Day 4924 - Father's Day

The weather is always nice when we take Dawn on her sunrise walk. Unfortunately, it doesn't stay that way long. By the time I finished breakfast it was already back to what you'd expect for mid-June in Texas. Luckily there was a breeze today and it was still cool enough to take Dawn on her Sunday outing.

I went mall walking after breakfast. I'm glad I discovered that the mall is open earlier for walkers than I originally thought. If I go before 10 AM it is even quieter than usual. I don't tend to get out much and mall walking is my time to reflect on the state of the world. I wonder why people buy so many things they don't really need? I'm guilty of this myself, but it does seem strange that almost none of the stores are filled with necessities. They don't even seem to be filled with things that are all that desirable and yet people continue to buy.

You'd think that people who went mall walking would be healthy, but that doesn't seem to be the case. A lot of the walkers are really overweight. Maybe they are making an effort to get healthier, or maybe they are just looking for something else to buy. There often seem to be staff meetings going on in the stores before they open. I wonder what they talk about? I think I'd hate to work in retail. I'm not even friendly with my friends. I don't think I could be upbeat and friendly with strangers all day. I certainly would have a hard time selling them things they didn't need.

I often wonder how this mall can be so successful when the stores never seem full. Occasionally I have a reason to go there when the stores are open, and most of the stores are empty. I probably have a distorted view of how the world works however. For years I've made a conscious effort to do things at times when other people aren't doing things. I've never liked crowds. Maybe there are times when this mall is packed with people and I'm just home taking a nap.

It's much nicer walking in air conditioned comfort instead of walking outside in the heat. On a rare nice day I'd probably prefer walking outside, but those days are few and far between in the summer. It's probably just the humidity that's been making the weather feel so oppressive lately. Other than the unusually high humidity, this is just a normal June. The weather is going to get a lot worse in August.

Luckily it was still cool enough to give Dawn her Sunday outing. She really likes these little excursions. The Sunday park has a whole new set of things to smell. It's too bad that Dawn has such a fear of riding in the car. If she rode better in the car there are all sorts of places we could take her. 

Dawn's favorite part of the walk is the ice cream that comes afterwards. Ice cream does a good job of calming her down. I like the ice cream too, but it is certainly no bargain. They just plop a scoop of ice cream on top of the cone and don't even bother to try and fill it. To add insult to injury, they've raised their prices as well. We still go there every week though. Getting ice cream cones has become part of our weekend ritual.

Father's Day is kind of a non event for me. I'm not a father myself and my Dad passed away a long time ago. I do remember Mom telling Dad that I was a Father's Day gift, since my birthday is so close to Father's Day. Personally, I think Dad would have preferred a new fishing rod.

Rugby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4923

Very little happened today, but it still seemed like a long day. We had to get up very early this morning because Janet had an all day event to go to. For the first time since last winter, we took our sunrise walk in the dark. Dawn wore her lighted coller and I clipped a small LED light to my shirt. It was just like old times.

After breakfast I checked my messages and got ready to do my grocery shopping. My list wasn't long this week, but it still takes a while. I've started shopping earlier recently. The stores aren't as crowded and the selections seem a little better. The only downside to shopping early is that I've got more time to fill when I return home.

I had planned on going to the gym again today, but there was a nice breeze and it was overcast outside, so I decided at the last minute to walk in the park instead. It would have been cooler inside the gym, but I just didn't feel like driving anymore. Even though the humidity wasn't as bad as yesterday, I was still soaking wet by the time I returned home. In retrospect, it might have been better to go to the gym.

The light inside the refrigerator burned out today. It took me a while to figure out how to replace it. The light was behind a translucent cover and I couldn't figure out how to get the cover off. I save everything, but couldn't find the manual to the refrigerator. I tried to find a service manual online, but I couldn't find our particular model. Maybe the refrigerator is too old. I eventually got the cover off without breaking it and then wasted even more time looking around the house for a 40 watt appliance light bulb. I knew I'd bought this type of bulb before, but it's been a while. After a major search, I found a single 40 watt bulb left at the bottom of a shoe box full of old incandescent bulbs. Mission accomplished.

This afternoon was uneventful. I did a load of laundry and paid some bills on the computer. Dawn was in a bad mood because she thought Janet had been gone too long. She wasn't excited at all when I came home with my groceries. I eventually got her to go out in the back yard and pee, but all she really wanted to do was sit in the bedroom and sulk. I've really got to figure out a way to bond with this dog before Janet goes on vacation again.

