Day 4961

Today's big event was giving Dawn a bath. Well, it wasn't a big event for Dawn. She thought we were going in the car for ice cream until we somehow wound up at the self bathe place instead. None of our dogs have liked getting a bath, although they seem to enjoy how they feel afterwards. Dawn isn't itching and scratching anymore. If we could just convince her to quit rolling in the grass, she probably wouldn't be itching at all. Hopefully she'll stay clean for a little while, but I wouldn't be surprised to see her rolling in the grass again tomorrow.

We had another enjoyable sunrise walk this morning. I wish these pleasant early morning temperatures would last a little longer. As soon as the sun comes up it's all over. At least there are a few benefits to the hot, dry weather. The house has shifted back and all the interior doors close properly again. I've been unable to close the utility room door for months. Of course doors that close properly don't keep the house cool. The air conditioner struggles to maintain the temperature in mid afternoon. I thought the new insulation on the roof would do a better job of insulating us from the heat, but there is just too much glass in the house. I'm just going to have to resign myself to high electric bills for the next several months.

For the past several nights I've had bad dreams when I sleep. This is a new development and I hope it stops soon. A restful night's sleep is one of life's pleasures. At least I don't remember my dreams. Once I'm fully awake the dreams fade quickly. Of course other thoughts fade quickly in the daytime as well. I've learned to write things down if something seems important.

I still have mixed feelings about skipping the EchoStar Jupiter 3 launch. I really didn't have much interest in going to this launch, but I definitely want to keep getting invited to future launch events. We'll have to see whether skipping an invitation makes any difference. I don't know why they are even trying to launch tomorrow. There's been a lot of rain in Titusville recently and there are bad thunderstorms right now. Truthfully, I've spent more time in the rain in Titusville than under sunny skies. I guess this doesn't really matter to the launch teams. All they need is about ten minutes of good weather to get the rocket off the ground.

I wonder when I can start taking my long walks in the park again? There is no end in sight for this hot weather. Once again I headed to the gym after breakfast. Well, actually I headed to the gym closer to lunch. I still think the place is less busy at lunchtime. The trainers must all be on commission because they all seem to be aggressively trying to line up new customers. I hope they leave me alone. If the trainers start hounding me, I'll have to quit coming. I don't want to talk to anyone or have people tell my how to improve myself while I'm working out. I just want to walk around the indoor track in peace and quiet and maybe shoot a few baskets before I return home.

After lunch Dawn got her bath and then I spent the rest of the day doing essentially nothing. There should be more things that interest me, considering how many serious interests I have had in the past. I guess it's just the ebb and flow of life. I'm curious about many things but I don't think I've ever been obsessed with anything. As long as I remain healthy, I guess I'll be fine.

Smokey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4897

I'm back in Dallas. Today was mostly a travel day. There was no need to get up super early this morning. I walked to a Cracker Barrel restaurant down the street from my hotel, ate my breakfast, and then packed my bags to leave. It was supposed to rain today, but the day looked pretty nice to me. I always enjoy my visits to Titusville. It's a quiet little town compared to Dallas.

Orlando is anything but quiet. Every time I go to the Orlando airport, I wish I'd applied for TSA Pre a little earlier. I do have an appointment now, but it's not until late in June. I'll never understand why every airport seems to have different rules for what has to come out of your bag. Dallas Love Field is easy compared to Orlando. Today I had to open my suitcase at the security checkpoint because my camera tripod apparently looked like a suspicious object. Everyone behind me was in a hurry and I almost forgot to put my computer back in the suitcase. In Dallas I don't even have to take the computer out of the bag. Sometimes I don't even need to take my shoes off. I don't know why I didn't get TSA Pre several years ago. It seems like a bargain every time you get delayed at the security checkpoint.

I don't go to concerts or sporting events anymore, so airports are about the only place I still encounter crowds. Being around a lot of people doesn't give me a lot of faith in the future of humanity. Mostly people are nice, but everyone seems impatient and in a hurry. Why are there so many fat people? The last time I was in Italy, it seemed like the entire country was thin. In America it's exactly the opposite. Maybe it is because everyone is always eating. People are constantly eating at airports. Even the ridiculously high prices for airport food doesn't slow them down. People seem addicted to their phones. I am usually the only one at the airport, or on the plane not using a cell phone. They are all playing games, watching movies, or texting someone.

The Orlando airport is filled with children. They are either going to or coming from Disneyland. Going to Disneyland must be on every small child's bucket list. I often see large families on the way to Disneyland and wonder how they can afford it. The place is not cheap anymore. Little girls returning from Disneyland are often wearing princess dresses and little boys are carrying toy lightsabers, I shouldn't be critical though, since I've been to Disneyland myself. Janet and I once went to the Disneyland in Paris.

I'm well on my way to becoming a frequent traveler. I've started to get picky about planes. The 737-800 is a much better plane than the 737-700 because the overhead bins are larger. Occasionally I'll fly on a 737 MAX, but that just seems like a longer version of the 737-800. Nobody leans their seat back while flying anymore. It seems to be an unwritten rule that you must leave your seat in the full upright position for the entire flight. Maybe people are just trying to be courteous. Planes are always full these days. It's been a long time since I've been on a plane that wasn't completely full.

I love attending launches at Kennedy Space Center, but I'm glad to be home again. Maybe I'll sleep better tonight. Hotel beds are always too soft for me. I need to remember not to eat breakfast tomorrow because I  have an early doctor's appointment for a semi-annual physical. I also need to gather documents for my driver's license renewal. It didn't seem like I needed so many documents before real ID became mandatory.

