Monday, December 13, 2021

Day 4372

It was a normal Monday. We got up early, took Dawn on a sunrise walk, I ate my breakfast, and then took my own longer walk. The weather was a little warmer  today so I didn't have to change clothes as the sun got higher like I did yesterday. I has a leftover Santa Paws donut with my breakfast this morning and wondered how people can eat these things on a regular basis. There is an insane amount of sugar in a regular glazed donut.

The park has turned into a construction zone. You'd think they were building a new freeway instead of a trail by the amount of activity I'm seeing. It's going to be this way until next Summer, so walking options for Dawn are a bit limited now. I don't think Dawn minds. There is no construction near her favorite one mile loop. Janet has done an amazing job with Dawn at their Wednesday training class. She's starting to act like a well behaved dog now.

My feet gave me a lot of trouble on my long walk this morning but I managed to complete five miles. I've tried Biofreeze and Voltaren for pain, but neither makes much of a difference. Maybe it's just time for new shoes again. Despite the foot pain, it was a nice day for a walk. The weather was crisp and cool, but not freezing and windy like it was yesterday. All the ducks and geese were in their proper places too. I do like consistency.

When I returned home we went up to visit Charlie and Oliver at the kennel. Both dogs were full of energy today and we played for a long time. Oliver seems to be getting more mature. He loves to fetch things and bring them back to you. He is even learning to release the toys so we can throw them again. Charlie is a little different. When you throw a toy for Charlie, he wants to thrash and kill it. To get Charlie to release a ball or toy you just throw another. He has a short span of attention and is easily distracted. We washed Janet's car at a car wash next to the kennel on the way home. I was surprised at the price of a car wash now. It seems to have doubled since I've taken my own car through a car wash. 

I was planning to pick up my FedEx package on our way home from the kennel, but it still isn't ready yet. I think this further delay might have been my fault. When I put a one day vacation hold on the delivery, I thought it would only apply to home deliveries. Apparently the package doesn't go anywhere during a vacation hold. It's still sitting at the main FedEx receiving warehouse. 

I guess it doesn't really matter when I get this little star tracker. I'm hearing on the Kickstarter support group that most people who received early shipments haven't been able to use them yet. There is nothing wrong with the product itself, the the app on your phone that controls the tracker is still full of bugs. I have a feeling that the lower price Kickstarter backers were able to get on this innovative product is because we are really just product testers. The company is using our feedback to refine the product for retail sale. By the time I eventually get a chance to use this thing under a dark sky, I'm sure all the bugs will be gone.

Tomorrow I have an appointment to see the dermatologist. This is the last of my annual appointments, although I still need to see the dentist toward the end of the year. I have to have these annual visits to make sure that my Actinic Keratosis doesn't turn into squamous cell skin cancer. This type of Keratosis is caused by caused by ultraviolet damage to the skin. It is very common. I guess I should have worn sun screen or at least worn a hat when I was younger. I'll be glad when I can check all these doctor visits off my list. I'm getting tired of going to the doctor.

Hopefully, I will finally be able to pick up my FedEx package tomorrow. I may not be able to use it for a while, but it's been a long time since I initially backed this Kickstarter project. I'm very curious to see if it works.