Day 4633

I said goodbye to Florida today. I still have mixed feelings about missing the launch, but I don't think I had much of a choice. When the Artemis team moved the second launch attempt from Friday to Saturday afternoon I lost my Airbnb because my host had new guests arriving. 

Truthfully, they weren't wild about me even staying until Friday because they need to clean between guests. I promised to check out super early. I was going to check out before the Friday attempt and then drive straight to the airport afterwards. 

Since the launch is now scheduled to take place on Labor Day weekend, there are no hotels either. Lots of people are traveling. The hotel situation definitely hasn't gotten better since Monday's launch attempt. The guests may have changed but the hotels are still booked solid. I didn't think sleeping in the rent car was a good option. It gets quite expensive to spend this much time away as well. Too bad I can't find a magazine that pays my travel expenses.

I enjoyed returning to the space center, but I didn't really feel like I belonged with the journalist crowd. Usually I just hang out with the local rocket photographers when I'm attending a launch. The national reporters and journalists who came down for this high profile launch were from a completely different world. It was a world I had little interest in joining.

Maybe I'll see a future Artemis launch if they can ever get this one off the ground. Yesterday's readiness briefing didn't give me a lot of confidence. The launch team was going to tweak a few things but were basically going to go through exactly the same procedures they attempted on Monday while hoping for better results. If they succeed this time, I'm going to regret my decision to return home. Did I make a mistake? Hey, quite a few people I met this week actually did sleep in their car. 

I did enjoy my Airbnb experience. My hosts were extremely nice, the place was spotless and was located in a nice quiet neighborhood. It made the Holiday Inn I used to stay at look pretty shabby. After I checked out this morning, I drove to Orlando, returned my rent car, and followed my normal airport routine. I got a banana and strawberry smoothie at the food court and then got my 10,000 steps for the day walking up and down the concourse. You can learn a lot about America by spending time at an airport. We are definitely overweight as a nation. The only skinny people I saw were from other countries. We are also an affluent country. There were lots of people taking their entire family to Disneyworld. If you've got four or five kids, that's an expensive vacation. There are a lot more wheelchairs in airports these days. When did this change? Do these wheelchairs mean that the country is getting sicker, or that the disabled are regaining their mobility? Probably a little bit of both.

Dawn was glad to see me when I returned home. She did well at training class tonight too and came home with another blue ribbon. Tomorrow she gets her teeth cleaned. We take her to the vet right after her morning walk. I'm tired. I'll unpack tomorrow, maybe start to write my article and keep wondering why I came home so early.

Domino is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4632

The launch has been rescheduled for Saturday afternoon. This wasn't even one of the three original launch opportunities, so this new date came as a surprise to many. It certainly came as a surprise to me. Some of the local photographers liked the idea of a weekend launch because they wouldn't have to miss work. For the out-of-town folks it complicated travel arrangements even further. After listening to the readiness review teleconference this evening, I reluctantly decided to cut my losses and come home tomorrow. 

There is already a 60% chance that the Saturday launch attempt will be canceled because of a weather violation. It almost always rains during the middle of the day in this part of Florida. It didn't really feel like they had solved the problem either. The launch team felt like the problem with engine 3 was caused by a bad sensor, but they didn't want to roll the rocket back to the Vertical Assembly Building so they could remove and examine the sensor. They kept saying that they felt the system was working because their data showed that liquid hydrogen was flowing at the proper rate to engine 3. I'm no rocket scientist, but it sure seemed like they were just guessing at some of these things.

I suspect the real reason I decided to return to Dallas tomorrow was when the launch director said that the Saturday launch date was still subject to a final readiness review to be held at some uncertain time between now and Saturday. There's a good chance that they'll decide that Saturday no longer looks good while I'm sitting down here waiting. At this evening's teleconference, someone on the launch team mentioned that it wasn't a big deal if they missed the Saturday launch window because they could turn things around in 48 hours and try again on Monday. Maybe the people on expense accounts from The New York Times and National Geographic can afford to stay down here forever, but I don't have that luxury.

Truthfully, I'm ready to come home. I'm getting eaten alive by mosquitos and there isn't much to do while waiting for another launch attempt. I went out to the Press Site again today and the place was virtually empty. There was no traffic on the roads either. What a difference a day makes. I'm even starting to feel weird on my evening walks through the neighborhood. Dogs bark at me and I occasionally set off alarm systems as I walk past people's houses. The entire neighborhood seems empty. This definitely isn't a place where people take walks. I have a feeling that I am being watched through venetian blinds though. 

This trip feels a lot like one of those trips out to McDonald Observatory where I drive all day only to discover clouds or rain at my destination. I knew from the beginning that there were no guaranties that this launch would take place on schedule. I was hoping that it would though. I think everyone was hoping that the Monday attempt would be successful.

I'm fairly certain that Artemis will launch eventually. It might even happen on Saturday. I'm not so sure the program will survive though. The Space Launch System is already obsolete and the entire program is hugely over budget and years behind schedule. I'd still like to see this thing launch though. Maybe someday. For now I'm going to cut my losses and head back home.

Tessa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4631

Bummer. Today's launch scrubbed with only 40 minutes left on the clock. There were lots of problems this morning but the engineering team was able to resolve most of them. The problem that shut down the launch was that one of the four main engines wasn't able to pre-chill properly during the engine bleed proceedure. The other three engines were fine, but you need all four to launch. Evidently these engines have to be super cold prior to launch so the liquid oxygen and hydrogen will flow through them. Pre-chilling the engines with liquid hydrogen prior to launch is very important.

