Day 3006

I was listening to NPR as I was driving to the gym this morning. There was a program about Alzheimer's Disease and they were interviewing someone at a nursing home in Germany where they were having problems with patients becoming extremely agitated and trying to run away. They tried a lot of things without much success and then someone suggested that they build a bus stop right in front of the facility where no bus would ever come. Patients still tried to escape and almost inevitably went straight to the bus stop where they sat on the bench and waited for the bus that never came. Eventually they forgot what they were waiting for and a nurse would come and talk with them and lead them back inside. Doctors were surprised that the patients no longer seemed agitated. Instead of being restrained or locked inside the facility, they had been allowed to slowly and peacefully forget their inner voices. I don't know why this story resonated with me. It just seemed to make a lot of sense. Perhaps we all need a place to forget the things that trouble us.

Four years ago today Dash was in the middle of radiation treatments for his thyroid cancer. The treatments were arduous and we were just hoping that Dash was strong enough to complete the program. Three years ago today Dot was slowly learning to walk again after spinal surgery. Two years ago today Dot could walk pretty well, but her abdominal cancer had returned and she was taking chemo again, along with monthly ultrasound scans to measure the size of her tumors. A year later Dot was too weak to continue the chemo treatments and walking was limited to slowly going around the block. It's been a long journey. Now Dash is going to the same cancer center for monthly scans to measure the size of the blood clot in his heart. Sometimes it's hard to remember when the dogs were healthy. Actually, they were both healthy for a long, long time. I need to remember the good times. There were lots and lots of good times. I'd like to think if we remember the good times, maybe we can recreate them.

The gym was quiet today. The basketball players are gone and I have the court to myself again. Actually, just about everybody was gone this morning. I wonder why gym attendance fluctuates so much. Once I get a routine in place, I like to keep it. Apparently, other people are more spontaneous about their Sunday activities.

It rained a lot last night, but I didn't feel like going up on the roof. Now that Spring is on the way, the roof is covered in sticky yellow catkins that fall as the oak trees start to bud. These little flowers turn the standing water bright yellow and make the clean up process much more difficult. I need to clear the catkins away soon though. They form little dams that hold the water and turn the roof into a duck pond.

It's always something. I cleared a slow draining sink today. That was enough drudgery for one day. I need to make a new pair of protective boots for Dash. The pair he's been wearing has just about worn out. I'll put this on my list for next week. If the new refrigerator repairman can solve my ongoing problems tomorrow, it will be a good week no matter what else happens. I'm hoping for the best.

Nick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3005

I certainly didn't accomplish much today. I did my grocery shopping and filled the car up with gas, but that was about it. Janet was away at a Dalmatian Rescue event today. Dash usually follows Janet around like glue on weekends, but he didn't seem to notice she was gone. I suspect he just thought it was another work day. We ate breakfast and took our morning walk just like we did yesterday and then I started my Saturday errands. When I returned Dash was asleep.

I spent a long time trying to figure out where to store a huge box of toilet paper I got at Sam's Club. Buying in bulk does save money, but it sure is difficult to store the stuff when you're living in a small house. I guess I could have done some house cleaning, but I got distracted looking for a technical service manual for my refrigerator online. There are all types of sites that will sell you duplicate service manuals, but I wanted to find a free one. I eventually found what I was looking for and started reading the diagnostic section. It's probably not helpful that I want to figure out what is wrong before the service technician arrives on Monday, but that's just the type of guy I am.

I suspect that one of the two remaining original thermistors has gone bad. Hopefully that's all it is. If the mother board I replaced a few months ago is already defective, I've got a big problem. Truthfully, I have no idea why the refrigerator isn't working. It should be working perfectly. When I read through the technical service manual, it appeared that the previous technicians had done exactly what the manual recommended.

While I was searching for the cause of my refrigerator problem, I started looking up the side effects of some some of the meds I'm taking. That was a mistake. A hypochondriac should never start reading about side effects. It's easy to imagine that you have all of them. I'm trying to decide whether a brand name drug I'm taking is worth the extra money. The brand name and the generic are similar, but for some reason the side effects are different. After comparing both, I felt like someone was telling me to pick my poison. I miss the days when I didn't even have a doctor and took no meds at all. As you might expect, those days were a long, long time ago.

We were going to go out for pizza tonight, but Janet ended up getting a free pizza at the grocery store.   We thought about going out anyway and then it started to rain. Once I started to hear thunder, I knew we were staying home. We've learned that it isn't wise to leave Dash alone in a storm. The free Tom Thumb pizza wasn't bad, but it didn't come close to the pies at our neighborhood Italian restaurant. Who knows when we'll have the urge for pizza again. Usually, both of us eat amazingly healthy meals. Sometimes you just crave pizza though.

I hope I wake up tomorrow with more motivation than I had today. I could have easily stayed in bed all day. Luckily, I don't need motivation to go to the gym. I've never been motivated to go to the gym. I just go because that's what I do on Sunday.

