Day 3275

It is supposed to rain tomorrow. With this in mind, I went to the hardware store to find a temporary solution to my roof problem. I came home with duct tape and a roll of plastic shelf liner. This pathetic attempt to cover the tear where I think the water is getting in was all I could think of. None of the readily available wet patch materials I found at at Lowes and Home Depot will stick to silicone. Actually, virtually nothing will stick to silicone, including duct tape.

Oh, well. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I went ahead and cut a 24" plastic square, placed it over the torn elastomer, and duct taped around the edges. This repair doesn't have to last long, so maybe it might work. On the other hand, the patch might just float away in the rain and I'll have to start placing buckets under the leaks in the living room again. I'm not even sure that the torn area on the roof is what is causing the leak. We'll see. It would have been nice of the roofers had dropped off some of the silicone elastomer coating material they promised, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. Sometime next Spring, there will be a can of this stuff on my doorstep, but it isn't going to help me now.

Dash successfully made it through the night without any accidents. This didn't help me sleep, unfortunately. I'm gun shy now and every move Dash makes wakes me up. All he wanted to do last night was twirl around and reposition himself, but I was ready to jump up and head for the back door if necessary. I think the addition of the large plastic sheet between Dash's dog blanket and our own bedding is going to work, but it makes the whole process of getting ready for bed even more complicated.

Even my morning smoothie is giving me heartburn now. Since strawberries and blueberries don't tend to cause reflux problems, I suspect that it is stress rather than food that is causing my problems. Once, a previous doctor asked me what was was causing my stress and I explained my complicated daily routine with Dot. He suggested that it might be time to put Dot down. I changed doctors.

I watched the latest episode of Mars this afternoon. As a science fiction fan, I feel cheated watching this show. The series is well produced, but the story about a 2043 Mars colony is almost an afterthought. The real message of the show is a politically correct sermon about greedy corporations, corrupt politicians, and the dangers of global warming. I'm sure much of what they say is true, but I'm just looking for a little mindless entertainment. It's going to be a long time before season four of The Expanse makes it's debut on Amazon Prime.

I'm not sure if Dash is going to get a walk tomorrow. According to the weather forecast, the rain is supposed to start tonight. Hopefully, the forecast isn't accurate. Dash does so much better after he's had his walk. We'll see what happens. I always go to bed optimistic, but I usually just wake up tired.

Savannah is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3274

Another long day. Dash continues to lose control of his bodily functions. It didn't surprise me that he pooped while he was sleeping last night. It did surprise me that he peed on the bed when he was trying to get up. Oops. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. Urinary incontinence is even messier than all the poop we've been dealing with lately. If this continues, we may have to try putting Dash on Incurin like we did with Dot. Until we make that decision we brought home a large plastic sheet that was waiting in the storage warehouse just in case we needed it again. A plastic sheet isn't a perfect solution, but it sure beats spending all day doing laundry.

Dash seem totally unaware of what a high maintenance dog he's become. I guess that's a good thing. Although you could knock him over with a feather, he still enjoys stumbling along on his daily walks. He loves the special meals we cook for him now, although a lot of what he eats just falls out of his mouth. Along with many other neurological problems, he's starting to have trouble chewing. I don't think there is a cure for the incontinence at this point. We just have to learn to deal with it.

Amazingly, I did get some replies to the enquiries about the house I sent out yesterday. A few people I trust recommended contractors and repair people. I'll give these companies a call and see what they suggest. Although the roofer told me he is too busy to make repairs right now, he did say he'd drop off a bucket of the elastomer coating so I could make some emergency repairs myself. Hey, that's better than nothing. If this guy is true to form, he'll drop the stuff off on a rainy day after the leak has started again.

I did some research on the Internet and found some special extra wide construction tape that was supposed to bond instantly with anything and provide a quick and permanent waterproof seal. The stuff was called APOC Incredible Tape. It sounded perfect for my needs. I called the commercial roofing supply company to see if I could buy some this afternoon and they'd never heard of the stuff. This happens to me again and again. Doesn't anyone else know how to use Google?

I ordered a few Christmas gifts on Amazon.com today. Now I can check one more thing off my 2018 to-do list. It is so easy to order on Amazon that it's hard to believe I ever shopped any other way. Amazon even keeps a list if what I bought for people in previous years so I don't inadvertently order the same thing twice. This is a great feature because I could easily order the same thing twice. My memory is a sieve.

Now that Janet has fully retired it's become a lot harder to remember what day it is. It certainly didn't seem like Tuesday today. Basically all days are more or less the same. Poop gets cleaned up. Wash gets done. Fruit smoothies get consumed. Dash gets walked. The blog gets written. And I fall asleep watching Perry Mason. Tomorrow will be different though. It will be Wednesday.

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3273

I sent out a few SOS messages about the roof this morning, but didn't receive much of a response. Eventually, the roofer did send me a short message saying that I was still on their list, but that they were way behind schedule. This wasn't very encouraging. I did some research on products that I could use to make emergency repairs and discovered that most of them weren't compatible with the elastomer coating. I'm not sure how much good a patch would do anyway, since water has already gotten under the coating. Some of the commonly available wet patch materials are not meant to be applied in cold weather anyway.

