Day 4771

I said goodbye to Florida today. For a while I didn't think I'd be able to say hello to Texas though. In less than a month, Southwest Airlines seems to have gone from being one of the best airlines in the country to one of the worst. My flight was delayed before I even left Titusville. When I got to the airport, I discovered that it had been delayed even further. I also discovered that my plane was at a Delta terminal gate instead of at the regular Southwest terminal. Nobody ever explained why. 

Evidently my flight had arrived from Jamaica before heading on to Dallas. They wanted everyone from Jamaica off the place to go through customs in Orlando before getting back on to continue their flight to Dallas. Not surprisingly this took a while and caused the second delay. A third even stranger delay occurred after we were already on the plane. Two gay guys and a woman with kids were fighting over a group of seats toward the back of the plane that they both claimed were theirs. Neither party wanted to give an inch. The plane was completely full, so there weren't a lot of seating options available. The rest of the passengers kept wondering why the airline didn't just kick these unruly people off the plane so we could be on our way. Nope. They brought in some kind of negotiator to reason with them instead. This took a while too. We were on the ground for an additional 45 minutes. I imagine that they promised the squabbling passangers free vouchers if they would just shut up and sit down.

I wanted to return to Dallas earlier, but when the USSF-67 Mission was delayed for a day and I had to reschedule my reservation, tonight's Monday evening flight was the best I could do. My Airbnb host was extremely nice and let me check-out at 3 PM instead of their normal 11 AM departure. This was great and meant that I didn't need to spend all day sitting at the airport. You might have thought that I would have wanted to go to a museum or do something fun with my extra time. Unfortunately my rental car was an SUV with no trunk and I didn't want to leave my cameras and luggage in plain sight while I was doing something else. Staying at the Airbnb a little longer turned out to be a good idea. I had time to finish my article for SpaceFlight Magazine and get some additional exercise walking around the neighborhood.

I had the time, so I decided to explore the nature trail I discovered yesterday. I didn't encounter an alligator, but I'm pretty sure that a few saw me. The trail wandered through a heavily forested area with swampy lagoons, lots of native palm trees, and some huge cypress trees with lots of Spanish Moss hanging from the limbs. I heard lots of strange bird sounds I'd never encountered before, but saw very few birds. They were well hidden in the tall trees. I'm sure there were snakes, but luckily I didn't see any.

I tried my best to sleep in late today, but I woke up early like I always do when I'm traveling. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, but once you are awake you might as well get up. I think one reason I don't sleep well is soft beds. Hotels almost always have soft beds and apparently so do Airbnb rentals. Some people find a soft bed comfortable, but I like an extremely firm mattress. Sometime I feel like sleeping on the floor, but lord knows what lurks on strange floors. I'll get a lot more sleep now that I'm home. We'll still have to get up early to take Dawn on her sunrise walk though. 

I'll probably spend most of the day tomorrow unpacking, doing laundry, and sorting through all the pictures I took. There are some interesting launches this year, but I don't know when I'll be down at Kennedy Space Center again. These trips are getting more expensive and I'm definitely not becoming wealthy. My left hand starts to go numb on long drives too. Maybe I grip the steering wheel too hard. Who knows? This isn't much of an issue when driving between Orlando and Titusville, but I seriously wonder if I could make the drive out to McDonald Observatory anymore.

As soon as I post this I"m headed straight for bed. It's been a very long day and I'm tired.

Shelby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4649

Today was frustrating. I decided it was time to make reservations for the Artemis launch attempt on September 27th and almost immediately ran into problems. The Airbnb I liked was already booked. So was the Holiday Inn where I've stayed frequently. I looked for other Airbnb rentals in Titusville and many were already booked as well. The available places I found either had a four day minimum stay, were ridiculously expensive, or looked pretty shady. I eventually found a decent hotel and made a reservation. I wondered why this hotel wasn't sold out like the others and later discovered that it was undergoing renovations and many guests thought the construction noise was irritating. Oh, well. When I was making airline reservations my computer crashed right while my transaction was being processed. That took a while to get sorted out.

