Day 3904

I received a letter from the Air Force today telling me that the credentialing process is complete and I have been approved for press access to Cape Canaveral. It turns out that I have actually been approved since mid-June. I just never received the approval e-mail. All's well that ends well I guess. If I knew I was approved earlier, I would probably have headed down to Florida for the much delayed Delta IV Heavy launch and had to return with nothing to show for my efforts. That launch has been delayed three times and still hasn't been rescheduled. The letter I got today was kind of vague. I still need to find out exactly how all this works.

Apparently I am approved to cover launches that take place at Cape Canaveral but not at Kennedy Space Center. These are two separate entities. There are lots of interesting military launches, so I'm good with this. I'll probably be headed back to Florida as soon as I feel safe getting on an airplane again. Lord knows how long that will take.

We walked early today because we thought it was going to rain. It was even darker than usual because of the heavy cloud cover. Walking at night under a clear sky seems kind of peaceful. Under heavy clouds it is kind of spooky. Eventually the sky lightened and we all relaxed a bit. We didn't get wet either. Eventually it did rain but it took most of the day for the storm to arrive. It's still raining right now, but it doesn't seem like the kind of storm that would cause a power outage. Maybe I'm being over confident.

Not a lot happened today. It seemed like I spent most of the day waiting for rain. I got a little wet on my afternoon walk, but that wasn't the main event. The heavy rain didn't start until this evening. At least both pumps seem to be working. I wonder how long this bad weather is going to last? According to the weather app on my phone it's going to be raining from now through Saturday.

I'm glad I'm back in touch with the Air Force. One of their media relations officers is going to call me tomorrow and fill me in on the details. Now I can start planning something again. I need to select a launch that would be interesting for the magazine to cover. I actually hope this takes a while. It will give me something to do.

Once again, I'm not sure what I'll be doing tomorrow. Somehow my days seem to go directly from breakfast to dinner with very little in between. Dawn seemed nervous around me again today. This happens periodically and usually doesn't last very long. Neither Janet or I can figure out what triggers this behavior. It's kind of sad though. She's such a sweet dog and there is no reason she should feel uncomfortable.

Can you believe it's September already? This has truly been a wasted year.

Spot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3868

It's Dalmatian Day again. We have a new boy named Marshall on the way, but for now there are still just three dogs at the kennel. Luckie is really making progress. She trusts the kennel staff now and didn't seem nearly as shy as she did last week. She loves treats and Janet and I were both able to get her to come over to us for a cookie. Luckie might even have a forever home in the near future. We learned today that someone is looking at her this week. Charlie and Hank seemed quieter than usual. Maybe it was the heat. They played with their toys for a little bit, but mostly they just wanted to sit next to us. Not surprisingly, the two boys were just as interested in treats as Luckie. Hank has learned to sit for a treat and Charlie has a whole repertoire of tricks to impress us with.

We managed to get an early start on our walk with Dawn this morning and it was definitely worth the effort. The combination of an overcast sky with a nice breeze made the walk fairly pleasant for late July. Dawn seemed to agree. She had lots of energy today and we completed our full five miles. The park is much less busy on a weekday, but we still encounter a lot more people than we would have at this time last year. I used to remember the park being completely empty on a Monday morning. Those days are gone. There are too many folks who are still out of work and looking for something to do.

I wrote one of my Air Force contacts today to ask about the status of my media accreditation request for upcoming military launches at Kennedy Space Center. I imagine that everything has been delayed because of the coronavirus, but I would have thought I'd have an answer by now. I submitted my application months ago. It's hard for me to be patient when so many things have been put on hold. I'm very polite because I don't want to burn any bridges, but I wish I could figure out a way to move the ball forward. I'm ready to resume writing about rockets and astronomy.

I'm doing a better job of maintaining contacts with my friends out at the observatory. I got a letter from one of the astronomers today. I'm pretty sure that I'll be welcome back as soon as the place opens up again. Lord knows when that will be though. There are certainly no plans at the moment. I don't think anyone is welcoming visitors now. Even the National Parks are starting to regret opening up again. I imagine Disneyland is having second thoughts as well. Until the situation changes, I'll have to be content with making travel plans in my head while I watch the ducks and geese at the park.

I wonder if anyone realizes the true extent of the mess we have managed to create? Some say that at least half the jobs lost during the pandemic will never return. People are leaving big cities in droves. Why live in a city when the stores are boarded up and you've lost faith in public transportation. Now that they're saying the virus can be transmitted through air conditioning systems, is anyone ever going to want to come back to work in a high rise? I doubt it.

With bad news everywhere you look, this is starting to look a lot like the fall of the Roman Empire. Civilizations come and go but I never thought I'd witness something like this during my lifetime. It's easy to focus on what is happening in the United States, but the changes I'm seeing are global. I sure hope the world can manage to get it's act together. When Rome fell, it wasn't followed by the Renaissance. The Middle Ages lasted for a very long time.

