Day 2462

Nothing works anymore. Our security light went out last night. When the electrician replaced the fixture a few months ago with a new LED light, he said this would be the last security light we would even need. Wishful thinking, I guess. The last forever fixture lasted about six months. It's not like this was the only thing that wouldn't work this morning. I got a no signal error when I turned on the TV and had to reboot the set top box. My phone wouldn't connect to the WiFi network as well. Rebooting fixed both balky devices, but why should I have to do this every other day? When I went to get groceries, the Scan and Go app that I've been bragging about had trouble reading bar codes. The oven seems fine though. Just three days ago, I thought the oven was a lost cause. The point I'm trying to make is that very few things are reliable these days. You're always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I never open the sunroof on my car because once Janet's sunroof got stuck in the open position just before a rain storm and everything inside the car got soaked. I've never had much faith in people, but it sure would be nice if I could have faith in my machines again.

I had some complicated website revisions to make this afternoon. The job should have been easy, but the files I received had been corrupted and I had to recreate them from scratch. I get a lot of work on weekends now. The people who send me these assignments must not read the blog or they would know how I feel about working on weekends. Working 24/7 is a badge of honor to some people. Maybe these guys mistakenly think I'm one of them. Not that it matters, but I did get the job finished.

It rained a lot last night. The sound of the wind woke me up and that's when I noticed that it was really dark in the back yard. Normally, I go right back to sleep when I wake up, but the darkness make me uneasy and I walked around the house checking things before I eventually went back to bed. Nobody else woke up. By morning, everything seemed normal again and I wondered if I'd just imagined things. The ground was wet and the temperature was a lot cooler, so the brief storm must have been real.

One of my doctors called and told me that my PSA levels were too high and they wanted to retest them in a month. Years ago, I would have been alarmed by this news, but today I was just irritated. My PSA levels have fluctuated wildly my whole life and I don't think they mean very much. I've read numerous studies that confirm my skepticism. I suspect that this test, like many others, is mostly a way for doctors and labs to generate extra money. The older I get, the less a lot of this stuff matters. No matter what I do, I'm not going to live forever. I'm starting to feel the same way about Dot's cancer rechecks. If one of her periodic scans showed the tumors were growing again, what could we do? Not much at this point.

Dash seems kind of lethargic today. I hope nothing is wrong with him. I feel a bit lethargic too, but my problem is just a lack of sleep. Hopefully, we'll all sleep well tonight. I'm going to need some extra energy to make it to the gym tomorrow.

Cleo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2461

The day didn't start auspiciously. We weren't able to get Dot outside quickly enough and she peed on one of the large rugs again. In an effort to get the dogs walked before Janet had to go to work, I didn't make the bed, and of course that's where Dash hopped with muddy paws as soon as we got home. As soon as one of the soiled rugs came out of the washer, the sheets went in.

I shouldn't have bothered to go out for breakfast,  By the time I got finished taking Dash on a second longer walk, it was already too late. The sweet spot where the restaurant was relatively empty was over and I was forced to eat with a large crowd who had pushed several tables together for an impromptu business meeting. I keep changing destinations, but I can't seem to bring back the old magic. Eating out on Friday morning just isn't as much fun as it used to be.

I worked on a writing assignment today, but I had trouble getting the finished piece to its destination because the client's anti-spam software kept blocking me. This is especially irritating, because although I'm on the receiving end of a lot of spam, I'm definitely not a spammer myself. Apparently, the Securence anti-spam service the client uses really doesn't like Bluehost, where I have my e-mail account. Good grief guys, Bluehost is a large, reputable company with millions of customers. Somebody in the client's IT department needs to figure out a way to Whitelist me. It's hard enough doing these assignments, without having to jump through hoops to get them where they need to go.

Dot was restless today. It seems like I spent half the day helping her walk back and forth to her water bowl. She'd want to go outside and then as soon as I got her out on the back porch, she'd want to come back in again. We did this over and over again. I can tell that her lack of mobility is frustrating for Dot, but I don't know what to do about it. Like it or not, if she's going to go anywhere, she's going to need me to be her back legs.

The trash truck picked up my garbage this morning, but it didn't do so well with my neighbor's garbage. The robotic arm that picks up the cans must have malfunctioned, because it ended up dumping their garbage all over their front lawn. The truck didn't even bother to stop and try again, because the garbage was still there the last time I looked. The city should go back to the old way of picking up trash. More people will be employed and grumpy homeowners like me will be a lot happier.

The new Apple Watch has built in GPS and the new iPhone 7 has a much better camera. Why does Apple keep doing this to me? I have way too much Apple stuff already, and now I wish I had these two newcomers as well. Do I actually need a new phone? Of course not. Now that I've found a place that will replace my phone batteries for a reasonable price, I might never need a new phone.

What I do need is more sleep. Janet can't get Dot to pee at night, so I have to take her outside an hour after everyone else has gone to sleep. I'm usually the one who wakes up in the middle of the night to clean up her poop too. It's wearing me out. My fitness tracker says I'm getting absolutely no deep sleep, but lots of REM sleep. I know I'm dreaming a lot, but ten seconds after I wake up, the dreams evaporate. I can't even remember whether they were good dreams or bad dreams. If the dreams are better than my day time existence, it would be nice if I remembered them.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2460

I finished one of my articles today and when I started on the second, something seemed very familiar. I looked through my files and discovered that I'd already written this article last November. How quickly they forget. As much as I hate to turn down work, I told my client that this ship had already sailed. I wonder whether they completely forgot about the first article I wrote, or if something minor had changed about the product. I compared the pictures and the product looked identical. I'm an honest guy, but I wonder whether I could have just copied the original article and turned it in again.

