Day 4936

I've got to start getting more sleep. After finishing my blog post I usually watch TV in bed for a while. I immediately fall asleep and don't wake up again until after nmidnight. I realize that I still have to run the dishwasher, empty the dehumidifier, brush my teeth, and get ready for bed. By the time I'm actually ready for sleep it is often 1 AM. We get up early too, so we can walk Dawn before it gets hot. There's probably an easy solution to this problem. I just need to write my blog post earlier. Easier said than done though. I'm a creature of habit and I've been doing this for a long time. I'm actually kind of glad that my blogging days are winding to a close. I'm running out of things to say.

It certainly doesn't help matters that every day this summer has been exactly the same. Today was no exception. We got up, took Dawn on her sunrise walk, looked for rabbits and critters along the way, and then returned home for breakfast. I made the bed, ate my shredded wheat and fruit, listened to the morning news for a while, and checked my messages before going to the gym. 

My routine at the gym was the same as yesterday as well. It's been the same all week. I walk three miles at a brisk pace on the indoor track and then shoot free throws on the basketball court for a while before heading home again. I always briefly think about doing more but seldom do. An hour and a half at the gym is usually enough for me.

The first thing I do when I return home is let Dawn outside to pee. Lately she doesn't pee, but just rolls in the grass instead. So much for that bath we gave her yesterday. Dawn like to lie out in the sun but I have to be careful that she doesn't stay out too long. I don't think Dawn realizes how dangerous this heat can be.

I never used to eat lunch, but I've been having a toasted ham sandwich lately. I melt some sharp cheddar cheese on the toasted bread and then put thin strips of ham on top. I'll usually drink a can of sparkling water with the sandwich. It's a tasty little lunch and I try to eat a little less for dinner to compensate. My weight has remained constant for years and I don't want that to change.

In the winter I might start on some sort of project in the afternoon, but this summer it is just too hot. I don't feel like doing anything and usually end up taking a nap. Probably I actually get plenty of sleep. It's just spread out throughout the day. I've noticed that Dawn often stays on the bed with me now when I take an afternoon nap. That's progress I guess.

Today is Dawn's favorite day. It's always grocery day on Friday and Dawn waits for Janet to return for at least an hour before she arrives with the groceries. Putting the groceries away seems to be a very big deal for Dawn. She gets very excited and follows Janet around until everything is in it's place. Oddly, she shows no interest at all when I do my own grocery shopping on Saturday.

Tomorrow's schedule will be a little different since I do my grocery shopping in the morning. Dawn will still get a sunrise walk. I'll go to the gym. And I'll end the day with a blog post. Pretty much the same thing as today. It's always Groundhog Day around here.

Tucker is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4935

So glad the air conditioner is working. This heat has been relentless. It doesn't even cool down at night anymore. When we take Dawn on her sunrise walk the temperature is already in the 80's. At least it's not quite as humid as it was a few days ago. Early mornings are still the best time of the day though. There's almost always a nice breeze and you can convince yourself that it's going to be a nice day until the rising sun hits your face. I don't know how landscaping crews and mail carriers continue to work in this heat. As soon as the sun comes up I'm ready to go back inside for the rest of the day.

My routine is pretty boring this summer, but I think everyone else's is as well. We see the same people doing exactly the same things day after day. I think the city has discovered that early mornings are the only time to be outside. We're seeing lots more people in the park on our early walks. Many of them have dogs. This is really the only safe time to take your dog on a long walk.

I linger over breakfast these days. There is usually nothing in particular I want to do and lots of things I don't want to do. When I checked my Fitbit this morning there was a message on the screen asking me to switch my account to Google. I keep forgetting that Google owns Fitbit now. I'm sure that they'll figure a way to monetize the Fitbit stats of millions of users. I used to be concerned about companies having so much access to my information. Now I don't even care. It's pretty clear that they already have all the information anyway.

It looks like driving to the gym is going to be part of my daily routine for the foreseeable future. June is never the hottest month of the year. I'm afraid this heat is going to be even worse in July and August. Actually it's pretty warm in Texas until mid October. I don't mind going to the gym every day. The exercise is good for me. I'm having to fill my tank more often now though. I usually spend very little for gas because I don't go anywhere. Looks like that's about to change.

Today I did exactly the same things I did yesterday. I walked three miles on the indoor track and shot free throws on the basketball court for fifteen minutes. The gym has a nice weight room and I really ought to spend more time working with free weights. I talk a lot about improving my upper body strength. At some point I really need to do something about it. All the walking I do is good for my heart. The rest of my body needs some work.

I had a quick lunch when I returned from the gym and then Janet and I took Dawn to a self-bathe place for a bath. Like many dogs, she hates getting a bath, but she definitely needed one. Dawn likes to roll in the grass in the back yard and gets dirty quickly. She also needed her nails trimmed today. We'll see how long Dawn manages to stay clean this time. It probably won't be long.

I'm noticing that my new phone is much faster than my old phone was. Everything downloads extremely fast now. Speed is not a big issue with me, but it does make me realize how slow my main computer is. Eventually I'll need to replace that as well. It would be nice if I had a business reason to replace the computer but it will probably just be boredom that drives me to the Apple Store again. When you get my age, you don't really need anything.

It's hard to believe it's almost July. It still seems like I put away the Christmas tree just a few weeks ago. 

Sparky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4934

I finally got the new phone configured. Why did I get this thing? It really doesn't seem that different than the old phone. With the phone and Apple Watch both updated to the latest operating systems, all I really notice is that the watch battery runs low even faster now. Sometimes I think the latest technology is of dubious value. I was probably happier with a clunky old Oki 900 cell phone and an ancient Mac running System 9.  

