Some Assembly Required

Day 1251

2013-05-19T20:49:00.001-05:00

Everything is back to normal now. We took Dot and Dash to the dog park, where they had a grand time wandering around off-leash and taking in all the new smells of Spring. Dot is much slower now and we have to protect her from the more exuberant dogs, but you can tell that she still enjoys these weekly outings.

When we got home, it was time to mow the grass again. I've never been fond of mowing the grass, but since Janet likes to walk the dogs during the weekend, it's become a way for me to keep my activity levels up to my normal weekday standards. Yes, I've become a slave to the little Jawbone UP wristlet. I hate it now when my step count drops below 10,000 steps a day.

I got some bleach and tried to get rid of the stains in the living room ceiling where the water has been coming through. Now that water leaks are hopefully a thing of the past, I've got to decide whether to have a tape and bed guy replace the damaged Sheetrock professionally, or try to do the repairs myself. I know how to do the work, but it's messy and not a lot of fun. It seems like I was doing something like this when I screwed up my neck a few years ago too. Maybe I should leave this to the pros. Dot won't like having workmen inside the house though. Like most things, this will probably just come down to money. I'll get a couple of bids and we'll see how it goes.

I was surprised to discover last night that John Hurt is going to be the next Dr. Who. The guy is 73 years old. That's got to be the oldest Dr. Who ever. I wonder how that's going to work with all those pretty, young companions? It ought to be interesting though. Hurt is a really good actor. I remember him in Midnight Express and The Elephant Man. He was also the guy that had the creature explode out of his stomach during the original Alien movie.

Dot had a brief panic attack this evening. She seemed so certain that it was going to rain that Janet and I turned on the TV and checked the weather radars, just to make sure. I certainly didn't want it to rain tonight, because rain would have made a mess out of the in-progress roof repairs. I think Dot must have had a false alarm. There was no rain in the vicinity on the weather radar. All the bad weather is up in Oklahoma today.

Holly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1250

2013-05-18T18:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes when I listen to all the workmen tramping around up on the roof, I start thinking of myself as a job creator. By putting on a new roof, I've provided a job for quite a few people. Creating jobs is good, right? I should stop right there. After I start thinking of myself as a job creator, the next thing I start thinking about is whether all these jobs are even necessary. It's almost inevitable to start thinking this way, because in almost any work environment, a lot of the people appear to be doing nothing.

This is one reason I hated being a film production company. I always had to hire a crew to shoot the television commercials I was hired to do, and yet I kept thinking that if only the client would give me a lot more time, I could just do the whole thing myself. People never pay much when you do everything yourself though. They expect a dog and pony show. I always had to hire people I didn't really need, just so the clients would think I was professional and that they were getting their money's worth. If writers worked like film crews, they could probably make a lot more money. One writer could just do the verbs, another could be responsible for the adverbs and prepositions, and so forth.

I'm probably being too critical about the workplace. Maybe all the roofers on my roof actually do have a purpose. I don't know. It would seem that you would only need about half as many workers though if they stayed all day. So far, they only seem to stay about half a day and then they all go home.

If I owned a big company, I would be replacing workers with non-complaining machines as fast as I could. I'd be putting robots on the assembly line. I'd be replacing bank tellers with ATM machines. I'd eliminate the store entirely and just sell everything online. Every time I hear someone on TV wondering when all the jobs are going to come back, I just shake my head and wonder. The jobs are never going to come back the way they used to be. Like it or not, a machine is probably going to replace you pretty soon.

What is coming back exactly the way it used to be is the Texas heat. When I was running errands this afternoon, I looked at a thermometer and it was already over 100 degrees. Poor Dot. She really has a hard time dealing with the heat as she gets older and her afternoon walks are getting shorter and shorter. I try not to push her too hard as the temperatures rise. When she's ready to go home again, we turn around, even if we've only gone a few hundred yards. Although walking the dogs is more fun, it looks like I'm going to have to get my Summer exercise by mowing the yard.

Skippy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1249

2013-05-17T22:33:00.001-05:00

It was a busy day. The roofers woke us up with a lot of banging and pounding over our head. It's clear that roofers get off to an earlier start than I do. The dogs have kind of an "out of sight, out of mind" attitude about all the activity. As long as they can't actually see the roofers, they don't bark all that much. I guess they're pretty used to noise on the roof. Quite a few tree limbs have fallen on the roof over the years and of course, I'm up there myself quite a bit getting the water off.

I had lunch with my ad agency friend today. I'll have to admit I was a bit envious of my friend. He drove up in a brand new Lexus IS convertible and proceed to tell me about the fantastic vacation in Rome he just returned from. My friend has never looked healthier or happier. He's on permanent disability. Nice work if you can get it is all I've got to say.

After an unusually healthy lunch, considering the way we both used to eat, I went grocery shopping at Central Market and then returned home to finish my work for the week. I was glad to see the roofers leaving for the day when I arrived. I had put up with all the noise I could handle this morning.

I went to the airport this evening to pick up Janet. I checked the American Airlines website just before I left, to make sure that the arrival time or the gate hadn't changed. They're always changing gate assignments at the last minute. The gate was the same, but the website said that the flight was going to be early. While I was driving to the airport, they must have changed their mind. When I arrived at the designated baggage claim area, I discovered that the flight in question was actually going to be late. This happens all the time. No wonder this company went bankrupt.

Dot and Dash were delighted to see Janet again. Dash got so excited that he started jumping straight up in the air. When he makes these vertical leaps, he can get three feet off the ground. All this activity would have been fine, except he was doing his wild leaping around in the living roof. I'm always scared he'll land right on top of the glass coffee table and cut himself. Once we let the dogs outside to blow off steam, they both quieted down and were calm again. They must have known what was coming next: some tasty dog treats from one of the suitcases in the hall.

I think the roofers said they were coming back tomorrow. Oh, well. We certainly won't need an alarm clock in the morning.

