Day 2998

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ely is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2997

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Val is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2996

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

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

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

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

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

Bacardi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2995

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Connor os today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2994

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

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

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

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

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

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

Anne is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2993

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rory is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2992

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Orion is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2991

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

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

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

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

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

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

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2990

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tucker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2989

Dash finally got some good news today. The large blood clot in his heart is a little smaller this month. The change isn't dramatic, but it is a step in the right direction. This is the first time the blood clot has become smaller since we began measuring it. I asked the doctor what was happening with the second blood clot. He said this secondary clot appeared to have been reabsorbed. This is good news too. Now, we only have one blood clot to worry about.

At this rate, it is still going to take a long, long time for Dash to return to normal. It is encouraging though that he has made it three or four months without getting worse. We will continue the blood thinners and the monthly echocardiograms, always hoping for the best. I wish Dash would behave better at the cancer center. He used to be so good when we came here for radiation therapy after his thyroid cancer. Now, he has decided that he hates the echocardiogram procedure and refuses to cooperate. Simple things like routine blood work have become quite difficult now.

As always, the vet appointment took longer than expected and Janet and I got off to a late start. By the time I finished breakfast and was ready for work, it was already afternoon. Shortly after I turned on the computer, I got a frantic call from someone who said their website had been hacked and was infected with malware. This had to be a client or former client, but I couldn't place the guy's name. I asked the guy some questions, hoping that his answers would reveal who I was talking to. Eventually something clicked and I remembered working on the guy's website. He actually used to be a pretty good client, but my records showed that I hadn't uploaded anything to his site since January of 2015. He asked me what he should do and I suggested completely erasing his current site and then reloading my old file copy. This sounded too drastic for the guy, so I said "How about if I just get rid of some of the stuff that looks really weird and shouldn't be on the server." This seemed OK. How did these files get on the server in the first place? It wasn't me and it wasn't my former client either. He didn't even remember his password.

It rained a lot last night, but by the time we arrived for our vet appointment this morning, things were already starting to dry out. By mid-afternoon the weather was quite nice and Dash and I were able to take a long walk. Maybe it will stay dry enough for me to take a look at the roof this weekend. I'm not really looking forward to going up on the roof again, but it needs to be done.

When I went to the post office today, I discovered that the price of stamps had gone up. Now it costs $50 for a single roll of first class stamps. This seems ridiculous. Maybe I should start paying for things online. With a gas guzzling car and stamps costing fifty cents each, it probably costs more to take my bills to the post office than I realize.

Another panel fell off the greenhouse roof this morning. I must have repaired this building with duct tape the last time I was having problems. The greenhouse is so old that it is starting to disintegrate. I'll add the building to the growing list of things that are starting to disintegrate. I'm pretty sure I can fix things myself, but it's a big job and my heart isn't in it.

Maybe I'll go out for breakfast tomorrow. It's been a long, dreary week. Ordering a stack of pancakes with sausages might perk me up.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2988

It's been such a gloomy week that it's hard to believe Spring is on the way. The signs are everywhere though. The Redbud and Dogwood trees are starting to bloom. I've started to see a few Grape Hyacinths. It won't be long before there are a multitude of wildflowers to photograph.

For now, all we have is more rain. Maybe that's why so many things are starting to bud and bloom. Plants probably love this weather. The winter hasn't been too cold, but it has been exceedingly wet. There seems to be a pattern to the rain. It usually rains during the night. Then the rain stops or slows to a mist during the early morning hours. Around 10 AM the rain often starts again and continues off and on for the rest of the day. At least this schedule allows me to give Dash a morning walk. If the rain continues through the afternoon, Dash and I both have cabin fever.

Even though I knew the car was going to get dirty, I drove to the tailor shop in the rain to pick up the jacket that was getting a new zipper. The well worn jacket is nice to wear around the house on a cold day. Hey, if I'm willing to drive somewhere in the rain, you know I'm pretty bored.

While I was listening to the rain and wondering what was happening on the roof, I put together my proposal for the website I've been asked to maintain. I tried to be honest about the many pitfalls this project faces, without being overly negative. I still can't decide whether I even want this job. It would be nice to have a monthly retainer for a while, but I'm not sure I can fix this site. It's a mess. I think it would be easier to start over and create a new one.