I'm hoping that the engineering team can resolve the problem in time for a second attempt on Friday, but there are no promises. Nobody know what caused the problem yet. If they can't fix the rocket out on the pad, they will have to roll it back to the Vertical Assembly Building again. This could put the launch weeks or even months behind schedule. There will be a briefing tomorrow evening that hopefully will provide some answers.

I decided to stay an extra day to see if the launch team can make a decision about how to proceed tomorrow. I can't stay down here forever, but I'd hate to fly home and then discover that the launch was successful on Friday. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised at what happened today. This is a new rocket and scrubs are quite common for any number of reasons. I overheard one of the astronauts tell someone that his Space Shuttle flight was s scrubbed four different times before it eventually got off the ground.

There were more people at the press site this morning than I've ever seen before. They all disappeared quickly after the launch got scrubbed though. I hung around for the rest of the morning hoping to hear something about rescheduling the launch. There was a final press conference where the NASA officials basically said to stay tuned because they didn't know what went wrong yet. I could have asked a question myself, but didn't. The reporters who did ask questions pretty much covered all the bases anyway. I went and had lunch at the space center cafeteria before heading back to Titusville, and was surprised to see an astronaut sitting at the next table. There was a lot of disappointment in the air this morning but nobody seemed terrible surprised that the launch got scrubbed. 

I drove over to the Canaveral National Seashore before returning to my Airbnb. It is very pretty out there but the mosquitos were biting and it was getting hot. I took a few more pictures and called a day. It took a while to reschedule my flight, car rental, and Airbnb, but I'm all set now. We'll just have to see whether I'm staying one more day or four more days. If the launch gets delayed any longer than this, I'm out of luck.

I have no idea what I'll end up doing tomorrow, but it probably won't involve going back to the press site. I doubt that much is happening out there tomorrow. The press conference tomorrow is virtual and I'll need to call in to find out what the Artemis team has decided about rescheduling the launch.

I think it's time to call it a day. I haven't been getting a lot of sleep lately and I'm feeling tired. Maybe I'll just get some rest tomorrow. I'm still really disappointed that the launch didn't take place today, but hopefully I'll still be able to see Artemis fly when all the problems get sorted out. Eventually this rocket will get us back to the moon, but maybe not as soon as I'd hoped.

Duke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4630

I ended up seeing the Space X Starlink launch last night. It was still raining when I drove to the Press Site. There weren't a lot of people setting up cameras and most of them thought that the launch would get scrubbed. It did get delayed, but eventually the skies started to clear and the launch took place around 11:41 PM. I'm glad I stayed optimistic and didn't drive back to town. It was another spectacular launch. Unfortunately, I didn't get any good pictures. The remote shutter release I use locked up just before the launch and I didn't have time to reboot everything. It's no great loss though. I already have plenty of pictures of Falcon 9 rockets launching at night.

I spent a lot of time today trying to figure out what went wrong so it won't happen again when the Artemis rocket launches tomorrow morning. I suspect the problem was user error. It's really hard to see the camera controls in the dark and sometimes I press the wrong buttons by mistake. At least tomorrow morning the skies will be getting brighter as we approach launch time.

My interviews didn't go well today. Basically, I didn't get any interviews. The Italian astronaut had a flight delay and couldn't make his Sunday morning interviews. The German astronaut decided at the last minute to skip his last interviews of the day and go on a tour of a NASA clean room facility instead. It's just as well. I never look forward to interviews because I don't think I'm very good at it. I do much better as a fly on the wall, just quietly observing things and sharing my thoughts.

The journalists who were doing interviews were having a feeding frenzy. On air media people seem pretty aggressive. They all have deadlines to meet or are on the air live and don't have time for slow moving people like me. I saw some of them even filming other people's interviews. I actually learned a lot by just wandering around and listening to other journalists interview people. I don't think I'm cut out to be a broadcast journalist. I forgot to pack two of journalism's most important tools: a pen and a notebook. I didn't even take a recorder, although I guess I could have used my phone to record an interview. Before my astronauts canceled out on me, I was looking everywhere for a ballpoint pen. There were lots of free hats, but no pens. 

I've been eating at my Airbnb instead of going to restaurants. Every day I stop at a grocery store on my way back from the space center and pick up a few things. I've discovered single serve cereal packages where you just pour milk in the little plastic cup the cereal is packaged in. I thought about getting single serve beer and soft drinks but they are much more expensive than getting a six pack. Anything with organic on the label is more expensive too. I don't want a lot of food left over when I leave, but I still don't know how long I'm going to stay. It all depends on what happens tomorrow morning.

I think I like staying at an Airbnb. The house I'm staying at is located in a nice quiet residential neighborhood. I took my daily walk through the neighborhood this afternoon and kept thinking that this would be a nice place to live. Titusville is a pleasant little town. There are lots of retired people and many of the younger ones work for NASA. Actually my Airbnb host is an engineer on the Orion program. I met he and his wife today and it looks like we'll both be heading to the space center in the middle of the night for tomorrow's launch.

I really hope that this launch goes off on schedule. This mission is so complicated that it seems like a miracle to me if everything works as planned. Ill just be watching tomorrow, but some of the people I've met down here have spent their entire careers working on Artemis or the Orion capsule. Good luck guys.  I hope your efforts are successful.

Mandy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4629

I made it to Kennedy Space Center. So far, so good. My flight was on time. I managed to find a rental car with GPS. I got my press credentials and checked into my Airbnb. Now all I've got to do is wait for the rain to stop. The weather's not looking good, but hopefully it will improve by Monday morning.