Our heat wave seems to have no end in sight. Even our sunrise walks with Dawn are pretty warm these days. These early walks are still the nicest part of the day. There is usually a nice breeze and it's easy to convince yourself that the day won't be that bad. We're starting to see lots more people on these early walks. I'm sure that almost everyone has discovered by now that just before sunrise is the only time worth going outside.

I returned to the gym after breakfast this morning. I still wonder how this place stays in business. It never seems crowded. I walked three miles around the indoor track and spent about twenty minutes on the basketball court, but I don't think I'll be able to close all three rings on my Apple Watch today. I didn't install the activity app correctly yesterday and it measured nothing last night and early this morning. Walking endlessly around a small indoor track is boring, but at least it's cool inside. I've noticed that almost everyone has a fixed routine that they follow. I guess I'm not the only one why does the same things over and over again. I should make more of an effort to improve myself while I'm working out. On most days I barely work up a sweat. I could do better, but it's far too easy to convince myself that I'm in great shape just because I'm not as fat as some of the other people walking around the track.

When I returned home I figured out how to get my phone paired with my car again. I'm glad Google exists, because I never would have figured this out on my own. I kept entering the wrong PIN number over and over again before I finally realized that this wasn't a number I used on my phone or computer. It was a special Land Rover number. I don't know why I made the effort to do this today. It's been ages since I've gotten a phone call while I was driving.

I don't do much in the afternoon these days. Cracks in the ceiling taunt me and I still haven't mastered the star tracker yet but the only thing that seems appealing is a long nap. I often wish I was working again, but I can't be bothered to look for new clients. I'm not even sure what I would have to offer. It's pretty easy to put up a decent looking website just using a template from GoDaddy. I'm sure there are other writing jobs out there, but the pay is minuscule. I'm happy enough just writing the occasional article for SpaceFlight Magazine. 

Janet took Dawn to training class tonight, but they came home early because it was too hot outside. I imagine that it will be too hot outside tomorrow as well. This seems like the hottest summer I can remember. I could be wrong, of course. I don't remember things as well as I used to.

Patch is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4933

I got a new phone today. I'm already wishing I had the old phone back. In theory transfering everything from the old phone to the new phone was supposed to be a no brainer. In practice it was a little more difficult. Most things downloaded smoothly from my iCloud account. Everything connected using Bluetooth became unpaired though. The new phone wouldn't recognize my Apple Watch at all and I had to erase it and start over. I'm still trying to reconnect Bluetooth devices like my Fitbit and the petcam monitor. I'm sure I'll have to reconnect the new phone to my car as well. Was this worth it? Time will tell I guess. At least I'll be able to run a current operating system on my phone and Apple Watch again.

I should have just let the Apple Store people configure the phone for me. I had to learn the hard way that you have to unpair things from the old phone before you can pair them again with the new phone. There are no warning messages saying "still connected to your old phone" You just get a failure notice and a button that asks you to try again. I hit that try again button quite a few times before I realized that it wasn't going to work. I hope the iCloud saved all my passwords. This is going to get really tedious if I have to manually reenter passwords for all my apps.

I did do a few other things today. We took Dawn on a nice early morning walk and then I made the bed and ate my breakfast. It was even hotter today than yesterday. Usually the sun comes up on the final leg of our sunrise walk and you can instantly feel the temperature start to rise. It's still very humid outside too. Until this heat wave ends, I'm going to try my best to avoid outdoor chores and activities.

Heat wave or not, I'm still determined to get my steps. This probably means a daily trip to the gym. Today I walked three miles on the indoor track and shot free throws on the basketball court. I probably had the energy to do more, but I got a late start today and still needed to go purchase the new phone before I headed home again. I need to quit worrying about Fitbit steps so much and concentrate on rebuilding my upper body strength. All the tools are there. I just need to use them. Maybe I can force myself to be a little more organized tomorrow. Unless a miracle happens with the weather, I'm sure I'll be back at the gym every day this week.

There are so many things I need to do around the house, but it's just too hot outside to deal with most of them. I'm sure I could repaint the trim around the edge of the roof myself, but I don't want to attempt this in triple digit temperatures. I don't wand to put a new screen on the screen door either. Lets face it, I don't really want to go outside again until Fall. Our sunrise walks with Dawn are still enjoyable, but we're probably going to have to start a little earlier on those as well. 

I'm not sure what I'm going to do tomorrow. With my luck I'll probably still be trying to reconnect apps on the new phone. When I eventually complete updating my phone and watch, the main computer is going to seem even slower. I don't even want to think about getting a new desktop computer though. Enough is enough. I can't afford any more big purchases anyway.

I'm hoping for an uneventful day tomorrow. It would be nice if it was a little cooler as well, but that's probably too much to hope for.

Rascal is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4932

I guess I'd better get used to this heat. It's not going away. Each morning when we take Dawn on her sunrise walk it seems a little warmer than it did the previous day. The low temperature is in the eighties now with the highs in triple digits. That being said, our sunrise walks are still the best part of the day. There is usually a nice breeze and no hot sun beating down on your head. We all enjoy these early morning walks. Until the weather cools down a bit they are the only walks that Dawn gets.