I called the roofer and he wants me to draw a circle around all the bad spots on the roof, so his crew won't miss them when they return to patch the areas they forgot. Sounds fine by me. I have a feeling that there are going to be a lot of little circles up on the roof. I'd better use a laundry marker, so my identifying marks won't just wash away the next time it rains. So many areas have been patched by now that I keep thinking that it would have been easier to just re-coat my entire roof. It's pretty obvious by now that the first material they applied was defective.

We've had to change the route of our short morning walk because we've noticed that one of the more aggressive dogs in the neighborhood has almost learned how to jump over it's fence. Yesterday, I saw the dog leap at the ten foot wooden fence and manage to get his paws over the top. The dog fell back to the ground, but it's only a matter of time before he learns to pull the rest of his body over the fence. There would be no way to protect Dot from this dog. Actually, there would be no way to protect Dash either. Why can't people spent more time training and socializing their dogs? There is no good reason why anyone should have an aggressive dog. They're everywhere though. I'm always on the lookout for loose, aggressive dogs. I've been bitten before and I hope I'm never bitten again.

I ordered some more expensive ink for the large production printer. I just can't bring myself to abandon this thing. I doubt highly that I'll ever be making beautiful, oversize Giclée prints again, but the printer still seems cool to me. It's too bad it's such a pain in the ass to keep it running. I guess I could say the same for the two multi-track tape recorders I recently restored. They're still sitting on the floor in a corner of the office. I haven't even bothered to hook them up again. It goes without saying that downsizing doesn't come easy to me.

Maybe nothing comes easy anymore. I can't even decide where to have breakfast tomorrow. Do I feel like pancakes, eggs benedict, biscuits and gravy, or breakfast tacos? I don't have a clue. Hopefully, my trash can will be emptied properly tomorrow morning. At least that will get the day off to a good start.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2459

It's amazing how a few simple things can eat up an entire day. I don't ever plan anything on Dot's physical therapy days anymore. It seems to take forever to get her down to her appointment and back again. No matter how early I get started, I always seem to arrive late. Dot did well in the underwater treadmill this afternoon, but she didn't do so well in the car. I had to stop several times because she squirmed around and got herself stuck in an awkward position. When she gets stuck, she whines and cries and I have to look for a place where I can stop quickly so I can re-position her. I really try to avoid freeways now. Sometimes I wonder whether the rehab is even worth it, but I try to stay optimistic.

I got a couple of new writing assignments today. When I was looking through the input material, I noticed that the client misspelled the name of one of their products again. This has happened before. Nobody pays attention to details anymore. You'd think getting the name of your own product right would be a no brainer, but apparently not. It probably doesn't even matter. I suspect that people's inability to spell accounts for a lot of the really weird product names out there.

It was so hot today that Dash didn't even want to go outside. When he doesn't want to walk on a day like this, I figure that he knows best. Heatstroke in dogs is very common here in Texas. It's better to just let your dog rest on a hot day. Dot actually got the best deal today. The water in the treadmill was nice and cool. She was a little slow this afternoon, but I think she enjoyed being in the water.

I certainly didn't accomplish much today. Breakfast wasn't relaxing at all. Dot was sleeping nicely, but Dash woke her up barking for his banana. Pretty soon both dogs were barking and by the time I fixed their treat and got them quiet again, my smoothie was too warm and I had to put it in the freezer for a while. The temperature has to be just right for breakfast to be enjoyable. I'm always warming up my coffee in the microwave and putting my smoothie in the freezer. Dot and Dash never did stop barking. By the time I finished washing the breakfast dishes, the dogs were tired and so was I.

I"m going to try to get both my articles written tomorrow. I thought I'd have time to get started today, but it wasn't meant to be. If the dogs are cooperative, completing two articles should be a piece of cake. My big task tomorrow is figuring out how to load the garbage can so the robotic garbage truck empties it properly. I think I filled the big plastic trash bags too full last week and they got stuck in the can. I'll try twice as many half full bags this week. It's hard to outwit a robotic truck. I hate that truck.

There are so many little things I need to do. It's time to get a haircut again. The large printer has run out of ink and is probably clogged. Janet says the electric element in the oven is starting to fail. Where do you find a part for a fifty year old oven? The shower is starting to leak again too. I thought I did a really good job of sealing the shower stall, but my repairs didn't even last six months. I can't forget to call the roofer too. I found new areas that need to be patched. No wonder just taking a nap seems so appealing.

Bailey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2458

Today was busy. By the time I finished breakfast and our two regular morning dog walks, it was almost time for my dental appointment. I took a quick shower and headed up to North Dallas to get my teeth cleaned. I do this every six months now, which I guess is a lot better than once every ten years. The dental hygienist said that other than a moderate amount of plaque, my teeth looked pretty good. How could I have any plaque at all? I use one of those sonic toothbrushes every day and then follow up with a water pik. I still wish that I never had to have one of my wisdom teeth removed. I'm such a symmetrical person that it bothers me to have an asymmetrical number of teeth.