Rosco is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4895

I made it to Florida. It's been a long day. We got up early and took Dawn on her sunrise walk. While I was eating breakfast, the roofers came over again to clean up and load their remaining supplies. I continue to be impressed by these guys. The roof is finished, but they didn't forget about cleaning up the job site. They did such a good job this morning  that you'd never know that they'd spent the past three days making the yard look like a tornado hit it. The roof itself looks great. We got some rain last night and there are no signs of any leaks. I really hope that I can put all my roof problems behind me now. If I never have to climb up on the roof again, that would be fine by me.

After breakfast I packed my bags. I think I could do this in my sleep by now. Every time I make these trips to Kennedy Space Center I take exactly the same things. I have a small bag full of connecting cables for computers and cameras. I have another small bag full of pills and toiletries. I take enough clothes for an extra day or two. Launches get postponed so often that you have to plan for contingencies. Everything fits in a small carry-on bag and the camera bag fits under my seat. Packing is easy. Trying to remember if I forgot anything is a little harder. It's easy to forget essential things like reading glasses and toothpaste. I always take a raincoat now after getting caught out in the rain without one once. I don't think I forgot anything this trip, but I never know for sure until I can't find something I really need.

Airports are weird. Spend several hours in an airport and you've got a pretty good bird's eye view of what's going on in society. Today I saw pilots with red hang tags on their luggage saying "We're ready to strike," I saw a small crowd surrounding a group of police officers trying to arrest someone. The crowd was shouting "Don't touch him" over and over again. I couldn't figure out who's side the crowd was on. Were they worried that the man being arrested would get injured, or were the worried that the officers might get dragged into a protracted lawsuit if they touched the guy. It could go either way. People are constantly eating at the airport even though the food is ridiculously expensive. I was kind of hungry, but I didn't feel like buying a nineteen dollar hamburger or a six dollar bag of chips. 

I think Love Field in Dallas is the best airport in the country for going through security. You don't have to take anything out of your bag anymore. Even computers stay inside your bag while they are being scanned. You still have to empty your pockets, but you can leave your watch and Fitbit on your wrist. Everyone reminds me that my driver's license is about to expire. Thanks guys but I can still remember a few things. Actually, I've got an appointment to renew my license next week.

It's going to be a long day tomorrow. I have to pick up my press credentials at 5:45 AM. This means that I have to get up even earlier so I can drive to the press office. We get to go out to the launch pad at 7:30 AM to set remote cameras and take pictures of the rocket. The afternoon is filled with interview opportunities and the launch itself is supposed to take place at 5:37 PM. If the weather holds up, this will be a beautiful launch. Sunset launches are the best.

I'd better get some sleep and make sure I set several wake up calls. It's a shame that Axiom has such a small window for picking up credentials. If you're late or miss the window, you are out of luck. Hopefully everything stays on schedule. The weather looks promising and I haven't heard about any problems with the rocket. We'll see what happens.

Harley is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4871

The rocket didn't go anywhere today. Space X scrubbed tonight's launch due to the potential for severe weather in the area. Since the launch was postponed early in the day, we weren't even able to get our credentials. This was a disapointment to everybody waiting for their badges at the Press Accredation Office. We were hoping that we could at least go visit the Press Site today and get some pictures. I guess Space X didn't want us wandering around unsupervised. The launch has been rescheduled for tomorrow evening. The weather looks better tomorrow, but it's still not a sure thing. Basically, it has been a very rainy week. It's even raining in Dallas today.

I think there was some severe weather near Kennedy Space Center this afternoon, but it was very localized. When I went back to my hotel in Titusville, we didn't even see any rain until very late in the day. I guess this was a good thing because I was able to get my steps. I walked back and forth between the hotel and a Cracker Barrel restaurant at the other end of the street until I got my daily 10,000 steps. My timing was good because shortly after I got 10,000 Fitbit steps and closed all three rings on my Apple Watch it started raining pretty hard.

The rain didn't last very long and I didn't want to spend the entire afternoon in my hotel room, so I drove out to Playlinda Beach. This beach is located in the Canaveral National Seashore and is a place I like to visit. There are some nice views of the launch pad in several areas as well as an abundance of wildlife. The seashore is a protected nature preserve and is the longest stretch of pristine, undeveloped beach in Florida. The area is run by the National Park Service and today I traded my annual pass for a Lifetime Senior Pass. If you save your old yearly passes, they count toward the price of a lifetime pass. I ended up getting my Lifetime Pass for half price.

I did get a few photos of the Falcon Heavy rocket from the top of one of the walkways to the beach. The park service doesn't want you to walk on the dunes surrounding the beach, so they've built wooden walkways over the dunes in selected areas. I saw several other launch photographers I know taking pictures as well. Today, Playlinda Beach was the only game in town. It was a grey day and my pictures weren't spectacular, but at least it wasn't raining. Actually the weather was nice for the entire time I was out at Playlinda Beach and it only started raining again when I returned to Titusville for dinner.

I stopped at my favorite barbecue place for dinner. If I'm in Titusville I've got to have at least one meal at Sonny's. Most of the other launch photographers seem to favor seafood restaurants, but I'm from Texas and I'll take barbecue over fish any day of the week. When I travel I realize that I'd be fat if I made a habit of eating restaurant meals. Janet is a great cook and fixes really healthy meals. I'm lucky that I get to enjoy them.

It's too bad Space X didn't go ahead and have the launch today. The storms are gone and it's clear outside right now. I'm sure they had their reasons. I did see lightning several time times during the afternoon. The weather forecast said there was a possibility of large hail, but I didn't see any. I hope there is no rain tomorrow. At one point when I was driving through a short patch of heavy rain, my rental car had an electrical problem. The headlights went out and the GPS display went dark. Everything returned to normal a few minutes later, but this would be bad news if it happened at night.

