Day 696 - Veteran's Day

Both of my parents served in the Navy. They were so proud of their service that they both requested military funerals, long after they returned to civilian life. One of my favorite art director partners, back in my ad agency days, was in the Marine Corps before he discovered the ad biz. Several of my high school and college buddies went to either West Point or the Air Force Academy, and just about everyone on my Mom's side of the family was career military. All these connections to the military life have disappeared. I don't know anyone personally who is serving in the military these days. All I know is what I see on TV. I remember my parents and my friends though and the dedication with which they served. I think all our veterans, past, present and future, deserve a tremendous amount of respect.

Watching a parade on TV this morning was as close as I got to a Veteran's Day celebration. It was a just another normal Friday for me, full of projects that really should have been finished on Wednesday. Weekends are more enjoyable for both my clients and myself if there aren't any unfinished projects lingering on my desk, so I usually stay busy on Fridays. By the end of the day, I had everything finished and I'm ready to face to weekend.

The photo above was part of an ad campaign I did several years ago for a client who insisted on basing their entire marketing efforts around their logo, which just happened to be a flag. I must have taken pictures of every flag in Dallas, looking for the perfect pictures to illustrate the campaign. For a while, I thought all these flag images would be great for stock photography, but all the stock photo houses told me that they had plenty of flags already. I still find a use for these pictures occasionally, but not very often. Hey, if you need a good flag picture, I'm your guy.

There's basically only one day to get all the weekend errands done this week. On Sunday, I'm supposed to take video footage of the Pet Fair animal rescue event. With all this going on, I'm not sure how we'll get our own dogs to the dog park on Sunday, but I'm sure where there's a will, there's a way.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 695

I was watching one of those Lynda.com training CD's today to brush up on software I use in my work. Even though I tried to stay focused, I kept falling asleep. The training CD was well produced and very professional. The problem was that the subject matter was totally boring. This is stuff I do all the time. Let's face it. A lot of what I do is boring. I just needed to watch the CD, so I could learn how to do the boring stuff faster and hopefully, a lot more productively. The instructions that came with the CD said it would only take me half a day to watch all the course material. Wrong! I think it's going to take me about three weeks. My head is so filled with useless technical information already, that I'm going to have to take this new information in small chunks so it won't explode.

There's the new camera I've got to master as well. This little learning exercise is a bit easier, since the new camera is just a better version of equipment I'm already familiar with. I practice taking little movies of the dogs in the back yard after lunch. I not quite ready for prime time yet, but it shouldn't take that long. Sometimes this continual learning process gets tiring. It's absolutely essential though. If I didn't try to stay ahead of the curve and discover new and better ways of doing things, I wouldn't even have a business today.

One of the rescue groups I work with is having a big fund-raising event this Sunday. We had our final run through meeting tonight and the whole thing seemed quite complicated. I was glad that my task on Sunday was taking video of the event and not setting up tents or running the silent auction.

We're still having beautiful sunsets just about every evening. I hope you're enjoying them as much as I am.

Puppies are our Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 694

I think the French Toast I made myself for breakfast might have been the high point of the day. I didn't have any writing deadlines, so I thought I'd try to finish the rest of the videos I've been editing for my medical client's website. I made pretty good progress, but I've still got one more video to go. The odd thing is that even though my computer is much faster than the ones I used to edit with ten years ago, it still takes me just as long to render things. Back then I was editing standard definition 4x3 video and now I'm editing 16x9 high definition video. There's so much more information to crunch that my speedy new computer doesn't save me any time at all.

One of these days pretty soon, I'm going to have to walk the dogs real early and then go back and retrace my steps with a camera. I've been encountering beautiful sunsets and evening skies just about every day this week. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to take any photos that I could sent to the stock photo agency, since all I have with me when I walk the dogs is my iPhone.

Today's market sell-off was discouraging. It's getting to seem like market fundamentals don't mean anything. The market just bounces around wildly on rumors and fears. There isn't much difference between investing and gambling anymore. People who bet on sporting events can produce just as many charts and statistics as market technicians. Unfortunately, neither bookies or brokers can predict the future. The best either can do is look at past results and establish probabilities. Actually, I think sports fan might have the upper hand these days. If you know your teams and players, you probably have a better chance of winning your bet than folks who play the market like me. Will Europe implode and create a financial black hole that sucks us all in? That's what the smart money thought today, but in truth, nobody really knows.

