Heavy sigh.

Parker and I just got back from the vet, where we picked up a six-pack of prescription dog food and another vial of dog-odium. The dog-walker's note says it all:

All right, today I feel really bad for Parker. I left the window open just above his crate, and so instead of spending the day sleeping, the poor guy has stared out the window. I wish I could take him for a very long walk today but, alas, my client requires my presence 40 km away.

While I'm working out here in Kyiv (actually Oak Brook, Ill.), Parker has to stay for hours on end in his crate. I feel bad about him being alone for so long (even though he gets walked around 1pm), but let's review why he's in a crate:

P-Dogg and I had a ball yesterday:

Share and enjoy:

• "Get Fuzzy" with a timely strip. (The record this season is 4-6, which puts them in last place.)
• From reader MB, a look at what your desktop icons do at night.
• Why "Everybody Hates Don Imus" (sub.req.) from New York Times columnist Frank Rich.

And also from reader MB, some bumper stickers we'd like to see:

• Even Nixon Resigned
• We Need a President Who's Fluent In At Least One Language
• The Republican Party: Our Bridge to the 11th Century

The U.S. Olympic Committee has announced that Chicago will represent the U.S. in the competition to host the Olympic Games in 2016. Since the entire world universally loves the U.S. right now, I am certain today's announcement means Chicago is hosting the Olympics. Just not in 2016.

The vet just called: Since Parker's condition has, um, firmed up, he can now go back day care again.

Sometimes I catch Parker looking straight at the ParkerCam, and I wonder: what does he see?

I'm still schlepping out to Kishinev (near Kyiv) every morning, so again all I have to offer is the dog walker's message from yesterday: "No business, but he's back to his usual self. #2: No. Treat." Simple, concise, nicely encapsulating my dog's afternoon.

Also, I've made a minor configuration change to the ParkerCam. A problem with the upload process had caused it to blank out occasionally; I've now fixed that. Enjoy.

In lieu of a photo, just a note from the dog walking service: "Wow, what a crappy day. Parker didn't mind a bit. #2: No."

I suppose this route would get me from Chicago to London. It just seems inconvenient. (Thanks to reader RB.)

I was about to open a bag of peanuts, but I hesitated. Apparently (assuming the warning message on the bag is credible), the "product was manufactured in a facility where peanuts...are used..."

Well, blow me down, Popeye. Forget those nuts. I'll just have to stay hungry.

All right, I admit, sometimes I really hate Chicago's weather. Parker, who has never experienced a really hot Chicago summer (though he probably experienced some serious heat on the farm near his birthplace in Carbondale, Ill.), seems to enjoy it: