Day 3196

I'm fascinated by the new quick and easy meals I've discovered. I never heard of Cadence Gourmet before, but I'm going to remember the name. Gourmet recipes using fresh, organic, locally sourced ingredients are flash frozen using liquid nitrogen so the ingredients maintain their texture, color, nutrients and flavor. The fish, meat, vegetables, and sauces are encapsulated in what can only be described as rock solid frozen eggs. Toss these weird looking nodules in a frying pan and fifteen minutes later you have an amazing meal that looks and tastes fantastic. Why didn't I discover this concept earlier? Flash freeing in nitrogen doesn't taste frozen at all. Portion sizes aren't a problem either. Each recipe is sold by the pound at a self-serve kiosk. Buy as much or as little as you want. It would have taken me forever to fix the Thai Green Curry Shrimp I had this evening. Piece of cake. This is a game changer for a lazy gourmet like me. Maybe I'll have the Chicken Tikka Masala tomorrow.

Dash has thrown me another curve. When he wakes up at night, he now has trouble standing. I have to be ready to help him off the bed, so he won't stumble and fall. I have to steady him as he regains his footing and hope that he doesn't poop before I can gently lead him out the back door. He's already fallen off the bed once or twice when I didn't wake up in time. I wish I could convince Dash to sleep  on the floor in a dog bed, but he is very stubborn. He doesn't want to wear his harness to bed either. It would be a lot easier to lift him on and off the bed using the handle on the harness. This is still a work in progress. Dot went through a period when she still wanted to sleep on the bed, even though it was no longer practical. She eventually learned that it was safer and more comfortable to sleep on the floor. Hopefully, Dash will learn this too.

The weather is improving. I saw a patch of blue sky today and the water dripping from the living room ceiling has finally stopped. Since there is still some standing water directly over where the leak is located, I'm not sure where this leak actually originates. Water tends to follow the path of least resistance, so the leak could be anywhere. I'll call the roofer tomorrow, but I'm not very optimistic.

One of the dogs Janet and I photographed recently has already been adopted. That's good news. I wish there was more good news. With a deteriorating house, an aging sick dog, and a crumbling business, good news is in short supply. We'll see what tomorrow brings. Maybe I'll see another Great Egret on our walk. Maybe Dash's poop will be firm. Maybe the stock market will rally. I'm certainly not going to watch the cable news channels. That would spoil everything.

Scout is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3195

It was oddly comforting to discover that there was also a roof leak at the gym today. If this huge, well funded facility can't keep water out, maybe I'm not doing so bad. Every time we have a serious storm, I remember a quote from Dr. Who. This was from the Waters of Mars episode. "Water is patient," the Doctor told Adelaide. "Water just waits. Wears down the cliff tops, the mountains. The whole of the world. Water always wins." Nobody's keeping score, but water is certainly winning the battle it has been having with me all these years. I'm no match for the relentlessness of water.

I couldn't go on the basketball court today because the restoration crew was trying to save the hardwood floors with something called an Injectidry System. I'd never seen anything like this before. There were weird looking flat panels taped to the floor of the court. Small hoses connected these panels to larger hoses which eventually terminated in a noisy machine that looked a bit like a portable generator. Somehow this Rube Goldberg contraption is able to remove the water from hardwood floors before they start to warp and crack. We'll see if the system worked when I return to the gym next week.

The water has receded quite a bit at the lake. I can see the boat docks again and the shoreline road has reappeared. There is still water dripping from my ceiling, unfortunately. It's not a lot of water, but I don't know how to stop it. The roof needs to be dry before the leak can be located and I think there's rain in the forecast for the rest of the week. I'm not even sure the roofers can find the leak. They've failed many times before.

Janet found some interesting meals that seem to be tailor made for people like us. We rarely cook anymore, but still enjoy interesting, fresh food. These chef prepared meals just need to be heated in a skillet for about ten minutes and they're ready to go. Last night we had Risotto and tonight we had Pesto Shrimp. We never would have taken the time to make these items from scratch, but they certainly tasted authentic. The end result was easier to make than those meal kits like HelloFresh and the portion sizes were small enough for two people. A delicious, easy to fix meal was certainly the high point of my day. It definitely beat working out in a soggy gym. Their water leak was a lot worse than mine.

Dash is still pooping in the house, but his stools are getting firmer again. If you've got an incontinent dog, you always wish for firm stools. Cleanup is so much easier. I believe there is a rational answer for everything, but it's still a mystery why Dash can go from normal stools to diarrhea in a matter of days. It doesn't make sense because his diet hasn't changed for several months now. From everything we've read, Dash is eating exactly what he should.

I need to come up with a plan of action for next week. Do I argue with the roofers? Do I attempt to clean out the storage warehouse? Do I look for an auction house who will take the remaining art? There's lots that needs to be done, but all too often the best option seems to do nothing at all.

Sage is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3194 - Autumnal Equinox

I woke up to an ominous dripping sound this morning. The roof was leaking. I guess if I had to have a leak, now would be the time. We've had a tremendous amount of rain during the past 24 hours. I think we set some kind of all time record. I'm glad we live on a hill, because there was lots of flooding in town. When the rain subsided and we were able to take Dash for a walk, it was amazing to see how high the lake was. Most of the boat docks and piers were completely under water. Not only was the lake over its banks, the water completely covered a road that circles the lake.

