Day 4969

Not a lot happened today. At least Dawn acted normally all day. I'm trying to decide whether to apply to go see the OSIRIS-REx astroid sample return at Johnson Space Center this Fall. Ordinarily this would be a no brainer, but it's a two day event and I've never liked spending time in Houston. What have I got to lose though. I may not even get accepted for this event and I did really enjoy the last time I went to Johnson Space Center.

It never really cools down anymore. It's already hot outside when we take our sunrise walk with Dawn. It seems weird when the temperature is already in the high 80's before the sun comes up, but that's the way it is this summer. We see a lot more people when we take these early walks these days. Everyone realizes that this is the only sensible time to run, ride a bicycle, or walk your dog. 

The air conditioner runs nonstop now. During the hottest part of the day the system can't even maintain the temperature we set. I keep hoping that nothing breaks. Even a few days without AC in this heat would be miserable. So far, so good. The house is reasonably cool, but the electric bill is very high.

I wish the wrecking crew would hurry up and finish knocking down the house up the street. The demolition noise is getting on my nerves. The noise didn't seem to bother Dawn today though. Maybe Dawn did have a mild seizure yesterday. We'll probably never know for sure. It still bothers me that this nice house is coming down. What is wrong with people that a house that would have been considered luxurious in the 1950's or 60's isn't good enough for them now. When people buy a house in the neighborhood now, they are basically just buying the lot and the location.

After I finished breakfast today, I waited a while before going to the gym. I keep thinking that the place is less crowded around lunchtime, but I may be fooling myself. This heat wave is driving people indoors. There seems to be a lot more people using the gym this week. I guess it makes sense. The management keeps the place really cold. I have to wear a long sleeved shirt when I work out.

UPS delivered a package addressed to an obviously different address to our door this morning. I had to take it to the nearest UPS store because that was a lot easier than calling UPS to pick the package up again. I don't know what is wrong with UPS and Fedex these days. I used to depend on them when my business was active, but Amazon Prime seems much more reliable these days. I try to avoid ordering by mail now because the delivery drivers don't seem to care anymore. I often know a package has arrived when I hear it being thrown on the front porch.

I made an appointment to get a haircut on Friday. Usually haircuts are timed to coincide with a trip, but I have no travel plans for the foreseeable future. I'm just starting to look a bit ratty. I also called the music store to see whether they'd found my missing mixer. Nope. I thought giving them a month to look would be plenty of time, but apparently not. I'll never use this heavy, multi-channel mixing board again, but it was a nice piece of gear. I should have just left it in the storage warehouse instead of consigning it, because it I ever get it back again, it's going right back to storage.

106 degrees today. I wish tomorrow was going to be cooler, but it's going to be like this for the next several weeks.

Scout is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4963

I'm glad I didn't go to the Falcon Heavy launch. Last night's launch got scrubbed with one minute left on the countdown clock. The launch was rescheduled for tonight and then subsequently postponed again until tomorrow night. It happens. This would have turned a quick one day trip into a three or four day trip. I'm sure I'll get a chance to be surprised like this again. Quite a few launches I've attended have gotten delayed.

There were no delays or surprises in today's schedule. Basically today was just like yesterday. We had a nice walk with Dawn before the sun came up. I made the bed, ate breakfast, and went to the gym. It's weird how every day seems the same. We see the same people every morning on our sunrise walks. The same people are at the gym too. Usually they are even using the same machines. Today I even got the same parking space that I got yesterday.

I visited Twitter today to see if there were any differences now that the blue bird is gone. I was surprised that I had lots of messages and post comments that I had never answered. The blog gets posted automatically to Twitter, but I never go there anymore. I never go to Instagram anymore either. The only place I visit these days is Facebook and I'm losing interest in that as well. When I reach my 5000 day blogging goal it might finally give me the incentive I need to leave social media entirely. We'll see. I wonder whether I can really quit blogging. I've been doing this so long that it just seems like an integral part of my day.

I'm beginning to wonder whether this oppressive weather is ever going to end. Never ending triple digit temperatures gets old quickly. The air conditioner is running constantly now and I keep hoping that nothing breaks. The electric company probably loves this. When we walk down the street returning from our sunrise walk, all you hear is the sound of everyone's air conditioner compressors. I dread next month's electric bill, but I'm still unwilling to spend the day in a hot house.

I have no plans for tomorrow. I imagine that I'll do the same things I did today. I keep looking at the ceiling and wondering if I can do the sheetrock repairs myself. I haven't gone to Home Depot and gotten supplies yet though. I'll probably just keep thinking about this for another month or so. I did take this week's trash out to the curb. It was probably the only useful thing I did all day. Dawn is probably already thinking about grocery day tomorrow. Waiting for Janet to return with the week's groceries is her big excitement for the week.

Deuce is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4932

I guess I'd better get used to this heat. It's not going away. Each morning when we take Dawn on her sunrise walk it seems a little warmer than it did the previous day. The low temperature is in the eighties now with the highs in triple digits. That being said, our sunrise walks are still the best part of the day. There is usually a nice breeze and no hot sun beating down on your head. We all enjoy these early morning walks. Until the weather cools down a bit they are the only walks that Dawn gets.

I had my shredded wheat and fruit for breakfast and then foolishly decided to tackle a few outdoor chores. I didn't do much, but it was enough to make me realize that this is not the time to be doing yard work. I'm surprised that the mail still gets delivered. The other day a Dallas mailman died delivering the mail in this heat. I cleaned the spiderwebs off the eaves and living room windows and then watered some plants that were looking really dry. That was enough for one day. Dawn likes to sun herself in the grass but I have to watch her carefully and make sure she doesn't stay out too long. 