Allie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3004

I met a refrigerator repairman while I was grocery shopping this morning. He was parked next to me and the message on his company truck sounded intriguing. I knocked on his window and asked him if he was familiar with my refrigerator. The guy was very knowledgable. I was actually surprised that he spent so much time talking to me in the Central Market parking lot. I asked for the guy's business card and told him I'd give him a call. When I looked up the company website when I got home, they had excellent reviews. For comparison, I looked up the repair shop I'm currently using and they had terrible reviews. I've never seen so many single stars. I wish I'd checked out the Yelp reviews before I'd scheduled three unsuccessful service visits. The new company I discovered today offers a full year warranty on parts and labor. The parts warranty actually ran out at the other place before they even fixed my problem. I knew Janet would be skeptical, but I decided to try one more time to fix my existing refrigerator.

I think there are a lot of good reasons to try to save this refrigerator. The GE model that I have has a better service history than the Maytag I'd be replacing it with. The Maytag is smaller and holds less food. It also doesn't have an ice dispenser in the door like the model I have now. I always read the testimonials and a lot of people said the Maytag model didn't keep food cold enough and that the ice maker had a tendency to leak. So here we are. I may be throwing money down a rabbit hole, but I'm going to give this new company a try. I really like the refrigerator I have now. I wish GE still made this model.

After spending so much time thinking about refrigerators this morning, I decided to go ahead and defrost the evaporator coil before the weekend. The refrigerator is still cooling fine, but I know this drill pretty well by now. I've probably got four days before performance begins to suffer. It made sense to go ahead and take care of this now. I removed the ice on the coil and put everything back together in less than an hour this time. I think the repairman I met this morning was surprised that I knew actual part numbers and was familiar with the inner workings of kitchen appliances. It's too bad I don't know a little bit more or I could fix this thing myself.

Breakfast wasn't bad this morning, but it wasn't great either. I just picked a restaurant that was on the way to the grocery store. Maybe my problem is that I'm just not as interested in food as I used to be. I eat smaller portions now and occasionally even the thought of food turns my stomach. If a great meal can't turn my day around, I wonder what can? Food used to be an easy, almost foolproof way to perk me up. It doesn't work anymore.

Luckily, food still works for Dash. His appetite has really improved. I hope this means that his heart condition is improving as well. I have a feeling that when he was refusing to eat, he was in worse shape than we or the vet thought. The only problem with Dash's new interest in food is that he wants a treat before he'll do anything. He learned too well that we really want him to eat and now he wants to eat all the time. It's hard to teach a dog to do things in moderation.

The weather is still nice. Our Oak trees are starting to bud and that means the messy catkins are starting to fall. The pollen in these tiny flowers stains the car, causes me to sneeze, and makes a huge mess on the roof. I guess even nice weather has a downside. If this weather continues, it won't be long before I'm mowing the grass again.

Ruthie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3003

I wish refrigerators were as easy to repair as computers. Every time I've taken a computer in for repair, I've gotten it back the same day. So far, all the repairs have been reasonably priced and more importantly, they've been successful. Today, I took my desktop computer in to replace a faulty CD/DVD drive and less than three hours later I got a call saying that I could come pick it up. The whole experience was pretty painless.

Plumbers and HVAC repairmen can be expensive, but so far I've had good results. My beef is with appliance repairmen. Washers, dryers, ovens, and refrigerators shouldn't be so hard to fix. I've had terrible luck with appliances. If Google reviews are any indication, lots of other people have had the same experience. I don't think major appliances are made as well anymore. There are fewer brands to choose from and almost everyone sources their component parts from China. Until I started looking for refrigerators, I didn't realize that Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, and Amana are all the same thing. No wonder some of the Whirlpool and Maytag models I was considering looked identical. It's relatively easy to track down the source of a computer problem, since just about every process is logged. By comparison, refrigerator repair seems more like a black art.

When I was out running errands this afternoon, I answered a telemarketing call by mistake. I hate when that happens. I thought the number might be the computer repair shop, but it turned out to be a salesperson from Who's Who in America. Why does this company still exist? When I was a kid, some people thought it was a big deal to be included in Who's Who. Now, if you feel inclined to brag about your resume, you do it on LinkedIn. I made the mistake of buying a Who's Who book decades ago when they first included me. They've been pestering me to buy another book ever since. SiriusXM is the same way. If you ever make the mistake of turning on SiriusXM in your car, they will never forget you. I told the lady from Who's Who that I was too busy to talk even though I was just picking up a prescription at the pharmacy. I'm sure they'll call back.

Dash had a lot of energy today, so I thought he'd enjoy his afternoon walk. We got off to a good start, but after only 50 yards, his knee brace fell off. We stopped so I could reattach the brace and that gave Dash time to reconsider his decision to leave the yard. When I was ready to go again, Dash wouldn't budge. He turned around and started tugging to go home. He still had lots of energy, so when Janet came home Dash started barking and pestering her. She ended up walking him and he walked normally. Dash is a smart dog. I think he was just trying to make me look bad.

I still can't believe that United Airlines put a dog in an overhead bin and killed it. Who would even think of putting a dog in an overhead bin. Two days later the same airline sent a dog to Japan by mistake when it's real destination was Kansas City. These are the same people who dragged that old man off the plane too. I'm not the type of person who boycotts things, but I don't think I'll be flying United Airlines again. Personally, I would never take a dog on a plane. I've heard too many horror stories.

It's almost Friday again. I wonder if I'll ever find a breakfast I like? Maybe I should try a hotel. I usually like hotel food when I'm traveling.