I had my shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast and then foolishly decided to tackle a few outdoor chores. I didn't do much, but it was enough to make me realize that this is not the time to be doing yard work. I'm surprised that the mail still gets delivered. The other day a Dallas mailman died delivering the mail in this heat. I cleaned the spiderwebs off the eaves and living room windows and then watered some plants that were looking really dry. That was enough for one day. Dawn likes to sun herself in the grass but I have to watch her carefully and make sure she doesn't stay out too long. 

We haven't seen any rabbits on our sunrise walks this week and it makes me wonder how the animals in the park are handling this heat. There's lots of underbrush in the prairie areas and I'm sure the smaller animals can use this to hide from the sun. I need to remember to put some water out for the squirrels. Even the birdbath in our back yard has gone dry.

Our air conditioner is working well, but I hate to think what our electric bill is going to be next month. I guess it was a good thing that we added three inches of insulation to our new roof. It's bound to help some, but with so much single pane glass in the house, it's still hard to keep the place cool. Usually I'm glad when the rainy season is over. Not this year. I'm ready for Fall and the worst of summer hasn't even arrived yet.

I got a check in the mail from Wells Fargo today. There was no explanation and I thought it might be part of some kind of scam. I called my broker to see if the check might have been part of some kind of sale on their part. Nope. They had nothing to do with Wells Fargo. My broker reminded me that Wells Fargo had recently settled a huge class action lawsuit and asked if I was ever a customer. Bingo. Jeez. That was twenty years ago though. Just goes to show that you never know what you're going to receive in the mail.

I went back to the gym later this morning. Going to the gym is probably the only way I'm going to get my steps for the rest of the summer. After I walked two miles on the indoor track, I shot free throws on the basketball court for a while and then used some of the machines to work on my upper body strength. I actually had a pretty decent workout today. Going to the gym every day has made me realize that my car gets terrible gas mileage. Probably a big 5.2 liter V-8 is't the best thing for driving around town.

I'm still debating whether to get a new phone. The old phone works fine but I haven't been able up update the operating system in years. Since I can't update the IOS, I can't update my Apple Watch either. I can postpone the inevitable, but eventually I'm going to have to update the phone for security reasons alone. A lot of modern apps won't run on my old phone either. I'm very comfortable with using obsolete software, but this can't go on forever. 

Tomorrow looks like more of the same. We'll get up early and take a sunrise walk with Dawn. I"ll eat my breakfast while becoming disgusted with what's on TV. Then I'll sort through the spam in my e-mail to see if I have any real messages. I'm sure I'll go to the gym. The gym is actually colder than inside our house. It's not a bad place to hang out on days like this.

Derrick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4931

We've had hotter summers before, so why does this one seem so bad? I'm probably just getting older and can't handle these temperatures as well. Social media didn't exist during some of our previous heat waves either. I think being constantly reminded of something tends to make it worse. Being immersed in bad news isn't limited to the weather either. I can't excape from bad news anymore. Life actually seems pretty good until I turn on the TV or fire up my computer. Maybe the heat would be more bearable if I wasn't wondering what it all means.

I like our early morning walks with Dawn. Nothing bad has happened yet and simple things like seeing a rabbit bring pleasure. The temperature is much cooler just before sunrise and there is usually a nice breeze. Dawn loves her morning walks and is very serious about smelling things. Let's face it. Dogs are easy to please. I wish this illusion of peace and tranquility would last a little longer. I could probably extend the spell for an extra hour or so if I just didn't turn on the TV while I was eating breakfast.

We didn't have our usual big breakfast today because Janet had a class to go to. I ate my shredded wheat and fruit and then got ready to go mall walking. I go earlier now because I only recently realized that the mall is open for walkers sooner than I thought. Mall walking is actually very similar to walking around the indoor track at the gym. It's flat, the temperature is controlled, and I usually walk about the same distance at either place. Walking around the mall is more interesting though. I find looking in overpriced store windows more interesting than watching old people get their physical therapy at the gym.

There were not a lot of changes this week. Only one new store opened and very few of the window displays changed. These windows are becoming very familiar now and I notice very small changes. Only a few stores change their displays every week. Some never change them at all. I'm starting to recognize other walkers. I think the same people walk every week. The older people are easy to recognize, but the young women pushing kids in strollers all look the same. Men take their little kids to the mall too, but they never push strollers. I kind of wished the Apple Store opened early. I might have bought a new phone this morning.

We didn't take Dawn on her Sunday outing walk this morning because it was too hot outside. She still got to go for ice cream though. We just drove to the ice cream store, ate our cones in the car, and then came home. This is probably all Dawn really wanted anyway.

Lately I haven't been very active in the afternoon. Most of my activity seems to take place in the morning. I think I like the notion of the siesta. In some hot climates the typical siesta lasts from 2 to 5 PM. Seems about right. There are plenty of things that need attention around the house, but it's hard to get interested. I look at these things and realize that the task will still be around tomorrow. I'll eventually get around to these things. All in good time. Hey, we did finally get a new roof didn't we.

I'm not sure what I'll be doing tomorrow. There is no rain in the forecast for the next week, so it's a safe bet that it will be very hot outside. If I want to take care of any outdoor chores, it's going to have to be very early in the morning. I'll probably just go to the gym again and call it a day.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4930

Just a normal Saturday. We took Dawn on an early walk to avoid the heat, we had a big weekend breakfast, and then I got ready to do my grocery shopping. My grocery list was a little longer than usual today and I had to go to four different stores. I do my shopping earlier now, but the roads are still crowded. A lot of newcomers have moved to Dallas in recent years. A lot of them have apparently arrived recently because today I saw almost as many out of state plates on cars as Texas plates.

