Day 4501

I paid my travel bills today. What a discouraging experience. When I enter transactions in Quickbooks, it always brings up the previous transaction I had with that company. This comes in handy for recurring transactions, but it was just an irritating eye opener this time. Wow. I knew things were more expensive but I guess I didn't realize how much more. Airfares, hotels and rental cars were all just about double what they were during a very similar trip to Florida last September. I stayed in the same hotel and flew on the same airline too. If prices can go up this much in less than a year, I hate to even think what things will be like next year.

I think my new boots are keepers. I wore them on a six mile walk today and they did pretty well. They are firmer than my Hoka Bondi 7 shoes, but they still have that same Hoka feel. The Kaha boots provide a lot more ankle support and the Vibram soles provide a better grip on loose surfaces. These boots are waterproof as well, which wasn't a factor today but it will be soon enough. I'd like to think that the boots provide a little better protection against snake bites, but I certainly don't plan on getting near any snakes.

Dawn has really come a long way. She comes when I call her now and is really excited to go on walks. We try to give her two walks a day now since she seems to like them so much. Dawn is enjoyable for me to walk because she stops to smell things so often that it's easy for me to keep up with her. I think we're both basically lazy. Dawn still won't walk alone with me but luckily Janet enjoys walking too, so it isn't a problem. I wish I enjoyed walking as much as Dawn does, but I can't smell things as well as a dog. Dawn has an incredible sense of smell and can smell critters long before I see them. I can't smell much of anything, which can sometimes be a benefit in today's world.

I lost another sock in the wash today. I don't know how this happens. I looked in the washer and dryer and it wasn't there. I looked through all the other laundry to make sure it wasn't stuck to anything. It didn't appear to fall on the floor either. The sock just disappeared. Sometimes these things turn up later, but other times they never do. One of life's many mysteries.

I'm still eating Easter leftovers. Variety was never a big deal with me. If I find something I like, I can have it over and over again. I do like ham. It certainly seems to keep well. You need to eat seafood right away, but I think you could keep making ham sandwiches with leftover ham forever.

I'm still having trouble keeping track of the days. Today seemed like Friday which means tomorrow will seem like Saturday. It's kind of amazing that I can crank out something a little different each day on the blog because my days are remarkably similar. Every once in a while something different happens, but not that often. I'm not complaining though. Monotony can be kind of relaxing if you don't fret about what you could be doing instead.

It did get the trash out to the curb this evening. I changed the furnace filters too. I could have done more. If I was smart I'd start packing now instead of waiting until the last minute. Nope. Can't do that. I need to avoid the issue for a few more days.

Joe is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4320

I saw an eagle on my walk this morning. I'd heard that there was a new nesting pair of bald eagles in the neighborhood, but this was the first time I'd seen one of them. I see eagles frequently at Kennedy Space Center, but they are rare in Dallas. The bird was spectacular and I found myself wishing that I had my good camera with me. The bird was sitting on a dead limb in a nearby tree and it would have made a great picture. Maybe I'll see the bird closer to home one day. I don't take a camera with me when I walk anymore. It's too heavy. That's why I mostly take pictures of squirrels. If I can't photograph something with my phone, it just becomes a memory. Memories are fine though. I've been taking photographs for as long as I can remember. I have plenty of pictures already.

I wonder how long this nice weather will last. We've had an unusually nice Fall this year. Usually the leaves have turned by now, but everything is still pretty green. I hope this continues for a while. The water level in the lake is back to normal and the winter birds are all here. The White Pelicans started arriving almost a month ago and today I noticed that the Double Crested Cormorants are back. I'm not much of a naturalist and I'd never make a serious birder, but I do like to watch the seasons change. It's comforting to know that everything that disappears also returns.

I got a haircut today. I always feel better after a haircut. I wore my hair long for many years when I was younger, but that seems like another universe now. What was I thinking? I don't understand men who favor long beards and man buns. Neatly trimmed hair and a black t-shirt is my uniform now. It's easy to get dressed in the morning because I always wear the same thing. I used to buy a pair of jeans and some black t-shirts every time I went into a clothing store. I've got enough to last a lifetime now as long as I don't get fat. I guess I'll have to add Hoka shoes to this simple uniform. They look like clown shoes but they're the only thing that keeps the foot pain at bay.

