Day 2376

Maybe I've set the bar too low, but I felt like I accomplished something today. There a new battery in an old iPhone that had just been sitting in a junk drawer for several years. The Interstate Battery technician reminded me that there was no SIM card in the phone, but I told him that I didn't care. I'm just going to use the phone as a WiFi pet cam. It was strangely satisfying that I revived this old phone for less than half of what it would have cost if I took it to those guys at the Genius Bar in the Apple Store. Jeez, it's just a battery. It never should have cost $75 in the first place.

I also have an extended warranty on my main production camera that will probably outlast me. I got the warranty certificate this morning and now I just need to figure out where to put it, so I won't have to spend three days looking for it when the camera eventually breaks. I don't know why I need a paper certificate anyway. Panasonic should already have all my information in a database somewhere.

The only other thing on the agenda was getting a haircut. When my eyebrows start to look like Andy Rooney, I know it's time for a haircut. I wasn't rushed today, so I stopped by the Apple Store on the way to my appointment and took a look at the new larger iPad Pro. I may get one of these things, since it is much lighter and more convenient than my current laptop. With the handy keyboard case attached, this clever tablet could easily replace my laptop. Now, all I need is a month without excessive bills, so I can pay for it.

While I was walking back to the parking garage after my haircut, I stopped in the Tesla Store to take a look at the new Model X. I'd never seen one of these things before and it was pretty impressive. With its gull wing doors, space age electronics, and oversize wheels, the Model X seemed like something the Jetsons would drive. I doubt that I'll be driving one anytime soon. I might be able to afford an iPad Pro, but I'll never be able to afford a Tesla Model X.

When I was walking Dash this afternoon, I noticed quite a few Scissor-Tail Swallows flying around. These birds are kind of amazing and can seemingly hover like a helicopter. I wanted to get a picture of one of them in flight, but Dash was getting hot and was in a hurry to get home. I managed to get one shot of a Swallow resting on a nearby branch, but that was about it. It's an uphill battle to do nature photography when you're walking a Dalmatian.

The trash has already been taken out to the curb. Today's wash is in the dryer, and I'm trying to decide what to have for breakfast tomorrow. Eggs Benedict sounds good.

Hershey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2375

Another long day. Since Dot's vet has gotten busier, it often takes me over three hours to take her back and forth to her therapy session. Waiting isn't always bad though. It gives Dot a chance to calm down and relax before she starts exercising in the underwater treadmill. I wasn't expecting much today since it was so hot outside, but Dot did surprisingly well. Her condition seems to have stabilized. She isn't getting any stronger, but she isn't getting any weaker either. She did very well during her water therapy sessions today, and as an added bonus, she didn't poop in the car.

I think I was able to resolve the problems I was having with extending my camera warranty. For once, customer support was actually courteous and helpful. Thanks Panasonic. Since I didn't have the documentation they were requesting, they allowed me to photograph the serial numbers on the camera and use that instead. I wasn't expecting this to end well, but it appears that it actually did.

I discovered today that the Interstate Battery store near me will replace my iPhone battery for less than half the price that the Apple Store currently charges. You don't have to make a complicated online appointment with somebody at the Genius Bar either. You just walk in with your phone, and they'll change your battery on the spot. Supposedly, the whole process only takes fifteen minutes. I'll try taking a phone up to the store tomorrow and see if this is as good as it seems.

I finally saw someone that looked like a supervisor talking with the crew laying fiber optic cable in the neighborhood and asked him what is going on. Evidently, the long awaited 'fiber to the home' is finally becoming a reality. It appears that sometime this Summer our Internet service and U-verse TV are going to be getting a lot faster. I wonder if they are going to charge extra for this? AT&T never seems to give anything away for free.

It didn't rain today, so maybe by tomorrow it will finally be dry enough for me to apply the mosquito retardant in the backyard. I hope so. I've got so many mosquito bites that I'm itching constantly now. I'm not even sure that this spray-on treatment will work, but it worked last year, so it's worth a try. The mosquitoes have even gotten into the house. There's one buzzing around the office right now. I keep fantacising about a place with no insects, no snakes, and of course, no alligators. Does such a place even exits?

I'm not sure what the plan is for tomorrow. I don't anticipate being busy, so I made an appointment to get a haircut. This probably means that one of my clients will surprise me with a rush deadline. Whatever happens, I'm sure the day will start with a banana and strawberry smoothie and end with a pile of dog poop to clean up.

Shadow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2374

Is it even possible to find a simple answer to a simple question anymore? I wanted to find out whether a nearby Apple Store could put a new battery in an iPhone while I waited. I found the number of the retail store, hoping to avoid Apple's automated phone system. It didn't work. After a brief message thanking me for calling the store, I was right back in the automated system. I hate these systems. Press 1 if you want to do this. Press 2 if you want to do that. You can spend hours navigating these systems and wind up no closer to the answer of your question than when you started. I eventually ended up talking to a real person in California who had no idea whether the local store could put in a battery for me. There is a whole generation of people who have never experienced the simplicity of asking a question and getting a quick answer. They don't even know what they're missing.