I've changed all my reservations and will be staying another day in hopes that the Viasat-3 launch will take place tomorrow evening. Lets hope the weather improves. This isn't the first launch delay I've experienced and it won't be the last. When you are chasing rockets you've just got to expect these things.

Brady is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4870

It's been a long day. I made it to Titusville, ate a late dinner, and am sitting in my hotel, hoping that everything goes well tomorrow. The last time I checked there was a 60% chance that the launch would take place as scheduled. It was supposed to be raining in both Dallas and Florida today, but so far I've managed to escape the rain in both places. I'm sure it will rain sometime tomorrow, but often the skies clear up around sunset. Let's hope I get lucky. I'd hate to have traveled all this way just to have the launch canceled because of rain..

The day started normally enough. We took Dawn on an early walk, I ate my breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit, and then finished packing. I take the same things every time I make this trip, but it's surprising how many things I almost forget. Reading glasses are real easy to forget. So are hats and sweaters. It's Florida, but sometime's it's cold down here.

I finished packing quicker than I thought I would, so I decided to take my regular long walk before I left for the airport. Made good time today, probably because I didn't want to be late. I'm glad I got my steps in before I arrived in Florida. I've gone walking near this hotel in the day time, but it's not a place I'd feel comfortable walking at night.

I got lucky at the airport parking garage today. When I entered the garage a sign said there were zero parking places available, but someone was leaving just as I arrived, so I found a place anyway. Airports are a lot more crowded than they were even a few years ago. It seems like everyone is traveling somewhere. The plane to Orlando is always completely full. It's worth paying a little extra for business select, just so I don't have to sit in the back of the plane. When I was younger, flying seemed completely different. The seats were bigger and you got served a full meal. Now flying seems more like riding a bus. I shouldn't complain though. We made it to Orlando right on time and the people crammed in next to me were quiet and agreeable. I just wish I had the luxury of planning ahead on these launch trips. My ticket would be a lot more affordable if I didn't always buy it at the last minute.

Janet said that Dawn went looking all over the house for me this evening when it was time for her bedtime snack. At last I'm good for something with this dog. I guess she depends on me for snacks and meals. I doubt she'll miss me tonight though. Dawn always steals my place on the bed whenever I'm gone. 

I guess I'd better call it a day and get some sleep. I never sleep well on hotel beds. They are way too soft for my taste. Tomorrow should be a busy day rain or shine. First I"ll pick up my press credentials. Then a bus will take the launch photographers out to the pad to set remote cameras and take close up pictures of the rocket. I never set remote cameras myself, but these pad visits are my favorite part of attending a launch. The launch itself is early tomorrow evening. These twilight launches are spectacular because as the rocket climbs it goes back into the sunlight, creating all sorts of beautiful colors in the sky.

I'm hopeful at this point. We'll just have to see how tomorrow goes.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4814

I canceled today's appliance repair appointment because the dryer seems to be working fine again. I've done several loads of laundry and the problem seems to have disappeared. I have no idea what happened, but that's not surprising. A lot of things in life are a mystery to me. The roofers were a no show again today. They said they might be able to come over this afternoon, but didn't. They did send me a PDF file with their estimate though. Yes, it's quite expensive.

It was very warm again today. The temperature got up to over eighty degrees. This was another one of those days where the furnace was on when we woke up and the air conditioner was on most of the afternoon. I wore shorts and a t-shirt on my long walk and was still a bit hot by the time I returned home. No complaints though. I hope this is a sign of an early Spring.

I had to go up on the roof and sweep away the remaining standing water to get the leak in the office to stop. Most of the roof was dry, but there is a stubborn low spot right over the office where water lingers long after the rain has gone. The problem with this time of year is that I have to clear away this water over and over again. Sadly, there is more rain in the forecast for tomorrow and Thursday.

I had to pick up a prescription today and the pharmacy staff were all in a bad mood. Usually these guys are very friendly. I ended up paying a higher price for my pills because they said it would take an extra thirty minutes if I wanted to compare prices using GoodRx. Strange. I always do this and it doesn't take any extra time at all. There was a big sign advertising free Covid test kits, but when I asked for some they said I had to fill out a bunch of paperwork to see if I qualified. Never mind. We've got a boatload of those test kits lying around the house already. This was all very disorientating because these guys are usually very helpful.

The construction crews are almost finished paving the service road through the park. I'll miss them because it gave me something interesting to look at while I walked. Pretty soon there will be lots to look at. I noticed today that daffodils are already blooming. This means that the Spring wildflowers will start to appear soon. I hope that there isn't a late March freeze that kills everything off. So far, it looks like we are headed for an early Spring.

There's been lots of activity down at Kennedy Space Center lately. It makes me wish I was down there. I wouldn't mind being one of the regular launch photographers who seem to be out covering every single launch. It's a somewhat silly activity, but strangely satisfying. Titusville is a nice town too. It's not too big and not too small. I could easily imagine living there. We're not going anywhere though. Moving is for younger people. I've lived several places over the years and basically one place is the same as the next. It makes more sense to settle down and learn to love where you're at. I'm glad I left Seattle though. Seattle has really gone downhill.

I'm hoping that we don't get a lot of rain tomorrow. I'm really tired of climbing up on the roof to sweep away the standing water. It makes me feel like Sisyphus, pushing that boulder eternally up the hill.

Connor is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4769

No launch today. The USSF-67 Mission was scrubbed right after lunch and will be rescheduled for tomorrow. I began to suspect that something might be wrong when we went out to the launch pad and the rocket wasn't vertical yet. There's a lot that still needs to be done once the rocket is vertical on the pad and they were running out of time. Space X had no real explanation for the delay. They just said that the rocket wasn't ready yet.

