Day 4153

New census data shows that the Dallas/Fort Worth area had the biggest population growth in the country in 2018. We could overtake Chicago in size in the near future. This seems impossible until I start running my Saturday errands and then I realize that the story is true. The traffic is impossible now. Where did all these cars come from? Many cars have out-of-state plates. I guess I was ahead of the curve when I moved here in the 1970's. Dallas was still a big city then, but life moved at a slower pace. I liked it better then. To be fair, Seattle, the city I moved here from, was a lot better in the 1970's as well. I need a time machine.

Before the pandemic I used to love Cadence Kitchen flash frozen meals. These tasty nitrogen frozen skillet meals quickly disappeared from stores when people started panicking about touching things. The Cadence Kitchen meals weren't packaged. You scooped the amount you wanted from big bins in a display case and put it in your own container. The brand quickly disappeared because of Covid fears, but I saw the exact same meals today in standard frozen food packages under a different brand name. Was this the same product, or did somebody copy the idea. I bought one of my favorites and we had it for dinner tonight. Same name. Different recipe. Janet and I both agreed that this wasn't the same as the original. It didn't taste as fresh and there were too many added spices. I think it was more expensive too. How could a company get away with such a blatant steal? I looked on the Internet and didn't see anything about a licensing agreement or a sale of technology. I guess I don't know much about the food industry.

The ice maker broke in our refrigerator. This is a problem because ice is an important ingredient in my morning smoothie. I guess I'll have to call the appliance repairman again. Major appliances used to last forever. Not any more. I'm always having problems with the washer, dryer, and the refrigerator. We have a dishwasher that has worked pretty well for over twenty years and a microwave that has worked flawlessly for over thirty years. Our newer appliances are the ones that are always causing the problems.

The grocery store I shop at stopped carrying my favorite brand of beer. Last month they stopped carrying my favorite cheese. I hate that modern stores routinely change the merchandise they carry based on the check-out tapes of their customers. They carry more of what customers are buying and less of the things that aren't so popular. I always seem to be the loser in these situations. I could always go to a different store, but this store is convenient. I can't help it that demographics are changing. I know what I like and hate driving all over town to find it.

Maybe this is why I like walking. The lake changes at a much slower pace than the city around it. When I look at the trees and the water I can often fool myself into thinking that things haven't changed at all. The ducks still quack the same. It's all an illusion though. The neighborhoods surrounding the park have changed a lot. The houses are bigger and the lots are smaller. Nobody does their own yard work anymore. You can't walk two blocks without seeing a lawn care truck with a long trailer full of lawnmowers. Everybody seems to be doing well. I guess that's why people are moving here.

I didn't mow the lawn today. I felt tired after my long walk and took a nap instead. Maybe I'll have more energy tomorrow. I  hope so. It's supposed to start to rain again soon.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3618

I stopped and talked with a guy who owned a Sprinter van while I was on my walk this morning. I've seen this guy in the park before and was curious how he liked his truck. After hearing tales about expensive Mercedes repairs and difficulties in driving around town, I had second thoughts about ever getting one of these things. He said he couldn't make u-turns because of the wide turning radius and couldn't use a lot of city parking areas because the truck was too tall to fit under the height restriction gates. A lot of these gates are pretty low. I had trouble getting the Defender under them. There were a lot of other little problems I never anticipated as well. So much for the idea of using a big van as a daily driver. The guy said he loves his truck for camping trips but drives his wife's Subaru whenever he can. I guess I'll put this idea on the back burner for a while.

Before taking my walk, I took some mail to the post office and stopped at the grocery store to get a Cadence Kitchen flash frozen meal for dinner. I thought I would pick the meal with the lowest salt content and ended up getting prime rib with mushrooms and onions. It was definitely milder than the spicy selections I usually choose. I guess if I was really worried about sodium, I would skip these easy to prepare meals and just cook something from scratch. Somehow, I don't think that's going to happen.

Don't let today's picture confuse you. I took it yesterday. Today the weather was overcast and dreary. I kept expecting it to rain, but luckily it never did. I think my roof repairs will be OK. It's weird that the weather makes such a huge difference in my attitude. Yesterday I was feeling good. Today was pretty dismal and it was all because of the weather. I'm hearing thunder now as well. Thunder is never a good sign.

I was wrong about photo backdrops. It turns out that there are still lots of different types of backdrops available. I was just looking in the wrong places. The technology is different now. Instead of hand painted muslin backdrops, there are lots of photo realistic designs that are printed on fabric that is wrinkle free and easily washable. These new designs are more expensive than the backdrops I used to buy, but if you can wash them they might actually save money in the long run. It's interesting that even in a weird little category like this, everything changes.

