Day 4827

Dawn got a walk this morning and she did quite well. She seemed much happier today and being able to resume some of her regular activies was probably the reason. It's hard to tell if she is actually getting better since she is still taking pain medication and her neck still feels puffy. She's started to shake her head again which is both good and bad. It's good that her neck isn't as painful anymore, but we're going to have to start wearing the No Flap Ear Wrap again. The hematoma in her ear is starting to improve and we don't want that to get bad again.

I didn't do anything exciting today, but I did stay busy. I did several chores that I've been trying to avoid like cleaning toilets and trying to remove the stains on the ceiling. Spraying bleach on the ceiling works pretty well to remove a lot of the brown stains, but it's a messy job. You have to remove everything in the area, so you don't bleach furniture or other objects by mistake. I've learned to wear a hat, glasses and white clothing while I'm doing this so I don't ruin my clothes as well. The living room looks better now but I'm not even going to bother with the stains in the office ceiling. That part of the house is still leaking.

When Janet came home from the gym I took my long walk. We make sure that one of us is always home now to keep an eye on Dawn. We're making progress and the last thing we want is for Dawn to hurt her leg again with a bad fall. It turns out to be easier to let her continue to sleeping on our bed rather than gate her in a hallway where she can't fall. Dawn is a very stubborn dog and she just won't relax if she can't do things her way. Breakfast her way now means breakfast in bed. I don't know why she won't eat her breakfast in the kitchen anymore but it's not a big deal. I bring her bowl back to the bed and she eats there lying down. Oddly, she eats her other meals just fine in the kitchen.

Our weather has been like a roller coaster lately. One day it's hot and the next day it's cold. Today it was pretty chilly. It's hard to decide what to wear because it's always colder next to the lake. At least it was sunny today. I dressed warmly and completed my route, even though my feet hurt at the end. I'm not a big fan of Daylight Savings Time. It stays dark too long in the morning now and light too long in the evening.  I guess the late sunsets don't really matter because I'm not taking a telescope out in the evening anyway. The only connection I have with astronomy these days is testing the star tracker inside the house.

I had a nice walk this morning but it bothers me that I'm getting tired more easily. Walking six miles seems like a struggle at times. I'm going to keep walking though. I'm convinced that this activity is keeping me healthy and walking in the park is a lot easier than driving to the gym. I'm already doing better than my parents. Dad had Parkinson's Disease at my age and Mom was already dead.

I hate hearing that there's going to be a run on the banks after Silicon Valley Bank failed. Jeez. The money I have in the bank is my safe money, since I've never considered investing in the stock market to be all that safe. If the banks aren't safe anymore what do you do? Personally I think the news media love to scare people because it's good for ratings. They are making a big deal out of the bank failure because they know it will scare people. They've also been making a big deal out of airline safety lately because people are traveling more. Be that way if you want. I'll just quit listening to the news.

I need to remember that I've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow. Doctors and dentists hate it when you fail to show up. I have to go to the dermatologist now because I have a few spots of actinic keratosis on my face. Since this is sometimes a pre-cancerous condition they want to check me every six months. No problems so far. The doctor freezes the keratosis spots with liquid nitrogen and I'm on my way. Did I mention that I hate growing old.

Wyatt is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4826

It seemed strange that it was still dark when I woke up this morning. I looked at my watch and it was after 7 AM. Were we about to get another thunderstorm? Nope. I forgot that the time changed last night. Now we are living under Daylight Savings Time again. Some people actually prefer Daylight Savings Time, but I'd rather have sunlight early in the morning and dark skies at night. I see no benefit in having the sun still up at 9 PM. Oh, well. We're stuck with this until next Fall.

Dawn was a handful today. She's feeling better and if I let her out of my sight for one minute she'll try to jump off the bed. I could tell Dawn was mad because whenever I come home from mall walking she knows that it's time for her Sunday outing. Dawn has a good sense of time and Sunday is her day. She became very restless when we didn't go anywhere this afternoon. There was no ice cream either. I took her out in the back yard numerous times but that wasn't good enough. Maybe next week, girl. We're going to try a short walk in the park tomorrow.

Mall walking does nothing to restore my faith in humanity. The mall walkers seem strange compared to the people I see walking in the park. The store displays seem even stranger. Fashion these days seems to be a celebration of ugliness. The winter coats are gone from the windows now and have been replaced by colorful Spring styles. Some stores seem to cater to older people getting ready to go on a cruise ship, while others seem to be trying to attract the impossibly thin. The high end European boutiques all have unrealistically thin mannequins in their windows, while a few stores actually feature fat mannequins. Lifelike mannequins have apparently gone out of style. They all look like stylized android robots now. It's a strange world out there and it appears to be getting stranger every week.

Since Dawn was restless today and I couldn't trust her, I tried to update the Polaris star tracker in the bedroom with her. That didn't work. I couldn't concentrate on what I was doing and Dawn managed to jump off the bed while I was actually sitting on it. I spent so much time taking Dawn outside that the star tracker shut itself off and I had trouble restarting it. Maybe I just don't multitask well, but I won't be trying this again. 

Since we still aren't taking Dawn on a sunrise walk, I didn't get my steps at the mall and needed to take a walk in the park later in the afternoon to meet my goal. It was an exceptionally nice day today and that meant the park was even more crowded than usual. I need to remember to avoid the park on weekends. I think I prefer cool overcast days when there is a light mist. On days like these I have the park to myself.

Maybe I do wobble when I walk. When I was at the mall this morning I tried several times to walk in a straight line. There are many places where you can follow a straight line scored on the concrete floor. I could follow this line when I concentrated, but whenever I started to daydream or look in store windows I started to drift away. I'd look up and I was two or three feet away from the line. I'm never conscious of doing this, but maybe it looks weird to others. Truthfully, I think Dawn is steadier on her feet than I am these days.