Janet wasn't very enthusiastic about the tall, skinny refrigerators I showed her. It's back to square one. I still have trouble believing that there is only one refrigerator in the entire world that will fit in our small alcove and still hold enough food to keep someone who cooks happy. I rarely cook, so anything that fits in the space and looks cool is fine with me. I know there is going to be an unpleasant surprise if I order something that I haven't seen in person, but that appears to be only choice we've got. The Maytag that is still the top contender is on back order until the end of March too. I have a feeling that I'm going to have to defrost a few more times.

I've been having problems sending e-mail because my mail client keeps saying that the server certificate in not valid. I hate all these new security issues. Mail servers didn't used to need a certificate. At any rate I called Bluehost and was lucky enough to get a nice tech support person this time. They said the problem was because I was using an Apple computer. Isn't that always the problem? I learned how to reconfigure my mail settings so the problem shouldn't happen again and now everything should be OK again.

I hope the rain clears out tonight. We've got an early appointment to take Dash to the cancer center for his monthly echocardiogram in the morning. I wish Dash would let the nurse clip his nails while we were there. I don't know what we are going to do about his nails. They are getting pretty long.

Connor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2987

I was prepared for thunderstorms, but it was just another dreary wet day. Dash seems to enjoy walking in a light mist, but he sure gets dirty. It took me about as long to clean him up as it did to walk him. I did a terrible job of guessing when it was going to rain. We got wet on both our walks and then I got rained on again when I went to the vet to pick up meds.

I need to remember to check the pills while I'm at the vet. When I got home I realized I'd picked up the wrong prescription and I had to go back again. The first trip the roads were dry. The second trip I got caught in a downpour. That's the way the weather was today. The on again off again rain caused me to forget to turn the pump off on the roof. I hope I didn't burn it out. OK, I shouldn't blame the rain. I was probably just forgetful again. I'm getting so forgetful I'm going to forget my own name one of these days.

I've been asked to put together a proposal for a new website job. I should be happy, but part of me doesn't even want the assignment. I'm getting tired of designing websites. I spent a lot of time learning to build responsive websites after static sites went out of fashion. Now, less than three years later, I'm hearing that responsive sites have become passé. The world has moved on to adaptive websites. What the hell is adaptive design? Apparently, nobody looks at websites on a computer anymore. It's all about the phone. I'll put together a proposal and bid on the project, but I'm getting too old for this.

Instead of trying to figure out what adaptive design was all about, I glued stuff back together with superglue. My fitness tracker is falling apart, so I glued the cracked silicon band with superglue. A corner has chipped off my iPhone case, so I glued that back together with superglue as well. Superglue is great stuff as long as you don't get it on your fingers. I was pleased that both of my repairs were a success. I may be a failure at fixing refrigerators, but I'm pretty good at fixing plastic iPhone cases.

I discovered a whole new category of refrigerator today. I don't know why I haven't noticed these before, but I kind of like them. Some people call them urban refrigerators. They are very slim and quite tall. Looking at the pictures, I think they would fit anywhere that didn't have a low ceiling. We'll see if Janet likes these. There's a good chance she won't. These beautifully modern refrigerators seems to be designed for tall people who don't eat very much.

I had to open three different cans of food today before I could find something that Dash would eat. Meals are becoming quite complicated. I miss the days when Dash would eagerly gobble up anything I put in his bowl.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2986

I had to defrost the refrigerator again today. Didn't I just do this? I can't even remember whether it was a week ago or two weeks ago. Either way, this process is a pain in the neck. I have to take all the food in the freezer and put it in an ice chest. Then I have to remove all the shelves and the ice maker bucket to gain access to the back panel. Six screws are removed and then the metal back panel easily slides out to revel the frozen evaporator coil.  I turn the refrigerator off and then thaw the coil with a hair dryer. I put some thick bath towels on the bottom of the freezer to sop up all the water. The whole process takes about an hour.

