Day 2952

My routine seldom varies. Sometimes I'm amazed that doing simple, often mindless things can take so long. It takes far too long to make the bed in the morning. I can make my smoothie fairly quickly now, but it take me forever to drink two eggs, a scoop of oatmeal, a large mixing bowl full of fresh fruit, a banana, a little vanilla ice cream, some half and half, assorted seasonings, and a cup full of ice cubes. My recipe makes a quart.

Walking Dash takes much longer than eating breakfast. We walk several miles each morning at a snail's pace. Dash can't move very fast anymore, but he still enjoys smelling things and being outdoors. I don't even turn on the computer until we've returned from our walk and I've finished doing the dishes. There is no hurry. I know I'll have plenty of time to finish any assignment I might have. It take me longer to find the dog poop in the yard than it takes to finish my writing assignments these days.

Today I finished my second article. It's hard to believe that I used to routinely write 4000 word annual reports when today's assignments rarely top 400 words. The assignments are still moderately interesting and I'm happy for any work I get. It took me less than two hours to finish today's job. There's a good chance it will be the last thing I write this week.

When I was working today I discovered a strange file on my computer. I thought I might have a virus,  so I quarantined the file and started doing some research on Google. It turned out that the file was something Apple installed the last time I upgraded the operating systems. Apple installs hundreds of weird files on your computer and they never bother to explain what they do. A lot of them report back to Apple, because about every ten minutes Little Snitch informs me that my computer is contacting an Apple server. If you think you still have any privacy at all, you're living in a dream world. Apple, Google, and Facebook know everything. Probably Microsoft knows a lot too, but I wouldn't know. I've never used Windows.

I noticed this morning that there a brand new channel on my TV right between Fox and MSNBC. It's called Newsy. Something was really different about this channel. There were no pundits and very few opinions. There were just little snippets about various events in a seemingly random order. The channel is billed as news for millennials. Surprisingly, many of these short segments were actually quite interesting. If this is really the way millennials like to get their news, Fox, MSNBC, and the broadcast networks might as well pack up their tents and go home. Maybe I have the attention span of a millennial, because I actually liked this odd format.

My foot didn't hurt as much today. This gave me an excuse to postpone making a doctor's appointment a little longer. I hate making a big deal over something that might be completely normal for someone my age. On the other hand, I'd hate to ignore a broken bone in my foot. I'll procrastinate a little longer and see what happens. I have no such reservations about making an appointment for Dash. We're going to the vet tomorrow morning to check out a minor eye infection and get his nails trimmed.

Chloe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2951

I'm mad at the FDA. I got a letter today saying that Nokia was removing the ability to measure Pulse Wave Velocity from my nifty WiFi scale. The company is apparently worried that they will be in violation of several new FDA rulings regarding medical devices. Why? I have read numerous reviews from well respected doctors saying that the Nokia scale is surprisingly accurate for a consumer device and that Pulse Wave Velocity measurements are a valuable tool to evaluate hypertension and heart health. Since the ability to measure Pulse Wave Velocity was the only reason I bought the scale, this decision makes me angry. It also illustrates the tenuous relationship we now have with the things we buy. Tesla can instantly change battery life and the performance of its cars through software patches. Apple can download U2 songs to your phone whether you want them or not. Apparently Nokia can remove features from its products whenever they wish. This all started with music and movies. You don't really own anything anymore. You are just allowed to use it. Now I have one more reason to hate bureaucracies, digital rights management, and any and all information stored in the cloud.

I still don't understand why the FDA wouldn't want people to have valuable information about their own health. I have a feeling that there is a lawsuit at the bottom of this decision. Maybe there are doctors who feel this new generation of home health tools will cause their patients to self diagnose. Who knows? The sad thing is that Nokia wasn't even forced to remove the Pulse Wave Velocity feature. They proactively trashed their own popular product because they were fearful of future regulations.

Probably this product will reappear for dogs soon. There aren't nearly as many regulations for pets. Sometimes I wish there were fewer regulations for humans, but more for pets. I'm never really sure whether what Dash is taking is safe. Vets have often suggested Gabapentin for our dogs. Apparently it is very effective at reducing some types of pain. I never gave Gabapentin a second thought until I started reading about how horrible it was in articles about the opioid crisis. It is an addictive drug with some frightening side effects. I would never give it to Dash after what I've read.

Life has become entirely too complicated. Some things are over regulated. Other things are under regulated. Everybody means well, but very few of us actually know what we are doing. Just look at our legislators. They are supposed to be our best and brightest, but they continue to act like idiots.

I try to keep things simple. I walked and fed Dash today and finished one of my two articles. I also sent an e-mail to Dash's vet with some questions about his upcoming exam. It wasn't a terribly busy day, but I didn't feel bored or unproductive. The weather still has me confused. It was warm enough yesterday that I could wear shorts and a t-shirt. Something apparently changed overnight. When I woke up this morning, Winter had returned.

I'll finish my remaining article tomorrow and probably brood about Nokia some more. What is wrong with that company? Don't they realize they are no longer in the cell phone business because of their cautious, backward attitude? I wish they had never bought Withings. Withings had some really cool, innovative products and now Nokia is ruining them.

