Then why do I feel so poor," I asked?

Dash continues to seem a little stronger on his walks while simultaneously appearing a little weaker around the house. I would think he'd be stronger around the house but tire quickly on walks, but the opposite is happening. I'm just glad that he's still interested in something. Dash still seems to love his daily walks. Unfortunately, he doesn't seem to love the special food we've been cooking for him anymore. Why? This special stew is so good that I could eat it myself. Dash has gone back to preferring dog food though. Go figure.

My dentist called today to remind me of an upcoming appointment. I need to remember to ask him if I need a new Essix retainer. My old retainer broke in half a few months ago, so it is basically worthless. I'm hoping that the dentist will say I don't need the retainer anymore, but I imagine he'll recommend fitting me for a new one. Dentists never recommend less dental care. Maybe I do need the retainer. My teeth seem to be shifting a little. I wonder if old people ever need orthodontia? I'd feel weird wearing braces at my age.

I'm hoping that Dash will let me sleep tonight. We didn't do so well last night. I'm probably doomed to feeling perpetually tired.

Bubba is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3378

We got some severe weather last night. I'm usually well prepared for bad weather, but this storm caught me by surprise. I knew there was severe weather north of us because I kept seeing pictures of hail damage on Facebook. It looked like we were in the clear on the weather radar, so I went to sleep without taking the usual precautions. Some time after midnight I woke up to the smell of poop and started hearing thunder as I was replacing Dash's puppy pad. When I went outside to clean the harness that I had forgotten to take off before I went to bed, I noticed the wind was picking up. I checked the radar on my phone and we were directly in the patch of a swiftly moving storm front.

Where did this come from? I quickly moved some furniture, put buckets in strategic locations and started the pumps on the roof. The storm didn't last long, but it dumped a tremendous amount of water. Dash never even woke up. I went back to bed, thinking that the next time Dash pooped in the bed, I would go turn the pumps off again. That's exactly how it worked out. There were no water leaks in the morning, so maybe my diligence paid off. I wish I could turn the pumps on and off from inside the house, but the circuit breaker that controls the outlet the pumps are attached to is on the same zone as the furnace. You really don't want to disconnect the furnace just to avoid going outside in the rain.

Dash seemed to have more energy today. We took a surprisingly long walk this morning. We moved very slowly, but I could tell he wanted to keep going. Since the weather was cool and clear and we were in no hurry, Dash didn't overexert himself. He even ate his breakfast when we got home. My own breakfast was pretty late today but I'm getting used to these weird schedules. It really doesn't matter when I eat anymore. It's not like I've got anywhere I need to go.

I still turn on the computer right after breakfast like I've done for decades. There are no appointments  on my calendar though. There are no deadlines to meet. I've even forgotten the passwords to most of the websites I used to manage. I wonder why the computer even matters anymore. I seldom need it. The only thing I did today was defragment a hard drive.

Dash got another bath this afternoon because I didn't do a great job of cleaning him up last night. Sometimes we get lucky and the poop never touches anything but the puppy pad. Things can get messy though if Dash has a dog dream and starts moving his tail around before I wake up and can remove the mess. There are so many variables involved in these night poops that I'm surprised we do as well as we do. When I attempt to remove the mess without it touching anything I sometimes think that this would be good training for being on the bomb squad. If you do everything right, you can be back in bed in three minutes. If you slip, you have to change all the bedding.

I probably need to go up on the roof and remove the remaining water tomorrow. I forgot to pick up some prescriptions at the pharmacy as well. Since my morning routine with Dash seems to last until noon, that's probably enough for one day

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3376

It has become so obvious Dash is old and tired that people are stopping me on our walks to tell me stories about their old dogs. Every week I hear about dogs that have recently passed away or are having difficulty walking. Despite all the stories, we see very few other older dogs on our walks. When the weather is bad, Dash is often the only dog walking at all. I feel sorry for the old dogs who just get a towel under their belly occasionally to help them go out in the yard and pee. With a little help, a lot of these dogs could still lead a relatively normal life.

I don't think Dash even realizes that I am helping him walk. He can still move his legs. He just isn't strong enough to fully support his own weight. I can feel his legs moving through the leash. I provide just enough support to keep him from sinking, while letting his legs move naturally. It took three dogs to perfect the technique, but I think I've gotten pretty good at walking disabled dogs.