These type of delays happen surprisingly frequently. They are frustrating but there is nothing you can do when a launch is scrubbed. I scrambled quickly and changed all my reservations. I got the last seat on a Monday flight to Dallas and was able to extend my stay at the Airbnb as well. I've got plenty of time, but the trip will be more expensive than I was planning on.

At least the weather is still good for tomorrow. The wind is dying down as well. Hopefully these are good omens. It will still be very cold unfortunately. The weather forecast says it will be 34 degrees at sunrise tomorrow morning. Yikes. I was already freezing this morning when the temperature was 37 degrees. This is two coat weather for me and unfortunately I only brought one coat with me. Temperatures this low are rare for this part of Florida. I guess the weather is crazy everywhere these days.

Since there was no launch today, I went out to the Canaveral National Seashore instead. It's a beautiful place and I always like to visit when I've got the time. You can see the space center from the beach and I noticed that the Falcon Heavy rocket is vertical now. That's another good sign. There were a few brave souls swimming in the ocean today. This seemed strange since a lot of people on the shore were wearing parkas. Who knows. Maybe the ocean water was warmer than the air.

My diet always suffers when I travel. I had barbecue for lunch and a hamburger for dinner. I have no willpower. I guess I could have ordered a salad, but restaurant salad dressings are full of fat as well. I'm really glad that Janet fixes healthy meals. She's probably added years to my life. My original plan was to fix all my own meals at the Airbnb, but boredom set in and I went to a restaurant instead. We'll see if I can stay more disciplined tomorrow and Monday. Probably not.

I'm always surprised at how many changes take place between my trips to Kennedy Space Center. They've moved the Artemis mobile launch platform outside and are beginning to refurbish it for the next Artemis flight. Space X has almost finished the giant Starship launch tower standing next to launch complex 39A. There are rumors that they are planning on building a second Starship launch site as well. Blue Origin keeps adding to their huge manufacturing facility near the visitor center, but I'm not sure if they're actually making anything yet. It may not be like the Apollo days, but there's a lot going on down here.

I'm glad I don't have to get up early tomorrow. I'll probably sleep in. I'm not sure what I'm going to do tomorrow morning, or Monday after the launch for that matter. It's really quiet here at the Airbnb. I'll probably end up going to the Press Site way too early tomorrow and end up sitting in my car again to stay warm. I still can't get over how cold it is in Florida. I hope the launch is successful tomorrow. This is a long trip to make if nothing happens.

Kasey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

 

Day 4709

I'm back at Kennedy Space Center for another Artemis launch attempt. The launch is technically tomorrow morning, but it's going to seem like late tonight to me. If all goes well, liftoff will be a little after 1 AM. Everything looks good so far. The countdown is proceeding and there doesn't seem to be any weather problems.

The day got off to a very early start. My flight departed at 6 AM, so I had to be at the airport a lot earlier for all the TSA stuff. I must be getting slower because I cut it pretty close this time, arriving at the gate just fifteen minutes before boarding. I've been to Kennedy Space Center so many time by now that this trip is getting to seem very routine. I don't even need a car with GPS anymore. Titusville is a small town and it's starting to feel very familiar. 

I had to pick up my credentials before noon today, so that left me with a lot of free time. I went out to the Press Site to see what was going on and was surprised that the place seemed relatively empty. There were definitely a lot fewer people than were at the first launch attempt. I'm sure there will be a more folks arriving later tonight, but so far this launch seems a little subdued. All the scrubbed launches probably just wore everyone out. 

I got my Fitbit steps walking around the Press Site parking lot and then went to the space center Sonny's BBQ for a smoked pork sandwich. Sonny's has some great bartbecue and I always enjoy eating there. Before I left the Press Site to check in at my hotel I heard that the Artemis launch team had completed their final pre-launch meeting and had given the go ahead to begin fueling the rocket. 

My hotel isn't as bad as I thought. It's not the place I would have picked, but it's clean and relatively convenient. There must be a lot of people who are planning to show up at the Press Site later tonight because all the hotels in town are completely booked. I was actually lucky to get a room here. 

I've been told that the journalists covering the launch should plan to arrive that the Press Site by 7 PM tonight. That leaves a lot of time to sit around doing nothing. I guess I could go later, but there's no point in staying at the hotel. There's not a lot of point in going our for dinner either. After my big lunch, I couldn't eat another thing. I didn't run into anyone I knew this afternoon, but I'll probably see a few familiar faces tonight. I hope my camera works. I've been having problems with this camera lately. Actually the problems are mostly with me. It's hard for me to adjust the camera and focus properly in the dark. I always forget something on these trips. This time it was a flashlight.

I hope the furnace is getting fixed back in Dallas. Janet said the repairman was coming back this afternoon with the new blower motor. There will still be problems when this is fixed, but at least I'll be warm. One one the problems reoccured last night while I was finishing packing. Another roof leak. I was surprised. We haven't had to deal with a leak in months. Oh, well. It's always something.

I really hope that Artemis is successful this time. I'm sure the launch team learned some things from the first two attempts. It probably didn't hurt to have a chance to completely inspect the rocket while it was inside the VAB as well. So far, people seem optimistic. There's only a few hours left until launch time. I'll let you know what happens tomorrow.