It's so discouraging to realize that all the work the roofers did toward the end of the Summer basically proved nothing. The roof still leaks. I went up on the roof and made an obligatory inspection, but couldn't find an area where the water might be getting in. The house needs a completely new engineered roof with a slight pitch so water will drain off quickly. Redesigning the house is not in the cards unfortunately. It would cost a fortune and wouldn't really add any value. People want larger homes now. If we ever moved, our house would probably be scraped and replaced by another McMansion. It just doesn't make sense to put a lot of money into a tear down.

Truthfully, nothing makes a lot of sense right now. Someday, historians will look back and realize that this was the time when the second civil war started. Nobody knew what was happening at first. It wasn't a conventional war. The North wasn't fighting the South. There were guns of course, but the really dangerous weapons were words. It was neighbor against neighbor. Parents against children. Brothers against sisters. Worst of all there were no winners. Everybody lost.

Have our divisions become this great? Is this how the world ends? I hope not. When I watch the news I'm not encouraged. Polarization prevails and it seems like the war has already started. Maybe that's why I prefer cooking shows these days. I watched a show about making fish tacos this afternoon. Very tasty.

The weather forecast says it's going to rain all next week. It's officially Fall now. It always seems to rain a lot in the Fall. Jeez. How am I going to stop this roof leak? How am I going to be able to even get the roofers to come back? I think they're done with me. The drip finally stopped right after lunch. I got some bleach and cleaned the stains off the living room ceiling. A few hours later another storm arrived and the roof started leaking all over again. It's hopeless. I'll leave a big bucket out tonight to catch the water. There isn't much else I can do at this point.

Tomorrow's another day. Maybe I'll get some sleep tonight. The water from the roof is still dripping into a bucket in the living room. I'm not hearing the drips as frequently though. That's good. Dash hasn't pooped since early this morning. That's not so good.

Sadie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3193

I was so tired this morning. Dash got me up three or four times last night. As soon as I got him outside, he seemed to forget why he was out there and just wandered around aimlessly. As soon as I brought him in again, he would remember he needed to do something and head for the back door again. We did this over and over. Eventually he pooped and we went back to bed. About thirty minutes later, we woke me up again. This time he needed to pee. He wouldn't pee right away though. We had to leave the house three more times before he got the urge. This has to be some form of dementia. Sometimes he goes outside and has no idea why he's out there. This is one of the reasons why he frequently poops in the house. When Dash's brain finally kicks into gear and gets the message that it's time to go, it's often too late.

By the time I got back to sleep again, it was already time for Dash's morning walk. Janet got me up and we got Dash ready. I thought it was early, but I obviously wasn't thinking clearly. By the time we returned home it was almost too late to go out for breakfast. I was hungry though, so I drove to the hotel anyway. I made it a few minutes before they closed the kitchen.

I've been thinking that I'd found my new favorite place, but service was slow this morning and the place was crowded. The food was still good though, so I'll give Knife the benefit of the doubt. It was British Month at Central Market so I stopped by on the way home from breakfast and picked up some Steak and Stout pies, Celeriac Slaw, and Cumberland Sauce for dinner. Maybe next time I'll try a Scotch Egg and some Tikka Masala. When life is dull, something interesting to eat always does the trick.

I found myself falling asleep during the day. I really didn't get much sleep last night. I guess it didn't really matter if I wasn't very productive today. It's hard to get behind when there's nothing to do. I eventually made the bed, did some laundry, and repaired a pair of Dash's protective boots. I switched on the TV several times, but quickly turned it off again. I'm sick of politics.

It's nice that the market is at an all time high again. I think the last time was back in January. Why is it that every time the market is at a high point, my own stocks are actually lower than they were at the last market top? This happens frequently. I'd complain to my broker if it weren't for the fact that I've agreed with every trade we've made this year. You just can't predict the future.

I wish Dash was stronger, but I think he's doing the best he can. Getting old is a bitch. His overall weakness is caused by his heart disease and the shaky stance and vertigo are caused by the Vestibular Disease. There is no cure for either. I try my best to keep Dash as comfortable as possible. I know this is my own fate someday. I often wonder who will take care of me.

Rowe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3192

Another day that was dominated by water. I spent quite a bit of time on the roof this morning cleaning away leaves and debris. It seems a little early for the trees to be dropping leaves, but there were a ton of leaves on the roof. I guess Fall has arrived. There was still some standing water from last week's rain too. I was pleased that I got the roof looking nice again and then late this afternoon it started raining again. I feel like a modern day version of Sisyphus. The roof is hopeless. I wish the roofers had told me in the very beginning that a high tech coating was an inappropriate solution for my type of roof.

I also wish that the contractor who remodeled our bathrooms years ago had installed a real heavy duty metal shower pan rather than the vinyl liner that everybody seems to use these days. I think this liner is one of the reason I'm having so many problems with shower leaks. I had to suck out excess water with the wet/dry vac again today. I do this way too often. About a quart of water seems to accumulate under the tiles about every three days.