Raider is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2950

It only rained for about twenty minutes today, but it would happen to be the same twenty minutes when I decided to give Dash his afternoon walk. Dash seems to have lost his ability to detect approaching storms. So have I, it appears. We get caught in the rain a lot. Today's rain was a real soaker. I was worried that I may have ruined my camera and phone. Luckily there was no thunder and lightning. Everything still worked when we got home, but Dash and I were very wet.

Ironically, I'd gone to the gym this morning specifically to avoid the rain. In retrospect, it would have been smarter to have walked Dash earlier in the day and let the car get wet during the afternoon. As always, we may have made it home before the storm this afternoon if Dash wasn't so slow. He still insisted in smelling every bush along the trail even though we were both getting drenched.

I had a good workout today. It still seems odd that my body reacts the same way every Sunday. The first twenty minutes, my aches and pains are in control and I just want to go home. The next twenty minutes I'm kind of in a zone where I'm not really aware of time. My mind wanders and I start to notice what the other gym members are doing. During the last twenty minutes, I often feel surprisingly good and absentmindedly wonder whether I should stay and exercise a little longer. I never do.

I was planning on vacuuming the house this afternoon, but it took so long to dry Dash off after we got caught in the storm that I quickly lost interest. I had to do something, so I recharged a bunch of battery powered devices and took a nap with Dash instead. From time to time I would turn the television on and then turn it off again. I can't stand to watch the news channels anymore. Eventually, The Great British Baking Show caught my interest. Watching bread bake is much more interesting than politics.

Yesterday, we experimented and fed Dash later than usual. We also made him wait for his bedtime snack until ten-thirty PM. There was some barking and bad behavior due to this delay, but the reward was that Dash didn't need to go outside and poop in the middle of the night. We all were able to sleep without interruptions until morning. It was so pleasant to get a decent amount of sleep that we're going to trey the same strategy tonight. We have been so worried that Dash was refusing to eat that he has become very spoiled. Once he realized that he was calling the shots, he began wanting to eat earlier and earlier. Things have gotten out of hand. We've got to work on reestablishing a more reasonably feeding schedule without getting Dash all worked up and putting his heart at risk. Life is always interesting with a Dalmatian.

I have articles to write but I still have this antiquated notion that Sunday should be a day of rest. I have no idea why going to the gym qualifies as rest and writing doesn't. I guess I only feel like I'm working when I'm following someone else's orders. When I'm calling the shots, it's never work. Maybe Dash feels the same way. He certainly likes to call the shots about his meals and feeding schedule. Dash is a very stubborn dog. If he and I can compromise on an appropriate dinner time, it should be a no brainer for congress to get the government running again.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2949

I've been complaining about the cold weather for weeks and today it was over 70 degrees. I find these sudden changes confusing. I put on my winter coat this morning, just like I usually do. As soon as I opened the back door, I realized I'd made a mistake. It felt like Spring today.

In addition to my normal Saturday errands, I went looking for dog socks today. These are not exactly a big seller in pet stores, so they are hard to find. Dash needs the socks, because they keep the rubber boots he has to wear from rubbing at his skin. The socks work great, but they wear out quickly. If I could ever find a good supply, I'd just buy them by the dozen. Eventually, I found what I was looking for and bought all the large sizes the store had.

I had to renew my Sam's Club membership today so I could get gas. I got a business membership when I started my company and I think the cost was $15 a year. Now the cost is $45 a year. Everything is this way. Little by little, the cost for almost everything keeps rising while the pundits on TV keep telling me that inflation is at historic lows. I don't get it. If inflation is so low, why has the cost of everything I use on a regular basis doubled in twenty years?

My laptop seems really slow, so I thought I'd rebuild the directory like I did on the desktop computer earlier this week. The procedure took a lot longer than I thought, but it worked. I don't know what I was expecting, but the changes certainly weren't dramatic. The computer still seems slow. I have a feeling that the problem wasn't the directory after all. The laptop is just too old to be running Sierra. I should really stop installing new operating systems on old computers. It destroys the performance.

My own performance has been even worse than the laptop this weekend. I had big plans to clean the house and fix a few things around the office, but none of it got done. By the time I walked Dash, took a shower, and fiddled with the computers for a while, I was done. I don't know where the day went. I couldn't have spent that much time looking for dog socks.

Dash got me up three times last night to go outside. I hate this new schedule of his. He eats his dinner really early now and then he needs to poop in the middle of the night. Sadly, we may have caused this problem ourselves. We noticed that when Dash eats early, he is less likely to throw up at night. He hasn't vomited in over a month, so something must be working. I guess eight hours of sleep at night just isn't in the cards for me. I've started napping with Dash during the day and it seems to work fine. You've got to stay flexible when you have a Dalmatian.

April is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2948

Another uneventful Friday. My pancakes were delicious. Maybe next week I'll make an omelet. I'd almost forgotten that my special omelet recipe made it into the South by Southwest cookbook a few years ago. I was probably the least famous person in this celebrity studded cookbook, but it was still cool to be selected. The only downside to today's meal was that I used up the last of the Italian sausage. There's only one place in town that makes this stuff the way I like it, so I'll have to drive across town to pick up a new supply next week. Let me know if you hear of any amazing new breakfast restaurants. Until then, I'm content to eat at home.