I'm really not fond of crowds. Every time I'm out and about, I grow nostalgic for the emptiness and wide open spaces of West Texas. Dallas is way too busy these days. I'm glad my working years are over. I'd hate fighting this traffic every day on the way to work. I got my shopping done as quickly as I could and headed back home. There are always surprises on my shopping run. I couldn't find my favorite brand of beer today and had to pick something else. I did find real whipping cream though, which has been in short supply recently.

It was too hot and humid to walk in the park this afternoon, so I headed back to the gym as soon as I put the groceries away. The gym was fairly empty this afternoon but there were people already using the basketball court so I didn't get to shoot baskets today. I walked around the indoor track until I got my Fitbit steps, worked on upper body strength with a few machines, and went back home again. It wasn't really a serious workout, but it was as good enough for me.

I'm still thinking about getting a new phone. There's nothing wrong with my current phone, but Janet's new phone has renewed my interest in getting something better. It isn't that hard to justify a new phone. It seems like I spend half my life using three Apple products. It's hard to imagine living without an iPhone, Apple Watch, and a computer anymore. I lived many, many years with any of these things and I'm not sure being connected had made my life better. I'll probably get the phone though. The newer cameras on these phones are great and there's an app for everything these days.

All my activity seems to take place in the morning lately. I finished all my shopping and was home from the gym before noon. I didn't do anything useful this afternoon. I wandered aimlessly around the house and took several short naps. There are definitely things that need attention, but it just seems too hot to start anything. I'm trying to decide whether to attempt painting the house myself. It's time. I've done this before but it's a messy job and I'm a lot older now. For now, I just keep looking at problem areas and wishing they'd go away.

I guess I'll go mall walking tomorrow. I discovered that my gym has reopened on Sundays now, but I've grown to like mall walking. Mall walking lets me observe the world without actually interacting with it. Maybe I need a weekly reminder of how silly and superficial our society has become. At least I've got a choice of things to do indoors now. Until this weather cools down a bit, it might be a while before I go walking in the park again.

Rio is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4929

It's going to be a long summer. It's only June and I don't think the temperature is going to get any cooler in July and August. The heat makes it even harder to stay optimistic. Every time I turn on the television I feel like I'm watching society crumble around me. There seems to be this desire to deconstruct everything that has worked in the past and start over. Lots of luck with that. I'm not inherently against change, but I think we are headed in the wrong direction. Western Civilization wasn't all that bad. So, are these the end times we are living in? I'm not a terribly religious person, but it certainly feels that way.

To stay sane I just focus on day-to-day life. I don't get involved in politics or grand causes. I do read history though. Humans seem to make the same mistakes over and over again. I think it's a safe bet that we won't be here nearly as long as the dinosaurs were. It may seem simplistic, but I think the world would be a better place if we all just minded our own business.

I try my best to mind my own business. When I was renewing my gym membership yesterday they seemed surprised that I wasn't interested in having a personal trainer. That's the last thing I'd want. One of the reasons I go to the gym is that it is very peaceful to walk around the indoor track in silence. I feel the same way about my walks in the parks. I almost never talk to anyone but I am very observant. Over the years I've learned the names and characteristics of virtually all the plants and animals in the park. Almost anything can be an educational experience. I have no interest in taking classes, but I'm always downloading instruction manuals and trying to figure things out on my own. Trial and error is often the best teacher.

I can't say that I've learned anything today, but you've got to play the long game. I did learn a few new things yesterday. Today started out as it always does with a sunrise walk with Dawn. We always look for bunnies, but we didn't see any today. We often see a mother duck taking her ducklings down to the lake from where they spend the night in the tall prairie grass. Less than a month ago the ducklings were tiny. Now they are almost full grown. They still follow the mother duck down to the water though.

The temperature was in the eighties this morning but I still went to the gym because it was humid outside. I didn't shoot baskets today because people were playing pickleball on the basketball court. I don't understand the fascination with pickleball. It seems like a cross between tennis and ping pong, played with a green plastic wiffleball. I did walk three miles on the indoor track. I am able to walk faster on the indoor track than I do in the park and my speed is more or less constant. This was initially surprising to me, but I guess it makes sense. I'm not fighting steep hills and humidity. The track is even cushioned against impact so it is easy on your feet. The only downside to going to the gym is that I'm driving a lot more. My car gets terrible gas mileage.

I've started eating lunch again and fixed myself a ham and cheese sandwich when I returned from the gym while Dawn waited for Janet to return with the groceries. Dawn gets very excited on grocery day and is always nearby when Janet is putting away the groceries. I just try to stay out of the way.

I do my own grocery shopping tomorrow. I'll probably go back to the gym as well. It's certainly not getting any cooler outside.

Boo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4928

Last night's rain cooled things down a little this morning, but the temporary respite from our ongoing heat wave didn't last long. By mid-morning it was already hot and muggy again. At least Dawn got a nice early walk this morning. It's a shame that it's too hot for her to walk in the afternoon, but at least she gets a little activity.

With a forecast that includes triple digit temperatures for the next ten days, I don't think I'm going to be walking in the park for a while. I ate my weekday breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit and then headed for the gym to attempt to renew my membership. It turned out the the whole membership issue was no big deal. They told me that they just need to confirm that all my information was correct once a year. I'm still a member in good standing.

I only accomplished two things today, I walked three miles on the indoor track and I shot some baskets on the basketball court. I'm really glad I didn't have to change gyms. My favorite things about this gym are the basketball court and the nice indoor track. For some reason I like using the indoor track a lot more than using a treadmill. The basketball court is just for fun. I'm not very good, but I enjoy shooting baskets.

