Day 3813

Of course there are riots. Every zombie apocalypse end of the world movie I've ever seen has riots. The combination of a global plague, an economic disaster, and extreme social unrest all happening at the same time does make you wonder. Is this going to end up like The Stand? Maybe these are the end times. Hey, I'm not waiting for the Rapture or anything, but at this point I wouldn't be surprised to see that giant spaceship from District Nine hovering over the city in July.

I don't think my bank is ever going to reopen. I went to the drive thru today to make a deposit and ended up at a window that wasn't working. I had to circle around and try a different window. I still can't bring myself to use the bank's phone app to photograph checks and make deposits electronically. I'm very suspicious of my phone. I basically only use it to take photographs and check the weather.

My desktop computer is much more secure, but I'm even suspicious of that. I was paying a phone bill electronically today and noticed a suspicious phone number on my profile. I called the company to find out if I'd been hacked or my account had been compromised, but while I was sitting on hold waiting to talk to somebody, it occurred to be that the weird phone number might actually belong to my iPad. Yep. It was my own phone number I was worried about. I hung up before I embarrassed myself talking to a service representative.

We've been getting up really early to walk Dawn before the weather gets too hot. I'm always surprised at how many cyclists are out this early. There must be a lot of people who routinely exercise before they go to work. The park is pretty busy during the first hour of our walk and then the trails thin out again. By the time we returned home around 8:30 AM, the park was practically empty. Early morning exercise must signal that Dallas is returning to work. The roads certainly look that way. Morning rush hour in our part of town is just as bad as it ever was.

Janet's gym is open again, but mine is not. My gym hasn't even announced a date for reopening yet. I wonder who decides these things? I guess it's just as well that my gym hasn't reopened. I'm not sure I'm ready to go back to a gym anyway. Maybe the long walks are better anyway. Five miles in the morning and another three miles in the afternoon is probably all the exercise I need.

It takes a lot of patience not to bother the editors at Sky and Telescope and SpaceFlight Magazine and  continually ask when my articles are going to appear. I need to just start writing new articles, but my interests are limited. I used to think that writing the blog kept me in practice for more serious writing, but I'm not so sure anymore. I'm just treading water here.

Abby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3743

We took Dawn to the vet today. It wasn't the first time she's been to the vet. All the Dalmatian Rescue dogs get an extensive vet check when they enter the rescue program. She also spent several days at the emergency vet after she was attacked by the two pit bulls. This was the first time she'd seen our own vet though. It was good to see some familiar faces again, although neither Janet or I had expected to be back in an exam room so soon.

It was reassuring to confirm that Dawn was reasonable healthy. Since she had worms when the rescue group picked her up, we wanted to make sure that the first treatment was effective. Hookworms can be difficult to eradicate. Dawn's heart seemed strong and there was no telltale murmur that might indicate an enlarged heart. We did an ultrasound and it is possible that she might be a stone forming Dalmatian. Urate bladder stones are common in Dalmatians. We'll have to see the results of her urinalysis to confirm this. The vet thought that her front teeth were worn not from age, but by being caged for long periods of time. She was used as a breeding dog in her former life and never got a chance to live the life she deserved. Apparently she really is six year old. We thought she was much older. Considering that she has had a hard life, she is still very healthy.

We hadn't seen our regular vet since Dash died and it was nice to catch up on things. The clinic was quieter than usual for obvious reasons. I was glad they were still seeing patients. The place was sparkling clean and the entire staff had done an excellent job of adapting to the coronavirus threat. If only the grocery stores could do this well.

Our visit to the vet reminded me how expensive owning a dog can be. I told Dawn that she's going to be just fine until we go bankrupt. The stock market had a massive rebound today, but I don't think it means anything. It is too early for things to return to normal. It took me so long to get back to even after the 2008 crash that I knew I never wanted to do this again. Surprise. I'm going to have to pick up the pieces and rebuild all over again. I'm too old for this. Even if I do some smart strategic buying when the market finally bottoms, this is going to take a long time.

I know the virus is a serious health threat, but I wish the media would quit trying to instill fear in everyone. The media always loves a catastrophe. Jeez. This is not the zombie apocalypse. It's easy to forget how many people die every single day from other causes. If the media covered deaths from cancer, suicides, gunshot wounds, and car accidents with the same relentlessly zeal they're using to cover this virus, we'd be living in fear for the rest of our lives.

I guess most of the new safety guidelines seem reasonable to me. I've been staying at least six feet away from other people for most of my life. It doesn't bother me to shun crowds. I hate crowds. I've always gone shopping when other people are working just to avoid them. I think the real danger we are facing isn't the virus. It is a lack of common sense. If people used common sense and always acted rationally, I'm convinced that the dire problems we're facing now wouldn't be nearly as bad.