I talked to a dealer I've known for years about helping me liquidate one of my collections. I didn't think he'd be interested, but he seems willing to help for a percentage of the sale. Before we can get started, I need to provide a complete inventory of the collection. Lord knows how long that will take. Most of the stuff is in unmarked boxes in the storage warehouse. I don't even know what I have anymore. If making an inventory was a pleasant task, I would have done it years ago. I guess I should have known that you can postpone unpleasant tasks, but you can seldom avoid them entirely.

People who collect memories probably have an easier time decluttering than people who collect stuff. We all become forgetful as we grow older. When you forget your memories, your problem is solved. When you forget where you've put all your stuff, the problem just becomes more difficult. I hope I can take care of this collection by the end of the year. Then next year, I'll start on another one.

It was much warmer today. Dash didn't need to wear a sweater under his harness and I didn't need to wear a second coat under my down jacket. The fact that I would call a windy, forty degree day "warm" just goes to show you how cold it's been for the past week. I'm ready for Spring. Unfortunately, I don't think Winter cares what I think. We've had plenty of ice storms in February and March.

I got two more writing assignments today. Two articles isn't enough to pay the electric bill, but it's nice that a few people still remember me. I could write two articles a day indefinitely, but I was in no hurry to start writing immediately. I'm going to save these jobs for next week. Hey, I already wrote something last Thursday. With assignments so few and far between, I need to spread these things out.

Am I the only one who's grown tired of all the drama in Washington DC? All the TV stations have a countdown clock showing how many hours are left before the government shuts down again. Who cares. These shutdowns are meaningless. The government starts back up again in a few days. All the government workers get paid. Both sides blame each other for the mess and then the whole cycle starts all over again. The next time the government shuts down, we should just leave it closed indefinitely and see what we can do without. Congress would be the first to go. They aren't doing anything anyway.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2947

I got a haircut today, so I'm probably good until March. Maybe by March I'll have enough money to get a new iPhone X. I only visit the mall when it's time for a haircut, so I'm always curious to see what's new at the Apple Store. I wish I actually need a new iPhone or one of the grossly overpriced new iMac Pro desktop computers. Sadly, my old iPhone 5 and 2010 vintage iMac work just fine. It's hard to justify buying these gadgets for the company anymore. There just isn't that much work these days.

It's becoming equally hard to justify an expensive haircut. What's left of my hair doesn't grow very fast and during the Winter it's usually hidden under an ugly wool hat anyway. Maybe I just enjoy familiar routines. I've been getting my hair cut by the same stylist for over fifteen years and have been using Apple products for much longer than that. It's reassuring to visit the mall every once in a while and realize that it really hasn't changed all that much since I moved here in the mid 1970's.

When I returned home, Dash was still asleep in exactly the same place on the bed where I left him several hours earlier. Sometimes it worries me that he spends so much time sleeping, but even healthy dogs sleep a lot. He must be a light sleeper, because as soon as I opened the refrigerator door, he woke up and came out to the kitchen. I think Dash likes familiar routines even more than I do. Now that he's become a picky eater, I make a big show out of fixing his meals. I wash his bowl and carefully spoon out his food in precise little patterns. It takes three times as long, but Dash gets all excited while I'm fixing things and almost always eats everything. I know this silly little ritual makes a difference, because occasionally when I'm in a hurry I just quickly dump the food in his bowl and he gets mad and won't touch it.

The weather was weird today. When I was driving to Northpark this morning the sky was clearing and the temperature was rising. I thought is was going to be a nice day. It was still pretty nice when I took a walk with Dash after lunch, although I noticed some clouds on the horizon. Everything changed around 3 PM. By the time I gave Dash his evening walk, the sky was dark, the wind was blowing, and the temperature had dropped twenty degrees. It's hard to get used to these sudden changes. In my mind I was already anticipating a pleasant Friday, and then seemingly out of nowhere, Winter returned.

I can't decide whether to go out for breakfast tomorrow. The pancakes I fixed at home last Friday were pretty good. When I enjoyed going out, I never thought about the cost. Now that I don't look forward to these outings as much, the restaurant meals seem like a waste of money. Skipping one breakfast a month would pay for the increase in my gym membership. Skipping the entire month would buy me a new pair of hiking boots. If I skipped the entire year, I could probably get that iPhone I've been thinking about.

Dash's schedule has changed. He doesn't poop on his walks any more and has decided that he prefers to do his business in the middle of the night while I'm asleep. I took him outside twice last night and probably will do the same tonight. I thought I was going to get a lot more sleep after Dot passed away, but it hasn't worked out that way.

Dovey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2946

Today was so similar to yesterday that I briefly wondered if anyone would notice if I just copied a few paragraphs from my previous post. Believe it or not, it's much harder to write about days where nothing happens. The arctic weather continues and Dash and I have had enough of it. It's still too cold to take Dash on a morning walk and this change in our routine makes us both a little restless. Without a walk, Dash slaps at the back door every five minutes and then wants to come right back in again as soon as I let him out. I don't know what to do with the extra time either. Long walks give us both something to do.

I did finally make an appointment to get a haircut tomorrow and to take Dash to the vet next week. Dash is so difficult to transport in the car now that we have to schedule vet visits when Janet can get away from work for a while. I wish I knew what was going on in Dash's mind. It used to be so easy to take him to the vet myself. I hate to wait until next week, but luckily there is nothing seriously wrong. We just need to take care of some routine things that the specialists at the cancer center don't normally do.