I really need to give up and put on an entirely new roof and get a good tile guy to re-do the shower. I probably need a tile guy and a good plumber, since I think it's the floor drain that is leaking and letting water accumulate under the tiles. A completely new roof in a house like ours is prohibitively expensive and I really don't want to deal with having contractors in the house. I guess I'm screwed.

A guy came to the door today and wanted money for public radio. The guy was very persistent and seemed a lot like a Jehovah's Witnesses. I wonder if he was really from KERA like his t-shirt said. You'd think the never ending pledge drives on public radio would be enough. I told him I thought the station should just run commercials like everyone else. Commercials would be less irritating than the pledge drives. When the guy couldn't sign me up as a subscriber, he asked me for some water. I gave him some bottled water and off he went. I still don't know if this was a real subscriber drive or a scam.

Quite a bit of thunder and lightning accompanied this evening's rain. Not surprisingly, the thunder scared Dash. It's kind of sad. Dash is not mobile enough to crawl under my desk anymore during storms.  He kept looking for a safe place, but just couldn't maneuver very well. Finally, Janet and I convinced him to lie down on the bedroom floor with us and we covered him with a blanket. Luckily, the heavy rain didn't last very long.

If it continues raining tomorrow, I won't be able to go out for breakfast. Dash can get himself in some real trouble if he panics during a storm. I guess I could make pancakes at home if the weather is bad. I haven't had pancakes in a while. It's weird. I never ever drink my regular smoothie on Friday. Don't ask me why. My life is all about meaningless rituals.

Rosie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3191

I hate when I fail to notice that a prescription has run out and I have to scramble to get new pills before they're all gone. This happens to me and it happens to Dash. I called in a renewal for Dash's Plavix this morning and the automated message said that no more refills were available. Not good, because no more pills were available either. I called the vet at the cancer center and asked if they could refill the prescription in a hurry. I still don't understand why pills that need to be taken for a lifetime are generally only renewed for six months at a time. I should have noticed the tiny type on the bottle that said there were 0 refills available, but I never notice tiny type. I can't even read small type anymore without my reading glasses.

I managed to get the prescription refilled in the nick of time, but I know this will happen again and again. It's equally hard to remember to change the air filters in the furnace. I appear to have a very selective memory. I always remember to give Dash a walk. I never forget to pay my bills on time. There are some things I'm oblivious to however. I need to pay more attention to those pill bottle labels.

One of the auction houses wanted more information from me today. It seems like they have plenty of information already, but I dutifully printed the forms they sent, filled them out by hand, and then scanned everything so I could convert the forms to PDF files and send them back. It seems like in this day and age, you'd be able to fill out and sign just about any type of form on your computer, but it seldom works that way. I wonder what people do if they don't have a scanner? It seems like I'm scanning documents all the time.

For the past couple of nights, I've been waking up when Dash typically needs to go outside, only to discover that Dash is still asleep. I woke up twice like this last night while Dash continued sleeping through the night. He didn't wake up at all. I felt like waking Dash up myself, but that would have been silly. I've been hoping that Dash would get to a point where he was sleeping all night again. Now that he is, I've just got to start sleeping better myself.

I formally ended another client relationship today. It was kind of sad. I've worked with these folks for decades. Things change though. I guess I could still pretend that we were working together, but I haven't had a project for almost a year. I think there's only one client left now and I haven't been doing much for them either. It's time to to face reality. This stage of my life is over. I have retired.

At least Dash had a good day. He was fairly strong on his walks and he's still eating well. I made sure he has a new supply of Plavix and we broke in some brand new boots and socks. I think we're ready for another day.

Rhett is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3190

The art conservator threw me a curve today. The restored lithograph actually looked very nice, but as I was leaving the studio, the conservator told me to be sure to store the art horizontally until I had it framed again. Where? The print is very large and I knew immediately that it wasn't going to fit anywhere in the house. It wouldn't fit under the bed, since there is a support post right in the middle. I tried, but the print was way too large to fit under the bottom half of the bed. The closets aren't deep enough and I couldn't even put the thing under a large rug on the living room floor. The bricks on the floor absorb moisture, so floor storage wasn't really an option anyway. This sucks. The conservator specifically warned me against taking art back to the storage warehouse. "You're asking for trouble," she said. I guess I could re-frame the picture and hang it back on the wall, but I've already replaced the art I sent to the auction houses with pictures of dogs I took myself. I think I like the dog pictures better anyway.

I took a better camera on our morning walk and managed to get a decent picture of a Great Egret and a Coot together. It was hardly worth bringing the camera unfortunately. Dash wouldn't stay still and most of the pictures I took while moving were out of focus. I have to concentrate on Dash to keep him from falling. We walk on a very short leash now and his harness has a big handle on top that I can grab to keep him from falling. I walk directly alongside of Dash so I can easily lift him up or steady him without knocking him over. I've practiced this technique with Dot and other older dogs. It works pretty well, but walks aren't very relaxing.