I renewed one of my domains that was going to expire at the end of the week. I don't use this domain, but it was easier to just renew it for another year than to make a decision about dropping it. Maybe I'll use the domain next year. Jeez. Who am I kidding. I'm never going to use this domain.

Pretty soon I'll need to make a similar decision about whether to renew my subscriptions for Pro Tools and Avid Media Composer. I don't use these products either, but it's nice having them around. At some point I need to start being realistic. It's very doubtful that I'm going to be asked to do any complicated video editing again. I'm retired. I don't need business software anymore.

Dash was not very steady on his feet today. He stumbled and fell several times and I had difficulty getting him upright again. He struggles whenever I try to lift him up which makes the whole process more difficult. I try to tell him that we need to work as a team, but he's not getting the picture. I wish Dash knew his limitations and would be more careful. That's not his style. He keeps trying to do all the things he used to do, but he's not very successful anymore.

I'm running out of time to buy Christmas gifts. Pretty soon I'm going to have to check the more expensive shipping option on Amazon. What did I do before Amazon? I can't imagine shopping at a mall anymore. Just finding a parking place at this time of year is a nightmare.

I still haven't called the dentist about getting a new retainer made. Teeth grow slowly don't they? I wonder how long I can postpone this chore. I might have to call my doctor and ask him to refer me for endoscopy. Is this more important than a retainer? My heartburn problems seem to be getting worse. I wonder if my recurring reflux problems are caused by the food I'm eating, or stress? My diet hasn't really changed, but my stress levels have. Dash's deteriorating health and the crumbling house are hard to ignore.

At least the weather is nice. I've got a little time before there is any rain on the horizon. I may drive over to a professional roofing supply company in a neighboring town tomorrow and see if they have some sort of miracle repair product I can use. I may need it. The real miracle would be if the roofers actually appeared on my doorstep before the next rain.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3272

I didn't make it to the gym today. I certainly got plenty of exercise though. Dash was eager for a walk this morning after yesterday's all day rain. We walked along the shoreline and watched as volunteers prepared a relay station near the lake for today's annual Dallas Marathon. Traditionally, this marathon has been held when the weather was horrible, but today looked perfect for runners. Dash liked the cold, clear weather too.

After breakfast, I went back up on the roof and cleared away the water again. There must have been a lot of rain last night, because there was just as much standing water today as there was yesterday. No wonder the leak returned. I think I finally figured out what is happening. The high-tech coating that is supposed to protect everything is not adhering to the substrate properly. Whenever there is a tear in this coating, often caused by a dead tree branch falling and hitting the roof, water seeps in and gets under the coating and eventually finds a path inside. If the coating was bonded to the substrate, small rips or tears wouldn't be a problem. As it is, the elastomer coating isn't much better than placing a giant tarp on the roof during rainstorms.

When I removed all the water, the sound of water dripping into buckets gradually subsided. I'll let the sheetrock on the ceiling dry for a few days and then I'll try to bleach the stains again. This won't fix the problem though. The next time we have a long, sustained rain I'll have to deal with this mess all over again. Adding a few more patches won't really fix anything. There is already water underneath the supposedly waterproof coating, so it won't evaporate. I don't really thing this is fixable. I need an entirely new roof.

There wan't much point in going to the gym today. I had a long list of chores that needed to be attended to. This was a good day to do them. I started by going out and finding strawberries so I could make my smoothies this week. Oddly, the store that had nothing but grapes in the strawberry section yesterday had a ton of strawberries today. I wonder who bought all the grapes?

It was long past time to vacuum the house as well. I'm always amazed that I can quickly fill the Dyson canister with dust and dog hair, but the carpets never look any better. Whenever we get a new rood, we're going to need new carpets as well. It sucks that the house is falling apart. I've got a new car fund, but I bet it's going to get used up just fixing things around the house.

According to Fitbit, I burn up a lot more energy doing household chores than I do at the gym. I guess the whole point of going to the gym is to get me out of the house. It's a lot more enjoyable to shoot baskets at the gym than it is to push a broom on the roof.

I need to start interviewing roofing contractors and ask a few architect friends for suggestions on how to restore this place. We might be here for a while. I thought we would have moved by now, but there's one thing about growing older that you never consider when you're younger. Once you start falling apart and doctors become important, the last thing you want to do is start over in a new state with a brand new batch of doctors. Janet and I both have doctors that we like. We may be here forever.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3271

It's been raining steadily for several days now. The leak in the ceiling is spreading and I have several buckets out now. I became alarmed when water started dripping out of one of the can lights in the hallway. Water and electricity don't mix well. I had to do something, so against my better judgement I went up on the roof and started sweeping away the standing water while it was still raining.

There was an enormous amount of water and wet leaves on the roof. I was actually surprised that the roof wasn't leaking more. It took several hours of hard work to remove the water, but as I finished and was preparing to go inside again, I noticed that new puddles were already starting to accumulate. Water is relentless. If the rain doesn't stop, I will need to do this all over again tomorrow.

I must have accomplished something because the tempo of water drops hitting the buckets on the living room floor is slower now. I just hope that the sheetrock in the ceiling doesn't become so soggy that it crumbles and falls. The rain has accomplished one thing. For the first time in ages I'm more worried about water than dog poop.