The sad thing is that all the effort I put in today is probably for nothing. There's a very good chance that the launch will get postponed again and I'll have to change or even cancel these reservations. The launch attempt on the 27th is really just tentative at this point. The Artemis team won't know whether the repairs they made recently to the hydrogen fill line are effective until they try to fill the rocket with fuel on September 21st. I had to abandon several promising Airbnb's because the 20th was the last day you could cancel your reservation without a penalty. I have a gut feeling that this rocket isn't going to launch until Halloween, but what do I know. If I want to see this launch I have to play along at this point. NASA doesn't care how often you have to change your travel plans.

The park department finally mowed the meadow behind our house. It's much easier to get down to the lake now on our sunrise walks with Dawn. This morning's walk was very pleasant. The weather was crisp and cool and the park was fairly empty. Although my feet are starting to hurt again, I decided to take another long walk in the park after breakfast. Actually it was quite a while after breakfast because I had to make all my travel arrangement first. It's a good thing I took care of this early. By lunchtime the hotel where I made my reservation had sold out.

My pace today wasn't as fast as yesterday's. This was probably because the temperature was warmer. I probably should have gone to the gym, but I didn't feel like driving. More American White Pelicans arrived at the park this morning. The pod of pelicans will continue to grow throughout October and by the time Winter arrives there will be hundreds of them. There will be lots of Double-Crested Cormorants as well but they haven't arrived yet. I enjoy watching the seasons change and always look forward to Fall. It's the one time of year when it's actually pleasant to be outside in Texas.

This week has gone quickly. There are still a lot of things on my to-do list but I'm going to postpone most of them. I'll postpone taking my car in for service until I pay my travel bills. Maybe next month. I'll postpone getting the roof replaced until the stock market starts going up again. Maybe next year. I can't postpone mowing the grass much longer. It grows really fast when there's rain. The only thing I never postpone is doing the laundry. It's easy and strangely satisfying. I did a load of laundry this afternoon.

It's time to make a grocery list again. Prices have come down at the pump a bit, but the cost of food is still going up. One more thing to be frustrated about.

Phantom is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4630

I ended up seeing the Space X Starlink launch last night. It was still raining when I drove to the Press Site. There weren't a lot of people setting up cameras and most of them thought that the launch would get scrubbed. It did get delayed, but eventually the skies started to clear and the launch took place around 11:41 PM. I'm glad I stayed optimistic and didn't drive back to town. It was another spectacular launch. Unfortunately, I didn't get any good pictures. The remote shutter release I use locked up just before the launch and I didn't have time to reboot everything. It's no great loss though. I already have plenty of pictures of Falcon 9 rockets launching at night.

I spent a lot of time today trying to figure out what went wrong so it won't happen again when the Artemis rocket launches tomorrow morning. I suspect the problem was user error. It's really hard to see the camera controls in the dark and sometimes I press the wrong buttons by mistake. At least tomorrow morning the skies will be getting brighter as we approach launch time.

My interviews didn't go well today. Basically, I didn't get any interviews. The Italian astronaut had a flight delay and couldn't make his Sunday morning interviews. The German astronaut decided at the last minute to skip his last interviews of the day and go on a tour of a NASA clean room facility instead. It's just as well. I never look forward to interviews because I don't think I'm very good at it. I do much better as a fly on the wall, just quietly observing things and sharing my thoughts.

The journalists who were doing interviews were having a feeding frenzy. On air media people seem pretty aggressive. They all have deadlines to meet or are on the air live and don't have time for slow moving people like me. I saw some of them even filming other people's interviews. I actually learned a lot by just wandering around and listening to other journalists interview people. I don't think I'm cut out to be a broadcast journalist. I forgot to pack two of journalism's most important tools: a pen and a notebook. I didn't even take a recorder, although I guess I could have used my phone to record an interview. Before my astronauts canceled out on me, I was looking everywhere for a ballpoint pen. There were lots of free hats, but no pens. 