Will I ever become comfortable with change? Probably not. I could live comfortably in a world with typewriters instead of computers, carburetors instead of fuel injection, film instead of SD Cards, and wall phones instead of cell phones. I'm old school. I use my high speed fiber optic network to watch Perry Mason movies.

I am glad that someone invented the Vitamix blender and the Keurig coffee maker though. My breakfast wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable tomorrow without these handy gadgets.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3611

It was a little warmer today, but apparently not warm enough to get me motivated. I certainly didn't accomplish much. While I was waiting for the temperature to rise, I wrote a letter to my sister and paid a few bills. I'm in no hurry to take an early walk anymore. I debated whether to call McDonald Observatory again or apply for a second NASA event in December and eventually decided to do neither. Maybe I felt that appearing over eager could jinx things.

When I did get around to taking my walk I was surprised when someone stopped me to ask about Dot and Dash. How could anyone even recognize me when I was bundled up like this? Although it was warmer than yesterday, it was still cold enough to warrant wearing my down coat and heavy boots. I looked like the Michelin Man again. I realized later that I was wearing the same winter outfit I've worn outside for many years. These were my dog walking clothes. I was probably instantly recognizable as soon as someone saw the puffy blue coat and wool hat.

There is a big patch of purple asters I pass every day on my walk. These Fall perennials always seem to be the last wildflowers to bloom. I doubt that they'll last much longer in this cold. The butterflies that congregate around these flowers are already gone. They're probably in Mexico by now. Pretty soon the trees will be bare and I won't see any more wildflowers until Spring. I was never very concerned about what to look at in the park in prior years. I was way too busy walking the dogs.

We've got ants in the kitchen again. I think this happens every winter. These are tiny little sweet ants and they seem to be everywhere. We spray and it doesn't do much good, but eventually the ants disappear. One of the many downsides to winter is that the bugs like to come indoors.

I've been a little concerned that my resting heart rate has been higher lately. Why should this change since I do the same things everyday? I did a Google search and learned that your resting heart rate increases when you are warmer and if you are dehydrated. Maybe this explains it. I'm sleeping under a blanket now and wearing much warmer clothes, which I never used to do during the summer. I'm also not drinking as much water. I drank a ton of water when I took hot summer walks. I also learned that my normal resting heart rate in the low 50's is considered very low unless you are an athlete and that my 'elevated' rate in the low 60's is considered normal. Maybe the only thing I really learned today is that I am still a hypochondriac who hates to see anything change.

I need to remember to buy some spare quartz modeling lights and an extra strobe tube for my strobe lights. The SantaPaws season is rapidly approaching and every year I worry that my aging Norman strobes are going to break. I definitely don't want to buy any more studio lights at this point in my life. Good studio strobes have gotten very expensive. I'm hoping that since I basically just use this equipment to shoot Santa photos once a year now, that it will last as long as I do.

The refrigerator was looking empty so I bought some more Cadence Kitchen dinners. I had the Mexican Style Pulled Pork with pineapple and achiote sauce tonight over rice. So good, but they use too much salt. As always, the best tasting things seem to inevitably be bad for you.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3582

I went to the dentist today and got impressions made for my new retainer. It actually took longer to drive to my appointment than to make the impressions. I was in and out in fifteen minutes. It always seems weird when the dentist fills your mouth with what looks like bathroom caulk and has you bite down on a spacer that presses the stuff into your teeth. I'm always convinced that this mess will stick to my teeth and be impossible to remove. After two minutes the goop hardens and pulls away cleanly though, making a perfect impression of your teeth. This will serve as a mold to make the actual retainer which should be ready on Thursday. I asked if they could just mail it to me, but the dentist needs to make sure the retainer fits properly. Looks like I'm going to have to drive all the way up to the dentist again.

It rained again during the night and this morning I noticed what appeared to be a small leak in the office. The water looked like it was coming through a can light in the ceiling. I've never had a leak in this spot before, so this was very disappointing. It's too bad it rained on the same day I got the silicon roof coating. Due to the weather, I still haven't been able to make any repairs. I cleared away all the standing water after I took my walk today and am hoping for the best. The long range forecast says it's not going to rain again until next Monday. Hopefully I can patch things before then.

This weather is driving me nuts. This Fall we have already had two cold fronts that only lasted one day each. Yesterday it was back to ninety degrees and today was super muggy. The humidity was so high that my shirt was drenched before I even finished my first mile. Tomorrow it is supposed to be cold again. I think the temperature at sunrise is expected to be fifty-five degrees. At least it isn't going to rain tomorrow. I've really got to get this roof fixed.