Of course Dash pooped in the house. You knew he would. He hates going outside in the rain. I hate going outside in the rain as well, but it was unavoidable today. In addition to my dubious duties on the roof, I had to do weekend grocery shopping as well. I think people have already started Christmas shopping because the traffic was terrible. After driving around in the rain and getting the car dirty, I still have to go back for strawberries. No strawberries today. Damn. I've got to have strawberries for my morning smoothie.

There were no walks at all today. The rain never stopped. Dash was restless, but he didn't really want to go outside anyway. Nobody in their right mind would want to go outside today. Rain when the temperature is only slightly above freezing feels much colder than snow. You may be wishing for a White Christmas, The next time you hear this familiar song, just remember that nobody writes Christmas music about rain.

I hope the rain stops tonight. I'd much rather get my exercise at the gym tomorrow than on the roof. Sweeping hundreds of pounds of water off the roof with a big push broom is much more strenuous than a treadmill. The roof is treacherous and slippery as well. One of these days I'm going to fall.

I'll worry about that tomorrow. Right now my main worry is staying awake. I'm really tired. There's one more load of wash to throw in the dryer and I'm going to bed. Maybe I can get a few hours of sleep before Dash wakes me up at 2 AM to go outside.

Willow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3270

Some days are a total loss. When I woke up this morning, I discovered that the roof was leaking again. This was a new wrinkle because typically the roof only leaks during severe storms. It had been raining during the night, but it was a gentle rain. I wasn't really expecting this. I also wasn't expecting Dash to make a huge mess when he woke up this morning. I saw him heading for the back door while I was attempting to deal with the leak and I quickly opened it to let him out. When I looked back I saw a trail of poop leading all the way back to the bed. In addition to pooping on the brick floors, Dash managed to soil two blankets, the bedspread, the step he uses to climb into the bed, the bedroom carpet, and his own tail. What a mess.

I had to prioritize the damage, cleaning Dash's tail and rear end first while he was outside, then finding several buckets to catch the dripping water, then cleaning the living room floor so I could let Dash back inside again. I gated off the bedroom so Dash wouldn't sit back down in the soiled bedding and then methodically proceeded to clean up the rest of the damage.

Needless to say, there was a lot of laundry this morning. I felt like I washed everything. The washing machine is still working great, but the dryer is having problems. A bearing in the drum assembly has gone bad and the dryer makes an awful screeching sound until is gets hot. I need to have the appliance repairmen come fix this but there always seems to be something else I need to deal with first.

I didn't even bother to go out for breakfast this morning. The weather was terrible and there was plenty to deal with at home anyway. I didn't finish getting all the bedding and blankets clean until two in the afternoon. I'm still dealing with the roof leak. This leak is in an awkward location where the ceiling joins a wall. Not only is the water dripping from the ceiling, it is also coming down the brick wall.

To make matters worse, the stock market continues to tumble. I hate periods of extreme volatility like this. My Dad had a nice defined pension when he retired. I've got to rely on the market. With interest rates so low, you don't even have the option of buying Treasuries or CD's. You've just got to find stable, profitable companies to invest in and hope that sanity returns at some point.

I have no idea what happened with Dash this morning. He has been doing great for most of this week. His diet and feeding times haven't changed. His poop was even getting firmer. Now we're back to square one. It's really discouraging. Dealing with Dot's incontinence was easier. Dash is stubborn, moves around a lot at night, and absolutely insists on sleeping in the bed with us.

I'm not expecting much to improve tomorrow. There is more rain in the forecast this weekend and lord knows what surprises Dash has in store for us. I just hope that nothing else breaks. So far so good with the furnace and the dehumidifier. One of the toilets runs a bit, but at least it's not a leak. When I was younger it never even occurred to me that the house, the dog, and my own body would all start to fall apart at the same time. It gets to be a bit much at times.

Humphrey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3269

It was cold and rainy today. We got up early and managed to get Dash walked before the rain started, but I spent the rest of the day inside. I accomplished virtually nothing today. I turned on the TV during breakfast and the Bush funeral was still going on. I wonder how expensive this funeral was. The casket was riding on a special train today. I switched channels and the stock market was still crashing. It's pretty easy to see how expensive this is going to be. I turned the TV off and drank my smoothie in silence. It was that kind of day. I wonder why it always seems colder in the house on a rainy day? The furnace is working fine and the thermostat indicated that I should be toasty warm. Nope. I was cold all day. I put on a sweater but I couldn't relax. I kept looking at the ceiling and wondering when the roof was going to start leaking again. No roof leaks yet, but it hasn't stopped raining yet.

An old client that I hadn't talked to in years called in a panic today. Evidently their office manager abruptly walked out and quit and nobody else at the company knew the passwords to anything. How did they expect me to still know their passwords? I think these guys fired me five years ago. I wished them luck and tried not to laugh. They should have treated their office manager better. They should have treated me better too.

Since it was a very slow day, I watched the latest episode of the National Geographic Channel's Mars show. I think I've finally figured out the format for this show. In every episode there is a disaster on Mars that is used as a teaching moment to illustrate how similar disasters here on Earth could destroy the planet. In today's episode an unknown pathogen in the water on Mars was causing the crew to get sick and die. The parallel story on Earth was about how warming weather is causing anthrax spores to be released from the soil in Siberia which is also also causing people to get sick and die. Something like this happens in every episode. It's a miracle we aren't extinct yet.