I've been eating at my Airbnb instead of going to restaurants. Every day I stop at a grocery store on my way back from the space center and pick up a few things. I've discovered single serve cereal packages where you just pour milk in the little plastic cup the cereal is packaged in. I thought about getting single serve beer and soft drinks but they are much more expensive than getting a six pack. Anything with organic on the label is more expensive too. I don't want a lot of food left over when I leave, but I still don't know how long I'm going to stay. It all depends on what happens tomorrow morning.

I think I like staying at an Airbnb. The house I'm staying at is located in a nice quiet residential neighborhood. I took my daily walk through the neighborhood this afternoon and kept thinking that this would be a nice place to live. Titusville is a pleasant little town. There are lots of retired people and many of the younger ones work for NASA. Actually my Airbnb host is an engineer on the Orion program. I met he and his wife today and it looks like we'll both be heading to the space center in the middle of the night for tomorrow's launch.

I really hope that this launch goes off on schedule. This mission is so complicated that it seems like a miracle to me if everything works as planned. Ill just be watching tomorrow, but some of the people I've met down here have spent their entire careers working on Artemis or the Orion capsule. Good luck guys.  I hope your efforts are successful.

Mandy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4629

I made it to Kennedy Space Center. So far, so good. My flight was on time. I managed to find a rental car with GPS. I got my press credentials and checked into my Airbnb. Now all I've got to do is wait for the rain to stop. The weather's not looking good, but hopefully it will improve by Monday morning.

I wasn't looking forward to such an early flight this morning, but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. There were no crowds at the terminal and the plane was only half full. I went through the TSA line in record time. Love Field has really improved the way you go through security. You don't have to take your computer or liquids out of your bag anymore. You don't need to remove belts or watches either. The whole process is much faster now. I wish all airports would upgrade their equipment like this. The Orlando airport is still impossibly slow.

The Airbnb is a lot different than a hotel. It's basically a small apartment with a full kitchen. I could cook all my meals here if I wanted. There are pots and pans to cook with and plenty of dishes. I went to a nearby grocery store and got some things for breakfast. I'll just eat cereal like I usually do. This seems a lot easier than looking for a restaurant every morning. The place is clean and in a very convenient location. Who knows. I may become a believer in this type of travel. Airbnb definitely offers some real advantages.

There is a Space X Starlink launch scheduled for tonight. The weather doesn't look good and the launch is very late, but I think I'll go out to the press site anyway and see if I can get some pictures. Space X has been known to launch in less than optimal weather before, so if the rain stops before launch time there's a good chance the launch will take place. It's hard to pass up a chance to see two launches in a single trip, so I'll give it a shot even though things look 50/50 at this point.

One of my astronaut interviews got canceled tomorrow. The Italian astronaut had a flight delay and won't be here in time for the interview. I think the interview with the German astronaut is still on though. I wish I'd signed up to set remote cameras. This was going to take place on Friday before I arrived, but there was a thunderstorm and everything got postponed. Now there is a bus taking photographers to the pad tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, it's too late for me to sign up. I'm not sure I could go anyway, since I don't have any remote cameras to set. Space X often lets me ride on the bus and take pictures even if I don't place any remote cameras. NASA is more strict about this though. If you don't have remote cameras to place, they usually won't let you on the bus.

Dot has been gone for quite a while, but it would have been her birthday today. We had great birthday parties for Dot and Dash. We'll have to continue this tradition with Dawn. I remember that I even took a cake decorating class once just so we could make elaborate birthday cakes for the dogs. I don't think either of us has that much energy anymore, but Dawn definitely deserves something special.

I'm going to post this early tonight because I don't feel like blogging after a late night launch. I'd much rather get a little sleep. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4628

I'm feeling a little more organized now. I'm almost packed and am starting my blog post early this evening in hopes of getting some sleep tonight. I'm really terrible about travel planning. I procrastinate. I can never decide what to take. And I always end up forgetting something important. I've finally learned to always take a raincoat and spare batteries, but there's always something that gets overlooked. In the past I've forgotten toothpaste, cables to recharge my phone, and insect repellant. You'd think this would be a piece of cake by now. I've been to Titusville many times before. It always seems like a totally new experience though. I enjoy attending rocket launches. I just hate to travel.

