Day 1917

We've got a new schedule now. We get up several hours earlier than we did yesterday. The dogs get fed. Dot's nighttime bedding gets put away. And I take Dash on a walk, while Janet is getting ready for work. This is pretty much the same schedule we had before Janet's brief retirement, but when Dot was healthy, the dogs and I just stayed in bed while Janet was getting dressed. Now, we need to coordinate things, so Dot is always under supervision.

On days like today, getting up early isn't so bad. The temperature was warm and there was a beautiful sunrise that changed colors minute by minute as we made our way through the park. When we returned, I traded placed with Janet and was in charge of the dogs for the rest of the day.

Dot is a handful. If you crate her, or contain her in her safe area, she barks continually. If you let her stay nearby, you have to watch her like a hawk. Dot has already learned to stand up on her own again. I was sitting right next to her at breakfast and when I turned my head for one second, Dot was standing on all fours, and drinking from her water bowl. Another time, when I was loading the dishwasher, she was walking down the hall toward the bedroom. You may be thinking that if Dot can stand and walk, the problem has been solved. Nope. Dot is still very wobbly and can't stand for very long. If I'm not there to support her rear legs using the Help 'Em Up Harness, she will quickly fall over and hurt herself. Since it will take up to a month for her to heal from her extensive surgery, she's going to feel better before she actually is better.

Breakfast is not a peaceful interlude anymore. There is lots of barking and I have to lead Dot back to her bed again and again when she tries to get up. If I let Dot be a part of things during mealtimes though, she will reward me by sleeping peacefully for the rest of the morning. When Dot is asleep in her safe area, I take a shower and get started on my work for the day. Generally, things went pretty well today, except when I needed to go to the bathroom and was in the wrong end of the house with Dot. It is surprisingly difficult to lead a dog around by the tail. We're learning though. I have to get a little better at planning ahead and Dot needs to get a little better at listening to me.

I'm not sure that my new single serve coffee maker is any better than the old one. It's very easy to make a cup of coffee, but if you decide your want two or three cups, you have to clean out the filter, add more beans and start over again. I think the solution is to just get a bigger coffee cup. This machine will fill up to a 16 ounce cup at a time, and that's usually plenty for breakfast. You can wash all the parts in the dishwasher, so the machine is easy to clean, but the parts are plastic, so they will probably break, just like every other coffee maker I've had. They do make durable, all metal automatic coffee makers, but they are ridiculously expensive. I'm not a barista. I just want a nice, trouble-free cup of coffee with breakfast. I really should have just got one of those glass French Press coffee pots and filled it with boiling water from the tea pot. That seems easy.

During the dogs afternoon nap, I was able to get up on the roof and start patching the trouble spots. On close inspection, I discovered three more areas where the white elastomer top coat had torn and exposed the black adhesive below. This is not supposed to happen. I'm going to call the roofer, but roofers always have an excuse. I doubt highly that they will put on an entirely new roof because of a few tears in the elastomer. Making the best of a bad situation, I patched all the bad spots with the same tough elastomer the roofers used. Hopefully, my patches will have time to dry completely before the Spring rains resume later in the week.

Tomorrow, and every day for the rest of the month, will be a repeat of today. Hopefully Dot will continue to get stronger as the month progresses and I won't go insane trying to manage this odd three-ring circus. We made it through day one. Now it's on to day two.

Ruthie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1916

The dogs were good today. It makes a big difference. I was able to get the water off the roof. Janet cleaned the floors. And we were both able to go to the gym. Things work pretty smoothly when we take turns watching Dot. I have no idea what to expect tomorrow, except that my shift will be quite a bit longer.

In anticipation of Janet's return to work tomorrow, I tried to take care of as much unfinished business as I could. I paid the bills that were stacking up on my desk and took them to the post office. I also went shopping for a new coffee maker, since the old one has just about given up the ghost. I came home with one of those single serve coffee makers that are becoming popular these days. I'm the only one that drinks coffee in the house, so this seemed to make sense. Instead of making a pot of coffee in the morning, I'll just make it by the cup as needed. I think I've wasted a lot of coffee over the years by brewing way more than I needed.

Since we've reduced Dot's prednisolone dose, she is able to make it through the night again without needing to go outside and pee. This makes life a lot easier. We all got a decent night's sleep for a change and even the early rising dogs didn't feel the urge to get up until about 7:30 AM. I think when her circular pen arrives next week, we'll just let her sleep there. She doesn't like sleeping in the crate, but this new enclosure is larger and should allow her to change positions relatively easily. Right now, she sleeps in a secure padded bed near our own bed. She can't hurt herself, but she can't move easily either. If she has to get up or shift positions during the night, I have to get up and help her.

I hope the sun comes out tomorrow. When I removed the water from the roof this morning, I noticed that the problem area had become a bit larger. I'd like to re-coat this area with the waterproof elastomer and give it time to dry before the next round of rain heads our way. It's weird that California is having such a severe drought, because here in Texas it's seems like we get more rain every year. I can't remember a rainier Winter than we've had this year.

When I was walking Dash this afternoon, I noticed a perfectly circular hole in the clouds with bright rays of sunlight shining through, reflecting off the water below. It looked like something out of a science fiction movie. Whatever caused this phenomena was short lived. Ten minutes after I took a picture of the odd hole in the clouds, it was completely gone. I also saw my first turtle of the season today. When the water turtles start sunning themselves on rocks and partially submerged logs, Spring can't be far behind.