I wasn't looking forward to such an early flight this morning, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. There were no crowds at the terminal and the plane was only half full. I went through the TSA line in record time. Love Field has really improved the way you go through security. You don't have to take your computer or liquids out of your bag anymore. You don't need to remove belts or watches either. The whole process is much faster now. I wish all airports would upgrade their equipment like this. The Orlando airport is still impossibly slow.

The Airbnb is a lot different than a hotel. It's basically a small apartment with a full kitchen. I could cook all my meals here if I wanted. There are pots and pans to cook with and plenty of dishes. I went to a nearby grocery store and got some things for breakfast. I'll just eat cereal like I usually do. This seems a lot easier than looking for a restaurant every morning. The place is clean and in a very convenient location. Who knows. I may become a believer in this type of travel. Airbnb definitely offers some real advantages.

There is a Space X Starlink launch scheduled for tonight. The weather doesn't look good and the launch is very late, but I think I'll go out to the press site anyway and see if I can get some pictures. Space X has been known to launch in less than optimal weather before, so if the rain stops before launch time there's a good chance the launch will take place. It's hard to pass up a chance to see two launches in a single trip, so I'll give it a shot even though things look 50/50 at this point.

One of my astronaut interviews got canceled tomorrow. The Italian astronaut had a flight delay and won't be here in time for the interview. I think the interview with the German astronaut is still on though. I wish I'd signed up to set remote cameras. This was going to take place on Friday before I arrived, but there was a thunderstorm and everything got postponed. Now there is a bus taking photographers to the pad tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, it's too late for me to sign up. I'm not sure I could go anyway, since I don't have any remote cameras to set. Space X often lets me ride on the bus and take pictures even if I don't place any remote cameras. NASA is more strict about this though. If you don't have remote cameras to place, they usually won't let you on the bus.

Dot has been gone for quite a while, but it would have been her birthday today. We had great birthday parties for Dot and Dash. We'll have to continue this tradition with Dawn. I remember that I even took a cake decorating class once just so we could make elaborate birthday cakes for the dogs. I don't think either of us has that much energy anymore, but Dawn definitely deserves something special.

I'm going to post this early tonight because I don't feel like blogging after a late night launch. I'd much rather get a little sleep. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4628

I'm feeling a little more organized now. I'm almost packed and am starting my blog post early this evening in hopes of getting some sleep tonight. I'm really terrible about travel planning. I procrastinate. I can never decide what to take. And I always end up forgetting something important. I've finally learned to always take a raincoat and spare batteries, but there's always something that gets overlooked. In the past I've forgotten toothpaste, cables to recharge my phone, and insect repellant. You'd think this would be a piece of cake by now. I've been to Titusville many times before. It always seems like a totally new experience though. I enjoy attending rocket launches. I just hate to travel.

Packing aside, it was just a normal Friday. Dawn got a nice sunrise walk. I picked up a prescription at the pharmacy, And I took my long walk in the park. The weather was warmer today, but it was too much trouble to go to the gym. There is little evidence that we had a record rainfall last week. The ground was so dry that it immediately sucked all the water up. When the ground is wet, some of the meadows in the park stay waterlogged for weeks after a big rain. This time was different. The ground is already dry again.

So far, my Airbnb experience has been good. My hosts have been very responsive and have answered all my questions. I can't say the same for hotels I've stayed in. I've arrived at destinations where they totally lost my reservation and I was left wondering if I had a place to stay for the night. There have even been mixups at the Astronomers Lodge, which is one of my favorite places. We'll see what happens this time. I hope I like staying at an Airbnb. If it works out, I may do this again.

The weather still looks iffy for the launch. Of course the weather is always iffy in Florida. You've got to take an afternoon shower in stride. I've driven from Titusville to the space center in heavy rain only to have the skies clear and the launch take place right on schedule. Let's just hope that everything works out. Somehow it usually does. I'd really hate to make this long trip for nothing.

There's a Space X launch tomorrow night, but I'm not sure if my Artemis credentials will get me in. The launch is so late that the Press Site might be closed. I guess I'll find out when I get there. The Artemis-1 launch is so different than others I've attended that I really don't know what to expect. It's pretty safe to expect crowds. I've been warned about large crowds again and again in NASA messages. They tell me now that to avoid traffic delays I should be at the Press Site by 2 AM on Monday morning. The launch doesn't take place until 6:33 AM. The Space X launch tomorrow night takes place somewhere between 10:30 PM and midnight. Am I ever going to get any sleep? 

I probably won't get a lot of sleep tonight since my flight leaves very early in the morning. I have a feeling that I'm getting too old for this, but I'll give it my best shot. Hopefully, I'll get a burst of energy. There are a lot of interesting launches in the future and I"d hate to think that I'll miss them because I'm home taking naps with Dawn. Don't get me wrong. I love taking naps, but long naps don't make much of a story. There are still stories I need to write.

Cammy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4627

Today was uneventful. The weather was a bit warmer this morning, but it was still a welcome relief from the heat wave we were having just a few weeks ago. Maybe the worst of this summer is finally over. I could definitely live with no more hundred degree days this year.

I'm still making slow, steady progress getting ready for the trip to Kennedy Space Center. So far this mostly involves checking equipment and making sure that it works. I renewed a prescription that might run out during my stay, but I haven't gotten around to packing clothes yet. This usually doesn't take long. I travel light.

