Day 3672

The Dalmatians were in fine form today. Hank seems back to normal. Lord and Sock have learned how to play. They both love soft plush toys. I've never seen Lord this playful before. Dawn and Lake both give you a big smile when you approach them. Best of all, Larry was very calm and rode well in the car when we took him to the vet. None of these dogs have spent much time riding in cars. Some are calm like Larry. Others bark constantly. And one or two have gotten car sick and thrown up on me. All Larry needed today was a booster shot and we were back at the kennel in thirty minutes for a little more play time. These dogs seem better socialized every time we see them. Sock and Dawn have potential adopters looking at them now. It's only a matter of time before they all find good homes.

I received a notice from NASA saying that SpaceFlight Magazine has verified my request for media credentials and that I have passed the security check. Does this mean that I'm a member of the working press? Not quite yet. NASA still has to approve the completed application. I noticed that the clearance for traditional media lasts longer than the one for social media. Social media gets two days at the space center and traditional media gets a week. It would be weird if I manage to get credentials for both on the upcoming Solar Orbiter launch. In the long run I think a real press pass would be more valuable than social media credentials. I could be wrong though. Social media might actually be more important to NASA these days. Either way, I'm slowly but surely establishing my credentials. This won't be the last launch I'll be attending.

I'm still trying to get back in touch with Sky and Telescope. I received a really encouraging letter back in October after submitting my initial article but since then it's been crickets. Does my contact even work for the magazine anymore? Have they decided that they're not interested in the observatory after all? It would be nice to get some answers.

It would be nice to get some answers about the house too. I'm not having much luck here either. I struck out with the sliding glass door company. I learned today that their telephone has been disconnected. This is a pretty sure sign that the company has gone out of business. The one roofer who hasn't completed his bid still isn't able to give me a price. He says that the framer he wants to use to add a pitch to the roof is still too busy and wants me to wait another month or so. The tree guy wants to postpone things too. I'd be really mad at these developments if I wasn't a procrastinator myself.

We're spending longer at the kennel now, so I wasn't able to take my full walk when we returned home. No great loss. I was on my feet most of the time at the kennel. I still managed to get 14,000 steps on an abbreviated walk before it got dark. I was surprised at how cold it felt today. Just looking at a thermometer won't give you the whole story. If it's damp or windy outside it will always feel a lot colder.

It doesn't look like a particularly busy week. The only thing still on my agenda is getting a haircut. Oops. I forgot about the leaves. We've still got to move all the big bags of leaves out to the street as bulky trash day approaches.

Taylor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day