I got a letter from Panasonic the other day saying that they'd extend the warranty on one of my cameras for free if I'd fill out a bunch of forms, send them a purchase receipt, and cut the UPC code off the box the camera came in and send that as well. It sounded complicated, but what the hell. Like I said, I'm not very busy. They were quite explicit that if I didn't sent the box label from the product carton, which they said included the UPC code, model number and serial number, my warranty would not be extended. There was only one problem. The box the camera came in didn't have a label like this. I looked and looked, but it wasn't there. Of course there was no way to contact these people by phone either. That would be too easy.

I'm starting to dread days when nothing happens. The monotony starts to wear you down after a while. When the dogs are finished eating and taking their walks, they sleep so soundly that I occasionally wonder if they're still alive. I don't watch TV during the day anymore, because it is so universally terrible. The only phone calls are from telemarketers and the only thing I get in the mail are bills. The isolation is like a thick blanket and the silence can be deafening. There are occasional moments of panic where I worry that something might be wrong with Dot. There are occasional deadlines where I've got to concentrate on work for a few hours. Mostly there is just nothing though. I don't feel like engaging with anyone and I don't feel like starting any ambitious projects. I think the jury is still out on whether I will become an expert on doing nothing or whether it will drive me crazy.

Dot pooped in the house so much today that I'm dreading taking her in the car to physical therapy tomorrow. I don't think she even realizes what she's doing anymore. This afternoon she woke up from a nap and came out to the kitchen to say hello, leaving a long trail of poop all the way down the hallway. I can't be upset with her though. Actually, I was pleased that she managed to stand up and start walking on her own.

I looked at the blog stats the other day and wasn't really surprised to see that there aren't as many readers anymore. Maybe people are getting tired of hearing about dog poop. Sorry. That's life. It's just what's happening right now. Cleaning up after Dot means that my loyal friend of so many years is still with me. I'd much rather have the mess than the empty void she'd leave behind.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2373

Automatic payments are a mixed blessing. They save on postage and you don't have to worry about forgetting to pay a bill. On the other hand, if you don't check your balance frequently, you can end up with a lot less money in your account than you thought you had. I was under the impression that my health insurance bills would go up in June. Nope. They actually went up in January. I should have noticed this earlier, but I didn't. My bad. It took me hours this afternoon to straighten out my bank balance.

I also sent out my June invoices today. There is still more money going out than coming in each month, which is probably why I don't check my balance as much anymore. It's too depressing. Eventually, I corrected my statement, got everything in balance again, and took the small stack of invoices to the post office. Things may change, but I suspect that this slow downward spiral will continue.

The wet weather is certainly continuing. There were sporadic thunderstorms throughout the day which meant I couldn't count on the dogs sleeping peacefully while I worked. Since Dot is almost deaf, she only gets upset when she sees the lightning. I try to make sure she doesn't take her naps near a window, but it doesn't always work. She knows something is wrong when Dash gets upset and Dash still hears everything. It was a long day.

When it rains, my boots get muddy and it takes me a while to clean them off on the porch before I go inside. I also have to clean the dogs paws before I let them inside. For the past week or so, I've gotten eaten alive by mosquitoes while I'm doing this. They say the Zika mosquitoes are already in Texas, but I hope they haven't arrived in my back yard yet. There is no avoiding getting bitten. The ironic thing is that I can't apply the mosquito retardant spray until the yard is dry, but when the yard is dry there isn't a mosquito problem. Catch-22.

I had some work to do today, but it's getting to where the website updates I make don't seem much different than doing a load of laundry. It's all just tedious and mechanical. Maybe if it was sunny outside, I'd feel differently. I'd like to be excited about something again, but right now I'll settle for a good night's sleep. I really wonder how long this rain is going to last. I thought last year's wet Spring set some kind of record, but this year is even worse.

We'll see if the sun comes out tomorrow. I have a feeling that the day will go a lot smoother if it does.

Marcie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2372

Like most of you, I woke up to the news of the horrific mass shooting in Orlando. I think in the weeks and months ahead, a lot of people are going to be asking why someone who was already on a terror watch-list and had been interviewed several times by the FBI was allowed to have a job as a security guard and purchase weapons in the first place. Omar Mateen's coworkers warned us about this guy, but nobody listened. The same thing happened when the Russians warned us about Tamerlan Tsarnaev before the Boston bombings. This has got to stop and it probably will. Safety and security has always had a higher priority than abstract concepts of personal freedom. I think we are headed toward a world like the one depicted in that movie Minority Report. It won't really be that hard to arrest people before they commit a crime. We won't need Pre-Cogs like in the movie, because Google knows everything about you already. In a world with no secrets, you will give yourself away. If you don't think this is going to happen, just wait. The technology is here already. All it will take is a few more incidents like Orlando and people will be more than willing to use it.

When I was younger I never dreamed that the world would wind up like this. I was convinced that we'd all be driving flying cars by now and would have already established a thriving colony on Mars. It's sad that we haven't lived up to our potential. Personally, I'm not all that worried about climate change. Humans will be extinct in 30,000 years, mostly as a result of our own stupidity. The earth will survive like it has for four billion years and maybe the next species to evolve will do a better job of things.

Current events frequently leave me feeling that dogs make better companions than humans. It makes perfect sense to lead a quiet, somewhat solitary life devoted to keeping two aging Dalmatians healthy and happy. That's pretty much all I did today. I cleaned Dot up after several accidents in the house. We took both dogs on a slow, but pleasant walk. Later, I comforted them when the thunderstorms arrived. It's a simple existence, but it makes as much sense as anything in today's increasingly chaotic world.