The dogs definitely knew there was training class tonight. By 7 PM, they were circling around the front door, waiting for us to put their leashes on. They're not always obedient in obedience class, but they do seem to enjoy going.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 693 - Election Day

I went and voted today. I'm still not sure what I voted on however. It was a strange election. There were no actual candidates running. There were no TV ads. There weren't even a bunch of signs on sticks, telling you what to vote for in front of the polling place. It was kind of a stealth election. The only things on the ballot were some obscurely worded referendums that all seemed to be designed to give the state additional authority to sell bonds and collect taxes. I hate these kind of referendums. The wording is so convoluted that it's quite possible to end up voting exactly the opposite of the way you intended. No wonder there was no advertising. I don't think the politicians really wanted anyone to understand these referendums.

The weather report said there would be rain today. Sure enough, it did rain. It rained for about thirty minutes while I walked the dogs this morning. As soon as we got home, the rain quit and it was nice the rest of the day. By the time I got the dogs clean and dry again, I had enough wet towels to do another load of laundry.

It took forever to get my November invoices out this afternoon, mostly because my envelope printer wasn't working properly. It either chewed up the envelopes, or spit them out unprinted. Eventually I got everything printed and mailed, but it would have been easier if I had a printer with a foolproof paper path. Paper handling seems to be the weakest link in just about every printer I've owned. Paper jams are common in the big production printer and even more common in the general purpose printers. I don't know why someone can't design a really precise paper path that never gets out of alignment. Who knows? Maybe it's the paper itself that is causing the problems.

I think I'm going to have to start walking the dogs earlier in the evenings. Not only was it completely dark when I got home this evening, I also heard coyotes barking nearby when a firetruck went by in the distance.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 692

I'm glad I stayed on schedule today. About five minutes after we returned from our evening walk, it started pouring rain. The rain was a surprise, since it was quite nice outside during our walk. I even managed to get some decent sunset shots with my iPhone. Since we often take our walks around sunset at this time of year, I wish I could take a better camera with me. That would be a recipe for disaster though. The dogs can still knock me off my feet if they both see something they want to chase at the same time. The iPhone would probably survive being dropped on the ground. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the other cameras. Heavy, expensive cameras and Dalmatians just don't mix.

One of my clients called this morning and asked if I had time for a rush project that he needed by the end of the day. Sure. No problem. Monday's are always dead. I think everyone must be in status meetings or something. I rarely get new jobs on Monday. Things pick up a bit on Tuesdays, and by the time Friday rolls around, people can't seem to wait to get their hot potato projects off their own desk and on to mine.

After I got my regular work done today, I continued working my way through the AG-AF-100 instruction manual. The more I read, the more impressed I've become. This little camera will definitely meet my needs for the next few years. Eventually, it will become obsolete, just like my Beta-SP equipment, but for the time being, I'm good to go.

Tomorrow, Dash gets his antigen shot again. It's also election day. I guess I'll go vote, but I'm still not sure what I'm voting on. I don't think anyone is running for office in our district. I'm pretty sure it's just a bunch of state referendums this time. Referendums are tricky. They are usually worded in such confusing language that it's easy to end up voting just the opposite of the way you intended. I also need to try to get my monthly invoices out tomorrow. Invoices aren't confusing at all. They're just frustrating, since people pay so slow.

Chase is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 691

Most of the clocks in the house have been dutifully set back an hour, but I certainly don't feel like I've gained an hour today. Since we slept in a bit later than usual this morning, our extra hour was gone before we even got up. The time might have changed, but nothing else did. After breakfast, we took the Dot and Dash up to Wagging Tail Dog Park and on the way home we stopped by Vhea's LaundroMutt and gave them a bath. We don't give the dogs a bath every Sunday; just when we realize that they've started smelling like dogs again.

I mowed the grass for what is hopefully the last time this season. The yard will soon be covered with leaves and the lawn mower will be returned to the greenhouse again, where it generally serves as a Winter home for wayward rats.

In between chores, I started reading the owner's manual for the new AG-AF100 camera. Jeez, this thing is complicated. It supports both NTSC and PAL. You can shoot in 60i, 24p, 50i, 30p, plus a few other formats I'd never even heard of. There are so many options that the instruction manuel is an inch thick. All I basically learned today was how to set the day/date clock.

I got an e-mail from Design Within Reach this weekend, telling me that they were putting all their Sonno mattresses and bedding on sale. 15% off on everything! You'd think they could have told us this when we bought our mattress a few weeks ago. All they would have to have said was "hey, just wait a few weeks and you'll save some money." Few salespeople will do that though. They're all afraid that you'll change your mind and not buy anything.