I need a project, but I don't feel like starting anything new. All the old standbys don't seem to work anymore. I don't play my guitar or write songs anymore. I've already photographed every inch of the park and am losing interest in carrying a camera around. The last thing I want to do is start a home repair project, even though there are plenty of things that need attention. I would like to spend more time down at Kennedy Space Center, but that's just too expensive. It's too bad that Dawn doesn't like me to nap with her. A long nap always sounds good.

Finally it seems like there is no more severe weather in the forecast. It's going to be hot for the next week, but I can always go to the gym or just stay inside here at home. I'll go mall walking tomorrow morning. Hopefully, Dawn will still get her Sunday outing. If it's too hot we'll just go for ice cream.

Bali is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4915

When we walked Dawn this morning I could tell it was going to be a hot day. Our early morning walk was pleasant, but you could feel that the heat was coming. I should have just kept walking while the temperatures were still relatively cool, but I felt compelled to follow my regular routine. I came home, made the bed, ate my breakfast, washed the dishes, and then turned on the computer and checked my messages. By the time I was ready to walk again, it was already quite warm.

I tried wetting down my hat before I left the house, but that didn't help for long. The hat was dry again in thirty minutes. I wasn't very fast today, although my second mile was faster than my first. My last mile is always very slow. There are still a few ducks around Sunset Bay, but most have migrated north for the summer. I guess the city has finally realized that the bald eagles have gone because they took down the protective fencing that used to surround a long abandoned nest. While I'm walking I always wonder why I'm not at my air conditioned gym instead. Old habits die hard I guess.

I think I've figured out why AT&T was trying to get me to switch from U-Verse to a less expensive streaming plan. They've certainly never tried to save me money before. I did a little more research on streaming services today and discovered that their pricing structure is much like what I've experienced with my storage warehouse. They lure you in with a low initial price which usually goes away within three to six months. When you read the fine print you quickly realize that the regular price is much higher, and that pricing can change on a monthly basis. Eventually you will end up paying just as much for the streaming service as you do for traditional cable TV. Streaming services don't require a lot of service technicians and additional equipment either. I'm sure the phone company loves that. I've had U-Verse technicians out to the house many times to fix the system. All that goes away with a streaming service. As always, it comes down to money. The phone company makes more money selling you a streaming service. They can fire a lot of their service technicians and get rid of all the set-top boxes.

I tried the free trials for YouTube TV and Hulu to see if I might like streaming better than cable. Not so much. It's a lot easier to use the U-Verse TV remote than to navigate the convoluted on-screen menus of streaming TV. The bottom line is that U-Verse is definitely too expensive, but it's more convenient than the streaming services I tried. It's more convenient for me anyway. I guess I'll just forget about this for a while. I don't watch TV that much anyway. If Janet would rather have a streaming service, we can always switch later.

Dawn was predictably excited when Janet came home with the groceries this afternoon. She was disappointed that she didn't get an afternoon walk though. It was too hot. I don't think she would have enjoyed the walk. She didn't even want to stay outside very long when I took her out to pee. The sad thing is that Summer is just beginning. It's going to get a lot hotter pretty soon. There is good news though. I think the insulation we added with the new roof is already helping. It seems easier to keep the house cool than it did in previous years.

These weeks go by so quickly now. It's already time to make another grocery list. I need to get my shopping done early because there are thunderstorms in the forecast again. We'll see what happens tomorrow. The weather forecast is wrong at least half the time.

Liberty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4909

I did my grocery shopping early this morning so we could go to Dawn's dog school party. I think I tried this last week as well, but this week I started even earlier. I finished my shopping and was home again before I typically leave the house. I need to make a habit of this. The stores weren't crowded and there was a better selection of everything.

I thought that Dawn would enjoy the party because she likes going to school. Nope. She was nervous the entire time and was eager to return home. She wasn't interested in playing with any of the other dogs. This was something new and Dawn never reacts well to new things. Janet entered her in several of the competitions and she won fourth place in one. I had a good time and got to chat with several people I hadn't seen since we used to take Dot and Dash to training class. I guess we'll do this again next year.

After we returned home I went on a not so long walk. It was later in the day and too hot outside for my regular route. I knew I couldn't complete six miles today. I only walked three miles this afternoon but that was enough to get my steps and close all three rings on my Apple Watch. I had to soak my hat in water to stay cool this afternoon. I should have gone to the gym, but after grocery shopping this morning I was tired of driving.