We haven't seen any rabbits on our sunrise walks this week and it makes me wonder how the animals in the park are handling this heat. There's lots of underbrush in the prairie areas and I'm sure the smaller animals can use this to hide from the sun. I need to remember to put some water out for the squirrels. Even the birdbath in our back yard has gone dry.

Our air conditioner is working well, but I hate to think what our electric bill is going to be next month. I guess it was a good thing that we added three inches of insulation to our new roof. It's bound to help some, but with so much single pane glass in the house, it's still hard to keep the place cool. Usually I'm glad when the rainy season is over. Not this year. I'm ready for Fall and the worst of summer hasn't even arrived yet.

I got a check in the mail from Wells Fargo today. There was no explanation and I thought it might be part of some kind of scam. I called my broker to see if the check might have been part of some kind of sale on their part. Nope. They had nothing to do with Wells Fargo. My broker reminded me that Wells Fargo had recently settled a huge class action lawsuit and asked if I was ever a customer. Bingo. Jeez. That was twenty years ago though. Just goes to show that you never know what you're going to receive in the mail.

I went back to the gym later this morning. Going to the gym is probably the only way I'm going to get my steps for the rest of the summer. After I walked two miles on the indoor track, I shot free throws on the basketball court for a while and then used some of the machines to work on my upper body strength. I actually had a pretty decent workout today. Going to the gym every day has made me realize that my car gets terrible gas mileage. Probably a big 5.2 liter V-8 is't the best thing for driving around town.

I'm still debating whether to get a new phone. The old phone works fine but I haven't been able up update the operating system in years. Since I can't update the IOS, I can't update my Apple Watch either. I can postpone the inevitable, but eventually I'm going to have to update the phone for security reasons alone. A lot of modern apps won't run on my old phone either. I'm very comfortable with using obsolete software, but this can't go on forever. 

Tomorrow looks like more of the same. We'll get up early and take a sunrise walk with Dawn. I"ll eat my breakfast while becoming disgusted with what's on TV. Then I'll sort through the spam in my e-mail to see if I have any real messages. I'm sure I'll go to the gym. The gym is actually colder than inside our house. It's not a bad place to hang out on days like this.

Derrick is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4611

It rained today. The rain only lasted for about five minutes but it was very welcome. I wish the rain had lasted longer. An hour or two later everything was dry again. There is another chance of rain tomorrow. Maybe we'll get something more substantial.

A squirrel tore up a bottle of fire ant granules and we found Dawn walking around in the back yard with one of the pieces of the plastic bottle in her mouth. We don't think she ingested any of the granules, but this still was not good. According to what I've read on the Internet the insecticide used in the Amdro granules isn't very strong and eating a small amount shouldn't be harmful to dogs. We're keeping an eye on her. It's been about four hours now and she appears absolutely normal. If this proves anything it is that dogs can and will get into anything. When I Googled "my dog ate Amdro granules" there were a ton of links. Apparently Dawn wasn't the first dog to become a little too interested in this stuff.

I was disappointed that we didn't get more rain. It would have been a nice change of pace. With the exception of the very short rain shower, today was exactly like yesterday. We started the day with an early sunrise walk with Dawn. You can really tell the days are getting shorter now. Tuesday seems to be a popular day for cyclists. We really have to watch out for bicycles on our Tuesday walks.

I had my usual bowl of cereal for breakfast and then checked my messages, hoping for some clarification from NASA. Nothing yet. I went to the gym, shot 25 free throws on the basketball court, walked two miles on the indoor track, and came home again. I got gas on the way home. I'm using more gas now that I'm going to the gym every day. It still beats walking in the park though. It's going to have to get a lot cooler before I start taking long walks in the park again.

While I was out and about this morning I listened to a program on NPR about how the invention of air conditioning was changing society. It was kind of a doom and gloom story, but I suspect that most of it was true. I have become totally dependent on air conditioning. I had the air conditioner on in my car as I was listening to the story. When the air conditioner goes out at the house it is always a major emergency. Without air conditioning I seriously doubt that I would be living in Texas. When I lived in Seattle my house didn't have an air conditioner and it never was a problem. I don't remember having an air conditioner when I lived in Idaho or Colorado either. Texas is different. Maybe it is a huge waste of energy, but I'm convinced that it is a necessity here.

I still can't think of anything that captures my interest for an entire day. I usually get off to a good start, but by mid-afternoon I've run out of steam. I never had these problems when I was working. There always seemed to be a writing job to keep me busy. It's a good thing I enjoy taking naps. I've been taking a lot of naps lately.

We'll see what tomorrow brings. I'm sure there will be another trip to the gym. I'm still hoping for rain. Our yard could really use a good soaking. I hope I don't find a dead squirrel in the yard tomorrow. I don't think Dawn ate much Amdro, but I think the squirrel probably did.

Nautica is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4598

Another day just like all the other days. If we haven't already set a record for consecutive one hundred degree days, we will soon. We see lots of people in the park on our sunrise walks now. The runners and cyclists have realized that this is the only time during the day when it is still enjoyable to be outdoors. The temperatures don't stay in the mid-80's for long. As soon as the sun comes up, it's off to the races.

I had my usual breakfast of shredded wheat and fruit and then headed straight for the gym. I went earlier than usual today because I knew we were going to visit the rescue Dalmatians in the afternoon. I'm getting better on the basketball court and occasionally can sink five or six baskets in a row. I'm worthless shooting from anywhere other than the free throw line though. No three point shots for me. Maybe I should broaden my horizons and try something new. Never mind. I'm content just shooting free throws.

