Saturday, September 18, 2021

Day 4286

Life is back to normal. I feel good and have resumed all my regular activities. Life without a gallbladder is fine. The big black and blue patch on my stomach has finally faded away and it's OK to lift things again. My heart rate, blood pressure, and Fitpit stats have all returned to their normal ranges. It's kind of amazing to watch the body heal itself.

I did my grocery shopping this morning, but didn't go to the gym. Maybe I should have. By the time I got around to taking my long walk it had gotten pretty hot. Our early morning walk with Dawn was great though. Just as Janet and I both expected, Dawn resumed her normal walking schedule as soon as I returned from Florida.

I got a message from my editor this morning saying that he likes my Inspiration 4 article and that it will run in the November issue. He made a few more changes than I would have liked, but that's life. I'm happy that I can continue writing for SpaceFlight Magazine. Now that the crew has safely returned to earth, I suspect that the magazine will change the article's conclusion a bit. I thought everything would end well, but I couldn't say it, because it hadn't happened yet. Maybe I should have waited one more day to finish the article. This Space X mission continues to amaze me. I watched the live stream of the splash down this evening and everything went perfectly.

While I was shopping this morning I noticed that the stores were full of pumpkins and Halloween candy. I even saw artificial Christmas trees in one store. Covid might not be over yet, but it's pretty clear that business and most customers are ready to turn the page and move on. Maybe this is why people are still getting sick.

The water level in the lake is getting really low. This happens almost every year, but it is surprising since we had such a wet Spring and early Summer. Dry weather is fine by me. I don't have to worry about roof leaks or mow the grass as often. Somehow I think Dallas is in the sweet spot between the dangerous dry weather wildfires out west and the impossible humidity of Florida and the Gulf Coast. I've lived a lot of places, but Texas seems just about right. I think I'll stay.

I've noticed that most of my space photographer friends are quick to post all their pictures on Facebook and Instagram. I wonder why I have no desire to do this myself? I took a lot of nice pictures of the Inspiration 4 launch, but after sending a selection to the magazine, I don't even feel like looking at them again. I've felt this way on all the launches I've attended. It's pretty much the same for astrophotography out at the observatory as well. The last thing I want is for something to go viral. Maybe this is why I continue blogging. Nobody reads blogs anymore. I feel like I'm writing for about ten people. That's OK though. The blog was popular many years ago and I think I'm happier now that I'm more or less invisible.

Now that it's finally starting to get a little cooler, our Sunday outing with Dawn will be more enjoyable. I'm feeling like I can keep up with Dawn and Janet this week. Last Sunday I was packing for my trip to Florida and this Sunday the trip is just a memory. Time flies by at an alarming rate. What's the hurry. The closer I get to the finish line, the more I wish that time would slow down a bit.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day


Watch of the Day