The Internet is definitely not fun anymore. Navigating websites has become a password hell, now that everyone is demanding unique and complex passwords that are impossible to remember. Gone are the days on innocence where I used to use the same password for everything. I'm beginning to think my Luddite sister is right. Who needs this? I had to call my hosting company today and ask if they could get rid of the person or people who are spoofing or cloning my e-mail address. At least once a week I find mail in my spam folder that appears to come from me. I'm sure other people get this spam as well. The tech support guy said he'd increase the spam protection on my account so I would no longer see these messages. "You're missing the point," I said. "I don't care if I see them. I don't want the rest of the world getting spam that appears to come from me." We'll see if the hosting company can do anything. My hopes aren't very high at this point.

I got my known traveler number from TSA today. Wow. That was quick. I thought I'd be getting a physical card to keep in my wallet, but that's apparently not the way it works. You add your known traveler number to your profile on the various airline sites you use and then when you book a flight it shows up on your boarding pass that you are TSA Pre approved. I guess we'll see how this works the next time I travel. If it works this will save me a ton of time at the Orlando airport.

Janet has a vacation planned and I'm practically begging Dawn to bond with me before she leaves. The last time Janet went on vacation Dawn was a mess. She wouldn't even come out in the kitchen to eat her breakfast. I had to feed her breakfast in bed. Eventually I got her used to going down to the park with me to do her business, but she never would take a walk with me. As soon as she pooped, she headed straight back to the house. Life would be much less stressful for Dawn if she understood that I really liked her and would never harm her. This may never happen though. Dawn spent too many year being used as a breeding dog by two guys who weren't nice at all.

It looks like tomorrow will be another day just like today. The temperature is going to keep getting a little hotter every day for the next ten days. I really hope we don't have a power outage or air conditioner problems. Next month's electric bill is going to be sky high, but that's the price you pay for living in Texas in the summer.

Kirby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4927 - Summer Solstice

Not a lot happened today. We're still dealing with a heat wave that destroys your will to do anything. At least our air conditioner is still working though. Our sunrise walks with Dawn are the only tolerable part of the day. The temperature was already in the mid-80's on our early walk this morning, but there was a nice breeze. The sky looked like it was going to rain and sure enough it did later in the day. Unfortunately, the  rain didn't cool things down much. It still feels like a sauna outside.

I didn't even think about walking in the park today. I went to the gym after breakfast this morning and walked three miles around the indoor track. I didn't really feel like doing anything else. When I got home there was a message from the gym saying my membership had expired. What? This seemed odd since the app on my phone still let me check in today. I've been thinking that my gym has changed ownership lately. A lot of things seems different. I hope they haven't dropped the annual membership provided by my supplemental health insurance. I don't know if this gym means enough to me to pay a monthly fee. I guess I'll find out what is going on the next time I go.

My editor at SpaceFlight wrote today with questions about some of the facts in my latest article. I know I didn't just make things up, but I couldn't find the source of the information I was writing about. The information probably came from one of the interviews I had with Axiom executives down at Kennedy Space Center. Unfortunately I erased the interviews as soon as I finished the article because they used up all the space on my phone. I actually think I was wrong because I couldn't find the dates I mentioned in the article anywhere. Oh, well. So it goes.

I've been thinking about getting a new phone but I'm having second thoughts now after seeing the problems Janet is having getting some of her favorite apps to work on her new phone. Electronics are getting to be such a hassle. Everything keeps changing and not always for the better. I was happier with my phone and computers ten years ago than I am now. Twenty years ago everything was perfect. I made my living designing websites for many years, but I don't even enjoy visiting them now. All the news sites have paywalls and most of the others use widgets and special coding that is not supported by my aging browsers. It's irritating. Every day things crash or freeze and I have no idea why. I was a good designer too. I just don't deal with change very well.

I was originally planning on attending an upcoming Delta IV Heavy launch down at Kennedy Space Center. I'm glad I didn't go though because the launch keeps getting delayed by bad weather and mechanical problems. The launch is now supposed to take place early tomorrow morning at 3:25 AM. Why do I still want to see these things? I'd really rather be asleep in my own bed at 3:25 AM.

We got a lot of rain this evening and the roof still isn't leaking. That's good. It's not draining well though. That's not so good. I looked early this morning and there was still standing water from an earlier rain three days ago. I hope this company stands behind their warranty because I'm afraid this roof is going to spend a lot of time under water.

Barley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4926

Applying for TSA Pre was pretty much like going through the TSA line at the airport. Annoying is the word that comes to mind. I arrived just in time to see their input machine crash. The girl that was taking people's information had to call tech support and she must have been put on hold because it took forever to get the computer started again. 

After a while she restarted the machine and began processing the next person in line. The computer crashed again before this person got finished. Another call to tech support and the agent was told to turn off the machine for fifteen minutes and let it cool off. The line of people waiting to apply for TSA Pre kept getting longer but the agent said there was nothing she could do and I think she left for lunch. Eventually the machine got fixed and I got processed. The agent asked me all the same questions that I'd already filled out online. Why? I asked if this machine crashed a lot and the agent said "all the time." When I got finished being photographed and fingerprinted, the agent said I'd receive my card in 60 to 90 days. "But the website said 5 to 10 days," I blurted out. She just gave me a dirty look.