Honey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4630

I ended up seeing the Space X Starlink launch last night. It was still raining when I drove to the Press Site. There weren't a lot of people setting up cameras and most of them thought that the launch would get scrubbed. It did get delayed, but eventually the skies started to clear and the launch took place around 11:41 PM. I'm glad I stayed optimistic and didn't drive back to town. It was another spectacular launch. Unfortunately, I didn't get any good pictures. The remote shutter release I use locked up just before the launch and I didn't have time to reboot everything. It's no great loss though. I already have plenty of pictures of Falcon 9 rockets launching at night.

I spent a lot of time today trying to figure out what went wrong so it won't happen again when the Artemis rocket launches tomorrow morning. I suspect the problem was user error. It's really hard to see the camera controls in the dark and sometimes I press the wrong buttons by mistake. At least tomorrow morning the skies will be getting brighter as we approach launch time.

My interviews didn't go well today. Basically, I didn't get any interviews. The Italian astronaut had a flight delay and couldn't make his Sunday morning interviews. The German astronaut decided at the last minute to skip his last interviews of the day and go on a tour of a NASA clean room facility instead. It's just as well. I never look forward to interviews because I don't think I'm very good at it. I do much better as a fly on the wall, just quietly observing things and sharing my thoughts.

The journalists who were doing interviews were having a feeding frenzy. On air media people seem pretty aggressive. They all have deadlines to meet or are on the air live and don't have time for slow moving people like me. I saw some of them even filming other people's interviews. I actually learned a lot by just wandering around and listening to other journalists interview people. I don't think I'm cut out to be a broadcast journalist. I forgot to pack two of journalism's most important tools: a pen and a notebook. I didn't even take a recorder, although I guess I could have used my phone to record an interview. Before my astronauts canceled out on me, I was looking everywhere for a ballpoint pen. There were lots of free hats, but no pens. 

I've been eating at my Airbnb instead of going to restaurants. Every day I stop at a grocery store on my way back from the space center and pick up a few things. I've discovered single serve cereal packages where you just pour milk in the little plastic cup the cereal is packaged in. I thought about getting single serve beer and soft drinks but they are much more expensive than getting a six pack. Anything with organic on the label is more expensive too. I don't want a lot of food left over when I leave, but I still don't know how long I'm going to stay. It all depends on what happens tomorrow morning.

I think I like staying at an Airbnb. The house I'm staying at is located in a nice quiet residential neighborhood. I took my daily walk through the neighborhood this afternoon and kept thinking that this would be a nice place to live. Titusville is a pleasant little town. There are lots of retired people and many of the younger ones work for NASA. Actually my Airbnb host is an engineer on the Orion program. I met he and his wife today and it looks like we'll both be heading to the space center in the middle of the night for tomorrow's launch.

I really hope that this launch goes off on schedule. This mission is so complicated that it seems like a miracle to me if everything works as planned. Ill just be watching tomorrow, but some of the people I've met down here have spent their entire careers working on Artemis or the Orion capsule. Good luck guys.  I hope your efforts are successful.

Mandy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4486

It's been a long day, but I made it to the airport on time, had a smooth flight to Orlando, drove to Cocoa Beach to pick up my press credentials, and then checked into my hotel in Titusville. I wasn't able to get a rent car with GPS this time, but luckily I know my way around the area by now.

I ran into several people I know while I was being credentialed and they suggested that I go to Playlinda Beach this evening to get some good pictures of the Artemis-1 rocket while it was sitting on the pad. It sounded like a good idea to me, especially since I didn't have anything else to do this afternoon. I had to renew my annual pass to get into the Canaveral National Seashore, but they have a special senior rate that is quite reasonable. The National Seashore is beautiful and I always enjoy visiting there. There were several areas near the water that had a clear view of launch pads 39a and 39b. It was amazing how much bigger the SLS rocket was on 39B than the Falcon-9 on the nearby 38A. The Artemis rocket is huge. Hopefully, I will get some better pictures tomorrow, but at least I got something today.

Since I don't go to concerts or sporting events, airports are about the only place where I see a lot of people.  I'm not a big fan of crowds and seeing a cross section of humanity like this is kind of frightening. It makes me appreciate my solitary existence. There's certainly nothing glamorous about flying anymore. It's kind of like taking the bus. Now that everyone has decided that Covid is over, airplanes are full. I enjoyed it more when the airlines blocked off the center seats in early 2020, but those days are over. Flying is a zoo again.

The clerk at the Hertz counter told me that none of their cars have in-dash GPS anymore. Evidently it is no longer a desired feature, since most people use their phones for everything. I ended up using Google Maps on my phone to find where I needed to pick up my credentials. It worked surprisingly well, although you can't really see your phone while you are driving. I still like an in-dash GPS system a lot better. Who would have thought that a GPS in your car would end up being old-school and only appreciated by old farts like me.

Tomorrow looks like a busy day. We get to go out to the launch pad and take some close up pictures of the Falcon-9 rocket. I think that Axiom Space is having a press conference in the afternoon as well. A lot of the space photographers set up remote cameras near the launch pad, but I've never had the nerve to do this myself. I've heard too many tales of cameras getting ruined by everything from rain to rocket exhaust. Some photographers build special enclosures to protect their cameras, but these tend to be heavy and bulky. It's not something you'd want to fly with.

I did pretty well at remembering what to pack, but I really should have brought a pair of shorts. When I was out at Playlinda Beach this afternoon it got pretty hot. It's hard to think of every contingency, especially if you like to travel light. I did bring a raincoat which will come in handy if it rains tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be nice for the launch on Friday though. I'm hoping that the forecast is accurate this time.

I wonder if Dawn will miss me while I'm gone. I suspect not. I bet she's already claimed my spot on the bed.