My allergies have been terrible this week. The windy days and swiftly changing weather probably have something to do with it. I was afraid I was going to be blowing my nose and sneezing on the dentist while he was making my impressions, so I took an antihistamine this morning. I rarely take antihistamines because they make me feel terrible. My nose stops dripping, but my entire head feels like it is wrapped in a blanket. I get an odd buzzing feeling that is hard to describe. I didn't want to sneeze on the dentist today, but generally I'd rather go through a box of Kleenex every hour than feel this way.

Janet is traveling again. This means I have to start cooking for myself again. Cooking to me generally means just heating something up in the microwave. I still like those Cadence Kitchen flash frozen meals though. You just heat them up in a skillet on the stove and ten minutes later you have a tasty and reasonably healthy meal. I like their Mexican Style Pulled Pork and Chicken Tikka Masala. I think they make a Paella Valenciana now too. There is a little too much salt in these meals, but not as much as I'd get if I went to a restaurant.

I can't decide whether to write the roofer again. He'd probably just ignore me. The gift of a $250 bucket of liquid silicon is his way of saying "don't bother me anymore." It's irritating to still have a leak though. The roof shouldn't be leaking. If he'd gotten me the silicon coating back in July, I probably wouldn't be having this problem.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3506

We're going to McDonald Observatory. I finally became confident enough about the weather to make a reservation to spend the night on the top of Mt. Locke looking through one of the observatory's big research telescopes. Only very small groups are allowed on these special viewing nights, so you have to plan well in advance. This is where weather becomes a problem. Luckily, I discovered a website called dryday.com that specializes in providing long range forecasts for construction, agriculture, wedding planners, and anyone else who needs to know when the weather is going to be nice. You have to pay for this service, but for someone as obsessed with weather as I am, the subscription price seemed like a bargain. I know there is no way to absolutely guarantee clear skies months in advance, but I feel better now. This company's track record for predicting the weather is pretty impressive.

This will be the first road trip we've taken in quite a while. I was thinking about taking the train since Amtrak has a stop in Alpine, Texas. The devil is in the details though. Although Amtrak has daily service to Alpine on the westbound run, the train only runs three days a week returning to Dallas. The worst thing about the return trip was that the return train arrives in Alpine at night and only stays at the station for a few minutes. That's bad enough, but the train has a history of being up to three hours late as well. Riding Amtrak isn't cheap anymore either. When you add up the price of two round trip tickets and a rental car in Alpine, the 500 mile drive starts looking better and better.

I spent quite a while travel planning today, but there was still time to punish myself in the sun. It's really hot on my walks these days. I'm basically walking five miles a day and a little more on Sunday's. My effort to stay fit must be working because I've noticed that my average resting heart rate is gradually getting lower. I'm not really adding a lot of muscle, but my legs do feel firmer. I wonder how the runners who pass me on the trails every day do it. I can barely walk in this weather. I wouldn't even consider running.

I've finally run out of the Cadence Kitchen meals I was eating while Janet was away. These meals were delicious and very easy to fix, but they contain too much salt. What now? Maybe I'll try Nature's Plate again. Their kitchen is right in the neighborhood. I used to like these heat and serve vegan meals a lot until their chef became fascinated with sweet potatoes. I'm fine with lentils and chickpeas, but I was never fond of sweet potatoes. I'm not fond of faux meat either. Don't try to trick me with tofu barbecue. If you crave the taste of meat, just eat meat.

I wonder if Sky and Telescope would be interested in an article about my trip to the observatory? Maybe I'll write them tomorrow and see. I'm not going to let my Spaceflight Magazine article go to my head, but I do like writing. I should be writing more. The nice thing about being retired is that I don't have to worry about being rejected. Getting accepted is just a bonus.

Shelby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3502

I did more grocery shopping than usual today. First I got the things I usually get on Saturdays and then I went to the stores where Janet shops and got the things she usually gets. I think I have the easier job, since I typically only go to one store. Janet always goes to several different stores. It's weird to me that with so many things on grocery store shelves, you still can't get the same things in all stores. Some stores have better produce. Other stores have better meat. I don't even bother to look for bargains, but they are out there if you want to take the time to look. It's amazing how much price and variety actually vary.

I had breakfast and all my shopping done by 10 AM, but my efficiency wasn't rewarded with cooler weather. Apparently yesterday was an anomaly. By the time I started my first walk of the day, it was already too hot. I didn't bother to carry an extra camera today. The animals were all in hiding anyway.

Since I finished my chores earlier than expected, I decided to watch a movie on Netflix. The first thing I noticed when I logged on was a notice saying that the price was going up next month. Weren't higher subscription prices one of the reasons their stock took a big hit last week? People don't like higher prices.