Dash seems to be sleeping better now. He stays in one place for long periods of time and hasn't pooped in the bed for several days. This morning, he slept until 6 AM and then went outside and did his business like a normal dog. Are we doing something right, or is this just blind luck? It's really hard to tell. You'd think with Dash sleeping better that I'd be sleeping better as well. This doesn't seem to be the case. My Fitbit said I got virtually no sleep last night. Maybe the Fitbit is wrong. I do remember having a dream, so I must have been sleeping.

A lot of software and domain names come up for renewal at the end of the year. I'm thinking of letting some things expire this year. I haven't used Pro Tools or Avid Media Composer in several years. Do I really need these expensive subscriptions? There are several domains I have never used at all. Maybe this would be a good time to start simplifying my online world as well. I've got a week to decide. I always like to be ready for any contingency, but if I was smart I would just acknowledge that I'm not going to be doing much video editing anymore and let the Avid subscriptions expire.

I discovered a new place to try for breakfast tomorrow. Chili Rellenos Crepes sound delicious right now. The rain has got to stop first though. I'm not going anywhere in this weather.

Emma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3268

Every time I see one of these big state funerals I wonder about all the people who will never be remembered at all. So many good people are quickly forgotten. Hey, we all deserve to be remembered, but in a mobile society that is becoming increasingly detached, I wonder if we will be. I'll probably be quickly forgotten. I remember seeing a cartoon with a casket in front of a nearly empty church with three people sitting in the pews and the caption said "they say he had over a thousand Facebook friends." Often, people don't even realize you're dead anymore. I still see those Facebook birthday greetings appearing on the pages of friends who died five years ago. I hope I don't make this mistake and wish a Happy Birthday to a long dead classmate, but it could happen. We live in a world where celebrities are remembered but nobody knows their neighbors.

I'm old enough to remember George H.W. Bush before he became president. I'd be the first to agree that he was a good man, but I seem to remember a lot of the media folks who were singing his praises today were ridiculing him when he actually was president. Jeez. Dana Carvey made a career out of making fun of Bush. What changed? Back in the day, the elder Bush was criticized almost as much as George W. Now that the Bush family seems to have replaced the Kennedy family as America's only remaining political dynasty, they are back in favor again. I hope today's praise is genuine, but I suspect there are some who just thought that making Bush look good would make Trump look bad.

I watched the Space X live feed of the Dragon resupply mission launch today and was surprised when   the coverage of the first stage landing abruptly stopped when the booster appeared to go wonky. The commentators never missed a beat and continued their upbeat narrative about the overall success of the mission. Traditional news media would have focused on the booster failure, but the in-house Space X broadcasters totally ignored it. I can't decide how I feel about this. The mission actually was a success and the Dragon capsule is continuing it's journey toward the space station. I know the news  media would have focused on the booster landing failure though because it was more exciting. This is probably what is wrong with the news these days. Negative events are always given priority because they are usually more dramatic.

My third auction concluded today and I was a bit disappointed with the results. My items actually did sell but they only got a single bid each. Neither reached the auction house price estimate. I could have set a higher reserve on my lots, but I didn't. I always hope for a bidding war, but I don't want this stuff back either. I guess I can't complain. This is how auctions work. Sometimes you get lucky and other times you don't.

There was blood in Dash's bowl when he was eating his breakfast this morning. Yikes. I was worried about an infection or a bad tooth, but when I inspected Dash's mouth it appeared that he had bitten his lip while eating. I do this myself occasionally. I cleaned his mouth with a dental rinse and everything seems fine now. I hope dash doesn't continue biting his lip. He is beginning to have problems eating and drinking. You can tell he is not as coordinated as he used to be. Eventually, we may need to hand feed him. We needed to do this with Dot when she became very old.

This week has gone quickly. I hope that sanity has returned when the market opens again tomorrow. Another seven hundred point drop wouldn't be good. I hope it's a little warmer too. Most of all, I hope that Dash lets me get a good night's sleep.

Emmitt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3267

Brrr. It was really cold this morning. I couldn't clean off a poop stained dog blanket right away because the garden hose was frozen. Dash didn't want to wear his sweater this morning either. He's usually pretty patient when we suit him up for his walks, but I could tell that he was letting us know that enough is enough. I don't know how Northerners put up with this stuff. Everything takes longer in freezing weather.

Today was much messier than yesterday. Maybe I just got lucky yesterday. While I was cleaning up poop on the porch, I didn't notice that Dash was near the back door and apparently needed to poop again. In warmer weather I would have just left the door open while I was working so he could come and go freely, but as I said, it was very cold this morning. Dash pooped on the floor next to the door while he was waiting for me, slipped and fell in the mess, and smeared it all over himself as he was struggling to get up again. I had to give him a bath to clean him up. Dash wasn't happy about that either. It took a while before the floor, the dog, and several assorted blankets were all clean again. This wasn't really how I wanted to spend my morning but I didn't have anything better to do anyway. By the time I finished breakfast it was almost time for a meeting I had scheduled at the bank.

The bank recently upgraded my account in an attempt to sell me more stuff. I like having an account with no fees, but I've never been interested in buying securities from a bank. To be polite I said I would listen to their proposals, but after today's meeting they probably wish they'd never given me the special account. To me a bank is a place to have a checking account. It's not a place to buy and sell stocks. Jeez. I've got a stock broker for that kind of stuff. After a long conversation I think they finally realized that I know more about the market than they do. I get to keep my no fee account though. That's all I wanted in the first place.