I hope tomorrow will go smoothly. It would be a good day to write, but that will depend in whether there are any writing jobs in my inbox tomorrow morning. Dot walks like a drunken sailor, but she can actually walk now. The main reason I hold on to her special harness is to help her up when she's sitting and to keep her from trying to run. She already tries to chase squirrels when I take her out to pee. It would be very bad if she was able to run at this point. She'd probably make it about ten feet, slip and fall, and injure one of her legs. It's my job to keep Dot safe. I take this job seriously, because Dot apparently has no idea how fragile she is right now. Dalmatians and complete bed rest don't co-exist very well. They just don't understand the concept. As soon as we get Dot walking normally again, I think I'm the one who's going to be needing some complete bed rest.

Carmine is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1915

I feel like I'm running on empty. Today was kind of a trial run for taking care of Dot on my own and there was a steep learning curve. Janet and Dash were gone for most of the day at a Dalmatian Rescue event, so this was a good opportunity to see what life is going to be like next week. The first thing I noticed is that it's hard to think ahead to make sure that important objects like reading glasses, bath towels, shoes, and dog treats will be where they need to be ahead of time. Since I can never leave Dot unsupervised, I can't just run back to the bedroom to get something I forgot.

If Dot is tired, you can guide her to a room where you plan to be working and she will go to sleep next to you. If she's not tired, all bets are off. I was continually finding myself in the kitchen when I really needed to be in the bedroom or office. I never seemed to have my reading glasses, my phone, paper towels, or shoes when I needed them. I tried to put Dot in her special safe area so I could get some work done, but she immediately started barking and trying to get up on her own. Ordinarily, I would just ignore the barking, but with the meds she's taking, barking a lot makes her poop. Every time Dot started barking for attention, I would dutifully find my shoes and take her outside to see if she needed to go. Eventually Dot got tired and went to sleep, but by that time, I was tired as well. I didn't get a lot done today.

I'm not sure how much I could have gotten done anyway. My main goal this weekend was getting the problem areas on the roof patched before the next big rain. Unfortunately, it hasn't gotten dry enough to apply the patching material yet. Today's light mist didn't prevent me from walking Dash or getting groceries, but it certainly wasn't the best weather for patching the roof. Maybe tomorrow. Sunday might be the best chance I have until I can figure out a good way to keep Dot in one place.

I've started seeing small patches of Grape Hyacinth coming into bloom all over the park. This small purple plant is usually a harbinger of Spring. In another month, entire meadows will be filled with these flowers. Then there will be Wild Irises and Bluebells, and as the temperatures rise, Firewheels, Milkweed, and Verbena. I enjoy seeing the wildflowers return. I've watched this perennial cycle for so many years now that I can almost predict to the day when certain flowers will bloom. When the wildflowers arrive, the White Pelicans and Cormorants go. I'm not sure where these birds spend the summer, but they certainly don't like the Texas heat. The Mallards stay all year, or at least until the Coyotes eat them.

I ought to go to the gym tomorrow. It seems like a long time since I've been. I'm not worried about not getting enough exercise though. Holding up Dot's rear legs with the Help 'Em Up Harness is giving me all the exercise I need. Dot is sleeping peacefully now. So are Dash and Janet. Now, if only I could get some sleep.

Humphrey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1914

3 steps forward, 2 steps back. That's kind of how life has become these days. We found the perfect pen to secure Dot while we are away. It was durable, easy to assemble, and just the right size. The picture in the catalog showed a six sided hexagon. When I opened the box, there were only five panels and there was no way to connect all the panels together to make a self-contained pen. This contraption was meant to attach to a wall. The instructions said that if you wanted a self-contained pen, you had to buy an additional panel and remove the wall hinges. When we looked for the additional panel on the Internet, we discovered that the company had been sold and the new company now markets the pen with all six panels. We had apparently bought old stock at the pet store.

Everybody has become like Ikea. Pet stores seldom have assembled dog crates on display anymore. You just buy something sealed in a box and find out what you've actually got when you get home. It's been an uphill battle to find the equipment we need for Dot's rehabilitation. Half the stuff we've bought had to be returned because it wasn't right when we got it out of the box. We ordered another pen with all six sides off a veterinary website and will return the five sided one to the pet store tomorrow.

On a positive note, we now have a working dryer. The repairman wasn't sure how long the dryer will continue working, but said the part was warrantied for 90 days. At least I don't have to go to the laundromat this weekend. Since the neurologist said it was bad for Dot to become overly agitated during her recovery, we gave Dot a doggie Xanax about 30 minutes before the repairman arrived. It seemed to do the trick. Dot didn't even know the repairman was there until she had to go out and poop midway through the repair. She did a little "stranger danger" barking and then Janet took her back to the bedroom, where she went to sleep again. I'm not a big fan of mood altering medications, but the vet insists that mild sedation is much better for Dot at this point in time than stress and undue agitation. Hopefully, nothing else will break in the house for the next couple of months. Dot is completely calm until a stranger arrives. Janet and I are the only people who seem to have her seal of approval.

The weather forecasting app on my phone is worthless. It's been wrong almost every day this week. Last night it said that it would be dry and overcast today. but when I woke up it was raining again. Luckily, I managed to find a few breaks in the rain to walk Dash, but for the most part, it was a very wet and dreary day.  I must have a bad case of cabin fever, because I went out for breakfast despite the rain. Ordinarily, I would have just eaten a bowl of cereal at home on a day like this, but I needed to get away for a while. I can clean the car later. I never did get a chance to patch the roof before today's rain, but I don't see any leaks. Maybe we're OK.

A small group of Wood Ducks have taken up residence in the park recently. They make the much more numerous Mallards look rather ordinary. I finally got a chance to photograph one of these colorful ducks today. I'll have to admit that the picture brightened up a pretty dreary day.

