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Currently Reading: Birthday by Koji Suzuki

Had a few things happen since the last time I posted. The chow bite, which so many people have asked about, is healing up rather well now. I don't have it bandaged anymore and it doesn't hurt either. No more stiffness or anything like that.

I've also made more progress in the grooming school. Today I managed to do a dog from start to finish without my instructor having to correct anything. Granted it wasn't anything fancy like a poodle cut but it does show progress. I'm also getting much more comfortable in cutting in the "problem areas" all dogs have like under the arms and the neck/chin area. I'm less paranoid about working those spots so the clips are going much faster and coming out smoother.

I had my hearing checked yesterday. Every six months or so I go in. My last visit was to check out the condition of the hearing aids, clean them up, a routine service call. This last one included a hearing test. I am happy to say that my hearing isn't getting worse at an alarming rate. It's drifting south, but it's JUST drifting. It's not falling over a steep cliff.

My last test, I was sitting, on the low end, at about 105 dB. That is, on my worst ear, the volume would need to be set at 105 dB for me to hear certain frequencies. That's about the volume of a lawn mower. Yesterday I tested at 110 dB (power saw) with a difference of only 5 dB over a year's time. That's within an acceptable range of difference. Consider that within the margin of error if you like.

Seasonal allergies are upon us. Poor CC is not doing well this year. We're being dusted with yellow pollen on a daily basis and with no strong rains to knock it out of the air and wash it away, it's all over EVERYTHING. My truck has taken on a greenish tint. For CC that means a whole lot of sneezing and a runny nose. For me, not so much. I'm being spared the worst of it this year so maybe I'm finally getting desensitized.

That's really about it for this week. I'll try to do something more exciting for next time but don't hold your breath. Just the usual stuff is taking up most of my time these days.