I should have waited to pay bills yesterday, because I got some more in the mail today. I used to let the bills stack up and pay them all once a month. Then I started getting late charges. Companies have shortened the due date. They all want you to pay online now and if you pay by mail, you have to be quick. I don't know why I am so resistant to paying online. Sending and receiving mail is just a part of normal daily life that I don't want to give up yet.

When the temperature climbed to the low 30's, I took Dash on an afternoon walk. The sun was out and Dash was enjoying smelling things. I thought we were going to have a nice long walk, but a loose dog spooked Dash and made him want to come home early. I've seen this guy and his dog before. The man thinks he's trained his dog so well that he doesn't need a leash. I was amused when the dog wandered off pursuing a scent and didn't follow his owner home. I don't know why Dash was upset, because this dog was no threat to anyone while she was off chasing rabbits. I had to show the guy where his dog had gone. Why don't people understand that a leash makes everything so much easier? A leash is safer too. The small dog was chasing rabbits but it could have found coyotes instead.

I balanced my checkbook a few weeks ago. Today it was time to balance the credit card purchases. I added everything up and was one dollar off. Why are these mistakes so hard to find? I must have looked at the figures three or four times before I found the missing dollar. Online banking would eliminate these chores, but I just can't bring myself to give up paper. Things just don't seem entirely real unless I can see them on paper.

I was pleased to see the DOW sail through 26,000 today. It has definitely been a good year for stocks. I watch the market the same way some might watch a NASCAR race. I've got my favorites and I check their positions with every lap. Unfortunately there is no finish line. I wish there was a finish line with investments when you could just relax with the knowledge that you had won. You can always get out of the market if you're feeling nervous, but you hate to get out too soon. I think the economy is good and the upward trend will continue for a while. I could be wrong.

I could be wrong about everything. It's kind up humbling to realize what a guessing game life actually is. Maybe it's good that we don't know what's in our future. I think it's uncertainty that allows us to hope.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2945

The only thing on my mind today was staying warm. Not only was it the coldest day of the year, it was colder than any day last year. Even Dash knew it was too cold for comfort. As soon as he did his business in the yard this morning, he came running back inside. I kept the little ceramic heater running in the office today and it warmed the place up a bit. The office is still the coldest room in the house though. It's just too far away from the furnace.

It's hard to avoid cabin fever on days like this. I paid some bills, answered a couple of messages from clients, and picked up a new supply of phenobarbital for Dash at the vet. That was about it. I wish Dash didn't have to take the phenobarbital, but it's pretty effective at preventing epileptic seizures. We can't afford to have another seizure at this point. Dash is far too fragile.

It was still well below freezing by mid-afternoon, but I could tell that Dash wanted a walk. Although it was clear, there was a stiff wind that made it feel like we were headed toward the South Pole. I was freezing, but Dash seemed to be enjoying himself. Along the way, I spotted a large hawk being pestered by three crows. It seemed to be a metaphor for something. The hawk ignored the crows and appeared to regard them with total distain. I'd like to think that animals live in a peaceful, bucolic world, but from what I've observed, they are just as mean and nasty as we are.

Just about everything I was going to do today got postponed until tomorrow. I didn't make a vet appointment and I didn't get a haircut either. It would have been a perfect day to watch Netflix movies, but I couldn't even bring myself to turn on the television. Two long walks, a writing assignment, and a couple of website updates fill up a day pretty well. Without these things, I just flounder around.

It's weird that South Texas got a lot of snow and ice and we didn't. The weather doesn't make sense anymore, but of course nothing else does either. While I was fixing lunch, I watched a press conference where the president's doctor was describing the results of his latest physical. The assembled press corps seemed visibly disappointed that the president was in good health. It was painfully obvious that most of them just wanted him to die. This may seem normal to you, but it seemed very weird to me. I've watched enough old Perry Mason shows to know that this kind of hatred doesn't usually end well.

When I was going to pick up Dash's phenobarbital at the vet, I was listening to a program on NPR where the guy being interviewed thought that it was easier to reach goals when there was a lot of emotion, positive reinforcement, and empathy involved. It all sounded like bullshit to me. I don't rely on any of these things. To me, you've just got to keep moving. If you have the discipline to keep putting one foot in front of the other no matter how you feel, you will look back occasionally and realize that you've traveled much further than you ever thought possible.

Shelby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2944

Don't ever get a white comforter if you have an old dog who likes to sleep on the bed. It's amazing how quickly this thing gets soiled. The comforter is too big to fit in our washing machine, so we have to take it to a laundromat. Once you go to this much trouble, you might as well wash everything else as well. We managed to do a few other things, but it was definitely a day for doing laundry. I doubt if things will stay clean long, but right now the bed looks very nice.

The roof is finally dry as well. Since there is another cold wave and possibly snow on the way, it was time to clear away the leaves and standing water. In the summer I would never bother to sweep the water off the roof if it was going to rain the next day. Winter is different. I've discovered over the years that ice buildup is bad for the roof, so I always try to remove any standing water when freezing weather is in the forecast. They say that temperatures will dip into the teens tomorrow. I hope the forecast is wrong.

I had a small victory with the computer today. On Saturday I tried to rebuild my directory and the Diskwarrior software kept crashing. I was ready to buy an upgrade, but I needed the serial number from the old software to get a lower price. I launched the program again to get the number and this time it worked. Go figure. I have an optimized directory now and my hard drive is healthy again. I have no idea why the software wasn't working on Saturday, but luckily you only need to rebuild your directory every six months or so. Blind luck saved me some money today.

