Day 3115

I'm going to have heartburn tonight. The refrigerator was kind of empty, so I picked up a frozen pizza on the way home from the post office. I was only going to eat two slices, but ended up eating the whole thing. Why do I do this? I wasn't even that hungry.

I still haven't painted the wall. Every time I get ready to start, I realize that I've got the wrong kind of paint brush. I made my third trip to Home Depot and this time I got a small four inch roller. The first time I got a regular bristle brush. The second time I got a handful of those cheap foam brushes. Maybe the third time is the charm. It probably won't make any difference, because I'm the one doing the painting. I want a smooth enamel finish with no streaks. I always seem to leave brush marks.

A few days ago, It looked like we were going to have clear weather for most of July. Now, the forecast shows thunderstorms all next week. I know what's going to happen. The next time I contact the roofers, they will tell me that were scheduled to fix my roof, but the rain made them change their plans. They've got this down to a science. It's never going to be clear long enough so they have no excuses.

Dash has me confused. He's not hungry in the morning anymore. His appetite doesn't seem to kick in until early evening, when he becomes ravenous. He still eats the same amount he always has, but this new schedule complicates things. It's hard to give him his morning pills, because most of them have to be taken with food. His late night meals also just about guarantee that he's going to wake me up at 3 AM to go outside and poop. Oh, well. At least he's still eating and seems pretty healthy.

I'm still wondering what happened to the Sequential Circuits synthesizers. How can something go bad just sitting in a box? It's probably just as well that this problem is out of my hands now. Maybe the guys at the guitar store can find a good repair technician. If the synthesizers were sitting here in the office, I'd spend the rest of the Summer fiddling with them and trying to diagnose the problem myself. I'd probably just make the situation worse. I have a modest amount of electronic knowledge, but it's usually just enough to get me in trouble.

It's almost Friday and I still don't know what to do for breakfast tomorrow. I've got to do better than the pitiful, stale breakfast taco I brought home from the grocery store last week. Maybe I should just go buy a box of Lucky Charms or Cap'n Crunch and a pint of milk. Lord knows, I've tried everything else. If Eggs Benedict and Belgian Waffles don't appeal to me anymore, I don't know what's wrong.

At any rate, I've grown to understand Dash's picky eating habits. I've become a picky eater myself.

Isabella is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3114 - Independence Day

The park was surprisingly quiet today. If park attendance is any indication, Cinco de Mayo has become a bigger holiday in Dallas than the Fourth of July. There are still neighborhood parades in several parts of town, but we haven't gone to one in a while. Janet used to be a judge at a local Fourth of July parade. I think we even walked with the dogs in one of these small parades when they were young. It's been a long time since we watched fireworks. Most of our dogs have been terrified of the noise. All I remember about watching fireworks in the park is getting bitten by ants.

These days we just watch the holiday concerts on TV. The Beach Boys always seem to play at these type of concerts. I was wondering how The Beach Boys were even still alive and then I noticed that the band is really just Mike Love and a bunch of much younger musicians. Listening to The Beach Boys brought back memories of Independence Days many decades ago. I'm really lucky to still have both hands after all the cherry bombs and M-80's we used to play with as kids. Fireworks weren't regulated at all back in the day. Now, these things are considered explosive devices and are illegal. I wonder how I survived cherry bombs and learning to drive without seat belts?

We were thinking about going out for dinner tonight, but it was too hot. Sometimes we have ribs on the Fourth of July, but neither of us was very hungry tonight. We still have a grill, but haven't used it in ages. Barbecue for us means driving to a good barbecue place and getting take out. No barbecue today. No burgers and beer either. We just ate left overs.

The wall I've been fixing finally looked smooth enough to paint, so I applied a coat of primer today. I was real careful, but still managed to spill paint within ten seconds after opening the paint can. I just don't seem to have any dexterity anymore. I'm always tripping over things and making a mess. I used to have perfect vision and a very steady hand. Not anymore. Using my watchmaking tools has become a joke. I don't even attempt to change batteries anymore.

It didn't seem like Wednesday today. I almost went to the gym, because it felt like Sunday. Then I remembered the place was closed. I'm really going the be confused tomorrow. I'll probably think it's Monday. Dash knew it was a holiday because both of us were home. We seems happier when we're both around.

Hopefully, he'll sleep through the fireworks tonight. I'm starting to hear explosions now. It's not as bad as it used to be because there aren't as many kids in the neighborhood anymore. I guess I ought to cut these kids some slack. Their fireworks antics aren't nearly as noisy as mine were when I was their age.

Matao is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3113

The guitars are gone. They will be joining some pretty amazing instruments in a little store I only discovered a few weeks ago. The owner appraises guitars for Antiques Roadshow and is on the advisory board of the Modern Guitar Museum in Los Angeles. The customers of this odd little place include rock and roll royalty. I was admiring a particularly nice bass and one of the guys casually mentioned that Nate Mendel from Foo Fighters had been in the store recently to look at it. I'm glad that little stores like this still exist in a world dominated by Amazon and Walmart. The three guys who run the place were incredibly nice and extremely knowledgable. This store seemed like the guitar equivalent of the place in Kentucky that is selling my model trains. I'm kind of envious of the owners of these places. They are both successful because they gained a reputation for knowing more than anyone else about a particular subject. Hey, what could be better than being a world class expert on model trains or electric guitars.