Paxton is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4482

I'm making progress. I finally got the new Hoka shoes. The store that had the style I wanted was a little out of the way, but I made the trip part of this morning's grocery run and all was well. I asked the sales guy why this shoe never went on sale. "Because it's popular," he said. "We don't need to put this one on sale." Honest answer, I guess. I'm sure this is probably how all sales work.

The weather was just about perfect today. The sky was clear. The temperature was in the low 70's. And there wasn't much wind. I would have enjoyed walking further today if it weren't for my persistent foot problems. I did what I could though. A little over 18,000 steps today.

I think my seasonal allergies are finally going away. I don't have as much congestion at night and I can make it through the day without going through a roll of blue Scott shop towels. I hope this isn't some cruel April Fool's joke. I'm really getting tired of watering eyes and a constantly dripping nose.

It's amazing how quickly everything turned green. There are small leaves on most of the trees now and I'm starting to see some wildflowers. The pecan trees are still pretty bare, but they are always a little later than the other trees. With such nice weather, it's kind of a mystery why the wildflowers are so sparse this year. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places.

I woke up last night remembering that I never sleep well when I travel. How quickly we forget. I need to start remembering some of the more positive aspects of traveling. There really are a lot of positive aspects, but all I can think about now is how tired I get and how glad I usually am to be back home.

I think I would enjoy rocket launches more if I actually lived in Titusville. It's a nice sleepy little town, filled with retired NASA workers. I don't think this part of Florida gets nearly as many hurricanes as the Panhandle or the Tampa area. There are still alligators though. Dallas is nice, but it's getting way too crowded. People move here because there are still lots of jobs. I moved here because of job opportunities myself, but this isn't nearly as important when you are retired. Sleepy little towns have a certain appeal when you aren't constantly looking for clients.

I could tell that Dawn was getting hot on her afternoon walk. I don't think she's going to enjoy walking as much this Summer. I don't think I'll enjoy walking this Summer either. It doesn't seem like I'm able to regulate my temperature as well as I used to. I'm always either too cold or too hot. It's very rare that the temperature seems just right. Today was one of those rare days.

I need to start packing soon. I like to travel light, so I am always forgetting things. I always remember to take my daily meds with me, but there are lots of other things in the medicine cabinet that I forget. You've got to remember to take things like Q-tips, Neosporin, Visine, bug spray, toothpaste, and much more. I usually take too many coats and not enough toiletries. Sometimes I forget to take enough socks as well.

We had Chinese take-out for dinner again. I don't know why Chinese take-out is so appealing, but it's usually our go-to meal when we don't feel like cooking. Ice cream cones sound appealing for tomorrow. It looks like it's going to be a good day for Dawn's Sunday outing. I just hope it won't be too hot.

Miracle is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4284

I said goodby to Florida today. I wouldn't want to live there, but I love visiting the Space Coast. I'm starting to feel like a local in Titusville. This sleepy little town has a lot of charm. Almost everyone has some sort of connection to Kennedy Space Center. Many people who worked on the Apollo program retired there. I've met people who worked on the giant F1 engines on the Saturn 5. I met someone this week that was a seamstress who worked on Thermal Protection Systems for the Space Shuttle. My server at breakfast this morning told me that her mother used to work for NASA, replacing broken and damaged heat shield tiles on the shuttle. "She was the smallest person on the team, so her responsibility was to replace the tiles in difficult and hard to reach places," the server told me.

I seldom watch television when I travel. I don't even turn on the radio in the rental car. If a hurricane was headed our way, someone would tell me. Nobody talks about politics though. If I meet an older person, we reminisce about the past. I've learned a lot about the Apollo program from Titusville residents. If I'm talking to someone younger, we speculate about what's going to happen next. A lot of conversations involve Elon Musk. I don't really do that much talking. Just more than I do in Dallas. 

One thing I've noticed while traveling is that most people can't handle silence. They are constantly on their phones, texting friends, listening to music, and staying connected through social media. Even out at the Press Site yesterday, a lot of people spent more time looking at their phones than at all the amazing things surrounding us. People feel deprived and get fidgety when they can't use their phones on the plane. I'm convinced that addiction to personal electronic devices is a disease that's right up there with alcoholism and drug abuse.

You don't realize how grossly overweight Americans are until you spend an hour walking back and forth in an airport trying to get your 10,000 Fitbit steps. Do these people even realize that their weight is a much bigger danger to their overall health than the threat of Covid? Weight and diet are intrinsically linked. Nobody eats healthy food either. There's a huge food court at the Orlando airport and the longest lines are always at the unhealthiest places. Even pilots and doctors eat at McDonalds. There are birds flying around inside the Orlando airport. I can't tell if they are a design feature or a nuisance. Some of the birds have a pretty song, but birds poop a lot and their favorite place is the food court.

Some observations about Florida: it's a lot like Texas but with alligators. In both places if someone passes you going twice the speed limit, it is almost always a huge pickup truck with a lift kit and gigantic tires. Florida has road signs that advise you to slow down for snakes. It is so humid that your skin never feels dry. It seems to rain every single day in Titusville, but usually only for a few minutes at a time. Roads are always under construction in Florida. When the work is finished, things are usually even more confusing than they were before. On the plus side, Titusville has some great local craft beers and the nearby National Seashore is a treasure.

By the time I got on the plane this afternoon I was ready to return home. Have you noticed that every airport has their own TSA rules these days. Some still make you take off your shoes. Others don't. Going to Florida I could leave my laptop in my bag. Returning to Texas, I had to take it out and place it in a separate tray to be scanned. There seem to be different rules about liquids everywhere. I can leave my watch on my wrist in some airports, but most still make you remove anything even resembling metal. It's confusing to say the least. 