While I was cleaning the house this afternoon, I watched a Jay Leno's Garage marathon on TV. Car shows are relaxing. I watch them the same way Janet watches Hallmark Christmas movies. It's weird that Jay Leno and Jerry Seinfeld both have shows about cars now. It must be nice to be able to buy an unlimited number of cool cars. At one point Seinfeld owned 46 Porsches. Leno has an even larger collection of exotic automobiles. I think one of the reasons I started collecting model trains years ago was that I knew I'd never have the money to collect cars. Now that I think about it, Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee might be the perfect way to introduce me to Netflix binge watching. I think all 56 shows are on Netflix now.

I can't decide whether to take Dash to the vet or get a haircut this week. Dash needs his nails trimmed. On the other hand, I need a haircut too. I wish I was better at trimming Dash's nails myself. He's terrible riding in the car now. I can't risk clipping a nail too short either because of the bleeding problem. I was thinking about making an appointment at the vet for tomorrow, but I don't know if it is going to snow. I'm definitely not driving Dash around on icy roads. Jeez. Simple things have become so complicated. It might be easier to just get a haircut.

Betty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2943

I used to be an avid railfan. I liked to ride trains, read books about trains, hang out in hobby shops, and buy model trains. I built several model railroads, although I never really had a place to keep them. Eventually all three train stores in Dallas went out of business, people I knew stopped collecting trains, my own trains wound up in the storage warehouse, and I completely forgot about my old hobby. Today, I was thinking about the owner of one of those old school hobby shops and thought I'd look him up on the Internet. I wasn't expecting to find anything. The guy is older than me and I thought he retired years ago. Much to my surprise I discovered he was alive and well and owns what is billed as "The largest train store between Chicago and Atlanta." For some reason this made me feel great. It's nice to know that it is still possible for old men to pursue an obscure dream and succeed at it. I don't know anyone in Dallas these days who even knows what a train is, but apparently they are still quite popular in Kentucky.

If this store were closer, I might start hanging out in hobby shops again. Kentucky is a long way away though. I'm not much of a collector anymore either. I really doubt that I'll pursue a hobby that involves collecting things ever again. The last thing I need is more useless stuff. That being said, I hope my friend's store stays in business. I'm going to need a place to sell my trains someday and it sure isn't going to be eBay.

Since I can't hang out in hobby shops anymore, I go to the gym. Hobby shops were more fun, but the gym will keep me alive longer. I've started going right after breakfast on Sunday mornings now. The place is practically empty and there is never anyone on the basketball court. It always surprises me that I am so inconsistent on the court. Some days I can sink quite a few free throws in a row. Other days, I can't seem to hit the basket at all. I was not at my best today and I have no idea why. I was actually in a pretty good mood.

I'm getting closer and closer to binge watching on Netflix. I've set up the account on both Apple TV and the Roku Stick, but I haven't actually watched anything yet. I can't get past the enormous menu. I scan through this menu from time to time and it seems endless. You could spend the rest of your life watching Netflix movies if you were so inclined. I was bored this afternoon, so I looked at the menu again. As always, there were too way many choices. There were several things that Netflix said I had a 96% chance of liking. How do they know that much about me already? Hey, I was thinking about watching Black Mirror anyway, so it might be a good idea to just go with their suggestions.

The weather was nice today, but it is supposed to rain tomorrow. Then on Tuesday, another cold front arrives and the temperatures are expected to drop into the teens again. I wish the weather would just make up it's mind. I don't even know what to wear anymore.

Kasey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2942

I'm glad I didn't wake up this morning with a message on my phone saying that a nuke was headed my way. It was all a mistake, but that didn't stop the conspiracy theories. Why is it so hard for people to believe simple human error in cases like these? Chernobyl and Three Mile Island were caused by human error. So were the Challenger and Columbia Space Shuttle disasters. In 1961 a B-52 accidentally dropped two nuclear bombs on the city of Goldsboro, North Carolina. Luckily, neither exploded. In 1979 a technician put a training tape into an operational computer by mistake causing NORAD to think a major soviet attack was underway. As recently as 2010 the Air Force lost control of over 50 nuclear ICBMs for over 45 minutes. The Russians made similar mistakes throughout the cold war. When you think about it, we're really lucky we're still here.

People love conspiracy theories. They'd rather believe that Stanley Kubrick staged the moon landing on a Hollywood sound stage than the fact that the entire world watched the event on live TV. There are people who believe that pharmaceutical companies invented cancer to sell drugs. Others believe that aliens are living among us. I guess it makes sense that there are people who believe that the alarm in Hawaii this morning was created by hackers for some nefarious purpose.

It's easy for me to believe human error as an explanation for just about anything. Humans are idiots. We tend to think we are much smarter than we really are. I have listened to five people try to explain Bitcoin and how blockchains work. None of them made any sense. Does anyone really know what a blockchain is? Anytime I hear someone tell me that something is completely safe and transparent, I begin to worry. Did you ever see that documentary called "The Origins of AIDS" about how tainted oral polio vaccine distributed in the Belgian Congo in the 1950's led to the beginnings of the deadly disease? It may not be a nuclear bomb that ends humanity, but one way or another we are accidentally going to do something that ends horribly wrong. That's just the way we are.