I tried walking faster on the indoor track today and managed to match my outdoor speed. This was encouraging because I felt exactly the same after walking two miles as I did when walking slower. After getting my Fitbit steps, I spent a little time trying to strengthen my shoulder. Regaining any sort of flexibility won't be easy but it's worth a try. I really want to avoid any type of surgery. There are lots of older people at my gym and I frequently see them going through physical therapy after a knee replacement. No thank you. I'd rather keep the aging joints I already have.

The Dalmatians enjoyed seeing us today. None of them seemed to have their usual energy, but it was understandable since it was so hot. The kennel has air conditioning, but just about everybody's AC system is having trouble keeping things cool in these insanely high temperatures. I'm sure we'll see the dogs again, but this was the last time at this particular kennel. I'm sorry to see things change, but I shouldn't have been surprised. Things always change. You've just got to adapt and move on.

I noticed that Twitter doesn't work on my computer anymore. It now requires a newer browser than I use. I don't really care about Twitter and seldom use it, but this is still a somewhat troubling turn of events. All my computers run older operating systems so I can continue to use my legacy software. I hate the subscription services that Microsoft and Adobe use now and refuse to use them. My older versions of Microsoft Word and Photoshop work just fine. They don't expire or require a subscription either. Now that malware, computer viruses, and hacking has become such a problem, manufactures just don't like dealing with older software. Increasingly, they are refusing to support anything other than their latest releases. This is not good news for me. I have no interest in upgrading my computers, software, or phone again. 

I found a giant spider in the office this evening. I hope it wasn't poisonous. I managed to kill the thing with a fly swatter, but it was troubling to see something like this inside. Where there is one bug there are usually more. I'm seeing more bugs inside this summer. I'm sure it has something to do with the heat. There have even been a few wasps in the living room. They fly in the back door when we let Dawn out. We've got bug spray for every type of bug now. There's one can for ants. Another for spiders. And a third for wasps and hornets. I'd like to live someplace where there were no bugs. I don't know where that would be though. Bugs are everywhere.

Dawn did well at training class tonight and won a ribbon again. I thought it would be to hot for her class, but Janet says it cools down after sunset and there is usually a breeze. All the dogs were fine. Dawn has finally learned to drink water from a water bottle too. Dawn really enjoys this class but I bet she'll enjoy it even more when the weather gets nicer.

I'm sure tomorrow will be very similar to today. I'm surprised that I can find enough to say for a blog post these days.

Deuce is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4557

The dog days of summer are definitely here. It's hot. I feel lethargic. And there is a dearth of good news. When I turn on the TV during breakfast looking for something encouraging it's slim pickings these days. I lost interest in cable news quite a while ago. It doesn't matter which side of the political fence you're on, everyone is just pushing a narritive. I used to like watching the business channels, but that's turned very dismal lately. We're headed toward another recession. I can remember quite a few recessions in my past, but I'd been hoping to avoid another one at my age. It just takes too long to recover from these things. I don't have a long time to recover from another recession. Today I tried the weather channel. How can you go wrong with the weather channel? Never mind. This mornings coverage was all about the flooding in Yellowstone. One of my favorite areas is under water. Somehow it seems like everything in the world is under water these days.

I didn't feel like going to the gym today, so I tried another long walk right after breakfast. There was a nice breeze for a while, but it didn't last long enough. I can tell things are starting to dry out in the park. The meadows don't look as green and lush as they did a month ago. A lot of the wildflowers are starting to disappear as well.  It's a shame that we get all our rain at once in Texas. If the weather would spread things out and give us a little rain every month everything would look a lot greener in July and August. Our yard looks great now, but I'm going to have to start watering the lawn soon. That's a quick way to double the water bill. We don't have a sprinkler system, so even when I water I only use a small fraction of the water the sprinkler systems in the neighborhood use. When I see all the wet streets on our early walks with Dawn I quickly realize what an enormous amount of water these systems waste.

I managed to complete my six mile route today, but I was hot and tired by the time I returned home. I took a shower and then wanted to take a nap for a while. Dawn quickly left the room and sat outside the bedroom door, watching me and occasionally whining. I hate to see this, so I got up and took my nap on the couch in the living room. I keep telling Dawn that she's running out of time to be buddies with me. Janet will be going on vacation soon. Things will go a lot smoother if Dawn would realize that I mean no harm and would really like to be friends with her. The two guys that ran the puppy mill must have been terrible. A lot of the dogs that came from that place are suspicious of men.

Our air conditioner is having trouble keeping up with this heat. My HVAC guy told me once that air conditioning systems are basically designed to keep the air in your home up to twenty degrees colder than the outside air. This works pretty well when the temperatures are in the 80's and low 90's. Not so much when the temperature is over a 100 degrees every day. The best we are able to do on days like these is about 78 degrees. Coincidentally, this is the temperature the power company wants you to use to save energy. I don't know how much energy we're saving though, since the AC seems to be running all the time.

There are still a lot of things on my to-do list, but I'm not really in the mood to do any of them. Sometimes I fantasize about living in a nice new house in a safe little town. I'm sure there are people who thought the same thing when they moved to those little towns north of Yellowstone that are getting flooded now. There's really no escape anymore. Life is a roll of the dice these days, but I still think it helps to avoid all the drama. On that note, I've taken this weeks trash to the curb and am ready to start another uneventful week.