It was quiet during our sunrise walk with Dawn. Some days the park is empty on our early morning walks and other days there is lots of activity. I still haven't figured out what draws people to the park on specific days. There are a few people we see every single day. They are obviously on a schedule, just like we are.

I probably should have gone to the gym today, but I decided to take another long walk in the park. The outdoor walks aren't any easier on my feet, but they are more enjoyable. Today was humid, but it was still quite pleasant. 80 degree days are much nicer than 100 degree days. 

My Airbnb hosts told me that it would be OK to extend my stay if the Artemis rocket fails to launch on Monday. This was good news, but I'm still not sure if I would want to spend an entire week in Titusville just waiting for another launch attempt. Mostly it's the additional cost that bothers me. The magazine I write for doesn't pay any travel expenses and the bills add up quickly. I still can't decide whether I have a second career or an expensive hobby. I guess it doesn't really matter. I enjoy covering these rocket launches and in a world where joy is a rare commodity, I guess this counts for something.

Sometimes I envy the rocket photographers who actually live in Titusville. There are quite a few of them and many seem to be at every single launch. Would this get boring after a while? I'll probably never find out. It does feel like you are witnessing something important when you are at the space center. History is being made. The actual photography is just a task though. It isn't that different from photographing dogs or the night sky out in West Texas.

I told my magazine about the interviews I set up with the two European astronauts and my editor wants me to do an article about them as well. It's a good thing I enjoy writing. Print writers seem to be a dying breed. Almost everyone I've met out at the space center seems to have a podcast, works for a TV station, or has some connection with a website. There are very few writers.

I've already taken this week's trash out to the curb, which always marks the end of the week for me. I guess I'd better pack my bags tomorrow. I'm running out of time.

Pinky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4626

I made some progress with my travel plans today. I didn't make as much progress as I'd like but at least I've checked a few more things off my list. I'm not a great traveler. I procrastinate. I overthink things. I concentrate on cameras and computers and forget to take the clothes I need. I'm sure I'll be ready in time, but I'm equally sure that I'll forget something important.

We had a nice cool day again today. There was a beautiful sunrise on our early walk with Dawn and the park was pleasantly quiet. Dawn really loves these sunrise walks. I'd prefer to sleep in a little longer, but the walks do help to wake me up. I'm usually ready to start the day when we return to the house.

It was cool enough to take another long walk in the park after breakfast. I don't think summer is over yet, but it's great to get some relief from the constant string of 100 degree days we've been having. It kind of irritates me that my Fitbit doesn't think I'm exercising enough when I take these long walks. It doesn't think you've had a real workout unless your heart rate becomes elevated. I walk at a nice steady pace and my heart rate is very low. Who cares what Fitbit thinks. I think I'm doing pretty good to walk six miles a day.

I printed out all the documents and maps I think I'll need for the Florida trip and put them in a manilla folder. I do this every time I travel. Most of this information is available on my computer or phone, but it seems so much easier to just pull a piece of paper out of my folder. I did add the Airbnb app to my phone though and saved my destination in Google maps. I need to remember to copy the NASA e-mails to my laptop. I may need those as well.

I got another message today saying to arrive very early for the launch and any pre-launch activities. These messages always end with a disclaimer saying that NASA can't be responsible for journalists missing an event because of bad traffic or congestion on the roads. They are still expecting huge crowds for this event. Now there is a chance of rain in the forecast as well. I read an article yesterday about all the hundreds of things that could go wrong with the Artemis rocket from now until the launch. It didn't sound promising. It will be a miracle if this launch takes place on schedule. The only thing that would guarantee a perfect launch is if I wasn't there. I can't take that chance, so I'll go. I'll probably stay up all night on launch day, get eaten alive by mosquitos, and end up watching the launch get scrubbed at the last minute by an unexpected morning thunderstorm.

I wish I could be more positive about this trip, but I'm not very positive about anything lately. Traveling makes me nervous, but I usually end up being glad I went. Let's hope this continues. I don't want to end up being one of those old people who never leaves the house. Dawn didn't win any ribbons at training class tonight, but Janet said she did well. Tomorrow we'll take another sunrise walk and I'll continue getting a little closer to being ready for my flight. I'm so slow these days, but luckily I still manage to reach the finish line.

Hero is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4625

We got more rain overnight, but it was over by morning. Dawn was able to get her sunrise walk and the temperature was nice and cool. I was surprised that the water level in the lake looked normal even though we've had an enormous amount of rain in the past few days. We must have timed things right this morning because we encountered no bicycles and very few runners. We did see a lot of ducks though. I wish every morning was like this. It was a very pleasant walk.

Since the weather was so nice, I decided to take a walk in the park instead of going to the gym. I left the house right after breakfast because I knew how quickly the weather could change if the sun came out. It was heavily overcast and there was a light mist, but even that was nice. It seemed like a treat to be able to walk without immediately getting hot and sweaty. It was surprising how quickly the meadows have turned green again after a few days of rain. There was very little standing water though. The ground was so dry that it probably immediately just absorbed all the water.

I was determined to get something done today. After a light lunch I went to the T-Mobile store and tried to update my non-functional Internet hotspot. The little hotspot quit working about a month ago because it was very old and still used 3G for connectivity. The phone company warned me that the unit was obsolete and would quit working when they pulled the plug on their 3G network. I've been avoiding having yet another expense, but I hate to travel without an Internet hotspot. The hotspot has been great when there are power outages at the house as well. 