I almost made a serious error today. I tried to repair the directory on my computer using Diskwarrior without realizing that the version I was using was not compatible with the Sierra operating system. I've used Diskwarrior for decades and it has saved me from some serious crashes. I haven't used it since I upgraded my hard drive and operating system though. Oops. My bad. Luckily, I was able to force the program to abort before it caused any damage. When I was trying to figure out what to do next, I also discovered that the Apple Disk Utility no longer lets you repair permissions on your hard drive. Damn. Yesterday it was my phone. Today it is my computer. Apple is no longer my friend.

It was a beautiful day today, but it was still very cold. We had such a mild Winter last year that I keep forgetting that January is almost always very cold. I just leave my Winter coat on the sofa now because I have to put it on every time I take Dash outside. I have to follow Dash around every time he goes outside because I don't want him to eat something that will make him throw up. His rear legs are so weak that he also tends to get stuck in the dense Asian Jasmine ground cover in the back of the yard. If he poops, I carry bags so I can clean it up right away. If I don't, it is almost a certainly that I will step in it the next day.

Hopefully, I can limit my mistakes to stepping in dog poop. It's hard to avoid human errors because there is so much that can go wrong. Will I make any mistakes tomorrow? Definitely. Will my mistakes cause hundreds of thousands of people to panic? I certainly hope not.

Taylor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2941

Slow days can be dangerous. When I don't have much to do, I tend to update software. Lately, these updates come with a lot of rude surprises. Today, I discovered that iTunes is no longer a place to buy and store apps for your phone. I've always bought apps on iTunes and installed them on the phone or iPad later. I thought it was handy that you could activate or deactivate your purchases without actually erasing them. There was also a convenient feature that made it easy to rearrange the apps so they would appear where you wanted them. It's all gone now. Apple apparently wants you to do everything on the phone itself. I guess this is what most people do anyway, but I've never been most people.

It was way too cold when I woke up to take Dash on a morning walk, but the sky was clear and I knew it would warm up later in the day. To pass the time, I made pancakes and sausages at home instead of going out for breakfast. I'm so slow that Dash went back to the bedroom and took a nap before I finished my meal. When Dash leaves the scene while you're eating, you know he's tired.

It's a good thing that Dash still sleeps a lot, because otherwise I'd never get anything done. As Dash has gotten older, he's become a lot more needy and doesn't like to be left alone. He used to be content to sleep under my desk while I'm working, but now he wants me to go sit on the bed with him. If I wanted to spend the day watching Netflix movies, this would be fine, but I still have things to do.

Today I needed to send out my January invoices, but Dash didn't want me sitting at the computer. I took him outside several times and tried to figure out what he wanted. As it turned out, all he wanted was my complete and undivided attention. I eventually had to block the office door with a dog gate. He barked a few times and then went back to sleep on the bed. I'm slowly learning that life is simpler if I wait until he's asleep before I go to the office.

By lunchtime it was warm enough to stay outside for a while and I took Dash on a nice long walk. If I'd taken him on a walk before breakfast this morning, he probably would have been as much of a pest. You have to do everything in the proper order with this dog. Sadly, I have probably encouraged this behavior. I have to do everything in the proper order myself.

We took a second walk around 4 PM, before the air started turning cooler again. Whenever I see a Dalmatian with behavior problems, I know it isn't getting enough exercise. Dalmatians are very active, energetic digs. Even an old sick one like Dash has more energy than me.

One reason I was tired today was that that I had to get up several times and take Dash outside. This is becoming more frequent and is probably related to his new diet. I'm not sure which of the various brands of food he eats is giving him loose stools, but I'm reluctant to change anything. We've got a routine going now where Dash is eating consistently again. One of these days I'm going to need to get him tested for urate crystals again. I know his new diet is nutritious, but it may cause the crystals to form again. It's always something, isn't it.

I wish it would warm up. I don't know why I'm so cold this year because it's always cold in January. It's actually been much colder in previous years, but i don't  recall wearing so many sweaters before.

Pepper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2940

I thought the weatherman made a mistake this morning when he was predicting snow. The temperature was in the mid-50's and the skies were clearing. It looked like it was going to be a nice day. Just a few hours later, I realized the weatherman was right. Between Dash's morning walk and his evening walk, the temperature dropped thirty degrees and the skies became dark and ominous. This was Texas weather at it's finest. It still amazes me how quickly things can change.

It was a quiet day, but I got a lot done. I finished my second article and shipped it off to the client. The client acknowledged the article and even thanked me, so I'm taking this as a sign that things will go smoothly again. With my writing chores out of the way, I did some minor maintenance on the few websites I still manage. I wish there was more to do, but at least I was busy for a while.

I spent way too much time deciding what to get for dinner, but ended up just going to the neighborhood Pei Wei and ordering a rice bowl. I like Pei Wei, but am convinced that they just cook one thing and give it different names. I've ordered just about everything on the menu by now and it all tastes exactly the same. I'm not being critical. There is a dependable consistency to these meals. Maybe it's just me. I don't claim to have a very sophisticated palate. All Chili's hamburgers taste the same to me too.

Dash was in good spirits today. Sometimes it's easy to forget his many medical problems. On a good day he just seems like a normal dog. He's been eating well for quite a while now, but somehow his feeding schedule has changed. We eat dinner so early these days. I usually eat my own dinner right after I feed Dash and found myself warming up my rice bowl in the microwave at 4 PM. This is quite a change, considering that we used to eat at 7 PM.