I did make it to the gym before the afternoon storms started to frighten the dogs. Like always, today's workout reminded me that I need to go to the gym more often. Aging is such a losing battle. I still do a pretty strenuous workout, but it seems much harder than it did three years ago. I wish I enjoyed all this activity. I know it's necessary, but personally I'd rather just eat cake.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2371

After spending a week following a schedule with almost military precision, it seemed weird to have a day with almost nothing to do. I got up late, because there weren't multiple alarm clocks telling me to get up at 6 AM. After giving the dogs a morning walk, Janet and I went out to breakfast, which is something we rarely have time for. After a leisurely breakfast, there was still nothing to do, so I remembered an e-mail I'd gotten about a big sale at the REI store and went to check it out.

The sale was too weird for me. They were selling returned merchandise that looked visibly used to me. All this stuff was displayed in a roped off area outside the store and they were handing out tickets to get in. There were tons of people standing in a long line, waiting to have an opportunity to buy used shoes and scratched up kayaks. I wasn't about to get a ticket and wait in line for two hours to buy a pair of used shoes, so I left. About an hour after I left, it started to rain really hard. I wouldn't have wanted to be one of those people who had waited in line for hours.

The dogs were edgy and nervous all afternoon because there were thunderstorms in the area. The storms were small and localized, but they were enough to trigger some serious storm phobia. I stayed home to make sure that Dot's barking didn't turn into a panic attack. Eventually the rain moved Eastward and normalcy returned. When it quit raining, we all took a nap. It seemed like the appropriate things to do on a day like this.

I was going to treat the yard for mosquitoes this morning, but I'm glad I waited. It would have been a wasted effort, because the rain would have washed all the repellent away. The yard needs to stay dry for about twelve hours after I apply the mosquito repellent using a garden hose attachment. I guess I could have done this last week, but I thought the yard seemed too dry last week and decided to water it. The mosquito repellent is organic and won't hurt the dogs, but it's hard to find the right time to apply the stuff. Eventually I'm going to have to spray the yard though, because I'm getting sick of getting bitten.

I got an e-mail telling me that the domain transfer process was complete and my domains had been successfully moved to a new registrar. Why this process took four days, I'll never know. I set the domains up to auto renew when they expire, so hopefully I won't have to think about them again for a long time.

I always see new flowers right after a rain. This evening I saw something that looks kind of like a Thistle and kind of like a Blazing Star. I'm not sure what they are, but I see a small patch of these purple flowers every year in exactly the same spot about the second week in June. I wish everything were this predictable.

Willa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2370

I went to the airport and picked up Janet after breakfast this morning. I'm really glad her plane arrived at DFW airport, because at exactly the same time that I was waiting for her at the American Airlines baggage claim, there was a shooting right outside the baggage claim at Love Field. If we had been at that airport instead, we would have been stuck there the rest of the day. They shut down the entire airport because they thought that people might have got on on planes without going through security during the confusion that occurred right after the shooting. Everyone had to get off their plane and go through security all over again. Access to and from the airport was shut down and people on the airport access roads at that time were stuck in their cars for hours. It was a huge mess.

The dogs said goodby to the dog walker this morning after a final early morning walk. It was nice to know that if I need help again, there is someone out there I can trust. There were certain aspects to caring for Dot on my own that were more difficult than I anticipated, but continuing to give the dogs their regular morning and evening walks wasn't one of them. The dog walker always arrived right on time, was very patient with Dot, and most importantly, both dogs liked her. Having something new and different to anticipate each morning seemed good for them. Hopefully, they will continue to walk with the same enthusiasm when we resume our regular schedule tomorrow morning.

It didn't really seem like a work day, since I spent half my day going to and from the airport. I finished several small website updates after lunch, but there was nothing major on the agenda. Since Janet was home with the dogs and work was slow, I decided to get a head start on my Saturday errands. You'd think that mid-afternoon on a workday would be a good time to do grocery shopping, but what do I know. The store was relatively empty, but there were only two check out aisles open and I ended up waiting in line longer than I usually do on a busy weekend. I couldn't use the automated check out aisles today because I bought some beer. They still check your ID every time you buy alcohol even if it's obvious that you're an old man who hasn't hasn't made an underage purchase in over fifty years. There is no common sense to rules and regulations anymore. Eighty year old grandmothers are forced to take their shoes of at the airport and old men are still carded when they buy beer. In the mean time, there are still shootings at airports and nothing is really any safer.

Even though I had just returned from the store, neither of us felt like cooking, so I went out again and picked up some take-out for dinner. On the way, I encountered a huge four car pile up just a few miles from my house. There were fire trucks, ambulances, and a big traffic jam. It probably would have been easier to cook something for dinner. If I learned anything today it was that when people come to me, like the dog walker and the FedEx man, it is generally a good experience. On the other hand, when I venture out into the world, not so much. If anyone ever perfects online grocery shopping with free home delivery, I may never leave the house again.

