Day 4478

We had a short power outage last night. The beeping noise one of the battery backups for the computer made when the power went out got Dawn upset and she wouldn't go back to sleep. I turned the noise off but it seemed like Dawn was on high alert for the rest of the night. I had trouble getting back to sleep because she wouldn't sleep and woke up tired this morning. I probably would have woke up tired anyway. That's been happening a lot lately.

The weather changed again overnight. It was still warm, but extremely windy. The wind didn't seem to bother Dawn. She was eager to walk this morning. The walk woke me up, but I was eager to go back to bed when we returned. I made myself stay up, made the bed, and finished my breakfast, but my heart wasn't in it today. I really shouldn't be feeling this tired.

I made my travel arrangements for the Axiom-1 launch after breakfast. I was surprised and a bit disheartened at how much more expensive everything was than when I planned a similar trip about a year ago. Airfare, hotel rates, and rental cars were all significantly more expensive. Why? Are company costs that much higher, or do these guys just think they can get away with it? At any rate, I don't think I can just travel on a whim anymore. Making too many of these trips to Florida could put a serious dent in my budget.

I was determined to do something useful today, so I got the vacuum out and cleaned the carpets. The carpets are worn and need to be replaced. Somehow this seems impossibly hard to me, since so much stuff would need to be moved. The office is full of heavy stuff that would need to be moved out of the way.  It took over twenty years to fill this room up, so clearing it out in a day for the carpet installers wouldn't be easy. The master bedroom isn't as cluttered, but that seems daunting as well. There is a large, heavy king sized bed and I would have to hook up the television and all the home network stuff all over again. I'm beginning to understand why every room in my Dad's house was piled to the ceiling with stuff when he passed away. It's easy to accumulate stuff. A lot harder to make sense of it later.

I tried to walk a little further this afternoon, but was only able to add one additional mile to yesterday's pitiful total. I think the wind did me in today. The wind was so strong when I was down near the lake that it almost blew me off the trail. There was a news story recently that a body had been discovered in the lake on Friday. Yesterday someone discovered a dead dog in the lake. It's sad that this idyllic place is really just a part of a very big city with all of the problems that big cities typically have. Police patrol the park a lot more frequently now. I guess that's a good thing, but this is definitely not West Texas. I miss the empty, wide open spaces but I do worry about falling more than I used to. At least Dallas has good hospitals.

It's supposed to rain later tonight. I dread the thought of rain these days. I don't like to go up on the roof anymore and the longer standing water sits up there, the greater the chance of a leak. I really need to call a roofer and get started on a new roof. I'm just procrastinating now. I guess I know I'm going to be disappointed whoever I choose. I'll be even more disappointed if I do nothing though. 

Now that I've take care of my Florida trip, it's time to decide whether I'm going back to the observatory at the end of April. I probably will, but I dread that long drive. I seem to dread everything these days.

Elliott is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4477

We met Dorothy today. She was a little bundle of energy and loved to play. It was hard to believe Dorothy was an owner surrender because she seemed just about perfect. How can people get rid of a dog like this? On our way home we took her to the vet to be spayed. She was a little nervous riding in the car but that was understandable. This week was full of changes and it was probably all pretty new to her. Like all of our rescue Dalmatians, I think she will make a great pet for some lucky family.

We spent a lot longer at the kennel today because there were so many dogs. For a long time it was just Charlie and Oliver. Now we've added Sammy and her eleven puppies, Dorothy, Willie, Jo Jo, Rocket, Candy, and Julip. Each of these dogs has their own distinct personality. Some are shy and others are wild. It's been fun getting to know all of them. Janet and I need to learn how to do some basic training. Some of the younger dogs could definitely use a little training.

I'm still feeling tired. It wasn't a strenuous day but all I really wanted to do was take a long nap. Actually, my allergies weren't bad today and my feet weren't bothering me a lot. I just felt tired. I've been walking less this week. My long walk has been getting shorter lately. I only walked two miles today. Dawn actually took a longer walk this morning which surprised us. She seems to be getting a lot more confident. This morning she added an extra half mile to her regular one mile loop and was full of energy the entire way. Of course she spent the rest of the day lying on the bed, but it is good to see her more active.

I've been approved to attend the Axiom-1 launch. I just found out today. I'll need to start making travel arrangements tomorrow because the launch is actually pretty soon. Hopefully, the weather will be nice and there won't be any problems. I'm always simultaneously excited and apprehensive about these launch events. I enjoy being back at Kennedy Space Center, but I don't really like traveling. I've already agreed to do a story about this launch for SpaceFlight Magazine, so I guess I'm on the road to becoming a working space journalist again.

April is going to be a busy month because I'm probably going back to McDonald Observatory for their Dark Sky Festival at the end of the month. Flying to Florida is a lot easier than driving to West Texas. It's a very long drive and the roads are filled with heavy trucks. I always dread the stretch through Midland and Odessa on I-30. It's very peaceful once I get to the observatory though. I guess I've got one more road trip in me. 

Today was even hotter than yesterday. It really felt like Summer on my afternoon walk. I'm sure the heat had something to do with why I felt so lethargic today. Maybe I just need to get more sleep. Janet and Dawn like to get up early. Not me. I could sleep till noon.

Doc is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4475

Every Saturday I rejoin the world for a little while. I'm not sure I like what I see. The roads are crowded. The shelves at the grocery store seem emptier than they used to be. Gas actually seemed a little less expensive than it was the last time I filled my tank, but there was a line of cars behind me at the pump and you could tell that people wished I would hurry up. 