My vintage guitars found a home, but my vintage synthesizers didn't do so well. I had several old Sequential Circuits synthesizers that I thought would be very desirable. They looked brand new and still had their original shipping boxes. Everyone was real excited to see these things until one of the guys called a collector in Chicago who advised them to plug them in and see if they still worked. It never occurred to me that they wouldn't. Hey, they both worked perfectly when I boxed them up fifteen years ago. Evidently, Sequential Circuits electronics have a reputation for going kaput if they have been sitting around for extremely long periods of time. I was dismayed when we fired the beasts up and all that came out of them were some strange screeching sounds. We're going to see about repairing the synthesizers if someone is still alive who is familiar with them. They're either worth a lot of money, or absolutely nothing.

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust. Going through my old stuff made me think of this biblical phrase. If you keep something too long, it rusts, decomposes, and turns to dust. I've kept a lot of things well past their expiration date just because I liked the memories they evoked. I should have sold my Citroën SM sooner. When I finally did sell, all the rubber parts had gone bad and then engine wouldn't turn over. I should have sold the synthesizers the moment I removed them from the studio. They worked perfectly then and lots of people would have wanted them. I should have sold my BetaSP video equipment before analog video become obsolete. The stuff is worthless now. Live and learn.

At least the art I sent to New York is still desirable. I got a message from the auction house today saying that the shipment had arrived in good condition. What what I can tell, everyone seems real excited about these pieces. I think they want to reframe some of them, but that's OK. I'm still a bit nervous about the auction, but the appraisers are convinced that everything will sell.

I sanded the sheetrock today and it still isn't perfect. I applied a little bit more mud and will sand everything again tomorrow. Hopefully, I've got the energy to get this place looking nice again. The house is the best example of Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust I can think of. It looked beautiful when we bought the place years ago, but now it is starting to look like Grey Gardens. Jeez. I used to be an architect. I never thought I'd live in a place as cluttered and crumbling as my parents final home. Age catches up with you though. Eventually you reach a point where you just don't care what the furniture looks like.

Janet just asked me what I wanted to do for the Fourth of July. I have no idea. Certainly nothing that has anything to do with fireworks. I'm not looking forward to even going outside tomorrow. It's way too hot.

Bob Hope is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3112

I heard the neighbor calling his dog this morning. This was the dog that bit me. The voice wasn't coming from the neighbor's yard. It was coming from down the street. Damn. The dog had gotten loose again. Luckily, I had already finished walking Dash, but I didn't feel comfortable going outside for the rest of the day.

I called the electrician again to see when he was coming to fix the security light. He said he tried to call me last Thursday. I never got the call. Who knows what happened? Maybe the call got intercepted by Nomorobo and was never put through. Maybe the phone actually rang and I didn't answer because I thought it was a telemarketer. This happens a lot with service people. They use their personal cell phones now to call customers. If I don't see a company name on caller ID or I don't recognize the number, I don't answer. The guy could have left a message, but he probably don't want to come over anyway. He promised that they would still fix the light, but didn't say when.

My second call was to the guitar store to let them know I was on my way. Oops. I should have read the website more carefully. The place isn't open on Mondays. It isn't open in the mornings either. Actually the place isn't open much at all. The guys did say that a lot of their business was out-of-state. I guess having a retail storefront isn't all that important. I really shouldn't complain about any of this. My appointment was for tomorrow anyway. I just wanted to go today because I was bored.

Since I couldn't get my guitars appraised, I decided to fix the crack in the sheetrock instead. I would never make a good tape and bed guy. I can't seem to apply the drywall mud smoothly. I'll let the stuff dry and try to sand it smooth tomorrow. This will make a lot of dust, but I can't see any alternative. I've seem people apply mud so smoothly that you don't even need to sand. This type of finesse is out of my league. Oh, well. At least the joint compound is easier to clean up than glue.

I heard on the news that the raw sewage crisis has been averted. The city managed to divert the sewage spill to storm drains so the mess will never reach the lake. Who knows where the storm drains go. I think the lake is being reopened for recreational use tomorrow. I'm really glad that the lake won't be filled with dead fish and disease. This little oasis is one of the nicest things about this part of town.

The truck with my art should have arrived in New York by now, but I still haven't heard anything. I'm trying to avoid making a worried call to the auction house. The stuff is insured, so I should just forget about it. It's hard to do though. It doesn't matter if it is the post office, UPS, or some fancy fine art shipper. I always think something disastrous is going to happen during shipping. I'm sure the auction people will give me a call later this week. I just hate to wait.

Tomorrow, I'll probably paint the wall I patched today if the surface looks smooth enough. If Dash is doing well, I'll go to the guitar store too. He was a little shaky today. This heat is tough on him. I think it's tough on everybody.