One thing I can't do is give Dash more energy or help him think clearly. He's starting to become senile and sometimes appears lost or confused on our walks. You wonder when senility becomes dementia and if dementia can turn into Alzheimer's? When Dash's mind goes blank, you've just got to be patient. Eventually he clicks into gear again and off we go. I think being outside helps. Dogs have such an amazing sense of smell that the abundant smells in the park reconnect him to the world. I think he could take his walks blindfolded because he's really just moving from one smell to the next. The smells are a trail of breadcrumbs that take him away and then bring him back home.

My accountant called today to let me know that he had some preliminary results on my taxes. I was really disappointed to learn that despite my paltry earnings this year, I still owed money to the IRS. I think old people get screwed. Your social security gets taxed as income. Required distributions from your IRA account are taxed as income. If you planned ahead and managed to save something, your dividends and interest are taxed as well. It's ironic that when my business was booming I paid less in taxes than I do now. When you have lots of clients, there are lots of business expenses you can deduct. It goes without saying that without clients or business activity, there are very few expenses  either.

It rained again today. I'm glad that Dash still got to take his walks. I'm not so glad about going up on the roof again. I'll wait until the forecast clears, but the key to keeping the leaks at bay is getting the standing water removed as soon as possible. The pumps help, but I've always got to go up on the roof and finish the job. I'm surprised that I still haven't gotten any bids to replace the roof.  Apparently I'm not a priority. The same thing happened the first time I put a new roof on the house. Since the house is small, roofers are always more interested in larger and more lucrative projects.

I should go to the gym tomorrow since I missed my workout last week. I'm not getting much exercise walking Dash. I guess my arms are getting stronger but the walks certainly don't provide much of a cardio workout. We move at a snail's pace these days. I doubt that my heart rate changes at all.

Ariel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3375

I dread Dash's periodic bouts with diarrhea. They don't happen often, but when they do, it makes a horrible mess. We'll probably never know why he had diarrhea last night. We had to change what he was eating this week because he has lost interest in the chicken and rice stew Janet has been making for him. Maybe the new food upset his stomach. Maybe he's under more stress since he's having difficulty standing. Maybe he ate something bad in the yard or got a stomach virus. We'll probably never know. We certainly never found out what caused the diarrhea in the past.

Needless to say, there was quite a mess to clean up. I've been doing laundry most of the day. We had to give Dash a bath as well. A wet rag simply didn't remove the stains. Giving Dash a bath is problematic since he can't stand up without assistance. He can't have his harness on either. One of us has to support him so he won't fall while the other one does the cleaning. Everybody gets wet. Dash is clean now. All the bed linen is clean. The smell is finally gone. It's been a long day though and everybody is tired.

I went back to the hotel for breakfast because it is quiet and peaceful. I wasn't even that hungry, but it was nice to take a break from the cleaning brigade. Janet stayed home to watch Dash while I was away and then I stayed home for the rest of the day. The diarrhea seems to be over, but Dash still seems weaker than usual.

I didn't think that Dash would want a walk this evening, but I thought we'd give it a try when he headed for the back gate at the appointed time. We probably should have stayed home. Dash seemed confused and would stop for long periods of time and just stare off into space. I tried to get him to turn around and go home, but he kept moving forward. He is very stubborn. Dash would walk for about twenty yards and then stop for a while. Then he would walk for another twenty yards. I thought I'd have to call Janet to come pick us up in the car for a while, but eventually we made it home.

I was disappointed to see the stock market drop over 450 points today. It was the worst day since January. Things have been going well lately and I always hate to see a big sell off. If you weren't watching the business channels, you would nave never noticed the steep decline. Everyone else was talking about the Mueller Report. Of course nobody actually knows what is in the report yet, but people are already second guessing the results. A lot of folks seem really disappointed that Trump wasn't immediately indicted as a Russian spy. I'll be glad when we move on to other things. I wonder how bad the floods really are in Nebraska. I wonder if the 737 is actually a safe plane. Hey, I flew in one last week. I wonder if Britain will stay in the European Union after all. I wonder about a lot of things, but I don't spend a lot of time thinking about the Russia Probe.

I hope that Dash feels better tomorrow. He had us worried today. I think we all need a good night's sleep. Dash already seems a little perkier than he did this morning. I don't think I've been perky all day.

Brooke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3372

I finished getting my tax files organized today and took them over to my accountant. For the past several years this has been a somewhat depressing experience. I've known the accountant for decades. We are about the same age. His business is still very successful and mine is practically nonexistent. It's embarrassing to show him how little money I've made. The accountant just laughs and says that old accountants are in more demand than old creative people. While this is probably true, it is not reassuring.

