Day 4880

I finished my SpaceFlight Magazine article today. I won't send it in until Monday though. Maybe I can think of some improvements over the weekend. This wasn't the best article I've ever written, but it wasn't the best trip to Kennedy Space Center either. I think the story would have been a little more interesting if I had actually seen the launch.

It seemed unusually hot today for early May. By mid-afternoon the temperature was over 90 degrees. It was still nice outside when we took Dawn on her early morning walk, but even then I could tell that I wouldn't be needing a coat. Dawn didn't seem particularly eager to walk this morning. There was nothing wrong. She just seemed lazy. I could certainly relate. I haven't been all that eager to go on my long walks lately either.

After finishing breakfast I worked on my article for a while before getting ready for my long walk. It's hard to believe now that I used to write copiously every single day. Although I was trained as an architect, I spent most of my career as an advertising copywriter. Writing is actually a fairly pleasant way to spend the day. It certainly seemed less stressful than the time I spent as a commercial photographer.

Today felt more like Summer than Spring. I was hot on my walk, even though I only wore a t-shirt and shorts. If anything drives me back to the gym, it will be the temperature. The small indoor track at the gym looks a lot more appealing when it is 100 degrees outside. Today I passed a group of photographers with their cameras all pointed at an apparently empty field. I think they were birders looking for Scissor Tailed Flycatchers. I often see these birds in this particular field and have photographed them many times. It seems strange to photograph something as a group, but I guess that's exactly what I do when I go down to Kennedy Space Center. Are rocket photographers any different than bird photographers? Probably not.

I'm surprised that the roofers haven't called to schedule a start date for the roof replacement. I haven't called them because I'm still not sure when I'd like to start. I've looked at the long range weather and there seems to be rain in the forecast every single week. I'm convinced that once the work begins, it will start raining and the only thing protecting us will be a big blue tarp over the roof. The roof replacement is supposed to take three days, but that means it will probably take a week. I'm dreading this. Loud noises scare Dawn and I know the roofers trucks will end up blocking the driveway when I need to get out. We do need a new roof though. Maybe by mid-Summer this whole experience will be in the rear view mirror.

This week really went quickly. It's already time to make a grocery list again. I think I'll get the lawnmower batteries replaced tomorrow. Replacing the 24 volt batteries is certainly cheaper than buying a new mower.   I've replaced these batteries several times already, but I still prefer an electric mower to a gas powered one. Strangely, I don't feel the same way about electric cars. I have very little interest in buying an electric car. Taking a road trip in an electric car still seems like a giant hassle.

I wonder how many stores I will have to visit tomorrow? Grocery shopping seems more complicated than it used to be. Truthfully, everything seems more complicated than it used to be.

Dolly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4601

There have been rain clouds around us all day. I even heard thunder at one point. We didn't get a single drop of rain. This was the one day where we might have had a chance. It didn't even get up to a hundred degrees today. Now we return to another never ending string of triple digit days in the weeks ahead.

I got the electric bill today. It was literally double what it was this time last year. Last month was high. This month was a lot higher. This is not good. The cost of everything has gone through the roof. Grocery bills are ridiculous now. So are utility bills, insurance bills, gasoline, and just about everything else. It makes you wonder where all this is going to end. It doesn't help that we are in the middle of an almost unprecedented heat wave. I'm just waiting for water shortages.

Our sunrise walks with Dawn are getting uncomfortably warm. The temperature was in the high eighties this morning and the sun wasn't even up yet. Dawn was panting when we returned home and I was starting to sweat. You really don't expect this before breakfast. I keep hoping that nothing goes wrong with the air conditioner. It could get dangerously hot very quickly.

We had a nice weekend breakfast and then I went to the gym again. More people are wearing masks on the gym floor now. Sign of the times I suspect. I'm getting a lot better on the basketball court. I'd probably get some real exercise if I'd start dribbling and shooting from other points on the court. So far, all I'm doing is shooting free throws from the free throw line. I've got really bad knees though. The last thing I want to do is screw up my knees running around on the basketball court.