Carmine is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3002

We managed to get Dash's nails trimmed this morning. It's hard to believe that this used to be an easy task, Now, it is next to impossible. These days if you touch his feet, Dash thinks you are trying to kill him. I don't think we would have had a chance if we weren't going to see his favorite vet. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Dash still trusts Molly. Even with expert help it wasn't an easy job. I held Dash and Janet fed him treats to distract him while the vet clipped. Each time we do this, it gets a little harder. I wish his nails would just quit growing.

Ever since Dash ripped out a dewclaw, I've been worried about his nails. The risk of bleeding is very real. It took several weeks and three trips to the vet before the bleeding completely stopped when he tore the dewclaw. This was before he was on blood thinners too. Today, the consequences would be far worse. The rubber boots he wears on walks are primarily to reduce the risk of cuts and bleeding. We do the best we can, but this is going to be continual problem.

The nail trim wasn't today's only dog problem. Dash peed in the bed while he was asleep last night. I spent most of the morning cleaning all the bedding. I hope this isn't the start of incontinence. Dash still seems to have bladder control, so maybe last night was just a fluke. I hope so. An incontinent dog who insists on sleeping in the bed with you is a major problem. Dot was incontinent during the last years of her life, but she was too weak to jump in the bed anymore, so it was easier to create a safe space for her. Dash is stubborn. Even if I brought home all the rubberized mats we sewed for Dot, he might refuse to use them.

I didn't get much done today. Our trip to the vet put me several hours behind on our daily routine. By the time I gave Dash his morning walk and fixed my breakfast, it was well past noon. Even with such a late start, I wasn't really behind on anything. Other than fixing a never ending assortment of broken things around the house, there is very little to do.

Maybe if I get organized tomorrow, I'll take my computer to the repair shop. I don't know why it is important to me to have a working CD burner. Nobody asks me to make them a CD anymore. Probably the best reason to repair the computer is that parts might not be available in the near future. I got the computer in 2010. Apple doesn't even put CD/DVD burners in newer computers, so OEM Superdrives won't be available forever.

The weather continues to be beautiful. No Spring allergies yet either. I don't think the rainy season is over yet, but I doubt that we have to worry about snow. It's hard to believe that large sections of the country are still dealing with snow when it is 70 degrees outside. It was so nice today that I was even able to convince Dash to take two walks. Hey, when your dog takes two walks, eats all his food, and has nicely trimmed nails, it's a pretty good day.

Humphrey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3001

I still haven't adjusted to Daylight Savings Time. Why are the stars out when it's time to get up in the morning? Isn't it Spring yet? I'm having a hard time getting out of bed in the dark. I know the days are getting longer, but everything was fine before the time change. By the time I wake up to sunshine again, it will probably be too hot.

Dash has adjusted to the time change better than I have. He gets up in the dark with Janet because he knows who feeds him. By the time I'm up, he's ready for his morning walk. At least the weather is nice. We're walking at sunrise again. All the trees are starting to bud and I see a few new wildflowers every morning. I enjoy our walks in the Spring. There's always something to see.

Dash might not get a walk tomorrow morning. It's time to get his nails trimmed again. I was lucky that Dash's vet could work us in. She was completely booked, but told us to come over before her first appointment. She's the only one left who is able to trim Dash's nails, so I think she knew how desperate we were. I hope Dash is well behaved tomorrow. When he was healthy, Dash used to actually enjoy going to the vet. He's always been a social dog and enjoyed the attention. Now, it's a different story. Even something as minor as a nail trim sends him into a panic.

Today was slow. We got off to an early start, but by the time I finished my morning smoothie and cleaned up the dog poop in the yard, it was time for lunch. I don't actually eat lunch, but Dash does. Somewhere along the line we started feeding him a rice cake at lunchtime and now he insists on it. The rice cake doesn't add many calories and it's something he can look forward to in an often boring day. When Dash was having trouble eating, we started spreading something tasty on top of the rice cake to make it more appealing. Sometimes I add a little peanut butter. Other times I add some canned dog food. Now this rice cake sandwich is part of our daily ritual.

I took a small check to the bank and paid a few bills this afternoon. Checks from clients are infrequent now, but they are still appreciated. There are so many things on my to-do list, but it is hard to focus on them. Everything is necessary, but nothing is appealing. I have a feeling that I'll fix the CD burner on my computer before the toilet, the roof, or the refrigerator. The computer still seems like a friend. The other things, no so much.

It's taking me forever to completely shake off this cold. I still have some nasal congestion and an upset stomach. Luckily the night sweats seem to be gone. Maybe the upset stomach has nothing to do with the cold. The last batch of food I got at Central Market's deli counter was way too spicy. I got the same things I always do, but there must have been a new chef. I wish people would leave recipes alone. As soon as I get used to something, it changes.

Day 3001 was a bit anticlimactic. I shouldn't have been surprised, but very little happened. It's a bit early to start thinking about Day 4000 too. That's almost three years away.

Wyatt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3000

Unless you're a blogger, keeping a journal for 3000 consecutive days probably doesn't seem like a big deal. Trust me, it is a big deal. Year after year I sit here every single evening trying to think of something coherent to say. You know how daily life goes. Sometimes it is eventful. Other times it isn't. Often, nothing happens at all. I've learned a lot over the years. For starters, every day matters. If you look closely enough you can learn something from the most inconsequential things.