Wyatt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1913

Dot got her stitches out today. The neurologist was very pleased with her progress but said that Dot was a little too active for this stage of her recovery. Evidently, during her exam she got up and started walking around the exam room on her own. We were told again that it is very important to keep Dot quiet for the next month while her body recovers from the surgery. We are never to let her wander around the house on her own. She should be confined whenever we have to leave the house, and if she gets too excited or agitated, we are to give her a sedative.

The doctor agreed that it wasn't a good idea to crate her if Dot doesn't have room to do change positions easily. She could hurt her spine if she got stuck in a twisted  position. Dot is supposed to rest in the crate, not struggle. So far, the gated hallway seems like the best solution. Dot is very peaceful here as long as I am in the house. If I leave, she becomes frantic and starts barking though. This is why the doctor thinks we might need to sedate Dot occasionally when we have to leave, so there are no separation anxiety panic attacks. This is going to be a very long couple of months.

Since Janet had to be gone for much of the day and I didn't have any deadlines to meet, I thought I'd try to get a couple of vintage watches running again. I think I've lost my touch. I didn't break anything, but I didn't have a lot of success either. Watches, like most mechanical things, need to be used. I've let my collection gather dust for far too long and many watches have stopped running. I could never afford to get them all professionally serviced, so this is is another ashes-to-ashes, dust-to-dust situation. Three old watches are ticking again however, so the afternoon wasn't a total loss.

I called the appliance repair company and convinced them to come out tomorrow and fix the dryer. I had to do this when the washing machine broke too. The repairmen will make no promises whatsoever. They just say they'll return with the part as soon as they can. If you don't call the main office and demand a speedy, expedited repair, you could end up waiting for weeks. I hate this "squeaky wheel" principle, but sometimes it's the only option you have.

Based on what I've observed this week, I'm dreading when Janet returns to work on Monday. There are hundreds of ways that Dot could hurt herself in our house, and she's not going to be content to sit in a small pen all day. She still has to go outside to pee a lot because of the prednisolone she's taking, and after about two hours of bed rest, she gets agitated and wants to move around. If Dash starts barking, she immediately starts barking too. Dalmatians aren't calm dogs by nature. I don't think bed rest is in their vocabulary.

I'm looking forward to getting out of the house for breakfast tomorrow morning. Janet will look after Dot while I'm away and then we'll trade places. This works pretty well. We'll see how it works when I'm on my own.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1912

I threw a load of laundry in the dryer this morning and got an error message. The dryer is broken. It runs for about five seconds and then shuts off. Too bad this malfunction didn't occur a month ago when I had the appliance repairman out to the house to fix the washing machine. I could have gotten both of these unreliable appliances fixed at the same time. Life was simpler when our machines were mechanical. Mechanical things usually give you a warning before they fail. You would typically hear odd squeaks and rattles that weren't there before. These early warning signs have saved me many times. Now when something goes wrong, you just get a cryptic error message on a circuit board. Usually these messages mean that the circuit board itself has gone bad.

I managed to get a repairmen out this afternoon, but the dryer is still not working. These repairs are a two step process now. The repairman comes out to assess the situation. Then he almost always has to order a part and returns to fix the machine a week or so later. Since I am obsessed with doing laundry, this is a real inconvenience. I hate going to the laundromat, but what choice do I have? I took the wet clothes out of the dryer, gathered up a pile of quarters, and went to the laundromat to dry them off while Janet watched Dot.

While I was waiting for the clothes to dry, I drove to a nearby Home Depot and got a gallon of elastomer to patch the roof with. I could have called the roofers, but lord know when they would have gotten around to fixing things. I'm really tired of things breaking, but seem powerless to stop these mishaps. At least the car didn't break down while I was running errands this afternoon. Janet thought it would be easier to just buy a new dryer, but I remembered how much trouble it was to get the one we have into the utility room in the first place. You have to carefully measure each appliance to make sure it will fit in the small allotted space and then when the machine arrives, you have to completely take the door off the utility room, because it is such a tight fit. Apparently the washer and dryer we bought aren't very reliable, but at least they fit in the room.

The hospital called today to remind us of Dot's appointment to have her sutures removed tomorrow. I had carefully written the date down in my iCal calendar when Dot was initially released from the hospital, but somehow I got the time wrong. Why do I do this so often? I'm glad we got a reminder, because we would have been late otherwise. Hopefully Dot will feel a little better once her stitches are out.

Janet wanted to test our safe space for Dot by leaving the house for a short time and watching her on the baby monitor. She was resting peacefully when we left, but as soon as she heard the car start, she sat up in her pen and began barking frantically. We only drove around the block, but I didn't have the heart to go further. Dot is stubborn. She would have continued barking until she wore herself out. So much for any plans to leave the house. I will have to think of a Plan-B, because once that Janet returns to work, it will be impossible for me to stay in the house continually.

Jeez, I must have fallen asleep with a finger on the return key while I was writing this, because I just had to remove what seemed like a mile of line break tags from the blog's HTML. Oh, well. I'm awake now and Dot gets her stitches out in the morning. There's something to be said for that. I hope the dryer gets fixed soon. You definitely don't want to listen to me talking about dirty laundry for the next week.

Tyson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1911

It was still dismal and grey today, but thankfully, the rain appears to have moved elsewhere. Drier skies meant that it was much easier to take Dot outside and Dash got to enjoy his normal walks again. There were still muddy shoes and even muddier paws at the end of these walks, but a little mud is nothing when the alternative is getting soaking wet.