We had a very brief power outage this afternoon. The beeping noises from several devices were enough to send Dawn into a panic. Thunder and lightning don't scare Dawn, but electronic beeping noises do. She managed to get stuck behind the bedroom television in a tangle of cords and cables. Why she thought that this was a safe place, I'll never know. It was hard to extricate her from this tiny awkward space and when I got her free, she wasn't comfortable for the rest of the afternoon. I took her outside so she could lay in the grass and that actually calmed her down after a while. She was back to normal in time to start barking at me to fix her dinner.

One of my battery back-up power sources bit the dust today. I don't think I'm going to bother to replace it. There are way too many things in the office that I don't even use anymore. This thing beeps when the power goes out too. We don't need any more beeping things in this house. 

I thought about fixing the screen door this afternoon but it was way too hot. All I really wanted to do was take a nap. At least it didn't rain today. Rain was in the forecast all day, but somehow it never materialized. I actually would have welcomed a little rain on my long walk. Did I mention it was hot. I'm not reacting very well to summer this year. It's hot every summer, but I don't have the patience for it anymore. 

Tomorrow I'll go walking at the mall and then we'll take Dawn on her Sunday outing. Dawn and I both like familiar routines. Dawn and I should be best friends. We're both old and grumpy and don't react well to change. There is still rain in the forecast for tomorrow but there is a good chance we'll never see it. Old habits die hard I guess. We've got a brand new roof and I'm still worried about rain.

Freckles is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4527

I had to pick up a prescription this morning and I asked the pharmacist if there would be any difference in price if I used GoodRx instead of my Part-D prescription drug plan. I was surprised. The pills cost $37 using my drug plan and only $10 using GoodRx. Jeez. Why do I even have this prescription drug plan? I would just drop it, except that I suspect that GoodRx only covers certain widely used drugs. Some medications for cancer and other diseases are insanely expensive. You wouldn't want to be without coverage if you needed them. 

When I had hepatitis C, the Solvaldi I needed to cure the disease cost $1000 a pill. I had to take the pills daily for 12 weeks. I've had a healthy respect for medical insurance ever since. When I was working, medical insurance was my largest single expense. Often it made the difference between a profit or a loss for the year. It's hard to even get medical insurance if you own a small business and aren't part of a group. I had friends who were freelancers or owned small businesses like mine who went without medical insurance because of the expense. I always thought this was insane. The quickest way to get wiped out financially is to get sick without insurance. I'll use GoodRx when I can, but I'll keep my prescription drug plan. You never know when you might need it.

I got another update from the Benro people who said it would fix my camera connection problem with the star tracker. I didn't bother trying to install it because I knew it would just cause further aggravation. Why the hesitation? On the same day I received this special patch, there was also a general update to the iPhone app that controls everything. Do I upgrade the iPhone app first and then apply the patch, or the other way around? The Benro folks never said and it could make a big difference. I'm sure I'd have a lot better luck with the star tracker if I spoke Mandarin. I had the same problem when I worked for Seimens in Germany. Language barriers can create huge problems. I tried to learn German when I was doing a lot of work in Europe, but whatever I learned never stuck with me. I'm back to a single language now.

The weather was a little cooler today. We had a nice early walk with Dawn and I was even able to complete my full six mile route on my long walk later in the day. It was still hot outside, but somehow it seemed a lot better than yesterday. I really need to start going back to the gym. They have a nice indoor track and they keep the place very cold. It's boring walking six miles around a small indoor track. but it beats having a heat stroke. I have a feeling that we are going to have a very hot summer. It's only mid-May and it already feels like July.

I'm automatically cleared to attend certain launches and I get lots of messages about when and where to meet to set up cameras or attend press briefings. It kind of makes me sad that I can't attend most of these launches. Some of my Florida photographer friends go to all of them. It's just too expensive if you live out of state and don't have a big media outlet covering your expenses. I think airlines lead the list for price hikes in 2022. Flying has gotten very expensive. Driving isn't so cheap either. Gasoline expenses for my trip out to McDonald Observatory recently were a lot more than they were last year. When I was in college gas was 25 cents a gallon. In the early 70's when I was starting out in advertising, you could buy a Porsche for $8000 and rent a great apartment for $200 a month. I never dreamed then that we would end up where we are today.

I wonder if I'll have the nerve to upgrade the star tracker tomorrow. It depends on how bored I am. I usually make a mess of things when I get bored.

Susie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4211

I guess the holiday continued into today. The markets and banks were closed. There wasn't any mail delivery. The Dalmatian's kennel was still open though, so we were still able to visit Charlie and Cooper. I took my camera because there were supposed to be two new Dalmatian puppies at the kennel. They were both at the vet for their check ups when we arrived though, so maybe we'll see them next week.

The day started normally enough. We got up early and took Dawn on her sunrise walk. I can already tell that the days are starting to get shorter. Sunrise seems a few minutes later each day. Dawn is now reluctant to eat the new food we got for her, so we made an appointment to see the vet. We need to know if she's just being a picky eater or if there is a medical problem. We are a little worried about her kidneys since we've known that they are a potential problem for some time. We'll get some new blood work done and a urinalysis, along with anything else the vet suggests. Hopefully, Dawn is just being stubborn. She has no problems eating people food.

The traffic was still pretty light when we went up to the kennel. I guess that holiday travelers aren't visiting Dallas. There were a lot of boarding dogs at the kennel, but we were still able to secure a room where we could play with Charlie and Cooper. Charlie was still very gentle with his new possum toy. This is the only toy that he doesn't toss in the air and get rough with. He just carries it around like he's looking for a safe place to hide it. We've never seen Charlie act this way before. It's actually encouraging to know that he has a softer side.

I was planning to go to the gym when we returned from the kennel, but I decided to take a walk at the last minute. I don't know why I thought it would be cool enough for a long walk in the park. Maybe the sun was behind a cloud. I managed to complete my six miles, but I was hot and tired by the time I returned home. I would have been tired at the gym as well, but I wouldn't have been as hot and sweaty. It's too bad I don't enjoy exercise more. It's very necessary, but I'd rather just sleep.

I paid some bills today and noticed that the electric bill has take a sharp rise upward. It's summer in Texas. Next month's bill will be even worse. The water bill will be a lot higher next month as well, now that we are trying to keep our new grass alive. I was never as aware of prices when I was working. Living on a fixed income puts a whole new perspective on things. 

I didn't sleep well last night. I've been having weird dreams again. For some reason my dreams frequently involve choosing food in buffet lines, being lost inside buildings, or being back in college. Last night I was dealing with all three of these things. At some point a professor asked me to come up with an equation that would generate an outline in the shape of Africa. I kept trying to convince the class that you could accomplish the same thing with a much easier equation that gave you the area of a circle. Just pack a whole bunch of little circles together and you'll have your map of Africa, I told the class. Hey, I was never very good at math. Maybe I was distracted by the fact that right after I had chosen a pathetic looking roast beef sandwich for my lunch, service workers bought out huge stacks of much better looking meat and replaced the entire buffet table. The flying dreams I had as a kid were much more enjoyable.

Hopefully the vet can tell us why Dawn keeps licking her feet and has lost her appetite. It might be nothing at all, but you never know with a dog. It's too bad dogs can't talk and just tell you what's wrong.

Isabella is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4196 - Summer Solstice

It's the first day of Summer, the longest day of the year, and also Father's Day. Occasionally my birthday falls on one of these days as well. I'm going to skip the Father's Day remembrances this year. A lot of what happened during the early years have been lost to the mists of time. I do remember the latter years when I had to take over my Dad's affairs after he could no longer handle things himself. Not a lot of good memories there. Truthfully, I've never had strong family ties and don't spend a lot of time thinking about family. I jokingly tell people that I was raised by wolves, but I suspect that my parents did a pretty good job raising me. I've always been able to cope and have succeeded at just about everything I've tried. I'm sure my Dad had a lot to do with that, whether I was aware of it or not.

I thought I'd try to outwit the weather and take my long walk right after breakfast this morning. I don't drink my morning smoothie during the weekend, so I was able to get an early start. Janet volunteered at a dog event again today, so Dawn had no interest in walking with me. If she could have overcome her fears, she would have enjoyed the walk. It was still pretty cool outside at 7:30 AM. Keep in mind that this is Texas in the Summer, so 'pretty cool' means 80 degrees.