Oh, well. At least I can cross this task off my list. I'm sure I'll eventually receive the card about five days after some launch that I really wanted to attend. I keep wondering why this card is even needed for positive identification since I just got finished answering virtually the same set of questions when I renewed my driver's license. The new "Real ID" driver's licenses are supposed to do pretty much the same thing as the TSA Pre card. Why can't we just use our driver's license to avoid taking our shoes off at the airport? 

The Texas heat wave continues. The combination of high temperatures and high humidity is becoming a news story now. You really don't want to be outside for long in this heat. It was already pretty warm when we took Dawn on her sunrise walk. I think the humidity is worse than the heat. You feel like you are walking through soup. Dawn only gets one walk a day now. It's way too hot to take her for a walk in the afternoon.

It was too hot for me to walk in the park as well. On my way home from applying for my TSA Pre card, I stopped at the gym. I wasn't in the mood to do a full workout today, but I walked around the indoor track until I got my Fitbit steps. I wish this gym was a little closer to home, but other than that I'm pleased with it. I may be spending more time there this summer. According to the weather apps on my phone it's going to stay hot and very humid for at least another week

Janet got a new phone today and I may have to do the same thing soon. All my Apple devices are so old now that they are no longer supported. My Safari browser is the worst. It hardly works at all anymore. Even though we have a fiber optic network, everything seems real slow around the house. I'm beginning to think my Luddite sister is right. Who needs this stuff? I definitely liked the old Steve Jobs version of Apple better than the current Tim Cook version.

The dog days of summer are definitely here. I wake up without a plan and usually just wish I could go back to sleep. I don't think much is going to happen tomorrow but I could always be surprised. 

Alamo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4925 - My Birthday

I turned 75 today. Any way you measure it, that's getting old. I think I'm hanging in there though. We started the day early to avoid the heat. Dawn got a nice sunrise walk and then I had my regular breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit. Right after breakfast I mowed the grass. I did both the front and back yards and was finished before 9 AM. The temperature was already in the mid-eighties, but it was still overcast so I decided to take a short walk and get my steps before it got really hot.

I'm definitely slowing down and am not as fit as I used to be, but I felt good that I was still able to do this much on what turned out to be the hottest day of the year. My Mom had already passed away before she reached 75 and my Dad had been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease and a host of other ailments by his 75th birthday. I'm basically still reasonably healthy. I try to walk six miles every day and am staying active. Who knows how long I can continue this, but nothing is stopping me at this point. I still hope to be attending launches at Kennedy Space Center when I'm 85.

I'm glad we walked Dawn really early this morning because it was way too hot for her to be outside later in the day. It looks like this heat wave is going to continue for the rest of the week. Luckily our air conditioner is working well and I think the insulation we added to the roof is helping keep the house cooler. I'm glad we didn't have to deal with the power outages that plagued other parts of the community after last week's storms. This is not the time to be dealing with power outages.

It was a low key and largely uneventful birthday, but I felt good about it. I didn't do much during the afternoon. I took a shower and looked at my birthday messages on Facebook. I'm not a big fan of social media anymore, but I still think these birthday messages are a nice thing. Nobody sends cards anymore. I got one birthday card from my Luddite sister who has probably never even looked at Facebook. Later in the afternoon I tried to take a nap with Dawn but she wasn't in a celebratory mood. As soon as I went in the bedroom, Dawn went out in the kitchen.

Janet and I went out for dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant. We've been there for birthdays before and the food is always good. The prices were a bit higher and the portions were slightly smaller, but what else is new. All restaurants are doing this. At least the place was still in business. A lot of our favorite restaurants didn't survive the pandemic and are no longer here. Our waiter seemed disappointed that we weren't having dessert, but we had cake at home. We wanted to include Dawn in the birthday celebration.

After some cake and a glass of champagne, I did what I always do every evening. I wrote a blog post. Since I will have reached my 5000 Day goal before my next birthday, this might be my last birthday post. We'll see what happens.

Inky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4924 - Father's Day

The weather is always nice when we take Dawn on her sunrise walk. Unfortunately, it doesn't stay that way long. By the time I finished breakfast it was already back to what you'd expect for mid-June in Texas. Luckily there was a breeze today and it was still cool enough to take Dawn on her Sunday outing.

I went mall walking after breakfast. I'm glad I discovered that the mall is open earlier for walkers than I originally thought. If I go before 10 AM it is even quieter than usual. I don't tend to get out much and mall walking is my time to reflect on the state of the world. I wonder why people buy so many things they don't really need? I'm guilty of this myself, but it does seem strange that almost none of the stores are filled with necessities. They don't even seem to be filled with things that are all that desirable and yet people continue to buy.

You'd think that people who went mall walking would be healthy, but that doesn't seem to be the case. A lot of the walkers are really overweight. Maybe they are making an effort to get healthier, or maybe they are just looking for something else to buy. There often seem to be staff meetings going on in the stores before they open. I wonder what they talk about? I think I'd hate to work in retail. I'm not even friendly with my friends. I don't think I could be upbeat and friendly with strangers all day. I certainly would have a hard time selling them things they didn't need.

I often wonder how this mall can be so successful when the stores never seem full. Occasionally I have a reason to go there when the stores are open, and most of the stores are empty. I probably have a distorted view of how the world works however. For years I've made a conscious effort to do things at times when other people aren't doing things. I've never liked crowds. Maybe there are times when this mall is packed with people and I'm just home taking a nap.

It's much nicer walking in air conditioned comfort instead of walking outside in the heat. On a rare nice day I'd probably prefer walking outside, but those days are few and far between in the summer. It's probably just the humidity that's been making the weather feel so oppressive lately. Other than the unusually high humidity, this is just a normal June. The weather is going to get a lot worse in August.