Today I learned where to find Venus and Mercury in the evening sky. Both planets were near the horizon, so they were difficult to see right after sunset. I kept looking though and eventually spotted Venus and the much dimmer Mercury slightly above and to the right. I wish it were easier to view the stars from my yard. The Oak trees form a canopy that obscures everything. If there is something I want to see, I walk to a small clearing in the park.

I finally got my tax materials to the accountant. It wasn't as easy as I thought. First, I needed to make a copy of my Quickbooks files and discovered that my CD burner was broken. I had to transfer the files to the laptop, so I could use the its CD drive. Then, I thought I could transfer the files quickly using iCloud, but the laptop wasn't authorized on my iCloud account. By the time I got everything straightened out, I could have walked the files over to the accountant.

I found a lot of feathers in the yard this morning. One of the neighborhood feral cats probably dragged another dead bird in the yard. This probably explains why Dash has been so interested in the corner where the feathers were. I doubt that he ate the bird, but he could have swallowed a feather or two. This might have explained why he threw up the other night. Maybe it wasn't the vestibular disease after all. He could have just eaten something bad.

I finally figured out why I didn't get my test results from my doctor's appointment last week. The doctor is on vacation. I bet he's taking a ski vacation. This would be the time of year to go to Telluride or Park City. It's also the time to go to SXSW in Austin. Back in the day, I used to go to this festival every year. I was even a featured speaker a long, long time ago. The festival is much too fancy for me now. I doubt that I could afford to attend. Today people go to hear Elon Musk and Steven Spielberg. I'm amazed at how this thing has grown. It's as big as Sundance now. Maybe even bigger.

I'm trying to decide whether to fix the CD burner. Nobody even uses CD's anymore. Nevertheless, I hate having a broken drive in my main computer. I got a price on replacing the Apple Superdrive and it wasn't as bad as I thought. Maybe I'l take the computer in later in the week and have a new drive installed. At the very least, I'll need it next year when I get my taxes ready for the accountant.

I'm still hoping to keep blogging until I reach Day 5000. I might not live that long, but we'll see. Blogging has certainly changed over the years. I used to have several hundred regular readers. Now, I've probably got about a dozen at best. Honestly, I don't know why any of you keep reading. This isn't War and Peace. It is still a work in progress though. I hope you come back tomorrow because the story isn't over yet.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2999

The wind woke us up this morning. It was fairly dramatic. The windows rattled. Small branches broke loose and landed on the roof. There was no rain, but inexplicably the fiber optic cable went dead. How was this even possible? The cable is buried underground. When the wind subsided, I went outside  to see if the greenhouse was still there. The yard was littered with branches, but everything was intact.

I was baffled by the broadband outage. Wasn't the underground cable supposed to prevent this sort of thing? I called AT&T tech support, and as usual, wound up talking with someone who could barely speak English. As I was trying to explain my situation to someone half a world away, I noticed that the fiber optic line was trying to reconnect. The line re-booted several times and eventually became stable. Then the router and the DVR went through their own reboot cycle. The system was trying to repair itself. Before the tech support person could run her tests and figure out what was going on, everything was back to normal. This is why we won't have jobs in the future. The minute the line went dead, artificial intelligence algorithms kicked in and were already beginning to diagnose the problem. I never could explain the problem to the tech support person but the robots knew. The robots fixed everything.

I thought that Dash was going to get us up early, but he was oblivious to the time change. The wind storm didn't even wake him up. Eventually, he yawned and got up around 8 AM, with was really 7 AM to him. He wasn't the least bit upset about the lack of Internet, so we all went on a walk. We didn't feed Dash right away because we were still a little apprehensive about last night's vomiting episode. Everything was fine though. Dash took a nice walk, ate a normal breakfast, and then went back to sleep.

I was wide awake, so I went to the gym. I think everyone must have forgot to set their clocks forward, because the gym was virtually empty. Even the basketball court was empty. I quickly took advantage of the situation and shot some hoops. By the time I finished my workout, I was tired. My cold isn't completely gone, but I'm feeling better. There was a sign at the gym saying that if you had the flu it would be best to stay away for a while. I definitely don't have the flu. I never had a fever or any of the other symptoms associated with the flu. I just had a lot of nasal congestion and some weird night sweats. Hey, I slept well last night and my nose isn't running today. Maybe I'm better.

It was obvious that I needed to clean today. The house was a mess. I vacuumed, cleaned the front porch, and used the leaf blower in the back yard. Pretty soon it will be time to call the landscape guy again and have him remove all the leaves in the yard and plant new grass. The grass lasted a little longer this year, but not long enough. We're still going to have to put new sod in the back yard this Spring.

I'm going to take my big envelope of tax materials to the accountant tomorrow and then that chore will be out of the way. Looking for toilet parts is on my list for next week. There's one place in town that may have some. Dash needs his nails clipped too. I'll try to make an 8 AM appointment, so Janet can go with me. I hope something nice happens tomorrow. I'd like Day 3000 to be memorable.