Bud is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3111

My Sunday trip to the gym is starting to seem a little too familiar. I instantly know which channel is playing on the televisions in front of the treadmills. I recognize all of the other members, even though I don't know any of them by name. I can accurately guess what my heart rate will be when I finish my twenty minutes on the hand bicycle. I know exactly how long it will take to walk a mile on the treadmill. The only thing that seems to change is basketball. When I started, I could sink five free throws in a reasonable amount of time. As my aim gradually improved, I realized I could complete ten free throws in the same amount of time. Today I completed fifteen. Progress is often illusive, but it's nice to know I'm not getting worse.

My mind wanders while I'm exercising. It's always active though. I try to guess the name of the band when I hear a song playing on the sound system. I calculate the number of calories I'm burning in my head. Sometimes, I solve the world's problems, but I've always forgotten the solution by the time I've returned home. I think it is important to keep your brain active. I daydream a lot. One of the reasons I've kept writing this blog for so long is that I think that writing keeps you from becoming senile. I'm sure I could play Tetris or do Sudoku puzzles instead, but moving words around until they make sense is more satisfying.

Walking has become less satisfying as the temperature increases. We walked really early this morning to keep thing comfortable for Dash. It's a good thing we took this sunrise stroll, since it became far too hot to go out again later in the day. Since we got such an early start, I returned from the gym well before noon. I should have just taken a long nap this afternoon, but there was too much to do. I bought a new garden hose to replace one that had developed a leak. I had the hardware store match some enamel to a paint chip so I could finish repairing a large crack in the wall that had been hidden for years by one of the paintings I shipped off to New York. Repairing sheetrock and painting is a messy job, so I'm going to save this odious task for a day when I'm in a really good mood.

We encountered another aggressive dog this morning and narrowly avoided getting bitten. Once again, the owner was walking a very large dog on one of those long flexi-leashes and couldn't control it when they saw us on the path. We tried to stay out of the way, but the dog was totally out of control. These type of incidents happen way too often. It's getting harder and harder to relax in today's chaotic world. Often, I think I would be happier if I didn't encounter other people at all.

If I've got time tomorrow, I may take a few guitars to the vintage guitar store and get them appraised. I'm curious whether these things are treasures or junk. I usually take care of thing well, but the guitar I've had since high school is pretty well trashed. That's a shame, since a guitar from the 1960's would definitely qualify as vintage. The question is whether it still qualifies as desirable. I hope the experts are interested in this stuff. I need to clear out the storage warehouse.

I'm not looking forward to the Fourth of July. Dash, like many dogs, gets freaked out by loud noises. Fireworks used to be a nightmare when the dogs were younger. Maybe this year won't be so bad. Dash can't hear well anymore. Hopefully what used to be a frightening boom will just be a low rumble this year.

Bentley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3110

We walked Dash very early today, so there'd be plenty of time to photograph new rescue Dalmatians after breakfast. The kennel seems a long way away now, but that's just because I don't drive much. For most people in Dallas the drive would just seem like a normal commute to work. There was only one new dog to photograph, but that was just as well because the kennel was very busy. Hopefully, this little guy will get a home soon. Charlie was a friendly boy and Janet wanted me to make him today's Dalmatian of the Day.

I'm sure this isn't the hottest Summer on record, but it sure seems that way. Maybe there have been warmer days, but there sure haven't been larger electric bills. Our June bill was the highest I can remember. This probably says more about the rising cost of electricity than it does about the weather. I think we'd pay just about anything to keep the air conditioner running unfortunately. The heat is merciless. We're all getting older and can't take it anymore. I'll keep changing the furnace filters and hopefully the house will stay cool for the rest of the Summer.

I went to the storage warehouse and brought home some of Dot's low dog beds for Dash. He's having trouble getting on the bed now and is increasingly starting to sleep on the floor. Dot did the same thing as she got older. Hopefully, a few strategically placed dog beds will help keep him comfortable. Our brick floors can be pretty tough for an old dog.

I like Sam's Club and Costco's prices on bulky items, but I sure wish they came in smaller sizes. I got toilet paper today and I think I have enough to last the rest of the year. We have a small house and it takes forever to figure out where to store the big boxes of paper towels and toilet paper. The cabinets are full, but I'm confident that we're good on coffee pods, mineral water, toilet paper, and towels.

The storage warehouse still looked pretty full when I went to get the dog beds this afternoon. I wonder if I'll ever be able to remove enough stuff so I can move to a smaller space when my rent comes due again. I've cleared out a bunch of stuff, but it still looks the same. This is going to take a lot of work. The storage warehouse management doesn't give customers access to their dumpster anymore either. That sucks. How can you throw stuff away if there's no place to put it?

It's hard to believe the year is half over. I certainly haven't accomplished very much. I wish I realized earlier how difficult it was going to be to simplify things. If you haven't used something in five years, I would encourage you to throw it away. It doesn't get any easier after ten or twenty years. I wonder what ever gave me the idea that at a certain age you could just magically transition to a house on the beach?

Charlie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3109

The "Service Required" light has come on in my car again. There's nothing wrong with the car. It runs fine. The light is programmed to come on whenever the dealer wants you to come in for required maintenance. They know that if you see the warning light every morning, you are eventually going to make an appointment for the expensive service. The trick works every time. Even if the car is working perfectly, I eventually begin to worry that something "might" go wrong. The service light didn't bother me much when the car was under warranty. Now that the service costs an arm and a leg, I'd rather just keep driving until I hear a funny noise. I'll go ahead and make an appointment though. You win, expensive dealership. I'm superstitious.