Susie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1248

2013-05-16T20:57:00.000-05:00

We got lucky. There was a tremendous amount of rain and hail last night, but we didn't get hit by a tornado. Several nearby towns weren't so fortunate. Dot, Dash and I spent the evening under a blanket, watching local weather reports of the storm on TV. We heard the tornado sirens several times during the evening, but it was only a precaution. The most severe weather was off to the South of us.

This morning, the roofers returned and spent the rest of the day tramping around and making lots of noise up on the roof. Dot, never one to leave a nearby noise unchallenged, responded with equally loud barking. It's a good thing that I didn't have any work that required concentration today, because peace and quiet definitely wasn't in the cards.

At first, I wondered why the roofers even bothered coming out today, but as the day progressed, it kept getting warmer and the skies eventually cleared. I thought these guys might have some fast and efficient way of getting last night's water off the roof, but they didn't. Actually, I'm much better at getting the standing water off the roof than the roofing crew. I've had lots of practice though.

I wonder how long I'm going to keep making fresh squeezed juice? It takes quite a while to make a half gallon of fresh juice and even longer to clean up the mess afterwards. One of the reasons I've been able to stick with the oatmeal and fruit I've been having for breakfast lately is that it's quick and easy to make oatmeal. Taking the juicer apart and cleaning up the pulpy mess is another matter entirely. The orange and pineapple mix I've been making is quite tasty though, so maybe I"ll give it a few more weeks and see if juice making clicks into place as a part of my routine.

I find it frustrating that when the market is at an all time high, many of my own investments are going nowhere. I still have too many gold and commodity stocks that are dragging things down. China seems to have fallen out of favor lately as well. What a fickle world investing has become. I resisted the urge to buy my Apple shares back when they briefly dipped below 400. Even though I'm still fond of Apple products, I'm beginning to think that Apple might be the next Microsoft. Soccer Moms buy iPhones now and the geeks and early adopters have moved on to something else. To keep my hand in the game, I did buy some 3-D printing stocks though.

I'm meeting a friend for lunch tomorrow. I guess that means I'll have to skip breakfast. I can't seem to eat breakfast and lunch on the same day anymore. Once I've eaten breakfast and walked the dogs, I'm already late for lunch. It's got to be one or the other these days.

Liberty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1247

2013-05-15T20:48:00.000-05:00

The roofers came out today to measure things and get all the wires, cables, and sump pumps off the roof before they started preparations for the new roof tomorrow. As soon as they removed the pumps and left for the day, it started to rain. Damn! I think this was nature's way of telling me that I'll never, ever win this battle.

Later in the day, I laboriously got all the water off the roof again. Then, while I was eating supper, it started to rain again. To hell with it. The roofers can figure out how to get the remaining water off the roof when they arrive tomorrow.

It was still raining when I took Dot to her acupuncture appointment this afternoon. I was surprised at how well she rode in the car during the bad weather. Maybe the acupuncture is making her a calmer dog. She actually seemed less nervous than I was. Traffic is terrible when it rains in Dallas and I definitely don't want to get a ding in the new loaner car before I return it to the Land Rover dealer. I've had the loaner car for almost a month now. Lord knows what's wrong with the Defender.

Work was slow today. One of my clients is sick and another gave the entire staff the rest of the week off in observance of Shavuot. The rest of the clients are probably waiting until Friday afternoon to surprise me with things that have to be done over the weekend.

I'm curious how the auto-focus mechanism on the iPhone camera works. It will immediately bring small water drops into sharp focus, but when I'm an equal distance from certain types of flowers, the camera won't focus at all. What good is a camera if you can't focus it? This is frustrating for me, because there doesn't seem to be a way to manually focus the camera at all. Maybe you're just supposed to take pictures of cute cats with the thing.

I hope the rain quits soon. I hate it when the sound of dripping water wakes me up during the night. Hopefully, the new roof will put an end to all this. Jeez, what will I talk about on the blog if the roof stops leaking? I'm sure most of you have heard enough about roof leaks.

Sadie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1246

2013-05-14T22:03:00.000-05:00

I'm fond of rituals. Every morning, I get up and make the bed with military precision. I switch out the backup hard drive on my computer with an identical second drive, so I always have two copies of all my files. I grind some locally roasted Monsooned Malabar coffee beans and make myself a fresh pot of coffee. Then I walk the dogs. I've been following these same morning rituals for so long now that I don't even question them. Probably the only real change I've made in quite a few years is substituting a bowl of oatmeal and fresh fruit for my over-easy eggs, toast, and sausages.

I think the dogs like my steady hand at the helm. They know I'm always going to get them fresh water every morning, fix their breakfast, and take them on a nice long walk. I think like a dog.

Occasionally, I wish that my rituals wouldn't take so long, so I'd have time for something new. It seldom works out that way though, since work is a big part of the ritual. After I eat my breakfast and take a shower, I start to write. Writing always eats up a big chunk of the day and then there are the perpetual website revisions that pay the bills. When something new and different does occur, I seldom rejoice, because it always throws me off schedule.

Tonight, there was a wrap-up party for a big charity event I participated in. During the entire party, I kept thinking that the dogs needed to go outside and pee and I needed to get started writing today's blog entry. Even though it was a very nice party, I couldn't wait to get home again. My entire life is choreographed this way, right down to brushing my teeth at night and falling to sleep watching an old black and white episode of Perry Mason. If I was a child, some might think I was mildly autistic. Luckily, I'm older and can get away with simply being classified as eccentric.

I finally got around to selecting a roofing company today. I went with the company my architect friend recommended and they said they could get started next week. It will be nice to be able to take cleaning up after water leaks off my list of regular rituals. I hope I picked the right company. You can never be entirely sure with roofers. Even my friend made his recommendation with a caveat. "Hey, these guys have always done a good job for me," he said. "But they still might put on a terrible roof on your house." We'll see how it goes. All I know is that I've got to do something.

Dot has her weekly acupuncture session tomorrow. Dash had his antigen shot today. I'm starting to feel like a soccer Mom for Dalmatians.