Packing aside, it was just a normal Friday. Dawn got a nice sunrise walk. I picked up a prescription at the pharmacy, And I took my long walk in the park. The weather was warmer today, but it was too much trouble to go to the gym. There is little evidence that we had a record rainfall last week. The ground was so dry that it immediately sucked all the water up. When the ground is wet, some of the meadows in the park stay waterlogged for weeks after a big rain. This time was different. The ground is already dry again.

So far, my Airbnb experience has been good. My hosts have been very responsive and have answered all my questions. I can't say the same for hotels I've stayed in. I've arrived at destinations where they totally lost my reservation and I was left wondering if I had a place to stay for the night. There have even been mixups at the Astronomers Lodge, which is one of my favorite places. We'll see what happens this time. I hope I like staying at an Airbnb. If it works out, I may do this again.

The weather still looks iffy for the launch. Of course the weather is always iffy in Florida. You've got to take an afternoon shower in stride. I've driven from Titusville to the space center in heavy rain only to have the skies clear and the launch take place right on schedule. Let's just hope that everything works out. Somehow it usually does. I'd really hate to make this long trip for nothing.

There's a Space X launch tomorrow night, but I'm not sure if my Artemis credentials will get me in. The launch is so late that the Press Site might be closed. I guess I'll find out when I get there. The Artemis-1 launch is so different than others I've attended that I really don't know what to expect. It's pretty safe to expect crowds. I've been warned about large crowds again and again in NASA messages. They tell me now that to avoid traffic delays I should be at the Press Site by 2 AM on Monday morning. The launch doesn't take place until 6:33 AM. The Space X launch tomorrow night takes place somewhere between 10:30 PM and midnight. Am I ever going to get any sleep? 

I probably won't get a lot of sleep tonight since my flight leaves very early in the morning. I have a feeling that I'm getting too old for this, but I'll give it my best shot. Hopefully, I'll get a burst of energy. There are a lot of interesting launches in the future and I"d hate to think that I'll miss them because I'm home taking naps with Dawn. Don't get me wrong. I love taking naps, but long naps don't make much of a story. There are still stories I need to write.

Cammy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4627

Today was uneventful. The weather was a bit warmer this morning, but it was still a welcome relief from the heat wave we were having just a few weeks ago. Maybe the worst of this summer is finally over. I could definitely live with no more hundred degree days this year.

I'm still making slow, steady progress getting ready for the trip to Kennedy Space Center. So far this mostly involves checking equipment and making sure that it works. I renewed a prescription that might run out during my stay, but I haven't gotten around to packing clothes yet. This usually doesn't take long. I travel light.

It was quiet during our sunrise walk with Dawn. Some days the park is empty on our early morning walks and other days there is lots of activity. I still haven't figured out what draws people to the park on specific days. There are a few people we see every single day. They are obviously on a schedule, just like we are.

I probably should have gone to the gym today, but I decided to take another long walk in the park. The outdoor walks aren't any easier on my feet, but they are more enjoyable. Today was humid, but it was still quite pleasant. 80 degree days are much nicer than 100 degree days. 

My Airbnb hosts told me that it would be OK to extend my stay if the Artemis rocket fails to launch on Monday. This was good news, but I'm still not sure if I would want to spend an entire week in Titusville just waiting for another launch attempt. Mostly it's the additional cost that bothers me. The magazine I write for doesn't pay any travel expenses and the bills add up quickly. I still can't decide whether I have a second career or an expensive hobby. I guess it doesn't really matter. I enjoy covering these rocket launches and in a world where joy is a rare commodity, I guess this counts for something.

Sometimes I envy the rocket photographers who actually live in Titusville. There are quite a few of them and many seem to be at every single launch. Would this get boring after a while? I'll probably never find out. It does feel like you are witnessing something important when you are at the space center. History is being made. The actual photography is just a task though. It isn't that different from photographing dogs or the night sky out in West Texas.