I listened to a show on RadioLab recently about how efforts to save the Kirtland’s warbler inadvertently burned down a Michigan forest and killed a young wildlife technician. The efforts to save the bird from extinction were eventually successful, but now cost almost a million dollars a year. The locals now hate the bird, but birders fly in from all over the world just to catch a glimpse of it. I think the show was called Weighing Good Intentions and it was mostly about unintended consequences. I wonder if people realize that there are unintended consequences to almost everything we do. Whenever I turn on the TV these days, my first reaction is "this isn't going to end well." There are very few winners here and a few years from now, there are going to be a lot of unintended consequences. I think everyone is acting badly. Maybe I should just quit watching TV while I have my morning smoothie. It might be better to take up knitting instead.

I received a printed copy of one of the auction catalogs in the mail today. My art looked pretty, but I'm still nervous about the auctions. I'm sure there are unintended consequences to unwinding a lifetime of collecting things. I think I'm doing the right thing, but like most things in life, I won't find out what it all means until much later.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3189

Mondays are just like any other day, except slower. I woke up trying to remember whether I'd taken Dash out last night. It seems like I did, but maybe not. Dash wasn't telling. He was sound asleep in the middle of the bed. He eventually woke up and took his morning pills, but we got off to a slow start.

We should have started our walk earlier, because the temperature has warmed up again. We were both hot and tired when we returned to the house. I need to remember to bring my camera on morning walks. The Egrets and Cranes have returned to the lake and I could have taken some great shots today if I had a telephoto lens. The wide angle lens on my phone is really only good for flowers.

I must not have done all my chores yesterday, because the house was a mess. The dishwasher was full. There was laundry to be done. And most of the wastebaskets needed to be emptied. I'm still amazed that tiny little tasks like these can consume my entire day.

When I got caught up on household chores, I paid the first batch of September bills and took them to the post office. When I got home, I checked the mailbox and there were more bills. You'd think my bills would diminish, since I don't do much of anything these days. Apparently, doing nothing can still use a lot of water and electricity. All my utility bills are way higher than they were five years ago. I don't know why I get a phone bill at all. The phone company should be paying me. All I get is a never ending barrage of telemarketing calls.

Dash has become very needy. He mostly just sleeps during the day, but he doesn't like to sleep alone. He gets mad when he wants to be in the bedroom and I'm in the office. We have a ritual now. I'll go curl up with him on the bed, and then get up and sneak away to do some work as soon as he falls asleep. It works pretty well since he goes to sleep very quickly. After a few hours, Dash will wake up and want to go outside to pee. Then we'll repeat the entire process all over again. It's a good thing I'm a patient person. These days can get pretty long.

I made an appointment to pick up the art I had restored. I'm not going to display the piece again, so the conservator is just going to box it up. I hope I can get the rest of this stuff to an auction house before I run out of energy or lose interest. Truthfully, I'm already starting to lose interest. When I look around the office, I just want it empty. It seems like a monumental job. Basically, I'm still a packrat at heart. I guess I could start by throwing away boxes and boxes of old video tapes. I still have all the camera masters for most of the corporate videos I've produced over the years. I don't have the clients anymore, so there is little use in hanging on to the tapes. Few people could play these tapes anyway. Try finding a working 3/4 inch Umatic machine. Even the newer BetsSP tapes are getting pretty old.

Dash just finished eating a large and very late dinner. I wish he get hungry a little earlier. Eating this late just about guarantees that I'll be taking him out at 3 AM to poop.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3188

I listened to a program about Schadenfreude on the way to the gym this morning. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the concept of feeling pleasure at someone else's misfortune. Apparently, researchers have discovered that in today's increasingly polarized world, people will tend to accept something they know is wrong if they think the wrong might make someone they dislike look even worse. This explains a lot. Politics and a lot of foreign policy decisions depend on Schadenfreude.

Democrats and Republicans. Palestinians and Israelis. The Patriots and the Falcons. Is it all just the same? People pick their team and stick with them no matter what. If you're a Falcons fan, you're going to be happy at Tom Brady's misfortune whenever he gets sacked. If a rough tackle puts him out of the game, you're even happier. Politics and diplomacy are starting to seem a lot like football. I like football, but is this any way to run the world?

I like to solve the world's problems while I'm on the treadmill. I never tell anybody my solutions because they'd never listen. Global warming? Piece of cake. Just stop having babies until the earth's population declines by about 40%. Cities would become smaller. Fish would return to the ocean. Forests would flourish. Could anyone convince the entire world that two children is plenty and maybe none would be even better for a while until we got things back in balance? I doubt it. Russian meddling? Big deal. Just open the files and show everyone that our own CIA has been doing the same thing for most of the Twentieth Century. We've done more meddling over the years than all the other countries combined. Countries shouldn't meddle in other countries business, but they do. People shouldn't take pleasure in someone else's misfortune, but they do. Basically, we were the meanest monkeys in the monkey kingdom. Otherwise, dolphins would probably rule the earth.

I only philosophize at the gym. Most of the time I realize that Dash is right. It's better to think about nothing. I'm fairly comfortable living like a dog. I eat. I sleep. I observe and occasionally photograph things in nature. People say it it is important to be passionate about something but I don't even know what that means. Dogs can be obsessive, but I don't think they are passionate. Passion often leads to anger. Obsession just leads to collections. Our first Dalmatian collected tennis balls. He would find them on walks and carry them in his mouth until we got home. He was obsessed with tennis balls and by the end of his life had collected hundreds of them. It all made sense to me. During the same period of time I was collecting model trains.

