Day 4381

I got a call from Fedex today. The guy told me that they had found my lost package and that it would be out on the truck for delivery tomorrow. This was great news, but I am still a bit apprehensive. The Fedex representative said that it was impossible to change the delivery address back to my home and that the package would still be going to the same Fedex Print and Ship Center where it became lost on the first delivery attempt over a week ago. The Fedex guy assured me that everything would go smoothly this time. We'll see. I really hope this long saga has a happy ending.

I'll have to admit that I was surprised to actually get a call from the Fedex case manager. I've made so many calls about the lost package with no results whatsoever that I was beginning to think the situation was hopeless. Since I am a skeptical person by nature, I'll need to have the package in my hands before I'm willing to concede that this long series of mistakes is over. It would be a nice little Christmas gift though. I really need to move on to and start worrying about something else.

Aside from the surprise call from the Fedex representative, today was pretty routine. I made the bed, ate my regular breakfast and dinner, all while doing a whole lot of walking. I had another 24,000 step day. My feet continue to hurt but I keep soldiering on. I actually made an effort to find some new Hoka hiking boots today, but the shoe I was looking for was out of stock everywhere. This had to be a supply chain problem. Shoes just aren't made in the United States anymore and the boots I want are probably stuck on a ship somewhere. They aren't supposed to be available again until February. I can get a different style of Hoka boot directly from the Hoka company website, but then I'll have to deal with shipping issues again. I'm a little gun shy about delivery services right now.

Several of the people I've gotten to know at Kennedy Space Center are traveling to French Guiana for the James Webb Telescope launch. Must be nice to have someone cover your expenses for a trip like that. I'd have trouble getting a publication to cover cab fare across town. I'm not jealous though. I've become so reclusive that I'm not even sure I'd have the nerve to go to South America. I'll be lucky if I can convince myself to keep traveling to Florida and West Texas.

I think our cold spell is over. The temperature will be in the 70's tomorrow and will climb to the mid 80's by Christmas Day. This might be the warmest Christmas on record here in Dallas. The warmer weather is certainly fine by me. I'm tired of deciding what coat I need to wear every time I go outside. I would never make it as a Northerner. I've experienced some very cold Winters in my younger years, but I've become accustomed to living down South. I'd be happy wearing shorts and a t-shirt all year long.

Tomorrow I have a dental appointment. The dentist says I have a cavity in one of my lower front teeth. I was supposed to have this cavity filled a long time ago, but my hospitalization and gallbladder removal intervened. Usually you feel a little discomfort if you have a cavity, but this tooth feels absolutely normal. I keep wondering if the dentist made a mistake. I guess I should be a little more trusting. There were x-rays taken of this tooth.

I hope my package arrives tomorrow and that the star tracker inside isn't broken. This package has been kicking around the Fedex system for so long that I'm expecting it to have a few bumps and bruises.

Two sisters are today's Dalmatians of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4321

I got the grocery shopping done early this morning to avoid the crowds. I wish I'd discovered this plan a long time ago because it works like a charm. Nobody appears to want to do their shopping early on a Saturday morning. There wasn't a lot on my list this week, but I had trouble finding something for dinner tonight that wouldn't give me heartburn and we would both like. I settled on chicken pot pies, risotto, and brussel sprouts. We'll see if that works. Very little does these days. Last night I had terrible heartburn and didn't get a lot of sleep.

I'm continually amazed at how much traffic there is in Dallas now. It's not the same city that we moved to in the late 1970's. The place feels more like Los Angeles now. It's not surprising that I don't like to drive. When I was younger I lived in the city because it was a great place for business. There were opportunities everywhere and I did well. Now I live in the city because the healthcare resources are so much better than in a small town. Living out in the country is so much more peaceful though as long as you stay healthy. I guess I'll never know if I made the right choice.

It was pleasant outside when we took Dawn's sunrise walk, but by the time I finished my grocery shopping and was ready for my own longer walk, it was already too hot. I thought our summer weather was over, but it was pretty warm this afternoon. It is Fall though. Some of the trees are starting to turn, but it doesn't look like we are going to get a lot of color this year. Usually there are already a lot of leaves on the ground by now. This year is different and most trees are still green. I guess we won't be going to the fair this year. The State Fair is already over. Where did the time go?

My foot pain issue seems to have resolved itself. I'm walking normally again without any pain medication.  I'm always going to have issues with my feet because there isn't much cartilage left to cushion the old bones. The Hoka shoes allow me to keep moving though. They are so much better than anything else I've tried. The only problem is that they don't last very long. I guess I'll just have to get used to buying shoes more often. Running shoes and hiking boots are not the same thing. I've had hiking boots that have lasted for decades.

I watched the Ariane 5 launch in French Guiana this evening. Next up for this rocket is the 10 billion dollar James Webb Telescope which will launch this December. I imagine that there is a lot of pressure to see that this launch goes perfectly. The huge telescope has been under development since 1996 and has endured numerous delays and complications. There is no backup for this mission. If the launch fails, decades of work and billions of dollars go down the drain. I'm always amazed when complex missions like this work as planned. I can't even get my car or our furnace to work perfectly.

The weather looks good for tomorrow, so we'll be taking Dawn on her Sunday outing again. I wonder if Dawn gets bored doing the same things over and over again. She seems excited to take this slightly different walk, but also a bit apprehensive. I guess I understand. I'm the same way about doing new things, even when they aren't very new anymore.

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day