This day had two bright spots:

1. The visit to the car place for the 30,000 check-up, state inspection, emissions test, and oil change was 1 and 1/2 hours shorter than estimated. The service manager actually put a priority on my work (instead of the usual two hour time frame for just an oil change...is it really free if it takes so long?). Perhaps this is because I have not yet been willing to fill out a positive survey after my service visits? Whatever the case, this is my sixth service visit and the first that was not an arduous ordeal. [I did bring a TV tray to use in the waiting room so that I could get some work done on my laptop. Let me tell you, it took great intestinal fortitude on my part to ignore the stares I received walking in with it.]

2. Kashi had a positive vet visit today. He is on the third medicine (another Chinese herb) trial to find something to help with his copious drinking and and oft violent tremoring. And...it is working! Kashi had gotten up to four bowls of 24 ounces a day (quite a bit for a small dog), but he has dropped back down to two. His tremors are worlds better too.

Now, do they make a Chinese herb for stubbornness?