Deuce is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3821

What a difference a day makes. The weather this morning was beautiful. A rare Summer cold front swept away yesterday's dust and cooled things down significantly. It was only 68 degrees when we woke up. Needless to say, Dawn loved her walk today. I felt pretty good myself. The sky was clear and the air even felt fresher. My seasonal allergies are finally gone. It's kind of amazing how little it takes to put me in a better mood. A nice day isn't going to change the world, but I'll take what I can get.

The day got even better when I checked my e-mail after breakfast. I finally heard from the Air Force. They said they were beginning my credentialing process this week and that they would let me know when I was good to go for 2020. I haven't actually received media clearance yet, but the upbeat tone of the letter made it seem like this was only a formality. I've also applied for NASA media accreditation, but I'm not as optimistic about this route to attending the Mars 2020 launch. NASA has already said that they are still limiting the number of journalists that can attend launch events because of the coronavirus.

I hope there isn't a huge spike in virus outbreaks in the weeks ahead. I'm OK with traveling now, but things could change quickly. The virus definitely isn't under control yet and both Florida and Texas seem to be heading in the wrong direction. I could easily change my mind about attending the launch if things start heading downhill. I'm eager to return to being a space journalist, but I'm not stupid. You've got to be careful where you go these days. I'm not planning any trips to Seattle either.

The weather was so nice today that I thought I'd better mow the grass while I had a chance. This might be the last 70 degree day we have for quite a while. The yard looks a lot better now and I managed to accumulate 23,000 steps today as a bonus. My day was so productive that I even managed to fix the carport security light. It doesn't work quite as well as it used to but if a moose or large cow walked by it would probably trigger the sensor. I probably should have just bought a new motion detector, but I still feel compelled to fix things.

My dentist called today and finally wants to reschedule my appointment. My gym said it is reopening next week as well. Everyone is starting to seem almost desperate to return to some form of normalcy, but the virus doesn't appear to care. Protesters don't appear to care either. I really hope we don't have a second wave of outbreaks in the Fall because that might be the last straw that brings everything crumbling down. We're only holding on to sanity by a thread right now. It wouldn't take that much to push civil society right over the edge. Hopefully the world can get its act together. There are still things I want to do. I definitely don't want to spend my old age living in a dystopian nightmare.

Escher is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3798

Visiting the rescue dogs on Monday has become part of our regular schedule again. We missed seeing these guys when everything was shut down. Hank, Charlie, and Cinder are the only Dalmatians currently staying at the kennel, but we don't want to forget about them. Each of these dogs has their own distinct personality and it's fun spending time with each of them. They certainly love the attention.

Dawn is content to stay home when we visit the other dogs. I don't think she has any desire to return to the kennel. When we return from our long morning walks, she immediately hops on the bed and takes a long nap. She's found what she wanted. Dawn still loves her walks, but I think we're going to have to shorten them as the weather grows warmer. Dawn is not a young dog and Texas summers can be pretty intense. So far, it's still really nice early in the morning but I don't know how long this is going to last. Today's high temperature was over 90 degrees and it's not even June yet.

I finished filling out all the paperwork and sent my application for media accreditation to the Air Force. Hopefully, my request will be approved. There are several important launches taking place this year and I'm uncertain if NASA will return to normal operations in the immediate future. Getting military clearance might be my only chance to return to Kennedy Space Center this Summer or Fall. The magazine I write for has been very helpful. We'll see what happens. Now I've just got to sit back and wait. I'm still looking forward to covering the Mars 2020 launch in July.

I'm not looking forward to seeing the dermatologist later this week. I've known that I probably needed to have the blemishes on my face looked at for quite some time, but I've been avoiding making an appointment. My doctor finally made the appointment for me and gave me no choice. Maybe it won't be that bad, but I've seen what dermatologists do. I don't want anyone cutting on my face.

Stores are open again in Dallas, but I have no desire to go shopping. I wonder how many of my new habits will become permanent. I wash my hands obsessively now. Whenever someone approaches on a path in the park, I move well out of the way. I've always been somewhat suspicious of strangers and now I look at them like hand grenades waiting to explode. I'm not really fearful about the disease, but my natural suspicions about people have been amplified. This is probably not a good thing. Especially if millions of other people feel the same way.

I'm not sure when I'll return to a restaurant. I believe the information I'm hearing that confined indoor spaces where you linger a while are the most dangerous. Grocery stores are actually pretty safe because you are moving around and are not in one place for very long. Walking in the park is not dangerous at all. I'm glad I have no desire to go bar hopping. A crowded bar is probably the worst place you could be right now.

I know where I'll be tomorrow. We'll be walking Dawn early in the morning to avoid the heat and then I'll make my morning smoothie. Sounds pretty much like what I did today.

Skippy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3795

The lights are flickering and a big storm is headed our way. I hope the power doesn't go out before I can finish this post. It has certainly happened before. It's giant pain to have to start over using battery power, a laptop, and an alternate Internet source. At time like these I wish I could write faster, but I'm pretty slow.

