Day 3420

There is a brand new opportunity for me to attend a launch at Kennedy Space Center as a guest of NASA. You never know if your application to attend these events will be accepted but what do I have to lose. When I learned I would be applying to view and blog about the next Space X Falcon Heavy launch I didn't waste any time. I've already sent in my application. I've been accepted to attend NASA events in the past. I've also been rejected. We'll see what happens. All I know is that it would be really cool to go behind the scenes on a Falcon Heavy launch. I'm a huge fan of Space X.

I need to start listening to the pollen count on the local morning weather. My allergies were terrible today. It's weird how quickly this changes. Yesterday the air was clear. Today, my eyes were burning and I was blowing my nose continuously during my morning walk. Allergies aren't going to stop me though. I have already added a short evening walk to my daily routine. Now, I am walking close to five miles a day. I see other people walking faster and longer, but this isn't a contest. It's just important for me to stay occupied right now.

I wrote another letter to my sister this afternoon. I do this about once a month. Sometimes I think she's taking this Luddite thing a bit too far. It sure would be easier to stay in touch if she had an e-mail account. I guess it won't kill me to continue putting my thoughts on paper. After all, I'm the guy who likes old TV Westerns and I rarely miss an episode of Perry Mason. I'm basically lazy though. I'm not fond of texting people, but I do like e-mail. Using e-mail has saved me an enormous amount of time over the years.

Janet has arranged for us to go visit and play with the Dalmatians at the rescue kennel. We can't walk the dogs because of the kennel's location, but we can play with them in a large room. The dogs already get a lot of attention at the kennel, but maybe these visits will help with socialization. At any rate, I'm looking forward to seeing some Dalmatians again. I see lots of dogs on my morning walks, but no Dalmatians. Dot and Dash were the only Dalmatians in the neighborhood. I need to remember to bring my camera and photograph any new dogs. After taking pictures for almost twenty years, I've probably got one of the biggest collections of Dalmatian photos in the world by now.

Peaches are finally starting to become available again. My morning smoothies always taste better when I add a peach to the other fruit. Life is pretty simple when the addition of a peach can make your day better. In theory, tomorrow should be a good day. I've got a fresh peach to add to my smoothie and I'll get to pet a few dogs. I hope my allergies behave a little better tomorrow. I've just about run out of Kleenex.

Patches is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1749

I wish there was a longer gap between the end of Spring allergies and the beginning of Fall allergies. Fall allergies are back with a vengeance and it seems like I only had a single month of relatively pollen-free peace. With literally hundreds of different plants continually shedding their seeds and spores in the park behind our house, I've just about resigned myself to a lifetime runny nose.

Since antihistamines leave me loopy, I've resorted to using those big, blue rolls of shop towels like Kleenex. It's good that I work alone, because it seems like I spend the entire day blowing my nose. I think the dogs are having seasonal allergy problems too. They've certainly been licking  their coats a lot lately. Allergies usually affect a dog's skin instead of their nasal passages, but I'm sure it is equally irritating. I've got my own skin irritations this week as well. I thought yesterday's fire ant bites would have gone away by now. Instead, the red puffiness around my knee has resolved into dozens and dozens of hard red little bumps. It kind of looks like I have chicken pox. I don't know how long it will take for this mess to go away, but at least the ant bites don't itch as much as chigger bites.

I only had one thing to do today, but the task proved so difficult that I still haven't finished everything. I'm not sure I even want to be a website designer anymore. I initially got interested in doing this type of work because it seemed well suited for a solitary guy like me. I could sit at my computer and create beautiful things without having to deal with printing companies and production managers like my print-based contemporaries. This business model worked for a long time, but lately I find myself spending very little time actually doing graphic design. It's all about Javascript, PHP, and SEO these days. The thrill is definitely gone. I don't like modifying other people's Wordpress themes either. That's what I was doing today.

I often envy the dogs. We like a lot of the same things. They like to eat. So do I. They like to smell every bush while we take our walks. I like to photograph every bush. It works out nicely. When we come home, the dogs go to sleep. I wouldn't mind going back to sleep either, but unlike Dot and Dash, I've got bills to pay. I wonder if they realize how lucky they are.

I hope I can get my website project finished quickly tomorrow, because some new writing assignments came in late in the day. Tuesday is usually when I have to update one of my animal rescue websites as well. No rest for the weary. I'm already looking forward to Friday.

Sweet Pea is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day