I'll be glad when Dawn has finished with her meds. I shouldn't be critical since I take meds for blood pressure, cholesterol and a variety of other ailments myself. I think Dawn's meds have changed her personality though. It bothers me that there is no way to ask her how she really feels. I guess the vet is probably right. Without a lot of bed rest and inactivity Dawn might never get better. We'll see how tomorrow goes. As always, I hope there are no surprises.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4825

It was just a normal Saturday with a few major changes. It's weird not taking our sunrise walk anymore. It's seems like we've been doing this forever. Hopefully Dawn will be able to resume this activity when she has finished her two week course of meds. Dawn spends most of her time sleeping on the bed now. We still guide her up and down her steps at the foot of the bed, but I think she would do this on her own now. 

Dawn seems to be a quick learner. I can watch her on the pet cam from anywhere in the house, but she is not inclined to move. The only time she would try to jump off the bed is when Janet is returning to the house. Now Janet calls me on the phone when she is several blocks away so I can be in the room with Dawn when she arrives. This seems to work pretty well. There have been no falls since we all started being a lot more careful.

I waited until Janet returned from the gym before going shopping this morning. Traffic was even worse than usual because there was a St. Patrick's Day parade on Greenville Avenue. I've never understood why people love a parade, but this one always seems to attract a huge crowd. At any rate, I changed my route a bit and avoided the crowds while still getting my shopping done. It was a busy morning since I also needed to fill the car up with gas, go to the bank, and stop at the pharmacy while I was out and about this morning. I only had to visit two grocery stores today, so my Saturday morning errands didn't take me any longer than usual.

When I returned, we took Dawn down to the park to poop. Her schedule has changed now that she is on all these meds. She used to do her business first thing every morning. Now she waits until mid afternoon. She doesn't have much of an appetite early in the day either. To get her to eat I've been bringing her breakfast back to the bedroom. The spoiled dog gets breakfast in bed now. Overall her appetite is still good. She is eager to eat her dinner and bedtime snack.

When Janet left the house again I updated the Dalmatian Rescue website and paid some online bills. I don't think my own schedule has changed much since I'm around the house a lot anyway. I just need to make sure I can always see what Dawn is doing. When I'm working on the computer I can usually see her through the office door sitting on the bed. When I'm in other rooms I can watch her on the pet cam. I'm probably being overprotective but we really don't want her to jump off the bed and fall again. Life would be easier if we could gate her in a hallway with her dog bed. She won't relax in the dog bed though and insists on returning to the big king-sized bed in the bedroom. Whatever works is fine by me. Dawn is definitely getting the bed rest the vet recommends sleeping on our bed.

I'm beginning to think I might be unsteadier on my feet than Dawn is. When I was walking down a road in the park today a guy leaned out his car window and asked if I needed help. It was kind of embarrassing. "Nope, I'm fine," I replied. I suspect that I don't naturally walk in a straight line. Janet says I wobble a bit when we are walking Dawn. It all seems natural enough to me, but maybe it looks strange to others. Hey, at least I'm still moving. A lot of people my age aren't. Something must be working because few people believe that I'm seventy five. They all say I look much younger. They roofing guys couldn't believe I was still climbing up on the roof when I told them my age.

We're not going to be able to take Dawn on her Sunday outing or even go get ice cream for a while. Dawn is way too shaky to ride in a car right now. Even on her best days she's not very good in the car. I'll still go mall walking tomorrow and then go home and babysit Dawn while Janet goes to the gym and runs her errands. I do think Dawn is improving. It's just going to be a long, slow process.

Tyson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4824

Dawn is getting tired of wearing her harness all the time, but it's for her own good. We need a handle to grab if she starts to go down. No falls today, but she's still pretty fragile. Dawn is learning to walk up the step to the bed, but you've got to watch her like a hawk. Her instinct is still to jump on and off the bed like she used to. We have a nice dog bed on the floor, but she is reluctant to use it. Dawn is a very stubborn dog.

I hate to see Dawn so sedated, but if it's bed rest she needs the plan seems to be working. I watched her this morning while Janet was grocery shopping and she mostly just slept. There is no anxiety now and she seems relaxed. The real test will come when her meds run out. Strangely, the hematoma on her ear seems to be getting better because she can't shake her head anymore. I think the swelling in her neck is better today, but it's hard to tell.

Yesterday's hard rain just seems like a bad dream now. Today was beautiful and the ground was dry again. Did the sudden storm even happen? The sky was clear this morning and our roof leaks stopped fairly quickly. I guess I'll take what I can get. Historically it always rains a lot during this time of year. Increasingly, it does seem like we are having an early Spring. It's hard to imagine more snow and ice when the air conditioner is running in March.

I wrote a letter to my sister today and took it to the post office. Traffic on our street has gotten impossible, It took me ten minutes to get out of the driveway. It doesn't matter what time of day you are out and about. It always seems like rush hour these days. The traffic and crime in the city make me wish I lived in a small town. That's not going to happen though. We like our neighborhood by the lake, the house is paid for, and moving anywhere is way too much trouble. Moving is for younger people. I moved around a lot during my 20's and 30's. It didn't seem like a big deal back then, but I can't imagine doing that sort of thing now.

I wonder how long I'm going to be able to continue walking six miles a day? It seems harder now. My last mile was terrible today. I walked a lot faster when I was trying to avoid the rain yesterday. I'll continue walking because it's good exercise and so much easier than driving to the gym. I do wish that it wasn't such an effort to remain physically fit. Growing old isn't all that fun.