The new 5G hotspot is a little bigger than my old companion but it still fits in my pocket. It took a lot longer for the T-Mobile guys to get me hooked up than I though, but everything is working now. It took a long time for them to find my account because they look for a phone number to find your records. The old hotspot has a phone number but I had no idea what it was. I just turn it on and connect whatever device I want to use to the hotspot WiFi. Eventually they found my account by taking out the SIM card and using the SIM card ID to find my account. Oddly the new hotspot uses the same phone number as the old one. The guys told me to write this number down in case I need it in the future.

On the way home I stopped at Home Depot and got a new extension cord so I could get the second pump on the roof working again. I got a heavier gage cord this time because maybe the old cord was too light to handle the pump's amperage. The heavier the cord, the more expensive it is. It's probably directly related to the price of copper. There was a display of electrical wire next to the extension cords and I was amazed at how expensive copper wire has become. I don't know why I was surprised. Everything is a lot more expensive now.

Hopefully I won't need to climb up on the roof again for a while. Both pumps are working now. It's amazing that doing one or two things can use up an entire day. Tomorrow I'll try to check a few more things off my list. The Artemis rocket is waiting for me and I've still got a lot to do.

Mickey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4624

What a lot of rain. It rained more in one day than it has during the entire summer. I think we got over ten inches today. This wasn't a gentle rain either. It was a downpour. Not surprisingly, the roof leaked. I put a bucket under the leak before I went to bed last night but I underestimated how fast the water was dripping. When I woke up this morning the bucket had overflowed and the carpet in the office was soaked. Such a mess. I guess I should consider myself lucky that only one area in the house had a leak. It could have been worse.

Dawn didn't get a walk this morning. She got a trip to the vet instead. This visit was for lab work she needed before getting her teeth cleaned. Dawn is a healthy dog but she has a lot of anxiety. She definitely didn't like being at the vet. It's kind of embarrassing how she acts in the exam room. As soon as we returned home Dawn headed straight for the bedroom and took a long nap. I felt like doing the same, but I had lots to do.

After I finished breakfast I went up on the roof. This wasn't a pleasant job since it was still raining, but I needed to get the pump working. I also trimmed some of the low hanging branches on the pecan tree that were interfering with the pump. I don't know how much this will help, but at least I eliminated one source of problems. I didn't even bother to sweep the water off the roof since it was still raining. I must have done something right because eventually the leak in the office roof stopped. I still need to go buy a very long heavy duty extension cord so I can put the second pump back in operation. 

The combination of roof leaks and ants has made me totally disgusted with the house. The running toilet in the second bathroom doesn't help either. It's definitely time for a new roof. I've interviewed lots of roofing companies over the years and haven't really liked any of them. Companies that specialize in flat roofs tend to only want to do commercial work. Our house is too small for them to bother with. Everyone is too expensive. The problem with our house is that is has settled over the years and the roof no longer drains properly. There are always puddles and duck ponds on the roof after a big rain. Nobody seems to have a great solution for this problem.

Even though I hate to drive in the rain, I went to the gym this afternoon. I needed to get my steps. The gym was fairly empty today and was even colder than usual. I was terrible on the basketball court and slower than usual on the indoor track. Basically, I just felt tired. Trimming branches on the roof in the middle of a rainstorm was hard work this morning.

It didn't even get up to 80 degrees today. For the first time in months it's colder outside than it is inside. There's still a chance of rain tomorrow, but I don't see anything ominous on the weather radar. Who knows. We may even be able to take a sunrise walk with Dawn tomorrow morning. I don't think it is going to rain tonight but I'm going to leave the buckets out just in case. Be careful what you wish for. I've been wishing for rain for weeks, but this was too much.

Lance is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4623

You can learn a lot about society by walking around a shopping mall before the stores open. Cooking hasn't changed much. I see exactly the same Cuisinart food processers, Vitamix blenders, and Le Creuset cast iron pots in store windows as I did fifteen years ago. On the other hand, what people put on their feet has changed a lot. Everyone wears sneakers now. Even the mannequins in high-end men's stores show men wearing sneakers with suits. Every clothing store has some sort of sneaker in the window. That's all you see on the feet of people walking around too. Not a leather shoe in sight. 

The expensive boutiques still display clothes for impossibly skinny people, but middle of the road stores now proudly display larger sizes in their windows. There are even fat mannequins now. There must be a large market for purses. I counted at least a dozen stores that sold nothing but very expensive purses. Jewelry stores don't put jewelry in the windows anymore. There are just posters with pictures of jewelry. The Apple store has a policeman inside the store even when it is closed. Times have definitely changed. Truthfully, there is very little you actually need in most shopping malls. You get that stuff at Walmart.

We got more rain today. I knew the rain was coming so I went up on the roof and fixed the pumps. A low hanging limb from the neighbor's pecan tree had knocked over one of the pumps and it had become unplugged. The other pump had a bad extension cord that started to smoke every time I plugged the pump in. That pump will stay unplugged until I can buy a new extension cord. Oh, well. At least I got one of the pumps working again. I swept the remaining water and a ton of pecan shells off the roof before I called it a day. I really hate going up on the roof these days. My balance isn't as good as it used to be.

At least the rain has cooled things down a bit. It was quite pleasant outside on our sunrise walk with Dawn  and we were even able to take a short walk later in the day on Dawn's Sunday outing. It's still quite humid though. A succession of rainy days makes things uncomfortably humid outside. The humidity didn't stop us from getting ice cream though. You can eat your ice cream cones in the car with the air conditioner running.

