Day 3251

Today was a catch up day. I didn't accomplish much, but I did finish the things I was supposed to do yesterday. There were no peaches when I went to the grocery store after breakfast. Unlike strawberries and blueberries, peaches seem to disappear when the season is over. I like peaches and when I can't find them in the store anymore it is officially Winter.

A lack of peaches wasn't the only sign of Winter today. It was very cold. Strong winds made it feel a lot colder than it really was. Despite the chilly weather, Dash was still eager to walk this morning. We bundled up and off we went. Dash now seems to understand the importance of protecting his feet and has finally learned to stand still while we fit his leg brace and put on his shoes and socks.

Dash an I are both hard on socks. I bought some more today on my way to the gym. My socks would probably last a lot longer if I didn't wear them as shoes around the house. Why would anyone wear shoes inside?  Spending the day in your socks is much more comfortable.

My routine never varies at the gym. Unlike people who try to push themselves, I'm just looking for consistency. I'd like to sink every shot on the basketball court. If only my hand eye coordination were more consistent.  I try to complete a mile on the treadmill in exactly the same amount of time it took the previous week. Usually I'm only off by a few seconds. I can guess my heart rate pretty accurately now as well. Consistency makes me feel like I accomplished something. Overachieving seldom does.

We're keeping socks on Dash in the house now. It seems to help. His paws need time to heal and he's constantly scraping them on something. We bought some medicine that will help the cuts heal, but he's got to stop opening old wounds. If these small cuts were on his back, everything would be better by now. The paws are always problematic. When Dash tore out a dew claw, it seemed to take forever before he was back to normal. I'm sure glad that accident happened before he was taking blood thinners.

Since yard work was out of the question on a cold day like this, I watched another episode of the National Geographic show about Mars. This kind of seems to be a show about what happens if Elon Musk succeeds. I keep wondering if the guy in charge of the Mars program in the show is supposed to represent an older Elon Musk. I wonder if I'll be alive when humans finally set foot on Mars. Probably not. It's still hard to believe that 50 years have passed since we went to the moon. This means 50 years since I was in college as well. Time flies. Back then I thought the world would have been a lot different by now.

Another weeks begins tomorrow. I'm looking forward to overeating on Thanksgiving. My appointment with the eye doctor, not so much.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3250

I spent my day taking pictures of kids holding snakes. This was a big animal rescue event with all types of puppies, kittens, ferrets, and birds, but the kids seemed fascinated with the snakes. The smaller the children, the less fear they had of snakes. Often, their parents wouldn't go near the reptiles, but the kids loved them. I heard a lot of "Mommy, can I have a snake?" during the afternoon. I didn't hear one parent say yes.

A lot has changed in the last five years. There wasn't a lot of interest in my little photo booth, but everyone wanted to take selfies with the animals. People don't need a photographer anymore. They make their own movies and share their own pictures. Most of the children had their own phones. Even small children were walking around with iPhones. I predict that there will be a lot of pictures of people holding snakes on Instagram today.

I'm not a big fan of snakes myself. I hate seeing them in the park because I can never remember which ones are poisonous. I pretty much quit using my kayak when I saw a big water moccasin swimming along side me one day. I always worry that one of the dogs will be bitten by a snake. Often dogs don't have the sense to keep away from them.

I'm glad I don't do many photo events anymore. They are too tiring. I still do a few Santa Paws events during the Christmas season, but not nearly as many as I used to do. I think we only have two Christmas events scheduled this year. Today's event was meant to educate kids about animals. I'm not sure what the kids learned, but I learned a few things. The big snakes eat rabbits. The snake handler buys frozen rabbit meat which he cooks as needed. He feeds his large snakes a rabbit every two weeks. Some of these snakes weigh as much as 75 pounds.

I was lucky today. I didn't have to bring my lights and backdrops. All I had to do was show up with a camera. I think I got some cute pictures. I'm not sure what the organizers plan to do with these pictures but they seemed pleased with the results.

Dash pooped in the bed again last night. I guess this is the new normal. I with I could use puppy training pads with him like I did with Dot, but I'm not sure they'd do any good. Dash is still fairly mobile. Whenever I wake up, he's in a different place than he was when I went to sleep. Doggie diapers won't work at all. Dash's rear legs are so weak that diapers would essentially cripple him. This is still a work in progress. I'm sure we'll figure out something.

I didn't have time to get groceries today, so I guess I'll do that tomorrow. I'm not sure that I'll go to the gym. If it's as warm as it was today, it would be a good time to mow the grass one last time. It would also be a good time to take a long nap. We'll see how I feel in the morning

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3249

It's been quite a challenge getting Dash's paws to heal while still continuing to walk him. The least little scrape causes them to bleed again. Even walking around the house is starting to cause problems. I found some extra soft socks and we are only using new boots now. Mostly the bleeding has stopped, but I still see little drops of blood on the floor from time to time. The cuts are minor and will definitely heal over time, but cuts like these are much more problematic when you are taking blood thinners.

Even though Dash doesn't stay still at night, I'm going to try placing a puppy training pad under his butt before I go to sleep. It couldn't hurt to try. It's really getting old cleaning blankets and bedding every day. Dash didn't even wake up when he pooped in the bed last night. This is actually a good thing. If he starts staying asleep when he poops, I can put a puppy pad under him and cleanup will be easy.