I've already started seeing pumpkins and Christmas Trees. The Hallmark Channel is already advertising that they are ready to debut 34 all new Christmas Movies. Where has this year gone? It's almost over already. I guess I'd better make reservations for Thanksgiving Dinner before it's too late.

Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3187

We enjoyed meeting the new rescue dogs this morning. Dot and Dash have been dealing with serious medical problems since 2014, so it's easy to forget how much fun a young, healthy Dalmatian can be. The dogs we photographed today were all super friendly, very active, and loved to play. I don't think it will be long before each of these pups finds their forever home.

Janet and I have gotten to know hundreds of these dogs over the years. They all had their own unique personality. It's surprising how many of these dogs I still remember. It's hard to remember the names though. Especially since there were a lot named Domino, Lucky, Spot, Patches, and Oreo. The older we get, the harder it is to remember all these names. We both forgot the name of one of our favorites today. After ten minutes of guessing in the car, we finally remembered the name was Spirit. How could we have forgotten Spirit?

When we walked Dash this morning, we found ourselves right in the middle of a big charity race. There were thousands of runners, but Dash still wanted to criss-cross the road from one side to the other like he always does. The runners definitely didn't want to slow down for an old dog, so we tried to find a new route. I wonder how well Dash can see? He seemed oblivious to the runners. Luckily, we managed to stay out of the way. I always wonder why so many people like to jog? Over time, running is terrible on the knees.The high impact exercise isn't great for the feet either. I guess this is one reason why knee replacements have become one of the most popular surgeries for people my age.

Dash got me up in the middle of the night again. Actually, he got me up three times. I don't think there is anything wrong. Dash has just changed his schedule. He doesn't care if he wakes me up. If I'm not fast enough, he'll just poop on the floor. He's hungrier now late at night than he is in the morning. I guess it's no surprise that he needs to do his business at 3 AM. I don't even remember what uninterrupted sleep feels line anymore. I need to ask my doctor whether catnaps count. I rarely sleep more than three or four hours at a time, but I nap a lot. All in all I probably sleep more than you do.

I'm really tempted to get the latest version of the Apple Watch. I still wear the original version every day, but this new watch adds the capability to take your own electrocardiogram and will automatically dial 911 if you fall and can't get up. The watch also has it's own internal GPS and cellular phone. Pretty amazing to a gadget geek like me. Probably in the future, all I'll need are the watch and a phone. I'm finding fewer and fewer reasons to turn on the computer every day.

It's back to the gym tomorrow. Janet already goes to her new gym at least four times a week. I see no reason to compete. Once a week is plenty. Hey, I still walk Dash twice a day. We're slow, but we're consistent. If I were walking one of those young Dalmatians we photographed today, I bet I would be in better shape than those runners we saw this morning. I can tell you from experience that keeping up with a young Dalmatian is the best exercise you can get.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3186

Today had its ups and downs. Dash pooped in a neighbor's driveway this morning and then a little later he lost one of his shoes. I cleaned up the poop the best I could, but losing the shoe was a big deal. As soon as I noticed the missing boot, I tried to get Dash to turn around and go looking for it, but he he can be very stubborn and wanted to continue going forward. Even though it was in his best interest, Dash wouldn't turn around at all. Luckily, we weren't that far from home. His exposed rear paw was dirty and scuffed up a bit, but there was no bleeding.

When I made sure that Dash has finished his breakfast and was ready for his nap, I retraced my steps and went looking for the shoe. These boots are way too expensive to be disposable, so I need to make an effort to find them when they fall off. I wish he'd been wearing the green or red boots today. They would have been a lot easier to find. The missing black rubber boot blended in with the ground and was much more difficult to locate than I expected. Eventually I found both the boot and its companion sock. Strangely, the sock and boot weren't together. I don't know how he managed to lose the sock before the shoe, but that's the way it happened.

I went back to Knife for breakfast this morning. They stop serving at 10 AM, and I barely made it. Hey, it can take a long time to find a missing dog boot in the park. The Brioche French Toast I ordered this morning was delicious. Knife is really a high-end steak house, but they serve a limited breakfast menu since they are located in a hotel. I'm glad I discovered this place. It's exactly what I was looking for. It's odd. I've been looking for a nice place to eat in the neighborhood for years and what I really wanted was a chance to pretend that I wasn't in Dallas at all.

On the way home I discovered that my favorite Macintosh repair shop had gone out of business. Damn. Just about every one of my computers has been serviced at this store at one time of another. The place was close to home, the service was great, and the technicians could fix anything. The whole experience was a huge improvement over going to the Apple Store. I shouldn't have been surprised that the place went out of business. If I like a place, it is almost certain that it will go out of business. My favorite furniture stores, hobby shops, camera shops, art galleries, and restaurants have all gone out of business. It's so inevitable that businesses I like will fail that I've thought about hiring myself out as a consultant. If I like your concept, just forget about it. Why throw your money away. Just invest in something I hate instead.