I talked to the owner of a vintage guitar store today. A friend recommended this place, and sure enough these guys knew their stuff. Sadly, my guitars aren't particularly special. They are old though. The store was interested enough to want to take a look at them. I made an appointment to get an appraisal and hopefully I can move some of these things from the storage warehouse to a consignment agreement. I've decided that it makes sense to consign as much stuff as possible. Climate control isn't very good in the storage warehouse and for the most part, the stores provide much better insurance. You've got to do your homework though. There are good dealers and shady dealers for almost everything.

I couldn't decide where to go for breakfast this morning, so I went nowhere. While I was getting groceries for the weekend, I picked up a pathetic looking breakfast taco to eat. By the time I got home, I wasn't even hungry for that. It's a shame that I've lost my interest in going out for breakfast on Fridays. I can think of an excuse to avoid every restaurant within a ten mile radius these days. Maybe I've just become too picky, but I think something has fundamentally changed. I don't have much of an appetite anymore.

The security light in the back yard has started to work again. I don't know what is going on. Some days it works perfectly and other days it turns itself on and off randomly. The electrician hasn't come out to replace the photocell yet, so I've probably got a few more days to ponder this mystery. I still think a big spider is causing the problems. Since bugs are attracted to light and spiders are attracted to bugs, it makes sense that a lot of spiders are living near the light. The only problem with this theory is that if a big spider were sitting on the photocell, the light should come on. It goes off instead. I don't know what would cause the lamp to randomly go dark in the middle of the night, especially if it still returns to normal the next evening.

Janet and I are going to go photograph new rescue dogs this weekend. That still seems like a useful thing to do. So many things I do these days have no purpose whatsoever.

Sparky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3108

Just heard that a million gallons of raw sewage is headed toward our lake. Evidently a construction crew ruptured a sewer line in a suburb North of here and the sewage flowed into a creek that feeds the lake. Life in the city I guess. We never let our dogs swim in the lake anyway because of an abundance of snakes and the ongoing threat of Leptospirosis. Lots of people do let their dogs swim in the lake though. Maybe when they start seeing dead fish, they'll know something is wrong.

It's going to be a long, hot Summer. The temperature routinely gets above one hundred degrees during the day now. It's still cool enough for Dash if we begin our morning walk at sunrise. Later in the day it gets pretty dicy. Even though Dash still wants to walk in the evening, it isn't safe to go very far. We barely made it to the end of the block this evening.

I'm going to miss watching The Expanse after breakfast on Thursdays. Season Three is over now. I watched the season finale today and although a few major issues were resolved, I was still left wondering what was going to happen next. Since we'll probably have to wait at least a year or two before the series reappears on Amazon Prime, I may have to start reading the James S.A. Corey books. The story The Expanse is based on is an eight book series. The TV show has only made it as far as book three. There's a long way to go before this saga is complete.

I barely got started on the new website project and the client already wants to go in a different direction. It's not even worth the trouble to get upset. Few people are interested in my ideas anymore and I'm not interest in arguing. I'll see if I can figure out how to do what these guys want. If not, it's no great loss. I'm more or less retired anyway.

I keep wondering what is happening with my train collection and whether my artwork has made it safely to New York yet. Why am I still thinking about these things? I'll never see this stuff again. I need to move on and start thinking about the next things I need to part with. I'm nostalgic by nature. Looking back isn't always good though. Instead of focusing on old memories, it would probably be better to start making new ones.

It's been a long week, but at least it's Friday tomorrow. Maybe we'll see another Scissor Tailed Flycatcher on our walk. These birds are always interesting to watch. Maybe the electrician will show up and fix the light in the back yard. Maybe I'll be inspired to find an interesting place to eat in the morning. Hey, Dash's poop still looks normal. That's encouraging. When a dog's poop is more encouraging than the evening news, you know we live in a world that has gone wrong.

Rascal is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3107

The yard looks nice again. I thought the guys were only going to replace a few squares of obviously dead St. Augustine sod, but they ended up replacing about half the grass in the yard. The landscapers were very nice and I felt a little bad about calling them multiple times about the bad grass. I was polite but persistent. You have to be. I've learned the hard way that the squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Now it's time to focus my attention on the leaky roof, the stuck sliding glass door, the faulty backyard light, the noisy toilet, and a half dozen other things that are falling apart around the house. There are lots of little things that need attention this Summer, but the big thing is still Dash. I worry about Dash every day.

I talked to two different vets today about blood thinners and internal bleeding. Both of them agreed that Janet and I did the right thing to discontinue the low dose aspirin Dash was taking when we started seeing dark stools. Evidently baby aspirin has a greater tendency to irritate the stomach and intestinal lining than Plavix. Low dose aspirin can easily cause internal bleeding in both humans and animals. We're going to stop the aspirin for now, but continue the Plavix. So far, this plan seems to be working. Dash's poop has already returned to its normal color and there are no longer any obvious signs of bleeding. We can only hope that we are still keeping the blood clot from growing.