Hershey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4233

The sunrise walks are warmer now. You can tell what kind of day it is going to be the instant you step outside. I knew today was going to be a hot one. Dawn's enthusiasm for walking is very temperature dependent. She walked slower today and chose a shorter route. I couldn't blame her for wanting to get back to the house. When the temperature is already in the 80's during the coolest part of the day, even a dog knows that it's crazy to stay outside.

The air conditioner is running nonstop now. I keep hoping that this essential piece of machinery won't break. The problem with air conditioning is that it can only lower the ambient temperature by about twenty degrees. This works pretty well when the outside temperature is 90 degrees. When the temperature climbs over 100 degrees, most systems start to struggle. Our house isn't well insulated either. We have lots of single pane glass. The house was originally built with a thick tar and gravel roof that provided a modest amount of insulation. Modern roofing materials are much thinner and provide little insulation value at all. We have lost several large trees over the years as well, which used to provide lots of shade. We've always had hot summers here in Dallas, but it seems like the air conditioner is working a lot harder than it used to.

After breakfast I wrote a letter to my sister. This is the only way we communicate, so I always try to answer her letters. I kind of wish that everyone still wrote letters. It's easy to put a paper letter or a bill in a file folder and save it forever. I can't tell you how much e-mail that I have accidentally erased over the years. I have already forgotten to pay several bills now that I have switched over to electronic payments for everything. My old IBM Selectric typewriter used to feel so much more substantial than this Apple keyboard. I think my spelling used to be better back in the day as well, since it was such a pain to correct things. The older I get, the more nostalgic I become, so I guess I'm glad that there is still one person who believes in putting their thoughts on paper. My sister is even more old school than I am and writes everything in long hand instead of using a keyboard.

Dawn is getting better about wearing a cone while I'm away. She doesn't like it, but it works much better than the socks did for protecting her feet. She's got some new antibiotics now, but we still don't know what is causing the compulsive licking. It's rare that Janet and I are both away at the same time, so Dawn doesn't have to wear the cone that often. The redness does improve if we can keep her from licking or biting at her paws, so maybe if we can just keep her away from those paws for two or three weeks, everything will be better.

The gym must have fixed their air conditioning overnight, because the place was much cooler today. A lot of the treadmills are still broken, but I was still able to find a good one. It looks like I might be going to the gym every day this week because we've got a long string of 100 degree days ahead of us. Oddly, my car has better air conditioning than either our house or the gym. I have no problems staying cool in my car.   The only problem I have with the car is that it gets terrible gas mileage. If I'm driving in the city, I can almost see the gas gauge go down while I'm looking at it. Its silly to complain about this though, since I don't drive much and basically go nowhere. I only fill my tank about every three weeks.

The foam inserts for my camera case finally arrived. I haven't installed the foam in the case yet because I still have to cut slots in the foam for the lenses and camera. It seems like I had a special knife for this at one point. I'll have to look for it. Once I replace the disintegrating foam in the old aluminum Halliburton case I probably won't look at the cameras again for several years. It's way too much trouble to shoot on film these days unless you do the processing yourself.

I hope it's a little cooler tomorrow, but I'm sure it won't be. I'm probably going to be complaining about the heat for the next several months. 

Deuce is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4190

Riggs has left the building and gone to his new forever home, but we got a chance to meet Penny today. This sweet young girl is a bundle of energy and is even more of a puppy than Riggs was. We suspect that she is less than a year old. I had trouble getting a good picture of Penny because she wouldn't stay still. She loved her toys and would leap high in the air to catch a ball. I hope whoever adopts Penny understands how energetic a young Dalmatian can be. She is friendly with everyone and like any young dog could use a little training. I suspect that this happy pup is going to be adopted very soon. She's a wild child, but it's impossible not to love her.

None of the dogs wanted to play in the outdoor yard today. I can't blame them. It was not only very hot today, we were also under an air quality advisory. Cooper and Charlie did their business very quickly and ran back indoors. Penny just peed indoors. Hey, she's a puppy.

The heat won today. After reading the heat advisory on my phone, I decided that I wouldn't even attempt to walk in the park. For the first time in over a year, I returned to the gym. It was a wise choice. The air conditioning kept the place nice and cold. There was also a nice running track. It can get boring walking or running on an indoor track. At my gym there are 14 laps to a mile. After a while you get tired of going around in a circle. I thought I would be faster on the indoor track, but actually I was slower. I also burned fewer calories. I guess it makes a big difference when I am walking up and down hills outdoors. Maybe sweating burns energy too.

I was surprised that the gym seemed exactly the same after a year. A lot of the same people were still there doing the same exercises they were last year. I'm almost sure that the same music was playing on the sound system. I miss the water cooler though. You have to bring your own water now. You also have to bring your own basketball if you want to use the basketball court. You have to wear a mask when you check in, but you can immediately take it off again when you get on the gym floor. These remaining Covid restrictions are beginning to look silly, although I suspect they will be around for a while. They probably made the three or four people who were still wearing masks while exercising happier. 

It looks like this heat wave isn't over yet, so I will definitely be back. The next time I go to the gym, I'll probably resume my old exercise routine. It was a good routine and I have to admit I felt stronger than I do now. Today I just walked around the track. I did carry hand weights while I walked though. I thought this would give me a little bit of an upper body workout, but I don't think I accomplished much. The weights were light and my arms aren't even sore. Well, actually they are a little sore, but it had nothing to do with my workout. Penny scratched me pretty bad with her sharp little puppy claws when she gave me an exuberant greeting this afternoon.