Lady is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1245

2013-05-13T21:28:00.002-05:00

I'm not usually blown away by YouTube videos, but when I saw a weightless Chris Hadfield singing his own adaptation of David Bowie's classic Space Oddity directly from the International Space Station, it brought tears to my eyes. I've always been a big fan of David Bowie. I've been interested in space travel since I was a child. And I continue to think that Chris Hadfield has done more to interest a new generation about the importance of traveling beyond the confines of our blue planet than any astronaut since Neil Armstrong. The guy can sing too. The video was astounding. No special effects. He really was weightless and that really was the earth spinning majestically through the circular window over his head. Cudos to Hadfield's Canadian friends Emm Gryner and Joe Corcoran who did a fabulous job of building a beautiful full arrangement around the space station commander's vocals from space. I think this song should win some sort of special Grammy award for its sheer audaciousness alone.

My day, in stark contrast to this inspiring video, was pretty down-to-earth. I got up early, but it was still 10 AM before I finished walking the dogs and making myself a big bowl of oatmeal with fresh fruit. Things take a bit longer since I'm fixing the dogs their breakfast, giving them their daily meds, and washing and slicing the fruit for the day. Janet usually does these things before she leaves for work and I need to remember to thank her for taking care of these morning necessities as soon as she gets home.

A friend from the ad agency days called this morning while I was washing dishes. We used to spend our time talking about bold and audacious dreams and schemes. Now we mostly talk about our doctors and the mechanics of staying alive. My friend had a heart attack recently and you guys already know about my dodgy liver. It's funny how your focus shifts a bit once your health starts to deteriorate and a significant number of your friends and peers have passed away. You instinctively start to notice the things your other friends have done wrong and resolve to avoid making the same mistakes yourself. It's kind of sad, but kind of inspiring too. The survival instinct is strong. My friend and I made plans to have lunch at a new gluten free restaurant later in the week. I'm sure our conversation will include a few choice words about doctors, but at least we aren't as pitiful as another friend and I who typically spend our time talking about how long we can strap on our Fender guitars before recurring hand and back pain forces us to quit.

I was going to award the contract for the new roof today, but I got behind on my writing work and ran out of time. There's always tomorrow. Or maybe the day after tomorrow. This roof is so old and leaky now that I don't think a few days one way or the other is going to make any difference at all.

Haley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1244 - Mother's Day

2013-05-12T20:13:00.000-05:00

I should have paid more attention to my Mom when I had the chance. It's way too late now. Both my parents have been dead for many years. Mom died way too soon. She would have loved the Internet and all the new opportunities it brought. Mom was a champion of lost causes and would have been delighted to discover that there were other folks who thought the same way as she did. The Internet is good for that sort of thing. As it was, she fought her battles more or less alone. Towards the end of her life, she took me aside and told me, "You're the writer in the family. You're going to have to tell my story, because nobody else will." I wonder why it slipped her mind that there was another, more celebrated writer in the family. I don't know whether Mom would have liked what I wrote. I was never good at reading her mind. She certainly had me pegged pretty well though. And she did make a difference. Thank you Mom.

Dot occupies the role of Mom in our house. She knows she's in charge and does an amazingly good job of keeping Janet and I punctual, while doing everything in the proper order. Dash never listens to me, but he does listen to Dot. All it takes is a stern look or a low growl to put an end to his bad behavior. Dash isn't scared of Dot, but he does respect her. The girl has an air of authority about her that every dog in the dog park understands. If Dot was a person, she'd have made a great Mom.

The dogs and I had a quiet day. I took them on an extra long walk this morning to compensate for missing their outing to the dog park. While they both took a snooze after we returned, I watched a movie on Hulu. I wonder if there's any way to turn off those irritating commercials on Hulu. One of the reasons I signed up for Hulu in the first place was to get away from commercials. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Whenever someone comes up with a good idea, the first thing they want to do is monetize it.

Later in the day, I went back to Central Market and got some more tasty food from the deli counter. I like to eat, but I really don't like to cook. I think I've got enough now to last until Janet gets back. Never mind that there's tons of food in the freezer. I never open the freezer. That's Janet's side of the fridge.

We slept in longer than usual this morning. The dogs aren't very good alarm clocks. They'll get up when the sun starts streaming through the bedroom window, or when they hear Janet making their breakfast. Whichever comes first. We'll probably get up late tomorrow as well. I'm certainly not getting up before the sun starts streaming through the bedroom window.

Dixie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1243

2013-05-11T21:06:00.000-05:00

I took Janet to the airport today. It used to be that I traveled more than she did, but now it's the other way around. I rarely leave the neighborhood anymore. That's just as well. I don't really like traveling anymore. The dogs definitely don't like the idea of traveling. Mostly because they usually don't get to go. Dot and Dash get upset whenever they see a suitcase. A suitcase means that something is going to change and their routines will be disrupted for a while. I try to compensate by feeding them extra treats and taking naps with them. This usually works. Luckily, dogs are easy to please.

It was a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky. Maybe that's why everything was so crowded. There were long lines at the grocery store. There were even lines of people using the self-checkout terminals, which are usually empty. There was an old woman ahead of me in line who kept swiping her credit card through the machine over and over again, swearing at it when it wasn't doing what she wanted. I was just about ready to move to another line, when a clerk came over to her and explained that she was already finished and could just take her buggy and go. I wonder what will baffle and confuse me when I get old? I sure it will be something. It will be something totally unexpected too. That's the way it usually works.

When I was watching Dr. Who this evening I noticed a glowing red light on the set top box. I had forgotten that I had programmed the DVR to record the show. I don't know why I'm so keen on seeing every episode, because I don't think this new series is quite as good as some of the previous ones. I still think I liked the ninth and tenth doctors the best, when they traveled with Rose Tyler. Oh, well. If I want to see this new episode again, it's in the box. Maybe the season will get better. There's already a lot of buzz about the season finale, when the Doctor's name is revealed.

I hope the dogs don't mind if we skip the dog park tomorrow. Yeah, I know. Some people take four or five dogs to the park by themselves. I don't. Maybe I'm overprotective, but Dot is getting old and I've seen some pretty rough dogs in the park. I just feel more comfortable when there's two of us watching over them.