Escher is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2369

Today felt a bit strange. I actually had some work to do for a change. I stayed busy most of the day updating websites and writing a new article. For the first time this week there were no accidents in the house. I successfully got Dot up and outside before she peed on the floor. It was also fortunate that the phone company was laying fiber optic cable in the alley behind our house. When I took Dot outside, she would start barking excitedly at the workmen and it would cause her to poop. I don't get lucky every day, but today everything fell into place.

I've been wondering why my morning fruit smoothies tasted a little funny this week. Today I discovered why. The milk I'd been using had gone bad. I do better when Janet screens my food. Sometimes I never notice that something has spoiled or gone past it's expiration date until it's too late. My sense of smell leaves something to be desired. This can be a good thing when I'll sleeping next to Dash, but I've eaten more than my share of spoiled food because I couldn't smell that it had gone bad.

I'm curious why the phone company is laying fiber optic cable all over the neighborhood. I've talked to a few people, but nobody seems to know anything. Most of my neighbors are just mad that the cable installation crews have torn up their front yards. You'd think that if service was going to improve, AT&T would have sent out a flyer telling people what was coming their way. I talk to AT&T tech support frequently because my U-verse service is so bad, but they know nothing. Even the guys actually  laying the cable know nothing. "You'll have to talk to my boss," they tell me. 

I've been getting up earlier than usual to feed the dogs and give them their morning meds before the dog walker arrives. I was hoping that this might turn me into a morning person, but I don't think it's going to happen. I'm certain I'll revert to my old ways the minute Janet returns. The dogs schedule actually hasn't changed much. Janet always gets up early and the dogs follow her out to the kitchen, expecting to be fed. I sleep in a little longer until it's time for our morning walk. I justify this extra shut-eye because I'm usually the one up in the middle of the night cleaning up dog poop. Truthfully, nobody gets enough sleep at our house.

While I was walking Dash this afternoon, I watched a squirrel carry a huge Horse Apple up a tree and proceed to eat the whole thing. This fruit from the bodark tree is considered inedible and is often used to repel cockroaches and other insects. Inexplicably, squirrels love the taste of these things, which explains why once a Horse Aple falls to the ground, it doesn't seem to stay there very long.

I had to turn on the sprinklers today. It's amazing that after several weeks of continuous rain, all it took was a few days of hot, sunny weather to dry things out. I'm not looking forward to July. This month's water bill was surprisingly low, but I'm not going to want to even open next month's bill. I think Summer has finally arrived.

Liberty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2368

I almost got Dot outside this morning, but she peed on the very last rug before we went out the back door. I'm still having trouble coordinating things in the mornings. There is a very small window of opportunity to take Dot outside before she pees all over the place. If Dash gets outside while I'm tending to Dot, he will eat leaves or grass which make his throw up later. If Dash starts barking in the kitchen because he wants his breakfast, it often makes Dot poop. Both dogs have pills they take in the morning and they need to be ready to go by the time the dog walker gets here. I also need to re-arrange the dogs beds in their daytime configuration and make my own bed before Dash decides to spend the day sleeping under the covers.When our morning walk is finished and the dogs are tired, I sit down and eat my own breakfast.

Dot stumbled around a bit and seemed tired when we got up this morning, but did surprisingly well in the underwater treadmill later in the day. I keep looking for a predictable pattern, but everything seems random. Some times Dot will poop every few hours, and other times she can make it through an entire day without any incidents. I never know what to expect. There are good days and bad days and you have to be prepared for either. All in all, today was a good day. The acupuncture session relaxed her, she didn't poop in the car, and everyone was pleased with her performance on the treadmill. Of course you can't have everything. Both dogs are driving me crazy right now with their incessant barking. I don't know what they want, but they don't seem to want me to write this blog.

I'm surprised at how well the dogs are getting along with the dog walker. I had expected these walks would be a giant hassle, but everything is working out pretty well. It's only been four days and Dot and Dash have already grown to expect her every morning. They often start waiting at the front door around 7 AM. The fact that this minor variation in their daily routine seems enjoyable to them probably says a lot about how boring their daily lives have become. They used to have a lot more variety in their lives when we went to training class every Wednesday and frequently took them to the dog park on weekends. When they were younger, they were often ambassadors at Dalmatian Rescue events. You can't do as much when one of your dogs has trouble walking, but I do need to think of some new ways to add a little variety to their lives. It would probably be a good idea to add some variety to my own life as well.

There's not going to be a lot of variety tomorrow. By the time I finish taking care of the basics, I'm exhausted. I never dreamed you could spend so much time cleaning rugs and doing laundry. When you add fecal and urinary incontinence to a severe physical disability and cancer, you've got the recipe for a high maintenance dog. I don't know how you'd deal with a dog like this if you worked in an office all day. Luckily, I have a lot of flexibility.

I'm going to try to go to bed early tonight. You'd think this would be easy, since the dogs finally quit barking and are sleeping now. The only snag in my plan is that I have to wake them up and give them their evening meds and take them both outside to pee before I can go to bed. This means I'll be getting ready for bed and they'll be wide awake again. Eventually, we all manage to fall asleep and then it's morning again.