The dogs certainly haven't changed their mind about the neighbor's cat. The cat jumped out right in front of us on the way home from our evening walk today and Dot and Dash just about pulled my arms out of their sockets trying to get at it. I'm pretty sure that these dogs are the source of all my shoulder and neck problems. You can't really blame them though. They're just acting like normal dogs.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 690

On weekends, I forget about website problems for a while and concentrate on problems around the house. The one thing that websites and household problems seem to have in common is that once fixed, they never seem to stay fixed for very long.

The first thing on today's agenda was trying to get rid of the rust stains on the ceiling where water had leaked in at some point in the past. I used to just paint over these stains, but they would always seep through the new paint in a matter of weeks. Now, I get up on a ladder and take a rag soaked with bleach and bleach the stains away. I've been avoiding this for quite a while, because if the bleach drips from the rag, it usually ruins whatever is directly below. I was more or less successful today, and the ceiling looks a lot better than it did before.

The second thing on my list was taking care of the slow drains in the bathroom. I went to Home Depot and came home with some new plungers, but that isn't what I really wanted. I had meant to buy one of those CO2 powered drain cleaners that sends a powerful blast of carbon dioxide through the pipes to clear out the gunk. I asked the plumbing guys at the store where these things were, because they work like gangbusters. They told me that they had to quit selling them because they were considered "dangerous." Jeez, just about everything that actually works is dangerous. I'm really getting tired of somebody else deciding if something is safe enough for me to use. I think I'm perfectly capible of deciding these things for myself.

I finally decided to open the box with the camera inside. It's a good thing I did. The first thing I encountered inside the box was a piece of paper saying that if I didn't register the camera within one month of purchase, the warranty was no good. I immediately went to the Panasonic website and got everything registered just under the wire.

We're got to remember to set the clocks back tonight. I used to hate time changes, because I felt compelled to reset most of the watches in my collection. Now, I don't even bother. The iPhone and the computer automatically reset themselves when the time changes and a couple of radio controlled watches do as well. That's enough for me. I still don't like the time change though, because it means that tomorrow evening, I'll probably be walking the dogs in the dark.

Coach is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 689

We had our first frost last night. I'm still not sure what the difference is between a frost and a freeze, but it must have gotten below 32 degrees at some point. When I walked the dogs this morning, there were still ice crystals on a lot of the plants in shady areas the sun hadn't reached yet. As the weather gets colder, I start dressing warmer. When it gets real cold, the dogs have coats as well. For the most part, I like these Winter walks. We seldom have to compete with joggers and mountain bikes on the trails during the Winter. From now through Spring, we pretty much have the park to ourselves in the mornings.

Of course, we usually have the rest of the day to ourselves as well. Today was no exception. When we got back from making tracks in the frosty grass, I made a pot of coffee, fried some eggs and got started on another day. These days all kind of blend together. I can't even remember which websites I modified today. I wrote another watch article, which seemed very much like the one I wrote yesterday. I paid a few bills, and since it was Friday, I went to Central Market to pick up some things for dinner. Just another normal day.

We've added a few new locations to our Christmas pet photo schedule. I don't look forward to lugging the equipment to yet another venue, but I am glad that we've got an opportunity to make some additional money for the Dalmatians. The new muslin backdrop arrived this week, so the people who come to these events every year will finally get pictures that look a little different than the year before. Santa has lost some weight this year as well, so I need to remember to punch new holes in Santa's big leather belt. I think everything is ready, and there's still several weeks until our first event.

I think Winter is officially here. If the weather cooperates this weekend, I'll mow the grass for the last time this season. There won't be any rotting pumpkins on the front porch this Winter, because I never got around to buying one this year. I've noticed that the leaves are already starting to fall off the large Oak trees in the back yard. Hopefully the leaves will cover up some of the bare spots in the lawn.

Ginger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 688

When I was washing the breakfast dishes this morning, a rather large lizard walked across the kitchen counter and headed straight toward the pile of plates I had just cleaned. I tried, and ultimately failed, to catch the lizard. It's still around the house somewhere. There was a time when this would have really bothered me and I would have spent the rest of the day trying to find the little reptile. I just don't care anymore. We live near a large wooded area and every time it gets cold, critters somehow manage to find a way inside. I guess a house lizard isn't so bad. At least it isn't a mouse or a rat.