Dodger is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1242

2013-05-10T19:40:00.000-05:00

There were a lot of strange people at breakfast this morning. At a table in the back were a group of men dressed in neatly pressed olive green fatigues. At first I thought they were National Guard troops, but there were no insignias or identification on the uniforms at all. The guys were also wearing brown suede baseball caps and Oakley sunglasses. Go figure! At a table next to me a woman sat alone, talking to her food. The regulars were there as well: there were the nicely dressed women accompanied by ratty looking men, and quite a few seniors who limped in with their canes and walkers, just so they could order huge, heart-attack meals. It's a strange world we live in. Often, when I'm out and about, I wonder how many of these people are making bombs in their living room, or have someone locked up in the basement.

Just before I took the dogs out for their morning walk, I heard an ominous dripping noise that could only be a leak in the roof. I immediately put a bucket under the drip and proceeded with our walk. Later, after I returned from breakfast, I went up on the roof to survey the situation. I was amazed at how much standing water there was, because I didn't hear any rain last night. Reluctantly, I got the sump pump running and picked up the big push broom and began sweeping the water off the roof. This routine is getting so old. I'm really starting to hate it. I got the job done though. When I went back inside again, the leak had stopped.

I only had a few minor website revisions today, so I used the extra time to post my May invoices and get them in the mail. After I went to the post office, I stopped by the storage warehouse to see when my rent was due. I usually pay a year in advance and I can never remember when my year is up. It turns out that not only is it almost time to renew my contract, the rent for my unit has gone up as well. I pay more for my storage unit now than I did for my first apartment. Maybe it's all fair though. There's more stuff in the storage unit than there was in my first apartment.

I haven't heard a thing from the Land Rover dealer about my Defender. I'm starting to like the LR4, so I don't really care how long they keep it. It does seem strange for a tune up to take a month though. Janet thinks I ought to ask them how much it would cost to just keep the LR4. Maybe I'd get a deal. After all, it is a used car by now.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1241

2013-05-09T20:42:00.001-05:00

It's ironic. For many years, I've driven rugged, go-anywhere 4-wheel drive vehicles and yet I'm still reluctant to take my car out in the rain. After Janet's Land Rover was nearly demolished by baseball sized hailstones in an unexpected thunderstorm last year, I've had a healthy respect for Texas weather. I almost canceled my hair appointment today because I didn't want to risk getting the brand new loaner car all dinged up. After looking long and hard at the weather radar app on my iPad though, I decided to go ahead and get the much needed haircut. From all indications, the worst of the storm looked like it was going to pass South of us. Luckily, I was right.

Hailstones aren't the only thing I worry about when it rains. Dot and Dash are both terrified of thunder. They totally freak out during a bad storm. Since they have both had seizures in the past, I worry that a bad thunderstorm might trigger another seizure. There's always the roof leak too, but since I've finally decided to get a new roof, I've almost given up on the old roof as a lost cause.

So far, all my worries were unwarranted. The strategically placed buckets in the living room were all dry when I returned from my haircut. Dot and Dash seemed calm enough too. No damage to the LR4 either. Even though today's thunderstorm didn't amount to much, I still hate rain. I often fantasize about living in a climate without rain, but these places are usually full of snakes and scorpions, which I don't like either.

I'm getting hooked on online take-out meals. There's a restaurant right near the post office and if I place an online order right before I go to mail a letter, my meal will be ready for me when I arrive. No waiting at all! Since I have no real desire to actually eat inside the restaurant, this is perfect for me. I'd order breakfast this way too, but none of my favorite breakfast places have an online menu yet.

This week has gone quickly. I've managed to get completely caught up on my writing work. I've already taken the garbage out to the curb for tomorrow's weekly trash pickup. I'm definitely looking forward to tomorrow's brief respite from my regular oatmeal breakfast. Now, if the rain will just stop, everything will be perfect.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1240

2013-05-08T22:02:00.000-05:00

I got one of those birthday reminder messages on Facebook this morning. I'm sure you all get them too. The birthday boy used to be my boss many years ago when I worked in the ad agency world. When I went to my friend's page to wish him a happy birthday, I discovered that he had passed away last June. Oops. I'm sure glad I read the page before I left my "have a great day" message. That would have been embarrassing. The whole incident leaves me wondering if any of my other Facebook friends are dead. I know a lot of my Facebook friends are actually Dalmatians, but it never occurred that the human friends might not even be alive.

Dot did great at her acupuncture session today. She seems much more relaxed now that she is getting used to the routine. The only thing that seemed to upset her today was the vet's cat. When the cat wandered into the room, Dot curled up her lip and started to growl. The vet laughed and told Dot not to mess with the cat, because the cat would probably win. I was a little embarrassed by Dot's behavior and explained to the vet that this was why we don't have a cat. As least Dash wasn't there. Dash would have gone nuts with a cat in the house.

My seasonal allergies have returned with a vengeance. I was sneezing and blowing my nose so much at dog training class tonight that I became more of a distraction to the class than Dash's incessant barking. The dogs both did well in class this evening. I think all the dogs are doing better, now that the weather is warmer and sunlight has returned. I need to remember that there is no need for a warm coat anymore. I was a little out of place in my winter jacket tonight.

I managed to get caught up with all my writing assignments this afternoon, so I made an appointment to get a haircut tomorow. I'm long overdue for a haircut, but nobody sees me anymore, so I guess it doesn't really matter. Maybe I'll stop by the Apple Store on the way home. I always stop by the Apple Store after a haircut. I certainly don't need anything. It's just a habit.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1239

2013-05-07T20:28:00.000-05:00

Today was a succession of small errands. I went to the post office. I went to the pharmacy. I went to Janet's dentist several times to drop her off and pick her up again later. In between these errands, I added a bunch of new adoptable animals to a rescue website and turned a bunch of navel oranges into juice. There was something strange about these oranges because it was very difficult to get the skin off so I could put them in the juicer. Most oranges are easy to peel, but the rind on these seemed welded to the fruit inside. It took me forever to get them all peeled.