It's still raining here, but I need to remind myself not to complain about the weather. There are no downed trees. There are no high winds. And there is no flooding. I'm sure there is water on the roof, but it is just rain. I feel sorry for all those people on the Carolina coast, but I still don't understand why they are living on the coast in the first place. Don't they know that when sea levels rise, all their property is going to be underwater anyway.

Janet and I will try again to take pictures of the rescue Dalmatian tomorrow. It's hard to tell at this point if we will be successful. So far, the weather looks almost identical to what we were dealing with last week.

Nicholas is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3185

I've learned to be very patient with Dash. It took about five tries to get him walking this morning. He would go out on the back porch, sniff the air for a while, and then come back inside. I used to think that Dash was too tired to walk when he did things like this. Sometimes he actually is tired, but not always. Today, he just wanted a certain treat we keep in the refrigerator. When I finally figured out what he wanted and gave him the special treat, he turned around and headed straight for the back gate.

Living with Dash is complicated. You have to know the difference between stubbornness, dementia, fatigue, and pain. This morning Dash was being stubborn, but other days he is simply exhausted. I dread the day when Janet and I reach this stage of life. My Dad acted a bit like Dash in his final days. It must be very difficult to realize that your body and mind are deteriorating and know that there is nothing you can do to stop the process. Dash might not be fully aware of what is going on, but animals are smarter than we think they are. He's got to know that he isn't the dog he used to be and I'm sure it is frustrating.

Today was slow, but what else is new. Truthfully, today was exactly like yesterday and the day before. Tomorrow will probably be the same as last Friday. It might be exactly the same, because I'm planning to go back to the same restaurant I went to last week. I might try the French Toast this time.

I wonder why it is mandatory for TV weathermen to do live shots in the middle of a hurricane? Every time there is a bad storm, all the weathermen race to find the most dangerous spot they can and make their reports buffeted by wind and rain. I must have seen six different weathermen waiting on the beach for Florence to arrive today. I'm sure there will be even more tomorrow. Personally, I think living on the beach is overrated. With hurricanes, algae blooms, shark attacks, rip tides, and rising sea levels to worry about, I think I'd rather live in the mountains.

I have to go pick up the lithograph I took to the art conservator soon. The restoration is complete. I'm not looking forward to this. I don't really want to bring the art back to the house and I'm not sure the auction houses want it. Now that a lot of the other art has been consigned, this piece has become an orphan. It seems weird to spend a lot of money just to get a piece of paper to lie flat again, but what are you going to do. If I ever want to sell this thing, it's got to be perfect.

I don't know why I'm making such an effort to fix my mistake. I've bought plenty of stocks that were a mistake. I've accepted jobs that were a mistake. I probably need to accept the fact that storing art and guitars in a storage warehouse was a huge mistake and just accept my losses.

I hope I don't make any big mistakes tomorrow. I'll try my best to keep Dash happy. If it doesn't rain, I'll go out and have a nice breakfast. I'll probably take a few bills to the post office. That's probably enough for one day.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3184

Dash needed a lot of attention today. He got me up several times during the night and then when morning arrived he was slow and listless. We got him suited up for his morning walk, but in less than half a block, he turned around and wanted to go home. He wouldn't eat his breakfast and immediately went to sleep. I always worry that his heart condition has become worse when this happens, but he was breathing normally and wasn't coughing. I figured he would eat later in the day when he was hungry and I went ahead and fixed my own breakfast.

About 11 AM, Dash wandered out to the kitchen and started to eat. He didn't finish everything before he went back to his bed, but it was a start. Early this afternoon when I was getting ready to take a shower, Dash got up and headed toward the back door. I could tell he was finally ready for his walk, so I quickly got dressed, put his rubber boots on, and off we went. It was a little too warm, since it was the middle of the day, but Dash was determined.

Not surprisingly, he was pretty tired when we returned to the house and promptly went to sleep again.   For the rest of the day, every time I got ready to do something, he appeared by my side and let me know that his needs were more important. Dash has perfected the art of being needy. He knows I will never ignore him. I want him to eat, so I always feed him something when he heads for the kitchen. I don't want him to poop in the house, so I make sure to take him outside at regular intervals. He likes me to lie on the bed with him. The only way I can get anything done is to join him on the bed for a few minutes until he falls asleep and then quietly get up and go about my business.

The only thing on the agenda today was picking up a prescription at the pharmacy. I asked the pharmacist if they had the new shingles shot. My doctor seems to think I need this, even though I've already had the old shingles shot. For some odd reason Medicare pays for the shot if you get it at a pharmacy and won't pay anything if you get the shot at your doctor's office. It's exactly the same vaccine, but two different sets of rules. At the pharmacy, the shot is considered prescription medicine and is covered by Medicare Part D. In a doctor's office, the shot is considered a medical procedure that has not been approved yet. Nothing is covered at all. One more example of our bureaucracy at work.

I was trying to explain to Janet how strange Dash had been acting today, but he was completely normal by the time she came home from work. He eagerly ate his dinner, took a nice sunset walk, and then settled down with Janet to watch Netflix movies. I have no idea how he's going to be feeling tomorrow. Every day is a new day.