Luckily it was still cool enough to give Dawn her Sunday outing. She really likes these little excursions. The Sunday park has a whole new set of things to smell. It's too bad that Dawn has such a fear of riding in the car. If she rode better in the car there are all sorts of places we could take her. 

Dawn's favorite part of the walk is the ice cream that comes afterwards. Ice cream does a good job of calming her down. I like the ice cream too, but it is certainly no bargain. They just plop a scoop of ice cream on top of the cone and don't even bother to try and fill it. To add insult to injury, they've raised their prices as well. We still go there every week though. Getting ice cream cones has become part of our weekend ritual.

Father's Day is kind of a non event for me. I'm not a father myself and my Dad passed away a long time ago. I do remember Mom telling Dad that I was a Father's Day gift, since my birthday is so close to Father's Day. Personally, I think Dad would have preferred a new fishing rod.

Rugby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4923

Very little happened today, but it still seemed like a long day. We had to get up very early this morning because Janet had an all day event to go to. For the first time since last winter, we took our sunrise walk in the dark. Dawn wore her lighted coller and I clipped a small LED light to my shirt. It was just like old times.

After breakfast I checked my messages and got ready to do my grocery shopping. My list wasn't long this week, but it still takes a while. I've started shopping earlier recently. The stores aren't as crowded and the selections seem a little better. The only downside to shopping early is that I've got more time to fill when I return home.

I had planned on going to the gym again today, but there was a nice breeze and it was overcast outside, so I decided at the last minute to walk in the park instead. It would have been cooler inside the gym, but I just didn't feel like driving anymore. Even though the humidity wasn't as bad as yesterday, I was still soaking wet by the time I returned home. In retrospect, it might have been better to go to the gym.

The light inside the refrigerator burned out today. It took me a while to figure out how to replace it. The light was behind a translucent cover and I couldn't figure out how to get the cover off. I save everything, but couldn't find the manual to the refrigerator. I tried to find a service manual online, but I couldn't find our particular model. Maybe the refrigerator is too old. I eventually got the cover off without breaking it and then wasted even more time looking around the house for a 40 watt appliance light bulb. I knew I'd bought this type of bulb before, but it's been a while. After a major search, I found a single 40 watt bulb left at the bottom of a shoe box full of old incandescent bulbs. Mission accomplished.

This afternoon was uneventful. I did a load of laundry and paid some bills on the computer. Dawn was in a bad mood because she thought Janet had been gone too long. She wasn't excited at all when I came home with my groceries. I eventually got her to go out in the back yard and pee, but all she really wanted to do was sit in the bedroom and sulk. I've really got to figure out a way to bond with this dog before Janet goes on vacation again.

I need a project, but I don't feel like starting anything new. All the old standbys don't seem to work anymore. I don't play my guitar or write songs anymore. I've already photographed every inch of the park and am losing interest in carrying a camera around. The last thing I want to do is start a home repair project, even though there are plenty of things that need attention. I would like to spend more time down at Kennedy Space Center, but that's just too expensive. It's too bad that Dawn doesn't like me to nap with her. A long nap always sounds good.

Finally it seems like there is no more severe weather in the forecast. It's going to be hot for the next week, but I can always go to the gym or just stay inside here at home. I'll go mall walking tomorrow morning. Hopefully, Dawn will still get her Sunday outing. If it's too hot we'll just go for ice cream.

Bali is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4922

The weather was a little better today. When we took Dawn on her early morning walk the oppressive humidity was gone. There was a nice breeze and the temperature was in the mid 70's. Of course this didn't last long. By 10 AM it was just another hot summer day. At least Dawn got a nice walk. She's only been getting one walk a day lately since it is too hot in the afternoon.

After breakfast this morning I hauled some brush out to the curb for bulky trash pickup. I wasn't outside long, but it was enough to convince me not to bother with my long walk. Oh, well. I need to make a habit of going to the gym anyway. I'm not good at making resolutions, but I really need to work on improving my upper body strength.

I feel like I'm getting a decent workout at the gym, but both my Fitbit and Apple Watch say that I'm actually getting more exercise on my long walks. It's probably just the amount of time I spend walking. Twenty minutes on a treadmill really doesn't equate to several hours on the trails. I like walking, but I'm probably going to be spending a lot of time at the gym for the next several weeks. According to the weather forecast, the temperature is going to be in the high nineties for the next ten days.

Walking is probably better for me. The rowing machine is hard on my shoulders. When I'm using the treadmill I worry that one of my knees might go out. I'm not terribly strong at this point. Whenever I use a machine, I usually have to subtract some weights from what the previous person used. At the time of day I usually go to the gym it feels a lot like a geriatric physical therapy center. Most of the people on the floor seem even older than I am. Some of them do pretty well though. I've got a long way to go before I could keep up with some of these old codgers.

My editor at SpaceFlight Magazine wants me to attend a media day for the Orion Spacecraft program at Kennedy Space Center. I told him I'd think about it. There is no launch involved, but media would have access to the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building where the Orion capsules for Artemis II through IV are in the process of being assembled. I applied for credentials to this event, but NASA hasn't set a date for the Media Day yet. We'll see what happens. I guess I'm always looking for an excuse to go back to the space center.

I also keep looking for an excuse to avoid mowing the grass. It's definitely time to mow again. I'm going to have to do this very early in the day, because it's just too hot once the sun is high in the sky. Maybe sometime next week. Tomorrow I do my grocery shopping and Sunday I always go mall walking. Monday isn't good either. I don't like the idea of mowing grass on my birthday. 