Other than the bad weather, it has been a pretty good day. We had a nice walk with Dawn this morning before the weather turned bad.  My Friday morning omelette was tasty. It wasn't a busy day, but it wasn't a bad day either.

I'm gradually becoming more familiar with online banking, but I think I still prefer writing checks and going to the post office. Somehow checking a few boxes on a website doesn't seem real. I keep checking the website every few days to make sure the transaction has actually gone through. I don't know why I trust the post office so much. The post office has lost my mail several times. So far, the bank's website has worked perfectly.

I'm going to have to get used to doing as much as I can online. New regulations have made doing almost anything in person a totally frustrating experience. Texas is technically open again but you'd never know it if you have to go shopping. With each passing week going to the grocery store becomes more complicated. The new trend is to put lots of arrows on the floor and establish a one way traffic pattern throughout the store. This is not the way most people shop. If you are going to have one way aisles, you definitely need a few passing lanes. It is almost inevitable that you will end up stuck behind someone who can't decide what they want to put in their buggy and they just stand there blocking everyone behind them. Some stores have even blocked entrances, leaving only a single door to enter and exit the store. Not only is this a potential fire hazard, it also creates even more traffic jams. Keep in  mind that I didn't even go shopping today. I'm just remembering this madness from last week. I have a feeling that things will be even worse when I make my weekly shopping run tomorrow.

A Florida friend told me that I might have better luck obtaining access to Kennedy Space Center through the military than with NASA. I didn't even know that this was an option. I found out how to contact media relations for the Air Force and I think I'm going to apply. The forms I need to fill out are lengthy and a magazine needs to sponsor me but what have I got to lose. Evidently this is how some photographers are still managing to get launch access. It's easy to forget that Cape Canaveral is still an active military base.

The virtual NASA Social event for the upcoming Crew Dragon launch is actually more interesting than I'd thought it would be. I find myself posting to the group frequently. Admittedly this is mostly because there isn't much else to do these days. Hey, if I'm going to do something online, I think I'd rather talk about rockets than complain about masks.

I continue to be amazed that Dawn seems to have no fear of storms. All our other Dalmatians had pretty severe storm phobias. This evening while the lights were flickering and thunder was rumbling, Dawn was just calmly lying on the bed as if nothing was happening.

I may get gas tomorrow when I make my weekly shopping run. It's been well over a month since I filled my tank. The new normal isn't normal at all.

Sadie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 1870

Today was amazing! I got to go inside the ultra high security mission control building at Vandenberg. We visited the tower where the SMAP satellite will be launched early tomorrow morning. We saw the world's last remaining ICBM from the early days of the cold war. There were rockets everywhere. We were even on a live broadcast on the NASA TV channel. Oh, and I capped the day off by wrecking my rent car.

It was only a fender bender, but since it happened near a big Air Force base, three Air Force fire trucks and two MP's came to the scene. The Air Force guys quickly left when they discovered that nobody was hurt,  but I still had to wait on the side of the road for over half and hour for the California Highway patrol to show up. I knew I was going to miss the roll out of the rocket from the tower, but I didn't want to be charged for leaving the scene of an accident. In Texas, people just trade insurance information on minor accidents and go about their business. The other driver wanted to wait for the police though. When the highway patrol finally did show up, the first thing they asked was why we didn't just trade insurance information and leave. You could tell that they thought the whole thing was a waste of their time. Later I learned that the roll out had been delayed and that the other people attending the launch didn't get to see anything either.

The press conference for the launch was broadcast live on NASA TV. Janet said she saw me ask my one question on TV and that I didn't look like a dork. That's always good to know. I usually look like a dork. I learned a lot today. I never knew that there was a launch facility for the space shuttle at Vandenberg. At one point they were planing to launch the shuttle into polar orbit. The huge facility was finished about the same time the space shuttle program was canceled. It was never used. I never knew that at the beginning of the cold war, the USA only had three nuclear missiles and that they was all based at Vandenberg.

The rocket is scheduled to launch very early tomorrow morning. There is only a three minute launch window on Thursday, since it will be launched into a polar orbit. This means that if the launch is delayed at all, it can't be rescheduled until the next day. Hopefully, everything will go like clockwork. If the launch gets postponed, I'll have to return home without seeing it.

I met a lot of people today that worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Goddard Space Flight Center, or directly with NASA. I even met someone who had been accepted into the Mars One program. Every one of them seemed to really love their job. If you gathered a similar group of advertising people together, I doubt that you'd find anyone who genuinely loved their job.  I think I'll never look at "rocket science" the same way again. These people were amazing! We need a lot more of them.

At one point during the day, we had to leave all our phones, cameras, and computers on the bus while we visited a secret location. "Don't worry, your stuff is safe here," said an Air Force Sargent. I imagine it was. The is the most secure facility I've ever been to in my life. It was quite an experience to be allowed to see behind the curtain.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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