I was real disappointed about Adobe's announcement that in the future, all Creative Suite products will be available by subscription only. I use Photoshop, Fireworks, and Dreamweaver all the time. I'd hate to have to pay for these products by the month, just like I do for U-verse TV. I have always disliked renting things, but in a culture where people increasingly rent or lease their homes, their furniture, and their cars, I guess renting your software doesn't seem so strange. Renting isn't for me though. I'll keep using my old version of Photoshop for a long time before I'll start renting it for $49 a month.

I think I'm going to use the roofer my architect friend recommended. I probably won't know if this was the right decision until about five years from now, when I see whether the roof is still keeping the water out. We'll see how it goes. Most of the people I know hate to make recommendations. Can you blame them? I don't like to make recommendations either, because things go wrong so often. Nevertheless, I'm going with the guy the architect suggested. I still think I'd trust an architect more than Angie's List.

I'm supposed to write an article tomorrow as if I just returned from Switzerland. The cheapskate clients didn't actually want to send me to Switzerland, so they just sent me a few quotes from a guy who'd been there. Ah, the excitement of the writing life. You get to travel to anywhere Wikipedia will take you.

Tomorrow, Dot goes to see the acupuncturist again.Too bad I can't get the vet to stick a few needles in me while I'm there. I was skeptical about the treatments at first, but I've become a believer. The acupuncture therapy really seems to have done Dot some good.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1238

2013-05-06T21:23:00.000-05:00

I began the long and probably fruitless task of trying to get the two dangerous dogs removed from the neighborhood by writing a letter to the landlord of the dog's owner explaining the situation, along with the liabilities of continuing to let her tenants keep these dogs on her property. This probably won't do any good, but you have to start somewhere. Since these dogs have already bitten another neighbor's dog, this is just an accident waiting to happen.

It was unusually busy for a Monday. Typically, I don't get many writing jobs until later in the week, but I was certainly busy writing today. I got several requests for website revisions as well, but these will have to wait until tomorrow. You can only do so much in one day.

I'm wondering why it is taking so long to get the Defender fixed. Two weeks for a simple tune-up seems a little excessive. Knowing my luck, they probably found something else wrong with the car that will make the final bill even more expensive. I got the bid in for the landscaping to the front yard today. It was definitely more expensive than I expected. Line-by-line, it all seemed pretty reasonable. There were just a lot of line items. I've come to the conclusion that everything is too expensive these days. I've looked over all the bids for the new roof again and again and can't think of any way to reduce the price any further. It looks like if I want a new roof, I'm just going to have to bite the bullet and pay. I'd much rather buy a new editing system for the business, but a new editing system wouldn't be of much use if water from a leaky roof ended up damaging it.

I've been taking wildflower pictures for so long now that friends have started asking me the names of the flowers. Usually, I don't know. I've never been all that interested in learning the proper names of birds and flowers, but I've started looking up the identity of some of these flowers, just so I won't appear ignorant. Today's image is a small ball-shaped magenta-pink flower called a Sensitive Briar. Some people in Texas call this plant Cat's Claw, or Devil's Shoestrings, because Texans never seem to be satisfied with a single name for their plants.

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I need to take Janet to the dentist, because she'll be under sedation and can't drive. I need to add a bunch of new animals to a rescue website. I need to make juice out of a big pile of oranges and pineapples on the kitchen counter. I'll bet I'll need to write an article or two as well.

Patches is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1237

2013-05-05T21:24:00.002-05:00

Why do people bring aggressive dogs to a dog park? Why do these same types of people keep aggressive dogs in a quiet neighborhood with small children and well behaved dogs? I think I know the answer. Most of these people are in denial. They think their dogs are just fine and that everybody else is the problem.

Why do I bring this up? Well, there were some aggressive dogs at the dog park this morning and their owners were too busy texting and talking on their phones to even notice what their dogs were doing. There are two types of people who go to dog parks. One group is always aware of what their dogs are doing and spend lots of time throwing balls and playing with their dog. The other type immediately sits down on the nearest bench and begins reading a book or playing games on their phone. These folks have no idea what their dogs are doing, even when they get in trouble.

The people with bad dogs in the neighborhood are even worse. They typically blame everything on the other neighbors and refuse to take responsibility for their dogs bad behavior. Usually you can't do anything about these people until after something bad has happened. Something bad did happen this week. A woman who has large, very aggressive dogs lost control of one of them and it immediately bit another neighbor's dog who was walking on a leash nearby. These two aggressive dogs live nearby and I've been afraid they are going to get loose and come after Dot and Dash for quite a while now. I wish there was an easy way to get people who kept vicious dogs banished from nice neighborhoods. Unfortunately, there isn't. We are a tolerant society and there are no laws that prevent someone from acting like a jerk. Personally, I wouldn't mind a world like the one depicted in Minority Report where crimes are prevented before they happen. Waiting until someone has actually been harmed is a little too late for the victims.

Other than Dot and Dash having a few close calls this morning, it was actually a very nice day. The weather was near perfect and I got a ton of things done around the house. The grass has been mowed, there is a big stack of clean towels in the linen closet, and the carpets have all been vacuumed. I even got a chance to watch the new Dr. Who episode that I recorded on the DVR Saturday night. The crawfish boil yesterday was a big success and we raised a lot of money to help deserving Dalmatians. I haven't seen the numbers, but I assume the wine tasting party for the other rescue group was an even bigger success, because it was well attended and extremely well organized. No a bad weekend at all. We helped some dogs, had some fun, and still managed to complete all our weekend chores.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1236

2013-05-04T23:09:00.000-05:00

With two back-to-back charity events to attend, it was a very busy day. I didn't eat any crawfish at the crawfish boil and I didn't drink any wine at the wine tasting event, so the entire day was a little strange. Since we took Dot and Dash to the first event, there was still plenty to do. When Dash was inside, he wanted to go outside and when he was outside, he wanted to go inside again. All Dot wanted was a plate of crawfish. I read way too many negative things about feeding a dog crawfish on the Internet last night though, so she didn't get any. The dogs certainly didn't go away hungry. People were feeding them treats all afternoon.