I didn't make the cut to cover the Mars landing at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. I've applied for these NASA events twice before and was accepted both times. I guess my social media status has diminished. When I initially applied to cover a launch several years ago my Klout score was still pretty high and I had a ton of Twitter followers. Now, Klout doesn't even exist and I rarely even look at Twitter. Maybe NASA has finally figured out that I just write about my dog. I am on a waitlist in case some of the other participants cancel, but that rarely happens. When November arrives, I'll probably be glad I stayed home anyway. Lord knows how well Dash will be doing then.

Marcie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3183 - 9/11

Pretty soon September 11 will be like December 7. Babies born in 2001 are entering college now. It's just a matter of time before this day becomes a page in a history book instead of a shared memory for an entire nation. Pear Harbor was real for my Dad. He fought in World War II. 9/11 was real for me. I took this picture of the twin towers out of my hotel room window in the late 1970's when I used to fly from Seattle to New York to edit commercials. I enjoyed my periodic visits to lower Manhattan back then. Anyone could walk around the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and it was always exciting to take the express elevator to the roof of the South Tower and look out over the city. I always wanted to eat at Windows on the World but never got the chance. It was a little pricey for a young advertising copywriter.

Sometimes I think the terrorists won. The world is not a friendly place anymore. We have become hopelessly divided on just about everything. My Dad spent several years in the Pacific during World War II and there was a clear and decisive victory. We've spent decades fighting in the Middle East and accomplished nothing. I don't have a lot of hope for the future. If we can't collectively agree on anything, it's going to be very difficult to fix anything. It's interesting. People used to spend a lot of time envisioning utopias. Now, we've replaced these utopian futures with dystopian calamities. Science fiction used to be about how we were going to reach the stars. Now, it's mostly about how we're going to die.

We didn't get off to a good start this morning. Dash pooped in the bed again and when we took him to his vet appointment, he didn't want anyone to even get close to his feet. Our very patient vet was finally able to trim Dash's nails, but it wasn't easy. Hopefully, we won't need to do this again for another two months. It's kind of alarming how easily Dash bleeds now that he's on Plavix. We were super careful about avoiding the quick, but several nails still bled a bit. I wish we'd come away with a good solution for ending Dash's loose stools, but there are too many possible causes. Dash's age, the meds he's taking, and his multiple illnesses all contribute to the problem.

I was glad I was able to walk Dash before our appointment this morning. By the time we left the vet, it was already starting to rain. The rain continued off and on for the rest of the day. We had a short power outage, but the lights came back on again before I was able to file a report. I have no idea why the power went out. There was no wind and the rain was just a gentle shower. Even though the outage was short, I still had to reset all the clocks and automatic timers. Just about everything has a clock in it these days. Even the thermostat and the coffee maker needed to be reset.

Dash doesn't want to go outside because it is raining. This increases the odds that he will poop in the house tonight. I've thought about placing puppy training pads under him while he sleeps. This worked with Dot when she became incontinent but I'm not sure if we'd have any success with Dash. Dash is still mobile enough to move around at night while we're asleep. He can poop just about anywhere.

Shadow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3182

Sometimes I think going to the doctor is a waste of time. I'm rarely in a doctor's office because I'm sick. Most visits are routine checkups that were scheduled whenever I had my last checkup. The doctor mostly just asks how I've been feeling and if I need any prescriptions renewed. I keep hoping my doctor's will be proactive and discover something early that I am completely unaware of, but that rarely happens. I didn't learn anything new today with this particular doctor. I guess I'm good for another year.

I'm so slow these days that I barely had time to get ready for a 1:15 PM appointment. It takes at least an hour to walk Dash in the morning. It takes another hour to eat breakfast. Sometimes it feels like it takes an hour to just clean up the poop. I try to never schedule anything before noon unless it involves Dash. The daily routine just takes too long.

The doctor said I was well hydrated, which I've wondered about since I don't drink much water during the day. I guess drinking an entire blender container full of liquified fruit every morning gives me all the water I need. My blood pressure was a little high today, which was odd. I think the nurse just placed the cuff in the wrong place on my arm. The phlebotomist had trouble finding a vein too, which was even odder. My veins are like roadmaps on my arms and legs. They're super easy to find. Oh, well. At least I won't need to see this doctor for another year. He appears to think I'm in good shape.

We'll find out what kind of shape Dash is in tomorrow. Truthfully, I don't think we'll find out anything that we don't already know. If there was a cure for Dash's vestibular disease and leaking heart valve, someone would have told us by now. The most important thing that takes place tomorrow morning is getting Dash's nails trimmed. I'm always worried that he's going to rip a dewclaw out again and bleed to death. Maybe we'll find out something new about ending Dash's loose stools. We're tried just about everything, but I'm always open to suggestions.

I thought the weather was going to clear up today but we got more rain instead. At least a hurricane isn't headed our way. I feel sorry for those people on the East Coast. They seem to get hit almost every year. We always get a lot of rain at this time of year, but so far there has been no flooding. Knock on wood.