I was so frustrated when I finished that I drove to Home Depot determined to end this madness and buy a refrigerator today. The appliance salesperson was helping another customer, so I started looking at refrigerators again. I noticed that all french door refrigerators have a weird folding flap that seals the two doors when they are closed. This flap makes it virtually impossible to open the left door first. Couldn't somebody have come up with a better design? I found the refrigerator that has replaced the one I currently have. It was exactly the same except it was one inch wider and won't fit in my kitchen. Why did you have to do this General Electric? That extra inch didn't make the refrigerator any more useful. All it did was make me mad. Eventually, I got tired of waiting for the salesperson to sell the other customer something, so I went home with nothing again.

Dash was a picky eater again today. I had to open several cans of food before I could find something he liked. He wouldn't take his afternoon walk either, even though it was one of the nicest days we've had this month. I wish I knew what was going on in his head. Janet thinks some of the problems started when the vet increased his Phenobarbital dose. I think he may be be experiencing some mild nausea from the vestibular disease all the time. It's really hard to tell, because even when Dash was young and healthy, he was always a moody and stubborn dog.

Another round of thunderstorms begins tomorrow morning. I'm getting so sick of this weather I could scream. I have no idea how long the wet weather will last, but we've certainly had enough rain for the month of February. At least I heard from the roofers today. They promised that they'll be back when things dry out. Hopefully the roof will last that long.

We take Dash in for another echocardiogram later this week. I wonder if these expensive scans are even useful at this point? They were supposed to track the effectiveness of the blood thinner medications he's taking, but the blood clots haven't moved or changed in size for several months. I don't know if the Plavix is even working. I guess we'll continue these monthly checkups. They may not help Dash get any better, but at least they provide a heads-up that lets us know what's happening.

I'm going to try to get to bed earlier tonight. I'm not getting enough sleep. I think I'd do a lot better if I just didn't bother to get up in the morning.

Bingo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2985

I went to the gym an hour earlier than usual, hoping to get some time on the court before the mid-day pickup game started. My plan failed. Half of the players were already there, warming up and practicing. For over two years this basketball court has been empty on Sundays. Now it appears to be a popular place for a friendly game. I don't know what has changed but the enjoyable days of having the gym practically to myself might be over.

Having the park to myself is definitely over. Today, another walk was ruined by two loose dogs. Dash has a long memory. Ever since he was attacked by an aggressive loose dog, he equates unleashed dogs with danger. Dogs on a leash are fine, but if he sees a loose dog anywhere, the walk is over. I don't blame him for being frightened. The dog that attacked him many years ago almost killed him.

It would have been a nice day for a walk. This was the warmest weather we've had all month. There were patchy clouds and intermittent sunshine. It was really a pretty nice day. I think we get another day of nice weather tomorrow and then the thunderstorms resume again.

We decided to try to get Dash's nails trimmed this afternoon. Dash won't let me get near his nails, so we have to go to the vet. I don't know why this once simple task is next to impossible now. The specialty vets at the cancer center don't want to clip his mails anymore. One one vet we know is quick enough and confident enough to get the job done, but she only works on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when Janet is at work. It takes two of us to transport Dash these days, so that option is usually out unless we can get an appointment for first thing in the morning. We tried and failed to get the nails clipped today. Dash made such a fuss that the vet tech was only able to trim a single nail. I never dreamed that trimming a dog's nails could be so difficult. Dash needs to be calm because of the blood clots in his heart. The person doing the trimming needs to be quick and confident too. Since Dash is taking powerful blood thinners, we can't risk any bleeding from a nail clipped too close to the quick. I'll have to come up with a Plan B. We certainly didn't accomplish much today.

I'm waking up tired again. There was a short period after Dot passed away that I was getting enough sleep, but now it's Dash's turn to keep me up at night. Almost every day he wakes me up in the middle of the night to go outside. I've grown to anticipate this, so I wake up at 3 AM, even if he doesn't. At least Dash isn't incontinent yet. It's only a matter of time. Incontinence is one of the cruel indignities of aging. Many of our dogs became incontinent toward the end. So did my Dad. I'm certainly not looking forward to this stage of life. It's bad enough getting up at night to pee.