Dawn was friendlier to me when I returned home this time. We'll see if she will take a walk tomorrow morning.

Phantom is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4281

I made it to Florida. The plane was full, but somehow I got lucky and chose the one seat where nobody sat in the middle row. Service was pretty basic. I got one tiny packet of pretzels and a choice of Coke, Diet Coke, 7-Up, or water. No Ginger Ale anymore. No beer or wine either. The flight attendants made it clear that there would be no misbehaving on this flight and that masks were to be worn at all times. All the seats in the plane had been replaced with brand new seats that were easy to clean and disinfect but hard to get comfortable in. There was no padding whatsoever. I guess this is the future of flying.

Everything went smoothly today. The plane left on time. I managed to get a rental car with in-dash GPS. Most importantly, I got my media credentials from Space X. I saw a few people I'd met before at the Press Accreditation Building, but they didn't remember me. I still don't know what we are going to do tomorrow. I think we might get an e-mail later tonight with some sort of itenarary. The launch is still scheduled for Wednesday night. A guy from Space X said that if I went to Playlinda Beach around 3 PM this afternoon I could see the four T-38 trainers take off with the Inspiration 4 astronauts onboard for a flight over the space center. I drove up to Playlinda, but I didn't see anything. Maybe there was a change in plans.

I was surprised that my hotel was so empty when the plane to Orlando was so full. I thought the rush to Disneyland would be over now that most kids are back in school. I forgot that little pre-school kids like Disneyland too. I've never seen so many tiny kids on a plane. I hope my hotel isn't in trouble. There aren't as many towels in the bathroom anymore and all the bulbs in the lamps have been replaced with low wattage bulbs. There is a sign on my desk urging me to help the hotel save energy. I don't know how much money these low wattage bulbs save, but I do wish it was a little brighter in here.

Dawn seemed surprised that I left the house so early this morning. She knew it was too early for a walk because it was still dark outside. I hope she misses me just a little bit. I think she likes me for walks. Janet says it is hard to get her to walk when I'm gone. We'll see. The last time I went out to the observatory we had to start the whole "getting to know you" process all over again when I returned.

It's been a long day. I hope I sleep well tonight. I seldom sleep well in hotels, but there's a first time for everything.

Molly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3978

Today was more interesting than I anticipated. It was a scrub day so there was nothing to see at Kennedy Space Center. I'm sure there was lots of activity at Pad 39A, but folk like me weren't allowed anywhere near the place. After breakfast I looked for something to do in Titusville and discovered that the American Space Museum was open. This little volunteer run museum had always ben closed when I've been in Titusville before. The museum is full of rare artifacts from the early days of space travel and the docents are full of interesting stories about the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs they worked on. Several of the docents had been at the same launch I attended last night. I enjoyed talking to these people although I will never recognize them if we happen to meet again. We were all wearing masks. This little museum seems to take Covid much more seriously than my hotel or the airlines. I even had to sign a contact tracing form so they would know how to find everyone if somebody became sick. It's weird talking with strangers these days. You just never know where they've been or what they've been exposed to.

After visiting the museum I thought I'd go to Playalinda Beach. I'd heard that this was a good place to watch a launch and wanted to take some pictures. The beach is actually part of the Canaveral National Seashore which is run by the National Park Service. I had to buy a pass to get in, but now I can go to any National Park in the country for the next year. The National Seashore is quite beautiful with unspoiled dunes and a very clean sandy beach. There was no easy access to where you could see the launch pads, but I needed some exercise anyway. I took a four mile walk along the beach, taking pictures of seabirds along the way. Walking along an empty beach is quite peaceful. The sound of crashing waves and the smell of salt water was just what I needed today. I never did get the pictures of Pad 39A that I was hoping for because NASA had recently expanded the restricted zone and there were no longer clear views of the Space Center. I did get a few pictures when I encountered a really tall guy who climbed on a dune and held my camera over his head. Why didn't I do this myself? Sadly, I can no longer raise my hands all the way over my head. That's what happens when you've got a bad shoulder.

I wish my good masks had arrived in time. Florida will make you a believer in wearing a mask. Floridians are the only people who make Texans seem sane. If you look long enough you can see just about anything down here. What you don't see are a lot of masks. Actually, it probably the same everywhere. I just don't get out much. It's pretty clear though that if anyone tried a complete lockdown again there'd be a rebellion. People are tired of Covid and just want to go back to normal.

The launch is still on for tomorrow evening. There's still a good chance of rain as well. Do you hold them or fold them? Nobody really knows what will happen. If the launch doesn't take place tomorrow, I will have to come home. I've heard that if Space X can't launch on Sunday there could be a delay of up to a week. I definitely can't afford to stay down here that long. I've got my fingers crossed. I've got everything I need for a good story except the launch itself.

Puppies are today's Dalmatians of the Day

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Day 3927

Well, I'm still here in Dallas. The weather has deteriorated a bit further in Titusville, but to be honest that wasn't the reason I scrapped my trip. Sadly, I'm still not comfortable flying and it's a long drive to Florida. A recent CDC report says that at least 1600 flights this year have had someone on board with coronavirus. This means that over 10,000 people have been exposed to the virus just by flying. It doesn't exactly fill you with confidence. The airlines try to convince you that they are completely safe by touting their advanced air filtration systems. I find this hard to believe. It's not about the air. It's the fact that you are packed in like sardines with a bunch of total strangers. That six foot rule doesn't mean much when you are actually touching your fellow passengers.

