Day 3965

I decided to go back to the gym today. There didn't seem like there was much point in waiting longer. I changed into my gym clothes, got in the car, and drove to the gym. Much to my surprise, it was closed. There was no sign on the door explaining what had happened and the hours of operation sign still said "Open Sunday from 9 AM until 5 PM." There were no cars in the parking lot, and nobody else was trying to get in. Clearly I was the only one who didn't get the memo. I need to figure out what is going on before I try this again. I'm sure the closure has something to do with Covid.

I still managed to get plenty of activity today. We had a nice walk with Dawn before breakfast this morning and I took another walk by myself later in the afternoon. Lately this doesn't seem enough. I think I do need to start going back to the gym. My legs are doing fine, but my arms and the rest of my body could use a little help. One of the bad things about growing older is that your muscles start to atrophy. You have to work harder and harder to keep from going downhill. Walking doesn't bother me, but I struggle to do pushups and pull-ups. 

It's amazing how quickly it warms up on a sunny day. It was chilly when we left the house this morning, but by the time we returned home I was getting hot. It's hard to pick the right jacket at this time of year. When the sun is at your back, it's hot. When you're walking through a heavily wooded area, it's cold. Dawn seemed to think the weather was perfect this morning. She had a great time smelling things in the park.

I spent some time this afternoon reviewing the astrophotography images I took out at McDonald Observatory. On closer examination, many were better than I thought they were. Some images left a lot to be desired and a few were clearly out of focus. All in all, I did pretty well. I definitely know what not to do the next time I try this. Sixty seconds is too long an exposure and causes stars to streak. Ten seconds is too short an exposure and doesn't reveal enough stars. Manual lenses are definitely better than automatic ones. You don't always need a super wide angle lens to photograph the Milky Way either. I brought a 15mm lens with me, but some of my best photos were taken with a 50mm lens. A regular fast telephoto lens works as well as a small telescope for photographing brighter galaxies. I learned a lot. I wonder if I will remember anything the next time I see dark skies. I have a feeling that it's going to be a while.

I guess cleaning the dusty vent didn't fix the dehumidifier after all. I noticed that the defrost light was coming on again today. When the dehumidifier goes into defrost mode, it doesn't extract water from the air. Something is wrong. I've just got to decide whether it is better to repair the dehumidifier or buy a new one. I usually think that repairing things is better, but I can't even find someone who is familiar with this brand. We clearly need a functioning dehumidifier though. It has worked wonders at reducing dampness and moisture inside the house.

Hard to believe it is already November. Thanksgiving will be here soon and so will Christmas. Unless the schedule changes again, I will be headed for Florida this month to attend the Crew-1 launch. It's definitely been a weird year, but not that much has changed for me. I still take long walks, eat healthy meals, and plan occasional interesting trips. As long as I don't turn on the television, life seems pretty normal.

Jeda is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1416 - Halloween

Halloween is a non-event at our house. I don't eat candy anymore, because I've got to watch my sugar intake, and all the kids in our neighborhood have grown up anyway. I didn't even buy a pumpkin for the front porch this year. I usually get a couple of pumpkins and leave them sitting on the porch until they eventually rot in mid-February. I finally realized that this is pointless. Now, the only pumpkins you'll find at our house are those that wind up in a pie. I do like pumpkin pie.

Our beautiful Fall weather has returned. When I walked the dogs this morning, the blue sky was dotted with puffy white clouds. As the sun rose, the landscape looked spectacular. This was one of the last mornings I'll be able to enjoy the Sunrise at a decent hour. Daylight Savings Time ends this Sunday and starting on Monday morning, the sun will almost certainly be high in the sky before the dogs and I venture outside.

Blue skies always put me in a good mood. The dogs had a nice long walk this morning. I finished all my work by 2 PM, and went to the gym again. Today, other people were using the basketball court, so I put on some boxing gloves and hit a punching bag for ten minutes. Much to my surprise, this was quite satisfying.

The local health food store sent me a reminder that they're having another cholesterol screening this Saturday. I just had a blood test at my doctor's office last week, but I think I'll go to the cholesterol screening anyway. I've got to confess that I've become addicted to blood tests. If insurance would pay for them, I'd have one every week. These tests are just about the only way to see if the meds I take and the many changes I've made to my diet and lifestyle are actually working. I always want to see good lab results, because I'd hate to be doing all this work for nothing.

This week has gone quickly. I've got a rare out-of-the-office meeting tomorrow, but I think I've still got time for a nice breakfast at one of my favorite restaurants. Who knows what November will bring? Hopefully, lots of interesting work and a continuation of the nice weather the dogs and I enjoyed today.

Roxy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day