It was a little warmer this morning, which made our morning walk chilly but pleasant. I'm enjoying this weather. For the second day in a row there wasn't a cloud in the sky. After checking to make sure Dash's paws were OK after our walk, I left for breakfast. Even though I almost always order the same thing, I'm still enjoying going to the hotel. It's pleasant there. The staff knows me by name now. Since most customers are travelers, I'm one of the few regulars.

A trip to the bank was on my to-do list today. I had to clear up a snafu that I probably caused myself by not listening carefully when I opened a new account several months ago. I thought I had one kind of account, but I actually had another. I could have sworn that I opened an account that had no fees associated with it. Nope. I've started noticing fees and charges I wasn't expecting. Eventually I managed to get the fees removed but they shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Getting my bank account straightened out was easy compared to getting a new TV remote from AT&T. I don't know why you can't get a TV remote at an AT&T store. That would be too easy. I had to talk with an offshore customer service representative who couldn't speak English very well. At first he tried to change my U-verse plan. Then he tried to sell me a TV remote. It took forever to explain the my remote was broken and he needed to send me a replacement for free. Who knows if I will get a new remote in the mail. I'm not counting on it. I could barely understand this guy.

I wrote a letter to my sister this afternoon and watched another episode of Mars. I was hoping that this series would be like The Martian. The script isn't nearly as good as Andy Weir's novel. This is definitely not something i could binge watch. After a single episode, I was ready to start repairing dog boots again.

I'm still tired a lot, but I'm sleeping better now. I don't know what has changed. Dash continues to wake me up every night. I'm just getting back to sleep a lot quicker.

Alvin is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3248

Dash got some good news today. The doctors could find no evidence of a blood clot on his echocardiogram this morning. It's been three months since the clot was visible. Since this was the second time in a row that the search for the clot in his heart has turned up negative, Dash's vet was convinced that it was finally gone. This is great news.

Unfortunately, Dash still needs to take Plavix to prevent these clots from reoccurring. The blood thinners are bad news since Dash bleeds so easily. The folks at the cancer center got a chance to see just how easily Dash bleeds when he walked across the parking lot to go pee in a patch of grass on the other side. When we returned to the clinic, the tops of both rear paws were bloody. Dash's rear legs are very weak and his rear paws knuckle under whenever he takes a step. It doesn't take much to scrape them up. We used to skip the socks and boots on trips to the vet, but it was pretty evident today that he'll need to wear them everywhere.

I was hoping that we'd get an answer about the tremors Dash has been experiencing at night, but the vet was as puzzled as we were. We didn't really learn how to prevent the bleeding either. I guess we'll just have to be very careful. We'll return to the cancer center for another echocardiogram and exam in January. A lot can happen in a month and a half, but I'm cautiously optimistic. Dash's appetite has improved dramatically and he hasn't vomited in a long time. The incontinence is messy and he has some pretty severe mobility problems, but things could be a lot worse.

Dash's exam took a long time, so I didn't get much done today. Breakfast was so late that it was more like lunch. I need to make a mental note not to drink my smoothie after 11 AM. The concoction is so filling that it spoiled my appetite for dinner tonight. I should have taken a long nap, but I paid some bills and went to the grocery store instead. I don't know why I felt like I needed to pick up something for dinner. I wasn't hungry.

I watched another episode of the National Geographic Mars Series this afternoon. I need to see if this thing is available on iTunes. I'd pay just to avoid the commercials. Lots of shows will let you stream old episodes for free, but they are almost always filled with commercials. By the time I've watched five different  commercials in a row, I've forgotten what the show is about.

The trash has been taken out to the curb and the last load of wash is in the dryer. Dash's paws have stopped bleeding, but we've got to be really careful. I don't want to be looking at a bloody bedspread tomorrow morning. I'm still hoping that Dash will poop before I go to bed tonight. I could really use some sleep.

Honey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3247

I closed out my account at the old storage warehouse and said goodbye to the place. I never would have made the deadline without the movers help. I don't know why I thought I could make the move on my own. I didn't even come close. The deed is done though. I hope I won't need to move anything else for a long, long time.

I also hope this cold wave we've been having is over soon. It makes life difficult. It was 27 degrees when we woke up this morning. Dash still needs to go out at night, but he doesn't like the cold. After I let him out to pee last night, he started shivering violently. We went back to bed, but he continued shivering even after I wrapped him in a blanket. It was almost an hour before he was calm again. Tomorrow Dash has another big exam at the cancer center. Hopefully they can tell us what these night tremors are all about. The shivering is almost a nightly occurrence now and it seems to be getting worse.

I'm amazed that Dash still enjoys walking. He does OK if he keeps moving forward, but he stumbles a lot at home and is having trouble getting up on the bed. I wish I could convince Dash to sleep on the floor, but he is very stubborn. It's sad seeing him going downhill like this. He definitely doesn't want to give up, but with each passing day he seems a little slower and weaker.

I got my first payment from an auction house today. This was reassuring. Maybe this whole process is going to work after all. You have to be patient when you are consigning things. I started this journey last June and the final auction won't take place until next June.