I vacuumed the can light sockets in the bathroom ceiling this afternoon in an attempt to get rid of the ants. This was a wasted effort. Even though the dead ants are falling directly below the can lights, there were no ants to be found when I removed the bulbs from the light sockets. Ants and debris are still falling from the ceiling. My success with the pumps was short lived as well. It just started raining again and my one remaining pump is no longer working. It's probably that same pecan tree again. When the limbs get wet they droop down and some even touch the roof. The moving limbs probably knocked over the pump again. This house can be very discouraging at times. I think I just heard the ominous drip of a roof leak.

I charged the laptop and installed security updates this afternoon. I think I'm ready for the trip now. Working with computers is much easier than dealing with household problems. The computers are old but not nearly as old as the house. 

We need to take Dawn to the vet tomorrow morning for pre-dental lab work. It's time to have her teeth cleaned again and they want to make sure she is OK for anesthesia. Getting her teeth cleaned is probably a big reason why Dawn doesn't like the vet. Healthy teeth are important though. For people and animals. 

Sure wish the pumps were working this evening. We're getting a lot of rain.

Cookie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4622

Just a normal Saturday. We got up early and took our sunrise walk with Dawn. The park was even busier than usual. We must have caught the tail end of a 5K race because we saw lots of people walking rather than running with race numbers attached to their clothing. I don't know how early you'd have to get up to beat the crowds on weekends, but it's probably too early for us.

When we returned home we had our usual weekend breakfast of bacon, eggs, and toast. You can't eat shredded wheat all the time. I did a few small chores around the house after breakfast and then did my grocery shopping and went to the gym. I briefly thought about walking in the park again, but it was too humid today. 

The stores weren't crowded today because I remembered to go shopping early. I went to the gym earlier as well. Nobody seems to go to the gym on weekends. The place was practically empty this morning. Often this seems like a private gym for twelve people. Since this place is run by a large hospital they probably don't need the LA Fitness customers. I'm sure they do just fine with all their physical therapy patients.

I think I figured out why I don't get the same Fitbit results walking indoors as I do outdoors. I noticed today that I take shorter steps when I'm walking on the indoor track. Fitbit doesn't count the length of your stride, just the number of steps. This probably explains why I can accumulate 10,000 steps in a shorter distance at the gym than I do when walking in the park. Why do I have a longer stride when I'm walking outdoors? One of life's mysteries.

I looked at the long range weather and there appears to be a good chance of rain while I'm in Florida. It actually always rains at some point during the day in Titusville, so this doesn't actually mean much. The passing showers usually don't last long. I've seen thunderstorms at 5 PM and then watched a launch take place right on schedule at 8 PM the same day. That being said, I'd still rather see a forecast of clear skies for the entire week. There's already enough that could go wrong with the rocket. We don't need bad weather to screw things up even further.

I had a long list of things to do this afternoon and didn't do any of them. I did do a load of laundry. Laundry is my go-to activity when I don't feel like doing anything. Janet dusts, I do laundry. I'm trying to adjust my schedule so I get to bed and get up earlier. So far, this effort has been a total failure. I never seem to be able to get to bed before midnight. With a very early flight and an early launch next week, I need to do something. I'm usually so tired on these trips because I never get any sleep.

Ants have invaded the house again. I've noticed that they are falling out of the can lights in the bathroom ceiling. Most of the ants are dead. I guess the heat from the light bulbs kills them. I wish the ants would move on. It's way too late in the season for an ant invasion. At least it's just ants living above the sheet rock in the ceiling. Once we had a colony of bees up there and had to get a beekeeper to come remove them. The beekeeper didn't kill the bees. He just found where they were entering the house and put something with a smell the bees didn't like at the entrance to the hive. The entire colony of bees left and moved somewhere else the same evening.

There is rain in the forecast for tomorrow, but Dawn will get her Sunday outing rain or shine. We can still go for ice cream cones in the rain. I can go mall walking in the rain as well. It doesn't matter what the weather's like when you're walking in an indoor mall. I'd probably enjoy walking at the mall every day if it weren't for all the shoppers. The mall is much more enjoyable for me when the stores are closed.

Blackjack is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4621

Today is Janet's birthday. We dressed up a little, went to a nice restaurant, and had a great dinner. We were both born on the 19th, but two months apart. Neither of us is getting any younger, but we seem to be doing well. Janet is still doing a better job of staying in shape than I am. The birthdays come too fast now. It doesn't seem like a year has passed since our last birthday celebration. Hopefully, there will be many more.

The weather is still a little cooler. Dawn enjoyed her sunrise walk and it was still nice enough for me to take a long walk in the park later in the morning. I probably should have gone to the gym because it did seem pretty hot by the time I returned home. I managed to complete my full six mile route, but it's starting to seem a little harder that it did a year ago. I'm determined to keep moving though. I think I would deteriorate pretty rapidly if I stopped moving.

I had trouble posting the blog to Facebook last night. I finally discovered a work around, but it did make me wonder why I still post something every day. I really don't have that much to say. Computer problems are becoming more common now. I keep getting messages that my browser is out of date and is no longer supported. The computer is old and can't run new systems. I don't feel like buying a new one though. As far as I'm concerned the computer worked fine ten years ago. Why do people insist on changing things? At any rate, I hope the blog posts normally tonight. I'm tired and want to get to bed at a reasonable hour.