Since things are starting to dry out, it was a good day to get the water off the roof. When I removed this week's standing water, I was appalled to discover two spots that already looked like they needed to be patched. I shouldn't have to patch anything yet, since the current roof is relatively new. As soon as the roof is completely dry, I'll call the roofers to come take a look. They should just give me a big can of the epoxy material they use to coat the top layer. I really wouldn't mind patching things myself, since I'm up on the roof so much anyway. At least if I did the repairs myself, I'd know the job was done right.

Since I'm more or less caught up with website work for the moment, I used the day to write. I got a lot done, but what I really wanted to do was sleep. Although reducing Dot's prednisolone dose yesterday was  supposed to make her pee less frequently, I haven't noticed any immediate changes. I still had to get up twice last night to take Dot outside. The second time I took her out, she didn't want to go back in her crate, so I just pulled out a blanket and went to sleep on the floor next to her. It was almost morning by then anyway, but I sure could have used a couple of more hours of shut eye.

At some point during the morning, I noticed that the metal staples holding Dot's incision together felt hot. I was initially alarmed and then I realized that Dot had been sleeping next to a heater vent. One more thing to watch out for. Dot has always liked sleeping near the heater vents in the floor during the Winter, but that's not a good idea when she's got metal staples in her back. Luckily, the staples come out later this week. Having her sutures removed will be Dot's first post-surgery milestone. I doubt that getting her stitches out will make Dot walk any better, but it still seems like progress.

I called my broker today to ask why I hadn't received my tax reporting statement yet and he told me that the statement had been available online for several weeks now. Damn. One more company to deal with that wants to go paperless. I hate this movement to go paperless. It's much easier to organize a stack of papers in file folders than it is to download and print out PDF files. I've noticed lately that when I renew subscriptions to trade magazines, they ask whether I'd like to receive a printed or electronic copy. I always check the box to get the printed copy. A real magazine makes good bathroom reading. A PDF file is just a nuisance.

So far, the weather looks good for the rest of the week. I wish I could get a sleep forecast that looked good for the rest of the week. I've never had kids, but this must be what it's like to have a baby. A solid eight hours of sleep never looked so good.

Ely is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1910

I only need three words to describe this day. All day rain. Today's rain wasn't just a light shower either. It was a genuine soaker. Rain is the last thing I need right now. It's hard enough getting Dot outside to pee on a dry day in her current condition. Add a downpour to the mix and it's a real mess. After we come back inside, I have to carefully clean her paws while holding her up with the harness so she won't get all her bedding muddy. Then I have to make sure the area around her incision is clean and dry. When we're done with all that, I have to throw whatever I'm wearing in the dryer, so I don't spend the day wet myself. Then, two hours later, we repeat the whole process all over again.

Oddly, Dot wasn't the real problem today. It was Dash. He steadfastly refused to go outside and pee no matter how many times I opened the back door for him. Dash thinks he's going to melt in the rain and it's almost impossible to get him to do his business on a rainy day. Usually, I can find a break in the rain using the weather radar app on my iPad, but today we were out of luck. It rained continuously from sunrise to sunset. Eventually, when Janet and I thought he was going to explode, Janet put a leash on the stubborn dog and took him on a walk in the rain to relieve his bladder. Ten minutes later, they both returned soaked to the bone and Dash looked much happier. Yes, he walked all the way to the spot where he usually pees, despite the fact that he was soaking wet. Sometimes it is hard to understand what goes through dogs minds.

Since I was housebound today, I watched some of Tim Cook's Apple Watch Event on my computer. I always knew that this watch would be expensive but I wasn't really prepared for the cost of the stainless steel model with a matching stainless steel bracelet. $1,100 seems a bit high even if the watch is a technical marvel. Granted, a basic stainless steel Rolex Submariner, Omega Speedmaster, Panerai Luminor, or Bell & Ross BR-1 will cost you five times as much, but these high-end timepieces won't be obsolete in three years. You can hand a Rolex down to your grandchildren. Apple products, not so much. I've never owned an Apple product that wasn't obsolete in three years. I doubt that the watch will be any different. The watch is cool though. Even if you do have to plug it in every night to recharge.

I'm hoping that this rain will be over with by tomorrow. I can't really go anywhere anyway, but at least seeing a little sunlight out the office window fills me with hope that I could leave the house if I really wanted. The "safe area" we've constructed for Dot seems to be working very well so far. In a few days, I'll go to the post office, or somewhere nearby and check her on the baby monitor to make sure she's still calm and resting while I'm away. I'm fully aware that taking care of Dot will become much more difficult once Janet returns to the world of the fully employed. When Dot gets strong enough to stand up on her own, her rehabilitation will become easier. Right now, she's pretty fragile and I have to watch her like a hawk.

I'm trying to see the silver lining in all these dark clouds. Dot's vet bills will keep me from wasting money on things like Apple watches. Being housebound will keep me focused on work. Even working on things I don't particularly enjoy beats being bored out of my mind. Seeing Dot get a little bit better with each passing day is really its own reward. This resilient girl is really a remarkable dog.

Val is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1909

We got a nice collapsible soft canvas crate to we can transport Dot back and forth to physical therapy after her stitches come out. When we tried to introduce her to the crate, she got scared and pooped in it. Oh, well. So much for taking the crate back to the store if it doesn't work out. This crate is smaller than a normal crate on purpose, because we want her to stay secure and in one place in the car. Dot fits in the crate just fine, but we didn't count on her having claustrophobia. So far, she hates the thing.

Although we struck out on the soft crate, we did figure out a good place for Dot to stay while I'm working around the house. Instead of a crate, I put a comfortable dog bed in a hallway that I can see from my desk in the office and used two wooden kiddie gates on either side to turn the bed into a pen. Dot seemed fine with this arrangement and slept peacefully for several hours while I worked on getting caught up on my website assignments. I put another dog bed right next to this fenced in area for Dash to sleep and everyone was happy for the first time in days.