I'm walking at a faster pace on the indoor track as well. Practice makes perfect I guess. This is a lot better than walking in the park. They keep my gym really cold. Sometimes I feel like I need a jacket. I won't be able to go to the gym tomorrow since it is closed on Sunday, but I will be busy anyway. Tomorrow is the day we move the rescue Dalmatians to the new kennel. Hopefully the dogs will like their new home. I haven't seen the place yet, but I hear it is a little smaller than the current kennel.

I'm beginning to get apprehensive about my trip to Florida. I'm hearing that up to a million people might converge on Titusville for the Artemis launch. This can't possibly be true, but locals say that this many people used to come to watch the Apollo launches. I am told to expect huge traffic jams on the roads leading to the space center on launch day. Yikes. Maybe I should have gone out to the observatory instead. There certainly aren't many people out there.

I did my grocery shopping earlier today. I should do this more often. There really aren't a lot of people in the stores before 10 AM. There seemed to be a better selection of fruit as well. I don't know how I got such an early start today since I think we actually got up later. Gasoline was the only thing that was less expensive this week. The price drop was probably temporary, but I'll take what I can get. 

I don't know how long it will take us to move the dogs tomorrow, but hopefully Dawn will still get her Sunday outing. There won't be a walk, but there will be ice cream. I'm not sure how I will get my steps tomorrow. I definitely don't want to walk in the park, so I'll probably try mall walking. I always thought that this was something only old people did, but I guess I'm an old person now.

I wish life didn't feel so apocalyptic. I'd like things to return to normal before I completely forget what normal looks like. Tomorrow will be normal though. Dalmatians and ice cream are always good.

Penny is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 4473

I think I've applied for too many events. Today I learned that NASA is resuming in-person NASA Socials starting with the Crew-4 launch in late April. Of course I had to apply for this as well. I love NASA Socials and they've been discontinued for over two years now due to Covid. If I end up getting approved for Artemis-1, Axiom-1, and Crew-4, I'm not sure how I'm going to afford it. That's a lot of launches in a short amount of time. Getting credentialed for all three events is doubtful though. I might not get approved for anything. It looks like there will be a trip out to McDonald Observatory this Spring as well. They definitely would like me to volunteer for their upcoming Dark Sky Festival. The thought of doing this much traveling is sending me into a panic. I'd really feel more comfortable doing nothing at all. 

It's hard to get motivated to do household chores, but I fixed the problematic French toilet again this morning. It seems like I just repaired this thing a little while ago, but my fix didn't last long. The running toilet was driving me nuts, so I took everything apart and cleaned the components again. This seemed to work, but I don't know why. I still don't really know how this odd contraption works.

I'm having a hard time getting up in the morning. I don't know if I'm not getting enough sleep or if I just don't want to face another day. Janet and Dawn are always up a lot earlier than I am. When I hear Janet say "we're walking in ten minutes," I reluctantly roll out of bed and get dressed. Dawn still loves her sunrise walks. Due to the time change, it seems like we are actually walking at sunrise again.

I managed to walk six miles again today. My feet actually didn't bother me too much. I'm walking a lot slower than I used to, but at least I'm still moving. It's amazing how quickly everything is turning green. The dogwood and redbud trees are flowering and I'm finally starting to see some wildflowers. I still enjoy seeing the park come back to life, even though I've witnessed the same thing every year for as long as I can remember. I should probably take a good camera and go exploring before it gets too hot. This is a good time of year for interesting pictures.

I'm hoping that my seasonal allergies are finally starting to abate. For the past two days my runny nose hasn't been nearly as bad. Being able to walk or even sit here at the computer without a constantly dripping nose is a blessing. I hope this lasts. It seems like with everything starting to turn green in the park, I've got more pollen woes ahead of me, but I'll take what I can get. The day is just a lot more enjoyable without watering eyes and a runny nose.

Janet wants to put a new roof on now and get started on renovations around the house. I'm dreading this, but it's probably time to start making some decisions. The house really does need a lot of work and I'm definitely not a big fan of roof leaks. I've never had a lot of success dealing with contractors though. It's a giant pain fixing things in a house that you are still living in. It's a lot easier to do renovations in an empty house. 