I think I'm going to need a new phone, a new computer, or maybe both. Increasingly, things I use a lot aren't supported anymore. I can't update the system on my phone, computers, or even my watch because they are all too old. Safari is worthless on my computer now so I've had to switch to Firefox. I can't even upgrade my watch anymore because the watch says I need a newer phone. On and on it goes. Apple basically does a terrible job of supporting old hardware. Like most companies they just want you to buy new stuff.

Tomorrow is my grocery day. I wonder how expensive everything is going to be this week? Inflation seems fairly relentless when you like to travel and are living on a fixed income.

Ely is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4823

I got a lot done today. I signed a contract with the roofers to replace our roof. I went and got a haircut. I kept an eye on Dawn while Janet was away. And I still had time to take my long walk. I should have started the walk about twenty minutes earlier because it started raining again on my way home and I got soaked. No harm done, although the thunder and lightning made me a little nervous. I definitely don't want to be struck by lightning just because I was determined to get my steps.

Dawn seemed pretty steady today and there were no falls. She seems to be retaining a lot of fluid and her neck is still swollen though. It's kind of hard to tell what's going on because the medications she is taking make her sleepy and lethargic. This is on purpose because our vet wants her to stay quiet and as inactive as possible to let the inflammation subside and give everything a chance to heal.

Oddly, Dawn seems friendlier toward me now. I don't know if she is just too tired to leave when I sit down on the bed with her, or if she's finally starting to realize that I'm trying to help her. I'd like to think the latter, but who knows. She's a dog and will continue to follow her canine instincts.

The roofers want to start on the new roof in April. Let's hope the weather is better by then. The roof leaks started again within an hour after today's rain started. The leaks aren't bad, but it never got dry enough to start hunting for where the water continues to get in the house. It's probably just as well that I didn't attempt further repairs. I don't need to be disappointed again. The roofers are confident that they can eliminate the low spots that are causing all the standing water. I take everything they say with a grain of salt though. Roofers are always confident before they start a job.

I applied for press credentials to attend another Falcon Heavy launch in April. I'm almost sure this will end up conflicting with the roof replacement schedule, but we can work that out later. After the exceptionally rainy Spring we've had this year, I'm definitely going to need a trip to Florida to put this all behind me. It doesn't look like I'll be going to the observatory this Spring. I never got a volunteer request from them this year and their busy Spring Break season starts next week. I'm kind of glad that I don't have to make that decision. I'm still not sure I'm up for a long drive to West Texas.

Hopefully Dawn will continue to get stronger. She actually had a pretty good day today. My day wasn't bad either, although I wasn't wild about getting soaked when I was taking my walk. We'll see what happens tomorrow. I don't want any surprises.

Val is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4822

It's been a long day. Dawn's condition hasn't improved much, but we're getting a lot better at managing things. There were no falls or stumbles today because one of us was always holding her harness to make sure a fall was impossible, even if her front leg knuckled under. It takes a while to learn how to let a dog walk naturally while standing very close and holding onto the harness. The harness has a handle which I attach a short length of rope to so I can stand erect while walking instead of being stooped over to reach the handle. Since Dawn seldom walks a straight line you have to be careful not to accidently step on her. I always watch her tail for signs that she is getting ready to pee or poop. You have to loosen your grip on the harness so she can squat naturally.

Dawn is a very stubborn dog, so she still insists on going down to the park behind our house to poop, even though it would be so much easier if she would just go in the yard. It's actually less stressful to take her to the park since she just wanders around the yard forever without doing anything. In the park she does her business quickly and heads for the house again. She's even more stubborn about sleeping on the bed. We have a step at the foot of the bed that we made for Dot and if we help guide her up the step, she's fine. One of us always stays with her even though it is doubtful she would try to go anywhere. Dawn loves that bed. 

We're still not sure exactly what's wrong, but we have a pretty good idea. Several months ago she started shaking her head frequently for some unknown reason. It definitely wasn't an ear infection because her ears are clear and clean. The head shaking led to the hematoma on her left ear and the No Flap Ear Wrap. We're thinking that the violent head shaking eventually also led to a slipped disc in her neck. Paralysis or partial paralysis of a front leg is often associated with injury to the nerve roots in the neck or shoulder. All of this could easily have been caused by a bulging disc in her neck that pinched a nerve root leading to her leg. The x-rays that were taken several days ago seem to confirm this although we would need an MRI to make sure. We're not going to do that because she is a terrible patient and it would involve a long car ride to get her to the MRI machine. A long car ride with Dawn in her current condition would be a nightmare. If we can just keep her from falling we're pretty sure her condition will improve.

Our schedules have changed a bit since once of us always needs to be in the house to keep an eye on Dawn. She could injure herself badly if she fell while we were gone. So far it is all working well. Janet got to run her errands and go to the gym and I got to take my long walk. I can tell that Dawn isn't feeling well because she lets me sit next to her on the bed now. As stubborn as she is, I think she understands that we've here to help her.

It must have rained last night although it wasn't raining when we woke up this morning. Dawn woke me up during the night when she was barking strangely in her sleep. It sounded like she was possessed by a demon. Since I was also having a strange dream when she woke me up, it was all very disorientating. I think I heard thunder but it might have been the dream. At any rate, when we woke up there was a small leak in the kitchen that stopped about an hour later. There must have been a lot of rain because the pumps on the roof removed a lot of water.

Tomorrow the roofers come over and I guess I'll need to formally approved their bid. I've got a few questions, but I'm willing to go ahead and do this. Hopefully we can schedule something that doesn't involve rain during the process. The last thing I want is a big blue tarp over an exposed roof during a rain storm. I'm also getting a haircut tomorrow. It will be a busy day, but I think we've got everything scheduled. 