I wonder why I get so many telemarketing calls? It seemed like the phone rang every ten minutes today. Everyone in the universe must have our number by now. I have Nomorobo installed, so the phone only rings once but it still gets irritating. I think every time you list your phone number on an application it ends up getting sold to a telemarketer. This intrusive new world would have driven my Dad crazy. He always answered the phone. I never do. The only reason I keep the landline is that I'm convinced the telemarketers would follow me to my cell phone if the land line wasn't there to absorb the continuous barrage of callers. They say Nomorobo is available for iPhones now too. I'll have to check into it.

It was so cold when I took the trash out this evening that I'm considering just fixing breakfast at home tomorrow. If the forecast is right, Dash might not even get a morning walk. It is supposed to be well below freezing at sunrise. All this is making pancakes at home sound pretty good.

Suzie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2939

I had a surprisingly enjoyable meeting with my financial adviser today. I basically quit going to meetings when Dot got sick, so this was the first time I'd actually seen the guy in person in several years. It's much easier to talk about your financial future when the stock market continues to set new records. We did make some contingency plans today, but both of us agreed that the business climate was still fundamentally sound. Hey, I heard Warren Buffett say basically the same thing on TV this morning, so I don't think we're out on a limb here. As long as Kim Jong Un doesn't decide to nuke somebody, the near-term future looks relatively bright.

We spent a little time talking about estate planning today. It's not a subject I like to think about, but I've seen the estates of several people I know turn into a horrible mess after they died. At least I have a will. I can't believe how many people my age don't even have a will. You're never going to see "Brought to you by the Sealander Foundation" at the end of your favorite PBS program, but maybe there'll be enough left over to rescue a few dogs after I'm gone. Nobody can predict the future, but it never hurts to anticipate the future. Hey, at least I've started the conversation.

I got caught up in rush hour traffic on the way home from my meeting and started worrying about Dash. He can't hold his bladder very well anymore and sometimes he has a vestibular incident when he wakes up from a sound sleep. Dash was asleep when I left and was asleep when I returned. I have no idea what happened in between. I used to obsessively check the baby monitor when I was away, but if you're 45 minutes away from home, it's sometimes better not to look. At any rate, everything was fine today.

I didn't get started on my second writing assignment until I'd finished feeding Dash and taking him on an afternoon walk. This didn't give me enough time to finish the article, but I needed something to do tomorrow anyway. I wish I had an article a day to write indefinitely. Writing is much less stressful than website design or film production. Even commercial copywriting is strangely relaxing. I'm not sure how to get good writing jobs anymore though. Nobody reads. I find it ironic and a bit humorous that Facebook and Instagram "stories" don't really involve writing. Nowadays, what people call stories are really just little videos.

I've got to make an appointment to see a podiatrist soon. My left foot is really starting to hurt and I don't know why. I suspect that it has something to with this summer's dog bite. There was internal bleeding when I got bitten and my foot became swollen. Even though I slept with my feet elevated and used icepacks to reduce the swelling, a hematoma formed in my leg. Maybe there is still a small hematoma in my foot that is causing the discomfort. Or maybe there is something else going on. That is why I need to see a podiatrist.

The refrigerator is getting kind of bare, so I'm going to need to pick up something for dinner tomorrow. Do I go to the smoked meat store and get something delicious and unhealthy, or go to the vegan store and get something healthy and a little bland? It shouldn't be so easy to do the wrong thing.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2938

Today was surprisingly normal. As a result, I got quite a bit done. We got started with a walk through the fog. I love foggy mornings. The world seems very private and intimate in the fog. Dash didn't feel like going down by the water, so I didn't photograph sailboats obscured by the mist. There were plenty of other ghostly shapes however, and no loose dogs or bicycles. It was a very enjoyable walk.

After breakfast, I took a check to the bank, picked up some more enalapril for Dash at the vet, and returned home to get started on a new writing project. The word count on the e-mails concerning this project are already equal to the length of a normal finished article. I've done these type of things many times before, but I have a new contact now and we're off to a rocky start. I hope that things improve because I don't have a lot of patience for quibbling about prices. News flash. If you think I'm too expensive, you don't have to use me.

It was such a relief that Dash wasn't acting weird today. He ate normally, took nice long naps when I needed to work, and didn't have any stressful temper tantrums. Dash needs to be calm and relaxed because of his heart problems, but he seldom is. I'm always afraid when he's agitated and barking a lot that one of the blood clots in his heart will break apart and it will all be over. Dash is literally a ticking time bomb, but he doesn't know it. From his point of view, he's just acting like a normal high strung Dalmatian should.

I have several articles to write, but I though one was enough for today. I finished the day revising websites. I was working on an old school static site, so I used Dreamweaver for the first time in months. Much to my chagrin, I had already forgotten some of the menu shortcuts I used to use everyday and had to re-learn how to do simple things like change font sizes. I've always been a believer in the well known "use it or lose it" adage, but I'm just starting to realize that it's much easier to "lose it" as you grow older. It's becoming harder and harder to remember things that I don't do every day.