There's a shoe store I like near the accountant's office. I usually stop and buy a pair of shoes after I finish my meeting. I didn't stop today. After moving my storage warehouse last November, it finally dawned on me that I don't need anything. Pick almost any category and I have enough. I certainly have enough shoes. Buying things was like comfort food for me for a long. long time. Not anymore. When I look around the office, I just see lots of obsolete stuff I no longer need.

My waist and shoe size haven't changed, so I'll eventually wear all the clothes. I might be out of fashion, but who cares. When you dress like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, fashion is irrelevant. T-shirts, jeans, and comfortable shoes are timeless.

Cleaning up Dash's poop at night usually goes like clockwork, but last night something went wrong. I always slide out the soiled puppy pad, roll it up and seal it in a plastic bag. I was unfolding a fresh puppy pad to slide under Dash's butt when he decided to poop again. No protection always equals a big mess. We had to wake Dash up, get him of the bed without stepping in the mess, and then replace the soiled blankets. By the time I re-made the bed, took the blankets outside to clean with a hose, and then placed them in the washing machine on the sanitize cycle, I was wide awake.

I hate reading articles about how sleep deprivation can take years off your life. There's not much I can do about the situation right now. I think parents with small children go through something similar, but most of them are quite a bit younger than me. At any rate, if you're changing diapers or trying to get your kid back to sleep in the middle of the night, I can relate.

All this week Dash has seemed exhausted after his walks. We walk really slowly, but he doesn't have as much energy anymore. I've tried to get him to take shorter walks, but Dash is very stubborn. I can't get him to turn around. It is only after we return home that he realizes that we went too far. Hopefully, the long naps Dash takes during the day are beneficial. I'd hate to have to discontinue the walks. They're one of the few things he still looks forward to.

Now that my taxes are out of the way, there are a tons of things around the house than need my attention. My toilet repair didn't work very good.  I'll have to repeat the process. There's a new pothole in the driveway that I need to fill with river rocks. The little refrigerator needs to be defrosted as well. The little refrigerator was only meant to be temporary, but like most things around here, it has become permanent.

Maybe I'll get some sleep tonight. It's all up to Dash at this point.

Pringles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3371

I hate it when I fail to notice that there are no more refills available on a prescription. You call in the refill and the pharmacist tells you that you'll need to get your doctor to renew the prescription. You call the doctor and he's always out of the office or busy with something else. Little things like these can eat up your entire day. I eventually got Dash's Plavix prescription renewed before he took his last pill, but I really need to remember to look at these pill bottles more carefully.

I finally got around to getting my faulty power supply fixed today. I'm methodical to a fault, so I keep doing the same things over and over again. The last time I needed to get these batteries replaced, they cost $60. That was two years ago. Today the same batteries cost $100. It's irritating how the price of ordinary things keeps going up and up. Sure, big screen TV's are cheaper than they used to be, but most things aren't. It would cost quite a bit more to replace my car with the same model I'm currently driving. Airfares are higher. Movies cost more. It would even cost more to replace my Apple Watch and Apple isn't known for raising prices.

Dash was super slow today. I couldn't tell whether he was having trouble walking, or if he just wanted to spend extra time smelling things. This should have been a good day for him, since the weather was perfect. Eventually we made it home this morning and then Dash was equally slow eating his breakfast. Every time I started my own breakfast, Dash would come out to his bowl and just stare at it. I finally realized that he wanted me to hand feed him. After Dash finished eating and pooping on the floor, he took a nap. I felt like taking a nap too, but I had my own breakfast to finish.

I spent a few hours this afternoon getting my taxes organized. I think I found everything my accountant needs, but I'll take another look tomorrow. Why do old people even need to pay taxes? You should be exempt after you reach the age of 70, just like you are exempt from jury duty. I still don't think it's fair that I'm forced to take a distribution from my IRA account now. I'd just as soon leave the money untouched until I really need it. These distributions are classified as ordinary income too. That sucks.

With any luck I can finish my tax preparation tomorrow and get that chore out of the way. Then I'll turn my attention to more important matters, like buying more rocks for the potholes in the driveway. I'm glad I never called the plumber to come out and search for a sewer leak. The puddle in the back yard has dried up. I'll probably never know what caused the puddle. Who knows. I might have just left a hose on for a week.

After seeing Apollo 11, I've discovered that there were other documentaries about the Apollo program. I started watching one called For All Mankind that was made in 1989 using some of the same NASA footage. Again, the things that really caught my attention were the details. The astronauts shaved in space using a Gillette razor and shaving cream. They brought bread with them and made sandwiches. They took a Sony walkman along for the ride with cassettes of their favorite music. Did I forget this stuff, or was I never even aware of it?