I watched a Chinese science fiction movie called The Wandering Earth. I was expecting to hear the actors speaking Chinese with English subtitles, but they had dubbed the entire movie in English. I generally don't like overdubs, but since weren't a lot of close up scenes, you really didn't notice any lip-sync problems. This movie has gotten good reviews and was a big hit in China. It was interesting how the Chinese see an apocalyptic future. There were no aliens popping out of people's chests. There was no breakdown of civil society. Instead, humanity managed to pull itself together to save the planet from being swallowed up by an exploding sun. The premise of the movie was that to escape the sun turning into a red giant, we could stop the earth's rotation, attach 10,000 giant fusion rockets to one side of the planet and propel it out of the solar system on a 2,500 year journey to another star. The movie was well done with special effects equal to anything Ridley Scott or James Cameron could come up with. I'll admit I've been intrigued with stories of the Earth leaving the solar system ever since I read A Pail of Air by Fritz Lieber when I was a kid. I don't think the sun is going to blow up in 2061 though. A little too soon.

I've been eating Cadence Kitchen flash frozen meals all week. These flash frozen dinners are delicious and I've had no heartburn problems at all. I think these meals contain too much salt though. That's probably one reason they taste so good. Restaurant chefs always use too much salt as well. I've been on a low sodium diet for a long time and can really feel the effects of too much salt. I guess it's back to a more bland diet when Janet returns.

The AT&T service technician is supposed to come out to the house tomorrow morning. Coincidently, the Internet has been working fine today. There was one little glitch early this morning, but mostly it's been smooth sailing. I hope this guy can find a problem even when it's not very evident. I hate dealing with intermittent problems. This is like when you hear a funny noise in your car and the noise goes away as soon as you take it in for repairs. We'll see how the service call goes. Hopefully, I'll still be able to go to the gym.

Deuce is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3494

After breakfast this morning, I went and got groceries for the week. Usually Janet cooks on the weekends and I eat leftovers during the week. No leftovers this week. Janet is on vacation with her sister and the refrigerator is empty. I'm not much of a cook so I got some more of those Cadence Kitchen flash frozen meals. I was real excited when this concept was initially introduced, but I'd almost forgotten about the stuff. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the company had added a bunch of new dishes to their repertoire. I will be eating Pesto Shrimp, Creamy Arbol Chicken, and Pulled Pork with Pineapple this week. Did I fix any of these things tonight? Nope. I just had a hot dog.

The backyard birdbath sculpture is back together. I took the pieces over to the Creative Arts Center where my friend is teaching a metal arts class. I thought it would take weeks to fix the sculpture, but she welded it back together on her lunch break. I was surprised that the Creative Arts Center has been around since 1966 and I'd never even heard of it. It wasn't that far away either. There was some really impressive work on display and a ton of interesting classes that were open to anyone. Maybe I should take a class. Or maybe not. I am very ambivalent these days. It's nice to know that a place like this exists. At any rate, if I ever feel the urge to carve stone, fuse glass, throw pots, or learn to weave I'll know where to go.

There is so much information online about the Apollo Fiftieth Anniversary that I have become overwhelmed with facts and figures. I read the articles and watch the YouTube videos wondering why it took fifty years for the world to become interested in this stuff. Probably as soon as the anniversary is over people will forget about the moon again. When I read some of the biographies of people who worked on the Apollo program, I'm amazed at how young many of them were at the time. Some of the engineers manning the consoles at mission control weren't much older than I was. I never realized when I was in architecture school that there were people my own age working on the space program. Of course there were many people my own age fighting in Vietnam as well. All these programs about the Apollo 11 Anniversary are making me realize that 1969 was a long time ago.

I took my morning walk an hour earlier than usual today. It didn't make any difference. It was still way too hot. If I was smart, I'd get up really early like I used to when I walked Dot and Dash. Unfortunately, I'm still enjoying getting a good night's sleep. You can't really walk and sleep at the same time. I'm trying to convince myself that sweating profusely is good for you. Who knows. Maybe it is. I do drink lots of water when I return home, and I always wear a hat now, so I'm probably OK.

I wonder how long I can avoid mowing the grass. It's starting to get long again. I'm ready to patch the tears in the roof coating but the roofer hasn't delivered the silicon yet. There's a new Dalmatian that needs to be photographed too. I guess I'll start by getting more fresh fruit tomorrow morning. I'll eat a peach and then decide what to do next.