Tyson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2998

Thirty minutes after I finished bragging about how good Dash was doing last night, he threw up. It's hard to predict these things. I didn't see any of the usual signs of a vestibular event, so I have a feeling that Dash may have just eaten too much. He certainly seemed unusually hungry yesterday. At any rate, I got dressed, cleaned up the mess on the carpet, took Dash outside to make sure he wasn't going to throw up again, and then we all went back to bed.

That wasn't the only strange thing that happened last night. I woke up twice with cold sweats again. Maybe I overdid things yesterday as well. I thought my cold was completely gone. I hate to look up symptoms on Google because the results are so alarming. Evidently, night sweats can signal low blood sugar, cancer, heat attacks, and severe anxiety. Luckily, night sweats are also common when you have a cold or flue. I don't think it's a big deal, but it is irritating to have to change the sheets so often. If things don't return to normal soon, I can always call my doctor next week.

The weather was so warm today that the air conditioner came on. I wasn't expecting that. The good news is that the air conditioner still works. The bad news is that if this warm weather continues, our electric bill will start going through the roof again. I'm not a big fan of Winter, but it is nice to get a break from high electric bills for a while.

Since Dash seemed back to normal this morning, I didn't bother to give him a Cerenia pill. I think I need to save the anti-nausea medication for when there are clear signs of a vestibular event. It looks like periodic vomiting is going to be part of our life for the foreseeable future. At least it doesn't happen very often. A large portion of our house has brick floors. Why does Dash always vomit on the carpets? The mess would be so easy to clean up if he would just learn to throw up on the bricks. Jeez. Last night he would have only had to move ten feet to reach a safe, easy to clean area. Sadly, it wasn't meant to be.

I washed the car today because it was much easier than fixing Dash's rubber shoes. The protective shoes are getting pretty worn and it's time to reinforce them again with more tire patch material. I bought more Shoe Goo and a tire patch kit to make the repairs, but it's a messy job and I keep postponing it. Maybe tomorrow.

I've had this cold for a week now. That seems long enough. I do feel like I'm getting better, but I'm impatient to put this all behind me. I'll probably go to the gym tomorrow no matter how I feel. I'm not contagious and I definitely need the exercise.

Ely is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2997

Dash wasn't happy that I finally started working on my taxes. I had to pen him out of the office because the floor was covered with documents I needed to sort through. I couldn't spread the documents out on my desk because it was already completely cluttered with other things. It was hard to concentrate because Dash kept barking at the gate, but eventually I began to make sense of 2017. It wasn't an auspicious year. The company didn't make much but the stock market did well, so I'll probably have to pay something. Tax preparation is discouraging. Each year looks a little worse than the previous year. It is obvious that I am in the middle of a long, slow decline.

I remember reading a book called "Die Broke" when I was younger. The theory was that it was pointless to leave a lot of money behind. Dying broke sounds OK, but running out of money fifteen years before you die doesn't sound like such a good idea. How do you fine tune this if you have no idea how much time you've got left? I wish there was some kind of scan a doctor could do that would tell you exactly when you were going to die. It sure would make planning a lot easier.

I don't even know how much time Dash has left. When the specialists at the cancer center discovered the blood clots in his heart, they sounded so alarmed that I though we might only have a few weeks left. That was months ago. It's kind of amazing, but Dash actually seems to be getting better. He's eating regularly now and has more energy. He eagerly ate all his food today and took two long walks. As recently as Christmas this would have seemed impossible.

Dash has become more needy since he started having vestibular seizures. The heart problems haven't helped either. He doesn't like to be left alone now and always seems to be demanding something. I try to be patient. If I was dealing with all the medical issues he's been facing, I'd probably be feeling pretty needy too.

I kind of felt bad that I had to pen Dash out while I sorted through my tax documents. It had to be done though. I'm running out of time. It was probably worth the effort. I think I've got things organized enough to take to my accountant on Monday.

I did end up going out for breakfast this morning. Dash wasn't happy about that either. I should have just stayed home and had a bowl of oatmeal. My meal was a big disappointment. I ordered Chorizo con Huevos and knew I was in trouble when the cheese on top was just one of those Kraft single serve sandwich slices. I don't think that stuff is even really cheese. The spicy taste of this dish is supposed to come from the sausage, not from the chili power they inexplicably added. Jeez. I won't be going back to this place any time soon.

I miss the restaurant that got me started on going out for breakfast on Friday mornings. The food was fabulous until suddenly it wasn't. That's why they went out of business. If I can't find somewhere that makes a meal worth waiting all week for, I'm just going to have to become a better cook.

Val is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2996

Occasionally I think about going back to work again. I could probably get a job. Janet tells me there is a strong demand for older, seasoned workers. I'm not surprised. I know several business owners who are totally frustrated with the demands and expectations of their millennial staff. The question isn't whether I could get a job. It's whether I could keep one. "You know. you're completely unemployable," a headhunter friend once told me. I asked why and he said that I hadn't had a boss for thirty years. "I can't see you following orders," he said. "You have no respect for authority." The guy might be right. It's been a long, long time since I've been a cog in the wheel of a large corporation. Nevertheless, there are days when I miss eating donuts and sharing stories with co-workers in the break room and getting feedback after I've finished a project. Dash doesn't say much after I've finished writing something.