Bacardi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4821

I went to the storage warehouse today and brought home Petey's orthopedic dog bed and Dash's Help 'Em Up Harness. I could start a store with all the dog paraphernalia we've accumulated over the years. It comes in handy though. We're hoping that Dawn makes a full recovery but have no idea how long that's going to take. The x-ray results came back today and Dawn does have a bulging disc in her neck. This would explain some, but certainly not all of her symptoms. We've dealt with lots of illness and injuries before but this one is new. We still can't identify a cause. 

Dawn's problems just seemed to appear out of nowhere. What do a swollen neck and stumbling have in common? Hopefully the Help 'Em Up Harness will help keep Dawn from falling when we take her outside to do her business. She will stumble or collapse with no warning at all. A few minutes later she will seem normal again. The pain medication is helping keep Dawn calm, but we really need to figure out what is going on. We'll talk to the vet again tomorrow, but if there were any easy answers we'd probably already know them.

I missed my chance to search for leaks on the roof because it is supposed to start raining again later tonight. It wasn't a great day to attempt repairs anyway because I need the roof to be dry to apply the remaining Armor Flex. It was a grey day with a light mist in the air for most of the day. It was easy to convince myself that it wasn't worth the trouble to do anything.

I don't mind walking in a light mist so I took my long walk anyway. I didn't get as many steps today because there was no sunrise walk with Dawn, but I kept moving. The mist was so light that I didn't get very wet and it certainly kept things cooler. All in all, it was a good day for a walk. The weather has gotten so warm lately that it's hard to believe there will be another hard freeze. Stranger things have happened though. We've had some pretty heavy snowfalls in March. Let's hope that doesn't happen. I have enough problems without dealing with snow.

I backed another Kickstarter project this morning. You'd think I'd have learned my lesson after backing the Benro Polaris star tracker, but apparently not. Backing the Polaris project was several years filled with delays and frustration, but eventually I did receive the product and it has more or less lived up to expectations. Kickstarter backers usually get a much better price than what the new product will eventually retail for. There's always a risk though. The product may end up being a failure or never ship at all. At any rate, I may get a self leveling tripod someday.

I'm still not sure what I'm going to do in April. I haven't received any requests for help from the observatory, so maybe they don't need volunteers anymore. I hesitate to apply for credentials at Kennedy Space Center because we don't know what is going on with Dawn yet. If she's having trouble moving around, it's going to take both of us to help her. I'm not even sure I even want to go anywhere now. You've got to be in the mood.

Connor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4820

Dawn had a setback today. She could hardly walk this morning and we had to help her off the bed. She was favoring her left front leg and her neck seemed puffy as well. Things didn't get better as the day progressed, so we took her to the vet. They took x-rays and gave her some pain pills, but we still don't really know what is going on. If I had to guess, I think she might have a slipped disk in her neck, but it could be anything. She was very stressed before we went to the vet, but the pain meds appear to be working and she is calm now. Hopefully we can find out what is going on soon. This is a strange set of symptoms with no apparent cause. Up till now she has been a very healthy dog.

Dawn didn't get a morning walk for obvious reasons and I didn't take my own walk until later this afternoon because I didn't want to leave Dawn alone in the house. Everything is more of less back to normal while we wait for a diagnosis, but it's going to be hard to keep her off the bed. Our bed is her favorite place, but jumping on and off is not going to be good while she has a weak front end. Her front legs aren't swollen and appear normal but she has already fallen twice. Something is definitely very wrong.

I made an appointment with the roofers to go over their bid and schedule getting the new roof installed. I'm not looking forward to this, but it has to be done. I hope I picked the right roofing company. These guys came highly recommended, but I've been disappointed by roofers before. I want this to be the last roof we have to deal with on this house. Janet and I are getting too old to be dealing with continual roof leaks. When the roof is fixed we will need to repair damaged sheetrock inside the house and then get new carpets and paint. First things first though.

It's time for a haircut again, so I made an appointment for later in the week. I also renewed some prescription that I will pick up tomorrow. I usually get a haircut before I travel, but there are no travel plans in the immediate future. There are interesting launches at Kennedy Space Center in April, but I may need to skip them. A lot depends on what is going on with Dawn. It wouldn't hurt to lay low and save some money either. I've already been to Florida four time in the past several months.

I got my steps today but didn't complete my full six miles. There was a lot going on. It's just as well that I didn't walk as far today because my feet were bothering me. I was slow on my long walk which was a shame because it was such a nice day for walking. It feels like Spring has arrived even though it's a little early. Spring flowers are already starting to appear and a lot of trees in the park are turning green. I hope we don't have a late March freeze, but it has happened many times before. Wildflowers this early in the year almost guarantees that we will have another freeze.

Tomorrow is my last day to attempt roof repairs before more rain arrives. I don't have a lot of the Armor Flex liquid silicon left, but there is enough to patch a few leaks. All I need to do now is find them.

Anne is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4819

Today was a good day. The weather was almost perfect, but more importantly, Dawn is back to normal again. We may never know what was wrong with her yesterday. I suspect that she just pulled a muscle or something when she got too wild during her grocery day shenanigans. She gets very excited and races around the house when Janet brings home the groceries. At any rate, we saw no signs of problems today. She walked normally and had no problems getting on and off the bed.

If it's Sunday, I go walking at the mall. I went earlier this morning and the place was almost empty. I need to remember this since I'm perpetually trying to avoid crowds. I can't get over how much the place changes from week to week. I always see stores that have closed and others that have just opened. A surprising number of businesses seem to just move from one location in the mall to another. You have to watch where you're going while mall walking. So many people never look up from their phones while walking that you'd bump into them if you didn't move out of their way. I see this in the park as well. We have an entire nation of people who've become addicted to their phones. The young people are the worst. Very rarely l'll see an older couple actually talking to each other without a phone in sight.