I'm way behind on the website project I'm supposed to be doing this Summer. I've been waiting for input, but I finally decided that I could get started without it. I didn't really accomplish much today, but I did manage to recover my password and gain access to the server. I created a space for the new site to reside and now I've got a place to come back and work whenever I'm in the mood. As my deadline for completing this project approaches, I imagine that I'm going to be in the mood a lot more often.

As soon as the new grass got installed, the yard squirrels started to eat it. When the squirrels aren't eating the grass, they are digging holes to bury acorns under it. With all the critters that call this place home, it's amazing that I have a yard at all. I have a feeling that critters are responsible for the faulty security light in the back yard as well. There are thousands of spiders in the yard and they are constantly building webs. I wouldn't be surprised if there a thick spider web covering the photocell that turns the light on and off. This would certainly explain the erratic behavior of the photocell, but I'm not sure about the solution. You can't tell spiders what to do.

I'm recording the two hour season finale of The Expanse tonight. I wonder when I'll find time to watch this? Dash doesn't usually sleep this long. Whenever I watch, I'm sure I'll have to stop and start the show over and over again, so I can take Dash outside to pee. Dash will sleep for a long time if I'm sleeping with him. If I'm trying to do something else, he's constantly interrupting me. Like any Dalmatian, he thrives on attention. I probably spoil him, but why not. Dash has so many problems that he deserves all the happy moments he can get.

I can't decide whether to stay up late tonight. Saturn is at opposition and less than one degree away from the full moon tonight. It ought to be quite a sight. The only problem is that there are so many trees in our area that I won't be able to get a good view of this rare alignment until almost 1 AM. If I want to see Saturn's rings, I'll need to get the telescope out too. I wonder if I can even find the telescope? I know it's here somewhere.

Deuce is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3106

Years ago I thought nothing about hitchhiking around the country to save a little money. It was fun. Hitchhiking not only seemed safe, it actually was pretty safe. When I wanted to sell something back in the day, I would routinely run a classified ad in the local paper, confident that the buyer would be a nice, honest person. Times have certainly changed. A friend was trying to tell me today how to sell guitars on Craigslist without getting scammed or robbed. Jeez. There were so many precautions to take that it made my head spin. No thank you. Why would anyone trust someone on Craigslist or eBay these days? It's sad. These once promising marketplaces have become a minefield.

Maybe some of the bright young people who work at Space X still see a world filled with limitless opportunities. I tend to see Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Where has civility and simple decency gone?  We live in a world where people follow the UPS truck and steal packages off your porch. Real estate agents are frightened to show a house alone these days because of all the stories about assaults and robberies. Even police officers have stopped riding in their squad cars without a partner.

Dystopian science fiction has become way too close to real life. I think I prefer the simple minded black and white worlds of Perry Mason, The Kingston Trio, and Leave it to Beaver. Strangely, few people seem to want to follow me back to the 1950's. Hey, I'd gladly trade my cell phone for a world where you didn't have to lock your door at night.

Time only moves forward unfortunately. I still spend my days waiting for the roofer and the landscaper. I actually got a text message this morning saying that the dead grass will be replaced tomorrow morning. We'll see. I'm not going to get my hopes up though. I've heard promises before.

They did the wrong test on Dash's poop at the vet. I'm glad to know that he doesn't have parasites, but I still don't know whether there is any internal bleeding. I'll have to get another stool sample and have them do the test again. I thought I was pretty clear about what Dash needed, but maybe not. Janet says I mumble a lot and people don't really listen to me.

Dash has started eating grass again this evening. We've got our fingers crossed and hope he doesn't throw up tonight. If we're really lucky, we'll all sleep well and his poop will look normal in the morning. I try to focus on simple things like this. The world close to home still makes sense. Everything else is starting to seem like an episode of Black Mirror.

Derrick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3105

The walls are looking pretty bare. The art shippers arrived today, packed up the pictures, and took them away. I hope I don't regret this decision. I've had these pictures on the wall for a long time and some of them have become old friends. I think it's time though. If Janet and I ever want to move somewhere else in the future, we certainly don't want to haul a bunch of stuff we don't need to a new location. Downsizing isn't easy, but I think it's necessary. I've seen many people wait too long and leave a horrible mess for relatives to clean up later.

I've always been a collector and somewhat of a packrat. I never thought I'd reach a point in my life where I could willingly part with stuff. Surprisingly, it's not that hard. The older you get, the less meaning a lot of your possessions have. A lot of stuff, especially clothing and old computers, I should have gotten rid of years ago. Right now, living minimally again seems like a worthy goal. I'm sure Janet will be encouraging me to continue this quest. She's been wanting me to get rid of stuff for as long as I can remember.

I took a sample of Dash's poop to the vet today so they could test for occult blood. Hopefully, the lab will have the results tomorrow. Something isn't right and I hope it isn't internal bleeding. Bleeding isn't uncommon when you are taking blood thinners. It could be something else though. There are dozens of reasons that dogs could have occult blood in their stool. I wish there was a simple explanation for the dark stools. I'd much rather learn that we were feeding Dash the wrong food than learn that he has a tumor.