Dash might say something this weekend. We've got another confusing time change to look forward to. I wish we could just decide whether we liked Daylight Savings Time or Standard Time and pick one or the other. I don't really care if we gain and hour or lose an hour. Just pick something and stick with it. The trouble with time changes is that dogs don't understand them. Once you've got your dog used to eating at a regular time, they aren't very happy about changing their schedule. I can usually be flexible about dinner. It's breakfast that is the problem. Since Dash needs to take his pills and eat before Janet goes to work, we always need to change his schedule when the time changes. Maybe it will be easier this year, but I'm not looking forward to this.

I'm starting to see signs of Spring. I spotted my first tulips today. I'm sure there are daffodils blooming in the park as well. It won't be long before the irises start blooming and then there will be an explosion of wildflowers. I've seen these flowers for so many years now that I know exactly where they will appear. Even though this show is a repeat performance, it never fails to amaze me. Why do the wildflowers return year after year with no care at all and all the things I've planted in my back yard just die?

I sure hope the roofers come over before the Oak trees start shedding catkins. I never realized until recently that catkins were actually flowers. Whatever they are, they are certainly a mess. The sticky yellow dust that covers your car in the Spring is the result of catkins. I think they contribute to my allergies as well. Since we have several large oak trees in our yard, the roof gets covered with catkins when the trees start to bud. When it rains, the catkins turn the water a deep saffron yellow that stains the elastomer coating. There are so many of these flowers that they create miniature beaver dams that trap the water and make it harder to remove. The roof is difficult to deal with at any time of year, but Spring is the worst.

At least it's Friday tomorrow. I don't know whether I'm going to go out for breakfast or not. I just can't find a place that I feel like patronizing two weeks in a row. Maybe I'll just stay home and have a bowl of oatmeal.

Bacardi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2995

I felt productive today, but it was just an illusion. I knew I was filling my day with the same mindless stuff I always do. I wasn't expecting to defrost the refrigerator until this weekend, but I recognize the signs of a frozen evaporator coil by now. It was time. It was also time to deal with the roof. There wasn't as much standing water as I expected. I don't know whether the water evaporated or if it is starting to seep through the roof. I cleaned up the remaining water and sent an e-mail to the roofers, reminding them of their promise to come out and fix this mess.

When I had the refrigerator apart this morning, I looked for loose wires while I was defrosting the coil. I'm convinced that something very minor is causing all the problems, but I can't seem to locate a defective connection or faulty part. I sure wish this refrigerator had a diagnostic function like our washer and dryer. These newer appliances have a special circuit that allows technicians to quickly locate the source of the problem. My car has the same sort of feature. I think modern service technicians have become so dependent on these advanced diagnostic boards that they no longer know how to fix things the old fashioned way. Unfortunately, I don't really know how to do this either. The inside of the refrigerator is a spaghetti maze of wire. If I were to disconnect each component and test it for continuity using a multimeter, I would probably just make matters worse.

It's really frustrating to be faced with spending thousands of dollars on a new appliance when you know in your heart that a ten dollar part is probably causing the problem. To make matters worse, I just got a notice about a nifty new portable multi-track recorder that costs about exactly the same as a new refrigerator. You can guess which of these things I'd rather have.

At least I got Dash to take two walks today. I still don't understand why he acts so differently in the afternoon. It makes no sense. Today I could tell that he was eager to go outside this afternoon, but he froze when he got to the alley, just like he usually does. I practically had to carry him down the alley to reach the park, but as soon as we were in the grassy meadow behind our house, Dash was fine. We had a nice walk. There is something about the alley that frightens Dash in the afternoon. Maybe it's a smell. Your guess is as good as mine.

I picked up a generic version of an expensive prescription I take this afternoon. My doctor said to try both and just keep taking the one I thought worked best. You'd think there'd be a more scientific way to do this, but maybe not. I still don't understand why brand name drugs are so much more expensive than their generic equivalents, especially if they are chemically the same. With my luck, I'll probably like the expensive drug better. I always seem to be drawn to expensive things.

I saw a hawk today with the moon setting behind him. I wanted to get a shot with the moon directly behind the hawk's body, but Dash wanted to go home and was tugging on his leash. I would have had to move backwards about ten feet to frame the shot properly and Dash doesn't do backwards. Sometimes I'm amazed that I get any shots of wildlife at all. I just set the camera on auto exposure and hope for the best. Dash is not very patient. When he wants to move, we move.

This week has gone quickly, especially considering that I haven't been feeling my best. My cold seems to be gradually getting better. I should be back to normal by this weekend if there is such a thing.

Connor os today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2994

OK. I voted. I've never really liked primary elections because the candidates viciously trash each other and then act surprised when all their negative ads come back to bite them in the general election. Aren't you guys supposed to be on the same team? Both parties are guilty of wanting to win at any cost. I received so much negative advertising during this primary season that I basically think all the candidates are worthless. I'm convinced that we would be better served if the vast majority of politicians didn't start out as lawyers. Lawyers just want to win. It's a game to them. I'd rather be represented by somebody who owned a pizza restaurant or walked dogs for a living than a lawyer.