Since Dawn was feeling better we took her on a Sunday outing this morning. She seems to enjoy new places now, so we drove her to the other side of the lake. We didn't take a long walk because we didn't want to push our luck, but Dawn had a good time smelling new things and looking for critters. As always we ended our outing with a trip to the ice cream store. The ice cream cones are no bargain, but it's a nice little Sunday treat. Even though Dawn rides terribly in the car, the ice cream seems to calm her. On the way home from the ice cream store she appears almost normal.

I thought about going up on the roof this afternoon and looking for the remaining leak, but quickly changed my mind when I realized what was involved. Chances of failure were very high and I really didn't want to deal with the messy silicon coating again. Even though I keep a roller on the roof to spread the stuff around, I always seem to get some of the Armor Flex on my hands and clothing. I still need to try this before the next rain though. My last attempt slowed down the leaks considerably. If I can just find where the remaining water is getting through, I may be able to stop the leaks entirely. I'm probably being too optimistic, but I need to give it a try.

Instead of going up on the roof, I vacuumed the carpets instead. I need to do this more often because the carpets were really dirty today. Dawn used to sit on the bed and stare at me while I cleaned the bedroom. Not anymore. She left the room and wouldn't come back until I was finished and put the vacuum cleaner away. She wouldn't stay in the room when I took a short nap after I finished my chores either. It's kind of sad. If Janet isn't around to keep her safe, Dawn wants nothing to do with me.

I'm going to have to call the roofers tomorrow because they seem to have disappeared. Several weeks ago I couldn't get rid of the guys. Now it's crickets. I need to get this job scheduled so we can get on with our lives. A new roof won't solve all my problems, but it will certainly help.

Hopefully tomorrow is an uneventful day with no surprises. A day where nothing happens is always a good day as far as I'm concerned.

Rory is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4818

I got a lot done today. Well, I got something done anyway. In addition to grocery shopping and my perpetual walks, I washed the car and defrosted the little refrigerator. The little refrigerator was a spur-of-the-moment purchase when we were having problems with the big refrigerator. I can't remember whether there was a power outage or a mechanical problem, but we needed a temporary way to keep things cold. It was never meant to be permanent, but here we are. Now the little refrigerator is essential. We need both. This small dorm room refrigerator doesn't have an automatic defrost cycle, so every once in a while I have to unplug it and let all the ice melt. I transfer the food to the big refrigerator, stuff some old towels in the empty refrigerator to soak up the melting water, and wait a few hours for all the ice in the freezer section to disappear. Usually I only have to do this about every three months.

Usually I only wash the car about every three months as well. It doesn't get very dirty because I don't drive much. The car definitely needed some attention today. West Texas dust and Spring tree pollen were making it hard to see out the front window. It takes longer to clean the wheel rims than the rest of the car. The front wheels get dirty quickly and I have to clean them with soapy water and a rag. Like just about everything else these days, this chore is hard on my knees.

The stores were crowded again today. I guess this is the new normal. I got what I needed and headed home without going to the gym. I would have had to go to the gym first so food wouldn't spoil sitting in the car. It just didn't seem like it was worth the trouble since I can always take a walk in the park. I know I'd been planning on working on my upper body strength, but I think climbing up on the roof and sweeping all the standing water away with the big push broom is all the upper body exercise I need. I know I'm getting a good workout because my muscles feel the same way they do when I'm lifting weights at the gym.

The park was really busy today. I guess that makes sense because was a warm, beautiful day. People of all ages were jogging, roller skating, cycling, and walking their dogs. So much for solitude and communing with nature. Today's walk felt more like I was at the State Fair. I still had an enjoyable walk, even though I was quite slow. Foot pain was pretty bad today. I still can't figure out why some days are better than others. I walk the same route every day, wear the same shoes, and am walking using he same pair of feet. I guess I should just be glad that there are still good days.

Dawn seemed a little painful in her rear end today. She wasn't limping, but was definitely moving slower and seeming to have trouble lying down and getting up on the bed. I hope there's nothing wrong. I don't think she's torn an ACL or has hip dysplasia, but something isn't normal. We gave her a Rimadyl and will take things easy tomorrow. Maybe we'll skip the Sunday outing walk and just go for ice cream.

I'll probably still go mall walking tomorrow. Why not? Even though the weather forecast looks good for Sunday, I've done enough walking in the park this week. It looks like next month might be a good time to go back to the space center. There are several interesting launches scheduled for April. Dark Sky week is also in April out at the observatory, so I ought to start making plans to go somewhere. With my luck April will be when the roofers want to put on the new roof. 

In other news, we've started seeing ants around the house again and the Crane Flies are back. Even though these are both signs of Spring, they are not welcome. I'll try spraying around the exterior of the house to control the ants. There isn't much I can do about the Crane Flies. Whenever I open the back door they fly inside.

Orion is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4817

There was very little evidence that we'd had a huge storm last night. The sky was clear this morning and the ground was even relatively dry. We noticed a few downed trees in the park when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk this morning and a new leak appeared in the office, but that was about it.

We're getting better at putting on Dawn's head wrap in the morning after we get up, but so far it doesn't seem to be helping much. The hematoma on her left ear actually seems to be getting larger. Hopefully the No Flap Ear Wrap will help over time because the only other option is surgery. The hematoma doesn't appear to be liquid enough to just drain it.

My morning routine now includes turning on the roof pumps before I start breakfast. I thought I had cleared most of the water away before I went to bed last night, but there was lots more this morning. Did it start raining again during the early morning hours or was standing water on the roof just migrating to the low spots where the pumps are located? It didn't really matter. I knew that I was going to have to crawl up on the roof again and sweep away the remaining standing water if I wanted the leaks to stop.