I watched another episode of Mars on the National Geographic Channel this afternoon. I wonder who's idea it was to combine a science fiction story with a lot of present day interviews with people like Neil deGrasse Tyson and NASA astronauts? I find the back and forth structure distracting and wish I could watch the story about the 2033 Mars landing all by itself. I've never liked multi-tasking, even if it's just watching a TV show. A simple little adventure is all I want at this point.

The sky was clear today, but there is still rain in the forecast. It's strange that Texas gets all the rain these days and California is in the middle of a multi-year drought. The wildfires in California keep getting worse and worse. The last time I spent time in Northern California I never would have dreamed that one day entire towns like Paradise would end up burning to the ground. I used to live on the West Coast and always thought that Texas was the place with terrible weather. I know I complain a lot, but with every passing year Texas is looking better and better.

The only thing I've got to complain about today is a paper cut on my left index finger. It's hard to type. Otherwise, things are looking good. Dash did well today. My back is feeling better. The roof is drying out. I was even able to get back to sleep after taking Dash outside last night. A few more days like this would be welcome.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3246

We had our first freeze last night. I know this happens every year, but the sight of ice in the backyard bird bath always seems ominous to me. Has the water on the roof turned to ice as well? Will a pipe freeze? What happens when I need to clean poop off a bedspread and the backyard hose is frozen? I've always been a worrier and Winter just gives you more to worry about.

Nothing bad happened today. There was a stiff wind when we woke up and it felt like we were headed to the South Pole on our morning walk, but Dash seemed to love it. Our dogs have always appreciated Winter more than I do. I think Dash had more energy than I did this morning, but then I was the one picking up poop last night. Dash was already back to sleep before I had everything cleaned up and in the washing machine. At least Dash stayed on his protective blanket. Cleanup was relatively easy.

The furnace is working great. I hope this continues. Memories of furnace failures on very cold mornings continue to haunt me. At least there is a brand new battery in the car. I can remember a few battery failures on cold mornings as well. There's the washing machine to think about too. When you have an incontinent dog, you need a good, reliable washing machine. I think it drives Janet nuts that I am always fretting about something, but that's the way I am.

I made an appointment to see an eye doctor today. It's been decades since I've had my eyes examined, but I guess it's about time. Ostensibly, the exam is to make sure I don't have any diabetes related problems, but I'm kind of wondering if I'll pass the eye exam when I get my driver's license renewed. For most of my life I've had perfect vision, but staring at a computer screen for many years has taken its toll. My distance vision is still good, but I can't see anything up close without my readers. Hopefully, I won't need to wear glasses. I don't think I'd have the the nerve to have Lasik Surgery even if I needed it. Everything I've done professionally had required good vision. If I had to choose, I'll choose glasses. I wouldn't even wear contacts. Too many fears about eye infections.

It was so cold that I had no desire to leave the house today. I looked for something to watch on TV and found Mars. I don't know why I'd never watched this National Geographic Channel show before. It's already in Season Two and I've never seen a single episode until today. The show is actually pretty good. It seems to be half sci-fi drama and half documentary. I streamed the first episode this afternoon. There are quite a few more, so I should have something to do on cold days for the rest of the Winter.

Pooping in the bed was only the beginning for Dash. He didn't even make an effort to go outside today and pooped all over the house. Hey Buddy, I know it's cold, but you can still try to go in the yard. Jeez, at least make an effort. Cleaning the rugs and carpets is difficult.

At least the roof leak has stopped. That's something. Dash has pooped so much today that maybe he'll sleep all night. A guy can always hope.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3245

What a day. Dash started us off by pooping in the bed. He strayed off his protective pad during the night and ended up pooping on the bedspread. Then when he tried to get up, he stepped in the mess. I took the bedding outside so I could hose it off before putting it in the wash and discovered that it was pouring rain. It was a very cold rain too. By the time I got the bedspread in the washing machine, I was freezing and fairly wet.

I didn't even notice until the next morning that the roof had started to leak in an entirely new location. This time the leak was in the hallway. Since the first leak appeared over a month ago, it has never been dry enough to inspect the roof for damage. With all the rain we've been having, there has been standing water one the roof for the entire time. The roof seems hopeless at this point. I don't want to put an entirely new roof on the house, but it may come to that.

Dash wouldn't walk this morning. Maybe it was too cold for him, but I suspect that it was because Janet wasn't with him. He follows her around like glue these days. I tried several times to get him out the back door, but all I succeeded in doing was get him to poop in the house again.

We walked later in the day when Janet returned. That's all he wanted. As soon as she was leading the way, he was eager to follow behind. It makes it a lot harder to walk Dash if we both have to be there, but that is apparently what Dash wants. It is almost impossible to get him to walk alone with me anymore.

I woke up this morning with an upset stomach, heartburn, and a bad back. These middle of the night cleanup routines are taking a toll on me. I'm a light sleeper anyway and now it seems like I'm getting no sleep at all. I take naps during the day, but it would be much more enjoyable to do my sleeping at night like a normal person. This new routine doesn't seem to bother Dash at all. He still seems to sleep eighteen hours a day.

This afternoon, I went to check out the location for the photo shoot this weekend. I was happy to discover that I'll be inside. I have a feeling that it will still be very cold this weekend. I still can't decide whether to get a flu shot before the event. The last time I got a flu shot I actually came down with a mild case of the flu. I still blame the flu shot and haven't got a shot since. My fear of crowds probably trumps my fear of flu shots though. Whenever I'm around a crowd of people, I'm convinced that I'll catch a cold.