I have a lot of sympathy for restaurant and small business owners, but it's hard to have much sympathy for the airlines. They are all crying poor now, but most of them were making record profits just a few years ago. Where did all that money they made from eliminating legroom, charging extra for baggage, and getting rid of food service go? Fares didn't go down when the airlines were rich either. They just kept going up. The airlines must have a strong lobby in congress. I just don't understand why if it's unsafe to go to church or out to dinner, it's still completely safe to sit six inches away from a bunch of strangers on a plane for hours at a time.

If the weather clears up and the launch takes place on schedule, I may regret canceling my trip. I worked so hard to get press accreditation during the pandemic and then when an opportunity presented itself, I just said never mind. Oh, well. There will be plenty of rocket launches in the future. I'm just not sure what the future will look like.

There was no rain this morning, but we walked later in the day anyway. It's nice to have that option when the weather is cooler. Dawn seems to enjoy sleeping in and walking later. We know she's lazy and are beginning to think she may be afraid of the dark. I guess it makes sense that she's be scared of things that go bump in the night. Almost everything else frightens her as well.

I didn't really do much today. I've resumed taking afternoon walks and mindlessly watching Space X construction progress on the Boca Chica live stream. There is so much I need to do around the house, but it all involves fixing things. I've really gotten tired of fixing things. At least the weeks go by quickly. I can't believe it's Thursday already. I've already taken this week's trash to the curb, so the week is officially over for me. I'm still not going out for breakfast on Friday mornings, but I have started looking at lists of best breakfast restaurants on the Internet. Maybe this is a start. On the other hand, looking at a list of best restaurants might be just like thinking about flying. It might be a while before life starts feeling normal again.

I'm sure something will happen tomorrow. It always does. Things that happen on TV don't count though. I'm trying to quit watching TV. Especially the news. I think I'd rather watch ducks in the park

Scout is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3696

I made it to Titusville. Kennedy Space Center is only a few miles away. Travel days are always tiring. It's windy and raining now, but the forecast looks a lot better tomorrow. By launch day it should be clear again. I hope I can depend on this somewhat optimistic forecast. It's a long way to come to get rained out.

I don't think I forgot anything. At least I remembered the important stuff. I've got my cameras, clean socks and underwear, my reading glasses, and directions to the Space Center. I took better cameras this time. Foolish pride mostly. My little pocket camera takes great pictures, but I certainly don't look like a journalist when I'm using it. We'll see if the pictures are better this time. It probably doesn't even matter if I can't manage to get access to the launch pad for close ups.

Only one person on the plane was wearing a mask today. Actually, I only saw three people in the entire Dallas airport wearing masks. Lots of old people were coughing though. Old people always cough. Luckily, I managed to get through the flight without having a coughing fit myself. Usually I'm the one who coughs and sneezes.

I even managed to get my 10,000 steps today. Instead of having a burger while I waited for my flight, I just walked around the terminal until it was time to board. I hope I can always fly Southwest. They always seem to be on time. The TSA folks are pretty fast, and if you pay a little extra you can board first and always get a good seat. Even though I changed my reservation over and over again, I was still the fifth person on the plane.

My rent car was so high-tech that it was kind of freaky. The steering wheel became very stiff if you got too close to the center line and it tried to nudge me back to the center of my lane. What kind of black magic is this? At first I thought the power steering was broken, but eventually I figured out that this was a feature, not a fault. The GPS was pretty complicated too. I'll get up early and figure it out in the morning.

This trip should be interesting. I'm a member of the press this time. It's still hard to think of myself as a journalist, but maybe it will be a little easier in the future if this trip goes well. I have a feeling that I'm a pretty junior journalist, but it's still a big step. Truthfully, I have no idea what to expect. I've never done this sort of thing before. I probably shouldn't be so apprehensive. I've been writing and taking pictures for a long, long time. How could working for a magazine be that much different?

It's been a long day. I'm going to try to get some sleep before the big adventure begins.

Landry is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3467

I made it to Florida. It was a long day but everything went relatively smoothly. Going through the TSA line didn't go smoothly, but it never does. The scanner broke down so the entire line had to move to another scanner. They didn't believe my phone was a real phone because it was in a weird looking case. As always, my bag had to be opened because my little container full of computer connecting cables, WiFi hotspots, and camera batteries looked suspicious. I got picked for a random security check too, but somehow the agent forgot to check me when she was inspecting my phone. All is well that ends well though. After this short delay I put my shoes back on, and headed for my gate.

I like flying Southwest because they don't have nearly as many delays as American Airlines. Most flights leave right on time. If you pay a little more, you can board the plane first so you can be sure there is still space in the overhead bins for your bag. I don't know where the people who board last put their bags. These planes are always full. There were a lot of kids on today's flight. I guess that makes sense. We were headed for Disneyland after all.

The rental car folks at the airport talked me into upgrading to a car that had GPS navigation. It wasn't a hard sell, because I'm totally lost without GPS. It was an easy drive to Titusville, which happens to be the closest town to the space center. My first impression of Florida was that basically the entire state is a giant swamp. A little girl in the seat ahead of me on the plane asked her dad if she was going to see any alligators. "I'm sure you will," he said.

My plane got in early enough that I was able to have dinner with several of the other people who will be attending the launch. As always, NASA assembled a very interesting group of folks. I met a guy who ran an independent radio station in Nashville, several entrepreneurs who started their own software companies, a retired physics teacher, a photographer, and several other writers.  Everyone was curious about what was going to happen tomorrow, but nobody knew for sure. Nobody, including myself, knew exactly why they were selected to attend this event, but we were all glad to be here.

It's just as hot and humid in Florida as it is in Texas. After sitting outside for several hours at a local brewpub, I'm glad to be back in an air conditioned building. I think I'll go to bed early tonight. It's going to be a very busy day tomorrow.

Kirby is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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