If you thought there is no way that Señor Piglet is going to get his fat ass under the fence, you’d be wrong.
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On Sunday, President Biden repealed the Social Security Windfall Elimination Provision. Since I will start getting a windfall, being frugal is pointless.
Tramping around in the snow with Sparky, I get wet boots. Two weeks ago, I knocked up a drying rack for my boots using shelf brackets, scrap wood and my CPAP machine. It folds up for easy storage.
Now that the SSFA is passed and frivolous spending is encouraged, I spent $45 on Amazon to get a boot dryer like regular people use.
I am eager to try it out.
It’s always fun to watch dogs in snow deeper than their bellies. Sparky does that leaping run, so he doesn’t have to bulldoze his way through the snow. I can’t tell if he enjoys it, or is just getting on with all the things he has to investigate and urinate on.
There are times when Sparky just isn’t into it. Maybe he’s been lounging by the fire, but has to be taken out before I leave the house. Or maybe I’m just putting this on Sparky, and I’m the guy who doesn’t like trudging through the snow. Either way, after plowing the driveway, I plowed a path through the yard, orchard, woods and church parking lot.
The powdery snow plows easily since it hasn’t melted and it’s supposed to snow for a few more days. I did the entire loop.
It wasn’t difficult, but when finished, it seemed like I might be turning into one of those people who pampers their dog.
But seriously, look at this mutt. He’s just too cute.
My new approach to breaking up chest congestion is an old idea. Steam from a wet sauna, humidifier or pot of water is a traditional way to help with bronchitis.
I build a steam hookah, or stookah to generate steam. A CPAP hose slips right on. Boiling water generates air too hot to inhale and melts the hose. Instead, the water is heated to a comfortably warm temperature.
If I take a break, the lid has to be removed from the pot to keep the hose from melting.
The stookah works quite well. It breaks up the chest congestion while I screw around online or watch TV. A more robust hose would be good, but this works fine if I’m cautious.
Cleaning up a bit, the intent was to toss Mr. Moose into Sparky’s crate. It landed on top, and he immediately went to retrieve it. Since Sparky started working from the inside, I wanted to see if he’d try from the outside when he got stuck.
If Mr. Moose is thrown under the couch, Sparky will go behind the couch if he can’t reach it from the front. I’ve seen him switch strategies when necessary, but the crate was too much. I had to coax him out of the crate and on to the trunk.
I am impressed with his diligence. Most of the video is at double speed, and Sparky was working on it for a little while before I started recording. He was trying to get Mr. Moose for almost 3 minutes, and never came over to have me bail him out.
My head cold is down to bronchitis. I’ve been considering innovative treatments to tip the balance of power.
I have a nebulizer, and thought that might be useful. A nebulizer is an aquarium pump that blows air through a small chamber holding medication. The medication evaporates and is inhaled as vapor.
The air isn’t heated, so water doesn’t evaporate. I tried vodka. The alcohol would evaporate, and hopefully make life less comfortable for the virus.
There was only about a quarter-ounce of alcohol in the chamber, so I wasn’t too concerned about intoxication. It worked, but did little to alleviate symptoms.
I thought this would be harder for Sparky.
I brought Sparky home just short of 2 years ago. It was a mild winter, but I was concerned that he’d be too cold when we went on walks. He’s got that short, seal fur, but didn’t have the fat layer. I got him the Carhartt jacket.
Now that I know Sparky, it’s clear that even in the snow, he has a lot of dog stuff to work on. When we are out, Sparky stuffs his snout into the snow like this all the time.
I also know that if Sparky gets cold, he will head for the house. I could lead him on a longer walk, but he would not be reluctant to give his opinion.
The best in the sense that Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home gives fans what they want. Media critics and fancy people sneer at fan service because it is catering to the audience without giving proper deference to “the art”. Whatever, I just want to be entertained, and Star Trek IV does that very well.
After a week of use, Sparky appreciates his heating pad Christmas present. It’s on low, and keeps the back half of his bed warm. It got down to 20o F last night and we’ve been burning consistently. The bedroom was in the low 60’s.
If Sparky was cold, he’d curl up like a pill bug. If he were too warm, he’d be in the front of the crate. FYI, that’s why only a part of the bed should be heated. His eyes are open, and he stayed in bed for another hour.
My guess is that Sparky stays in bed so I have time to stoke the stove. When he did shamble out of bed and had gone out for a piss, he settled in for a comfy morning.
