Day 4603

Such a long, hot summer. Every day is more or less the same. We get up and take Dawn on a sunrise walk. I make the bed and then eat breakfast. It's always shredded wheat topped with peaches and strawberries. I do the breakfast dishes by hand even though we just got a new dishwasher. I check my messages on the computer, putter around the house for a little while, and then go to the gym. It's kind of a boring routine, but it's better than no routine at all.

My routine at the gym seldom varies either. If nobody is using the basketball court, I always try to shoot 25 free throws before taking my walk on the indoor track. I used to just try to get 15 baskets, but I'm getting a little better. The direction people walk or run on the track changes every day, so I usually have to check and see if it is an odd or even day. It takes fourteen trips around the track to walk a mile. I always walk two miles and occasionally I walk three. Often I go home after I finish walking, but sometimes I stay and work with free weights for a while. The same people seem to be at the gym every day. I guess I'm becoming one of them.

As soon as I get home I let Dawn out to pee. Usually she likes to lounge in the grass for a while, but lately she wants to go right back inside. It is just too hot to lounge in the sun. If I'm hungry I'll fix myself a sandwich, but I don't always eat lunch. Afternoons are when I miss being employed. I used to always have writing jobs to keep me busy. Now there is very little that captures my attention.

Today I upgraded the firmware on the star tracker again. I'm always a little apprehensive when doing this, but the tracker still works. I point the tracker at various planets and galaxies using the app on my phone, but all I get are pictures of my office ceiling. I seldom take the tracker outside. Again, it is just too hot. I am getting better at using the thing though. I'm pretty sure it is pointed where it is supposed to be pointing and occasionally check for accuracy using other astronomy apps on my phone.

Dawn is still not wild about sharing the bed with me, but she doesn't get up and leave the room when I take an afternoon nap these days. I guess that's progress. Dash used to follow me around the house all day long. Dawn follows Janet around and tries her best to ignore me when I'm home alone with her. I doubt that this will ever change. Dawn is just not comfortable around men. 

I still wish that NASA would hurry up with a schedule for the Artemis-1 launch. I'll feel more comfortable when I know I don't have to change my airline reservations. I got a notice today that I could apply to attend the next crewed launch to the ISS. I think I'll pass on the Crew-5 mission though. I have a feeling that the Artemis launch will be my last trip to Florida this year.

I've got a dentist appointment tomorrow. Hopefully I don't have any cavities. It doesn't seem like six months since I've been to the dentist, but time flies when you are doing nothing. 

Snoopy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day