Day 4652

I've got several hours every morning to do something outside before it gets too hot. Sometimes I take a long walk. Other times I try to do something useful. Today I decided to mow the grass. Well, at least I decided to mow half the grass. That's all my aging electric mower will do now on a single charge.

I thought Summer was over. As usual I'm almost always wrong about Texas weather. It actually got quite hot today. Dawn got the best of the day. Our sunrise walk was pleasant, although the humidity was higher than I'd like. It was certainly quiet this morning. There were no police or fire sirens and only one aircraft flew overhead. I always enjoy a quiet walk but sadly they are becoming increasingly rare. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The park is just a small oasis inside a large city.

Since the weekend is over, it's back to shredded wheat and berries for breakfast. I watched the Queen's funeral while I was eating. The carefully choreographed ceremony was mesmerizing. It made me realize that there is value in heritage and tradition. Respect for the queen has at least temporarily unified the British people. Today they seemed proud to be British. I don't think anybody in the United States could command anywhere near the same degree of respect. We all seem to hate each other. We are a young country without a long history, but we don't seem to value what we have. History is important. It seems fashionable today to repudiate history and deconstruct the past. I watched a funeral this morning, but it was strangely uplifting. A reverence for history and tradition is so much better than tearing down statues in an infantile rage.

By the time I finished breakfast and mowing the back yard, it was already way too hot for a walk in the park. I checked my messages, took Dawn outside to pee, and then headed for the gym. It's interesting that I'm not the only one at the gym who follows a set routine. Most of the regulars do exactly the same thing day after day, just like me. There aren't many spontaneous gym rats. It takes a lot of effort to stay in shape and working toward a goal often involves a lot of repetition. I rarely speak to anyone at the gym, but I probably have a lot more in common with these folks than with people who think of themselves as free spirits. No happy hour drinks for me. No impromptu weekend getaways. I've got a Fitbit on my arm and lots of steps to take before the sun sets.

Janet thinks I get in her way when she's cleaning, so I thought I'd hole up in the office this afternoon and balance my checkbook. I don't know why it always takes so long to get my Quickbook Pro records to exactly match my bank statements and credit card receipts. It always ends up being my fault. A single misplaced Quickbooks entry can throw me off for hours. It's easy to make errors while transcribing things but it can be devilishly hard to find them later. Everything is in balance now and I managed to stay out of Janet's way all afternoon.

I guess I'll need to mow the front yard tomorrow morning. The front is harder to mow because it's on a hill. The mower battery doesn't seem to last as well in the front yard either. The job needs to be done though. The yard looks terrible now. I can always go to the gym tomorrow afternoon. I'll probably be going to the gym more often now anyway because my seasonal allergies are starting to act up again.

I wish I'd hear some definitive news on the next Artemis launch attempt. It's getting on my nerves that nothing is settled yet with a scheduled trip to Florida less than a week away.

Rhett is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day