Once again, I checked the mail for most of the day before I realized that it was a holiday and there was no mail delivery. I wish the stock market was closed today along with the post office and the banks. We had another major sell off. Basically nothing went smoothly today. Hey, there's always tomorrow.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3244 - Veteran's Day

It was a slow day at the gym. Moving the storage warehouse has taken its toll. Every bone in my body protested as I went through my routine today. Maybe it was worth it though. I did feel better when I was finished than I did getting out of bed this morning. I hope the aches and pains subside. I don't like feeling this way, but I don't like being too old to do things either. Maybe I'm just out of shape. I'm certainly not as active as I was when the dogs were younger.

Today was even colder than yesterday. Janet and I both wore our Winter coats when we walked Dash this morning. The weather was way too cold for me, but Dash seemed to enjoy it. He was more active than usual and wanted to walk down by the shoreline. It's always good to see Dash with a little energy because these days are becoming rare. After an hour out in the cold, we were all ready for breakfast.

If I didn't turn on the television this morning, I'd never have known it was Veteran's Day. Both my parents, who served in the Navy, are long gone. I had an art director partner who was a Marine and had two friends who used to be fighter pilots, but I've lost touch with all these people. When I listen to the tributes and Veteran's Day memorials on TV, all I can think of are the many pointless wars that have taken place in my lifetime. Vietnam and all the wars in the Middle East that followed didn't really liberate anyone or advance the cause of freedom. A lot of good people died needlessly. I guess I'm an isolationist at heart. My parents couldn't have ignored Hitler and the attack on Pearl Harbor, but a lot of the regional conflicts that my generation found themselves involved with were different. We didn't change anything for the better in Vietnam. The Middle East has been a mess for thousands of years. We should have stayed home and let some of these countries sort things out for themselves.

The shoes that seem to be doing a good job of protecting Dash's feet are wearing out fast. I don't think these new boots will last another week. I can envision the type of boot Dash needs, but nobody seems to make it. Since his rear paws turn under when he walks, he needs protective rubber on both the top and bottom of the boot. The rubber needs to be durable while remaining very flexible. It is impossible to get a thick rigid boot on. The shape of Dash's paws makes him very hard to fit. It's too bad I couldn't make an impression of his rear leg and have someone fabricate a custom fitted boot. For now, I guess I'm just have to keep buying these off the shelf dog boots fairly frequently.

I guess advertising does work. Lately, I've been real tempted to buy one of those "My Pillows" you always see advertised on TV. They probably aren't any better than any other pillow, but when you aren't sleeping well, it's always easy to blame it on your pillow. Maybe I should blame the mattress as well. It used to be really firm, but years of dogs playing and sleeping on the bed have worn it out. Dalmatians can be rough on furniture when they're young and active. I think my back would feel better if I slept on the floor. I'm not going to try that though. The floor is cold and full of dog hair.

I think I'd better get a flu shot next week. I rarely get the flu and often skip the shot. Maybe my luck has run out. I volunteered to take pictures at a children's event this month. The flu doesn't bother me, but children do. I always manage to catch a cold when I'm around children. I wish I'd remembered this before I volunteered.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3243

Winter is here. We woke up to near freezing temperatures this morning. We found our Winter coats and took Dash on his morning walk. When we returned, we discovered that our power had gone out. Why would the power go out on a completely clear day? I suspect that everyone woke up and turned on their furnace at the same time. Since nothing was working, we went out for breakfast. Restaurants in the neighborhood were out of power too. This was worse than I expected. We drove a little further and ate breakfast at my favorite restaurant in the hotel. Janet liked the place too.

Power was restored later in the morning, but that wasn't the end of today's mishaps. When I left to run my Saturday errands, the first thing I did was get gas. After I filled my tank, the car wouldn't start. It was completely dead and there were all kind of warning lights on the dash. I called AAA and they got me to the dealership, where I discovered that I not only had a dead battery, I also had a broken water pump. Damn. Another expensive repair. My service adviser got me a loaner car and said that he might be able to complete the repairs by the end of the day. Land Rover prices are ridiculous, but at least they have good service.

I continued my Saturday errands in the loaner car, hoping that I never have to buy a car where the engine automatically shuts off when you stop at a traffic light. This "feature" is included on almost every new car these days and it is terribly annoying. After a lifetime of worrying that my car is going to die in heavy traffic, the last thing I want is a car that does this on purpose.

I should have checked the weather last night. I forgot to bring the lawnmower battery inside, so last night's cold weather probably ruined it. I'll see if it still works the next time we get some warm weather. This may be tomorrow, or next Spring. You never know with Texas weather. I suspect that the cold weather might have had something to do with my car's bad battery as well. Why did the car start when I left the house with a cold engine, but refused to start after I got gas and the engine was warm? Why did the car work at all with a broken water pump? Some things will always remain a mystery. I suspect that any car can be on the verge of breaking down for quite a while before it actually does.

I found another pair of dog boots that seemed softer than the ones we've been using. Neither Janet or I could remember where these boots came from. Perhaps they were Dot's. Dash's paws didn't bleed today, so these boots are a winner. I don't think they'll last long though, since the rubber on the outside is thin and soft. Maybe I'll just have to buy new boots every few weeks. Repairing torn areas with Shoe Goo tends to make the boots harder and more abrasive on the inside. I guess I shouldn't worry about what the boots cost. They're cheap compared to his veterinary bills.