Construction is finished on the service road through the park and I've gone back to my old walking route. Even though this walk has become monotonous and a little too familiar, I still find it enjoyable. I always do great on the first two miles, start to slow down a little on the third mile, and am really starting to drag by the time I've finished my fourth mile. I guess I could make my walk a little shorter, but I've gotten used to this. I see the same ducks and geese every day along with a lot of familiar people walking their dogs or cycling. It's too bad that Dawn doesn't feel comfortable walking with me. She could use the exercise.

After lunch I went up on the roof and removed the rest of the standing water. The weather looks nice for the rest of the week, so I won't have to worry about leaks for a little while. I had really hoped to end these frequent trips up on the roof, but necessity prevails. It always rains a lot during the Spring and I'm going to have to continue sweeping away the standing water until we get a new roof installed. I'll try to be careful. I've investigated getting landscapers and yard crews to do this job for me, but nobody seems interested. It's probably best that I continue doing this myself. The Armor Flex coating is fragile and if you don't know what you are doing you could easily make the situation worse. I've resigned myself to paying for a new roof, but I'm going to be really mad if these leaks continue after it is installed.

Today is Janet's grocery day and Dawn spent over an hour before she arrived barking at the front door. Grocery day seems very exciting for Dawn. My own grocery day is tomorrow and Dawn could care less. I guess the things I buy aren't as interesting for a dog. Janet and I have both gotten tired of grocery shopping because the stores and roads are so crowded now. I don't know where all these extra people came from but the city doesn't feel the same as it did several years ago. It would be nice to live in a small town.

The leaks have stopped and I need to put all the buckets away. I've made my grocery list and I guess I'm ready for the weekend. We will have a big breakfast tomorrow instead of my usual shredded wheat and fruit. Everything else will be the same. It's no surprise that I need a trip to Florida every once and a while. This routine can become pretty monotonous. 

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4816

The squall line with severe winds just passed through our area and I'm happy to report that we survived without any damage. I was expecting the worst because of all the media hype about this storm. We were told to expect hurricane strength winds and tornados. I don't think any tornados touched down nearby but there were some strong winds. Love Field had gusts of over 75 miles and hour but I don't think the wind in our neighborhood ever got above 35 miles an hour. We've still got power and there are no downed trees, so all is good. Luckily Dawn is not frightened by bad weather. Some of our previous Dalmatians went nuts during bad storms. Dawn was cool as a cucumber. All she was concerned about was getting her dinner on time.

Amazingly, the pumps on the roof didn't get blown over by the wind and are still working. I'm going to wait a while to take the trash out to the curb though. There's still quite a bit of wind and I'm afraid the trash can will get blown away. We're going to get more rain this evening, but I think there are clear skies in the forecast for tomorrow. Clear skies couldn't come soon enough for me. I hate severe weather warnings because we don't really have a safe space in our house. There are no interior rooms in the entire house and there is floor to ceiling glass everywhere. It's not a great place to be during a tornado.

The day started normally enough. We had a pleasant sunrise walk with Dawn before breakfast and then I took my long walk earlier than usual in case the weather forecast was wrong. For the most part this morning was just a normal overcast day. Maybe it wasn't that normal though. It was still very warm for early March this morning. Of course all that's changed now. When the squall line blew through town about an hour ago the temperature dropped by at least twenty degrees.

I had a tele-visit with my gastrointestinal doctor this afternoon. I don't know why doctors love these things, because they seem next to worthless to me. I got a text message on my phone with a link to the doctor's tele-visit app. My cell phone gets terrible coverage inside the house and I didn't feel like doing the entire tele-visit sitting out in the back yard, so the app kept crashing. I finally convinced the doctor to just call me on the land line phone. We mostly talked about the meds she prescribed for me several years ago. They work great, but you are not supposed to take this medication long term. The doctor says I'm on a low dose and it's completely safe. I'm not so sure.

The heavy rain will ensure that the roof keeps leaking for the next several days. If the weather is nice tomorrow I'll go up on the roof and sweep the remaining standing water away. I don't expect to hear from the roofers anytime soon. With severe winds throughout the metroplex today, I suspect that they will be busy with emergency work for a while. Quite a few roofs got damaged today. I'm glad that ours wasn't one of them. I can deal with a leak, but losing your roof in a storm is another matter entirely.

Here's hoping that tomorrow is a completely uneventful day. I'm tired of dealing with severe weather and am ready to go back to talking about roof leaks and foot pain.

Tucker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4815

This weather is driving me nuts. As soon as the leaks stop the rain starts again. Once water gets under the Armor Flex coating on the roof there is a time delay before it reaches the inside of the house. What this means is that it can be sunny outside while the roof is leaking inside. The leaks aren't nearly as bad after my attempt to patch the roof, but even a small leak is still annoying. It's not raining right now, but we have tornado warnings starting tomorrow evening. I'm wondering if this will ever end.

There was nothing important on the agenda today. I ate my breakfast and tried to time my long walk so I wouldn't get wet. We were lucky again on Dawn's sunrise walk, making it home a few minutes before a heavy shower began. My luck ran out later this morning. Everything looked good on the weather radar, so I headed out. The weather was fine for the first mile or so and then a sudden shower appeared out of nowhere. I got wet, but it was quite warm so it wasn't a big deal. The shower didn't last long and I was almost dry again by the time I returned home.

I am so hooked on getting my steps these days that very little stops me. It's been a long time since I failed to get at least 10,000 steps. When I make the drive to West Texas it's almost impossible to reach my goal since I'm spending all day in the car. I missed my goal when I had gall bladder surgery too. There's not much you can do when you are hooked up to IV tubes in the hospital.

My feet were in bad shape today. I could barely walk when I got out of bed this morning. The odd thing is that the pain is worse when I first wake up. After I put on shoes and start walking around it usually gets a lot better. Aches and pains are the story of my life these days. Between bad knees, a bad shoulder and the persistent foot pain, something always seems to hurt. Most of this can just be attributed to growing older. Like many people my age I probably have a moderate case of osteoarthritis.