I told my magazine about the interviews I set up with the two European astronauts and my editor wants me to do an article about them as well. It's a good thing I enjoy writing. Print writers seem to be a dying breed. Almost everyone I've met out at the space center seems to have a podcast, works for a TV station, or has some connection with a website. There are very few writers.

I've already taken this week's trash out to the curb, which always marks the end of the week for me. I guess I'd better pack my bags tomorrow. I'm running out of time.

Pinky is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4595

After failing again to find a hotel anywhere near Kennedy Space Center, I thought I'd try Airbnb. I've never used Airbnb before and had no idea what to expect. So far it's been a pleasant surprise. I was able to find a nice place in a convenient location for less than I've been used to paying at Titusville hotels. The host is very friendly and has been able to answer all my questions. The website provides lots of pictures of the property and there are informative comments from previous visitors. I hope this works out. It might be a whole new way to travel.

Our heat wave continues unabated. We had a nice sunrise walk with Dawn because there was a breeze this morning. The park was busy even though it was very early. I think everyone has finally learned that this is the only decent time to be outside. Janet and I had a big weekend breakfast and then I took my long walk. I would have preferred going to the gym, but it isn't open on Sunday. Even though I got started before 9 AM, it was already getting hot. I was able to complete my entire route, but I was slower than I was yesterday. By the time I returned home the temperature was almost 100 degrees. I don't know when this is going to end. The forecast shows a long string of 100 degree days for the rest of the month. By the time this summer is over, I'm almost certain that we will have set an all time record for sustained high temperatures.

Despite the high temperatures, Dawn got her Sunday outing. We still take her to the Sunday park, but we only get out of the car for a few minutes to let Dawn smell things. The Sunday outing is mostly about the ice cream now. The ice cream store has raised their prices recently, but the cones certainly aren't any bigger. The place does a good business so you wouldn't think they'd need to raise prices, but what do I know. I'm sure their cost of supplies has gone way up. You've got to do what you've got to do to keep your doors open these days. I'm just glad I'm retired. This isn't a great time to be running a small business.

I hope that NASA provides me with a schedule soon. It's really hard to make reservations when I don't know when I need to arrive. Sometimes you pick up your credentials the day before the launch. Other times it is several days before the launch. Usually there is only about a three hour window to pick up press badges, so if you miss the designated time slot, you are out of luck and you aren't going anywhere. Right now, the only thing I know is the scheduled launch date. Of course there is no guarantee that the rocket will actually launch on this date. The weather could change or there could be any number of technical problems that could delay the launch. I'm trying to stay optimistic, but given the history of this rocket the launch might not take place until Christmas.

Snooze you lose. I waited too long to make a decision about the special viewing night at McDonald Observatory and when I looked this evening the special viewing night was no longer available. The event has sold out. Jeez. Last night there were still spaces available and today they are gone. I need to be more decisive. I wouldn't have had problems finding a hotel in Titusville if I'd made my reservations before learning whether I'd get press credential. I could have always canceled the reservations if NASA didn't accept my request. I'm sure other people do this all the time. I could have also made reservations for the special viewing night at the Otto Struve telescope and canceled them if I decided later that I wasn't up for the long drive. I have a hard time doing things like this though. I'm not a competitive person and hate the idea that I have to compete with other people who might want to do the same things as me. I also tend to procrastinate on everything I do. Oh, well. It is what it is. I would have had a hard time affording back to back trips to Florida and West Texas anyway.

It looks like we'll be visiting the rescue Dalmatians again tomorrow. I don't think anyone got adopted this week, but we'll find out when we get there. I'll probably go to the gym after we return from the kennel. It's just too hot to try another walk in the park. Have I learned my lesson about being indecisive and waiting too long to make decisions? Probably not.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2967

Someone has started throwing their trash in my garbage can. This shouldn't bother me, but it does. I always bag and seal my trash in big black trash bags. I have a neat and tidy bin. It just seems all wrong to see someone else's loose garbage inside this can. Since all my neighbors have their own cans, I'm beginning to think that this trash is coming from the strange new people I've seen coming and going from my neighbor's house recently. I may be wrong, but I think they've turned part of their home into an Airbnb rental. Jeez. I hope this isn't true. After I read an article about how Airbnb virtually destroyed Crested Butte for local residents, I haven't been a fan of this new form of lodging.