I didn't get a lot accomplished today because I spent most of the day waiting for the shippers to arrive. The whole process took longer than I thought because the two guys that came to the house had to create a special package for each picture. I was impressed. The guys definitely knew what they were doing. I looked up the shipping company on the Internet and these are the same guys that move presidents out of the White House on inauguration day. A little different than sending something by UPS. When the truck left, the guys said they were headed to Fort Worth to pick up another shipment. "Lots of luck," I said. I don't think they realized how bad Dallas traffic gets during rush hour.

The security light in the back yard is working again. I didn't even have to call the electrician. After about 48 hours, the light seemed to fix itself. I'm not sure what happened, but I suspect that a rat or a squirrel fell asleep on top of the photocell. It could have been a giant spider too. We've got some pretty big spiders. Since the light and the sensor are on top of a tall pole, I never really know what is going on at the top. Hopefully, this thing will keep working for the rest of the Summer. Electricians are expensive.

I'm going to have to go to the storage warehouse and look for something to hang on the bare walls. There's plenty to choose from. I still have quite a few of my own photos that never sold at my last gallery show. I think that show was twelve years ago.

Shiner is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3104

Now I'm worried that there is blood in Dash's stool. When other dogs of ours have had these unusually dark stools, it was seldom a good sign. Maybe the Plavix has caused some internal bleeding. Maybe Dash's cancer has returned. I'll take a sample to the lab for occult blood testing tomorrow and hope for the best. If this is caused by something Dash is eating, it would be good news. We can change what Dash is eating. I'm not sure we can stop the Plavix though.

I didn't do a lot of thinking today. I never do on Sundays. We took a long sunrise walk before it became to hot outside. We all ate breakfast and then I went to the gym. I like my new schedule. I seem to have more energy when I go to the gym early. I tried a new method of shooting free throws that a friend recommended, but it didn't make much of a difference. I tried to move a little faster on the treadmill and arm bicycle as well. There isn't much point in doing these exercises if I don't elevate my heart rate a bit more.

If I counted Sunday chores as part of my workout, I'm actually getting a lot of exercise. I mowed the grass today and vacuumed the house. While I was vacuuming, I took some of the pictures that are going to the auction house off the wall and dusted behind the frames. Most of these pictures haven't been off the wall in decades, so there was an immense amount of dust on the back. The dust didn't hurt anything, but I was embarrassed for anyone else to see it. Now, when everything is packed up to go to New York, the pictures will be clean on both sides.

I think I might just wait until Fall to get the sliding glass door fixed. We don't use the atrium much anyway. I had to have this door fixed once before and the repair people had to remove it for a day to fix the track. I don't think it's a good idea to remove this large door in the Summer. A day without the door would quickly make the inside of the house the same temperature as the outside. I don't think Dash could handle this. I wouldn't enjoy it very much either. I often postpone things for no reason at all, but I think this is a pretty good reason to do nothing.

I can't figure out why my phone is getting a stronger signal now. Usually reception is so bad that I often have to take the phone outside when I get a call. All the sudden I've gone from one bar to four bars. The logical thing would be that AT&T has improved our service, but Janet's phone hasn't changed at all. She still gets poor reception inside the house. This is as much of a mystery as when my Apple Watch shuts itself off while I sleep. I think technology has developed a life of its own. I have no idea what my devices are doing these days.

There is something really important that I need to do tomorrow, but I can't remember what it is. I think all Monday's begin this way.

Rio is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3103

When I took Dash outside to pee last night, the yard was uncharacteristically dark. The security light had gone out again. Jeez. I just had the electrician fix this thing less than a month ago. Dash pooped somewhere, but I couldn't see anything. The yard was too dark. Little things like this drive me nuts. Why is it so hard to get things fixed these days? For what I paid the electrician, that light should have stayed working for years.

When I went to get groceries this morning, I couldn't find any Swiss cheese. The cheese aisle must have had fifty different varieties of cheese, but no Swiss. It wasn't like I was trying to find anything exotic. I was under the impression that Swiss was a very common cheese, but from the looks of the cheese aisle, Irish cheese and Greek cheese are more popular. In case you were thinking that the store was just out of stock, it's been this way for almost three months. The absence of my favorite cheese was just as frustrating as the faulty security light in the back yard. In both cases, I don't know what is going on. Who knows? Maybe there is a tariff on cheese.

I keep looking around the office and wondering if I still need all the stuff surrounding me. Probably not. I'd be more amenable to a major housecleaning, if it wasn't so much trouble. Books are heavy. Obsolete tape recorders and computers are even heavier. It's much easier to just let everything collect dust a little longer. There needs to be a painless way to downsize without dealing with yard sales or Craigslist. I used to be a big fan of eBay, but that seems almost as bad as Craigslist these days. Lets face it. I've become so adverse to dealing with strangers that I'll probably just do nothing.

It's getting harder to find things to photograph on our walks now. The Spring wildflowers are starting to disappear and the animals stay hidden during the hot Summer days. We got up extra early this morning in an attempt to avoid the heat, but it was still uncomfortable. It's going to be a long, hot Summer.  I think Dash had more energy this morning than I did.