Hey, I still voted though, even though Janet probably shamed me into going to our neighborhood polling place. I've had a spotty voting history over the years. I didn't vote regularly when I was younger. I just didn't think it mattered which party won. There are times when I would have preferred a monarchy. Our adversarial system seems to promote rancor and discord. I'm not surprised we're a divided country. We talk a good game about working together, but nobody really makes the effort. It's much more satisfying to just trash the other side.

I spoke too soon about my cold being over. I woke up in a cold sweat again last night. I thought I must have a fever, but my temperature was only 96 degrees. Weird. The sheets were damp, so I went back to sleep on some dry towels and changed the bed in the morning. Janet and Dash never woke up, which is probably a good thing. I'm definitely tired of feeling lousy. Unfortunately, there's not a lot you can do to shorten the duration of a cold. You've got to just let it run its course. Most cold remedies only provide very temporary relief.

Dash is still being moody. He barks at me while I'm eating breakfast. When I take him outside, he refuses to walk. It took me forever to clean all the bedding this morning and as soon as I finished making the bed again, Dash hopped up and used the bedspread as a dishrag to wipe his dirty snout. I think Dash misses having another dog around. He was much better behaved when Dot was in the house.

The repair I made on my fitness tracker didn't even last one day. Apparently superglue doesn't stick very well to silicon. I really like the Jawbone UP trackers, but they aren't made very well. My desk is littered with broken ones. I'm not doing a good job of fixing anything these days. I'm starting to see frost on the inside of the freezer again and there is still an annoying dripping sound inside the toilet tank. I'm treading water at best. Basically, all the broken things are winning.

In case you were wondering, I never got around to working on my taxes today. I did take a nice picture of a Cedar Waxwing though. Oh, well. There's always tomorrow.

Anne is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2993

I went to the doctor today. No, I didn't go about my cold. This appointment had been scheduled months ago for some routine lab work. I've had my blood drawn so many times over the years that I feel like I could give reviews on the technician's technique. Phlebotomists tell me that I have unusually good veins for drawing blood. Supposedly, I'm an easy patient. When the technician is good at their job, I never feel a thing. That wasn't the case today. I couldn't believe that the phlebotomist was having trouble finding a vein. My veins are like freeways. I kind of felt sorry for the nurse. She eventually had to call in a co-worker to help her.

Hopefully, my test results are good. I'm tired of being a pincushion. On the way home from my appointment I stopped at our city's only authentic Italian grocery store and got some hot Italian sausage. I don't know how these guys make this stuff, but it is the without a doubt the best sausage in town. Whenever I can't think of anything to eat, Italian sausage always saves the day.

I'm feeling a little better today. I've still got a runny nose, but the constant sneezing has subsided. I don't think the doctor even realized I had a cold. I didn't cough or blow my nose at all during my appointment. Janet is already getting better, so maybe the bug we caught is very short lived. I think last night was the worst for me. I woke up twice in a cold sweat. At any rate, I don't have a fever and I feel better than I did yesterday, so things are headed in the right direction.

I can't figure out why Dash won't take an afternoon walk anymore. He is still eager to walk in the morning, but I can't get him outside in the afternoon. It's odd, because the weather is usually much nicer in the afternoon. This behavior is relatively new. As recently as a week ago he was walking fine in the afternoon. I'm sure this means something but the answer isn't obvious. Does he have arthritis and is painful after his first walk? Is he apprehensive about the increased number of dogs in the park in the afternoons? Maybe he's just started to wait for Janet to come home a little earlier than usual. I wish I knew what was going on, because I think that he and I both need to keep moving.

It was nice to see the market rebound a bit. I don't understand this new volatility. A little bit of bad news will cause things to drop three hundred points. Conversely, a little bit of good news can signal a three hundred point gain. I think I was more comfortable back in the days where a 25 point move was big news. One thing is certain. Whether the market goes up or down, I've still got to do my taxes. Maybe I'll get started tomorrow. I always seem to wait until the last possible minute.

I hope I can sleep tonight. Last night was no fun at all. I don't know how people with little kids deal with being sick all the time. It would drive me crazy.

Rory is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2992

I'm not guessing anymore. I've definitely got a cold. All the symptoms are there. I've got a lot of congestion. My nose won't stop running. I have a sore throat. And I'm feeling very tired. All this happened overnight. When I went to bed, I still thought I might be suffering from seasonal allergies. Nope. This is a cold.

I didn't get a lot of rest because the cold actually feels worse when I am lying down. The sinus congestion is terrible when I am in a horizontal position. I tried the trick of pressing my tongue against the roof of my mouth while applying pressure with a finger between my eyebrows. This accomplished nothing. I can't take antihistamines, so I tried an Alka-Seltzer too. That didn't do much either.

Since resting didn't make me feel any better, I just went about my normal day. Janet and I walked Dash in the morning and then we all ate breakfast. After breakfast I went to the gym. Surprisingly, the congestion went away while I was using the hand bicycle. It came back again unfortunately while I was on the treadmill. I'm pretty sure I got this cold from Janet since she has exactly the same symptoms. Where she got it is anybody's guess.

I guess this is my yearly cold. No matter how hard I try to avoid people and stay inside my protective cocoon, I still manage to get sick occasionally. If you want to catch a cold quickly, just hang around people who have children. Children always seem to have colds in the Winter and they quickly spread to their parents and teachers. Maybe teachers build up an immunity. I think I would be sick all the time if I were a teacher.

