Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Day 4954

This heat wave is starting to feel a little apocalyptic. There is no end in sight. We got up even earlier this morning so Dawn could have at least one decent walk. The temperature already was in the high 80's an hour before sunrise. There was a nice breeze though, so I have no complaints. The complaints always come later in the day.

I quietly ate my shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast and then invented a number of small tasks so I wouldn't end up going to the gym too early. I like to go during the lunch hour because it is less crowded then. I watered the plants in the atrium, did a load of laundry, and took some things out to the curb for bulky trash day. I used to spend a lot of time on the computer, but this is becoming less and less rewarding. Now that the computer is no longer a tool for generating income, it is just a way to kill time. I spend too much time checking my Facebook timeline. Why? Half my feed is just ads now. I've learned that sponsored posts are just clickbait. If something in the picture intrigues you, you will never find the answer by clicking on the link. I used to love looking at pictures of people's dogs, but lately most of the dogs on my feed are desperate pleas for fosters or adoptions before the dog gets euthanized at a pound or animal shelter. There are tons of posts about lost dogs. Jeez. If you have a dog, you really need a fenced yard. You should always walk your dog on a leash as well.

Why is modern life so depressing? I hate to even listen to the news on TV these days. The endless political debates are mind numbingly pointless. Anyone who thinks that the Democratic or Republican party has the answer to our problems is a fool. We apparently haven't figured out that wars are pointless as well. There are people in this country just itching to get more involved with the war in Ukraine. Boeing and Raytheon would love to have a wider war. If we haven't learned anything from Vietnam and the pointless wars in the Middle East, we probably never will.  China probably has the right idea. I think they realized they don't need to have a shooting war. They can just poison our minds with TikTok and poison our bodies with strange new viruses.

One good thing about walking is you don't need to dwell on such things. When I'm walking outdoors I just observe the plants and animals. Ducks are surprisingly interesting. When I'm walking indoors at the gym, I do mental math in my head trying to guess exactly how far I've walked without looking at my watch or Fitbit. I don't have deep thoughts when I walk. Those thoughts are reserved for dreams. I'm glad I don't remember my dreams. When I occasionally wake up in the middle of a dream, it's clear that most of them are a little scary.

I need to get a little more creative with my workout. For over two weeks now I've done exactly the same things when I go to the gym. Today was no different. I walk three miles on the indoor track, trying to keep a pace of around 20 minutes per mile. I usually end up walking about an hour. Next I see how long it takes to complete ten free throws on the basketball court. Sometimes I'm quick. Other times I'm embarrassingly slow. My main goal at the gym is just to find a parking place inside the parking garage, so I don't have to park my car out in the sun.

I didn't do a lot this afternoon. Afternoons are for napping or if I get really bored, for monkeying around with the star tracker. I can't even remember what I did this afternoon, but the day went quickly. Tomorrow will be more of the same. Cooler Fall weather can't come soon enough.