Lacey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2367

I moved the domains I own to a new registrar today. I'd been planning to do this for quite a while, but kept postponing the task because of the hassle I anticipated. Basically it was now or never. Several of the domains needed to be renewed soon, and if I renewed them at the old registrar, I would have to wait at least 60 days before I would be able to transfer them. The move was just as problematic as I feared. For starters, I couldn't remember the password to my old account. There are all kinds of safeguards to prevent domains from being hijacked, so I had to get permission from the old registrar to move the domains and then the new registrar had to verify the move to prove that I was really who I said I was. To make matters worse, there was no way to automate the process. I had to go through the complicated transfer process on a case by case basis for each domain. Luckily, I had nothing better to do today, because the process took a long time.

I didn't sleep well last night. Dot pooped in her bed twice and seemed unusually lethargic when I woke up this morning. I always worry when Dot's condition seems to change, but she seemed to bounce back after breakfast and by the time the dog walker arrived for our morning walk, she seemed fine again. Maybe I should be more worried about myself than the dogs. I have been unusually clumsy lately. I drop things all the time, which I never used to do. Yesterday, I dropped a Corningware cooking dish and broke it while I was trying to get some utensils out of a kitchen cabinet. Today, when I was eating breakfast, the glass with my fruit smoothie literally fell out of my hand while I was drinking it. The glass didn't break, but I did make a big mess. I never used to be this clumsy. I also inadvertently stepped on Dash's foot while I was walking him this afternoon. Dash wasn't hurt, but we both were startled. I wonder if this had anything to do with not being able to use the treadmill at the gym without using the handrails. Most of the other people never use the handrails, but I always do. Maybe something is going wrong with my balance and coordination. On the other hand, maybe I'm just being a hypochondriac.

After I successfully transferred all my domains, I decided to fix my voter registration online. For some reason now, the information on your voter registration card needs to match the information on your drivers license exactly. I has used my full middle name on one and a middle initial on the other. I got a letter last week saying that if I didn't fix this, I would be given a provisional ballot the next time I went to vote. This kind of scrutiny seemed a lot like making my 80 year old father take his shoes off for the TSA folks at the airport, but I learned a long time ago that it is pointless to argue with bureaucracy. I filled out the online form, which involved providing them with a lot of identifying information that I didn't even know belonged to me. When you look at your driver's license with a magnifying glass, there is a lot more information than you might think.

I'll be glad when Janet gets back. Dealing with the dogs when I first wake up is like herding cats. Dot and Dash have different agendas and are never where I need them to be. Dash sometimes wakes up with an upset stomach, and will race outside and eat grass and leaves if you don't watch him like a hawk. If I see him eating leaves, but am holding on to Dot's harness at the same time, it is hard to get him to stop. I could always let the dogs out one at a time, but they both need to pee as soon as they get up. Of course, I always need to pee as soon as I get up too, so it gets complicated.

All in all, we are doing pretty well. The soiled area rugs are clean again and back on the living room floor. I found a new kibble combination that Dash seems to like for breakfast. I'm still having problems getting Dot to pee just before bedtime, but we're working on it.  Hopefully, I'll be able to get Dot down to her physical therapy session tomorrow without another messy accident in the car. We'll see.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2366

Dot's appointment at the cancer center took forever today. They were short staffed and there was only one oncologist to see a lot of sick dogs. There are usually st least three oncologists on duty, so Dot's ultrasound scan and exam took a while. Dot definitely wasn't happy about the situation, but there was nothing we could do. When the nurse took her blood pressure, I was not surprised to see that it was elevated. Dot has been to this place many times and she doesn't like it. I don't blame her. She is flipped over on her back for the ultrasound scans, strapped in a special cradle when she has an MRI, and poked with big needles when they need to get a tissue sample. I don't like to wait either, because I'm always wondering what Dash is doing at home. Usually, I can check on him with the baby monitor, but it wasn't working today.

When we eventually saw the oncologist, there was somewhat good news. The two tumors in her liver were stable and hadn't grown any since our last visit. Since we haven't been doing chemotherapy for over a month, this essentially means the Palladia pills aren't very effective and we don't need to resume taking them. The oncologist asked whether we would like to consider a different type of chemotherapy to see if it might shrink the tumor. I'm reluctant to start intravenous chemotherapy infusions though, since the side effects are often more severe. I think we'll just continue the ultrasound scans once a month to monitor things.

Today was tiring. I couldn't get Dot's harness on quickly enough when I woke up this morning and she ended up peeing on one of the big rugs in the living room. Getting the harness on is definitely easier with two people. Janet usually puts on the front half while I put on the back half and link the two pieces together. Also, I need to remember to keep Dot inside after dinner until at least ten PM. If she goes outside at 8 PM, she won't go again right before bedtime and had trouble making it through the night. That's what happened this morning. She really needed to go bad when she woke up and I just wasn't fast enough. For the record, pee is actually harder to clean up than poop.

To add to my problems, Dash wouldn't eat his breakfast this morning. He isn't sick or anything. He is just a finicky eater and gets bored with his food about every three months.  We rotate through about three brands of dog food because after a while he forgets he doesn't like a certain brand and starts eating it again. It took a while to find several brands that were equally healthy, didn't cause him to put on weight, and wouldn't create kidney stones. I just need to remember to change his food tomorrow morning.