There were more bills to pay today. Living on a fixed income in inflationary times is not something I'd recommend. When I was working I could just work a little longer and make more money when prices started to rise. Now I have to pay more attention to budgeting. I don't buy as many things I don't need now. Maybe if I did this when I was younger, I wouldn't even need the storage warehouse.

I think there might be a Space X Starlink launch while I'm down in Florida. It would be nice if I could see two launches in a single trip. I'm not sure about the date though. Some places say the Space X launch will take place two days before the Artemis launch. Other places say the day before and one website says that the launch has been postponed until some time in September. Probably the most accurate website just said "launch date subject to change."

I think Dawn finally accepts me as a family member. We're getting along pretty well now. We certainly share some of the same interests. We both like to eat and we like to nap. I don't think that Dawn will ever be completely comfortable with men, but this is close enough for me. She is a good dog.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4620

It rained again last night and it was a lot cooler this morning. Ten degrees can make a big difference. We had an enjoyable early morning walk with Dawn and since the skies were overcast it looked like it might stay cooler all day. I ate my breakfast and checked the temperature again. Finally, it was cool enough for a long walk in the park.

I enjoy walking outdoors more than on the indoor track at the gym. I don't enjoy the heat though, so I need to take advantage of days like this. It didn't even get up to 90 degrees today and for most of my walk it was in the 70's. The only thing I don't like about walking outdoors is the continual drone of leaf blowers from the landscaping crews in the neighborhood and the frequent police and fire sirens. Add in all the planes on final approach to Love Field and it's not a very quiet place. Our park is a beautiful wooded area but it is located inside a large city. You really can't avoid the noise.

Since it was cooler today I decided it was finally time to mow the grass. We've been letting it grow because the taller the grass, the deeper the roots. Even though it has been a dry summer, I think the lawn is going to survive. I'm not sure how long the mower is going to survive though. I definitely need new batteries. I used to be able to mow both the front and back yards on a single charge. Today the mower died before I finished the back yard. I hesitate to buy another mower though. I think the next step is to join the other neighbors and just get a landscaping service to do the mowing for me. I'm definitely not getting any younger. Mowing the yard tires me out now.

I managed to find another ESA astronaut to interview while I'm down at Kennedy Space center. Maybe I can turn the two interviews into a separate article. Both astronauts have interesting stories. The Italian astronaut had a close call when a faulty spacesuit caused his helmet to fill up with water while he was outside the space station doing repairs. The German astronaut is a musician and joined a live Kraftwerk concert while he was on the space station and may be the only person to play a synthesizer in space.

I'm still a little apprehensive about my upcoming trip. Everything important happens early in the morning and I'm not a morning person. My flight leaves at 6 AM and the launch itself takes place at 6:30 AM. Different days though. I've been told to arrive at the press site five hours ahead of the launch. Yikes. That means I'll be getting up in the middle of the night. I'm not so sure about staying at an Airbnb either. The place I selected got great reviews but I've never stayed at an Airbnb before. I've stayed at the Titusville Holiday Inn so many times that I feel like family there. Oh, well. You know what they say about old dogs and new tricks. It might be good for me to try something new.

I briefly thought about getting out the star tracker and seeing if I could duplicate yesterday's test session. It seemed like too much trouble though and I ended up doing a load of laundry instead. Even though I mowed the lawn today, it still seemed like a slow day. Hey, there's nothing wrong with slow days. I've taken this weeks trash out to the curb and I'm read to start all over again tomorrow.

Lucy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4619

I got as message today that NASA was providing a wide variety of one-on-one interview opportunities with people connected with the Artemis program. This sounded interesting, so I went to their website link and looked for someone to interview. Every time I found someone interesting and selected them I received a message saying that another person had picked the same person at almost the same time and they were no longer available. I tried again and again and every single time someone else had grabbed my time slot first. After seven of eight tries I just gave up. 

It probably would have been easier to interview some obscure technical person, but I wanted to interview an astronaut. The astronauts available for interviews were by far the most popular. Most of the available time slots were snapped up in just a few minutes. The feeding frenzy for interviews was one more sign that this launch is going to be a three ring circus. I've heard that 700 journalists will be covering the launch. I guess it's an honor to be included in this group, but I still wonder if I made the right decision. I really hate crowds.

There was rain in the forecast for today, but true to form we never got any. Our sunrise walk was pleasant, but it got hot pretty quickly. By the time I finished breakfast the temperature was already too high for another walk in the park. Oh, well. I guess I was planning on going to the gym anyway. I got a late start because I wasted a lot of time trying to snag an interview on the NASA website. When that failed I paid some August bills. Actually it was a good thing that I got a late start at the gym. I didn't have to spend the entire afternoon looking for something to do.

I'm eating lunch again, which I haven't done in a long time. This means that I am probably gaining weight as well. After lunch I installed the new firmware in the star tracker and gave it a spin.  This update was major. So many things had changed that it was disorienting at first. I had a lot of trouble getting the camera to connect, but eventually I succeeded. Since the tracker worked fine once I managed to get the camera connected, I suspect that I may have installed one of the cables improperly. The cables are definitely a weak link on this thing. They are very finicky.

After I put the tracker away I looked at the NASA interview website again and discovered that a retired European astronaut was available. I hope he speaks English. This guy is German and I've totally forgotten the German I learned when I was working in Europe on the Siemens account. I never was very fluent but at least I made an effort. German is not an easy language to learn. I'm glad I was finally able to secure some sort of interview with an astronaut. It makes me feel a little more legitimate as a journalist.