I don't usually do website work on Sundays, but taking care of Dot has put me behind on several things. It was nice to have a quiet afternoon to get caught up on work while the dogs slept peacefully. This tranquility didn't last long unfortunately. We had burgers for dinner and Dot was mad that she couldn't sit under the table like she used to do and wait for table scraps. Even though we placed a dog bed as close to the dining table as we could, it wasn't close enough for her. Every time we would sit down at the table, Dot would try to get up.

The better Dot feels, the harder it becomes to look after her. It's OK for Dot to walk with assistance.  It's not OK for her to try to walk on her own yet. She can stand on her own for short periods of time now, but she still can't get up without assistance. Although she moves her legs well, she can't walk without assistance either. If I wasn't steadying her rear legs with the harness, she would quickly stumble and fall. All this would be very discouraging if it weren't for the fact that Dot seems to get a little better each day. The neurologist told us that recovery from this type of surgery was a long slow process. We've just got to be patient and make sure that Dot stays out of harm's way while she's learning to walk again.

Just as I predicted, there is more water on the roof now. It rained again today. It's not that bad though. All we got today was some drizzle and light showers. I think I'm going to wait until the weather clears up for at least a week before I go up on the roof again. It's just not worth the trouble to do this every other day. I'm beginning to think it's not worth the trouble to move every clock in the hour an hour forward either. Every time Daylight Savings Time rolls around I'm amazed at how many clocks we have around the house. I mush have spent an hour resetting wall clocks, table clocks, clocks in the television, clocks in the phone, and a variety of wristwatches. The computers, the phones, and even the new thermostat all managed to reset themselves this morning.

My teeth didn't hurt today. Maybe I've been grinding my teeth at night. I do that from time to time when I'm stressed. It's funny how wonderful a good night's sleep can seem when you're not sleeping well. Maybe tonight will be the night. It all depends on Dot. When Dot is sleeping well, we all sleep well.

Bacardi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1908

Today was kind of a preview of what's to come. Dot was restless and wanted to move around, but wasn't strong enough to move by herself. I held her up with the harness while we went inside and outside and walked back and forth from room to room. Periodically, she would get tired and rest in her dog bed for a while, but just as soon as I got started on something myself, she wanted to get up again. Dot likes to sleep in the kitchen and near a big window in the bedroom, but she's decided that she doesn't like the office anymore. She seems to be looking for brightly lit areas and the office is admittedly the darkest room in the house. This is unfortunate, because the office is still where I need to spend the most time.

Needless to say, I didn't get a lot done today. When Janet was home earlier in the day I was finally able to get the water off the roof but it was probably a wasted effort. There is more rain in the forecast for tomorrow. When I'm up on the roof, I feel like Sisyphus, eternally pushing a huge boulder up a hill. It is necessary to remove the water because it is heavy and over time will warp the roof beams and cause the roof to settle even more if I just ignore it. Standing water will also cause another leak if I just ignore it. Nothing is waterproof forever. Water is very patient. If you leave it alone, it will eventually find a way inside. All this being said, it is still very frustrating to spend hours removing all the water from the roof and then have it rain the very next day.

My teeth, which had seemed just fine for months, suddenly became sensitive to cold again yesterday. This worries me, because I've decided to put off all the dental work I need until I get Dot's surgery bills paid off. I had been planning to get the wisdom teeth removed in early February, but it wasn't meant to be. Dot's spinal injury intervened. I can only deal with one crisis at a time. The last thing I need right now is a dry socket from a tooth extraction while Dot is having serious problems of her own. Luckily, Dot seems to be getting better. Maybe by Summer, Dot will be walking normally again and I can move on to overcoming my fears of going to the dentist.

Tomorrow, we will be able to cut Dot's prednisolone dose in half. Prednisolone causes dogs to increase their water intake. Dot drinks water constantly now and can't make it through the night without going outside to pee around 3 AM. On a lower dose, I think we'll all sleep better. I'm sleeping so lightly now, that my fitness tracker app asks me whether my nighttime activity is really sleep. I miss the days of having two lazy dogs on the bed who didn't want to get up at all.

Of course, daylight saving time goes into effect tomorrow and this will mess up my sleep schedule even more. I don't know why we need more daylight in the evening anyway. I want more daylight in the morning, so it's easier to wake up. The days were just starting to get long enough for the sun to come through the bedroom window a little before 7 AM. Now, after the time change, it will be dark again when we need to get up.

Dot is sleeping peacefully now. I wish she was sleeping peacefully this afternoon when I had a long list of chores to do around the house. Now, I'm too tired to finish these chores. Oh, well. There's always tomorrow. I have a feeling that I'm going to be saying "there's always tomorrow," quite frequently in the days and weeks ahead.

Connor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1907

It was nice to get out for a while this morning. The snow is gone and the weather is warming up. It seemed like a perfect day to get a haircut, enjoy a delicious breakfast and do a little shopping. None of these things took that long, but they were important. With a full belly, some new jeans for Spring, and a decent haircut, I felt ready for anything.

Dot woke up feeling great this morning. I think that her acupuncture session yesterday evening really helped her. She's walking faster now and doesn't crisscross her legs as much. Today, for the first time, I noticed that she's learned to redistribute her weight when she starts to slip to one side. I'm still providing support for her rear legs using the Help 'Em Up Harness, but I can tell that each passing day, she is doing more of the work herself. The challenge is to encourage her to walk without leaving her unsupervised or letting her walk on her own. Dot is an obedient dog and if I constantly told her to lie down or stay in her crate, I think she'd become discouraged and wouldn't even try after a while. I let her sleep as long as she wants, but when she's active, we do a lot of physical therapy.