I forget a lot these days. Hopefully I won't forget to finish my taxes. I need to remember not to let my prescription expire either. Dash is resting with Janet now. I hope he gets a good night's sleep so he has lots of energy tomorrow for his walks. This nice weather won't last forever. We need to make the most of it.

Nick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3370

I'm glad I saw Apollo 11. The film got mixed reviews, but I think that anyone who is old enough to remember the event will agree with me. This wasn't just a movie, it was a time machine. The 65mm footage of the launch itself was spectacular, but what struck me the most were all the little details that brought the sixties back to life. Everybody smoked back then. It was amazing to see how many of the engineers and technicians at mission control were smoking cigarettes and pipes. Each of the flight controllers had a black rotary dial land line phone next to their console. Reporters were calling in their stories using pay phones. Some were typing on small portable manual typewriters. The men had crew cuts and a surprising number of women had beehive hairdos. This is exactly the way it was. It's funny how modern I thought the world was when I was in college. Back then I couldn't have imagined the world we live in today.

You can forget a lot in fifty years. As I was exiting the theater, a couple of older looking guys were commenting on the film. "How old were you when we went to the moon," one guy asked. "I was 8," his friend replied. "I was 6," the other guy said. Good grief. I must be really old. I was in college when the launch happened. The guys ahead of me at the theater looked old enough to be retired and I was at least ten years older than them. I not only remember Alan Shepard and John Glenn's first flights, I remember Ham the monkey. I was pretty young at the time, but I even remember Sputnik 1 in 1957.

When I went to the theater this afternoon I realized I was totally out of the loop. The guy at the ticket counter asked me to pick a seat on a touch screen. "I can't just go inside and sit where I want," I said. "No," said the attendant. "You have to pick a seat first." I guess even going to the movies is done on your phone now. You can get your ticket and pick a seat in advance. That explained why some of the best seats were already taken, even though the theater was almost empty when I went inside. I was so confused that I ended up sitting in the wrong row. "But it says Row G right on my ticket," I said to the guy next to me. "No, this is a G-Rated film," he explained to me. "Your seat is over there."

Later today, I watched another short film on my computer called Seattle is Dying. What a contrast. Apollo 11 was an incredibly optimistic story about one of the greatest achievements in human history.    Seattle is Dying is basically a cautionary tale about how civilization is literally crumbling under our feet. I guess that's the difference between 1969 and 2019. I used to live in Seattle. It was a great place in the early 70's. Seattle used to be called the Emerald City because it was so beautiful. The city now has one of the highest crime rates in the country. Drug abuse and homelessness are out of control. Parts of the city look like a third world country. Citizens don't feel safe anymore. You wonder how things deteriorated so quickly. It's sad. No wonder I would prefer to live in 1969.

It was nice to have a break from the usual Sunday chores today. I didn't really miss going to the gym. I'll catch up on chores tomorrow. The only useful thing I did today was make some temporary repairs to the balky French toilet. I've discovered that there's a weird little rubber piston in the flush mechanism that causes the toilet to run if it gets dirty. Periodically, I take the piston assembly apart and clean all the parts with alcohol. This usually fixes things for a few months.

Dash had a good day. He was still as slow as molasses, but he really enjoyed his outings in the park. The weather was beautiful and there were lots of things to smell. I wish I could do a better job of keeping him from stumbling. I do the best I can and we're still walking, so I guess that's all that counts. I evidently didn't do a great job of cleaning him up last night when he pooped either. He still had a brown tail when I woke up this morning.

I promised myself that I'll get started on my taxes tomorrow. I don't always keep my promises though.

Allie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3369

When I was walking Dash today, a couple stopped us and asked me if I knew the area. "Kind of," I said. We're lost, the guy said and we can't find our car. This seemed strange to me. There aren't very many parking lots in the park and they are all clearly defined. I asked the couple if there were any buildings they could describe near where they parked. They mentioned a few that I recognized. They were on the opposite side of the lake. "You guys are at least eight miles away from your car," I said. "It's over there," I told them, pointing at something near the horizon. The couple seemed discouraged. How could somebody walk so far without having any idea where they were going? I have a pretty good sense of direction, so getting lost this way seemed almost incomprehensible to me. I wished the couple luck and continued my very slow walk with Dash. It was questionable who was going to get home first.