I still haven't bought a new refrigerator. The roofers never replied to my latest e-mail and there's more rain on the way. I've got to fix the tiles in the shower stall, but I don't want contractors in the house. These should be easy problems to solve, but I can't even think about them when I've got a dog who doesn't want to eat and refuses to let anyone clip his nails. Worst of all, I've still got jury duty. I'm dreading jury duty.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2984

I saw a little patch of blue sky this afternoon. A lot of dog owners must have seen that same patch of blue, because there were more people walking their dogs in the park than I've seen all month. I noticed that there were no loose dogs today. Probably the people who are fond of letting their dogs run free aren't so fond of muddy dogs. Although we saw the sun for a while, the park is still pretty soggy.

I was surprised that the weather improved today, because we woke up to thunderstorms again. The rain quit as we were finishing breakfast, but it was still pretty foggy. It would have been a good morning to photograph ghostly sailboats, but Dash comes first. By the time we returned from our walk, the fog had already lifted and I was starting to see shadows on the ground.

I don't think it's time to celebrate yet. Thunderstorms are supposed to return on Tuesday. Hey, at this point I'll take what I can get. They say it's going to be a nice day tomorrow. I can't decide what to do about the roof. On one hand, it's probably better to leave the water up there until the rain finally quits for good. On the other hand, I've got an actual leak now, so removing the water is more of a priority. Getting rid of the water is a good thing, but I risk damaging the elastomer coating if I'm up on the roof in wet weather. My whole life is like this now. It's almost impossible to make a decision about anything.

I can't figure out why more people don't use the little app I use to bypass the checkout line at the grocery store. Whenever I get groceries on Saturday, I'm the only one in the store using this app. Everyone else is standing in long checkout lines. The app is free and saves a ton of time. What's not to like? I guess I should be glad that few people use this convenient app. If everybody chose to bypass the checkout line, the app would probably crash all the time and it would just irritate me.

Just as I was starting to get into watching the Olympics, it's over. I'm surprised at how much I enjoyed watching curling. It's kind of a mash up of shuffleboard, billiards, and bowling. Since the curling competition is finished and here doesn't seem to be any more halfpipe or skating excitement, I found myself watching a Time/Life infomercial about music from the sixties this afternoon. I kept trying to guess the names of the bands before they showed them on the screen. Say what you will, but music from the sixties and seventies was still the best. I won't be buying the overpriced 9 CD set. I think I've already got all these tunes on vinyl in my storage warehouse.

Dash was much better today. I still don't know what triggers his periodic vestibular episodes, but I'm glad he is still able to fully recover from them. Vestibular disease seems to affect dogs differently. Some never recover from their initial seizure and others are more like Dash. He has had dozens of vestibular events, but has been able to bounce back from each of them. The blood clots in his heart have nothing to do with the vestibular disease. Dash's heart problems are a totally separate issue.

It's time to go to the gym again. I've been saying that I need to go more often for years now and yet I never do. It's ironic that my excuse is always that I don't have the time. I should have plenty of time. I don't do anything. I think I've become so good at doing nothing that it consumes my entire day.

Nora is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2983

Dash gave me a scare today. We had just gotten started on our morning walk when I noticed that something seemed wrong. Dash was unsteady on his feet and didn't want to move. I suspected that he was having a mild vestibular event and immediately tried to get him back home. Luckily, we had not gone very far, so he was able to wobble his way back to the house. When we got inside, Dash seemed very tired and almost immediately went to sleep. He had no interest in food. Sleep must have helped because he woke up feeling fairly normal around noon.

I always worry that Dash might have a vestibular seizure when we are away from home. In the Summer, the best thing to do would be to sit with him in the grass and let him rest until someone could come for us. This probably wouldn't work very well on a rainy day in the Winter though. If a seizure is severe, I need to get him to a vet immediately. For mild seizures it is best to just keep him calm and wait until the symptoms subside. Luckily, major seizures are very rare. Dash has had several, but the vet said he may never have one again. Of course, he could have a bad episode tomorrow. Vestibular disease never really goes away.

The rain wasn't as bad today. There was a storm when we got up this morning, but things got better as the day progressed. It never really quit raining, but for most of the day all we got were light showers. I was able to take Dash on a short mid-adfternoon walk and later in the afternoon I was even able to inspect the roof. I was hoping to find the source of the leak on the back porch, but finding a leak is hard when everything is underwater. I plugged in the sump pump and began sweeping away water. I knew I wasn't going to be able to clear away all the water. I just wanted to reduce the load on the roof. Dealing with the roof is very discouraging in the Winter. Mother Nature always wins.

