Day 4221

It was a typical July day. The sky was filled with white puffy clouds. The constant sound of cicadas was punctuated by the sound of yard crews with leaf blowers. The humidity wasn't opressive, but you knew you were in Texas and not Nevada. There is a laziness to mid-summer days that makes it hard to do anything substantial. I mostly just try to get through the day.

We can't figure out what is going on with Dawn's paws. She doesn't appear to be in any discomfort, but she licks them constantly now. This is new, but there is nothing new in Dawn's diet or daily routine. If allergies were causing this, you'd think we would have noticed this behavior earlier. The grass and plants in the yard and park have always been the same, so we don't think this is the problem. We haven't changed detergents or household cleaners. Dawn's meds haven't changed and the lab report from her recent exam looked excellent. She's getting used to wearing protective socks around the house and this seems to temporarily stop the licking. It's kind of a dumb solution to what may be a serious problem, but it's all we've got for now.

The weather seemed a little cooler when we took Dawn for her sunrise walk, so I thought I'd take my long walk after breakfast instead of going back to the gym. Sometimes this is the only decision I make all day. To walk or not to walk. I should try to make more ambitious plans, but I can't think of why. There is an abundance of time in retirement. You just need to make your plans modest, because there isn't always enough money.

I still can't figure out why an hour at the gym is still more tiring than a two hour walk. I walk up and down hills and my Fitbit says I'm burning a lot more calories on my walk than I do at the gym. The gym is still tiring though. I think this is because I basically find going to the gym boring. I constantly daydream on my walks, while I just count laps and the number of repetitions I'm doing at the gym. Something about being outdoors triggers memories. I seldom think about anything at all while I'm at the gym.

I used to buy things or at least window shop when I was bored. There were several independent camera stores where I liked to hang out. There were two telescope stores in town at one point. My model train collection started at three eclectic little stores that sold nothing but model trains. Even computer stores had more personality back in the day. All these stores are long gone now. What's the point of going to a Best Buy or a giant shopping mall? I always hated joining clubs, but I did like to hang out at little stores with like minded people.

The park was pretty empty today. You can tell that people are returning to work and that the pandemic is basically over in Dallas. Maybe it's just the summer heat that keeps people away, but there were a lot more people in the park last July when everything was shut down. Did all the restrictions really make any difference, or was the pandemic more like a wildfire that would have run its course whatever we did? I have mixed feeling on this. I do tend to think that humans like to think they have more influence over natural events than they actually do.

This week has gone quickly. The week's trash has been taken out to the curb again and I'm already thinking about the weekend. I'm pretty sure it will be the same as last weekend.

Lizzy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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