The power company sent out a notice urging people to conserve energy this week. This sounded a little ominous after all the problems the power company had last winter. I'd hate to have a power outage with these kind of temperatures. We have a small house and aren't big energy users anyway, but our air conditioner is already having trouble dealing with the heat. Basically the best most HVAC systems can do is keep the indoor temperature twenty degrees colder than the outdoor temperature. This works fine most of the time. When the outdoor temperature gets over one hundred degrees you might have a problem. During a heat wave you have to cool your house down a night and hope it doesn't warm up too quickly during the day. 

We're going to have to start walking Dawn early in the morning again. We'll give this a try tomorrow. If we walk before breakfast, it should still be cool outside. At least I don't have to worry about water on the roof for a while. If there was any standing water left from our early June rains, I'm sure it evaporated several days ago.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3854

Today was Dalmatian day. We got to know our newest member of the rescue program a little better this afternoon. Lucky is a shy girl who is still getting used to life at the kennel. She was a little nervous around us at first and didn't want to play, but was very comfortable riding in the car when we took her to the vet later for an exam. This beautiful dog is going to make a wonderful companion for some lucky person. Hank and Charlie are still doing well. We think someone is coming to look at Hank later this week. Maybe he will find his forever home soon.

We had to cut our walk short this morning because of the heat. Even though we got an early start, we could tell that today wasn't the time to do our full five miles. Dawn lets us know how far she wants to go and when she selects the shorter route home, we know she's had enough. I'm not looking forward to another two months of this heat. The air conditioner never stopped running today. It's nice and cool inside, but you quickly realize you are at the mercy of these machines in the summer.

When I took my afternoon walk after we returned from the kennel, it was well over one hundred degrees. I should have stayed inside, but I was bored. These walks provide a structure to the day and save me from starting household projects that I will regret later.

I got a message from my editor at SpaceFlight Magazine saying that the article I wrote about my Artemis Day visit to the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans last December is still going to be published in the magazine's upcoming September issue. It was supposed to be published months ago, but things change. That trip to the NASA facility seems like a lifetime ago now. I hadn't even heard of the coronavirus yet. I wonder when I'm going to get an opportunity to write about space and rockets again? The editor told me that the Air Force hasn't even contacted him yet about covering the Mars 2020 launch for the magazine. In a way, that's probably for the best. I don't even want to be tempted to fly to Florida right now. Until we can get a handle on this virus, I'd better hunker down and stay home. I'm not an optimistic person by nature, but I do hope that when the Artemis 1 rocket that I went to see in New Orleans has completed its tests at the Stennis Space Center and is ready to fly, I'll be attending the launch.

I missed my chance to see the comet Neowise in the morning skies. The comet appears in the evening skies right after sunset very soon. Maybe my luck will be better at night after sunset. We never did get clear skies on the horizon before sunrise. We'll see. I was going to go look tonight, but it was cloudy again.

I'm trying not to talk about the coronavirus or social unrest anymore. I've got my opinions, but opinions just start arguments these days. It's sad we have become so divided. What I will do tomorrow is get Lucky's new picture up on the Dalmatian Rescue website. I think she's a good looking dog. Website updates don't take that long, so I'll need to think of something else to do. I might finish mowing the grass, but I have a feeling that it will already be too hot by the time we finish walking Dawn and eating breakfast. Hey, that new Ford Bronco looks pretty nice. It's much cheaper than the new Defender too. Something to think about.

Watson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3517

It's time to retire the dehumidifier. It has been running almost continuously since we got it after we had the water leak under our foundation quite a few years ago. This has been one of our most reliable appliances, but nothing lasts forever. The trusty little machine just doesn't remove much moisture anymore. Since this unit is still available, we ordered an identical dehumidifier to replace it. If the new one will run continuously for five years as well, it's hard to complain. Janet wants me to haul the old dehumidifier out to the curb on the next big trash day. I'm more inclined to try to fix it. I will probably fail since I've already tried to fix the machine several times. It's probably just worn out.

I feel pretty worn out today as well. There was no air conditioning at the gym this morning. I'm glad this doesn't happen very often. The place felt like a sauna. I found a brand new basketball when I went on the court today. I was curious whether I'd shoot any better with a new ball. Nope. I was also curious whether I'd burn more calories when the gym was hotter. Nope again. I'm not even sure my Fitbit is working correctly. Maybe it wasn't measuring calories right. It tracked five minutes of "aerobic activity" while I was sleeping last night. I remember sleeping peacefully, but maybe I had a weird dream.

I did manage to get my 20,000 steps today, but if there was anything interesting to watch on Netflix I might have just stayed inside. We are in the middle of a major heat wave. I think it was 105 degrees when I took my long walk this afternoon. I guess the only reason I continuing doing this is to see if I can. I like to have a routine as well. If you have a fixed routine you don't need to think of what to do next.

I'm beginning to wonder whether I should have waited until late Fall or Winter to visit the observatory. Unless it starts to cool down quickly, it's going to be a very hot trip. The weather in the Davis Mountains will be a lot cooler than it is here, but it is a long drive to get there. A rental car is looking better and better. If the rental car breaks down, they'll just get us a replacement. Maybe my next car won't be a Land Rover after all. If reliability issues make me nervous about leaving the city, what's the point of having one?

Janet and I will be going up to visit the Dalmatians tomorrow. That's what we do on Monday's now. Hank is back at the kennel again and they say that the bleeding has stopped and his stools are normal. Hopefully, all he needed was a change in diet. Hank is going to have to be monitored carefully for the next several weeks, but it is encouraging that he appears to be getting better. At least all his vital signs are good. He's been tested for just about everything.

I guess I'm ready to start another week. The laundry is all done and I've got a new supply of fresh fruit for my smoothie. Maybe something exciting will happen this week, but I hope not. All I want at this point is cooler weather.