When the rain subsided a bit, I went to the grocery store and got some food for the weekend. I hate a muddy car, but there is no way to avoid driving in the rain when the rain never quits. I have to remember that the rain will stop eventually. Maybe I can go to a carwash later this Spring. Maybe the roof will be dry enough for the roofers to fix things by Summer.

The post office needs to get its act together. Today's mail looked like it had been dropped in a puddle. Everything was so wet that the envelopes had all come unglued. Even though there was a big pile of soggy mail, it was mostly just catalogs and political flyers. Nothing of significance was ruined. One of the reasons that I always take letters directly to the post office is that I have no faith in our mail carrier. This certainly isn't the first time we've received a box full of soggy mail or letters addressed to our neighbors.

The house always seems cold in wet weather. According to the thermostat, the temperature is the same as it always is, but it sure doesn't feel that way. I wonder is it's psychological? I just can't get warm enough on day like this. I've got the little ceramic heater going in the office and I'm wearing my down booties, but I'm still cold. Maybe I've just got poor circulation. If I don't keep my feet really warm, I feel like no blood gets to my toes at all.

We've had far worse Winters in the past, but this this extended rainy spell has got me nostalgic for Summer. Sure, it gets too hot, but we've got air conditioning. Somehow, our air conditioner always seems to work a lot better than our furnace. Not to worry though. The weatherman says it's going to warm up this weekend. I hope he's right.

Joey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2982

Is it time to build an ark? This rain is starting to seem biblical. The wet weather is definitely wearing me down. It's not easy to get Dash to walk on a nice day. When there is a never ending line of thunderstorms passing through town, it is next to impossible. This morning it was foggy when I woke up. Janet and I got Dash suited up and ready to go. I was optimistic, since Dash actually wanted to walk this morning. We went outside and the rain started as soon as I unlocked the back gate. We didn't even make it out of the yard.

Dash didn't want to get wet any more than I did, but he hadn't done his business yet. I must have opened the back door for him ten times while I was eating breakfast. Each time he would go outside, get wet, and then come back inside without doing anything. The conditions have to be just right before he will poop or pee. I could tell Dash was frustrated, but as I've told him many times, I can't stop the rain.

We didn't get a break in the rain until just before noon. The ground was soggy and there was still a light mist, but this looked like as good as it was going to get. According to the weather radar, it looked like we had about an hour to complete our walk. Unfortunately, Dash took an hour and ten minutes and we got wet on the way home anyway. I feel like I've spent most of the day cleaning clothes and drying Dash off.

The leak on the back porch is growing bigger. There is nothing I can do unfortunately. It is dangerous to go up on the roof in weather like this. I doubt that I could find the source of the leak anyway. I'll just have to cross my fingers and hope that we don't get a leak inside the house. Eventually, things will dry out, but eventually seems a long way away right now.

The temperature in the refrigerator is perfect now. I don't know how long this will last. After I defrost the evaporator coil, the temperature is initially too cold. Then it slowly warms up until I have to defrost all over again. I wonder why things freeze up so fast? When I was growing up, my parents had a refrigerator that needed to be defrosted manually. We only had to do this every six or eight months though. I'm lucky if I can go two weeks with this refrigerator. There is no easy solution. The one refrigerator that will fit in our kitchen is on back order until the end of March. If I buy it, I have to pay for it right away even though I have to wait a month for delivery. That doesn't seem fair.

Nothing seems fair at this point. I try to keep my mouth shut because other people think my problems are trivial. Nobody wants to hear about a running toilet if they're having trouble getting health insurance. Nobody wants to hear about water on the roof if they're afraid of losing their job. I understand all this and yet it is still difficult for me to be upbeat and positive.

I think I'm a lot like Dash. We are both grumpy about everything and still remain amazingly resilient.  Whatever happens, we manage to make it through the day and are ready to start all over again the next day. I'm sure the glass will still be half empty tomorrow. There is a lot more rain in the forecast.

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day