Day 3808

I got the oil changed in my car today. I basically just wanted to get the irritating "service required" light on the dash turned off, but the oil hasn't been changed in over a year so it was probably time. The dealership said that an oil change didn't count as "service" so they couldn't turn the light off. I told them that at the prices they were charging, it damn well better count as service. I got my way. I've been a customer of this dealership for long enough to know that service representatives come and go, but in the end the customer is always right.

While I was waiting for the service to be completed, I took a look at the new Defender that had just arrived at the dealership. I've been waiting to see these ever since I sold my Defender 90 quite a few years ago. This iconic model got delayed again and again and went through many design changes along the way. I was disappointed that the new Defender has lost the boxy, hand assembled look of my former car, but I had to admit that the updated version looked a lot better than the pictures I'd seen on the Internet.

Will I get another Land Rover after being overcharged for service for over twenty years? Who knows. The car I was looking at wasn't even for sale. It was just a dealership demo and there won't be any Defenders available for sale until later in the year. The short wheelbase model like my former Defender won't make it's debut until 2021. There's certainly no hurry to get another car. I can't think of many reasons to buy another Land Rover either. If I wanted a practical car for West Texas I should just buy a Ford. That's about all I saw when I was out at the observatory. If I want to be really practical, I don't need a new car at all. It seems to work pretty well to just rent cars when I travel.

Dawn's new collar came today. We got her a hand beaded collar made by the Maasai tribe in Kenya, just like the ones Dot and Dash used to wear. When one of our dogs goes to the Rainbow Bridge, their collar is retired and placed in the cedar box with their ashes. Hey, everyone has traditions with their pets and this is one of ours. The Maasai collars are works of art and last a lifetime. Dawn seemed to know hers was special. She was excited and kept wagging her tail while we were fitting her tags to the new collar and seemed proud to wear it. Who knows what dogs really think though. She probably just liked all the attention.

I think my Spring allergies are finally coming to an end. I can take a walk without watering eyes or constant sneezing again. This was one of the longest allergy seasons on record. It's also one of the wettest Springs I can remember. Hopefully the seasonal allergies don't return until next year. They've really been a nuisance. This is definitely not a time when you want to be sneezing constantly.

I'm beginning to think that my application for media accreditation from the Air Force got lost, just like the manuscripts that I used to send to Sky and Telescope. I still haven't heard from them. For some reason mail coming from my hosting account occasionally gets classified as spam by other mail servers and never gets delivered. It's weird that a big company like Bluehost gets classified as a spammer, but it happens occasionally. I have to use an alternate e-mail account to communicate with the University of Texas and with Sky and Telescope. Maybe this has happened with the Air Force as well. I should have heard something from them by now.

Now that I've gotten my oil changed, the only thing left on my list is getting a haircut. The salons are open again so maybe I'll make an appointment. I can't live under a rock forever.

Sam is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day