I don't know why the beer I like is getting harder to find. I bought the last 12 pack in the store today. The ginger ale I like is getting harder to find as well. On the plus side, strawberries are less expensive. They must be back in season again. I'm glad I do this only once a week. I don't enjoy shopping anymore.

Today was even warmer than yesterday. Even our sunrise walk with Dawn was fairly warm. By the time I took my long walk later in the day, the temperature was almost ninety degrees. I took my time, but I was tired. I don't know why I keep doing this. A long nap would have been preferable. I do need the exercise though. Without a long walk today, I probably would have gone back to bed after I finished grocery shopping.

I think I've been approved for the Axiom-1 launch although I haven't received any notification yet. I've started receiving mail from Axiom Space about pre and post launch press opportunities and I don't think I would be on this list if I wasn't approved. Hopefully I will get the official word soon. It's time to start making travel arrangements.

The rescue group is taking part in a shoe drive for charity and Janet keeps asking if I have any shoes to donate. Do I have shoes? I looked today and was amazed at how many shoes I've never even worn. Where did all these shoes come from? I guess I used to like to buy shoes. Many of these shoes are really nice, but I doubt that I will ever wear them. Foot pain has really limited my choice of footwear. I should be able to make a nice donation. If I don't get rid of these things now, I'll have to face the fact that I've become a hoarder. I don't like the idea of being a hoarder, but I do have tendencies in that direction.

Dawn definitely seems friendlier toward me now. Maybe that week we spent together was good for us. I don't think that Dawn will ever be completely comfortable with men, but I'm glad she's finally starting to trust me. The puppy mill dogs must have had a terrible life, because Dawn isn't the only one who has taken a long time to adjust. I think Dawn has finally realized that being a little Diva isn't a bad life. This evening she barked at me to hurry up and fix her dinner even though Janet wasn't home. For Dawn, that's getting pretty bold.

I think the eagles have gone for good. I look for them every day but I haven't seen either of the birds in weeks. Probably losing a nest with eggs in it was a traumatic event. I've noticed that a lot of the pelicans have disappeared as well. It's probably time for them to migrate wherever they go in the Summer. When the pelicans leave the purple martins start to arrive. Now that it is officially Spring, I'll probably start seeing baby ducks soon. I'll never be a birder, but becoming familiar with the birds in the park has made my walks more interesting.

It's time for Dawn's Sunday outing again. I'm really comfortable doing the same things over and over again. It's the new stuff that bothers me. 

Bubba is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 4471

It's Winter again. After a few seventy degree days I thought I could finally put my Winter coats away, but apparently not. I was surprised at how cold it was this morning. Wasn't I wearing shorts yesterday? Oh, well. It's bound to get warmer sometime soon.

The cold weather didn't seem to bother Dawn. She was eager to walk again this morning and seems happy that the whole family is back together again. Dogs have simple expectations. I think that all Dawn wants is the confidence that her life won't be disrupted again. 

It was a slow day for me. I paid some bills and wrote a letter to my sister. I never got around to mailing the letter, but I can do that tomorrow. I was finally ready to order the Hoka boots I've been thinking about, but discovered that they were out of stock again. Maybe they've always been out of stock. The website I was ordering from didn't let me know that the boots were not available until I placed the item in my cart and was ready to check out. Seems like they could have let me know when I first started looking.

I think the Axiom-1 launch that I applied to attend has gotten postponed. I haven't heard anything official yet, but I think the schedule has been pushed back at least a week. That's fine by me. I'm not really ready to go anywhere yet. I think the only reason I applied to cover this launch was because I thought it would be easier than usual to get approved. We'll see. I'm feeling ambiguous about everything lately.

I've cut a mile off my daily walk in hopes of preserving my feet. So far it hasn't made much difference. My feet bothered me quite a bit today. Actually the whole walk bothered me. It was way too cold for late March and there was a stiff wind. I make myself keep walking because otherwise I would probably do nothing. I'm getting plenty of rest already although I'm still not sleeping well. I don't think I'm going to sleep well until my nasal congestion is completely gone.

I do feel better today. That's a good sign. I'm not blowing my nose continually like I was on previous days, although  I still have to sleep on my back because of sinus drainage. I don't have Covid or even a bad cold. I've had these exact same seasonal allergy symptoms every Spring for as long as I can remember. Every year they seem to start a little earlier and last a little longer. It's irritating and it's easy to start looking for another explanation, but it's just pollen.

This doesn't look like a good year for wildflowers. The early bloomers like Wild Iris and Grape Hyacinth are looking puny this Spring. There are fields where I typically see thousands of blooms and this year there are only a few scattered flowers. There are lots of other flowers that I haven't seen at all. Several of the resident geese have disappeared as well. I usually see ten on my daily walks and lately I can only find seven. There is an extra Muscovy Duck though. I saw three yesterday. I wonder where the extra one came from. It kind of looked like the smaller duck that flew into our yard last month. I wonder about ducks a lot. I guess it's better than wondering why there are so many grey cars lately. Grey has suddenly become a very popular color.

I'm being bombarded with spam lately. Every single day I receive an avalanche of spam and Phishing attempts on every device I own. I never answer the calls that say "suspected spam" on my caller ID. I don't open suspicious e-mail messages that say my accounts have been compromised. I routinely block all the unfamiliar calls and texts I get on my iPhone. The attempts keep coming though. Janet and everyone I know are dealing with the same thing. It doesn't give you a lot of faith in humanity. 

Brooke is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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