Periodic heat post

I got up early-ish to take Zoe and Toby for a walk.  One outcome of my hip issues is that Zoe did not go on her long walk for about two months and she kind of went downhill physically (as did I).  We went for a walk on Wednesday and it was really too much for her.  It was too late in the day and black dog in the sun she approached heat stroke.  So we went earlier today.  There is no time that is early enough.  At 8AM it the heat index was 86 degrees.  The sun was out but at enough of a slant that it was not dangerous for her but even then I think we went too far.  I'm afraid it is a losing prospect.  I'll take her on some shorter early morning walks and maybe when it is cooler she will bounce back but I'm afraid that she won't and the long walks are done.  She's definitely gotten a lot older in the past few months.

One of the least useful things the National Weather Service does and the reason that I turned off the alerts on my Alexa is give heat warnings.  There are no days for the next couple of months that it is safe for me to go outside after about 10AM.  I don't need the NWS to tell me that and send alerts to my phone.  Save it for the tornados and hail.

I've got pickleball scheduled at 8AM tomorrow.  Not thrilled with how hot it will be but I'll tank up on water and gator aid and will still be a bit on the edge.  I've not had the chance to acclimate much this year.  Fortunately the group is careful and watchful of each other. 

Dana is actually getting ready to leave now so I'm far away on the opposite side of the house.  She'll get out of here around 11 I'm guessing and it is a little less than four hours so she'll be there at a decent time of day.  Such a good time to have dogs that can't go with us so SOMEONE has to stay and watch them.  I'd be OK with going to the funeral but I do not much like the Aunt that she stays with.  It is free and they get on just fine and aunt takes Dana out to dinner and such so it is a good deal.  Better that I don't have to go.

It will be a quiet day with a little vacuuming and such once Dana is gone.  Otherwise nothing doing.

Finance faux and real

 Breaking even on the only one that really matters.

I'm part of a Prolific study where they gave me $10k fake bucks and I'm to invest them for, I think it was something like 45 days.  It ends mid August.  It's on a platform called MarketWatch which has an IRL component but this gaming component that trades immediately and tracks the money.  I was down, then up, now back down after Friday's drop.  My current portfolio is Bristol Meyers, 23%, Microsoft 17%, SPY (S&P index) 38%, and Warner Brothers 22%.

45 days is not enough to do anything other than gamble.  I didn't want to put in the work to find someone who was doing something spectacular this week but I did gamble on Microsoft. They released their quarterly and I rolled the dice that it would be good.  It was not so good.  Everyone is concerned about AI spending so none of the biggies are doing so well.  I expect I'll end up positive as S&P will pick up next week but it will be close.

There is a bonus if I beat the other people playing or if I do well, or something.  No matter.  It has been fun.

Next step up is my Prolific money that I put into crypto.  It is down $40 since I bought the $200 of Ethereum.  No idea what drives the market.  I keep seeing it is going up 5%, down 5% etc but I keep losing money on it.  Fortunately it is only partly real.

And finally, and most important.  My actual money tracking program, Tiller, is doing well.  It is maintaining connection to most of what I want so I get real reports.  One thing that one of the users created was a P&L report.  THIS I understand.  I love a P&L.  After living and dying by one with the business for a dozen years I can scan one in seconds and get the info.  And I can give it to Dana and we can talk about money with the actuals there.  

We ended up last month down $600 but that was from a dental bill and was absorbed by savings we had accrued previously.  Then I got a check for $300 from the dental insurance people so we're actually only down $300 for the month.  I'm happy with that.  We can go a long time with that kind of monthly loss.

I just realized I needed to shunt that $300 back to the savings account.  Done.  I love me some internet banking.

We're never going to be rich but we're getting by and keeping track.

Turned around

Dana used to drink quite a bit.  And consistently.  Every night.  That two glasses of wine that they say are healthy to have are not, in fact, healthy as they are now seeing.  And who the hell do you know that stops at two glasses.  Every damn show on TV has at least one character swinging around a bottle or two of wine and little gets done without it.  Fortunately I really dislike wine and champagne so I could care less.  But it pisses me off in a country with so many alcoholics and clearly many more drunks on planes and driving and in fights and shooting off guns the people who run entertainment shill for alcohol.

Off the soap box now.

Dana has pancreatitis contracted from the drinking.  And I don't really know what to do about it.  The doc gave her some enzymes to take every time she eats.  Which she does not do.  She has the pill with dinner because I set an Alexa routine and make sure she takes it but I think forgets the rest of the meals.  So she has problems.  Mayo and others on line don't have much in the way of a fix so maybe there isn't one.

She wasn't feeling well and had a feeling that things were going to slide downhill.  So she turned around after driving about and hour and a half.  She didn't want to get really sick out of town which was, I think, a good call.

We'll try to get her into a gastro doc.  She's got one she's been seeing but I think I need to go and get some answers.  There may be nothing to do but I'll need to hear that for myself.

Fortunately she stopped drinking.  I think a bit too late but so it goes.