It's hard to believe that it is already March. Where does the time go? I did make it down to Florida in January for a Falcon Heavy launch, but most of this year has just been dealing with rain and roof leaks. It would be a nice break from this frustration to make another trip out to the observatory in April for their annual Dark Sky Festival, but I'm not sure that I'm up for the long drive anymore. When I made the trip last year it was really tiring. I definitely don't want to fall asleep at the wheel and my left hand tends to go numb if I grip the steering wheel for too long. Unfortunately there is no way to fly to this destination. It's a long drive to West Texas or nothing.

We're on the edge of the tornado warned area, so hopefully we won't get any severe weather tomorrow. I actually worry more about high winds than tornados. High winds have already brought down several large trees in our yard and there are several more that are just waiting for the right storm to take them out. These old mature Oak trees really don't hold up that well to high winds. I wonder if there are still places where the weather is nice all the time. Florida has frequent hurricanes and my favorite place in West Texas is dealing with a huge range fire right now. I wouldn't even consider living up North. How do people deal with all that snow? Who knows? Maybe it will be nice tomorrow. Our weather forecast is often wrong.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4814

I canceled today's appliance repair appointment because the dryer seems to be working fine again. I've done several loads of laundry and the problem seems to have disappeared. I have no idea what happened, but that's not surprising. A lot of things in life are a mystery to me. The roofers were a no show again today. They said they might be able to come over this afternoon, but didn't. They did send me a PDF file with their estimate though. Yes, it's quite expensive.

It was very warm again today. The temperature got up to over eighty degrees. This was another one of those days where the furnace was on when we woke up and the air conditioner was on most of the afternoon. I wore shorts and a t-shirt on my long walk and was still a bit hot by the time I returned home. No complaints though. I hope this is a sign of an early Spring.

I had to go up on the roof and sweep away the remaining standing water to get the leak in the office to stop. Most of the roof was dry, but there is a stubborn low spot right over the office where water lingers long after the rain has gone. The problem with this time of year is that I have to clear away this water over and over again. Sadly, there is more rain in the forecast for tomorrow and Thursday.

I had to pick up a prescription today and the pharmacy staff were all in a bad mood. Usually these guys are very friendly. I ended up paying a higher price for my pills because they said it would take an extra thirty minutes if I wanted to compare prices using GoodRx. Strange. I always do this and it doesn't take any extra time at all. There was a big sign advertising free Covid test kits, but when I asked for some they said I had to fill out a bunch of paperwork to see if I qualified. Never mind. We've got a boatload of those test kits lying around the house already. This was all very disorientating because these guys are usually very helpful.

The construction crews are almost finished paving the service road through the park. I'll miss them because it gave me something interesting to look at while I walked. Pretty soon there will be lots to look at. I noticed today that daffodils are already blooming. This means that the Spring wildflowers will start to appear soon. I hope that there isn't a late March freeze that kills everything off. So far, it looks like we are headed for an early Spring.

There's been lots of activity down at Kennedy Space Center lately. It makes me wish I was down there. I wouldn't mind being one of the regular launch photographers who seem to be out covering every single launch. It's a somewhat silly activity, but strangely satisfying. Titusville is a nice town too. It's not too big and not too small. I could easily imagine living there. We're not going anywhere though. Moving is for younger people. I've lived several places over the years and basically one place is the same as the next. It makes more sense to settle down and learn to love where you're at. I'm glad I left Seattle though. Seattle has really gone downhill.

I'm hoping that we don't get a lot of rain tomorrow. I'm really tired of climbing up on the roof to sweep away the standing water. It makes me feel like Sisyphus, pushing that boulder eternally up the hill.

Connor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4813

Things did not go smoothly today. The roof has started leaking again in the office. Enough already. Dawn's hematoma seems to be getting worse, even though she's been wearing her head wrap. I couldn't renew my prescription this morning because the pharmacy said it had expired and I wasn't able to reach my doctor. Why did the bottle say I still had refills left? 

The roofers made an appointment to come over this afternoon and then never showed up. I guess all roofing companies are the same. I made an appointment with the appliance repairman and then did a load of laundry and everything worked fine. Should I cancel the appointment? Who knows. Even my long walk was strange. There was an air quality alert on my phone and when I went outside there was such a thick haze that I couldn't even see the city buildings on the horizon. Probably another dust storm.

It wasn't just my own little world that was haywire either. The Crew-6 launch got scrubbed last night with two minutes left on the countdown clock. Something was wrong with the engine ignition system. I don't think there's been a problem with a crewed Space X launch before. Things are even worse out at the observatory. There is currently a big uncontrolled forest fire near Mount Locke and the entire facility has been without power for several days. Residents living on the mountain were under an evacuation warning for a while. I'm sure other things have gone wrong in the world as well, but these are the only things I follow.

At least the severe weather that was predicted for last night never materialized. It never even rained. There were high winds though and the wind probably brought along all the dust from West Texas. I took my long walk early today because of my appointment with the roofers. I should have known better. I've done something to my shoulder so both my shoulder and my foot hurt today. I still completed my six mile walk, but I think I probably aggravated my old shoulder injury by climbing up on the roof too frequently this week. I didn't make that mistake today. I'm tired of messing with these roof leaks.

I shouldn't complain too much though. If you could ignore all the dust on the horizon it was a very nice day. It was certainly warm enough. I was able to wear shorts and a t-shirt on my walk again. It felt like we were having an early Spring this afternoon. The trees are even starting to bud. This is seldom a good sign because an early Spring usually insures that there will be a late freeze in March that kills everything. We'll see what happens. I'd be happy enough if Winter were over, but March is usually full of surprises.