I actually had some website revisions to make today, but the work seemed inconsequential compared to all my dog problems. It was a lot easier to update the websites than it was to clean the two area rugs that Dot peed on. I had to spray the rugs with an enzyme cleaner to eradicate the smell and then come back later and rinse the enzyme away with a garden hose. It will probably take the rugs two or three days to dry out.

Things have been working out well with the dog walker, although Dot seemed unusually tired and slow tonight. She is probably still sore from being on her back for the ultrasound scan. The dogs are both sleeping now, but they are not sleeping soundly enough. My allergies have been acting up this week and every time I sneeze, it wakes the dogs up and they start barking. I'm hoping that tomorrow will be less stressful for everyone.

Wendy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2365

Today was exhausting. I got up early to give the dogs their morning pills and make sure they were fed and ready to go when the dog walker arrived. I'd already been up twice during the night to clean up Dot's latest accidents. I don't know how Dot can sleep through pooping in her bed, but she does. I certainly can't sleep through these episodes. The smell wakes me up every time. Luckily, I can get back to sleep easily.

Things went better than I expected with the dog walker. She arrived right on time and Dash seemed to take a liking to her almost immediately. We decided that she would walk Dash and I would walk Dot. Dash seemed to think it was special to be walked by someone new. Dot barked a lot at first, but she soon settled into the new routine as well. Dot even walked a bit faster than usual, which was surprising.

Since it was a nice day and the ground was starting to dry out, I decided to mow the grass this afternoon. This might have been a mistake. The grass was still a little wet, so the mower was harder to push than usual. I ended up getting a lot better workout than if I'd gone to the gym. I almost forgot it was Sunday today. It didn't seem like Sunday. It just seemed different.

Somewhere between breakfast and dinner the dogs walker came down with some sort of virus and asked if her husband cold help with the dogs in the evening. It was fine by me. Despite their many idiosyncrasies, Dot and Dash acted like well socialized and surprisingly well behaved canines today. the went on walks with two different strangers and nothing went wrong at all. I was proud of them.

The hardest part of the day are the evenings. It's almost like a changing of the guard when Janet comes home. They look forward to when she comes home every day and generally follow her around until bedtime. This gives me time to write the blog, clean up the kitchen, and whatever else I need to do. With this routine disrupted, there is a lot of barking and standing at the front door. Eventually they both get tired and we all go to bed, but you've got to watch them like a hawk. Dot ended up peeing on a big rug last night when I let her out of my sight for a just few minutes. I wish Dot wasn't so needy, but it is almost inevitable with her lack of mobility.

Tomorrow we go back to the cancer center for our long awaited ultrasound recheck. Dot's regular oncologist is out of town, but we have an appointment with another of the clinic's oncologists. I have mixed emotions about restarting her chemotherapy. She didn't appear to get any stronger when we discontinued the Palladia pills, but she didn't get any weaker either. It is hard to tell whether the chemotherapy was doing her any good at all. Hopefully, the ultrasound scan will clarify things a bit.

It would be nice to sleep a little longer tonight. I might as well have just stayed up last night. I think we're coping pretty well, but I'll be glad when things get back to normal.

Scooby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2364

I took Janet to the airport this morning. The road to DFW has been perpetually under construction since the day I moved to Dallas. I don't think they'll ever finish it. They keep making the road wider and wider, but it never seems to be wide enough. I drove carefully today. I'm always worried that I'll get in a wreck and the dogs will starve to death before anyone notices I'm gone. Taking care of the dogs has always been a team effort and it still makes me nervous to operate without a backup.

I promised Janet I wouldn't go up on the roof while she was gone. It would definitely be bad news if I broke my neck and nobody noticed. There are still plenty of things that could go wrong, but I think we'll do OK. All the dogs meds have been neatly organized in little packets with the date and time to give them marked on the front. The refrigerator is well stocked and the dog walker is coming tomorrow morning to help with Dot's morning walk. Dot and Dash are so set in their ways that they always act a bit restless the first few days that Janet is gone. They're dogs though, and as soon as they settle in to a new routine, everything is fine.

Unfortunately, we haven't reached that transition point yet. Whenever they hear a noise, they run to the front door to see if anyone is there. Well, Dot doesn't run anywhere, but she whines for me to lift her up and take her to the front door. If I get the dogs settled in one room, five minutes later they want to be in another.  Their routine has been broken and they're not happy campers at the moment. I try to be accomodating, but there's only so much I can do. Things are going to be different for a while.

I don't know why the dogs are so upset. Things aren't actually very different at all. Our life is always pretty much the same. I went to the grocery store today, like I always do on Saturdays. Dash got a long afternoon walk and they both got their dinner right on time. Maybe they want the television on. As soon as they both settle down and go to sleep, I'll have to wake them up again to give them their evening meds. Then we'll go through this all over again.

I was going to try to get to bed earlier and get some additional sleep, but I'm not off to a good start. Despite the best of intentions, I ate dinner when I always do and couldn't get started writing the blog until the dogs settled down and went to sleep. By the time I reconfigure the dogs beds in their  nighttime mode, give the dogs their pills, brush my teeth and empty and clean the dehumidifier, it will be close to midnight. An hour after I go to sleep, Dot will poop in her bed and I'll be up again.