As much as I hate going to the dentist, I think I'm going to have to go back again very soon. During my last visit, the dentist told me that one of my wisdom teeth was crowding the rest of my teeth so badly that it simply had to go. Oddly, it's the wisdom tooth on the other side of my mouth that is bothering me now. Nevertheless, I'm starting to agree with the dentist's assessment. Something has to be done. I'm dreading this, but I'll make an appointment to see an oral surgeon next week.

I had to go to a lighting store today to look for a halogen bulb to replace a burned out bulb in one of the living room lamps. While I was there, I noticed that LED bulbs were finally getting bright enough to be a viable replacement for the remaining incandescent lights in the house. There were lots of LED bulbs that claimed to be as bright as a seventy-five watt incandescent light bulb. There was even one large and very expensive LED that claimed to be as bright as a 150 watt bulb. These LED bulbs still have a way to go however. The big fifty dollar LED was rated at an output of 1200 lumens, while the little halogen bulb I needed for the living room lamp output a commanding 2800 lumens. Hmmm. $7.95 vs. $49.95. You can guess which bulb I went home with.

When I woke up this morning, I was convinced that this was going to be the day I got caught up with everything. Nope. It didn't happen. Just about the time I finished my daily watch article, I got a bunch of emergency web updates that needed attention. The big brown Panasonic box near my desk is still unopened.

Wolfgang is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 687

All day long I've been hearing that a big cold front was on its way. By tomorrow morning it's supposed to get down to thirty-five degrees. The front didn't really arrive until I took the dogs on their evening walk. Just when we reached the halfway point, the wind picked up and leaves started blowing off the trees. The temperature dropped ten degrees in just a few minutes. The dogs seemed alarmed by this rapid change of affairs and were eager to get home again. The temperature continued to drop as I ate dinner, but it wasn't enough to cancel dog training class. Nobody, except for me, seems to want to wimp out on dog class, so the training went on as usual.

Some dogs were excited by the wind and others were scared of it. Most of the people were just wishing they'd worn a warmer jacket.

I got an e-mail today saying that there was a typo in one of the websites I manage. Apparently, it's should have been its. I'll admit that I should have noticed this error. Other people should have noticed the error too. Guess how long the error has been online? Would you believe eight years! I guess this proves that people just look at the pictures.

I hope it doesn't take me eight years to open the Panasonic box sitting next to my desk. It's been sitting there almost a month now with a new camera inside. Every day, I think I'm going to have time to put this camera through its paces, but then something comes up and I postpone things for another day. If history is any guide, I probably won't open the box until I need the camera for a job. I'm the same way with shoes. I have shoes that I really like, but have never taken out of the box, because the right occasion never comes up. My dog walking shoes are worn out though. That's all I seem to need these days: a warm coat and a good pair of dog walking shoes.

Puppies are our Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 686

The days are getting visibly shorter. I wish this meant something philosophically, but I think it just means I will be walking the dogs in the dark soon. I'm not looking forward to Winter. I don't mind the cold, because I have lots of warm jackets. I do mind the darkness though. Darkness usually makes me feel even more melancholy than usual.

The new muslin backdrop for the Dalmatian Rescue Christmas photos arrived today. We must have a new FedEx delivery guy in the neighborhood, because for the past few weeks I've been playing a game of "find the package" every time a shipment arrives. Today's parcel was left at the side of the house, instead of near the front door where the regular Fedex guy leaves things. I probably never would have found the box if I hadn't stumbled over it while taking the dogs on their evening walk. Front door next time guys!

In hopes that their inventory might have improved, I went to Home Depot this afternoon looking for a new utility pump for the roof. They still had the same inferior pumps they had last year. The service guy working the plumbing aisle confirmed that these pumps were junk, and then told that he once owned a real good pump himself. He said it was blue and made of metal, unlike the plastic pumps on the shelves. I asked where I could get this pump, because this was exactly what I wanted. I had one like this myself once. It was made in the USA and it lasted ten years. The company that made it probably doesn't even exist anymore.

Last week I got a frantic note asking me to add some information to a client's website. Oops! Somehow, I never got around to this task. This morning I got an equally frantic note asking me to take the information down again. Wow! That was an easy job. I just sent a quick e-mail that said "done." Sometimes procrastination works in your favor.

Did I tell you that I was disgusted with the stock market? Oh that's right, I did that yesterday.

Jeda is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 685 - Halloween

We didn't do any Halloween pet pictures for Dalmatian Rescue this year. Last year, there was a tornado warning during our photo event and nobody came. The year before, we were at Unleashed Indoor Dog Park and I photographed a boatload of animals in costumes. I enjoy taking pictures of animals in costumes, but I'll be the first to admit that it's an acquired taste. A lot of people seem to think that dressing up a dog isn't "serious" photography. I tell these people to look at William Wegman. His whimsical portraits of his Weimaraners Man Ray and Fay Ray are hanging in some of the best museums in the country.

