May 2026
May 31, 2026 Sunday - I drove up to Plano to go see a friend I’ve not seen in a really long time. She suggested one of our old favorites, and I was really excited to eat here. We used to come here to Zorba’s all the time. We ordered an extra spanikopita. I miss this place and the Ben and Jerry’s just down the sidewalk.
May 30, 2026 Saturday - At some point I’ll stop making a big deal about this, but that’s not today. I spent most of the day working from the couch. Zak spent most of the day in here with all of us. He doesn’t usually sit still while I walk up to take his photo, but I guess he’s being patient since it’s been a while. He’s such a handsome boy.
May 29, 2026 Friday - I decided to take the pups to DQ for lunch today. I let them go to the truck off leash, and they didn’t wander off. I usually get them burgers, but ordered them a Steak Finger Basket this time. They got a big surprise when we got home. There were 4 steak fingers and 4 chicken fingers along with the toast, gravy, and a big pile of fries. This was my afternoon snack.
May 28, 2026 Thursday - I did a grocery order today. When I was on the Kroger site making my order, I saw they had these on sale. I call Butter Nutter Butter when she’s being crazy. It’s been forever since I’ve had these. I forgot how good they are. The pups seem to like them quite a bit too. Treats for everyone!
May 27, 2026 Wednesday - After work, I met my God-daughter and her new husband for dinner. I like going out with them because they show me new places. This pizza place is in town, and it was really good. I saw a German Shepherd puppy as I was walking from the parking area. He had the biggest ears and giant paws. He’s going to be a really big boy.
May 26, 2026 Tuesday - We’ve all settled into a good rhythm now. Butter hasn’t had an accident in the house in over a week. Even then, it was more my fault because I lost track of time. Butter and Pancake lie here and quite often wrestle with each other. Although Butter is so much bigger, Pancake doesn’t put up with too much of her craziness. She lets her know what’s what.
May 25, 2026 Monday - I went to meet a friend for lunch. After our meal, we went to go for a walk in the park for a bit. There were huge pools of water all over the place, and lots of families were there with kids playing in the water even though it was really overcast and there was a bit of lightning and thunder. I think one of the little kids got struck by lightning right here!
May 24, 2026 Sunday - I was going to take the pups for a drive to get a snack earlier today, but after our quick potty break, it started to thunder a bit. Zak immediately headed back to the house. We had to put off our ride for a while. We ended up just going into town to grab dinner. I got this at a stoplight on the way home.
May 23, 2026 Saturday - Earlier this year, Lego released a bunch of new sets. Among them were a few new Speed Champion sets. When I walked into the Kroger here, they had all their new sets sitting right in the entrance. I finally took the time to put this Back to the Future set together today. I had the movie on while I was doing this too.
May 22, 2026 Friday - A few days ago, I asked my nephew to help me move some stuff here at the house. He and his wife came over today and walked in with a whoopee pie for me. They were down in Itasca for something and stopped at the country store. This evening after dinner, I was craving something sweet. This totally hit the spot.
May 21, 2026 Thursday - Today was pretty busy with work, but I got everything wrapped up in time for our evening walk. For the first few months, Butter was pretty easy on a leash. Except from jumping at every twig and leaf in the road. Now that she’s a bit older, she wants to pull everywhere. Which is made worse by her zig-zagging all over the road.
May 20, 2026 Wednesday - It’s finally happened. Zak has finally decided to rejoin us in the TV room/office. He had secluded himself back in our bedroom since I got Butter, no matter how much I invited him to stay. He now lays in here with all of us during the day as much as he always did. He and Butter play tug-of-war at least twice a day now. Usually when I’m on a call with work.
May 19, 2026 Tuesday - At the end of the workday, my brother called asking if I had plans for dinner. It got quite a bit cooler today, and my SIL thought pho sounded good. I, of course, always think pho is a great idea for lunch or dinner. Yes, I was here just last week, but I could have been here for lunch, and I still would have said, “Yes!”
May 18, 2026 Monday - I was telling a friend that Butter loves chew toys, and she gave me this toy her pup never played with. It’s really durable, but it makes a really loud squeaky noise when she gnaws on it. Sometimes on quiet mornings after our walks, it’s all I can hear next to me on the couch.
May 17, 2026 Sunday - I got this toy for Zak when I first got him. He used to throw it around every once in a while but has never played with it. Butter found it and she chews on it all the time. In the last few days when Zak comes into the room, she’ll grab it and take it to him to get him to play. The whole thing used to all look like a rope. It’s a big, shaggy mess now, but they still love it.