I forgot to take the trash out to the curb last night and by the time I woke up this morning, the truck has already come and gone. There's just too much to remember these days. I forgot my morning meds as well. You guys need to remind me about this stuff. I don't know what to do about the trash. Since the can is almost full already, we'll never make it until next Thursday. It sure was nicer when the city picked up trash twice a week. Older neighbors say that a long time ago the trucks came three times a week. Probably the next step will be for the city to eliminate trash service altogether.

Dot was indignant today when I put her in her crate so I could take a shower and get a little house cleaning done. She hadn't been in the crate more than thirty minutes when I started to hear loud persistent parking. Dot was mad. She's perfectly willing to take a long nap, if she gets to pick the place. So far, I haven't been able to convince her to take her naps in my office. I'm glad that Dot is more active, but I'm still trying to figure out how to stay active myself. Being a good dog nurse is almost a full time job.

If the weather stays nice this weekend, I'll wash the car, get the water off the roof, and clean up the back yard a bit. I need to start looking for a soft dog crate that I can put in the back of my car. The sooner I can start transporting Dot in the car, the sooner we can begin her water therapy again. There's going to be so much to do this Spring, but on a sunny, warm day like today, anything seems possible. Let's hope there are a lot of sunny days in the weeks ahead.

Anne is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1906

Dash got a rare chance to experience snow this morning. It was starting to sleet when we went to bed last night, but somehow it turned into five inches of snow by the time we woke up. This was a thick, wet snow that would have been perfect for making a snowman if I was so inclined. Dash was intrigued by the snow for a while, but quickly decided that it was too cold. Although all my Facebook friends seem to have uploaded a movie of their dogs racing around playing in the snow, Dash had other plans. He was more interested in going back to a warm, dry house for breakfast.

I was going to cancel my haircut appointment because the driveway and roads were icy, but the salon beat me to it. They called while I was eating breakfast and said that nobody showed up for work this morning. We rescheduled the haircut for tomorrow morning. This was a very strange snowfall. At 7 AM, the roads were treacherous. By 7 PM the snow was completely gone. By the time I gave Dash his evening walk, there was no more winter wonderland. There was just a lot of mud.

Work has been unusually slow this week. Maybe it's the weather. If my clients are like me, they're not really thinking about new projects right now. They're wondering if their car will start in the morning. They're wondering what to do with the kids if there's another snow day. They're wondering why the grocery store shelves are picked bare. Most of all, they're wondering when Spring is going to arrive. Spring is a little late this year.

I think Dot knows that she is queen of the house now. She has a comfortable dog bed in every room, with non-slip carpet runners connecting everything together. When she needs to get up, people come running to help her. Her vet even makes house calls now. Early this evening, Dot got another acupuncture treatment here at the house. Dot is funny. She always barks at her vet when she arrives, but as soon as the acupuncture session begins, she is quiet and relaxed. When the session is over, the barking starts all over again.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be warmer. Janet has time to watch Dot while I go to my breakfast restaurant and get a haircut. When we trade places in the afternoon, I'll work on my taxes while the dogs are sleeping. Whatever happens, Friday is bound to be better than this week of sleet and snow. Enough of this cold weather. I'm ready for Spring. Dot will be able to resume her water therapy in the Spring. I'll have wildflowers to photograph instead of sullen grey skies. With any luck, my friend and I will have some new business to work on. Spring will be good.

Rory is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1905

Rain, rain go away. The dismal weather we've been having this week is really beginning to wear me down. Wet is bad enough, but freezing cold wet is even worse. I tried to use the weather radar on my iPad to take Dash to the park to pee between downpours, but both times I failed. If Dash wasn't so particular about where he poops, we might have made it home relatively dry. Since he insisted on finding just the right place, we got drenched.

It has rained almost continually since Dot's discharge from the hospital, so she hasn't been able to get any outdoor physical therapy. We are continuing to walk up and down the hall, but I think Dot is as bored as I am. We've all got a bad case of cabin fever.

Dot was in a stubborn mood today. I wanted her in the dog bed next to my desk in the office, but she decided she wanted to be in the kitchen instead. Every time I lured her back to the office with a dog treat and got her situated on the bed, she tried to get up on her own and return to the kitchen. Needless to say, she can't make it to the kitchen on her own, so I had to jump up from the computer and quickly grab her harness before she could hurt herself. Eventually, I just gave up and grabbed Dot's harness with one hand and and my laptop with the other. I set up shop on the kitchen counter and everybody was happy again. Dot went to sleep on her kitchen bed and I finally was able to get a little work done.

It's really hard to get anything done when your main role is to be your dog's legs. I could have just put Dot in her new crate while I was working, but that wouldn't be fair. The whole point of this early-stage physical therapy is to encourage Dot to move. She needs to keep using her rear legs to prevent further muscle atrophy. If she sits up in her dog bed and appears to want to go somewhere, that's a good thing. I don't want to discourage her by continually telling her to stay or lie down.

Dot and I are still working things out. I wish her recovery was measured in weeks instead of months, but it will take whatever time it takes. I've just got to be patient and take things one day at a time. Dot is certainly doing her part. She remains in good spirits, despite what has happened to her. At times I even get the impression that she enjoys being the queen of the house, with her family waiting on her hand and foot.

It is supposed to snow tonight, but I hope this forecast is wrong. Since it is only 27 degrees outside, we could easily have slick, frozen roads again tomorrow morning. Conditions are supposed to improve by the end of the week, but that isn't fast enough for me. I've got a bad case of nurse fatigue and cabin fever all rolled up into one big ugly ball.