Without silly looking dogs to photograph, Halloween was just an ordinary day. I wrote another watch article and then tried to make sense of the 2012 enrollment documents I had to fill out before the end of the day to continue my health insurance plan. These enrollment documents are always confusing for me, since I am both the employer and the employee in my health insurance plan. Should I check the box that says "Employer will pay 100% of the cost and the employee pays nothing," or should I check the box that says "Employer pays nothing and the employee pays 100% of the cost? Actually, whatever box I check I end up paying exactly the same: way too much.

In September, my broker convinced me to buy some inverse positions to protect myself against a serious market downturn that he though was imminent. I sold those positions at a loss this week after one of the best bull runs this year. Go figure. I'm very discouraged by my results in the market this year. Basically, I still don't see many positive things about the economy in real life, so I'm easily swayed by bearish arguments. On the other hand, I know that traders are becoming increasingly sophisticated at gaming the system and turning bad news into a profit. I still believe in the old "buy low, sell high" adage, but when the lows and highs occur on the same day, it's real hard to keep up with things.

Until I figure out the intricacies of investing, I'll continue to plug away at copywriting and photography. I think the dogs have a much easier life.

Roxie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 684

Weekends go by far too quickly. There were a whole lot of things I wanted to accomplish this weekend, and most of them still aren't done. I didn't spend the weekend curled up with a book or watching a sci-fi marathon on TV. I actually did work. I always work on weekends. I think one reason I like walking the dogs so much is that it seems to be the one respite I get from a life of keeping my nose to the grindstone.

I often wonder how I used to find time to play in a rock & roll band or spend entire weekends exploring new places to photograph. Now, instead of going to band practice or doing test shots for my photo portfolio, I tend my little Internet universe. Social media is very time consuming. I write blog posts. I answer questions about Dalmatians from my Twitter followers. Lately, I've been trying to add a new photograph every day to my Google+ account, and even that small endeavor is taking a lot more time than I had expected. I initially thought that since I'd been taking pictures for so long, I'd have enough to last forever. Now, I'm beginning to think that I've only taken 100 really good photos in my entire life. I'm running out of good pictures and it's forcing me to go out and take some more. Maybe this is a good thing though. The picture that Thomas Hawk liked recently was one that I had just taken a week earlier. To me, this is a lot better than if a famous photographer had liked something I photographed twenty years ago.

Dot and Dash had a really nice day at the dog park this afternoon. The weather was perfect and there were lots of friendly dogs to play with. I wonder how many dogs only get walks on nice sunny days? I walk and attend to Dot and Dash exactly the same, rain or shine. We never see many other dogs on cold, dreary days though. I'm convinced that if you want to get anywhere in life, you've got to treat the dreary days exactly the same as any other day. Keep on truckin' I guess. What else can you do?

Puppies are our Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 683

I drove all the way across town today, only to discover that Elliott's Hardware on Maple Avenue had been torn down. Ever since I moved to Dallas, Elliott's has been my go-to place for odd fasteners, specialty tools and things that you just couldn't find anywhere else. For years, it was common knowledge that you could find anything at Elliott's. Maybe they just opened another store somewhere else, but even if they did, it won't be the same. The original Elliott's was unique, partially because some of the original employees still seemed to work there. These guys knew where every weird nut and bolt was hidden. They saved my butt several times on projects where I needed something that places like Lowes or Home Depot wouldn't even think of carrying. I'm definitely going to miss this store.

My trip across town wasn't entirely in vain though. I was able to find some light black ink for my large format printer at Competitive Camera so I could finish the Dalmatian Rescue Santa Paws posters I had promised Janet today. I can't believe it's almost time to start taking Santa pictures again. Our first holiday pet photo event starts on November 18, and we continue to do the Santa photos every weekend through mid-December.

Now that it's getting closer to dusk when I take the dogs on their evening walk, I'm starting to see lots of wedding photographers and brides again. Having a sunset shot of the wedding dress near a lake must be an essential part of every wedding photographer's package these days. I've seen a different bride being photographed just about every sunny day this week while I walk the dogs.

I was going to use today to get caught up on some things, and now I can't even remember what unfinished task was so important. I guess if I can't even remember what I needed to do, waiting until tomorrow won't be much of a problem. Probably waiting until next month won't be much of a problem either.