The art that I took to the conservator is ready to pick up. Now, what do I do with it? I shopped the piece around and the auction houses don't seem that interested. I definitely don't want to take it back to the storage warehouse because it will just get damaged by humidity again. Maybe I can delay picking up the art for a while until I come up with a plan.

Coming up with a plan is an ongoing problem these days. I really don't know what I want to do next.

Cleo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3181

I just noticed that I've been listening to the same music over and over again at the gym. The repetitive nature of the gym's playlist wasn't readily apparent because it seems like I'm hearing a very long tape loop. I've been going to the gym long enough that I finally noticed that all the songs were always in the same order and that the list would eventually repeat. Maybe there is more to this. The people I see at the gym are always the same too and they keep doing the same exercises. I usually have the same dreams over and over and over again as well. Maybe folks like Neil deGrasse Tyson and Elon Musk are right. What if we are all living in a simulation? If serious people actually think that the universe is just an advanced civilization's version of The Matrix, it tells me one thing. It tells me that we don't really know much about anything.

Yesterday, when I was looking through the auction catalog, a photo by Laura Gilpin caught my eye. I recognized the building. Recognizing a building in a photo isn't a big deal, but this building doesn't exist anymore. It was the old saloon in Gothic Colorado. Gothic is a ghost town and I used to play in these crumbling abandoned buildings when I was a child. Our family spend summers living in an old miner's cabin in this ghost town during the late 1950's. The photo brought back a surprising number of memories, considering how young I was at the time. Simulation or not, I'll have to admit that I've had a pretty interesting life.

Dash had a bad fall while I was taking him out to pee early this morning. He slipped on the brick floor and all four legs splayed out. He couldn't get up and I was worried that he might have broken something. I lifted him up and kept him steady until he could get his bearings again. The mishap scared him and I wasn't terribly surprised that he pooped on the floor. After holding him for a few minutes, he began to take a few tentative steps. Five minutes later, he seemed back to normal. Normal for Dash means that he can stand up. It doesn't mean that he is very strong. It's just about time for Dash to start wearing the Help 'Em Up Harness like Dot did during the last years of her life. With the harness on, I'll be better able to keep him from falling.

Despite getting off to a very shaky start, it wasn't a bad day. I did see some blue sky peeking through the clouds. The weather was cool and brisk and after a rest, Dash was still eager to take his morning walk. We were really slow today, but I could tell that Dash enjoyed smelling things in the wet grass.

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow and Dash has a vet appointment on Tuesday. This is all it takes these days for me to think it's going to be a busy week. I hope Dash stays strong. He worries me a lot these days. At least he's eating well again. That's always a good sign. I need to start eating well myself. I've got to stop snacking on crackers and popcorn during the day and I need to cut out pizza entirely. We had pizza for dinner and I've already got heartburn. Hey, I've got over 15,000 steps on the Fitbit though. That ought to help.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3180

The weather was dismal today. We got up early and managed to get Dash walked before the rain started, but it was pretty wet after that. Since there was no thunder and lightning, we though it would be safe to leave Dash for a while to go photograph the new rescue dogs. That plan didn't turn out so well. There must have been a wreck on the freeway because traffic slowed to a standstill. Then the rain got heavier and we could barely see the road. It didn't take long to decide to take the nearest exit and return home. We can photograph the dogs another time.

Dash was still sleeping when we returned. I wish I could sleep as easily as he can. I had to get up several times last night to attend to Dash and I'm still tired. I tried to take a nap, but couldn't get to sleep. I had planned to stay home until the rain stopped, but after a few hours of doing nothing I got cabin fever and decided to do my Saturday shopping anyway. There must be a lot of water on the roof because it was flowing off the edges on all four sides when I left the house. At least the pump was still working. The pump should take care of the water on the carport. I'll deal with the rest later. One thing about a heavy rain is that your car doesn't get dirty. Driving is kind of like going through a car wash. When I returned from grocery shopping, the car was  actually cleaner than when I left.

I like listening to the radio in the car. I never listen to music. I like shows like Freakonomics Radio, The TED Radio Hour, How I Built This, Hidden Brain, and similar shows about science, technology, and economics. Most of these shows seem to be on NPR. I always learn something new and my favorite shows are when someone disproves something I've believed all my life. Why aren't there shows like this on television? Television is a wasteland.

It was a very slow day. Since there wasn't anything interesting on television, I found myself looking through the auction catalog I saw yesterday for the first time. It was interesting to read about the other art that was in the auction with mine. For a brief moment I wished I was a buyer instead of a seller. I did enjoy buying art when I was young. I wonder how the auction house acquired all this stuff. Some of the work was spectacular. I bet a lot of it came from estates. I've noticed that the large art auction houses have entire departments to deal with estates.

It is so humid today that the house feels damp even with the dehumidifier running. I wonder what it would be like to live in a house that was always dry and dust free? I'll probably never know. There is so much dog hair in the house that doing a load of wash just moves the dog hair from one article of clothing to another. Janet cleaned the floors today and I did the laundry. By tomorrow everything will be dirty again.

I hope the weather clears up tomorrow. I'll go to the gym either way, but I think the day would be more enjoyable if I woke up looking at blue sky.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day