I so pleased at the progress Dawn's been making. She gains confidence everyday and I think she's starting to like me. It just takes time. She is always eager to walk in the morning and always hops up on the bed beside me so I can rub her belly while I am putting on my walking shoes. She's turned into a bossy little thing. She barks at me now if I don't fix her dinner fast enough. She also barks at anything moving in the alley. Dawn has had a rough life and in the beginning I think she was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Finally, she's realized that this is her real home and that the good life is going to continue. She's healthier now too. She hasn't had a seizure in a long, long time and I think those bladder stones that the vet removed recently must have been really bothering her.

Oddly, I'm feeling better too. You wouldn't think gallbladder surgery would make any difference, but my hospital stay resulted in subtle but seemingly permanent changes in my diet. I'm eating less now and I think what I'm eating is healthier. Maybe the smoothies weren't such a good idea after all. I always have a green salad with dinner now and am eating half as much meat as I used to. I'm making no effort at all to do this. My body just seems to be telling me that it is the right thing to do.

I get the days of the week confused sometimes now, but I'm pretty sure that tomorrow is Saturday. Time to go grocery shopping again. I wonder how much prices will have gone up this week.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4237

The appliance repairman came back today and installed the new part. The ice maker and in-door water dispenser still aren't working though because no water is flowing to the refrigerator. I'm going to have to call the plumbers again. Actually, I did call the plumber, but they aren't working on Saturday. When the plumbers were out at the house we checked to make sure that the new shut off valve they installed stopped the leak in the freezer. I guess we didn't check to see if the valve actually worked. It seems fine in the off position, but nothing happens in the on position. This is frustrating to say the least. I hope the plumbers don't charge me again when I can get them to come out and investigate things. Janet suggested just leaving the ice maker broken since the freezer is working fine. I like the ice in my morning smoothie though, so the ice maker will have to be fixed. I can't keep buying bags of party ice forever.

I went to the gym really early this morning so I could be home in time to meet the appliance repairman. I did an abbreviated workout, finished my grocery shopping and made it home again thirty minutes before the repairman arrived. I was really disappointed when the repairman informed me that this whole refrigerator saga isn't over yet. Until I can get the water flowing to the refrigerator, I have no idea whether anything the repairman did today actually worked. I doubt if he knows either. The weird thing is that there is no logical reason why water isn't flowing. The shut off valve is very simple. It's either on or it's off. Water was definitely flowing with the old broken valve so there's nothing wrong with the copper pipe. Hopefully I can get a plumber out Monday because this thing is driving me crazy.

Dawn did extremely well on her sunrise walk this morning. She seemed back to her old self and walked almost two miles. We still have no idea what caused Dawn to stop walking and what is making her feel confident again. I'd like to think that the reluctance to walking had something to do with her paws, but she wasn't licking or paying any attention to them then. Now that she wants to walk longer again, she's tearing her paws up. I had to put the cone on her while I was eating breakfast, because she immediately wanted to start licking when we returned to the house. I don't understand anything anymore. Dawn shouldn't be licking her paws and water should be flowing through that copper pipe.

I might have missed my opportunity to see a Starship launch. Activity is really picking up in Boca Chica and they say that the hotels in the area are filled with Space X employees now. Space X is also building a tall fence that blocks a lot of the views you used to get from Highway 4. It still would be nice to go down there for the first orbital launch later this year. I'm beginning to think that space journalism was just something I imagined. I'm losing a lot of my connections at Kennedy Space Center and it seems harder and harder to get press credentials. Maybe it's all for the best. I don't feel really comfortable traveling now that Covid panic is on the rise again. I've had so many expenses lately that I probably couldn't afford a trip right now anyway. It was fun to be part of the space community for a while. Hopefully, I'll be able to rejoin them when life returns to normal.

It's not getting any cooler, so we'll probably have to take Dawn on her Sunday outing a little earlier tomorrow. A walk and ice cream cones will probably be the big event of the day. I doubt that I'll see a plumber tomorrow. The dispatcher told me that emergency plumbers worked on the weekends but that ice makers weren't considered an emergency.

Shelby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day