I hope I have more energy tomorrow, because it's time to go to the gym again. I wonder what it's going to take to step up my game and go several times a week. It's easy to convince myself that I already get enough exercise walking Dash. It's even easier to convince myself that the traffic is too bad to leave the house. Hey, if I was really concerned about exercise, I could just do planks on the office floor. It's actually pretty amazing that I even go to the gym at all.

The landscaper still hadn't replaced the dead grass. I wonder who I'm going to see first: the roofer or the landscaper?

Boo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3102

We had our first 100 degree day of the year. I'm sure it won't be our last. It seemed ridiculously hot today. I kept thinking that we don't usually get this kind of weather until July. Then I realized that it is actually pretty close to July. Needless to say, Dash didn't get an afternoon walk. He had trouble yesterday when it was ten degrees cooler. We're just going to stay inside and hope the air conditioner keeps working.

I've started ordering breakfast from the side dish menu. These little plates with a single sausage link or a few pieces of toast seem just about right. The waiters don't seem happy. I think they want me to order a much larger meal. Not to worry. I'm still going to leave a good tip. I'm just not very hungry these days.

The art shippers called this afternoon. They're on their way. It's going to seem weird not to have these pictures on my walls any more. They've followed me around to two different states and three different houses. It's time to say goodbye though. Possessions can be an anchor around your neck. It might be more enjoyable to travel than to worry about whether a roof leak is going to ruin a painting.

I was going to clean the atrium today and I couldn't get the sliding glass door to open. Jeez. I was going to fix this thing last year, but never got around to it. Now, I've got one more thing on my to-do list. The list just keeps getting longer. Yesterday, I added a whistling toilet in Janet's bathroom. The toilet still works fine, but loud noises are usually a good indication that something bad is about to happen.

Anyone my age has probably watched the Carpool Karaoke episode with Paul McCartney by now. The video was plastered all over my Facebook wall this morning. This touching tribute to Paul's Liverpool roots brought back a flood of memories that had nothing to do with Liverpool. I grew up with the Beatles. It's amazing that after all these years, the Beatles and the Stones are still relevant. I was lucky to come of age in the golden age of music. The 60's and the 70's were a high water mark. Listening to a new album by The Lumineers just doesen't compare to hearing Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon for the first time.

I got a letter from my sister today. I'm glad she's feeling well enough to write again. Her cancer is not in remission, but she seems in much better spirits. We followed dramatically different paths in life, but some things seem to be converging as we grow older. We both share the same distain for Uber and Airbnb. It's pretty obvious that we have joined the "Get off my Lawn" crowd.

When Dash woke me up last night to go outside, he ended up giving me a scare. He had a mild case of diarrhea and wandered all over the yard in a squatting position. When he was finished, he had trouble resuming an upright position. He seemed stuck in his pooping posture. I had to help him up and gently walk him around the yard a bit to get him moving again. When he came inside, he wasn't able to climb up on the bed and went to sleep on the floor. Luckily, he was walking fine this morning. Dash's rear legs are getting weaker and weaker. I hope he can make it through the Summer.

I hope I can make it through the Summer too. Right now, living in Iceland seems pretty appealing.

Kirby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3101 - Summer Solstice

It certainly seemed like the longest day of the year. I didn't get that much accomplished, but I've been busy all day. It takes me so long to get things done now. By the time I walked Dash, ate breakfast, paid a few bills, and watched last night's episode of The Expanse, it was time to get my hair cut. I'd made the appointment for 2:15 this afternoon, thinking that it would give me plenty of time, but I was almost late.

By the time I got home again, it was already time to feed Dash his dinner. I always feel better after a haircut. I may not look any younger, but at least I don't look like a madman. Maybe if I cut my hair more frequently, the transformation wouldn't be so severe. I used to go shopping when I made this periodic trip to Northpark Mall. Now, I don't even bother to stop at the Apple Store. I never thought I'd grow tired of computers, but I think the day has finally arrived. I certainly don't need any more clothes. After taking three bags of stuff to the Goodwill the other day, my closets are still filled with things I've never worn.

Dash is back to normal again. I'm glad he is able to bounce back from these frightening vestibular episodes. His appetite has returned and the nausea has gone. It makes a huge difference when Dash is willing to eat. Some of his meds are absolutely essential and when he has an upset stomach, it is nearly impossible to give him his pills. After a while, you really learn to appreciate the good days.

Summer Solstice in Texas just means that the heat lasts a little longer in the evening. There was a time though, when this day was pretty special. When I was growing up in Alaska, my Dad packed the family in the car and we drove to the Arctic Circle one Summer to see the midnight sun during the solstice.  It was a long time ago, but I still remember how cool it was to see the sun above the horizon at midnight. With 24-hour days in the summer and auroras almost every night in the Winter, it's not surprising that I developed a lifelong interest in astronomy.

I was really disappointed to hear that the Supreme Court is going to allow states to collect sales tax from online sales. For many years, I've bought all my computers and cameras online primarily to avoid the sales tax. Buying online has saved me a lot of money over the years. I feel sorry for small Etsy businesses. It's going to be a nightmare for them to calculate all the different tax rates that various different municipalities are charging. I'm glad I was around at the beginning of the Internet. Ten years from now, it's not going to seem very special at all.