I was easily able to complete six miles this morning. I should do this more often. The problem is that it takes so long to drink a half-gallon fruit smoothie that I don't know where I'd find the time. If I drink the smoothie first, it's already gotten too hot outside for a pleasant walk by the time I'm finished. If I walk first, I don't feel like eating or drinking anything when I return. Today was easy. I just had a quick bowl of cold cereal before leaving the house. I won't abandon the smoothie though. I've convinced myself that it is extremely healthy.

I was a little tired when I returned from my walk, but a short nap took care of that. I realized that it was now or never for removing the rest of the dead Photinia trees, so I got out my heavy reciprocating saw and went to work. I must have saved the hardest trees for last, because it required quite an effort to cut them down. The trouble with this type of saw is that the blades are relatively short, making it almost impossible to cut through a thick stump. It is also impossible to cut the trees down flush to the ground. At some point I'm going to have to hire someone to dig up the roots of these trees. The exposed stumps don't look all that great. All that being said, the yard does look a lot better now. I don't look better unfortunately. I always manage to cut myself when I am doing yard work. One of the hazards of taking blood thinners I guess. The slightest scratch results in a cut.

It's time to start watering the grass again, but I couldn't find a sprinkler that worked. All three were broken. I guess it's time for another trip to Home Depot. I'll need to buy a hose as well. The one hose long enough to reach all parts of the yard has a big leak in it. Whatever I buy probably won't last any longer than the worthless tools I threw away today. I think all this stuff is made in China out of recycled tin foil.

Dawn had no interest in staying outside with me while I worked in the yard today. Every time I took her out to pee, she immediately went to the back door and wanted to go inside as soon as she had done her business. The little diva spent her day sitting in the middle of our king sized bed while I was sweating outside. Whoever coined the phrase 'it's a dog's life' never met our dogs.

Alamo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4189

It was a very busy day. Right after breakfast I got out the reciprocating saw and attempted to cut down the remaining dead Photinia trees in the back yard. The new carbide tipped blade helped a lot, but there were still a few trees where the stumps were too thick for my saw. I was amazed at how heavy these trees were. I had trouble hauling some of them out to the alley. Later this week I will move the pile of wood out to the curb for the monthly bulky trash pick-up. By the time I was finished, I was drenched in sweat and changed my clothes for the first of many times today.

After a short nap to rest up, we took Dawn on her special outing to her Sunday park. She gets so excited about these Sunday outings now. I'm beginning to think that she's not really scared to ride in the car. All her weird behavior might be just the way she shows her excitement. We had a nice walk. It was starting to get hot, but the walk was short enough that Dawn was in no danger of getting overheated. Her self imposed one mile limit is actually pretty smart. We always conclude our outing with ice cream cones at Andy's. Dawn loves ice cream. After we returned home I changed my clothes for a second time. I wonder if people sweat more when they get older. I never remember sweating this much in the summer.

The temperature was in the 90's by the time we returned home. I was pretty tired already and wasn't really looking forward to a six mile walk. I took a short nap and finally managed to convince myself that I still needed the exercise. This was another slow day. My pace was two minutes per mile slower than it usually is on a cooler day. The park wasn't very full for a Sunday. Most sane people were staying inside. I'm always surprised at the number of people having family picnics on really hot days. Is this actually fun? There were very few joggers and runners today, but quite a few picnics.

When I returned from my long walk I was totally beat. I took a shower and changed my clothes for a third time. At least our air conditioner is working well. If the air conditioner broke we would be miserable in less than an hour. Things don't look good for the week ahead. It looks like it is going to be sunny and hot for the rest of the week. Temperatures will be in the high 90's and may top 100 degrees on some days. This is only June too. July is usually much worse.

It's easy to get dehydrated on days like this. I find myself drinking twice as much water as I usually do. Even this probably doesn't replace the amount I sweat though. Our house is still cool, but the air conditioner never stops running. I have a feeling that our electric bill is going to be horrendous next month. The electric bill is always high in the summer, but the electric companies all raised their rates after last winter's big freeze knocked the power out throughout the state. I'm not looking forward to this. The air conditioner compressor and two dehumidifiers use a lot of electricity.

These weeks go quickly. It's already time to visit the rescue Dalmatians again. We heard that Riggs got adopted this week and that there's a new dog up at the kennel. I'm not sure what his name is, but he's young and quite handsome. I'll need to remember to take my camera so I can get some pictures up on the website. I don't expect a lot to happen next week, but I do wish it would cool off a little. How quick we forget. It's only been a week or so since all the rain ended and I'm already wishing it would come back.

Marcie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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