I wonder when I went from living on the cutting edge to being violently opposed to anything new? It must have been a gradual process, because I wasn't even aware that it was happening. These days I wonder why there isn't any good music anymore. I am baffled by all these ride sharing bicycles that have spread like kudzu vines through our city. I think social media addiction is as real as drug addiction and we would all be better off if we went back to living offline. I don't like globalism and think a factory in every small town would be much healthier than massive imports from China. Basically, I'm becoming a Luddite like my sister.

My Dad was kind of reactionary as he grew older, but I think I'm much worse than him. It's probably because I never had children. If you are a parent, you are forced to make an effort to see the world through a younger generation's eyes. Millennials seem much stranger to me than they do to friends of mine with millennial aged children of their own. Maybe everything is as it should be, but increasingly, life seems like an episode of the Twilight Zone.

I wonder how I'd view the world if I were younger myself? Maybe I'd be more tolerant. I'd probably be working in silicon valley. I'm a huge fan of Elon Musk and share his vision of a life on Mars. I can't imagine myself as a political person, but I could get excited about renewable energy and solar power. Anything that gives people more independence is a good thing. Maybe I'd do just fine as a millennial.

Growing younger isn't really in the cards, so I guess growing old gracefully is the next best thing. I get up every morning and try to make sure Dash has everything he needs. We're both grumpy old men now, but he is a good companion. We take our walks and build our days around mealtimes. It's not a bad life. I try not to panic about stock market fluctuations and I hope that Dash doesn't panic about his heartbeat fluctuations.

We had a good day today. Dash finished his entire breakfast after we returned from our morning walk and his appetite remained good for the rest of the day. The shivering episodes have subsided a bit too. Now that he's finished his four day course of Cerenia, I'm hoping that he will be stable for a while. The big event of the day was picking up some spicy Japanese Ramen for dinner. I picked up some new meds for Dash as well. We'll probably do something similar tomorrow.

Stortz is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2963

Dash wouldn't eat this morning. It took forever to get a minimal amount of food in him so it was safe to give his morning pills. Since it is critical that Dash always takes his phenobarbital on a regular basis to control seizures, a loss of appetite can be pretty dicy. Dash wasn't even interested in banana bread this morning, so we knew this was bad. We decided to give him a Cerenia pill, even though he wasn't showing obvious signs of nausea. Cerenia was really the only tool we had. Three hours later, he started eating again.

Nobody has ever explained how Dash's various symptoms are interrelated. Maybe they aren't. There are so many things that can go wrong with this dog and some of them are life threatening. To me, it is very stressful. My best guess is that the periodic eating disorders are related to his vestibular disease. Depending on how bad the vestibular event is, it can appear to be a stroke, a seizure, vertigo, or an upset stomach. Dash's worst vestibular seizure put him in intensive care for four days. Today's mild event just gave him an upset stomach. By mid-afternoon, he was back to his old self again.

While I was running my Saturday errands, I did some more appliance shopping. I learned that it would be a good idea if I just put a hold on things until President's Day. Evidently you can get some of the best appliance prices of the year during President's Day sales events. I guess it is a tradition to lower prices on refrigerators on President's Day. I'm happy to wait. I wasn't looking forward to buying a refrigerator today anyway.

Now that I'm more or less living on a fixed income, sales have become more important to me. I'll be going to the annual Super Bowl Sale at my favorite clothing store tomorrow. This is the only time when I can actually afford these clothes. I realize that when someone offers you 75% off on anything, they're just trying to get rid of old merchandise, but what do I care. When you're almost 70 years old, nothing ever goes out of style.

Dash has become very needy as he's growing older. Janet is at an animal rescue event tonight and Dash has been throwing a tantrum since she isn't around to sit in bed with him. This is what they do in the evening. Janet watches Netflix movies while Dash takes a nap. He's more than welcome to come in the office and nap while I write, but apparently that isn't good enough. He want's me to sit in the bed with him now.