Amazingly, the dealership did finish my car today. Everything works great now. I hope I can rely on the car for the rest of the Winter now. After switching storage warehouses and hiring movers, I think I've had enough large expenses for the rest of the year. Dash pooped on the bed again last night. I've had enough of that as well. At least we're getting better at cleaning up the mess. In less than fifteen minutes, everything was clean, in the wash, and we all went back to sleep again.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3242

The move is complete. I was really happy with the movers I hired. They were on time, courteous, and stayed within their estimate. They even helped me pack the loose items in boxes. I picked these guys because they had the best Yelp reviews. I guess that's how you do things these days. A few good Yelp reviews don't mean anything, but when they're all good you can usually rely on the results. I need to remember to leave a good review myself. I'd use these guys again.

The new storage unit is slightly smaller than the old one. It is twenty square feet smaller to be exact. This is unfortunate, because the metal industrial shelves don't fit quite as well. The movers and I eventually found a place for everything, but this new unit is a lot closer to being full than I had hoped. It's a good thing I threw away a lot of empty boxes. If I had kept everything, I don't think it would have fit.

After the movers helped me arrange the shelving and place the really heavy items on the lower shelves, they left me to sort out the rest. I was happy with this, because it allowed them to stay near the low end of their estimate. I spent the next two hours filling the shelves with a large assortment of boxes on the floor and then I dragged my aching body home and took a nap. Hopefully, my lower back and shoulder will recover soon. Right now, I feel a hundred years old.

This ended up being a very long day because it started around 4:30 AM by cleaning up poop on the floor. As he often does these day, Dash went outside to pee and went back inside and immediately pooped on the living room floor. He doesn't do this on purpose. I just don't think he's aware that he needs to poop until it starts coming out. Dash went back to sleep, but I wasn't so lucky. I stayed in bed and watched TV for a while until it was time to get up and give Dash his morning walk.

We tried to pack Dash's rear paws with gauze this morning before putting his socks on. In theory, this should have eliminated the possibility of abrasion, but one of his paws still bled a little when we returned. The boots are wearing out faster too, because Dash's paws are turning under more as he walks. Basically, his rear legs continue to get weaker and there's nothing we can do to stop it. If Dash would learn to ride in the car, I could take him downtown for water therapy like I used to do with Dot. This is out of the question though. Dash is horrible in the car.

I was so tired today that I felt I deserved pizza and a beer for dinner. Janet loves pizza, but it always gives me heartburn. Occasionally, it's worth the heartburn. I took a Prilosec and hoped for the best. The pizza was great. We'll see how well I sleep tonight. I wish I had an iron stomach. I love pasta and bread, but they have to be reserved for special occasions now. Anything that includes tomato sauce as an ingredient is a red flag. I can't handle tomatoes at all.

I'm glad I completed the storage warehouse move. I guess it was worth it. Even after paying the movers, I ended up saving quite a bit of money. I still don't understand why the old warehouse had no  interest in keeping me as a customer. I was a good customer. They seemed determined to get rid of me by raising my rent every single year until I'd finally had enough. My new storage unit is about the same size and I'm only paying about half as much.

I hope Dash has a good night. I really need to catch up on my sleep.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3241

I can't believe it. I was going to apply to attend a Space X launch, but I missed the deadline because I apparently can't tell the difference between midnight and noon. The application said that the deadline was 12:00 PM today. I thought I'd have plenty of time to fill out the form this evening. Oops. 12:00 PM is noon. 12:00 AM is midnight. I should have known better, but shouldn't 12:00 PM be one hour after 11:00 PM?

Dash's paw is still bleeding after walks. I don't know what to do. The sock between his paw and the boot should protect him from any abrasions, but it doesn't seem to work. This is a thick, good quality sock too. I think it's better than the socks I wear. This is the problem with taking blood thinners. The smallest thing can cause you to bleed. I've got to figure something out because it is important to keep Dash moving. If he becomes sedentary, he will lose his remaining mobility very quickly. Luckily, Dash seemed to have a little more energy today. He was willing to walk on his own and Janet didn't need to provide him with a target to follow. I really wonder how well Dash can see. He still responds to movement, but I often think that all he sees are blurs and shadows. We had a good walk this morning, even though Dash lost his way several times. We made it home minutes before it started raining again.

I wish this rain would quit. It's depressing. I keep thinking that the roof leak will reappear and taking care of Dash becomes much more difficult. I wasn't able to go over to the storage warehouse at all today because there isn't much point to moving things in the rain. It always seems cold and damp in the house when it rains, even though the temperature on the thermostat remains the same. I hope that the skies clear by tomorrow. I've got to meet the movers at the storage warehouse tomorrow morning.

I was supposed to receive my first payment from one of the auction houses today. Nothing. I finally called the auction house to see what was going on and they told me that their buyer hadn't paid them yet. "Don't worry," they said. This is why I hate selling things. It always turns into a hassle. The worst part of owning my own business was always getting paid by clients. It looks like downsizing isn't going to be easy either. So far, one of my vintage guitars has already been returned because the buyer decided he wanted something different. Since the guitar was on layaway, the store allowed him to apply his payment to a different guitar. Several of my model trains have been returned for similar reasons. Eventually, things get sold and payments are received but I sure wish the whole process wasn't such a hassle.