When I got home, I got started writing a new article. Some of my writing assignments don't really provide much input. I had to do some serious Google searching to find enough information for today's subject. It's all OK though. This is one of the few ways I can make money while keeping an eye on Dot to make sure she doesn't get stuck in a corner or poop all over herself.

I used to go to animal rescue meetings quite a bit. I'm still a member of several groups, but I seldom go to the meetings anymore. I just don't have the time. For some reason I thought I'd go to one of these meetings this evening. The meeting started a little later than usual and Janet was going to be home with Dot, so I thought everything would be fine. I'd forgotten that any sort of meeting takes longer when wine is served. By the time I thought the meeting would be over, it was actually just getting started. I stayed as long as I could, but evidently I was the only one who had a blog to write. I felt bad about leaving early, since I don't go to many of these meetings anyway, but I could either finish my article and write the blog or stay and chat. I'm not very good at chatting anyway.

Dot seems stronger today. It's a mystery why her condition seems to change so much from day to day, but I suspect that this is just a part of the aging process. I have good days and bad days too. Maybe the extra rest she got yesterday helped. At any rate, Dot didn't stumble as much today and felt like moving around more than she did yesterday. Hopefully, her renewed energy will continue thru tomorrow, when she had another appointment with the underwater treadmill.

I'm still not finished with my article, but I'm getting close. I'll definitely be able to turn it in tomorrow. I don't think I'll be going to any evening meetings for a while. I'm just too slow and have lost most of the flexibility I once had. I made it through the day though and everything got done. Well, almost everything. I still have to take Dot outside to pee. Lord knows how long that will take.

April is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2457 - Labor Day

When I was taking Dash on his morning walk, we encountered a lady leading two blind men down the trail. She told the men that they were approaching a Dalmatian and one them asked if he could pet Dash. Soon, both men were using their hands to get a sense of what a Dalmatian looked like. I was proud of Dash. He was gentle and let the blind men examine him from nose to tail. After a few minutes the men thanked me and we were on our way. It was a crisp, cool morning with a nice breeze. I closed my eyes for a moment, listened to the birds, and realized that the park was still a beautiful place even if you couldn't see.

Janet convinced me to get out of the house today, so we decided to explore the new neighborhood that had developed around the recently opened Santiago Calatrava bridge crossing the Trinity River. Actually, I think the bridge has been open for almost four years, but it still seems new to me. I remember this area as a run down industrial neighborhood filled with old construction equipment, rusting cars, and sleazy bail bond businesses. Gentrification  has changed the area into a place filled with trendy restaurants, art galleries, and even a highly regarded craft brewery. We were going to eat lunch at the brewery, but it was closed for some inexplicable reason. We ate at a nearby barbecue place that wasn't quite as good as some of the barbecue joints in our own neighborhood. We walked around a bit so we could get a better view of the bridge and then we went home. I'll have to admit that it was a good idea to get out of the house for a while.

I was convinced that we were going to have to spend the rest of the afternoon cleaning Dot up when we returned, but she was still asleep when we got back home and hadn't pooped in her bed at all. I was initially pleased at this unexpected development, but later became worried when she didn't want to get up at all. She seemed very tired today. Maybe it was just the weather. The cool early morning breeze quickly turned into a scorcher as the day progressed. Dot still seems weak and a bit shaky on her feet, but I hope the extra rest she got today will make her feel better tomorrow.

I rarely eat lunch anymore and purposely ate a very light breakfast so I wouldn't spoil my appetite. Nevertheless, the meal we had at the barbecue place still seemed enormous. I used to eat like this all the time, but it doesn't seem right anymore. When I got home, all I wanted to do was take a long nap. I think a good breakfast, no lunch at all, and a light supper is the way to go. All those lunches I had with friends years ago probably helped to build my business, but I doubt that they did much for my health.

Tomorrow, it's back to work. I will begin another new writing assignment in the morning and I've got a dentist appointment in the afternoon. Eating healthy and taking care of my teeth are two things I should have paid more attention to when I was younger. I guess it's better late than never. I take good care of my teeth now. I take good care of Dot. And I try to eat sensibly. Sensible never even used to be part of my vocabulary.

Allie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2456

When we were taking Dot on her evening walk around the block, we discovered that one of our neighbors had died about two weeks ago. We might never have known if someone hadn't pulled in the neighbor's driveway as we were walking by and casually mentioned the recent death. Years ago when all the neighbors actually talked to each other, we would have known about something like this immediately. I felt bad that we didn't even go to the funeral.

The neighborhood has changed over the years. We were the young ones when we moved here. Most of the other people had lived in the neighborhood since they built their homes in the 1940's. As our original neighbors grew older and moved to retirement homes or died, they were increasingly replaced by renters. The renters stayed a year or two at most, until their company relocated them somewhere else. Gradually, not as many people knew each other anymore. I would wave at familiar faces as I walked by with the dogs, but I didn't even know their names. I'm sure there are still people in the neighborhood who are the best of friends, but it's not like it used to be. Nothing is permanent now. If I told some of the renters that Joan had died, they wouldn't even know who she was.

I cleaned the pecans off the roof this morning. What a mess. Our resident squirrels love the pecans and eat them with gusto. Broken pecans and shells are everywhere and as soon as it rains, the tannin in the nuts turns the water into a deep brown coffee colored mess. The tannin not only stains the roof, it causes the special elastomeric coating to deteriorate. I try my best to keep the roof clean, but it is a a hopeless task. Now that Fall is approaching, oak leaves, pecans, and acorns will be falling on the roof from now through December.