Hannah is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3438

Good news. I got a letter from NASA today saying that my application had been accepted and that I was invited to be their guest for the next Space X Falcon Heavy launch at Kennedy Space Center. It didn't take long for me to accept the invitation. I love this program that NASA has started for bloggers and social media folks. People like me have the opportunity to apply for essentially the same press credentials that major news outlets like CNN and NBC get. NASA thinks that bloggers can reach a completely different audience than traditional media outlets and provides unique behind the scenes access for major launch, planetary, and research events. There is no way I could ever see some of the things I've experienced at these NASA events without a program like this.

I've never been to Kennedy Space Center before. Actually, I've never been to Florida before. This should be quite an experience. In addition to getting to view the launch itself, I'll be able to see the Falcon Heavy up close on the pad, talk to NASA and Space X personnel connected with the mission, and take a behind the scenes tour of Kennedy Space Center. This is kind of what I did in Houston earlier this year. When I was at the Johnson Space Center I actually got to sit inside the new Orion space capsule. I can't wait to write about this new experience.

I couldn't figure out why the toilet wasn't working right this morning. The water wasn't flowing very well. Jeez. The plumbers were just out here yesterday. I took the lid off the tank and discovered that the plumbers has left some parts inside the tank and they'd gotten stuck between the flapper and the flush valve. Were these new parts they failed to install or old parts from the fill valve they removed? I finally determined that these were old parts but these plumbers won't win any awards for neatness. It's a shame. Nobody seems to take pride in their work anymore. The toilet works fine now. Too bad I can't charge the plumbers like they charged me.

I had Corned Beef Hash for breakfast this morning. You don't see this on many menus anymore. This was a nice change of pace from the Shrimp and Grits or French Toast I usually order on these Friday morning outings. Braised corned beef brisket is good any time of day. I'm trying to expand my horizons one meal at a time. I'm just having trouble getting out of the neighborhood.

The temperature was over 90 today. I guess the low winter electric bills are over for a while. Air conditioning is expensive in Texas but at least our air conditioner is working well. Hope it survives another hot summer. When the air conditioning breaks on a hot day you don't care really what it costs to get cool air again. I don't know how people could stand to live down here before air conditioning.

I looked for the lizards again today on my walk but didn't see any. There were lots of bees though. They love the wildflowers.

Ziggy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3129

We broke a 93 year old record. The temperature was 108 today, making this the hottest day of the year as well as the warmest July 19th on record. I'm not looking forward to tomorrow. They say it is going to be even hotter. I walked Dash really early this morning, but we should have stayed inside. The temperature was already above 90 degrees at sunrise. Even though we walked slowly, Dash became overheated. I was worried about him when we came home. I found him panting in the bedroom with his tongue hanging out. I covered him with a cool damp towel and watched him until his breathing became normal again. He seemed fine while we were walking, but this heat can be deceptive. I shouldn't have taken him out this morning. We'll either take a very short walk tomorrow, or no walk at all.

Our air conditioning system is struggling. It does fine when the exterior  temperatures are in the low 90's, but we were way above that today. Realistically, you can only expect an air conditioner to lower the temperature by twenty degrees. When the temperature is 108, it is difficult to keep things at 75 degrees inside. I'm worried that there will be a power outage. Our power grid is old and everyone is using their air conditioners at once. It's not a good combination.

I was surprised that the roofers even showed up today. The crew power washed the roof to prepare the surface for a new elastomer coating. The roof does look clean, but unfortunately it's wet again. Now, even more of the old coating is peeling away. I guess it doesn't matter since all the damaged areas will be recoated tomorrow. I wish the guys would just replace the entire roof, but that's not going to happen. If I can get them to repair all the bad spots, this is probably as good as it's going to get. I hope the guys get started early. If they wait until the afternoon to begin, it is going to be unbearably hot.

Dash is fine now, but he really gave me a scare this morning. With his bad heart, we really can't take chances. As much as he enjoys his walks, I think we're going to have to stay inside until the weather cools down a bit. I wonder how long that will take? The ten day forecast shows triple digit temperatures as far as the eye can see.

Texas weather is basically horrible. Every Summer I can't wait until Winter arrives and every Winter I can't wait until Summer. Spring and Fall only seem to last around two days. Every time I start to get complacent, there's a tornado warning to remind me that things can get even worse. I wonder where the good weather is hiding? I used to think I'd like to live in Colorado, but that part of the country is having terrible wild fires now. Hurricanes, tornados, floods, wildfires, and drought. There always seems to be something just beyond the horizon waiting to spoil the party.

I actually enjoyed my breakfast last Friday. Maybe I'll go back to the same restaurant again tomorrow. It all depends on when the roofers arrive and whether Dash remains calm without his morning walk.

Jade is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3110

We walked Dash very early today, so there'd be plenty of time to photograph new rescue Dalmatians after breakfast. The kennel seems a long way away now, but that's just because I don't drive much. For most people in Dallas the drive would just seem like a normal commute to work. There was only one new dog to photograph, but that was just as well because the kennel was very busy. Hopefully, this little guy will get a home soon. Charlie was a friendly boy and Janet wanted me to make him today's Dalmatian of the Day.

I'm sure this isn't the hottest Summer on record, but it sure seems that way. Maybe there have been warmer days, but there sure haven't been larger electric bills. Our June bill was the highest I can remember. This probably says more about the rising cost of electricity than it does about the weather. I think we'd pay just about anything to keep the air conditioner running unfortunately. The heat is merciless. We're all getting older and can't take it anymore. I'll keep changing the furnace filters and hopefully the house will stay cool for the rest of the Summer.