The World War II bombers flew overhead again today. At one point a B-17 made a low pass right over our heads. It would be tempting to go see these planes again, but I'm sure they would look exactly the same as they did last year. Maybe I'll go and see Apollo 11 tomorrow instead. It's playing now at several theaters in Dallas. I've heard a lot about this new documentary. It was made using 177 reels of pristine and previously unseen wide screen 65 and 70 mm Panavision footage recently discovered at the National Archives. Who knew that NASA even made these films. There is nothing new about the story of Apollo 11. I think this is a movie you see primarily for the cinematography. I typically just download movies on iTunes and watch them on my computer. This is something that would definitely look better on the big screen.

Janet had an all-day Dalmatian Rescue event to attend, so I spent most of the day babysitting Dash. You just can't leave him alone for long periods of time anymore. Sometimes he can get up on his own, and other times he can't. If he panics and starts struggling to get up, he can hurt himself. Everything got done today, but sometimes it took a while. It took a handful of treats to just lure Dash to the park this morning. I could tell he wanted to walk, but he also wanted Janet to lead the way. Dash can be very stubborn at times.

I accomplished virtually nothing today. I was able to go out and get groceries after I was convinced that Dash was sleeping soundly. There wasn't much on my list today, so I was able to get back home fairly quickly. Dash was still asleep in exactly the same place when I returned. There were all sorts of things I should have done today but I just didn't feel like it. The house is relatively clean, most of the March bills are paid, and the roof is dry. I'm not quite ready to deal with my taxes yet.

I guess the big decision tomorrow is whether to go to the gym or the movies. It would take too much time to do both. I don't really have strong feelings about either alternative. We'll see how the day goes. Since I fell asleep for about thirty minutes while writing tonight's post, it might be a better idea to just take a long nap.

Ruthie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3367

I got a call saying that the Sequential Circuits synthesizers I am restoring are finished. I was kind of hoping that they wouldn't be done until this Summer. Jeez. What am I going to do with these things? I haven't even managed to sell my guitars yet. I certainly don't want to put the synthesizers back in the storage warehouse. That's how they became damaged in the first place. Everybody says these old analog electronic synthesizers are very collectible. We'll see. Having something that is 'collectible' is very subjective. First, you've got to find another collector. I guess I got spoiled by the auction houses. They made the whole process of unloading stuff easy. It would appear that art is still more desirable than model trains or old musical instruments.

I've been seeing old World War II bombers flying overhead while I've been walking Dash for the past several days. It's looks like the Wings of Freedom tour is back in town. It's doesn't seem like it's been a year since Janet and I took a tour of these planes the last time they came to Dallas. Time goes by so quickly. I remember that there was a B-17. a B-24, a B-25, and a P-51 Mustang on display that you could go aboard and even take a flight in if you wanted. The demonstration flights were pretty expensive, but it was fun to walk around inside these restored old bombers. I love old mechanical things. I was amazed by the Saturn V rocket in Houston. I was fascinated by the B-17 bomber. And I've always loved old steam trains. I guess I'm just an analog kind of guy. That's probably why I'm still fond of the Sequential Circuits synthesizers. There's something about the sound of a vintage analog synthesizer that current digital models just can't duplicate.

The weather was beautiful today. I've certainly been enjoying seeing the sun again, but I think Dash is enjoying things even more than I am. He's been really eager to walk lately. Today he didn't even need Janet to guide him down to the park. He was ready to go on his own. He was no stronger than he usually is, but he was definitely more enthusiastic. It's hard to keeping him from slipping and falling when he feels like this. He doesn't really realize his limitations until he's flat on the ground. We did OK today. There were no mishaps. I was even able to get his rubber boots and special socks on by myself. This is much harder than it might seem. I think my arthritis is getting worse.

I can't believe that it's the middle of March already. I haven't even started on my taxes yet. I do this every year. I keep procrastinating and then end up spending an entire weekend scrambling to meet the deadline. I never seem to have extra time anymore. The simple things consume my entire day. Today I made the bed, walked Dash twice, made my morning smoothie, wrote a letter to my sister, paid a few bills, and took the trash out to the curb. Sadly, these meager activities ate up the entire day.

I started going out for breakfast on Fridays to keep things from getting too monotonous. Now, these restaurant outings have become one more item on the to-do list. If I don't go out for breakfast, I feel like I'm becoming a slacker. I will admit that a continuous diet of smoothies does get old after a while. I'm thinking that Shrimp Grits would be a nice change of pace.

Humphrey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day