Dakota is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 682

I woke up sleepy after watching all eleven innings of the Rangers game last night. It's hard to believe that the Rangers came within one strike of winning the World Series twice in that game and still managed to lose. I guess I do understand though. It seems like I've been one strike away from success quite a few times in my life.

I'm glad it's Friday. It's been a tiring week, and today was no exception. After finishing the required October article for the writer's group I participate in, completing another watch article, dealing with a few web problems and walking the dogs, all I had time to do was sweep the standing water from last night's rains off the roof. Where did all the fun go. Lately, I just feel like one of those Hamsters spinning on a wheel in their cage.

I'll have to admit that this evening was fun though. We took the dogs for their long promised dinner at Cafe Lago. The dogs absolutely love this place and we think the food is pretty good ourselves. The unique thing about Cafe Lago is that the head chef for the restaurant cooks the dog's menu as well. The doggie items on the menu are absolutely delicious and completely safe for dogs to eat. Dot had the meatloaf tonight and Dash had the roasted chicken. I couldn't resist ordering my favorite Cuban Pulled Pork Sandwich again. I've never been to Cuba, but I can't imagine that this sandwich would taste any better in Havana.

I noticed today that Thomas Hawk had given a +1 to one of the photographs I posted on my Google page. That almost made up for the dismal decline in my Klout score the other day. I try not to take the daily ebb and flow of the social media world too seriously, but it can be hard to ignore if your job is basically staring at a computer all day. I'd kind of like to believe that all the time I spend online actually means something, but it probably doesn't.

I took a quick peek at the game on the TV in the other room. The Rangers are behind 3 to 2 in the fifth inning. If the game is anything like last night's, the night is still young.

Abi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 681

It was a chilly, gray day. Janet got me up early to walk the dogs, because it was supposed to start raining any minute. The rain didn't actually begin until well after supper, but it's definitely raining now. The colder weather this morning reminded me that I still hadn't picked up my jacket at the tailor after I asked them to put in a new zipper last week. After picking up the jacket, I went to the bank and then back home again. There's no point in going far on a chilly, gray day.

Luckily, the dreary day was good for something. I made myself a pot of chili to eat and set about catching up on work. I edited another video for my doctor client, wrote another watch article and tried to get caught up on another week's worth of website revisions. It wasn't a pretty day, but it definitely was a productive day.

The dogs didn't seem to mind being cooped up in the house while I worked. They don't even like the thought of rain, so every time I let them out in the yard, they immediately came right back in the house anyway. It was definitely more comfortable inside. The furnace was working. The house was toasty warm. And there were plenty of dog blankets for them to sleep on.

I need to remember to turn on the television and watch the Rangers game. With any luck, they could win the World Series tonight. The team certainly came close last year and hopefully they can go all the way this time around. It might not be raining in St. Louis, but it's raining cats and dogs in Dallas right now. I wish I'd remembered to take the trash out to the street a little earlier. I'm going to get wet, but I still got a lot done today.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 680

Did anybody else notice that their Klout score dropped dramatically last night? Yesterday my score was 63 and today it's 39. Yikes. That's a big drop. Klout evidently changed their algorithm to reward what they call the quality of your social interactions and penalize people who are simply interested in quantity. This isn't good news for authors, bloggers and other people who use Twitter to promote their book, their blog, or their products. As a result, a productive person who actually might have quite a bit of clout in real life can have a terrible Klout score if they only use social media to say "Thanks for the re-tweet" occasionally. On the other hand, an unemployed person with no life at all can now have a great Klout score if they spend all day talking to friends on Facebook. I'm disillusioned with Klout now.

Dot won first prize in the "Most Catlike" category at our annual training class Halloween Party tonight. I tried to get a picture of her, but she wouldn't stay still. Unfortunately, Dash didn't win in the "Funniest" category, even thought he was pretty funny doing his usual hopping and dancing around in a Hula dancer costume. I thought Dash should have won something, because he actually did look like a Hula dancer with his butt waggling around most of the evening. Dot got a PetSmart gift card for her efforts, while Dash got nothing at all. Like Heidi Klum always says on Project Runway, "one day you're in and the next day you're out." Hopefully, Dash didn't get as bent out of shape about losing as I did about the precipitous drop in my Klout score. You can't depend on anything these days.

I thought I'd have some time to practice using Avid Media Composer today, but no such luck. By the time I finished my website updates and articles, the day was over. Maybe I wasted too much time making French Toast this morning

Pearl is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day