I went to the storage warehouse and brought home some of Dot's low dog beds for Dash. He's having trouble getting on the bed now and is increasingly starting to sleep on the floor. Dot did the same thing as she got older. Hopefully, a few strategically placed dog beds will help keep him comfortable. Our brick floors can be pretty tough for an old dog.

I like Sam's Club and Costco's prices on bulky items, but I sure wish they came in smaller sizes. I got toilet paper today and I think I have enough to last the rest of the year. We have a small house and it takes forever to figure out where to store the big boxes of paper towels and toilet paper. The cabinets are full, but I'm confident that we're good on coffee pods, mineral water, toilet paper, and towels.

The storage warehouse still looked pretty full when I went to get the dog beds this afternoon. I wonder if I'll ever be able to remove enough stuff so I can move to a smaller space when my rent comes due again. I've cleared out a bunch of stuff, but it still looks the same. This is going to take a lot of work. The storage warehouse management doesn't give customers access to their dumpster anymore either. That sucks. How can you throw stuff away if there's no place to put it?

It's hard to believe the year is half over. I certainly haven't accomplished very much. I wish I realized earlier how difficult it was going to be to simplify things. If you haven't used something in five years, I would encourage you to throw it away. It doesn't get any easier after ten or twenty years. I wonder what ever gave me the idea that at a certain age you could just magically transition to a house on the beach?

Charlie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2059

There were heat advisories in effect today. How did we go from an unusually cool June to an unusually hot August? I'll have to admit that this dramatic change kind of caught me by surprise. I was so ready for a mild Summer that it took a while to sink in that it wasn't going to happen. This is just another beastly hot August in Texas. The only difference between this August and last August is that the dogs are a year older and are having a harder time coping with the heat. Let's just hope the air conditioner keeps working.

I did manage to make it to the gym today. They keep the temperature at the gym quite cold. I don't think I could afford to keep my own house this cold, but it felt nice. I had a good workout, which although it didn't make up for a lack of work at the office, did fill up an empty afternoon pretty well. This time the baby monitor worked. It was reassuring to see the dogs sleeping while I was sweating. I think the Apple Watch is actually shaming me into exercising more. I like to see lots of activity on the health app that tracks my movements, and the only way to keep the activity levels high is to keep moving.

I'm glad we got up extra early this morning. There were still stars in the sky when we left on our morning walk, but you could see the sky start to lighten minute-by-minute. There was a nice breeze and the temperature was only eighty degrees. This may still seem hot to some people, but it was a lot better than the 104 degree temperatures we had to deal with later in the day. I'm not looking forward to next month's electric bill. The air conditioner runs non-stop now and since most air conditioning systems only create a twenty degree difference between the inside and outside air, it's pretty hard to keep the temperature at 72. I'm settling for 76 now. It's about the best the air conditioner is able to do under these circumstances.

Dot didn't get an evening walk tonight since Janet had to work late, but I don't think she was unhappy about the situation. Even after the sun had set, it was still way too hot. When I took Dash out right before I ate dinner, he pooped quickly and then turned around to go home. Dash isn't stupid. He knew it was too hot to be outside. I thought I was home free with Dot, since she did her business in the yard just before I took Dash out. Apparently she thought she was still getting an evening walk though, since she pooped again all over the living room right when I was starting get everything ready for bedtime. I hosed everything off and I'm running a load of soiled blankets now. Sadly, dog poop has become a metaphor for my life.

Tomorrow will be busier whether I have any writing jobs or not. I've got to run down to the UPS service center and pick up a package and then Dot has her physical therapy session in the afternoon. I've given up on having UPS deliver to the house. So many things seem to need a signature and I'm never here when the truck arrives. It's less frustrating to just divert the package to the service center and pick it up there. I hope I can find a parking place when I take Dot for therapy tomorrow. A hair salon moved in next door to the vet clinic and now there are no parking places. As you might imagine, when I take Dot somewhere in the car, we need to be very near our destination when we arrive. We'll see if I get lucky tomorrow. They say that exercise relieves stress and frustration. I don't believe it's true, but if it is, I should have stayed at the gym all day.

Morgan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1713

I highly recommend the occasional lazy day. Today was just what the doctor ordered. We slept in later than usual, but not too late to give the dogs a leisurely early morning walk while it was still cool outside. We had an equally leisurely breakfast and then I watched last night's Dr. Who Season 8 premiere while Janet went to the gym. I didn't realize the show was going to be two hours long when I taped it, but I didn't have anything better to do this morning anyway. Peter Capaldi was actually quite good as the doctor. I enjoyed the show and think I'll enjoy the new season as well.

Dot had a good day. Things aren't progressing in a predictable linear fashion, but it is clear that she is making progress. We almost made it through the night without an accident and probably would have if we hadn't forgotten to take up her water bowl early like we have been doing lately. Considering that she tanked up on water at 11 PM when we got home from the concert last night, she did pretty well.

I'm spending more time outside with the dogs lately. Mostly I go outside to warm up, since it is so cold inside. The temperature isn't that cold in the house, but I think my skin has grown sensitive to the cool air constantly blowing out of the air conditioning vents. It's weird. The temperature is usually 72 degrees when I wake up in the morning, but I feel warm since I've spent the night warming up under blankets. Later in the day, when the indoor temperature has risen to 77 degrees, I'm freezing. I don't think my body retains heat well. Maybe I'm a reptile.