At least this week's trash has been taken out to the curb. Taking out the trash is more my speed. I can handle this. I'm not sure what I"m going to do tomorrow, although I have a feeling that it will involve a walk.

Chelsey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3688

Facebook is supposed to know everything about us, but it still routinely reminds me to say Happy Birthday to people who are already dead. The older I get, the more frequently this happens. If they can figure out what I'm going to buy when I go to the grocery store, you'd think they could figure out when a friend has died. I hate to admit that I don't even know if you're dead or alive half the time, but that's the way it is. I guess I should pay more attention.

Without dogs to take care of and client deadlines to meet, I'm often at a loss for things to do. These two activities filled my days for years at a time. I guess my renewed interest in astronomy and my new fascination with space travel is some sort of search for a replacement activity. I've always stayed busy. Until recently I never realized how much time I used to spend collecting things. When I collected art, I used to go to museums and gallery openings a lot. When I collected watches I wanted to know everything about them. I even tried to teach myself how to repair watches and bought an assortment of watch repair tools. Being a collector is kind of a world unto itself. It's hard to say exactly when I lost interest in collecting, but one morning I woke up and realized that I just wasn't interested anymore. Jeez. How many watches do you really need? I will say that acquiring stuff is more interesting than getting rid of stuff.

I'm trying to convince myself that acquiring experiences is the next journey for me to take but it's an uphill battle. I'm not a terribly adventurous person and new experiences often fill me with dread. Familiar things are still my comfort zone. I'm hoping that following space launches will eventually become familiar enough that hopping on a plane to Kennedy Space Center won't be a big deal. Spending weeks on a remote mountaintop to look at the stars is more of a stretch. When I took the trash out tonight and realized that it was even colder in the Davis Mountains, I thought I must be crazy to even consider something like this. We'll see how it goes though. I may end up loving the long, dark nights.

Until these new adventures take place, roof leaks and plumbing problems will continue to be the things that fill me with dread. Luckily, it was dry today but it wasn't warm enough to pour some of the remaining silicon material over the spot where the leak occurred. It probably isn't worth bleaching the sheetrock ceiling again either. The rust colored stains are back and I definitely haven't found the leak yet.

I hope it is warmer tomorrow. I had a hard time even getting out of bed this morning. Cold gray days just aren't very inspiring. Luckily, I don't need to be inspired to take a walk. I'll walk tomorrow, just like I did today. I'll make a blog post too. I can always write a few paragraphs even if nothing happens.

Spirit is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3149

When I was walking Dash this morning, I saw our neighbor walking the dog that bit me. We were both careful not to approach each other, but I was still apprehensive. I know that this dog would bite me again if he ever had the opportunity. I wish there weren't so many things that frightened me like this, but I'm a practical guy who learns from experiences. I don't like driving at rush hour anymore. There are way too many wrecks. I won't take my telescope into the park at night even though there are some excellent viewing areas. The park is no longer safe at night. I never go to concerts anymore. Crowds are too unpredictable.

Has the world changed, or have I changed? It's probably a little bit of both. Leave It To Beaver is as much of a fantasy as Harry Potter these days. It's hard to believe that I hitchhiked all over the country while I was in college. I backpacked alone in wilderness areas. I thought nothing of packing up my musical instruments at 2 AM on a deserted city street after the clubs had closed. None of these things seems very wise anymore. When I hear sirens at night, I am content to stay inside behind a locked door. I hope it never becomes worse than this. The world is still full of interesting things and it would be a shame to feel like a prisoner inside your own house.

I still walk Dash every day but I'm more careful than I used to be. I watch for Type-A cyclists intent on mowing us down. I watch for loose dogs. I watch for poison ivy and snakes. I definitely keep an eye out for the neighbor's dog. Being observant has its benefits though. I see lots and lots of interesting birds, rabbits and wildflowers.

Today was slow. I need to find a hobby. Without the steady stream of articles and website updates that used to keep me busy, the days can get really long. I wrote my sister and paid a few bills. I checked my brokerage account and did some laundry. I cleaned up dog poop and looked in vain for something interesting to watch on TV. It was a pretty typical Wednesday.