I discovered today that a new medication my doctor wants me to take actually prevents all the other medications I take from being absorbed by the bloodstream. You'd think the doctor would have noticed this. The drug is safe enough, it just doesn't work when taking anything else at the same time. It looks like I've got a whole new batch of unanswered questions now. It never ends.

I was way too busy today to run my normal Saturday errands. I'll have to get caught up on everything tomorrow. The dogs will get their weekly visit to the dog park first, but there is still a long list of things I need to take care of this weekend. I certainly hope I don't get sick. I almost never catch colds anymore, except when I'm around large crowds of people. That would definitely be today.

Dot and Dash are already sacked out on the bed. They had a big day and seem determined to catch up on their sleep, now that they're home again. I may join them soon. I'm tired. Even though I didn't indulge in as much eating and drinking as the rest of the guests at today's events, the day still wore me out. The little activity wristlet I wear shows that quite a few steps were taken today.

Crosby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1235

2013-05-03T22:01:00.000-05:00

It's been a good day. I was more than a little surprised when my regular doctor basically agreed with the big changes my liver specialist and nutritionist have been making since my last visit. This doctor, who seldom sees a pill he doesn't like, actually agreed to take me off one of my medications entirely, and reduce another by half. He seemed genuinely impressed that I've lost twenty pounds and been able to stick with a radically different diet and lifestyle for over three months. Things are looking up. It's been quite a journey so far, but I really think I'm making progress.

Today's sunny skies and warm temperatures probably contributed to my good mood. Thursday's brief return to Winter weather is gone now. It looks like smooth sailing ahead.

Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day. Two different animal rescue groups are having big fundraising events and Janet and I are going to both of them. Both of these events are centered around delicious food and drink that are now on my forbidden list. The first event is a Louisiana style crawfish boil and I can no longer eat shellfish. The second event is a big wine tasting party and I can no longer drink. Oh, well. You can't have everything. Dot and Dash will be able to go to the crawfish boil with us, but I don't think they'll be eating any shellfish either. According to locals, crawfish aren't bad for dogs unless they happen to eat the shell, which is sharp and non-digestible. They are much too rich for most dogs though and can cause diarrhea. That's enough reason right there not to give any to Dot and Dash.

I've just about caught up with all my writing assignments. Getting caught up is a double edged sword though. This means I'll probably have to mow the grass this weekend. That's probably all that's going to get done around the house though. By the time we go to two animal rescue events, do the grocery shopping, and go to the dog park, it will be Monday again.

The new grass and vegetation in the back yard is green and growing. The yard has never looked better. It's much too early to tell whether the dogs will tear the yard up later in the Summer like they usually do, but for the moment, I'm optimistic.

Milo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1234

2013-05-02T20:26:00.002-05:00

Wow! It's going to be a while before we see a day like 1234 again. While the number might mean something to blogging numerologists, it simply means that I've been blogging for one thousand, two hundred thirty-four consecutive days. If you hang around long enough, you may eventually see Day 2345, but that's going to be a while.

Although the number was unique, the day itself was fairly ordinary. I'm getting to the point where I can only accomplish one or two things each day, and today's main event was Dot's acupuncture appointment. We had to drive to a new location today, but Dot actually rode very well in the car. Dash may not like the new loaner car, but Dot seems to approve. The acupuncture therapy seems to be helping Dot, so I think we'll continue it indefinitely.

The Ground hog got it all wrong this year. Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow in February and predicted an early Spring, but that's certainly not the way it turned out. Every time I think Spring is here, Winter rears its ugly head again. It's cold again! We don't have snow, like some parts of the country, but it has definitely gotten pretty chilly. It felt like January when I walked the dogs this evening. The temperature was in the low 40's and there was a 30 mile per hour wind. Once again, I had to bundle up in my goose down ski parka.

Although Dot's journey to see the acupuncturist took up a big chunk of my day, there was still plenty of writing and website work to do when we got home. It's kind of ironic that while I'm busier than I've been at any point in my career, I'm making less money than I was when I had plenty of time to spare. People just don't value writing as much as they used to.

This week has gone quickly. The trash is already out at the curb awaiting tomorrow's early morning rendezvous with the trash truck. I'm looking forward to another fabulous Black Bean Benedict breakfast with poached eggs, black bean cakes, grilled tomatoes, and chipotle hollandaise sauce. I'm not particularly looking forward to my doctor's appointment later in the day, since I already know what he's going to say. I don't think my ideas about discontinuing my meds will be well received.

Bogart is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1233

2013-05-01T22:16:00.000-05:00

Whenever I bent down to work with the dogs at training class tonight, I felt light-headed when I stood up again. Since feeling faint when standing is a known side effect of two medications I take, I think it might be time to reevaluate my meds. Carvedilol slows down the heart rate and Metformin lowers blood sugar levels. With the radical changes I've made in my diet, I may not need these medications anymore. Getting a doctor to agree with this assessment might be difficult though. Once doctors starting seeing positive results from the pills they prescribe, they are loathe to discontinue them. I wish I could find someone with a comprehensive knowledge of both nutrition and medicine. It would be nice to know with some degree of certainty how diet, exercise, and medicine interact but I have yet to find a doctor who truly respects the opinions of a nutritionist. When you give a medical doctor a list of the medications you take, they don't even know what to do with the herbal supplements. It's frustrating to say the least. I really think the side effects of some of the medications I take are actually mimicking the symptioms of the diseases they are meant to treat.

Unexplained light-headedness wasn't my only frustration today. I was totally confused by my U-verse bill. It was supposed to go down this month, but it actually went up. When I called customer service to see if I could figure out what my bill was actually supposed to be, the customer service representative became equally confused. There are so many weird state and local taxes added to your phone bill every month that I'm not sure anyone knows what's going on. Phone companies continually offer incentives to keep you as a subscriber. Municipalities keep changing the tax rates. And as a result, your bill never seems to be the same. When I finally figured out what was going on, I was disappointed. Although my bill was higher than I thought it would be, it was lower than it could have been. Phone and Internet bills are kind of like the national deficit. They always keep going up.