When I'm outside watching the dogs, I usually lay on a bench and stare up at the canopy of trees over my head. It's amazing how much activity there is up in the tree canopy. In addition to the ubiquitous squirrels, there are large butterflies fluttering around, lizards climbing up and down the tree trunks, and at least ten different species of birds. I even saw hummingbirds the other day. There is hidden beauty high up in the trees, while down on the ground there is only the irritating possum, tearing up our lawn.

I made it back to the gym this afternoon. When I only go once a week, I feel like I'm tearing my muscles apart. It is only when I'm able to go at least three times a week that I can establish a rhythm and feel like I'm making serious progress toward building myself up again. Maybe now that both dogs are getting healthier, I might be able to visit the gym several times a week like I used to when I first joined. It's hard to believe I've been going to this gym over a year now. Time flies. I feel like I joined just a few weeks ago.

I wonder if I'm going to be busy next week. I don't get much advance warning about upcoming projects these days, so I never know. I do know that Dot has a birthday this Wednesday. We ought to have a big celebration. You wouldn't know by looking at her today, but just a little more than a month ago we weren't even sure if Dot was going to make it until her birthday. We've really come a long way.

Hero is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1607

I took Janet to the airport again today. Sometimes I think she travels a lot. Other times, I think she's the normal one, and I've become a hopeless recluse instead. At any rate, travel's loss has become the dogs gain. It's been years since we've had to board Dot and Dash. I'm just about always here; to walk them, feed them, and nap with them. Before she left, Janet typed up an elaborate list of medication instructions for the dogs. I give Dash his chemotherapy meds on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. She usually give the other regular morning meds while I'm still asleep and the evening meds while I'm writing the blog. I don't think I'll have much problem keeping things straight. I really don't have much else to remember this week.

It was a beautiful day. The mud from Thursday's storms has mostly dried up, but the grass and foliage are still lush and green. I wish things would stay this way all Summer. Everything dries up quickly when the temperatures are in the 90's for months at a time though. It actually got up over 90 this afternoon. I keep the Summer heat at bay by paying my utility bills. Water and electricity bills can get ridiculous in Dallas in the Summer. Later in the year, there are often water use restrictions, but this early in the season, people run their sprinklers like there's no tomorrow. Ditto for electricity. If I'm having my coffee outside on a Summer morning, I'll always hear a low pitched hum that's almost as loud as the ever-present Cicadas. It's the collective noise of all the air conditioner compressors, working hard to cool the neighborhood.

I can either clear the water off the roof tomorrow, or go to the gym instead. Both activities probably burn roughly the same amount of calories. Both are necessary, and neither is particularly fun. I'll just have to see what kind of mood I'm in. Many of you might think that pushing tons of water off the roof would never be the winning choice. Overpowering the forces of nature can be oddly satisfying though. We'll see what the weather is like. If it's really hot tomorrow, I'm going to the gym. The water on the roof will evaporate on a hot day and the gym is air conditioned.

Whatever I did with the ants yesterday seems to be working. I didn't see any ants today. I was hoping that since we had quite a few hard freeze days this winter, bugs wouldn't be as much of as much of a problem this Spring. Maybe this was just wishful thinking. So far, those cold days haven't made much of a difference at all. There's always some sort of bus related crisis in Texas in the Summer. Last Summer it was mosquitoes and West Nile Disease. This year, it's conenose bugs and Chagas disease. The conenose, or "kissing bugs," as they're known in many places, carry a protozoa that is already killing dogs in South Texas. The protozoa circulates in the blood until it takes up residence in the heart and begins damaging the tissue. Often, the first clinical signs of Chagas disease in dogs is sudden death from heart failure. Yikes! One more thing to worry about. As if heartworms, lyme disease, and leptospirosis weren't enough already.

It's time for the dogs evening round of meds and a snack before bed. After that, we'll all pile on the bed, watch a little TV, and sleep in late. Sounds like a plan to me.

Chief is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1329

I set up an account with a new supplier today. Someday when pigs fly, I'll buy a lot of cool video gear from these guys. Until then, I'll just keep on doing what I do best: working for next to nothing. I managed to get two animal rescue websites updated today. Although adoptions always seem to slow down in the Summer, it is good to see that these dogs and cats are still finding homes.

I may be going back to Las Vegas to cover another fashion show later this month. Hopefully, we can iron out the details and finalize the trip in the next few days. I always enjoy an excuse to go to Las Vegas. Janet likes Las Vegas too, so it tends to be our most frequent travel destination.

My new gym is starting to be one of my more frequent destinations around town. I try to go at least twice a week, but apparently most members go a lot more often. I see the same people on the machines every time I go. I don't know where they find the time. If I went more than twice a week, I'd be way behind on my work.

Dash has recently learned Dot's trick of turning around and heading for home when she gets tired. I don't think Dash is actually tired though. He's just stubborn. Since both dogs have become fond of staying inside in air conditioned comfort, it's getting harder to get them the exercise they need. The heat is pretty severe though, so I'll let them call the shots. Until the weather gets cooler, when either dog turns around, we'll head back home. Too bad I can't just take them to the gym with me. It's nice and cool at the gym. All I'd have to do is train them to walk on a treadmill. Again, when pigs fly perhaps.

The dogs may be getting too hot during the Summer, but I'm getting too cold. I wake up warm enough, but as the day progresses, I find myself getting colder and colder. It's odd, because the temperature in the house always stays the same. It's not that cold in the house either. If I kept the place any warmer, Janet would have a fit. I have a feeling that my blood isn't circulating as well as it once did. At any rate, when I run short errands now, I don't even bother to turn on the car air conditioner. It's nice to warm up again.

Morgan is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day