Sunday, January 19, 2020

Day 3678

Another 20,000 step Sunday. Before starting a long day on the move, I sat still for a while and watched the Space X Crew Dragon launch abort test on my computer. Everything went well on the test and it looks like the next time the Crew Dragon capsule launches, there'll be astronauts onboard.

When I went to the gym a few hours later, things didn't go quite so well on the basketball court. I was terrible today. I can't figure out why I'm not completely consistent by now. I've been shooting free throws on this court for years. Some days I sink baskets routinely and other days I can't seem to hit anything. I'm not very consistent about sleep either. You'd think I'd be able to sleep eight hours every night. My days aren't very stressful and I have no reason to get up early. Sleep is very inconsistent though. Some days are good and other days aren't for reasons that are still unknown to me. Have I mentioned that I like consistency?

I definitely wish that cars were consistently reliable. It doesn't matter what kind of car you have. Things always break when you least expect it. I still can't decide whether to take my own car to the Davis Mountains this Spring. It would be more convenient and less expensive than renting a car as long as nothing breaks. If something does go wrong, it will be a nightmare. There is no Land Rover service for hundreds of miles. I thought that there might be some independent garages in the area who could work on my car. A Google search today didn't do much to fill me with confidence. Mostly what I found were horror stories from people who had car problems while on vacation in Big Bend. I guess there's a reason I saw very few imported cars while Janet and I were out at the observatory last Fall.

I think everyone in town was walking their dog today. There must have been hundreds of dogs in the park this afternoon. It was still chilly outside, but it was a perfect day for a walk. Most of the dogs were very well behaved. I think they appreciated the chance to be outside on a crisp, clear January afternoon. I can remember so many times when the weather was much worse than this in January. It's kind of nice to have a mild winter.

I did go to REI today but wasn't very impressed by the stuff on clearance. I guess there's a reason why things wind up on the clearance racks. Coats just aren't as well made as they used to be. I think my best bet is just to have my old Eddie Bauer Alaska coat dry cleaned and wear that on the mountain. I could wear that coat at the South Pole. I might not be able to move, but I definitely will be warm.

Tomorrow we visit the Dalmatians again. When I was working, I always used to hate Mondays. Now, this has turned out to be my favorite day of the week. These are all such great dogs. It's nice to have a chance to get to know each of them a little better.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day
Watch of the Day