I bought a new dehumidifier today

exciting life: choosing between the 45- and the 65-pint dehumidifiers. There was a 30-pint one but it looked cheesy. No one at Home Depot could explain how they differed from one another. They took turns reading the boxes, "well, this one has a 21-pint drawer, and a 2-speed fan..." Trouble is, they all say the same thing on the box. It took me figuring out that the difference is the amount of water it takes out of the air in a day. Duh. 

chicago winter

for several days this endless winter, the dog could not successfully walk around, due to sub-freezing salty days. he hopped around like a circus performer. the boots helped and he was able to frolic as usual. mostly I have a low opinion of people who clothe their animals, but in this case he requested help, and I could not refuse.