I didn't feel like vacuuming today, but since I'd skipped this chore last week, I really had no choice. With two dogs that shed constantly and track dirt in the house every time they go outside, I probably need to vacuum everyday. The house looks better now, but it will be dirty again tomorrow. That's just the way it goes when you've got Dalmatians.

I don't know why I even bothered to go to the gym today because I was worn out before I even arrived. It's important to maintain routines though, so I thought I'd make an effort. Since my shoulder was hurting already, I skipped some of the routines that were sure to make it worse. Instead of aggravating my shoulder on purpose, I shot free throws on the basketball court a little longer and spend a little extra time on the treadmill. My fitness tracker said I had over 20,000 steps today, so I did manage to keep busy.

Tomorrow is a holiday. Mostly this just means that the park will be extra crowded and that we won't get any mail. Janet mentioned going down to Trinity Groves and trying out some of the new restaurants there. I'm so out of it these days that I didn't even know what Trinity Groves was.

Nola is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2455

It's weird. Last year on September 3rd, I took a picture of a dragonfly. I haven't been able to capture one since. These critters are hard to photograph, since they move so fast and seldom perch on anything for very long. Imagine my surprise when I got my second picture of a dragonfly on September 3rd again. This must be a good day for dragonflies. I was waiting for the sun to set down by the lake and a dragonfly landed right in front of me. It's pretty safe to say that I won't photograph another one until next year at this time. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at this strange coincidence. I've been blogging long enough to realize that a lot of things happen the same way year after year.

If I go back and read a post from exactly one year earlier, I'll often find that I ate the same thing for breakfast, dealt with exactly the same dog problems, and worked on virtually identical projects.  Often when it rains, I'll discover that it rained on the same day one or two years earlier as well. Am I living some sort of real life version of Ground Hog Day? It's hard to tell sometimes.

Today was one of those day where it seemed like I was busy all day long, and yet at the end of the day I had trouble thinking of anything I actually did. Weekends are like this a lot. There are so many mindless little chores to do that a whole day can go by and you don't think you've accomplished much of anything. Hey, the toilets are clean again. There are clean sheets on the bed. We have a fresh supply of groceries. There were other chores as well, but you get the idea.

The reason I was down at the lake at sunset was that today provided a good opportunity to see a thin crescent moon and three planets grouped together low in the Western sky right after sunset. I did manage to find the moon, but there was far too much ground haze to see Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury. Finding a day with really clear skies all the way to the horizon is even rarer than photographing a dragonfly. I read somewhere recently that one third of the entire world can no longer see the milky way at night because of urban light pollution. I can believe it. I haven't been able to see the milky way or any of the fainter viable stars for decades. If you like astronomy, it's probably a good idea not to live in a large city.

Dot seemed tired today. Maybe it was just me who was tired. Dash kept waking me up last night when he started squirming around during a dog dream and ended up pushing me off the bed with his feet. I sleep a lot better when both dogs sleep well. I didn't do so well getting Dot outside to pee in the morning either. She ended up peeing on her blankets before I could get the harness on her. No harm done though. The blankets needed to be washed anyway and now everything is clean again.

I haven't looked at my stock portfolio in a long time, because it was just too discouraging. I looked today for some reason and was pleasantly surprised to discover that things are actually looking up again. The past three months have been great. We haven't completely erased last year's carnage, but some of the decisions made earlier this year turned out to be good ones. If this proves anything it is that I should quit fretting about everything on a day-to-day basis. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen anyway.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2454

How did I go from being curious about everything to being irritated at everything? It all happened pretty quickly. Today, I was particularly irritated at the garbage man. Ever since the city switched to these new robotic garbage trucks, my garbage can fails to be emptied about half the time. The robotic arm on the truck picks up the can and lifts it above the truck to dump the garbage in the hopper, but the process happens so fast that none of the bagged garbage actually falls out of the can. The truck thinks it has done its job and just drives away, leaving a full garbage can for me to live with for another week. This never used to happen when real people emptied the garbage and threw the trash into the back of the truck. The city loves these new robotic trucks because they are very efficient and only require a single person to operate. Unfortunately, the trucks just don't work very well.

It's bad enough that the city only picks up the trash once a week now. Playing Russian roulette with the garbage truck every week only makes the process worse. Today, I'd had enough. I loaded all the garbage in the back of my car and went looking for a dumpster. A lot of dumpsters are locked away now, because they don't want people like me using them. Hey, it's not my fault. If the garbage truck did it's job, I definitely wouldn't be driving around with trash in the back of my car.

Breakfast was crowded today. I would have gotten an earlier start if I wasn't looking for an empty dumpster. I probably should have gone someplace else, but I was in the mood for pancakes and the cinnamon pancakes at the overcrowded restaurant are particularly good. All the regular tables were taken, so I had to sit at a long communal table that everyone tends to avoid. The inconvenience was worth it though, because the pancakes and sausage were delicious.

Today was particularly busy. I finished a lengthy website update that involved adding and changing out a ton of new photos. When that task was finished, I started writing my new article. In the old days, this type of workload would have been considered completely normal. I probably would have finished everything before noon. Today, I felt a bit overwhelmed. I haven't had this much to do in weeks. I got everything done though and still had time to do a load of laundry and clean up Dot's poop.

