Sympathy Pains

Do you know what's bad? Even worse than dog diarrhea? A summer cold. It never fails, when I hit the training hard, I get a cold. The immune system gets stressed and to add further risk, I work around folks with all sorts of diseases and bugs. The bottom line is I have a cold. I am hoping it will be short lived because I don't like it. I know the universe really cares whether I have a cold or not. Oh well, what are you going to do?



My dog has stopped spewing - I think. Until I witness a solid poop I will remain paranoid. Every time he moves I throw him outside. He only had one accident yesterday and that was when I was at work and John had to clean it up, hehehe. I told him it would prepare him for fatherhood. To drive home the point, Barbara and I recounted several stories when we had to clean up his poop / pee / vomit. What made it even better was we told the stories in front of his girl friend. She seemed to enjoy them and he did not seem to mind.



My favorite was the time we were in a Toys R Us and he was so enthralled and over joyed looking at the toys (age 2) he pushed out of his mind he had to pee real bad. As we stood in the aisle, I heard water hitting the floor. Glancing down I noticed a puddle forming around his feet. I picked him up and held him out away from my body as if transporting toxic waste and walked out of the store. Can you say clean up on aisle 5.



My coaching is going well. I run different distances every day. Today, I run 4 miles. My weekly milage is increasing and so is my long run. For instance, this week I run 9 miles on Sunday and my weekly total will be 26 miles. My speed is increasing. I begin at a 7:50 pace and finish at a 7:20. I am still losing weight. Today I weighed 178 and that is 36 pounds lighter than last September. I am still eating cottage cheese and peaches for breakfast and lunch. For dinner, I eat something sensible and small portions.



I am really enjoying the Tour De France. I was really into cycling for several years, but have lost some nerve after a pretty hard wreck at 20 MPH. The traffic around here is worse and I don't want to tempt fate, but I love the sport. I hope Lance pulls off another win. Those guys are in the most incredible shape. To perform at the level they do day in and day out is the ultimate endurance test. Just try to get your bike up to 30 MPH for a second or two, then keep in mind they cruise around 28 MPH.



My computer center is nearly complete. It only lacks the counter top. Once completed, I will post some photos.



I am coming up on my first blogaversary July 19 so I will figure out something special to commemorate the event. It is hard to believe I have been blogging for one year.



For now, the streets await the pounding of my running shoes, then it is off to work and it has been really busy. The weekends have been welcome respites from the chaos.



I hope all is well in your spot on the globe

Until the next time

John Strain

Dog Diarrhea

Do you know what's really bad? Dog diarrhea. Do you know what's even worse? Dog diarrhea on your bedroom floor . . . in the middle of the night. Monday evening I completed my post about sleeping so well and how comfortable it all was. I suppose the gods were listening and felt my post was rather arrogant. "We'll show him," they must have said, "we'll smite his dog with a case of projectile diarrhea." I suppose the capper was leaving a comment at Bacon and Eh's that I was an optimist - not a pessimist. The Greek gods were always a bit on the mischievous side. My two pronouncements on the web only invited a leveling intervention. At any rate, I consider myself leveled.



I am the master of a 13 year old black lab mix dog. Being a master does not mean the dog does what I say, it only means I am the guy who has to give him medicine, pay the vet bill, and clean up his vomit / diarrhea whenever deposited in the house.



It is funny how you get stuck with certain tasks. Barbara was the designated dirty diaper changer for my son. I would pretend not to smell a dirty diaper knowing the fumes would soon summon her motherly instincts, rescuing me from a gag fest. If the car has a flat or the toilet over flows, I get the call. Likewise, when the dog spews from one end or the other out of place, it is understood "I" have a mess to clean up.



Realization is a funny thing. I was lying in bed at 4:26 AM. A smell began seeping into my awareness, then poured in all at once. I sat up quickly hoping my nose was playing tricks on me, a hope which would be soon dashed. It was the unmistakable smell of dog doo. I made sure the floor was clear next to the bed, then stood up. I flipped on the bathroom light and saw my loyal friend Hobo lying down with two piles of poop about 6" from his tail. He has been having accidents lately, but thank God they are firm and easily picked up. On closer examination I learned #1 The poop smelled much worse the closer I got and #2 The poop was runny. I don't know about you, but if I had a list of least favorite things, I would have "waking up at 4:26 AM and cleaning up dog diarrhea" near the top.



Barbara was sleeping very much like I wrote about just last night. She looked so comfortable and peaceful. She had no idea her poor husband was embroiled in an environmental disaster. I fantasized about her waking up and handling the problem, but that sort of thing only happens in the movies.



I began cleaning up the poop by getting toilet paper and picking up what I could and flushing it. Of course, stirring the poop only broadcasts the putrid odor and I had to stop and gag and let my eyes water. Then I got a cloth, wetted it, and scrubbed the carpet. I repeated these steps until it was a dull stain. I rummaged around and found some Fabreeze to spray on the spot to help the smell.



No big deal. I handled it. Then I walked out to the kitchen and smelled more poop. Evidently, when I opened the bedroom door to fetch a cloth to clean up the diarrhea, Hobo went out to the kitchen and spewed diarrhea again. All over the tile and another patch of carpet. It is situations like this one which challenge my optimism. The only real damage was losing 30 minutes of sleep.



I penned Hobo up in the kitchen when we left for work. My son got to clean up two poop fests himself. It seems the vet gave Hobo a cortisone shot for something when he was being boarded last weekend. Diarrhea is a side effect. I hope it is that and not a permanent condition. The poor dog is failing. He has a hard time getting up and down. He falls a lot and his back legs fail him more and more. It is sad, but I think my pup is not long for this world.



Pet owners make a commitment similar to a marriage. I love my dog for better or worse, in sickness and in health. That means I sometimes have to clean up messes. Still I am hoping for better and health over worse and sickness.



Until the next time

John Strain

HS

In medical terminology, "HS" means bedtime. It is a nice part of the day. I usually arise at 5:00 AM and start the day with my running. I make it to work between 8:30 and 9:00 AM. At 6:00 PM I come home. That leaves me with 4 to 5 hours to pay bills, blog, watch TV, and eat dinner. I am freshest and most productive in the AM, but I write my blog post at night. Take now for instance, I am sleepy, but have the need to write, so I push the sleep away for a few moments.



Children's books and old cartoons always made bedtime look so inviting and comfortable. The beds were cozy, the pillows were fluffy, the rooms were neat, and everything seemed in order. Sometimes an owl would be perched on a limb outside a window in silhouette against a full moon. Other times, lightning bugs would be twinkling in the night sky. When I go to bed, Barbara is usually already there. I have already made the rounds shutting off computers, lights, TV's, and stereos. The coffee is made and set to timer. Hobo has been out and is slowly following behind me. He can't see in the dark like he once did so waits for me to walk through the dark and turn on lights ahead to light his path to his bed in a corner of our bedroom.



When I open the bedroom door, the fan drowns out any distracting noise. It is cool from the circulating air and when I crawl between the sheets it feels so good to finally go horizontal. I enjoy it for about two minutes, then drift off to sleep. I sleep well, but the alarm clock goes off at 5:00 AM and the process begins all over again.



I hope you slept well and you are ready to tackle your Tuesday.



Until the next time

John Strain

3.0 MBPS

My broadband is getting broader. For $5 less per month I am getting a speed boost from 1.5 mbps to 3.0 mbps. My upstream speed will be 384 K, and I get a static IP. All of this for $40 per month through Bellsouth. Yeeeeeeeehaaaaa!

Florida Photos

Here are a few photos from the weekend.