One of the articles I wrote today was about the possibility of an Internet sales tax. I'd hate to see this happen, but it probably will. One of the main reasons I buy so much stuff online now is to avoid the sales tax. States and municipalities are hungry for additional revenue though and they see online retailers as a good place to find it. An Internet sales tax is coming, so if you've got your heart set on a new camera or computer, you'd better buy it now.

Dot was really peppy today. I'd like to think her surprising burst of energy was the result of her new heartworm medication. It's probably too early to tell though, since the dogs just got their monthly heartworm pills this morning. I'll hope for the best though, just like I do with my own condition.

Betsy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1232

2013-04-30T21:33:00.000-05:00

I took Dash to the vet today for his antigen shot. He seemed puzzled by the loaner car. Dash is very agile and usually has no trouble leaping into the back seat. The LR4 has a large rear door and plenty of room, but Dash didn't think he could get inside. We tried one door and then the other, but just before he would get to the open door, he would abort his leap and skid to a halt. After four or five tries, he finally realized that this car was just like any other car, and off we went. It is funny to see a dog do this, but I know I'm exactly the same way. I am very reticent to try something new. Once I work up my nerve though, I'm usually just fine. Dash and I are alike in many ways.

I talked to a friend today who is also in the market for a new flat roof. I was hoping that he'd have the answer to all my problems, but it doesn't look that way. My friend is having just as much trouble finding the holy grail as I am. I'm beginning to feel a bit like Don Quixote and have come to the conclusion that the illusive, affordable flat roof we all are searching for just doesn't exist.

I'm trying to decide whether I'd ever wear Google Glass or not. On one hand, I'm a huge fan of technology and a wearable heads-up virtual reality display certainly would be cool. On the other hand, I've never liked wearing glasses and don't even wear sunglasses in the summer. I think these things are going to catch on and will sell like hotcakes in a few years. I hear lots of talk about privacy issues with Google Glass, but I don't think privacy issues will derail this project. Privacy is still an issue with some people my age, but it's a completely foreign concept to many young people. Young people seems to want the world to know what they're doing at all times.

Privacy doesn't matter to me much one way or the other since I don't do much. Other than the trip to the vet with Dash, the only thing I did today was write several short articles. I do manage to crank out a lot of words. If I knew how to put these words together in the right order, I might be the next Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. Unfortunately, as it stands now, my words are just cannon fodder for SEO experts. Sometimes I wonder if anyone even reads the corporate stuff I write for a living.

Tomorrow we start another month. Dot and Dash will begin taking a new type of heartworm medication that hopefully is going to put an end to Dot's seizures. I'm hoping that the old medication was the problem. It certainly a lot easier to change a prescription than to deal with the possibility of mini-strokes and brain tumors.

Bea is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1231

2013-04-29T22:12:00.001-05:00

I seem to spend Monday getting ready for the rest of the week. It's not typically very exciting, but it's necessary. I took a bag of oranges and a pineapple and made another half gallon of juice with my new juicer. I washed a big load of towels. I balanced my checkbook and discovered that I'd already received my tax refund. As usual, the refund was just about enough to pay my accountant for figuring out my tax return.

I've just about decided on a contractor to replace my roof. It would be nice to have a knowledgeable person to confirm my decision with, but I don't know anyone who has a roof like mine. I have three different companies recommending three different processes and any or all of them could be pulling the wool over my eyes. The trouble with roofing contractors is that you don't really know if you've got a good roof until about three years after the job is finished.

It got warm enough to turn on the air conditioner today. I'm glad I have a fully functioning heating and air conditioning system this year, but I still find Summer more difficult to deal with than Winter. Air conditioning units extract moisture from the air and this condensate has to go somewhere. In a lot of new houses the condensation is piped directly outside. In my house, the condensation stays inside and goes down the same overflow drain in the utility room that is used by the washing machine. In the Winter, I plug this drain up, since the new front loader washer empties water too fast for the old 2 inch drain system. I can't leave the drain plugged in the Summer however. When the drain is plugged, the condensate from the air conditioner has no place to go and floods the utility room. I constantly have to remember to open and close this drain when I'm doing laundry. This seem easy enough, but I forget a lot. Winter is much easier.

I watched the old Pyramids of Mars episode of Dr. Who with Tom Baker as the fourth doctor this evening. I think the fourth doctor was my first introduction to the Dr. Who series. I remember the series used to come on after midnight on PBS a long time ago. Watching these old episodes from the 70's and 80's makes you realize how far special effects have come in twenty years. Old science fiction shows have incredibly crude and rudimentary monsters. If you forget about the poor production values, the show is basically the same though. Sara Jane Smith is actually one of the doctor's best companions.

I'm having a little trouble meeting my 10,000 step a day activity goal as the weather grows warmer. Dot is very sensitive to the heat and will turn around to go home a little earlier with each additional degree of temperature. I can almost predict exactly when she will want to turn around now by looking at the weather app on my iPhone. She's still fine in the morning, but that will only last another month or so. Another Texas Summer is on its way.

Parker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1230

2013-04-28T20:09:00.000-05:00

I got up this morning and then all of the sudden it was dinner time. It wasn't a particularly busy or stressful day. It just all went by in a blur. The dogs got their long awaited visit to the dog park. There was no need to dress as warmly as I did, because when we arrived at the park, it was already hot. Dot is well aware of the rising temperatures. She tires much more easily in the heat. As a result, we didn't stay at the park as long as we usually do. Dash could have stayed longer, but Dot gets to call the shots these days. It just isn't fair to push an older dog too hard.

Dot didn't get to choose whether to get a bath today however. I'm pretty forgiving about dirty, smelly dogs and even I had to admit that Dot and Dash were filthy. They both clean up well though. After a bath at Vhea's LaundroMutt, their coats shine and they smell wonderful.

Janet had to run some errands after we returned from our dog excursions and I used the afternoon to finish an overdue writing assignment. Ordinarily, I would do something outside on such a nice day, but the outdoor alternative was mowing the grass, so writing seemed the lesser of two evils.

It's hard to believe that April is almost over. We've probably got one more month of decent weather before another Texas summer rears its ugly head. I don't like the heat any more than Dot does. When the thermometer starts to hover around 100 degrees for months at a time, I start to questions my sanity for ever moving down here in the first place.