The satellite radio worked this morning when I started the car. This was odd, because there was a failure message on the screen when I pulled into the driveway yesterday. How did the radio acquire the satellite when the car was off? I don't pretend to know how satellite radio works. I'd rather have a WiFi hotspot in the car instead, but this is a free trial, so what do I care.

We've got a long holiday weekend coming up. Will we do anything festive on Labor Day? What do people normally do on Labor Day? I don't have a clue. As always, I just hope that the dogs act normally and that I can catch up on sleep.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2453

We have become the bad back family. It goes without saying that Dot has the worst problems. Neurological damage resulting from a ruptured disc in her spine has nearly crippled her. Last week Dash's vet said that his stiff awkward walk may be caused by a bulging disc in his spine as well. Janet has had lower back problems for years, and this morning I woke up with a bad back for the second day in a row. It's kind of hard to have a normal day when your back hurts. Hopefully, a little extra rest and avoiding heavy lifting for a while will get me back to normal. Several years ago I had a pinched nerve in my neck and I discovered how debilitating spinal problems can be. To this day, I have no idea what I did to cause my neck injury. I don't have a clue why I woke up with a bad back yesterday either.

I activated my free satellite radio trial today and of course it didn't work. I remember that I had the same problem connecting to the satellite the last time I took advantage of one of these free trial offers. Last year it took three or four phone calls and fifteen minutes of sitting in the car with the motor running before Sirius XM finally found my car.  I never bothered subscribing to the service before and I probably won't this time either. I never listen to music in the car anyway, so all I wanted were some extra news and weather channels. The sound quality of these voice only channels was terrible. Everything was severely compressed to save bandwidth. It wasn't what I was expecting. Probably the only reason I signed up for the trial again was the message that said "absolutely no obligation. no credit card required." I'll eventually get the car paired with the satellite, listen to a few programs, and then receive six months worth of junk mail asking me why I didn't subscribe.

I got another writing assignment today, but there wasn't enough input to actually start writing. I asked some questions, received a few vague answers, and decided to postpone this project until tomorrow. I often receive very little input on my writing assignments. I think people hire me because I'm pretty good at just making stuff up. Show me a picture and I'll invent a plausible story. I'm surprised that I never got into writing political speeches. Making absolutely nothing sound good has always been a specialty of mine.

I did write a letter to my Luddite sister. Since she lives directly in the path of that hurricane heading for the Florida coast, there's a chance that my letter will never arrive. Maybe the mailbox will just float away. I wonder why people live in hurricane zones? Hurricanes seem to hit the same places again and again. Of course, I live in what many would call a tornado zone, so you could say the same thing about me.

I got my electric bill today and it was even higher than it was last August. I could have sworn that last August was a lot hotter than it was this year, but maybe I was wrong. I have a feeling that the bill increased because of the dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers use a lot of electricity. I guess a large electric bill is better than mold in the closets though. The house seems a lot more livable since we've got the humidity under control.

I'll write my article tomorrow and see whether I can convince Dash to get back to his regular walking schedule. I'm debating whether to drive a little further and look for a new breakfast restaurant. It kind of bothers me that I don't have a favorite place anymore.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2452

I hurt my back lifting Dot into the car today. I don't think I did any serious damage, but it was a reminder that I'm not getting any younger. Just about everybody I know has some sort of lower back problem. Some go to chiropractors. Others prefer massage. I tend to do nothing. Usually the problem goes away on its own in a day or two if I don't do anything further to make the problem worse. Lifting Dot is becoming problematic. She's fairly heavy and if I don't lift her just right, she whines and complains. I blame today's mishap on somebody parking too close to me at the vet. I couldn't get the door to open fully and had trouble getting the leverage to lift Dot properly. It's hell getting old. It's too bad I can't get a two for one deal and get the vet to give me acupuncture at the same time she's treating Dot.

Most of today's mishaps were caused by me. I was still half asleep when I got up to take Dot outside to pee. Instead of hurrying her right out the back door, I stopped to adjust her harness and she promptly peed on the living room rug. I should have remembered that she didn't pee before she went to bed last night and this was going to be one of those mornings where I had less than twenty seconds to get her outside. I'm still not sure what to do about the rug. This is one of the large rugs that is difficult to take outside and clean. Dot also pooped in her bed this afternoon, but that's hardly worth mentioning. It happens all the time.

Dash has decided to create his own set of problems. He won't take his long walk before breakfast anymore. This is the best time of day, because it is still cool outside. I can't convince him of that though. Our new routine is for me to finish my breakfast, feed him his banana, do the dishes, and then give him a walk. For some reason, it seems to take longer to do things this way. The temperature heats up quickly too. I was sweating when we finished our walk this morning.

The vet always asks whether I think Dot is getting better or worse when we go for our Wednesday therapy sessions. I honestly don't know anymore. Some days she genuinely seems to be improving. Other days it seems like the end is near. Often it seems like we were in exactly this same place last year at this time. She was already incontinent last August. She couldn't walk far without assistance. I guess the amazing thing is that despite her age and many injuries, Dot really hasn't gotten much worse during the past year. She is remarkably tenacious. On days like today, I think she is going to outlast me.

