Hi Albea:
You aren't alone in being excentric, we are also retired and we try to take our two Schnauzers everywhere we go. If we can't,
I'm a little paranoid about leaving them in the house just in case there is a fire. We live in a old (according to California standards) house. If we have to leave them home, we put them in an enclosed patio which has two dog houses. We also have a sticker on our front window that says "Pets Inside"
"2 Dogs" for safety.
So no, you are not alone in your thinking thats for sure. We have lived in our house for 40 years