I hope that Dot and Dash cooperate with the dog walker tomorrow. Life will be so much easier if we can get their regular morning and evening walks out of the way without a giant hassle. I tried to take Dot on a short walk by myself this evening and that didn't go all that well. She really has very little interest in walking unless Dash is walking in front of her. The dogs don't know it yet, but they're going to be getting a banana tomorrow. We usually have a big breakfast, with bacon, eggs, biscuits, and fresh fruit on Sunday mornings. I think I'm going to revert to my weekday banana and strawberry smoothie tomorrow, which means sharing a banana with the dogs. Anything to make life a little easier.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2363

I had breakfast in a different part of town this morning. Instead of beards and flip flops, I was surrounded by Mark Cuban wannabes wearing carefully curated Robert Talbot and Ike Behar shirts. The guys nearest me were talking about deals they had made or were about to make. These budding venture capitalists seemed to think that if they couldn't double their six figure investments in less than a year, it wasn't worth the trouble. What a difference a few miles can make. Sometimes I overhear people in the hipster cafe talking about money too, but when it comes time to finance their dream, they're going to be getting a loan from the guys I saw today.

It's weird how fragmented our society has become.You see it in politics. You see it in fashion and music. You even see it in the simple act of eating breakfast. I don't think America is a great melting pot anymore. We have reverted to tribalism. One place I eat breakfast is full of school teachers. Another is full of hipsters. Still another is a favorite of octogenarians. Today's restaurant seems to be where the baby billionaires hang out. Nobody seems to have any desire to venture far from their own tribe. This is not a good thing. Perhaps I'd feel differently if I knew what tribe I belonged to. Observers like myself are seldom joiners, so I doubt that I'll be experiencing a tribal awakening anytime soon. I just watch and wonder as we continue to grow more fragmented.

Dot was definitely out of sync today. She pooped in the house three times during the day and did absolutely nothing on her two walks. There is no rhyme or reason to the incontinence anymore, but it does test my patience. Although cleaning up after Dot kept me busy, there really wasn't much going on today. I almost went up on the roof, but while I was getting ready, it started to rain again. I paid a few early June bills and wondered how I was going to make it through a month where last month's big plumbing and car repair bills were both going to be on my next credit card statement. I think my homeowners insurance is due this month too. I keep hoping that July will be better, but I bet Dot's oncologist is going to want her to start taking the expensive Palladia pills again. It's always something.

I noticed that crews are laying fiber optic cable in our neighborhood. I wonder what that means? It would be nice if it means faster Internet. Maybe the cable has nothing to do with the Internet, but it seems like it should. At least I know why they've been spray painting the location of all the utilities on the streets. I guess they want to make sure that the people putting in the fiber optic cable don't inadvertently cut through a gas or water line.

As I was walking Dash this afternoon, Erykah Badu smiled and waved at us as she was driving home in her Porsche Panamera. The dogs and I have been walking past her house for decades. I wish she'd invite us in sometime. She has a really cool house. With coyotes, pelicans, rock stars, and some of the last native prairie in Texas, it's definitely an interesting neighborhood.

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2362

There was no avoiding the rain today. I thought I could run a few errands between showers, but ended up being caught in a downpour. Later in the day, I thought I could do the same thing on my evening walk with Dash and got soaked again. The weather radar said we had some time, but I guess we were too slow. By the time we got home, Dash and I looked like we'd gone swimming. Basically, I spent the entire day getting wet and then throwing my clothes in the dryer so I could get them wet all over again a few hours later.

Dot didn't feel like going outside at all and consequently ended up pooping in her bed twice. I've gotten so used to her incontinence that I actually thought this was preferable to standing outside with her in the rain. Cleanup has gotten a lot easier now that I always try to position a disposable pad under her butt before she goes to sleep. If I'm lucky, I can slide out the soiled pad and replace it with a fresh one without even waking her up.

When I was walking Dash this afternoon, I noticed that another house in the neighborhood had been scraped. There was absolutely nothing wrong with this house. It doesn't seem to matter. Slowly but surely, solidly built, unpretentious homes are being replaced by McMansions. What would have been a dream house for our parents doesn't seem good enough anymore. I don't think the new homes with their granite countertops and media rooms will last nearly as long as the older houses that are being torn down, but that doesn't seem to matter. I have a feeling that my own home will be torn down when Janet and I eventually move. It's just too small for today's expansive tastes.

The new battery for my WiFi hotspot arrived today. Ironically, I haven't had to use this alternate Internet access point since AT&T sent me the new router and mistakenly decided I was already using it. I don't know what they've done to my account, but it's never worked better. I'm almost scared to call them now, because I'm afraid they'll run some tests and end up screwing everything up. I hope my curiosity doesn't get the better of me. I'd really like to know what they did.

The city never did pick up last week's trash, so this evening I hauled two weeks worth of trash out to the curb. I hope I have better luck with the garbage truck tomorrow morning. I don't know why taking out the trash has become so problematic. Now, one of the new neighbors has decided to park one of their cars where I usually place my can. This shouldn't bother me, but it does. I have to wheel my can up the street to another location where cars won't block the automated trash truck. Like so many things in life, this used to be so easy.

I don't have a clue where I'm going to have breakfast tomorrow. If this nasty weather continues, I might not go out at all. Actually, when I fixed myself French Toast and sausages last Friday, it was a better meal than I've had in months. Maybe I just go out to eat on Friday's because I'm bored.