At least the marathon of vet appointments is over for a while. Tomorrow ought to be a quiet day. It's hard to believe it's September already. If the weather is nice I should go up on the roof and see how many pecans are up there. I hear them dropping on the roof from the big pecan tree all day long. I should have removed these nuts already, because they create a huge mess when it rains. The tannin in the pecan shells turns the standing water on the roof into a chocolate colored mess that quickly stains the white roof. This natural dye seems indelible, so each year the roof gets a little darker. I wouldn't be surprised if the brand new patched areas are already turning brown.

I hope my back feels better tomorrow. If it doesn't, I won't be going up on the roof at all.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2451

I wish we'd discovered something more definitive about Dash today. The vet agreed that he wasn't moving his rear legs normally, but couldn't pinpoint a cause. The problem could be caused by a compressed disc in his spine. It could be a very early sign that Dash has a disease like Degenerative Myelopathy. It could be nothing at all. The exam today eliminated some possibilities, but many other possibilities still remain. We took x-rays of his lower spine and hips earlier this month, but I'll need to get another radiograph of his upper spine to eliminate the possibility of a damaged or compressed disc. He definitely hasn't ruptured a disc like Dot did, or his condition would be much, much worse. The vet didn't recommend an MRI at this time, because she said if that Dash has a neurological problem, an MRI can sometimes make the condition worse. I'm not sure how much I actually learned today. Dash is still in pretty good shape for his age, but if there's something we can do to help him, I want to know about it.

Dash is not a good passenger in the car. He becomes agitated and barks incessantly. By the time we got to the vet, I felt like I was going deaf and Dash was wound up like a spring. The vet said that acupuncture might help Dash if I could figure out a way to get him to ride calmly in the car. The acupuncture session would be largely wasted if he arrived full of adrenaline and bouncing off the walls. It's sad that Dash doesn't ride well in the car anymore. He was terrified of car rides when we first adopted him. Gradually, after years of taking him to dog parks and training classes, he began to act normally. Before both dogs got cancer, they loved to ride in the car to go to their favorite dog park on Sunday morning. We don't travel much anymore for obvious reasons. It's just too difficult.

I really hope there's nothing seriously wrong with Dash. After over two years of dealing with serious medical problems, I'm exhausted. Life has changed dramatically for us after both dogs got cancer. When Dot's spinal injury compounded the problem, I pretty much became a 24x7 dog nurse. Dot is such a high maintenance dog at the moment that I really need for Dash to stay healthy for a while longer. The best case scenario is that Dash is just getting older. It is common for breeds like Dalmatians and German Shepards to develop problems with their rear legs as they age. Spot's legs began to give out toward the end of his life and so did Petey's. Dash probably has quite a few good years left, but I want to be careful. I've dealt with so many serious dog problems over the years that anything out of the ordinary makes me nervous now. One way or another, I'll figure out what is going on with Dash.

I had some minor website revisions to take care of today, but nothing to reverse the trend I've been experiencing lately. My workload seems to diminish with each passing month. I know what I need to do, but the effort seems pointless at times. You need to interact with people to get customers. I need to start having lunch with people again. I need to go to industry events. It wouldn't hurt to take a few classes either. The problem is that I don't want to do these things anymore. Enough is enough.

Tomorrow, it's Dot's day to go to the vet. She's been doing surprisingly well lately. She's sleeping better now and occasionally gets up on her own to walk around the house. It's not a dramatic rebound, but she seems to have more energy than she did last month. I don't really know why Dot has good days or Dash has bad days. I just try to keep them both as healthy and happy as I can.

Tessa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2450

Don't you hate it when a warning light comes on in the car and you're not in a position to do anything about it? You just keep driving and hope that nothing goes wrong. I was taking Dot to the vet this afternoon when the low tire light came on. Not good. The last thing I need is a flat tire with a sick dog in the car. I hate the low tire light, because I'm not really sure that I know how to change a tire on this car. It definitely wouldn't have been easy today, because the spare is located in a compartment directly under where Dot was sitting. The tire looked a little low when we got to the vet, but it didn't look alarming, so I decided not to worry about it.

Dot got her blood work done and we went home again without further incident. As soon as I got Dot situated in her bed, I drove up to the Land Rover dealer. Since the tires are filled with nitrogen instead of air, I couldn't just go to the gas station around the corner. There's always something that turns simple things into complicated things for me. The dealer checked the tires, refilled them all to the recommended pressure, and told me that nothing was wrong. My service guy informed me that I was lucky to have driven almost three years without the warning light coming on. Evidently nitrogen reduces tire pressure fluctuations, but doesn't eliminate them entirely. Since nitrogen is heavier than air, it's good stuff to put in your tires. Don't expect your local gas station to have any though.

With the warning light extinguished on the dash, I feel a little better about taking Dash for his neurological exam tomorrow. Dot poops in the car, but she's still a better passenger than Dash. I dread traveling with Dash, because he won't stay still and he barks nonstop. Dash barks so loud and becomes so agitated that I'm tempted to wear earplugs. I don't know if he's excited or scared, but he's definitely not a good traveling companion.

When I got my tire problems resolved, I paid a visit to the storage warehouse and renewed my lease for another year. I hate paying this much at one time, but if you pay twelve months in advance, you get an extra month for free. I've had the storage space for so long now, that I'm sure I've accumulated over a year of free rent by paying this way. Even with the extra month, I can't say that the storage warehouse is a bargain. They keep raising the rent on me every single year. The annual increase isn't that large, but over time it really adds up. You'd think they'd have some kind of loyalty program for long time customers like me, but I get the same rotten deal as the folks who pay month-to-month. Storage warehouse companies know that they've got a captive audience. It's so damn much trouble to move everything to another storage space, that they figure that you'll just pay the increased rent. Companies seem to be almost universally greedy these days. Hey, at least I don't need to carry an EpiPen around with me.