At least Janet and I don't appear to have the flu. Neither of us had a fever. If it weren't for the fact that my head feels like it is going to explode, I really don't feel all that bad. Maybe if I get a good night's sleep tonight, I'll feel better in the morning. I certainly hope I'm not under the weather for very long. I've got a lot to do next week.

I tried to watch the Oscars for a while this evening, but after about ten minutes I'd had all I could take. Hollywood celebrities seems like alien beings now. I have so little in common with them that I can't even relate to anything they're saying. When did this all change? I can remember years ago that I enjoyed the Academy Awards enough that I would go to Oscar watching parties with my friends. The only film I've seen all year is Blade Runner 2049 and I think it is only nominated for Best Cinematography. Some of the films that were nominated this year I've never even heard of.

I added some new dogs to the Dalmatian rescue website this afternoon. I haven't met any of these dogs yet, but they all look fabulous. A few lucky people are going to be very happy with their new companion. The dogs will be even happier to finally have their forever home.

Orion is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2991

This is the time of year when it's hard to tell whether you've got allergies or a cold. I woke up this morning with a scratchy throat, watering eyes, and a runny nose. Yesterday I thought I was dealing with seasonal allergies. Today it feels more like a cold. Either way, I'd like to put this behind me. When I'm feeling under the weather, I never get anything done.

Dash had more energy than I did this morning. He was feeling good. He insisted on walking along the shoreline, which wasn't a great idea since high water from our recent wet weather had left behind lots of debris. I was worried that Dash would cut himself, but from a dogs point of view, all this debris was just new stuff to smell. It was a good thing we had a nice long walk this morning, because this afternoon Dash didn't want to walk at all. I wish I was better at reading his moods. It's frustrating to spend a lot of time putting on his protective gear if he won't leave the yard.

I did a lot of laundry today. It's amazing how dirty the bed can get when your dog thinks the bedspread is a giant bath towel. I try my best to clean Dash's paws before he comes inside in wet weather, but when it keeps raining for weeks at a time, you reach a point where you just give up. We've already replaced the white comforter on the bed with a dark blue one. We couldn't keep the white comforter looking nice for five minutes.

I had a bunch of errands to run this afternoon. In addition to the regular grocery shopping, I got some orthotic inserts for my dog walking shoes at CVS and some printer ink at Fry's. There was nobody at the register when I was at CVS. I had to track down someone stocking shelves. At Fry's only three of the stores forty-four registers were occupied. This is what retail has become. Stores think they can operate with a skeleton crew these days. They say unemployment is near record lows. I wonder where everyone is working?

It's time to start working on taxes again. The accountant wants my material two weeks earlier this year, so I better get started. At some point I need to consider formally shutting the company down. It would certainly make life easier at tax time. The company doesn't make much money anymore. I don't buy much production equipment these days. I don't travel on business and I don't even drive very much. I might be better off just taking the standard deduction.

Do I go to the gym tomorrow, get started on my taxes, clear the water off the roof while the weather is still nice, or just stay in bed and nurse my cold? It's a tough decision.

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2990

It was so nice to see the sun today. The weather was beautiful. Dash was in a good mood. I even felt like getting up this morning. We need more days like these. After a nice long walk with Dash, I went out for breakfast. I was seated near a table where several employees were talking with their boss about personnel problems. Everyone was trying to make themselves look good and their co-workers look bad. Jeez. I don't think I could ever work in an office again. There is way too much drama for me.

I'm beginning to think I might not be able to work with anyone again. Every time someone dangles a job in front of me, I try to talk them out of it. I've been corresponding with the person who wants me to update their website. When I try to explain the pitfalls of sticking with a flawed concept, I get the dreaded "I appreciate your honesty" response. Usually this just means "why aren't you agreeing with me?" Strangely, the job hasn't gone away, so I may end up doing it after all. Who knows. Maybe they actually do appreciate my honesty.

I was going to repair my dog walking shoes this afternoon, but when I took a closer look at the shoes, it seemed like a waste of time. I should just buy a new pair of boots. I didn't feel like cleaning or going up on the roof, so I wrote a letter to my sister instead. I do this about once a month. I haven't actually spoken to my sister or anyone else in my family in years. Sporadic letters seems like a good way to keep in touch to me. Anything more would be overkill. I truly don't understand how people spend so much time on their phones. What do they talk about? I really have nothing to say.

The weather remained nice for our afternoon walk. If it stays warm, I'm going to have to start mowing the grass again soon. The first time I get out the lawn mower is a good test to see whether I've gotten stronger or weaker during the year. With each passing year, the mower seems a little heavier. Last year I though that 2017 might be my last year pushing the mower. We'll see how it goes this year.

I think allergy season might have started. It's a little early, but my eyes are already itching and I'm sneezing a lot. Janet is already suffering from seasonal allergies, so I guess it's just a matter of time. Every Spring I am miserable until the allergy season passes. I start thinking how nice it would be to live in Arizona, and then I remember all the rattlesnakes and scorpions. Can't we just have nice weather without all the pollen?

I dont have any plans for the weekend. This usually means that I'll do a little cleaning and then end up wondering why things don't look any better. After a house reaches a certain age, I don't think cleaning really helps much.

Tucker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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