Today wasn't a good day to talk about the market anyway. Yesterday everybody was optimistic about a trade deal with China and the market went up. Today everybody was pessimistic about Trump's angry tweets about tariffs and the market went down. I hate this volatility. It would probably be safer to just bet on the NFL. Of course, I never would have guessed that the Cowboys would have beat the Saints last week, so a safe bet on anything probably doesn't exist these days.

I've finally gotten a few bids on my lots in the online auction. Maybe I should have put a reserve on my lots, because the bids are quite low. There's one day left before the auction concludes. Maybe there'll be some activity in the final hours. That's usually the way it works on eBay. People often don't start to bid on eBay items until the final seconds. We'll see how the auction goes. This online auction was an experiment anyway. I still think I like live auctions better.

What was I thinking? I had leftover pizza for dinner tonight and I've already got heartburn. I seem incapable of throwing away leftover food. This pizza was a leftover from dinner on Friday and I was determined to eat it before it went bad. There are still leftover sandwiches from last weekend's photo shoots too. Hey, they were good sandwiches from Panera Bread, so I'm sure I'll eat them as well. I think my stomach is in for a rough ride this week.

I'm glad now that I didn't apply to attend the Space X resupply mission launch that was supposed to take place today. The launch got postponed because some mouse food in the cargo had gotten moldy and needed to be replaced. What are they sending mice to the space station for anyway? At any rate, if I had gone to the launch, I would have had to reschedule my return flight and extend my hotel stay for at least another day. Watching a launch is complicated and it can get expensive quickly. Maybe I need to rethink my retirement hobbies. I really can't leave Dash right now anyway. I've got poop to clean up.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3266

We went to a Christmas party this evening. It's exceedingly rare for me to go to any sort of party these days, especially a semi-formal one. This was the first time I'd worn a suit in well over a year. I'm always amazed that my old dress clothes still fit. I didn't know many people at this party, but Janet did. The food was delicious and I even had a glass of wine. Although I'm definitely not a party person anymore, I'll have to admit that I had a good time.

This was a very busy day. All the photo equipment we used during the Santa Paws events has been stored away. The heavy stuff is back at the storage warehouse and everything else is ready to gather dust in the office for another year. There were lots of other errands as well. I went to the bank, got groceries, picked up meds for Dash, and filled the car with gas. Not surprisingly, I thought it was Saturday for a while.

Dash got me up again last night. He seems to be sleeping longer this week. Getting up at 5 AM isn't nearly as bad as getting up at 3 AM. This morning, Dash managed to make it to the back door and pooped in the yard like a normal dog. There was no mess to clean up. I celebrated by going back to sleep for two more hours.

Getting enough sleep made a big difference today. Now, I consider anything over five hours a bonus. It would be nice if I was able to get a good night's sleep two nights in a row, but that hasn't happened in a while. We'll see what happens. So far today, Dash has been acting surprisingly normal.

I broke the Essix retainer I wear to bed yesterday, so it looks like I'll need to get my dentist to make me another one.  When I had an impacted wisdom tooth pulled several years ago, the dentist told me that I would need to wear the retainer to prevent the remaining upper wisdom tooth from growing downward. I was surprised at how long the thin plastic retainer lasted, but nothing lasts forever. I'm hoping that the dentist will tell me that I don't need the thing anymore, but that's not very likely. I'll probably be sitting in the chair getting impressions made sometime next week.

The weather has gotten cold again. The temperature bounces around so much now that I never know what to wear. Just looking out the window isn't enough anymore. Neither is remembering what the weather was like yesterday. If I dressed like I did yesterday I would have frozen today. Luckily, I have a coat for every occasion.

I don't have any plans for tomorrow. Truthfully, I don't have any plans for the rest of the year. I just hope Dash stays healthy, I stay warm, and nothing gives me heartburn.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3265

Santa Paws is over for another year. We were really busy today. There were lots of walk ins that threw us off schedule for a while, but everybody went home with the pictures they wanted. Not only did we raise money for Dalmatian Rescue, we also adopted three of our dogs. We were all pretty tired, but everybody agreed that we had a good day.

Today was more hectic than yesterday because we photographed a lot of Dalmatians. Dalmatians are very photogenic, but they are strong, very active and can be stubborn at times. Little dogs that sit in Santa's lap are much easier to deal with unless they happen to be Chihuahuas.

Two of our volunteers adopted their first dog this afternoon. If you listened to the advice they were being given, you'd think that all Dalmatian puppies were incorrigible counter surfers who chewed your furniture, ate socks, got into the garbage, and insisted on sleeping in bed with you. Hey, it's all part of having a puppy. They are also more fun than you can imagine.

Having an old dog is fun too, but I wish there was a better way of dealing with incontinence. Several people I saw at the photo event today told me that their dogs were dealing with the same problem. Dash made a mess in the bed again last night. This was after I had taken him outside several times. I've learned to be patient and have become very good at cleanup, but getting up every night is tiring. Eventually, I'm going to have to put all the camera equipment away, but catching up on sleep is pretty high on my agenda right now.