The rain returned today. I didn't think the weather was anything to get alarmed about, but Dash didn't seem to agree. I couldn't get him to leave the house this morning, so he didn't get a morning walk at all. The sun reappeared briefly around lunchtime and I was able to take him outside to pee. Then he heard some thunder off in the distance and became scared again. Dash's storm phobia seems to be getting worse. For the most part, all we had were gentle showers today, but Dash still spent quite a while hiding under my desk.

I'm tired of dealing with problems. I'd like an entire week with no problems whatsoever. That's very unlikely though. There are always problems.

Duke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2449

Sunday is when we try to restore some sense of order the the shambles that has taken over our house. Janet took up all Dot's traction rugs and scrubbed the floors while I mowed the grass and later tried to remove all the spider webs and insect debris from the back windows. It's a never ending battle to get rid of the spiders and frankly I think they have the upper hand. I had to take an abrasive brush and a bucket of bleach to remove all their droppings from the window sills. The worst part of removing the spiders is that the spiders don't like it and they end up crawling all over you. I guess our efforts were worth it. The house does look and smell better now. It's a temporary victory though. Nature always wins in the long run.

Although I got plenty of exercise doing housework, I went to the gym anyway. Some things you have to do whether you like it or not. The first twenty minutes I'm at the gym, I'm always on the verge of quitting and going home early. When the initial aches and pains have subsided, I get into a rhythm and realize that it's not that big a deal to go ahead and complete my workout. The most enjoyable part of my routine is shooting baskets on the court. This activity probably doesn't burn up that many calories, but it breaks up the monotony. The last twenty minutes are always the easiest, but there is no sense of euphoria. I never decide to stay longer. An hour and fifteen minutes is long enough.

We felt a little guilty about not giving Dot a proper party yesterday, so I went out and got each dog a skinless, boneless chicken breast and some Pupcakes from Sprinkles. Dot's favorite activity is eating, so I think she enjoyed our little celebration. She eats so slowly now that for the first time ever she didn't devour her cupcake in a single bite. She actually seemed to savor the treat, taking several minutes to consume it.

I need to go renew the lease on my storage warehouse tomorrow. Maybe this will be the year when I finally start to do some serious downsizing. I could start a museum with the stuff in this warehouse. It wouldn't be a very good museum, but there are definitely things you don't see everyday. I also need to take Dot back to the vet to get her blood work done. This was supposed to be done last Friday at the cancer center, but since Dot's oncologist is gone until October, our schedule is completely messed up there now. I'll need to get the tests done at another vet. I think it's going to be a busy week, but it's hard to tell sometimes. The difference between staying busy and doing nothing at all is often arbitrary and a bit fuzzy.

Where did this Summer go? It's almost Labor Day already. It won't be long before I start wondering whether the furnace still works and spend hours clearing bushels of pecans off the roof. I"m looking forward to Fall. Too bad it only lasts about two weeks.

Mandy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2448 - Dot's Birthday

I feel bad about not doing more for Dot's birthday. We're all getting old and tired. I know Dot is at least 16 years old and may even be 17. It hard to know the exact age of a rescue dog. Usually their birthday is just the day you adopt them.

We used to have elaborate parties for all our dogs, but they seem like distant memories now. The few dog friendly restaurants that remain in town are too far away and I don't think Dot would enjoy being transported in the car anyway. Even if she wanted to go, I don't think we can get two dogs in the same car anymore. Dot needs a lot more room with her injuries and I don't know where we'd put Dash. There used to be two places in town that made beautiful birthday cakes for dogs, but they both went out of business. The cakes were expensive and a lot of people didn't want to pay that much to treat their dog. After trying to make similar cakes myself, I quickly realized that these cakes were a bargain. It's a shame that these businesses didn't succeed. That's all in the past though. Last year, we got them some dog cupcakes at Sprinkles but it wasn't much of a party. They both ate the little cupcakes in about two seconds.

I saw a snake in the back yard this morning, but I wasn't able to catch it before it slithered away. I was trying to lift it up with a stick and toss it over the back fence, but the snake was faster than I was. I didn't want to pick the snake up with my hands, because it looked a lot like a baby copperhead. I don't want to mess with those things. The venom is actually stronger in baby snakes. I don't know why. Hopefully, the snake continued it's journey and is somewhere in the park by now. I definitely don't want Dash to discover it.

We went to a concert tonight because one of Janet's friends was performing. We hear this group almost every year. They are a large a cappella chorus that performs all over the world. When we first started going to these concerts, I wasn't that wild about this barbershop style of singing, but either they've gotten better over the years, or I've grown to appreciate them. The concerts are quite good.

When I used the Scan and Go app at the grocery store today, I noticed that there was a new welcome screen that said "No purchases over $750." I'm never going to buy that many groceries, but I wonder what this message means. Apparently, even though the app has been around less than a month, someone has already figured out a way to scam it. I wish everyone was honest and played by the rules. If everyone were honest, I wouldn't even need passwords on all these apps.