Maybe tomorrow will be better. It would be nice to see the sun again. It would be nice if Dot slept all the way through the night too. That's unlikely, because her prednisolone dose has been temporarily  increased. We're back to going outside to pee at 4 AM again. It may sound like I'm complaining, but I'm not. I'm delighted that Dot is slowly getting better. It's just very tiring trying to keep all these balls in the air.

Orion is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1904

It was an unrelenting grey day. At times the rain pounded down on the roof. At other times there was just a light drizzle. We didn't get the predicted thunderstorms, but it certainly was a rainy day. I'm supposed to take Dot out four times a day using the harness for some light physical therapy. The goal is to keep Dot's legs moving to slow down muscle atrophy. Since the weather was so nasty, I walked her up and down the hall instead. To keep her moving, I'd keeping a couple of small dog treats in my pocket and throw them down the hallway when she became bored with our exercises. This reminded me of a time long ago when I used a fishing pole with a dog treat attached to the line to keep another old and lame Dalmatian motivated. When you're standing behind the dog, holding up their rear legs with a harness, it can be challenging to get them to move forward at times. Food often works when nothing else will. When a Dalmatian loses interest in food, that's when you've really got to worry.

The house looks like a designer's nightmare now. We've got an assortment of carpet runners, small rugs, and rubber mats connecting all the rooms to provide a non-slip surface for Dot to walk on. She still requires assistance to walk, but it helps if her rear legs aren't sliding all over the place on the slippery bricks. There is also a dog crate in the bedroom now, where Dot sleeps. I didn't initially think we could get Dot to use the crate, but once again we lured her inside using a dog treat. Having a large crate with two doors made it much easier to get her situated for the night. Once inside, Dot actually liked the soft dog bed we bought and slept soundly for the rest of the night. I didn't sleep so soundly, because I'm used to hearing her breathing next to me, but I'll get used to this. When Dot adjusts to being crated, she'll be much safer when we have to leave the house.

Work was slow today, but as always there were things to do. I got my own insurance company involved in an attempt to unravel the confusion surrounding the accident claim with the rental car company. As a result, I had to send a new batch of documents to a new batch of people. It took a while, but hopefully this will allow me to put this entire mess behind me. I don't care whether it's health insurance, business insurance, car insurance, or homeowners insurance, it's never pleasant dealing with insurance problems.

Dash seems to have overcome some of his fear of rain. Out of necessity, we've been walking in the rain for several days now and he's been acting like everything is completely normal. We get wet, but it's no big deal. Maybe Dash has got cabin fever too. When you're confined to the house for too long, even a walk in the rain can be a treat.

I'm trying to think ahead and take care of a lot of out-of-the-house errands before Janet returns to work. I've already picked up several things I know I'll need soon and I've scheduled a haircut for later in the week. Luckily, Dot has not become incontinent like she did after her last surgery. That will make life a little easier in the days ahead. If I have to crate Dot when it is necessary for me to leave the house, I definitely don't want her to be forced to sit in wet bedding. As her pain meds gradually decrease, I want to make sure she's not in pain either. Dot seems comfortable now. I'm pretty comfortable too, because she's always right beside me. This Spring will be a learning experience for both of us as we develop a rehabilitation routine and slowly inch our way back to normal.

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1903

Dot is home again. The hospital released her late this afternoon along with a lengthy list of post-operative instructions and a big bag of meds. Dot was eager to return home, as you might expect. She was a little too eager in my opinion. Dot still can't walk on her own, but apparently she thinks she can. She's going to be a handful in the weeks ahead. Considering the complexity of her surgery and the fact that she's still on a lot of meds, I was absolutely amazed at how much more mobile she appears today. After just a few days of recovery, she is already moving her feet much more confidently than she did before the operation.

The Center for Veterinary Specialty and Emergency Care is an amazing place, but I sure wish it were closer to Dallas. I wouldn't recommend trying to transport a sick dog back and forth to this place during rush hour traffic. All is well though. We arrived home safely and Dot is now resting comfortably on one of many dog beds strewn around the house. Since Dot can still injure herself by trying to walk on her own, we're going to have to crate her whenever we leave the house. Dot never enjoyed going into a crate even when she was healthy, so this ought to be interesting. As soon as we got home, Janet went to a nearby pet store and bought a new crate that had two doors, one on the back, and an additional door on the side. Hopefully this additional door will make it easier to get Dot in and out of the crate when necessary. At least Dot likes to sleep a lot. When she's sleeping, life can continue like it normally does.

When I had the accident in California, the rental car company assured me that the minor incident was absolutely routine and that their insurance would take care of everything. Apparently this was wishful thinking. Over a month later, the other driver's insurance company still doesn't seem to know that the rental car company is handling the claim. I have received repeated calls from a subrogation specialist asking me to pay damages. The accident wasn't my fault either. Now it appears that I'll have to track down the information about the claim myself and put the two parties together. I'm convinced that absolutely nothing is easy anymore. Sooner or later, just about everything in life turns into a complicated mess.

At least the weather is improving. It was still a grey, rainy day, but there was no ice. It was actually quite a bit warmer today. It will be even warmer tomorrow, but unfortunately there are thunderstorms in the forecast. Then later in the week, another cold wave arrives and the temperatures dip below freezing again. The plants and trees are already totally confused. I saw some early blooming daffodils in the park the other day and when I saw them again today, they were wilted and frozen. By early April, nature will have sorted everything out, but March is usualy pretty crazy in Texas.