I have an appointment scheduled with my financial adviser tomorrow. For the first time in years, I don't have any complaints. A rising market lifts all boats and I've finally recovered most of the losses I sustained in the big crash of 2008. The goal now is just to avoid losing everything in the next big crash. I don't think I'll live long enough to recover from another market crash like we had in 2008. Realistically, I don't think the current rally could possibly last another ten years, but I sure wish it would. It would certainly make my life a little easier.

I should have taken a camera down to the lake and photographed sailboats before the fog lifted. Oh, well. You can't do everything. I also missed the conjunction of Jupiter and Mars on January 7 because of rain, but the two planets were still pretty close together when Dash needed to go out and poop around 3 AM this morning. It's almost worth getting up in the middle of the night for your dog when you can see something interesting in the sky.

Jordan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2937

Our power went out again this morning. This is the second time in less than a month that we've had a power outage. Just like the last time, it happened on a clear, windless day. I don't know what's going on, but it's certainly frustrating. This time, I was working in Photoshop and lost the file I was editing when the power went out. I have been lulled into thinking power outages were a thing of the past since we haven't had many problems for the past several years. I guess the lesson here is to never get complacent. Random, unexplained outages are back.

Even though the power outage was inconvenient, it was the least of my worries this morning. Dash's back paws had gotten cut during his morning walk and I was having trouble stopping the bleeding. With the two different blood thinners Dash is taking, even a minor scrape can turn into a major problem. I guess we're going to have to go back to wearing the rubber boots all the time. It was the front side of his paws that got scraped. He doesn't lift his rear legs very well when he walks and when his nails drag the pavement, the paw sometimes turns under and he ends up scraping the front part. The socks and boots he wears are pretty effective at preventing this damage, but now we'll need to figure out how to trim his nails.

I had big plans to complete the initial phase of my new website project today and by the time the power was restored, I was already way behind schedule. I didn't bother to create HTML documents yet. It's way too early. I'll show the client a Photoshop layout first and see if they respond favorably to the basic idea. I've learned from experience that it's a huge waste of time to create a fully functioning website if the client hates the way it looks. Hopefully, I'll get some feedback soon, so I can finish this thing.

When I finished shipping the website layout off to my client, I reluctantly returned a phone call from another client. How weird that someone actually wants to talk to me on the phone. This is almost unheard of in this day and age. It turns out that I'm talking to my new contact at the client who gives me most of my writing assignments. I sure wish my old contact hadn't quit and decided to become an accountant. After talking to this new person for a few minutes, it became clear that we were starting over. I could have finished the entire article in the time it took to go over the input information. Oh, well. We'll get things straightened out eventually. I guess I got spoiled by working with the same person for four years. I should have realized that nothing good ever lasts.

I still haven't reset all the clocks and timers in the house. Every time the power goes out, I need to reset the internal clocks in the land line phone, the coffee maker, the little gizmo that turns off the living room lights at night, the dehumidifier, and several clock radios. For some reason the washing machine automatically turns itself on when power is restored too. You can see why people like WiFi. Everything connected to the WiFi network just resets its clock automatically.

I hope Dash has a normal day tomorrow. After dealing with bloody paws, runny poop, and a mysterious episode where Dash spent ten minutes barking at an empty bed, I need a rest.

Mack is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2936

I had the best of intentions to check out a couple of new gyms, but it turned out to be so much easier to just re-join the one I've been going to all along. This is my response to just about everything these days. If it's familiar, I can live with it. The gym seemed pretty empty this morning. Maybe some folks did abandon the place because of the price increase. On the other hand, the gym is always pretty empty on Sunday morning. I'm glad this little decision is out of the way. If I did make New Year's resolutions, my first one for 2018 would be to avoid as many decisions as possible.

Janet mopped the brick floors today so that meant it was time for me to vacuum the carpets. Dash must shed more than Dot because the dog hair in the house certainly hasn't been cut in half after she passed away. I'm continually amazed at how dirty the carpets get. We have good filters on the furnace and rarely open the windows. Where does all this dust come from? Dot used to be afraid of the vacuum cleaner, but Dash could care less. He won't even move and I often need to vacuum around him.

Today's rain didn't arrive on schedule and I began to think I could get everything done without getting  wet. As usual, I was wrong. I made it to the gym and back on dry roads, but I ran out of luck when I was giving Dash his afternoon walk. He is so slow these days that I always miscalculate. If he would just keep moving, we would have made it home with time to spare, but Dash prefers to stop and smell things. He doesn't even seem to mind getting wet. At least our boy still enjoys walking. That's all that counts.

I still can't figure out why my WiFi crashes when I download movies. I guess I never noticed this before because I don't download movies very often. I looked on Google and other Apple users were having the same problem. As usual, the online solutions seemed complicated and probably wouldn't work anyway. It's not like any of this actually matters. It was just something to think about on a rainy day.

Dash doesn't like me to sit at the computer anymore. He barks at me and if I don't get up, will start knocking things over that are stacked around my desk with his paw. At first I was puzzled by this behavior. Typically, he doesn't need to go outside and sometimes isn't even hungry. Then I discovered that he wants me to sit on the bed with him. Today, I was happy to oblige. I was tired and it was a grey, rainy day anyway.

It didn't seem like a productive day, but the house is a little cleaner, I'm a gym member again, and Dash still had somebody to nap with. Maybe some people are watching the Golden Globe Awards this evening, but I think I'll pass. I don't even know who these younger actors are anymore.

Vegas is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day