Rain is on the way. It's supposed to be raining by tomorrow morning. Even though we really need the moisture, I'm very apprehensive about the roof. If the repairs the roofers made don't work, I don't know what I'm going to do next. I believe the crew made a good faith effort to repair all the damaged areas. If the roof still leaks after all this, I'm probably going to be faced with putting on an entirely new roof.

Dash pooped in the house again while I was fixing breakfast. He almost made it to the back door. Hey, at least he's still trying. Despite the boredom, I'm still trying too. One way or another, we're going to make it through this long, hot summer.

Lilly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2973

My fitness tracker tells me when I dream at night. It appears that I don't get much deep sleep, but I dream quite a bit. I wish I could click on this dream timeline and recall the dreams. I occasionally remember dreams, but most evaporate a few seconds after I wake up. The few dreams I do remember all involve being lost. I walk endlessly down hotel corridors looking for my room. I can't find my car in parking garages. I get separated from Janet on cruise ships and can never find her again. Sometimes I am walking Dash and he runs away. I wonder why this is such a common theme?

Maybe I am lost. I certainly flounder around a lot during my waking hours. Today I felt like I was sleepwalking. Each day seems like the previous one. I walk Dash. I make my morning smoothie. I clean up the dog poop in the yard. I turn on the computer and pretend like I'm working for a while. Dash gets lunch. I take a shower. If there are bills to pay, I take them to the post office. Dash gets an early dinner at 3:30 and then we take an afternoon walk. He gets the remainder of his dinner at 4:30 after we return and then I see if there are any leftovers in the refrigerator for my own dinner. The only time I watch TV is while I'm eating. Today I sent out my February invoices. This didn't take long. There are fewer and fewer invoices each month.

My day has become so repetitive that the thought of doing something new makes me apprehensive. I've been taking care of sick dogs for so long that I associate something new with something bad. As long as Dash stays the same, we're fine. New behavior is usually alarming. I feel the same way about the house. If things stay the same, we're fine. Something new usually involves a water leak or a broken appliance. If I were starting the blog today, the title would probably be "What new kind of hell is this." I dread the thought of anything new.

I do try to take a new photo every day. Maybe I'm hoping that if the narrative becomes too repetitive, the photo will keep things interesting. Today, I encountered a very inquisitive squirrel. I don't know if he was looking at me or Dash, but we were definitely invading his territory. I'm looking forward to Spring and a return of the wildflowers in the park. There are very few things to photograph on cold, grey days like this.

I'm going to need to go to the store tomorrow. I've run out of coffee and the refrigerator is looking bare. I usually get Sprinkles Cupcakes for Valentine's Day, but neither of us eats dessert anymore. It hardly seems worth the trouble of standing in line for overpriced cupcakes if we aren't going to eat them.

I've noticed that my WiFi only crashes if I'm looking at Facebook. That's weird. I can be doing anything else on the computer and the connection is solid as a rock. I wonder what this means? I think all the autoplay movies in my timeline are causing things to go wonky, but it could just be that I'm spending too much time on Facebook.

Tessa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1949

I woke up with an uneasy feeling about today and as the day progressed, it turned out that there were good reasons for my apprehension. Service was unusually slow at breakfast this morning because they were trying to work in a new employee and I just barely got home in time so Janet could leave for work. I hate feeling rushed before eight AM. Later, someone from my insurance company called and said they needed to to photograph my house again. Why? This would be the third time they have done this. I called my agent and he didn't have a clue why the company was requesting these pictures. It can't be good. They probably want to charge more for insuring flat roof houses or something. If this were true, it would be totally unfair. I'm probably the only one in the neighborhood who hasn't gotten a new roof as a result of storm damage. Sadly, leaks don't count as storm damage.

These minor problems were nothing compared to my growing apprehension about my future as a web designer. For over a year, I've been hearing that the static sites I typically create will all be gone in a few years. Over 30% of people primarily use their phones to view websites now. To reach this growing audience, it is becoming mandatory to create responsive websites that automatically resize themselves to fit any platform they are viewed on. It is no longer enough to re-direct iPhone traffic to a much smaller vertical site. There are so many different platforms and such a multitude of potential sizes that making a separate static site for all of them would be impossible. What you need now is smart code that makes your site look equally good whether it is viewed on a phone, a tablet, a laptop, a desktop, or something that isn't even invented yet. This is responsive design and I don't know how to code it yet. To me, it's kind of like going from addition and subtraction to calculus in a single step. I've been reading tutorials for a month now, and it still seems Greek to me.