Last night, a European friend left a blog comment making fun of all the attention I was paying to Dot. She was "just a pet" he said, implying that I should be spending my energies saving the whales or helping Palestinians or something. I was genuinely offended and deleted the commend even though I rarely delete anything. For the rest of the evening I felt irritated that there are people out there who still don't realize that a good dog makes a far better companion than most people. "Just a dog," my ass. I think I've got my priorities straight. It's people who suck.

Tucker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1902

Dot looks like a football. Her back has been shaved and right in the middle is a huge eight inch incision that is held together with fifteen surgical staples. Despite her appearance, Dot is doing great. When we visited her at the hospital this afternoon, she appeared happy and alert. She was eager to eat the treats we brought and seemed equally eager to walk on her own. One of Dot's nurses brought her to the exam room for our visit supporting her with a sling under her belly, but you could tell Dot was already doing some of the work herself. I'm amazed that Dot can already stand on her own for a considerable amount of time. She couldn't do this before the surgery. After seeing her today, I am convinced that with the proper physical therapy, Dot will learn to walk again.

Since Dot is making such good progress, she will probably be discharged from the hospital either tomorrow or Tuesday. Once she's home, the hard part begins. Very few Dalmatians know how to take it easy. I will have to monitor her very carefully, so she never tries to do something stupid, like counter surfing, or hopping up on the bed. You know how weight lifters frequently use a spotter when doing bench presses to prevent injury. I will be Dot's spotter for quite a while, using the harness to keep her from slipping until the damaged nerves can  repair themselves and her leg muscles grow stronger.

A friend let us borrow some rubber backed rugs that we can strategically place around the house to keep Dot from slipping on the bricks. I think we've come up with a good way to keep her safely confined to a small, well padded space when I'm taking a shower or taking something to the post office. Since I have little desire to leave the house anyway, the extensive rehab period should work out pretty well. Janet will be going back to work soon, because she hates retirement, but I can walk Dash a little earlier in the morning while she is still at home getting ready for work. I'm sure there will be a lot of surprises and there will be times when I'll wonder what I've gotten myself into, but right now I'm uncharacteristically optimistic. We can do this.

I wish the weather would get better. It continues to rain with the temperature hovering right around freezing. It warmed up enough today to melt all the ice off the roads, but tonight it will refreeze again and there will be another thin layer of ice in the morning. I think the cold spell is just about over though. I certainly hope so anyway.

It's hard to believe it's March already. It's time to get my tax return started. It's time to start thinking about re-landscaping the back yard. One more month and we won't have to worry about ice storms for another year. I always look forward to Spring. The next few months won't be easy, but I hope when the wildflowers start to bloom in April and May, I'll be able to walk through them again with Dot at my side.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1901

Although the weather got even worse overnight, Dot continues to get better. I was amazed that Dot's medical team even managed to get to the hospital today, since roads throughout the area were a sheet of ice when we woke up this morning. We were a little nervous when we didn't get our usual morning progress report phone call from the neurologist, but I imagine that things were pretty hectic at the hospital today. When we did get the call, everyone was all smiles. Dot continues to beat the odds with her amazing strength and determination. The neurologist told me that she and and others at the hospital find it hard to believe how old Dot actually is, since she continues to act like a much younger dog.

Dot is using her legs more than she was yesterday and appears to be in good spirits. Her appetite is good and she is sleeping well without strong sedatives. The hospital has already discontinued narcotic painkillers like Tramadol because Dot doesn't appear to need them. I'm glad they did this. I've never liked Tramadol anyway. It can be very addictive and has been responsible for many more accidental overdose deaths in humans than most people realize.

If Dot continues to improve at her current rate, she may end up being one of the lucky dogs who begin walking again in two or three weeks. Her nurse says she is already trying to put weight on her rear legs, although she still receives support from the Help "Em Up Harness whenever she tries to move. When I was using the harness with Dot before her surgery I could easily tell when she was trying to walk. There is a handle on the rear part of the harness just above the dogs hips and you hold it so the rear legs touch the ground without having to bear much weight. It feels a bit like being a puppeteer. As you get better at using the harness, you can sense when the muscles are working and when to provide more support. You can even encourage natural leg motion with subtle movement of your wrist. I think it is fantastic that Dot is already tentatively trying to walk, because I have heard that it can take up to three months before this happens.

The weather is so bad that Dot is much better off at the hospital that she'd be at home right now. Our yard is still slick and icy and the house is a bit chilly. Luckily, our furnace is working great this winter and there haven't been any problems with roof leaks. I'm used to spending lots of time in the house, but Janet is already getting cabin fever. She was determined to get out today and decided to go do her usual Saturday errands anyway despite the bad roads.

As the day progressed, the traffic in front of the house began to move faster and faster until I eventually became convinced that the roads were safe. I bundled up in a warm coat and left to do my errands as well. This was probably a mistake. The first thing I encountered was an enormous downed tree that had fallen across the road, blocking all but a single lane of traffic. When I successfully navigated this logjam, I quickly discovered that everyone in town had cabin fever. The roads were actually crowded today.

Most roads were clear and dry, except when they weren't. There were still patches of black ice here and there and they often caught people driving fifty miles an hour completely by surprise. Even though most of the ice had melted by mid-afternoon, I still saw quite a few wrecks. I drive slowly in this type of weather, never braking hard and coasting to a stop wherever I can. I'm always keeping an eye on my rear view mirror. I learned to drive in Alaska where the roads were icy all Winter. Ice is seldom the problem. It's the driver behind you who ignores the ice that causes most of the wrecks.

Dash has already appropriated Dot's special new dog bed. This is a minor problem though. Dogs are just like children in many ways. Tomorrow we will work on getting the house ready for Dot's return. If her progress continues, she could come home as soon as Monday afternoon.

Connor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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