I'm glad this week is almost over. I'm tired of the rain. I'm tired of moving stuff from one storage warehouse to another. I'm tired of cleaning up poop in the middle of the night. Mostly, I'm just physically tired. I wish I was 30 again. 30 is a lot better than 70.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3240

So I get in my car this morning to go to my doctor's appointment. I'm late as usual. I press the ignition button and immediately get a Low Coolant warning light on my dash. Do I ignore the warning and proceed to the doctor's office, or cancel my appointment and go looking for some antifreeze? This is how people wind up getting towed to the dealership. I decided to keep going and just make sure that the car didn't overheat. Everything turned out OK, but I hate situations like these.

As far as I can tell, my physical exam went OK. There were no surprises anyway. The phlebotomist was great today. I didn't feel a thing. It's still surprising that my new doctor and my old doctor seem so different. Each has their own priorities. Some tests that my old doctor routinely preformed are considered unnecessary by the new doctor. He's added some new tests that the old doctor never bothered with however. Who is right? I guess it's all a matter of who you trust. I'm screwed because I basically don't trust anybody.

After my appointment, I immediately drove to the Land Rover dealer to ask them about the coolest level. The warning light actually went out after the engine warmed up, so I didn't think the problem was serious. My service adviser topped up the reservoir with antifreeze and told me to give him a call if the warning light came on again. He said the sometimes an air bubble gets trapped in the cooling system and causes a false reading. He also said the coolant level actually was pretty low, so who knows what is going on. I'll keep an eye on things in case I have a leak. At any rate it was certainly easier to have the dealership take care of this for me than to go to Auto Zone and wonder which of twelve brands of antifreeze to buy.

I never ate breakfast at all today. By the time I returned home, it was way too late and I wasn't very hungry anyway. I'll return to my smoothie tomorrow. Dash did get a walk this morning, but he seemed kind of lost as soon as we got to the park. I had to return to the house and get Janet to walk with us so he'd have someone to follow. Lately, he's been very tentative about walking unless he has someone to follow. I think his vision has gotten much worse in the past several months.

Evidently, I need to worry about my own vision as well. My doctor made an appointment for me to see an ophthalmologist. He said it was important to see an eye doctor at least once a year since I was being treated for diabetes. I've always thought I was pre-diabetic but my doctor said to stop kidding myself. "If you're taking Metformin," he said. "you've got some form of diabetes." I'm a long, long way from needing to take insulin, but I do need to be careful. I probably need to go back to my rigorous, no sugar, no wheat diet too, but I do love bread, pasta, and dessert.

I'm glad I'm moving to the new storage warehouse. When I went back to the old warehouse today, the entry doors at the back of the building wouldn't accept my code and the manager didn't know when they'd be able to get things fixed. I had to carry my stuff all the way to the other side of the building to load the car. I hope the get the door fixed before the movers arrive. My move is going to be more expensive if the guys can't park their truck near my unit.

Dash had a cut on one of his paws this morning. Even though he wears a special sock under his protective rubber boots, his feet still manage to get scraped up. It's frustrating. He needs to stay active, but he also needs to stay protected. Any type of bleeding is not good at all.

It was really a long day. I should have no problem sleeping tonight. I hope that Dash feels the same way.

Chase is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3239 - Election Day

I decided that it was time to face reality and hire a mover. Even if I continue to move something every day, I just don't think I can get everything out of the old warehouse on my own by the middle of the month. It took me fifteen years to fill this place up. I guess it was unrealistic to think I could empty it out in a matter of weeks. Maybe if I extended my lease until December I could finish the job, but my body would be a wreck. It just isn't worth it. I've only moved about one third of the contents so far and I already feel like a cripple.

The movers arrive Friday. Hopefully, I'll never have to do this again. Jeez. What am I thinking? Of course I'll have to do this again someday. I still don't know what to do with this stuff and I know it's never coming back to the house. Hey, at least I'm getting rid of quite a few things. That's a start.

I made reservations for Thanksgiving Dinner today. As usual, I should have done this earlier. This particular Thanksgiving Brunch has become very popular and the restaurant is filling up fast. I couldn't get a table until 1:30 PM. I guess that's OK. We usually eat later on holidays anyway.

I've got to get up early tomorrow to walk Dash before going to my doctor's appointment. I won't be able to eat breakfast because they want to do fasting blood work again. I hope the phlebotomist can find a vein this time. I hate it when the vein rolls and they keep poking you. That's what happened last time. My veins used to be super easy to find. Now they seem to be hiding.

Dash made it outside both times last night. It's always a good night when Dash doesn't poop in the house. When I go to bed, I never know how things are going to turn out. Sometimes he makes it to the back door with time to spare and other times he can't even make it out of bed. I wish Dash would learn to sleep on the floor. We have nice dog beds, but he still prefers sleeping in the bed with us. I don't know how long this can continue because he's having increasing difficulty getting up at night. If I don't wake up first to help him off the bed, he frequently stumbles and falls.