When I was taking Dash out to pee this evening, I saw a guy lurking around in the dark. He seemed startled when he saw Dash and I and told me he was looking for his Airbnb rental. Given the state of the world today, the guy could have been completely legit. He also could have been a burglar. I told the man that nobody I knew in the neighborhood had turned their home into an Airbnb and he got in his car and left. I felt like telling him that it wasn't wise to go lurking around in the dark in a residential Texas neighborhood. It's a good way to get shot.

I still don't understand the popularity of Airbnb, Uber, and all those ugly Limebikes that are littered around town. If I take a Yellow Cab, or stay at a Holiday Inn, I know exactly what I'm getting. I suspect that I don't possess the level of trust required to participate in the sharing economy. It all seems like buying a pig in a poke to me.

Casey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2821

What happened to our nice Fall weather? It felt like Summer again today. I wonder if the abrupt change in temperature confused the White Pelicans I saw arrive yesterday? These birds spend the Winter at the lake every year. I thought that their arrival was a sure sign that cooler temperatures were here to stay, but I guess I was wrong. It's hard to predict the weather these days. The Farmers Almanac says that Texas is going to have a cold Winter with lots of ice and snow. I find this hard to believe, but stranger things have happened.

Nothing strange happened today. In fact, very little happened at all. Sometimes I wonder if I'll be able to continue this narrative for another 2,179 days. It's not always easy to write about nothing. Dash seems better at dealing with uneventful days than I am. He's either sleeping, begging for food, or trying to lick his injured dewclaw. I've been trying to give him a reprieve from wearing the cone all day by putting a towel over his front legs while he is sleeping. Usually this works pretty well, but Dash is sneaky. A couple of times today, I caught him with his head under the towel, still licking the dewclaw.

I got a check in the mail today that was immediately offset by two bills that were considerably larger than the money I received. I took the check to the bank, paid the bills, and took them to the post office. It's hard to get ahead this way. At some point I'm either going to have to get a job or start spending my retirement savings. The future is so uncertain that it seems unwise to start using your nest egg too soon. I'm not sure it is wise to go looking for a job either. Who would hire me? I've survived on my own for so long that I'm probably not employable. When I'm honest, I have to acknowledge that it's a collaborative world and I'm not much of a team player. I used to think it would be fun to work part-time at an Apple Store in my retirement years. I'd be a natural, I thought. I know more about Apple products than just about anybody, but Apple customers aren't like they used to be. It's not a small group of tech savvy geeks anymore. Lately, when I go into an Apple Store, I am repelled by the way the company has changed. It's all about the phone now. The computers are an afterthought. I'm not sure how excited I could get about selling you a phone that lets you send messages using an animated animal emoji that mimics your facial motions. I don't even want to stay connected.

It's weird how quickly the news organizations have forgotten about the hurricanes. Just a few days ago every reporter in the country was standing out in the rain seeing who would be first to get blown over by a gust of wind. Now, they are all back to bashing Trump again. It's almost as if the storms never happened. If your home was flooded, the story definitely isn't over. It's probably just beginning. I keep wondering if there's a part of the country where you never have to worry about tornados, floods, hurricanes, or forest fires. A lot of my favorite places out West have been plagued with wildfires this season. Maybe there are no idyllic places left.

I always used to think of Crested Butte as an an idyllic place. My family used to spend summers near there when I was young. The other day I read an article about how Airbnb was destroying communities like Crested Butte, making it impossible for the locals to find affordable housing. Apparently, investors have bought up everything in town and are using the properties as short term vacation rentals. Nobody even knows who their neighbors are anymore. There are two sides to everything and the new sharing economy doesn't benefit everyone. LimeBike has arrived in Dallas and I'm already starting to see the green and yellow bicycles abandoned all over the park like somebody's trash. In theory, another customer will eventually hop on one of these bikes and ride it somewhere else, but it isn't happening yet. For the record, I'm not really fond of Uber either. Maybe I'm just old fashioned.

Nicholas is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day