Day 4679

Today's all day rain didn't really amount to much. The only time we got wet was when we tried to take Dawn on her sunrise walk. The weather radar failed us this time. I thought we had enough time to take a short walk, but the rain started almost immediately. Dawn did her business in a hurry and we headed back to the house.

I didn't want to risk getting wet again, so I went mall walking after breakfast instead of walking in the park. The temperature was nice and cool, but the skies looked ominous. I was surprised at how crowded the mall was today. At first glance you would have thought the stores were open. There were a lot more families with children today. I guess when the kids can't play outside on a rainy day, you take them to the mall. I walked an extra lap around the mall this morning because we didn't get our sunrise walk. One way or another, I was going to get my steps.

I'm starting to see some of the same people every Sunday. It's the same way when I walk in the park. I guess everybody has their regular routines. Some people walk around the mall in a clockwise direction while others go counterclockwise. This direction never seems to change. I'm a clockwise person myself. I wonder when the Christmas displays will start to appear. Christmas merchandise is already out at Walmart and Sam's Club. It looks like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all happening at the same time.

The rain was basically over by the time I returned home, so Dawn got her Sunday outing anyway. It was pleasant outside, even though the ground was a little wet. Dawn enjoyed her walk, but she still doesn't ride well in the car. I don't think we'll ever be able to take her on a car trip. She does calm down when we get to the ice cream store though. I think Dawn likes ice cream even more than we do.

I washed the car this afternoon. I thought a heavy rain might clean it off on the way to the mall, but a light rain just got it muddy. My office is always a perpetual mess, but I do like a clean car. It seems like I'm always washing the car even though I don't drive much.

There's a new update for the star tracker available, but I didn't feel like dealing with it today. I have spent far more time updating this thing and installing new firmware than actually using it. Maybe someday. I'm still fascinated by astrophotography, but I can't imagine spending much time outside at night in Dallas. The few times I've gone outside to observe something I'm usually interrupted by multiple police cars racing down our street in pursuit of bad guys. Our own neighborhood is relatively safe, but this street appears to be a superhighway to high crime areas. 

It doesn't look like we are going to make it to the fair this year. Sometimes going to the fair seems like a fun thing to do. This year we had no interest. I don't think we missed much. Neither of us like fair food and yesterday there was an active shooter scare that had everyone running for the exits. One of the reasons I like going to Kennedy Space Center is that everyone has to go through a background check to get their credentials. I feel very safe wandering around the space center. Not so much here in Dallas.

I need to make an appointment to see the eye doctor next week. It doesn't seems like a year since my last visit, but here we are again. I"m dreading this visit because I know the doctor will want to schedule cataract surgery almost immediately. I can tell my cataracts have gotten worse this year. I'm sure the doctor will know too.

Camp is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4663

Today was busy. It was chilly this morning on our sunrise walk. It was only 63 degrees and I definitely needed a light jacket. I also needed a stick to brush the web worms away as we made out way down toward the lake. I'll be glad when these little green worms disappear. They've really become a nuisance.

After breakfast I did a few minor chores around the house while I was waiting to leave for my haircut appointment. My hair is thinner now but it still grows fast. It doesn't seem that long since my last haircut. I usually get a haircut before any major trip, but I won't be going anywhere for a while. There are several interesting launches next month, but I didn't apply for credentials. It's just as well that I won't be going anywhere soon. I've got too many bills to pay.

On the way home from my haircut appointment I stopped at the gym. It was cool enough to walk outdoors today, but the gym turned out to be more convenient. I was fairly terrible on the basketball court, but I was actually faster on the indoor track today. It still seems like my performance should be more consistent, but it never is. Some days I do well and other days I don't.

I did some of my grocery shopping today because I'm not sure how long the washing machine repairs will take tomorrow. I hope that no parts are needed for this repair because that always requires a second visit. I really want to avoid going to the laundromat. Hopefully, the problem is minor. According to the error code on the machine there is just a clogged drain filter.  I need to learn how to fix this myself. I'm tired of paying technicians to do things that turn out to be very easy.

The State Fair of Texas opened today. We usually go to the fair, but I'm not sure if we'll go this year. I can't even remember if we went last year. It might have still been closed due to Covid. Somewhere on the fairgrounds there is a brick walkway where you can purchase bricks with your name on them. Years ago we bought some bricks in memory of our first Dalmatian. Whenever we go to the fair, it is always a challenge to find these bricks. They're still there but it is surprisingly difficult to locate them. We used to walk Spot in Fair Park every weekend, but the city was different then. The city felt much safer twenty years ago. I'm not sure I'd want to walk in this park during off season anymore.

I hope the appliance technician is on time tomorrow. I hate waiting for repair people. They usually give you a four hour window and then show up about an hour after the window has expired. The utility room where we keep the washer and dryer is very small. I always have to move a ton of stuff out of the room before a service call to give the technician room to work. I'm not even sure how we got these appliances into this room now. It doesn't seem like they should fit.