We had to leave Dash alone for a little longer than normal today, but he did very well. Oddly, he never makes a mess when we are away. It's usually when we're sleeping a few inches away from him. I shouldn't complain though. Our biggest worry has always been the blood clot in Dash's heart and that appears to be getting better. He's eating well again too. I guess a little poop in the bed isn't all that bad.

Sometime tomorrow I'll start taking the photo gear and props back to the storage warehouse. I've got a list of little things I'll need to replace before we do this again next year, but I was pleased at how well the equipment held up. Nothing broke. Nobody got bit. And the backdrop is still usable. In the world of pet photography, I'd call that a success.

The year is rapidly drawing to a close. There are still a few Christmas parties to attend, but that's about it. Hopefully, I can just coast through the rest of the year before the inevitable home repair and medical problems demand my attention again.

You may be hoping for a White Christmas, but I'm not. Clear skies and a warm breeze sounds much better to me.

Greta is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3264

One down, one to go. Today's photo shoot went well. All the dogs were friendly. The owners were happy with their pictures. And nobody peed on the set. One dog threw up on Santa, but it was a minor mishap. Basically, everything went like clockwork today. We were busy all day long, but I don't think the crowds were as big as they were last year. Maybe we were just better organized this year. We never got behind schedule. No equipment malfunctioned. And we even had time to eat lunch.

The day started early. Dash got me up at 4 AM, but he managed to make it outside and there was no poop to clean up. I actually got more sleep than usual last night since I went to bed early and Dash slept soundly until he needed to go outside. I wish he would do this every night. There was actually plenty of time to take a shower and complete our morning walk before I had to leave for the photo shoot.

There were no exotic animals today. We did photograph two cats, but today's event seemed tame compared to several weeks ago when I spent the day photographing children holding snakes. I wonder why Santa pictures are important to people? Some folks come every year and have entire albums devoted to these pictures. Our own dogs would never sit still for Santa pictures, but I'm glad that other people's dogs do. Santa Paws has always been a good fundraiser for Dalmatian Rescue.

We've got another Santa Paws event scheduled for tomorrow and then we're done for the year. This is much easier than when we used to do these events every weekend during the holiday season. I keep saying that I'm too old for pet photography and this will be the last year, but I always reconsider. It's such a good cause and I enjoy working with our team. Even though I'm a grumpy person with bad knees, it's nice to know you can still do something useful.

Dash did fine today. He got his morning and evening walks and all of his regular meals. Janet came home at noon to check on him and take him outside to pee. He spent most of the day sleeping, just like he usually does. I always worry about leaving Dash alone, since he is so unpredictable these days. We did fine though. We'll repeat this routine tomorrow and then it's back to drinking smoothies for the rest of the year.

Every year I photograph a few dogs who are nearing the end of their life. I always wonder if I'll see them again next year. Pet owners almost universally agree that dogs don't live long enough. They become indispensable members of the family and then they're gone. Maybe this is why the photographs are so important. I try to give people good memories. That's kind of what it's all about.

The weather was beautiful this morning. I was inside most of the day, but I got to watch the sunrise as Venus gradually disappeared in the Eastern sky. There was a thin crescent moon overhead, a gentle breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. Dash was steady on his feet and was enjoying himself. I had a feeling that it was going to be a good day.

Jada is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3263

I think we're ready to go. I've finished testing the photo equipment and it all works. I located the battery I need. Everything is packed in bags and waiting to be loaded into the car. The only missing link is me. I'm still tired, but I guess I passed my test as well. I made it through the day.

Pooping in the bed has become a nightly occurrence. Dash has lost control of his bowels. Since he is pooping in his sleep more frequently now, there is hope that we'll be able to slide a puppy training pad under his butt at some point. If he would sleep soundly and stay in one place, cleanup would be easy.

I thought that I got up early this morning, but tomorrow I'll need to get up even earlier. The photo event starts at 9 AM and it takes me about an hour to set things up. Add in the drive to the location and I'll need to leave the house around 7 AM. I'm not sure how Dash is going to get his walk tomorrow. We need to wait until it is light to walk because of the coyotes. I'm nervous about the coyotes this year because there is an aggressive coyote in a town just North of here that has already bitten several people. No giant earthquakes down here, but we do have a mean coyote.

The earthquake in Alaska today seems pretty major. It reminded me of the big quake in 1964 when I was in high school in Fairbanks. We weren't even close to the epicenter but the pine trees in our yard were waving around like matchsticks and all the water sloshed out of the kitchen sink. Earthquakes are weird and kind of frightening. If you've ever experienced one, you won't forget it.

I was surprised at how difficult it was to find the lithium battery I needed today. I had to go to four different stores. The battery store, which usually stocks every type of battery known to man, was out of stock.  The store manager told me that a man came in last week and bought 600 of these things. Jeez. All I needed were two.

I'll probably regret having pizza for dinner. Pizza almost always gives me heartburn. It tastes good though and neither Janet or I felt like cooking this evening. I didn't feel like cooking this morning either. As soon as I finished walking Dash, I went out for breakfast and ordered the Brioche French Toast and bacon that has become my Friday morning favorite.

None of my model trains sold in November. Damn. I was hoping that November would be a good month. December is bound to be better. Surely somebody will want a train for Christmas. I'm hoping that interest will pick up for the online Prints and Multiples auction I'm currently participating in. My consignments are bargains. They'd make good Christmas presents too. It's weird that I've become so interested in selling things these days. I'm not interested in buying stuff at all. That's definitely a first for me.