Janet does her grocery shopping on Friday and Dawn spends the entire morning waiting for her to return with the groceries. The ritual of putting away sacks of groceries seems very special to Dawn. She only gets excited about Janet's groceries though. When I return from my own grocery shopping Dawn doesn't even get off the bed.

My trips to the gym must be working because I feel sore in brand new places. My goals in life are simple now. I've just got to keep moving.

Hershey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4921

The weather won today. For the first time in ages I didn't go on a long walk. I didn't even think about it. The temperature was in the nineties and today's humidity was the highest ever recorded in Dallas. It seemed like a good day to go back to the gym.

I must not get out much because I noticed all sorts of new thing on the drive to the gym. The DART trains seemed to be running at half speed. I wonder why? I got stuck at a crossing forever waiting for two trains to pass. One of the streets between my house and the gym was completely closed. Why again? My favorite rib place seems to have new owners. The sign on the building has changed. Actually my gym seems to have new owners as well. I couldn't sign in with the old app on my phone and had to download a new app from a different company. Has it really been that long since I've been to the gym? Maybe so.

I thought I'd do the same exercise routine I regularly did five years ago and got a rude surprise. It was a lot harder this time. Where has my strength gone? The hand bicycle was much harder than it used to be. I tried running on the treadmill instead of walking around the indoor track. This worked pretty well to get my heart rate up, but I can't remember the treadmill being this strenuous before. I methodically worked my way through  most of the machines I used to use and marveled that these exercises used to seem like a piece of cake. I had a good workout, but strangely didn't seem to burn any more calories than I typically do on my long walk. Apparently climbing up and down hills and sweating in the hot sun is good exercise too.

I'll probably continue going back to the gym until this horrible weather has run its course. Not only was it hot and incredibly humid today, there was also an air quality alert. Maybe the Canadian wildfire smoke has reached as far south as Texas now. It was certainly hazy today. When we took our sunrise walk with Dawn this morning I thought the hazy sky was fog. Nope. It was probably smoke. It was reasonably nice outside when we took Dawn on her early walk, but as soon as the sun peeked above the horizon I could instantly feel the air get warmer. Dawn didn't get an afternoon walk today. It wouldn't have been healthy for her.

I was pretty industrious this morning, but did virtually nothing this afternoon. Watching TV no longer seems to be a viable option. I'm sick of the endless stream of political news on the cable channels. Do they even know that other things are happening in the world? The broadcast channels are even worse. They seem to be filled with mindless game shows. Social media had become depressing as well. Instagram used to be a great showcase for talented photographers but has been taken over by influencers. My Facebook feed is just a sad list of lost dogs, people trying to re-home dogs, and rescue groups begging for foster homes so they can continue to help dogs. There just seems to be an endless list of dogs in need these days.

I'll be glad when cool, overcast days return. The park is empty on days like these and I can take my walk in peace, counting ducks and trying to identify wildflowers. I daydream and get lost in my thoughts on a long walk. Not so much at the gym. A trip to the gym feels more like mowing the grass. I do need to work on my upper body strength though, so I'm going to make an effort to go there more often this summer. At the moment it would be insane to spend much time outside.

Shadow is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4920

No rain today, but the humidity was so high that it felt like it was raining. At least it was overcast and relatively cool outside. The humidity would have seemed even worse if the sun was shining. I had plenty of time to contemplate the weather today. I don't think I did anything except walk and eat. 

Our sunrise walk with Dawn was enjoyable. Dawn is always eager to go on these early walks. I'm always sleepy, but this is how I wake up. I wish the entire day was like these mornings. It warms up quickly though. By the time I'm ready for my long walk, I usually think it would have been smarter to go to the gym. Today wasn't that bad. I only questioned my sanity a few times during the walk.

The loose dog I saw animal control trying to capture yesterday was still there this morning. I guess they didn't catch it. There's a story here but I don't know what it is. The dog seemed friendly and I thought it would be easy to capture. The dog probably knew what it's fate would be if it wound up at Dallas Animal Services. Maybe a local rescue group will take an interest in this dog. There seems to be an epidemic of people dumping dogs around town and most of the rescues are full. It's all kind of sad.

I'm impressed at how quickly the park department removed all the downed trees from Sunday's big storm. I saw crews working with chain saws yesterday and today almost all of the trees were gone. There were lots of downed trees in the park, so this was a big effort. The park department seems like a model of efficiency compared to other parts of city government. Maybe I just notice things since I'm walking every day, but I'll have to admit that I'm impressed.

As soon as the ground dries out I'm going to have to mow again. We've had so much rain this Spring that the grass is doing really well. Grass has overrun several gravel pathways in the yard, but I don't really care. It's green and everything looks pretty nice. I keep thinking that I should hire a lawn service to take care of the yard, but I need to stay active and it isn't that hard to keep doing things myself. What else would I do anyway? I'm not that busy.

I've got an appointment soon to sign up for TSA Pre. In theory this will make it easier to travel. It will certainly save me time at the Orlando airport. I won't be going anywhere soon though. The roof was expensive and there are other big bills this month as well. I miss my time in Titusville though. I'm already looking at upcoming launches and trying to decide which ones I really need to see. I'm sure I'll be back at Kennedy Space Center later this year however. It's important to still have something interesting to do.

Dawn did well at her training class tonight. She's not been winning ribbons lately, but Janet says she still enjoys the class and knows all the commands. I probably need some sort of training class myself. I've forgotten just about everything.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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