I thought it was going to be too hot for Dawn's training class tonight, but it quickly became obvious that Dawn really wanted to go. Dawn loves that class. Janet said the weather was fine once the sun went down. The weather certainly didn't bother Dawn. She did great tonight and came home with a blue ribbon. She's got quite a collection of ribbons now. Dawn is full of surprises. I never expected her to be a star at class.

Looks like we may still get some rain later tonight. I'm not counting on anything though. Somehow the rain always seems to miss us.

Toby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4618

I got a notice today that I'm approved for an Artemis photo opportunity that takes place more than a full week ahead of the launch. Wish they could have scheduled this closer to the launch. There is no way I can spend this much time in Titusville. It looks like I may not be able to get close to the pad at all. They are scheduling remote camera placement much earlier than usual for this launch. There's a chance to take sunrise pictures at the launch pad that I'm going to miss as well. Oh, well. At least I'm on the approved list. I wish I could take part in more of the pre-launch activities but I really can't complain. I did get invited.

It's going to take a lot more rain before things start to turn green around here. It already feels like last week's showers never even happened. The park, as well as our yard, still look brown and dry. Luckily, the temperatures are still nice for our sunrise walks with Dawn. It was in the high 70's when we left the house this morning. Tuesday mornings are a lot busier than Mondays. There are cycling clubs that ride around the lake on Tuesday and Thursday as well as a lot more runners. I'm glad that Dawn still enjoys these early walks because they are basically the only exercise she gets in this hot weather.

I still am getting my exercise at the gym. I basically do the same things day after day. I spend twenty minutes on the basketball court, forty-five minutes on the indoor track, and another twenty minutes working with free weights. I could definitely spend more time here because I seldom have any place to go.  This short routine seems plenty though and is enough to keep my Fitbit happy.

There's more I could be doing at home as well, but I'm doing my best to avoid even thinking about it. Periodically I think about calling a roofer, but I've had such bad experiences with roofing companies that it's easy to put this off a little longer. I need to find a carpenter as well to replace some rotted wood trim. There are three carpenters in my contact list. I remember that one of them was really good and the other two were terrible. Unfortunately I can't remember which guy was the good one. It probably doesn't even matter. It's been so long since I've hired a carpenter that all three of these guys have probably retired by now.

I finally got my author copies for the last Spaceflight article I wrote. I keep thinking that I ought to submit articles to more magazines but I really don't have that many experiences to share. I enjoy writing about my visits to Kennedy Space Center and I'd probably enjoy writing about a visit to another observatory. Sky and Telescope doesn't seem interested in another article of this type though. I used to write articles about Spot and Petey for a little magazine called Dalmatian Quarterly.  Unfortunately that magazine went out of business a long time ago. Truthfully, I'm not much of a journalist. Everything I write is basically just about me.

One of these days I'll have something interesting to write about on the blog again. Don't hold your breath though. This entire summer has felt like Ground Hog Day. Every day is exactly the same. Maybe tomorrow I'll get around to testing the star tracker again. There is new software available now and what else do I have to do. I guess I could always take a nap with Dawn. Taking a nap with your dog always sounds good.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4617

I finally got the information I've been waiting for from NASA. It doesn't look like I'll have to change any of my travel plans, so all is good. The only thing I didn't like was that they have turned this launch into a two week long media extravaganza. I can't afford to stay that long, so I will miss some of the pre-launch events. Hopefully the Artemis rocket will launch on the first attempt or I will miss the launch as well. I guess the trip is still worthwhile though. I'm sure I'll see something interesting. This is a historic event.

Our Monday morning walks with Dawn are always very quiet. It's a real contrast to all the activity we typically see on the weekend. I don't know if people are busy getting ready for work or sleeping in and trying to avoid the start of another week. I appreciate the solitude though. I wish the park was like this everyday. 

By the time the sun came up I could tell that it was going to be another hot day. It didn't matter though. I was planning to go to the gym anyway. When we started out this morning we caught a glimpse of the conjunction between the Moon and Jupiter before the sky got too bright. It might have been more dramatic if I had stayed up for a look late last night when the Moon was rising, but this was fine.

I went to the post office on my way to the gym this morning. Since I started paying bills online I don't have many reasons to go to the post office anymore. Stamps and envelopes seem to last a lot longer too. I still send a monthly letter to my sister even though we could easily talk on the phone. Letter writing is becoming a lost art. Actually most things I do are becoming a lost art, but I have no desire to change at this point.

The gym is pretty empty on Monday as well. Even the roads seem less crowded. Some of the personal trainers I used to see have disappeared. Maybe they were students who have returned to school. The same people seem to be working out whenever I arrive. Most of them are much more interested in body building than I am. I just want to get my steps and go home.

I did some routine bookkeeping this afternoon and then cleared some brush in the back yard so I could take it out to the curb for bulky trash day. There is more yard work to do, but it was too hot to stay outside for very long. I didn't bother to upgrade the star tracker today either. I'm actually getting tired of messing with this thing. I've lost track of how many upgrades I've installed already. I think the little tracker works pretty well, but I doubt that I'll use it until I get a chance to return to the observatory again. You can't see much of the night sky from our back yard and I don't feel safe going anywhere else at night.

I miss visiting the rescue Dalmatians on Mondays. Maybe we'll be able to work out something with the new kennel in the future, but who knows. At least the dogs have a nice clean place to stay. The old kennel was always where we did our Santa Paws Christmas photos as well. We'll need a new venue for that event.  I should be used to change by now, but I'm not. Change has never been exciting to me. I wish that everything would stay the same.

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day