May 16, 2026 Saturday - It’s been a really long time since I went to visit my friend and his family up north. We got an early start so I could catch their daughter’s volleyball game. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her play, and it’s crazy how much she’s improved. Her serves and sets were crazy good. Later, I made guac, my friend grilled steaks, we smoked cigars, and there was a drink or two in there somewhere.
May 15, 2026 Friday - Butter got us all up earlier than usual, so we were all pretty tired. I worked from the couch again for most of the day. The life of my dogs is pretty chill. They’re getting more than their fair share of snacks. Riley likes to remind me how Zeke, Shadow, and Vegas must be rolling over in their graves when I give them anything other than dog food.
May 14, 2026 Thursday - As I’ve mentioned, Zak and Butter are slowly becoming friends. At least twice a day, they wrestle, chase each other, and play tug-of-war. This is all that’s left of the toy I showed the other day after a long morning of being pulled and fought over by Zak and Butter. It’s so good to see Zak being more like a regular dog than he’s ever been.
May 13, 2026 Wednesday - Today was a good day. I got out for lunch to meet a friend for pho. Any day that I get a bowl of good pho is definitely a big improvement. Getting to see my good friend and get caught up makes it even better.
May 12, 2026 Tuesday - I finally don’t feel sick at all, and it’s nice not to feel exhausted all the time. Today was another day that was not too incredibly busy. I decided to work from the couch today. Butter is still learning about personal space. She likes to lay her head on my arm while I’m trying to use my laptop. She’s so much better when she’s asleep.
May 11, 2026, Monday - Today wasn’t super busy with work. It was nice to have a bit of a relaxing workday. At the end of the day, after our evening walk and dinner, I turned on the TV and watched an episode of The Amazing Race while putting together one of the Lego sets I have. I have a few other cars still to put together.
May 10, 2026, Sunday - I’m hopeful at some point this will stop being a highlight for me and just be normal. Today Zak got up on the couch, actually facing me, and stayed for a long while after our morning walk. He put up with Butter being this close and actually licking his face and ears. It was a great start to the day.
May 9, 2026 Saturday - Yesterday, my nephew and his wife came over and did some fence work for me. I didn’t even hear them out front, and neither did the dogs. I got them to pick a place for lunch today. I ordered the shrimp and grits. The flavor was good, but the texture was a bit off. The fried pickles and the company were top-notch. A cold Pacifico helped too.
May 8, 2026 Friday - Look what happened today! Two days in a row! This morning after our walk, Zak hopped up on the couch with me. I miss this so much. He was always right here just like this before Butter. I knew it would just take some time before he would be back, but I never thought it would take three months.
May 7, 2026 Thursday - This is only the second time Zak has come to lie on the couch with me since I got Butter. The one other time, Butter kept biting at his legs and tail. Today after our evening walk, Zak surprised me and finally accepted my invitation to come lie on the couch, and Butter was being a bit more cooperative. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here with all the pups.
May 6, 2026 Wednesday - I found these were the secret to getting Biscuit to take her meds. With her surgery coming up, I bought this pack to help with her meds after. I was going through the fridge a while back and came across them. It was a punch in the gut. I finally took them out and shared some snacks with the pups. I sure do miss Biscuit.
May 5, 2026 Tuesday - It’s Cinco de Mayo! I texted my sister and nephew’s wife to see if they wanted to get out for tacos. They both agreed, and as much as I wanted to get a margarita, I’ve been craving a cold beer for a while. For future reference, the Fuzzy’s in Burleson has Pacifico on tap. Unfortunately, their food is terribly salty.
May 4, 2026 Monday - This was one of Zak’s Christmas presents. He never played with it. Butter, on the other hand, chews on it all the time. She’s ripped the top of the hat off and pulled out a lot of the stuffing. It kinda reminds me of Joe Pesci in Home Alone after he gets the top of his head burned. This guy has also survived quite a bit of tug-of-war between Butter and Zak.
May 3, 2026 Sunday - Butter jingles when she walks now. She also has not had an accident four out of the last seven days. I’ve caught Pancake and her playing on the couch together rather than Butter just harassing her. She and Zak have started chasing each other and have been playing tug of war at least once a day for the last few days. She’s really starting to fit in.
May 2, 2026 Saturday - This morning, Butter woke us all up really early. I did feel better than I’ve felt in a long time, even though I still have a lot of congestion. After our morning walk, I decided to take the pups into town to get us some breakfast and finally get Butter her name tag. So I guess I’m keeping her. Shortly after we got back, I needed a nap.
May 1, 2026 Friday - My mailbox and the guy’s across the street are right next to each other. His box doesn’t have a door, and a while back a bird started building a nest in the back. Today when we stopped for our mail, I heard the loud peeps from babies coming from inside. I was hoping to get a photo of them, but I didn’t want to upset them too much.