Hang in there guys. I'm glad some of you are still making funny memes. We still need to smile.

Chelsey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3721

We were pleased to discover that Lord found a home this weekend. Since Janet and I are still fostering Dawn, that leaves only three Dalmatians remaining at the kennel. Charlie, Hank and Larry are all doing well and we enjoyed spending time with them this afternoon. Hopefully, they will find their forever homes soon. This has been a good year for adoptions.

Dawn got another long walk this morning. She's getting a lot better on a leash. She learns quickly and is eager to please. I think it has been good for her to be out of the kennel. Her wounds have almost healed and she is much more confident now. Dawn has had a hard life, but she's ready for something better. This girl deserves an amazing forever home.

It looks like it is going to rain on Wednesday, so it was now or never for roof repairs today. I applied more silicon material to the roof in a few suspicious areas, but had a hard time finding places where water might actually get in. The new patches should have plenty of time to dry tomorrow and then we'll see if I have been successful. After all I've done recently, I can't imagine how water could still get in the house. Water is persistent though. Water has definitely won this ongoing battle before.

Where has the time gone? I thought I had plenty of time to get my taxes ready to take to the accountant, but all the sudden I'm up against the deadline. Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow. I thought taxes would become simpler after I retired but that has not turned out to be the case. Hopefully, I'll do better this year than I did last year.

I saw the owl family on my walk this afternoon, but took no pictures today. The way the nest is situated, it looks like photos might look nice around sunset. It looked a little dismal today. The skies were heavily overcast and the birds blended into the trees. I need to try to get better pictures though. There just aren't that many opportunities to photograph an owl family.

Facebook is still giving me problems with uploading links. It took me forever to post yesterday's blog entry. Sometimes I wonder if it's worth the trouble. I don't really have that much to say anymore. I'm still determined to reach Day 5000 but it might be an uphill battle. I'm going to be real mad if Google decides to abandon the Blogger platform before I reach my goal. It certainly could happen. They pulled the rug out from under me with Google+. I liked Google+ and used it a lot more than Facebook, but Google didn't care. They abandon lots of things.

Why is there a run on toilet paper? They say that along with surgical masks and Tamiflu, stores are running out of the stuff. Is toilet paper what we're going to need most in a pandemic? Who knows. Truthfully, I don't think anyone knows. That's the problem. Fear of the unknown can be a powerful force. People tell us to wash our hands, but we've all seen to many zombie apocalypse movies. We need something more powerful than soap.

Tucker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 2808

Maybe the zombie apocalypse has already started. First North Korea threatens to nuke us. Then, Mother Nature actually does nuke us with a Godzilla hurricane, Now, things are starting to get real at home.

I was getting ready to go to bed last night when I heard an ominous cracking sound, followed by what sounded like a rush of water. The supply line to the toilet had burst and high pressure water was spewing everywhere. I tried in vain to close a shut off valve, but it had rusted and was frozen. By the time I found the key to the water main and went outside to shut off the water to the house, the bathroom, hallway, and part of the bedroom were completely flooded.

To make matters worse Janet had to have a colonoscopy today and was right in the middle of colonoscopy prep when the pipe ruptured. If you've ever had a colonoscopy, you'll know that the night before is not the best time to be without running water or working toilets. I was able to use water being collected by the dehumidifier to flush the toilet a few times and then we resorted to using the bottled water we had around the house.

It's amazing we didn't get electrocuted. Several plug strips that were sitting on the floor got covered with water and shorted out. After I got the water shut off, I unplugged everything with gloves on. If I didn't have the wet/dry vacuum nearby, I'd probably still be mopping up water. About 2 AM, things were reasonably dry again and I went to bed.

I called my plumber as soon as their office opened this morning and was told that they were completely booked up until next Tuesday. This was not good. I took Janet to the hospital for her procedure and then went looking for a plumbing supply store, hoping to not use up too much gas in the process. I eventually found exactly what I needed and was convinced that I could make the repairs myself. I'm not very comfortable sweating copper pipe, so I found supplies that I could use without a torch. Surprisingly, my repairs worked perfectly. I saved at least $150 by not having a plumber come out, not that I could find one anyway.

By the time I got the pipe fixed and restored water to the house, it was time to pick up Janet. Since the morning had been relatively successful, I decided to spend the afternoon looking for gas. I know I told you yesterday that I was going to just wait, but it drives me nuts not to be prepared. When I looked at the Gas Finder website this morning, there were even fewer stations that still had gas than there were yesterday. When I drove to the hospital and back I didn't see a single station that still had gas.