Abby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2361

Everyone was glad to see Dot back on the treadmill today. We resumed her water therapy and acupuncture sessions and I was pleased at how well she did. Her vet did an evaluation and thinks it's OK to continue her therapy. The only snag in Dot's therapy plan is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to transport her in the car. Even when I drive slowly and make no sudden moves, the ride is uncomfortable and stressful for her. She almost always poops in the car now. Today she made a huge mess and even though I had planned for this eventually, it was difficult to get the car cleaned up for the return trip home. Dot's vet still thinks that water therapy is very beneficial, but says I'll have to decide whether the stress of riding in the car, erases a lot of the benefits she gets from therapy. It's a tough call. Dot hates riding in the car now. Once we arrive, she's fine. I think she really enjoys the acupuncture. It relaxes her.

Dot had a very busy day. Before our physical therapy session, we met the dog walker who will be helping us while Janet is on vacation. This encounter went better than I expected. Dot initially barked a lot and appeared nervous, but she calmed down within a matter of minutes. I think this is going to work out OK. Dash didn't have any problems at all. He just wanted the dog walker's undivided attention.

My Internet connection hasn't worked this well in months and my new router is still sitting unopened in the box. I wonder what AT&T did? They claim they just set up my account for the new equipment they sent me,  but I'm not even using the new equipment yet. Somehow they managed to clear up all my connection problems without even realizing it. I wish I knew what they did, so I can ask them to do the same thing the next time U-Verse goes down. I don't even think they know. I don't know how long this is going to last, but I don't want to mess with anything now. Almost accidently, I finally have the system I was promised several years ago.

When is this rain going to stop? I just looked at the forecast and it looks like we'll be having daily thunderstorms all the way through the weekend. The only silver lining to this nasty weather is that the temperature has cooled enough for Dot to feel comfortable on her morning walks again. It's been a little problematic to find a thirty minute dry spell to actually take a walk, but so far we've been relatively lucky. There's only been one day where the rain never stopped at all.

Hopefully, I'll get lucky when I take the trash out tomorrow evening. I'm not surprised that the city never did answer my request to come back and get the trash they failed to pick up. There's a fancy website where you can request all types of city services, but the city never responds. I'll take my two week's worth of accumulated trash out to the curb tomorrow, but I wouldn't be surprised it it gets ignored again.

Despite the lousy weather, the poop filled car, and the lack of work, I consider today a success. It is encouraging that Dot is making progress again. She did well today. Dealing with the dogs next week doesn't seem quite as daunting either, now that I have some help. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. It might be a little presumptuous, but I'm hoping for two good days in a row.

Charlie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2360

It's been raining almost every day for several weeks now. At least we aren't getting flooded like our neighbors in South Texas, but enough is enough. It's too bad we can't share some of this rain with California, because they need it more than we do. At least I won't have to worry about the new grass in the back yard dying for a while. The yard is soaked. Needless to say, the roof is covered with standing water as well, but I'm not going up there for a while. It's too slippery.

Being stuck in the house with two storm phobic dogs on a rainy day is not my idea of fun. I have to keep an eye on Dash because he's always trying to crawl into a closet or under the sink to escape. I try to put a blanket under my desk, because he seems to think that's a safe place too. The only problem with having Dash under my desk on a stormy day is that he farts when he gets nervous. Actually both dogs do this. Today was pretty stinky.

At least I had plenty to do today while I was housebound. After a lengthy breakfast which was mostly spent calming the dogs down after each loud thunderclap, I spent the rest of the morning completing yesterday's writing assignment. I got everything finished slightly ahead of schedule and sent it off to my client. Now, I've got to find something else to do. It's hard to believe that I used to do two or three of these assignments every day. Things have really slowed down a bit. Paying bills is a bit more problematic without a steady stream of writing and website assignments. I'm still making ends meet, but there's not much left over anymore. I brood about these things more on a rainy day. I guess that's what rainy days are for.

There's still a leak under the sink. I don't know what to do. The plumber has been out twice and I've checked for leaks countless times. I can run the water in the basin for several minutes and I won't see any drips or obvious leaks. Eventually there is always a small puddle under the sink though. Where is this water coming from? I hesitate to call the plumber again. If you call a plumber too many times for the same problem, things can actually get worse.

It never did quit raining this afternoon, so we had to take the dogs on a walk in the rain after Janet got home from work. Why Dot and Dash haven't learned to quickly poop in the yard on rainy days will forever remain a mystery. Luckily, we only had to walk a block or so for them to do their business, but that was enough to get everybody wet. It took longer to get the dogs dry again than it took to walk them in the first place. That's just everyday life in our house though. This is a common occurrence.

Tomorrow will be a busy day. The dogs and I meet the dog walker for the first time in the morning and then in the afternoon, Dot resumes her physical therapy. I hope everything goes well. Dot always barks at strangers, but maybe this will help her poop. She'll need to get used to this new routine if she still wants to walk. I think Dash will be fine. He gets along with everybody. I'm not sure what to expect when we return to physical therapy. Dot is definitely weaker than she was three weeks ago, but I think the underwater treadmill exercise is still important. We'll see how the day goes. Hopefully, the rain will stop soon.

Amy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day