Even though I have movers coming, I still went over to the storage warehouse and moved a few more things this afternoon. The more I'm able to move ahead of time, the less I'll have to pay. Today I moved a bunch of pictures that were left over from several gallery shows I had over a decade ago. I hadn't looked at these pictures for a while and I'll have to admit they were pretty good. It took a while to secure my first gallery show, but after only two shows I totally lost interest in the gallery world. Competition for gallery space was intense and you had to be an active member of the local artist's community to find opportunities to show your work. Like most other things in life, the art world turned out to be all about who you know. It seemed way too much like business to me.

I'll be asleep long before the election results are finally decided. I suspect that nobody will be happy. We are such a divided country that you can't really expect the results to bring any kind of unity. When I wake up tomorrow morning I expect that half the country will still be mad. At the moment, I just don't know which half.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3238

I try to move a little bit every day. Sometimes it seems like a lost cause. I've lost count of the number of carloads I've moved and yet the storage warehouse still seems full. Today Janet and I worked together to clean out our respective units. Her goal is loftier than mine. Instead of moving to a new warehouse, she wants to quit storing things entirely. I found more stuff she could take to the charity shop while I continued to move items to my new warehouse.

I decided that my days as a hobby watch repairman are over. I still had a lot of boxes of old watch parts that I'd bought on eBay years ago. I gathered everything together and took it to a watch repairman in the neighborhood who used to fix things for me. "Do you want this stuff," I asked. I knew he would, because this guy can't get rid of anything. Maybe he'll find something useful. I felt good. This certainly beat throwing everything in a dumpster.

I've bought a lot of useless stuff on eBay over the years, but have absolutely no interest in selling things on eBay. I don't want to deal with buyers. Buyers are nothing buy trouble. That's why I like auction houses so much. They insulate you from the buyer. Actually, they won't even tell you who the buyer is. The auction houses have been very nice to me. It's too bad they aren't interested in junk. I think I've run out of things that an auction house would be interested in.

Dash pooped all over the place today. He couldn't seem to make it outside at all. For the first time he made a mess on the bedroom carpet. The bricks are easy to clean. Even bedding can be thrown in the laundry. Carpet is much more difficult. You always hope for firm, hard poop if it lands on the carpet. No such luck this morning. I think I finally got everything clean, but it took a while. Dash must have felt bad about making the mess, because he actually helped me clean it up. He's got a good nose for poop. If he's still smelling an area, I know I haven't cleaned it well enough. It took a few tries but everything is fine now. Dash approves.

The warehouse move is really taking a toll on my body. In addition to lower back pain and a bad shoulder, I now have a charlie horse in my right leg. All these aches and pains have come from trying to lift something that was too heavy. Today I moved a large commercial SEAL dry mount press. These things are very heavy.  It's amazing how well equipped I was back in the day. Not every photographer has a dry mount press this big. These days, I bet a lot of young photographers don't even know what a dry mount press is.

When I was walking Dash this evening I kept wishing he would slow down. You already know how slow Dash is. That's how bad my charlie horse was. Maybe my leg will feel better in the morning. I certainly hope so. I'm glad I voted early. The last thing I feel like doing is standing in a long line tomorrow.

Coach is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3237

It's easy to tell when I've been a little too ambitious. Every joint in my body aches. Today I thought I'd combine a workout at the gym with a workout at the storage warehouse. One of these activities would have been enough.

I certainly don't get much exercise on my morning walks with Dash these days. He's become incredibly slow. He still seems to enjoy his walks and I let him take all the time he needs. He stops about every ten feet to smell things. If the smell is particularly interesting, he sometimes forgets about his rear legs and falls over. I'm beginning to think his vision is failing and he's smelling his way along the path. Today he bumped into a clearly visible fence. He might have just had his head down smelling things, or maybe the glare of the rising sun obscured his vision. It's not like Dash to collide with a fence. I hope he's not going blind.

I did really well on the basketball count today. There is no rhyme or reason to this. I did use a different ball today because I couldn't find my favorite one. Maybe the new ball explains things. I bet I would have done terribly if I'd gone to the gym after the storage warehouse. Moving wore me out today.

My goal this afternoon was to disassemble some of the metal industrial shelving, move it to the new warehouse and then put it back together again. In theory, this should have been easy, but it wasn't. The shelves were heavy and once I took them apart, they were very difficult to assemble again. A couple of the metal parts had become bent and the holes for the bolts didn't line up anymore. Apparently these shelves weren't meant to be assembled more than once. I didn't have the right tools with me either. Instead of a hammer and a heavy pair of pliers, I settled for a rock I found in the parking lot. Eventually, I got the first shelf reassembled at the new warehouse. It's not very pretty, but it will work. I hope I never have to move these things a third time.

There are still five more of these large industrial shelves. I don't know if I have the energy to take them all apart. I think it's time to get another estimate from a mover. With a large truck and a couple of muscular guys you could move all of these shelves intact, without disassembling anything. When I finish this more it may be time to curtail strenuous activity like this. I'm too old for this shit. It's time to stop moving heavy boxes, climbing on the roof, and pushing a heavy lawn mower up a hill.

It was a strenuous day, but a shower, a nice dinner, and a slow evening walk with Dash helped me unwind. I'm happy with the morning part of today's time change, put not the evening part. It gets dark way too early. I walked Dash before dinner tonight while there was still daylight. This will be our new routine until Spring. There are still quite a few clocks to reset. Some of them probably aren't worth the trouble. In four months the time will be correct again.