I have no idea where I'm going for breakfast tomorrow. I wish I still enjoyed this little Friday morning adventure. Like the early Internet, it was fun for a while. What I can't figure out is if I'm losing interest in food, why am I still gaining weight?

Barley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3100

Every time I think we've turned the corner with Dash, something happens to remind me that he's still a sick dog. He must have had another vestibular episode last night. When I took him outside to pee around 1 AM, he was drooling a lot and wanted to eat grass. I thought he was going to throw up, but he didn't. We went back to sleep, but he had no appetite the next morning. It was really hard to get him to take his morning meds. He wasn't interested in anything. Eventually we were able to wrap the pills in small pieces of a leftover quesadilla. He still seemed eager to walk, but when we got home he wanted to throw up again. It was way too soon to throw up because his phenobarbital hadn't gotten into his system yet. I wouldn't let him eat grass in the yard, gave him a Pepsid AC, and went back in the bedroom with him until he eventually fell asleep on the bed. This was a little risky, since I didn't want to clean vomit off the bedspread. The plan worked though. When Dash woke up three hours later, he seemed fine.

When we went out to dinner yesterday I put on a shirt that Janet said was fifteen years out of style. It probably was. I have trouble throwing stuff away, so I told her she could go through my closet and get rid of anything she'd be embarrassed to see me wear in public. Janet loves to get rid of clutter, so I wasn't surprised that she took me up on my offer. This afternoon, there were three large trash bags filled with an odd selection of old polo shirts that looked like they belonged to a guy thirty pounds heavier than me. Jeez. Did I ever wear those shirts? I guess I must have. There were also a ton of old t-shirts I must have picked up at trade shows. Janet seemed delighted to pare down my collection of ugly sweaters. I must have been fond of loud, colorful sweaters at some point. I could never throw away this stuff myself, but I won't miss anything. Truthfully, I'm glad the stuff is gone.

When I went to the bank this morning, I stood in line behind a man who'd brought a shopping cart into the lobby with him. He looked like a homeless guy, but he must have had a business of some sort. I watched as the teller handed him bag after bag of coins. When he had filled the grocery cart with coins, he left the bank and started pushing the cart down the sidewalk. I have no idea where he was going. It's a strange world we live in. You never would have seen this at a bank twenty years ago.

I made an appointment to get a haircut tomorrow, but I forgot to check the weather forecast first. It looks like there are supposed to be thunderstorms. I hope the forecast changes overnight. Weather forecasts change every few hours here in Texas, so it might be clear tomorrow. If there are storms, I'll have to cancel my appointment. Dash's storm phobia has gotten worse and I can't risk leaving him alone in a storm anymore.

Dash ate his dinner tonight, so hopefully he is feeling better. We still don't know what triggers these vestibular episodes. They seem to occur when you least expect them and they are always alarming. The vet says he will experience these periodic sensations of vertigo and nausea for the rest of his life. Luckily, they don't seem to happen too often. Lets hope he has a normal day tomorrow.

Alamo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3099 - My Birthday

How did this happen? I'm seventy years old. That seems impossible. Just yesterday people were still calling me a forty-something. Where has the time gone? I shouldn't complain though. I'm still here. My Mom never reached this age and my Dad already knew he had Parkinson's Disease by the time he turned seventy. All things considered, I'm still pretty healthy and there is no reason not to enjoy my remaining years.

Birthday's are pretty low key these days. My insurance agent and dentist are the only people who send cards anymore. Lots of people send birthday greetings on Facebook though. I love the birthday feature on Facebook. Without it, I could never remember anyone's birthday.

Janet took me out for dinner tonight. We ate early, so there would still be time to walk Dash when we got home. Our meal was great. I never would have discovered this place even though it is located nearby. My knowledge of restaurants is limited to breakfast. Janet still works though and takes people to lunch. She knows where all the cool restaurants are.

She also knows what I like. My birthday gift was a trip to the Houston Space Center. This is perfect for an aging space nerd like me. When Janet retires (again) later this Summer and can stay with Dash, I'm going to enjoy visiting mission control, standing next to a Saturn V, and maybe even having lunch with an astronaut.

I wonder if the landscaper knew it was my birthday? Much to my surprise, he and his assistant came over today. They were very nice and said that they would have been here earlier if they hadn't been so busy. The replacement grass wasn't installed today, but they measured what was needed and said they'd be back on Friday. Sounds good to me.

Dash seemed very relieved when we returned from dinner tonight. We weren't gone that long, but he isn't used to being alone anymore. He knows he is a special needs dog and one of us is always around in case he stumbles or has a seizure. I thought that Dash would probably poop in the house while we were gone, but he waited until we returned to poop in the house. Poor guy. He doesn't enjoy having an accident. Incontinence goes hand in hand with aging though. In dog years, Dash is a lot older than I am.

I can't say that turning seventy is as much fun as turning 25 or 30, but it does have a silver lining. I am now permanently exempt from jury duty.

Inky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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