I hope the rescue Dalmatians are doing well. We haven't seen them in quite a while. I think they will be moving to another kennel later this Fall where we can visit again. I wonder if they will remember us?

Thelma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4302

Charlie and Oliver were in good spirits today. These two have so much energy. Our own dogs never played with toys that much, but Charlie and Oliver will chase a ball all day. You can tell that they enjoy the time we spend with them. We should probably spend more time with the rescue dogs but it's a long drive up to the kennel.  

Janet had a meeting this morning so we got up earlier than usual today. There were still a few stars in the sky and a very thin crescent moon when we left the house. I like it when the park is empty and quiet. It's much more peaceful to listen to bird sounds than the music from the miniature boomboxes people attach to their bicycles. Even worse are all the leaf blowers you hear later in the morning when the yard crews arrive in the neighborhood. It's no surprise that I like spending time on Mount Locke where all I hear is the wind and the occasional hawk overhead.

We're having an exceptionally nice Fall this year. We had a little rain last week, but mostly it's been clear skies and cool temperatures every day. It's nice to be able to walk without needing to change clothes when you return. I've found that my pace is faster on these cool mornings. Maybe I'm just feeling better these days, but I'm enjoying my walks again.

It was kind of weird having Facebook down all day. It's easy to forget that none of this even existed until very recently. You actually had to sit down over lunch to catch up on things with friends. Now you just like a few posts every morning and everyone knows you're still alive and well. I still think the world would be a better place without social media, but I'm as guilty as the next guy for wasting time scrolling through mountains of nothing every day.

I have to see a new doctor tomorrow. This means I'll have to fill out the same information I've filled out dozens of times before. Why don't doctors share information? They all seem to have their own forms. It seems like you should only have to fill out this information once. I thought I'd already made a list of all my prescriptions, so I could just print it out and take it with me tomorrow. I couldn't find the list anywhere.  I guess I'll make a new list tomorrow after breakfast. This is impossible to do in a doctors waiting room. I can never remember the names of the pills I take, and even if I could remember I could never spell them correctly.

We can't decide whether to go to the fair. Parking is too expensive. We don't particularly like fair food.  And we never go on any of the rides. Usually we just watch the agility dogs perform, walk through the auto buildings and look at new cars, and look for the sidewalk bricks we bought in memory of Spot decades ago. We'll probably go and then wonder why we bothered later.

One of my watch winders broke today. I guess it was about time. It's been faithfully winding watches I never wear anymore for dozens of years now. Hard to believe that I was so interested in watches at one time. I just wear the Apple Watch now. 

Jersey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4292

It was kind of a slow day. The big event today was giving Dawn a bath. Dawn hates a bath but she survived. She was excited to get in the car, but she probably thought we were going for ice cream. We had to find a new self bath place since the one we usually use went out of business. Everything ended well and Dawn looks and feels clean again. A dog bath never lasts long though. One roll in the dirt and it's all over.

I wrote a letter to my sister and took it to the post office. She still refuses to get on the Internet, so I basically just repeat things I've already mentioned on the blog. I used to write lots of letters, but this is the last remnant of a bygone era. Everyone else I know uses e-mail. 

We are seeing coyotes again behind our house. There are lots of them in the park, but I don't see them very often. Coyotes still make me a little nervous when walking dogs, but usually they mind their own business. I've had a few close encounters with them over the years and so far they haven't paid much attention to our dogs. Dawn totally ignored the young coyote we saw. I still don't want to run into a pack though.

When  I was walking in the park this morning I heard a strange bird call I've never heard before. The sound was so loud that I thought the bird might be in distress. I couldn't investigate though because the sound was coming from a thick wooded area on the other side of the water. Was this a crane, a pelican, or a new kind of duck? I'll probably never know. It is strange to hear a brand new sound in the park though. I've walked this area for so long that I thought I've heard everything.

I guess I need to make a new appointment to see the dentist. I need to remember that I still have a cavity, even though the tooth looks and feels fine. The appointment got sidetracked by my hospital stay, but apparently the dentist's computer system thinks I've already been. I got an e-mail asking me to take a survey and rate my recent visit. 

This year has really gone fast. It's already time for the State Fair again. I think Janet wants to go, but I'm still uncertain about being around so many people. I guess it couldn't be any worse than being on a full airline flight to Orlando. I'll definitely be glad when we can put Covid behind us. The pandemic has really made a mess of everything.

It's time to make a grocery list again. Should I go to the gym on the way to the grocery store, or take another long walk and go shopping later? These are the kind of decisions I make these days. This morning I had to decide whether to wear a jacket on our sunrise walk with Dawn. The temperature was in the 50's and the furnace came on for the first time this season. Fall is here and the light jacket I wore was actually a good idea.

Scout is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day