Ginger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3236

Nothing unusual happened today. That's always a good thing. Dash slept well and there were no further seizures. He got me up once during the night, but we were all able to get back to sleep. No rain either. I really can't complain.

Dash was very slow on his walk this morning, but there didn't seem to be anything wrong. He was just slow. I was slow too. There was no reason to hurry. After breakfast, I ran my usual Saturday errands. When I went to the vet to pick up meds for Dash, a family was surrendering their dog. It was sad. The kids wanted to keep the dog, but the Mom didn't. I got the impression that a divorce was involved. Dogs get caught in the middle of a lot of bad situations. I hope this one does better next time.

There were no strawberries at the grocery store this week. This wasn't good. Strawberries are a major ingredient in my morning smoothies. Situations like these are the only times I send text messages. I asked Janet to see if she could find some.

I'm determined to go to the storage warehouse at least once a day. If I don't, I'll never be able to complete my move before the middle of the month when my lease runs out. I was planning to see how long it would take me to disassemble one of the metal shelves today, but when I was actually standing in front of the shelf, it seemed like way too much effort. I just moved a few more things instead. In today's load was an old Singer sewing machine that I repaired at considerable expense instead of throwing it away the last time it broke. Janet has a much better machine now, but I still like this simple one. There was an old lie detector machine that I picked up at an estate sale once. The machine actually worked ten or fifteen years ago. Lord knows if it works anymore. I lost the instructions years ago. There were some die cast model cars that should have gone with the model trains, but the train guy didn't know what to do with them. He said his customers only bought trains. There was a down sleeping bag that I actually sewed myself from a Frostline Kit back in college. Amazingly, the bag is still in good shape. I didn't attempt to lift anything heavy today. I'm not ready for heavy yet.

Janet brought home take out from one of our favorite restaurants for dinner. We don't cook much anymore. Cooking these days is mostly just heating things up in the microwave. I don't think anybody cooks as much as they used to. Fixing food has become more of a hobby than a necessity. Nobody becomes a foodie out of necessity. I have vague, somewhat fuzzy memories of my grandmother's kitchen. She was always baking something. I just go to Panera Bread.

I bought Dash a new pair of boots yesterday and all it took was a single walk to tear a hole in the nylon top. I think these boots are designed for healthy dogs who don't turn their paws under with every step they take. I went back to the hardware store to buy some more Shoe Goo. I wasn't expecting to be repairing these boots for a while, but Dash is full of surprises.

I tried to balance my checkbook this afternoon, but I couldn't get the figures to match the bank statement. Every once in a while this happens. Did I forget something last week or six months ago? Who knows. After a while I just gave up and made an entry that just said "reconcile with bank"

Time to go to the gym again. Wish there was something I could do to strengthen my shoulders and knees. This storage warehouse move is killing me.

Wolfgang is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3235

Dash gave me another scare last night. He woke me up when I felt his whole body shaking next to me. The shivering continued for quite a while and he seemed in some sort of distress. His front legs felt stiff and his heart was beating rapidly. Was this another vestibular seizure or the beginning of heart failure? He's had these episodes before and we've learned that taking him to the emergency room doesn't help at all. Trying to get him into the car during a seizure often makes things worse. I stayed next to him and kept him calm until we both fell asleep again. This morning Dash was fine. It's weird that these episodes always happen at night. I don't think Dash has ever had a vestibular seizure during the day.

The rain appears to be over for a while. It was a cool, clear Fall morning and I walked Dash before going out for breakfast. I really ought to just stay home and drink my regular smoothie on Fridays. It's becoming harder and harder to find anything in a restaurant that interests me. The buttermilk pancakes I had this morning were good, but I ate way too much and felt sluggish for the rest of the day.

Janet helped me with the storage warehouse move today. She filled her car with items for the charity shop while I filled mine with things that had to go to the new storage unit. It's pretty obvious that I don't need any of this stuff. I wonder why it's still so hard to jettison these things? It's easier to turn loose of stuff when Janet is with me. She reminds me how ridiculous it is to save things I haven't used in decades. There's still a long way to go, but I think about a third of the warehouse has been moved.

I need to remember to ask my doctor about my recurring heartburn when I have my exam next week. I thought I had the problem under control, but now it's back again. We has shrimp with pesto last night and it gave me heartburn. Tonight chicken tikka masala gave me heartburn. This shouldn't be happening. I understand why pizza might cause problems, but the pesto sauce was pretty mild. I'd hate to have to start taking proton-pump inhibitors again. They work well to control acid reflux, but they are risky to take indefinitely. Side effects from long-term use include osteoporosis and increased risk of heart attacks.

I'll probably go back to the storage warehouse tomorrow. I wish I still had my Defender. The car was indestructible and was perfect for moving things. I have to worry a lot more about scratches and dents when I'm moving things in my current car. The boxy Defender seemed to hold a lot more too. I'll still probably call a mover at some point, but the more things I can move myself, the lower the final bill will be.

Dash has had a good day. I really hope that he sleeps well tonight. There was a short period last night when I though he might die. The specialist at the cancer center has warned us that if the blood clot shifts and goes to the brain or lungs, he could go at almost any time. It's a good thing that Dash doesn't know what 's wrong with him. He's still a happy camper. I'm pretty sure he'd enjoy spending another year with us.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day