Some of my new exercise routines are starting to become habits. I find myself using the small hand weights around the house during the day. I continue to do planks on a daily basis too. Making something a habit is the key to success with me. I really can't depend on desire or passion to get me anywhere.

Lucky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1229

2013-04-27T21:18:00.000-05:00

I picked up some additional memory cards for one of my cameras today. I was amazed to discover that you can now buy 64GB high capacity SD cards for less than $40. Three or four years ago, these high speed, ultra high capacity cards were over $300, if you could even find them. Why can't everything work like the electronics industry? Electronics inevitably tend to get cheaper and better over time. Everything else seems to get more expensive while the quality gets worse. If roofing technology kept advancing at the same pace as solid state memory technology, I could probably get a brand new roof for $300.

It doesn't work that way though. Furniture is much more expensive than it used to be. The cost of a decent mattress is ridiculous. Cooking utensils keep getting more expensive. So do shoes and clothing. The cost of clothing should be coming down, since everything is made in China now. The clothes I buy keep getting more expensive though. What's that all about? The only sector of the economy that gives you a break anymore is consumer electronics. Large flat panel televisions are a bargain now. DSLR cameras are not only a bargain, they're amazingly capable. I love buying computers, because they're usually a fantastic deal.

When is all this innovation going to hit the roofing industry? If you can send a man to the moon, you ought to be able to develop an economical roof that doesn't leak. Maybe that's the problem. We can't sent a man to the moon anymore.

It was a beautiful day. When the weather is this nice, I usually putter around in the yard. There is no need to do this anymore though. The landscapers have done all my puttering for me. With no yard work to do, I ran errands instead. I'll be glad when I get my car back from the shop. I don't like driving the LR4 as much as my Defender. The car is too big. Instead of zipping in and out of tight parking spaces, I have to keep a close eye on what's going on around me. It's easy to get too close to curbs and other cars with this behemoth.

It looks like it's going to be a good day to go to the dog park tomorrow. It might be a good day to give the dogs a bath as well. They've managed to escape a bath for well over a month now, and it's about time to clean them up again. Dot and Dash are going to a Dalmatian Rescue event next week and Janet hates to go to these shindigs with a dirty dog. Luckily, she doesn't seem to mind what I wear though.

Bowser is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1228

2013-04-26T19:28:00.000-05:00

I'm always a bit disappointed when breakfast turns out to be the high point of the day. Friday's are often like that. A lot of my clients leave early on Friday, so there is seldom a lot of work to do. I usually go to the grocery store and look for something interesting for dinner on Friday. This little excursion tends to make the day even more centered around food though.

The Land Rover folks called and said I needed new points, plugs, and spark plug wires; plus a distributor rotor, and cap. I wasn't that surprised, since this is what I suggested to them yesterday. I'm still a bit skeptical that these additional repairs will make any difference. I'm getting tired of the rough running engine however, and I feel I've got to do something. Janet thinks I'm crazy for keeping the old Defender, but I can't afford a new car right now. I've always paid cash when I buy a car and I definitely don't ever want car payments again. Who knows? Maybe I'll start getting jobs with decent budgets soon. When pigs fly perhaps.

One of the reasons I can't afford a new car is that I need a new roof. There are few things less satisfying than putting on a new roof. A flat roof is expensive and you can't even see the finished product, since it's up above your head. I don't really have a choice. If I don't tend to the deteriorating roof, it's only going to get worse. I called the roofer I like the best today and asked if he could trim anything off his price. He managed to lower his bid by $4000 without comprising quality too much. It's still going to be expensive.

There's a new Dalmatian to photograph at The Velvet Snout. There's a new Dr. Who episode to watch as well. Maybe I'll get ambitious and buy a hedge trimmer at Home Depot this weekend, so I can get the hedge running along the back fence looking a bit tidier. My writer's group assignment is due this weekend too. I'm having trouble working up any enthusiasm for that one. The only thing for certain is that the dogs will want to go to the dog park on Sunday. Let's hope it doesn't rain.

Brady is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1227

2013-04-25T20:49:00.000-05:00

I took the back roads to the Land Rover dealer this morning. With all five living presidents in town, plus a ton of foreign dignitaries, I wasn't getting anywhere near the SMU campus today. Traffic was backed up in that part of town yesterday, and I suspect it was much worse today. I did watch the presidential library dedication on TV when I got home though. Wouldn't it be nice if politicians were always this nice and courteous to each other? Would that be too much to ask?

Dot's acupuncture doctor is leaving to pursue other interests. This is yet another reminder not to take anything for granted. I can't decide what to do now. I think Dot was benefiting from the treatments, but the improvements were subtle. The only other canine acupuncturist that I know of is in far North Dallas. Since Dot is never very excited about traveling around in my car, the stress of a long drive might negate the effects of the treatment. I'm not even sure that acupuncture is the right treatment anymore, since Dot's problems now seem to stem from vertigo instead of a slipped disk or spinal problem.

I talked to one of the roofers about their price today. He, like all the other roofers I've talked to recently, explained that the cost of materials had doubled. Fair enough. This still doesn't explain why the total cost of putting on a new roof has quadrupled. I still think that roofers are making way more money today than they used to. Unfortunately, that doesn't do me any good. The price of almost everything is based on what the market will bear. If enough people are willing to pay today's prices, they definitely aren't going to get any cheaper.

The Land Rover dealer gave me a new LR4 for a loaner car. This model has the same high-tech keyless ignition as the Evoque I drove last month. It's still hard to wrap my head around a car that unlocks itself as you approach and starts without a key, but I guess that's what's on the horizon for all cars. My Defender's manual roll up windows and separate keys for the ignition, doors, and glove box seems positively quaint by comparison.

I'm glad it's Friday tomorrow. This has been a long and tiring week. I'm already looking forward to having my new Friday treat: Black Bean Cake Eggs Benedict with Chipotle Hollandaise sauce. Hey, you can't expect me to eat oatmeal all the time.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day