I hope I survive tomorrow's photo shoot. Just kneeling to put on Dash's socks and boots in the morning makes my knees hurt. The thought of doing this all day makes me cringe. I'm going to look on the bright side. After this weekend it's all downhill. I have no plans whatsoever for the rest of the year.

Belle is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3262

I feel like I washed everything in the bedroom today. Dash pooped everywhere last night and made a huge mess. He's totally unpredictable. Some days are fine and others I'd just as soon forget. I don't think there's a solution. Dash has always moved around at night and as long as he's able, he's going to continue to do so. If you try to pen him in a safe area, he barks and gets very upset. When he gets upset, it can trigger a seizure. It's best to keep him happy and let him do what he wants.

As I predicted yesterday, there was no problem getting up early today. I was already doing wash, cleaning the floors, and remaking the bed at 5 AM. Getting up at night is a piece of cake. Getting any sleep at all is the problem. By the time I finished breakfast this morning I felt like I'd already done a full days work. I'm dreading this weekend's photo shoots. I have a feeling that Dash will continue to throw us a curve and I'll be worn out before I even arrive at the first location.

The cameras all check out OK, but I need to get some new batteries for the flash triggers. I should have ordered these batteries online because I couldn't find them at the grocery store and I didn't feel like driving all over town. Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow. The trip to the store wasn't a total loss because I did come home with something for dinner. I'm starting to be alarmed that I appear to be the only one buying the flash frozen Cadence Kitchen meals I've grown to love. Why aren't more people trying these things? They're delicious. Flash freezing prepared meals with nitrogen does an amazing job of preserving the flavor. You just heat the frozen nuggets in a frying pan and ten minutes later you're done. This is so much easier than those Hello Fresh meal kits and the results are just as tasty. Like most things I like, this product will probably disappear within a year or two.

An online auction I'm participating in went live today. I think I like the live auctions a lot better. Maybe things will improve, but it didn't seem like my items were getting a lot of activity. Oh, well. Beggars can't be choosers. These second tier items weren't desirable enough to be included in a live auction. I guess if they sell at all, I'll be happy. I definitely don't want this stuff back.

Dash seemed lethargic today. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether he's tired, confused, or in pain. I think he was just tired, because he was happy enough to take a nap with me this afternoon. This worked out well, because I was tired too. Naps are good but I don't think they really make up for losing a lot of sleep at night.

Jeez. Dash just pooped in the house again. He was sleeping and didn't even wake up. Sleeping poop is easier to clean up because it's all on one place. Hey, I'm going to look on the bright side. Since it's already pretty late, maybe this means that he'll make it through the night.

I've already taken this week's trash to the curb. I think I'll go back to the hotel for breakfast tomorrow. The hotel is very peaceful. Peaceful sounds good right now.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3261

Dash got a good report card today. Nobody said he was healthy, but he was very well behaved. I think the vet was as surprised as we were. Considering that Dash had to endure a number of procedures he normally hates, I was amazed. The vet was able to draw blood for a necessary test, give him a Bordetella shot, express his anal glands, and trim his nails without much of a fuss. The little guy made us proud.

I feel much better now that his nails have been trimmed. They grow rapidly since the protective boots keep them from being worn down on walks. I remember how much he bled the day he ripped his dew claw out and I don't ever want that to happen while he's taking blood thinners.

Now that Dash has survived his trip to the vet, I need to start thinking about this weekend's Santa Paws photos. I tested my back-up camera today and began charging batteries. I'll continue checking equipment for the rest of the week so everything will be ready by Saturday morning. My equipment is getting older now and I don't entirely trust it. I'd hate to have to replace something at the last minute, but hopefully everything will last for one more year.  I hope I last for one more year as well. I'm not very agile anymore and photographing pets is hard on my knees and shoulders.

The good news is that we're only doing two events this year. We used to do more, but the volunteers and I are all getting older. The Santa photos are still quite popular, so we should have a good turnout. In recent years people have started bringing their children as well as their pets because they say we are much better than the shopping mall Santas. It's amazing how long we have been doing this for Dalmatian Rescue. The team we've put together over the years is very good. I'm probably the only grumpy one in the bunch.

Christmas is definitely on the horizon. In addition to preparing for this weekend's Santa Paws events, I put our Christmas tree up this afternoon. We haven't bought any ornaments for quite a while, but luckily very few of the ornaments have broken. I don't think I broke anything today. Everything on the tree is a Dalmatian. We used to buy Dalmatian ornaments whenever we would see one, but we ran out of room on the tree a long time ago. If we break ornaments now, we can always get a smaller tree.

Our vet had never seen the slip-in bandages Dash wore to his exam before. She was interested in getting some for the clinic. It weird that Janet and I have inadvertently become experts at protecting a dog's feet. I guess necessity is still the mother of invention. It's too bad we haven't come up with a way to make Dash's legs stronger. If he could walk normally we wouldn't need all the protective gear. Amazingly, we may even need more gear in the future. The vet detected some instability in Dash's left knee today. He may need to wear a brace on both rear legs at some point.