Hopefully tomorrow is uneventful. No surprises please. I should probably be more flexible, but that's not going to happen. I'm happy enough with my rigid little routine, punctuated with a few trips to Florida and West Texas. Sometimes I wish I were working again, but then I remember what clients are like. It's probably best that I learn to enjoy my retirement.

Princess is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4812

Today was a nice combination of mall walking and dog walking. It was overcast, but there was no rain and it was quite warm. Sadly, that is about to change since we are under a severe weather warning for later tonight. I'm glad now that I didn't go to Florida for the Crew-6 launch. I would be worried about Janet and Dawn.

The mall was crowded with walkers today. I have no idea why the place is almost empty one week and busy the next. Mall walking seems popular with families that have young children. There are always lots of strollers and little kids. I guess this is inexpensive entertainment for some. The kids all seem to be having fun. There are also a fair amount of older people like me. I'm probably not the only one who has discovered that this is a good way to stay active. I'm a lot more active than some of these geezers. A few of them can barely move. There was nothing new in the windows this week. This seems to be an in-between time for retailers. All the window displays were the same as they were last week.

Since the ground was muddy at the park where we normally take Dawn on Sunday, we thought we'd try someplace new. Janet and I had no idea how Dawn would react. We weren't sure she would even get out of the car since new routines often frighten her. Much to our surprise Dawn was really excited to visit this new location. She had a great time smelling things and probably would have walked further. We were a little nervous about walking too far though. We both had memories of taking Dawn on walks where she was walking just fine and then would suddenly freeze and refuse to walk any further. The freezing in place behavior disappeared quite a while ago and I hope it never returns. Dawn does seem a lot more relaxed and well adjusted now. It took a while but I think she finally knows she has a home.

Even though we went to a different place this week, we still ended our outing with ice cream cones. Dawn loves getting ice cream. Occasionally, we've wondered if this little indulgence was bad for her health, but all her vital signs came back normal after her annual exam last week. Dawn is a good dog and she deserves a special treat every now and then.

The leak in the office has finally stopped but I won't be surprised if it starts leaking again after the storm passes through town later this evening. It's good to know that the leak finally stopped on its own. I didn't even bother getting up on the roof and sweeping away the standing water this time. Why bother if more rain is on the way.

My big project for today was cleaning out the dryer hose. I was convinced that a clogged or dirty hose was causing the dryer to overheat. What a messy job. I never should have attempted this right after taking a shower because I got dirty all over again. I had to move the dryer so I could squeeze behind it and unhook the dryer hose. It was a tight squeeze since the utility room is very small. I thought I could vacuum the lint out of the dryer hose, but the vacuum cleaner clogged up immediately. I had to reach into the hose and pull the caked on lint out of the tube with my hands. By compressing the flexible hose at either end, I was able to reach a lot further than I thought. There is still an area where the hose runs behind the furnace that I couldn't reach, but I did what I could. I thought I had fixed the problem, but when we ran a test load of wash through the dryer, it shut down just like it did before. The cycle finished and the clothes got dry but the machine wouldn't run another cycle until it cooled off. Oh, well. I tried. The thermostat has probably gone bad and I will have to call the appliance repairmen tomorrow.

Hopefully tonight's tornado warnings won't amount to anything. The storm front will be here soon. I'll probably watch the Crew-6 launch later on the Space X live stream. Wish I was there, but you can't have everything.

Bingo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4811

It must have rained last night because the roof started leaking again. It wasn't a bad leak, but a leak is a leak. I didn't even bother to go up on the roof and remove the standing water. Every time I do, it just starts raining again. These leaks are frustrating. There's little I can do about them. It's going to continue raining and I can't find the source of the leak. Eventually we'll have a new roof but I can't find a lot of joy in that. Putting a new roof on our house is way too expensive and when everything is said and done, the house will still looks the same.

Roof leaks weren't my only problem today. The dryer quit working as well. Luckily the load in the dryer was almost dry when the machine quit. Who knows what the problem is this time? I've already replaced a lot of things on the washer and dryer, but there's obviously still a lot of stuff left that can break. I'm hoping that the dryer just overheated and threw some kind of circuit breaker. That is doubtful though since the machine has cooled down and still is  not working. I can't call the appliance repairman until Monday either. Did I mention that I hate going to the laundromat.

I had a lot of things on my grocery list today, so shopping took a while. I'm still having trouble dealing with the continual price increases. Enough is enough. Almost every week I notice that something I buy regularly has gotten more expensive. This trend has been going on for a long time and shows no signs of ending soon. You'd think at some point customers would revolt. I'm not sure there's a lot we could do. Nobody's forcing us to go to the grocery store.

My walk was slower today. I probably walk slower when I'm discouraged. It's not surprising that I like going to launches so much. These trips take me to an imaginary world that is largely free of day-to-day problems. Broken appliances and roof leaks aren't the end of the world, but they are irritating. As soon as you take care of one thing, something else needs attention. I enjoy my walks, but even a walk in the woods doesn't eliminate day-to-day problems. My feet still hurt and I never know when it's going to start raining.

Janet has gone to a charity event tonight and this always puts Dawn in a bad mood. This dog has grown way too dependent on her and neither of us know what to do about it. Dawn just doesn't trust men. She's fine with me feeding and walking her, but she's always waiting for the other shoe to drop. It's a shame that Dawn doesn't trust me since I'm the one who's here at the house the most. I understand though. Dawn was mistreated by men for most of her life and I'm a man. It's pretty simple.

I guess I'll go mall walking in the morning. If I'd been selected for Crew-6 coverage I'd be leaving for the space center tomorrow. I shouldn't dwell on that though. I get accepted for some launches and rejected for others and never know why. There are plenty of other launches later in the year. 

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day