It was really hot today and there were no Summer showers to cool things down. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for Winter.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2447

Nothing went smoothly today. This morning, the cancer center called and canceled Dot's afternoon appointment. Oddly, they called me less than 24 hours ago to remind me about the appointment. Apparently, the Ultrasound technician didn't show up for work this morning. When I tried to reschedule, they told me that Dot's oncologist wouldn't be available again until mid-September. The oncologist was there today, but there wasn't much point in keeping our appointment, since there would be no scan for her to analyze. Last minute changes like this are frustrating since they happen so often. It just reinforces my feeling that the world doesn't work anymore.

This afternoon, our power was out for almost four hours. The power outage was surprising, since there wasn't really much of a storm. There were no high winds and the rain only lasted about 45 minutes. When I checked the power company website, I noticed that there were other outages all over our part of town. I think the traffic lights went out too, since traffic backed up in front of our house rather quickly. Luckily, the power was restored before it began to get dark.

The sudden rainstorm upset Dash, but Dot didn't even seem to notice. She's almost deaf now and I don't even think she heard the thunder. It's weird how many electronic items lose their settings when the power goes down. For some reason, whenever power is restored after an outage, the washer and dryer start running. It's always been this way. so I need to remember to unplug these appliances as soon as we lose power. When the electricity was restored today, the WiFi printer became scrambled and said that three ink cartridges needed to be replaced. The clock on the coffee maker always needs to be reset and automatic shutoff thresholds on the dehumidifier usually need to be reset as well. I have backup batteries on the office computers and phones so I can shut down these items gracefully, but I still think that power outages are way more complicated than they need to be.

At least breakfast was enjoyable this morning. I went back to the hipster restaurant and, as always, I was the only guy without lots of tattoos and a long beard. I noticed a small poster in the window saying that the restaurant had recently been selected "Best Breakfast in Dallas" by D Magazine. I guess the accolades are well deserved.  I've never had a problem with the food in this place. The food is delicious. What keeps me away is that they insist on serving everything on paper plates.  The ironic thing is that the owners are these environmentally conscious guys that put little signs on the tables telling patrons not to use too many napkins because it wastes paper and then they waste a ton of paper themselves by serving everything in disposable paper take away boxes.

The dogs probably didn't even realize that it was National Dog Day today. If they knew, they would  have been even more demanding than usual. Dash was moody today. He didn't want a morning walk at all, but after the thunderstorm was over, he decided to make up for lost time and took a very long afternoon walk. In between, he mostly just hid under my desk as the weather got worse. Dot was sweet and somewhat befuddled as always. I took her outside several times after I returned from breakfast, trying to get her to poop. I was very patient, but she just didn't seem to be in the mood. Five minutes after I gave up and took her back inside, she pooped in her bed.

I'm hoping for a calm weekend. I always hope for a calm weekend.

Cammy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2446

I ran a bunch of small errands today. Nothing I did was absolutely necessary, but it gave me something to do. I got some astringent at the pharmacy, because after all these years, I still have oily skin. I stopped by the storage warehouse to see when my yearly rent was actually due. I got gas for the car, even though it only needed a few gallons. I picked up some more CoQ10 because my doctor thinks I need to take it. I stopped by the vegan take out place to see if the menu had changed yet. It hadn't. Basically, I was just kind of bored.

The weather has gotten really hot again. The cool, rainy days we had a few weeks ago seem like a fluke now. I wonder if I just imagined them. It's weird how the days seem to suddenly get shorter around this time of year. We're taking our early morning walk in the dark again now. Last year at this time, the walks were kind of interesting because there were lots of planets in the pre-dawn sky. Now, there appears to be nothing. I'll have to check a star atlas to see if there's anything to keep my eye on. I wonder why Daylight Saving Time doesn't end until November 6? This seems later than usual. Morning sunlight will return for a while after the time changes, but then it will be dark on our evening walks. You can't win.

Dash had a burst of energy this morning, so his walk was twice as long as it normally is. I watched him, looking for any signs of stumbling and didn't see any. Everything seemed fine. This was so different from yesterday that it seemed puzzling. Something is wrong with Dash, but I just can't figure out what it is. I did make an appointment for his neurological exam, so maybe I'll find some answers then. For the moment, it was nice to take a long walk again. It gave me a chance to see if anything had changed in the neighborhood. There were a few houses up for sale and a few more under construction. Dash was relaxed today because we didn't encounter many other dogs. We basically had the park to ourselves.

I keep getting e-mail messages from one of my doctors, urging me to sign up for their Patient Portal. I dutifully followed their instructions today and created an account. These electronic records systems are touted as being great for patients, but I'd really rather just have a piece of paper that I could put in a ring binder. A ring binder lets you keep all the information in one place and you don't need to remember any passwords. When I went to my new Patient Portal page, I was surprised to see that there was absolutely nothing in my file. What is the point of a record keeping system with no records?  I have three or four of these Patient Portal accounts with different doctors. I can't remember the password to most of them. Technology marches on, I guess.

I can't decide where to eat breakfast tomorrow. Sometimes when I'm in an indecisive mood, I check the Yelp reviews for restaurants in the neighborhood. I've noticed a general trend. It doesn't matter which restaurant you pick. The majority of the reviews tend to say things like "This place used to be a favorite of mine, but it has really declined lately." That's the way I feel and I'm surprised that so many other people tend to feel the same way. Has quality universally declined, or has everybody just gotten picky and judgemental? I don't know. I think the quality of life in general has gone downhill. Restaurants are just a small part of the problem.

Pinky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day