I watched the latest episode of the National Geographic Mars series after I finished my chores today. The story arc is still pretty interesting, but I don't like the show's format. They continually switch back and forth between the present and the future in an effort to show that the Earth could wind up like Mars if we don't quit screwing up the planet. Everything they say is true, but the show is far too preachy for my taste. Dr. Who has become the same way. Can't we have a good old fashioned adventure without all the social justice and environmental lessons?

Janet said that we have to get up early tomorrow because she has to leave the house at 8 AM. Piece of cake. Dash has been waking me up early for months now. Just pick a time. I'll probably already be up cleaning up poop.

Scooter is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3260

It must have gotten below freezing last night because there was frost everywhere on our morning walk. It's hard enough to keep Dash upright on dry ground and the frost on the grass made things slippery in places. My rubber boots weren't getting much traction and neither were Dash's. We made it home in one piece but I'm already looking forward to Summer.

Dash's paw started to bleed again today. Luckily, this was a very minor cut. I wish he didn't have to take blood thinners. It's so easy for him to get scraped up. At least I know how to get the bleeding controlled now. Dash drags his feet and bumps into things a lot, so rehabilitation is a slow process. We're getting there though. His paws look a lot better than they did two weeks ago.

I wish I could say the same for my office. I tried to do some cleaning this afternoon, but I can't see much difference. I threw away a lot of old magazines and catalogs and went through a huge stack of unopened mail. I hate to deal with mail these days. The vast majority of it is junk. Medicare generates  a lot of junk mail. So do banks and brokerage houses. I should bite the bullet and go paperless because when I eventually do open these letters, I already know the contents. Everybody has a website and anything important is usually on it.

I could get more enthusiastic about cleaning if it made a difference. I threw away a big black trash bag full of paper today and nothing looks different at all. The office is still a mess. Jeez. I'd have to do this every day for a year to make any real progress. At least I've stopped buying things. When you don't have any business you definitely don't need additional business equipment.

I wish I could find some shoes that met my needs. I've been wearing these rubber slip on rain shoes when I walk Dash now but I've already worn out three pair. Sure, the shoes are cheap and made in China, but they should last longer than this. I need something that I can slip on instantly, lasts forever, has good arch support, and doesn't have those Vibram soles that instantly become caked in mud. I can see this shoe clearly in my mind, but nobody makes it. Story of my life. Nobody ever makes the things I'm looking for.

I hope Dash's exam goes well tomorrow. Mostly we need to get his dew claws trimmed before he rips them out again, but I'd really like to know what is causing all the shivering at night. The doctors at the cancer center don't seem to have an answer. Maybe his regular vet can tell us something. We'll be wearing protective boots to the vet this time. I won't make that mistake twice.

The Insight Mars Lander appears to be working perfectly this morning. Wouldn't it be nice if everything worked perfectly.

Spots is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3259

I did a lot of laundry today and watched the Mars landing on NASA TV. That was about it. Of course there was poop to clean up, a walk in the park, and a large smoothie to drink, but these things happen every day. Mars landings and major cleaning efforts happen much less frequently.

I started watching Mars landings when the Spirit and Opportunity rovers made their debut in 2003. When I look up at Mars at night, it seems amazing to me that we can send things to this distant point of light. Traveling to a different city seems complex to me. It's hard to even imagine traveling 300 million miles and still arriving right on time. Maybe if I understood orbital mechanics a little better I might not have not have wound up in advertising. What I do definitely isn't rocket science.

I'm not sure if the solar panels have deployed yet, but the Insight mission appears to be a success. So few things in life work perfectly that I'm always impressed when anything goes exactly as planned. So many things could have gone wrong today, but they didn't. If my car worked as well as a Mars lander it would probably last 100 years. The space program proves that we actually do have the capacity to do things right. The reason that we don't have lawn mowers and cars built like the Insight lander is that nobody could afford them. Even though the space program is horribly expensive, it's cheap compared to all our senseless wars. I'd like to see fewer aircraft carriers and more Mars landers. Hopefully, I'll see a lander with a person in it while I'm still alive.

Dash was frustrated that he couldn't sleep on the bed while everything was being laundered today. Janet took the big, heavy comforter to a laundromat and I washed everything else at home. Everything looks crisp and new again. Even the pillows look good. It would sure be nice if Dash doesn't poop in the bed tonight. We need a few days to enjoy things the way they used to be.

The weather continues to be confusing. It was 34 degrees when we woke up this morning. Just a few days ago the temperature was almost 70. We'll probably go back and forth like this for the rest of the Winter. I just hope we don't get much snow. When I see the blizzard conditions in other parts of the country, it makes me glad I live in Texas. Dash had to wear a sweater this morning under all his other gear. He wasn't happy. It wasn't easy to get the sweater on because he wouldn't relax his legs so we could slip them through the armholes. I'm sure he doesn't enjoy all the time we spend dressing him to go outside, but it is necessary. The little guy likes his walks but he's pretty fragile these days.

Dash has a vet appointment scheduled on Wednesday, but I'm not sure what we'll do tomorrow. I certainly don't have much on my schedule. I'll have to say that I enjoyed watching the Insight landing today. I don't think I missed much by not being there in person. I wish there were more events like this. Watching a talented group of people accomplish the impossible is uplifting to me. It sure beats watching congress accomplish nothing.

Pepper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day