Beemer is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3262

I feel like I washed everything in the bedroom today. Dash pooped everywhere last night and made a huge mess. He's totally unpredictable. Some days are fine and others I'd just as soon forget. I don't think there's a solution. Dash has always moved around at night and as long as he's able, he's going to continue to do so. If you try to pen him in a safe area, he barks and gets very upset. When he gets upset, it can trigger a seizure. It's best to keep him happy and let him do what he wants.

As I predicted yesterday, there was no problem getting up early today. I was already doing wash, cleaning the floors, and remaking the bed at 5 AM. Getting up at night is a piece of cake. Getting any sleep at all is the problem. By the time I finished breakfast this morning I felt like I'd already done a full days work. I'm dreading this weekend's photo shoots. I have a feeling that Dash will continue to throw us a curve and I'll be worn out before I even arrive at the first location.

The cameras all check out OK, but I need to get some new batteries for the flash triggers. I should have ordered these batteries online because I couldn't find them at the grocery store and I didn't feel like driving all over town. Guess what I'll be doing tomorrow. The trip to the store wasn't a total loss because I did come home with something for dinner. I'm starting to be alarmed that I appear to be the only one buying the flash frozen Cadence Kitchen meals I've grown to love. Why aren't more people trying these things? They're delicious. Flash freezing prepared meals with nitrogen does an amazing job of preserving the flavor. You just heat the frozen nuggets in a frying pan and ten minutes later you're done. This is so much easier than those Hello Fresh meal kits and the results are just as tasty. Like most things I like, this product will probably disappear within a year or two.

An online auction I'm participating in went live today. I think I like the live auctions a lot better. Maybe things will improve, but it didn't seem like my items were getting a lot of activity. Oh, well. Beggars can't be choosers. These second tier items weren't desirable enough to be included in a live auction. I guess if they sell at all, I'll be happy. I definitely don't want this stuff back.

Dash seemed lethargic today. Sometimes it's hard to tell whether he's tired, confused, or in pain. I think he was just tired, because he was happy enough to take a nap with me this afternoon. This worked out well, because I was tired too. Naps are good but I don't think they really make up for losing a lot of sleep at night.

Jeez. Dash just pooped in the house again. He was sleeping and didn't even wake up. Sleeping poop is easier to clean up because it's all on one place. Hey, I'm going to look on the bright side. Since it's already pretty late, maybe this means that he'll make it through the night.

I've already taken this week's trash to the curb. I think I'll go back to the hotel for breakfast tomorrow. The hotel is very peaceful. Peaceful sounds good right now.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3228

There wasn't a cloud in the sky this morning. Dash did get me up during the night, but I managed to get back to sleep. When I woke up this morning I felt surprisingly rested. Dash was eager to walk. He was slow, but I wasn't in a hurry. It was a beautiful Fall day.

After walking Dash, I decided to go back to the hotel for breakfast. I kind of wanted the pleasant mood to continue. The place is quiet and the food is excellent. It's too bad they don't have a larger breakfast menu, but it probably doesn't matter. Most of their guests are just passing through. Dining among travelers makes me feel like I'm on a trip myself. The house is such a mess that living in a hotel doesn't sound half bad. I could learn to live with restaurant meals and having someone to make your bed every day.

On my way home I picked up something for dinner. I couldn't find anything interesting at Central Market, so I went across the street to Tom Thumb and got some more of those flash frozen meals from Cadence Kitchen. These things are delicious. I tried Shrimp and Grits this time. It's only a matter of time before I try everything.

My pleasant day came to an abrupt end when I went to the storage warehouse. When you pay by the year they have always given me an extra month free. The manager informed me that they discontinued this program. Then she mentioned that they would be raising my rent next year as well. It's looks like I'll be moving to a different facility.  I can get a much better deal a few miles away, but it is so much trouble to move everything. Guess what I'll be doing in November.

I need to decide what to throw away, what to donate to charity, and what to keep. Today I continued throwing away empty boxes. This was easy. When I found a box with nothing inside, I tossed it in the car. If I'd never saved these boxes in the first place I could have rented a smaller unit. The only boxes I'm glad I saved were the boxes for the model trains. Almost all collectibles are more valuable if you have the original box. Boxes for old and obsolete electronic gear don't improve the value of anything. Nobody wants a fifteen year old computer whether it's in the box or not.

I'll probably have to go up on the roof this weekend. Now that it's cooler, the water doesn't evaporate. It will stay up there all Winter if I don't remove it. At least we're looking at some nice weather ahead. Maybe clearing away all the standing water will be worth the effort.

I hope Dash realizes that we can sleep in late tomorrow. If I have to get up during the middle of the night, the least he can do is let me sleep in late on Saturday morning.

Pearl is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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