There was only one station within a fifteen mile radius that still claimed to have gas today, so I drove there and got in line. There were sixteen pumps at this station and only two of them were still working. The only thing left was regular gas, so I reluctantly filled my tank with regular. I've never done that before, but I didn't want to run out of gas on a long holiday weekend. On my way home I saw my first gasoline tanker. There were a long line of cars following this tanker and when the tanker eventually pulled in at a Chevron station, all the cars followed. This is madness. There really wasn't a gas shortage in the first place, but we have created one. The tanker trucks usually just top up the tanks at the stations once a week. Now all the tanks in the city are completely empty. It might take a while to get back to normal.

It was an odd day, but I'm happy. We've got running water again and I've got a full tank of gas. What more could you ask for?

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 2768

It's been three years since Dot suddenly became ill and I thought we were going to lose her. I learned a few days later that she had cancer and I'm still learning how her incredible determination to survive changed me in ways I don't fully understand. From the summer of 2014 to the summer of 2017 Dot defied the odds over and over again, forever becoming my hero in the process. I became so convinced that she could go on forever that it's still hard to believe that she's not with us today.

Caring for Dot became a way of life that made it easier for Janet and I to care for each other while we've been dealing with our own medical problems this summer. We're both getting better now and there is a little less fear of the unknown with each passing day. As long as Dash doesn't give us another scare with his ongoing vestibular disease problems, there will come a day pretty soon when I will no longer be either a patient or a nurse.

What comes next? When people tell me "you can do whatever you want," I am baffled. I'm not sure what I want. I need to focus on realistic choices, since going back in time isn't really an option. When I look backwards, I see so many fond memories. When I look forward, I only see the Zombie Apocalypse. This certainly isn't the world I envisioned when I was making big plans back in the 1970's.

I'm not going to change the world at this point, but I need to become more comfortable living in it. Like it or not, it's the only world we've got. I have a feeling that something pretty simple might do the trick for me. Maybe I should take piano lessons. Years ago I used to enjoy playing the piano, but I have forgotten everything. Maybe I should drive to Wyoming with a sleeping bag and a camera and wait for the eclipse. That's probably a little too bold, but you get the idea. I know there's a world beyond cleaning the house with a pressure washer. I just need to find it.

I went back to the store today and picked up the things I forgot yesterday. I got caught in a brief rain storm on the way home, but it was so hot outside that the rain turned to steam in a matter of minutes. By this afternoon, it was hard to imagine that it had rained at all. We've started walking Dash very early in the morning so he is able to enjoy at least one good walk before the heat becomes oppressive.  He seems to enjoy this new schedule. I'm watering the new grass religiously, but it's going to be an uphill battle to keep it looking good for the rest of the year. What can I say. It's hot. It's Texas. It's summer.

I decided to skip going to the gym today. The swelling in my leg has subsided, but it is still pretty sore. My wrist doesn't feel very strong either. I'm supposed to see the orthopedic specialist later this week. Maybe I'll just ask him when it is OK to exercise again. Until then, I'll try to amuse myself one day at a time.

Jewel is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1751

It was interesting to see how the Ebola news developed today. First you would hear local chatter on Twitter. There are so many people who either work or have friends in health care that news travels quickly. Shortly after rumors start flying on Twitter, local talk radio shows are filled with callers talking about the same thing. A few hours later, the same stories start to appear on prominent local, and even national, media blogs. TV news crews seem to pick up the story very late in the game, and finally, at the end of the entire process, a public official eventually issues a statement. There were Tweets about where the Ebola victim lived, what airline he flew to Dallas on, and where the children he exposed went to school several hours before the same news appeared on the local television stations.

With all the talk about how Ebola is transmitted, there's been a lot of local interest in the safety of the sewage system. Surely the guy pooped after he arrived in town. Where is that poop now? They say the virus can live a long time under moist conditions. At any rate,  I wouldn't want to be a worker at the local sewage treatment plant. I don't think I'd want to be a plumber either. One of the most persistent questions I hear is "If there is nothing to worry about, why are all you guys wearing HazMat suits?" I wonder about this myself.

Other than the occasional worry that Dallas will be where the zombie apocalypse begins, it was a fairly normal day. I spent the day doing the usual mix of website revisions and writing assignments. Some of the website work I did today involved redoing what did yesterday. That's pretty normal too. If I didn't redo a lot of things, I would have very little to do.

When we went to dog training class tonight, the sodium vapor lights that illuminate the field at night unexpectedly went out. Without these lights, it is really dark. I'm surprised that the dogs did as well as they did under these conditions. I could still see Dash pretty well, since he is basically white with a few black spots. The owners of the Labs weren't so lucky. Their dogs just seemed to disappear in the darkness.

I thought my fire ant bites would be gone by now, but they seem to have gotten worse. After doing a little reading, I discovered that this was normal. When the hard red welts caused by the bites start to blister, they can itch intensely. I'm in the itchy stage right now. They say that this can last for up to a week. It helps to keep things in perspective though. An ant bite is no big deal when there's an Ebola outbreak a few miles down the road.

Tori is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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