I got a call from the cancer center today saying it was time for Dot's six month recheck and another ultrasound scan.They didn't even know about her spinal surgery and the long journey to teach her to walk again. When I explained Dot's current condition to the doctors, we all agreed that it would be best to postpone the exam for a while. Dot is making great progress, but she's not ready to be a drop-off patient yet. Dot sailed through her last exam with flying colors, but I'm a bit apprehensive about going through all this again. If the cancer ever returned, I don't know what I'd do. The poor girl has been through enough.

I know I've mentioned that nothing happens on Fridays, but today was surprisingly busy. I finished two articles, did some laundry and household chores, and spent quite a while researching responsive web design. If I don't learn how to create these adaptive, mobile friendly sites soon, I'll probably be out of business within a year. I'm pretty good at dealing with today's increasingly interactive world, but I really miss print. Creating a 4-color magazine ad was fun. Creating a website that looks just as good on a phone as it does on a 30" monitor, not so much.

It's raining now. To beat the rain, I had to leave Dot alone again while I took Dash on a quick evening walk to do his business before the thunder and lightning arrived. I could hear Dot barking when we left, but she was just fine when we returned. I remembered to take her harness off this time as well. We're definitely making progress. I have a feeling that Dot will be doing back-flips and handstands before I even begin to understand responsive design.

Bella is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1834

I received a letter from NASA today saying that I'd been accepted to cover the launch of the SMAP satellite at Vandenberg Air Force Base early next year. Now, I need to figure out where Lompoc, California is and how to get there. I was really kind of surprised that my application for NASA press credentials was accepted. NASA only invites a small number of social media correspondents to these launch events and I wasn't really sure whether a blog about a guy and his two Dalmatians was what they were looking for. Apparently this is as good a place as any to talk about space travel, so I'm glad that NASA likes the blog.

I'm a bit apprehensive about this upcoming adventure, but I really think I need to do this. I've always thought that if you don't keep trying to expand your horizons, you slowly whither and die. I haven't done anything really new in quite a while, so maybe it's time. This really isn't as implausible as it sounds. I'm a good writer and I've been a huge fan of the space program for most of my adult life. This could be the start of something. Just having the opportunity to interview NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists and engineers and take photos at Vandenberg Air Force Base is quite an honor. I just hope the launch doesn't get delayed by bad weather or something, since I have to pay for travel and lodging myself. A delay in the launch could get expensive. The SMAP satellite is actually pretty significant, since it will map soil moisture over the entire planet, helping to predict droughts, provide an early warning for floods and landslides, improve weather forecasting, and help farmers improve crop yields. I'm looking forward to this as only a slightly reclusive science nerd can.

It rained this morning, so I wasn't able to get my Christmas shopping completed before the crowds descended on the shopping malls. The dogs come first, so I patiently waited for a break in the rain to get them outside to poop and take their morning walk before I went shopping. Despite the late start, I was still able to find a parking place at Northpark, so everything ended well. Hopefully I won't need to go shopping again for a long time.

I've been worried about Dot's increasingly shaky rear legs, so our vet gave her a thorough examination today when we went for our physical therapy appointment. Dot's mobility has decreased since her last exam, and she appears to be experiencing some sort of neurological damage. The vet said that we could get an MRI of her spine to see if we could isolate what was causing the problem, but that an MRI or CAT scan wouldn't really give us more options. Dot is too old and frail for spinal surgery and this type of surgery is risky even for a young dog. Probably some sort of pain management program is the best we can expect at this point. The good thing is that the acupuncture and water therapy that we are already doing has been very beneficial and has significantly slowed down her inevitable decline. We've just got to come up with a way to keep her active without causing her any more pain.

The only thing I wasn't able to do today was get the nail removed from my tire. Luckily, the tire is still holding air and shows no sign of leaking. I was able to make an appointment to get the tire fixed at the dealership early tomorrow morning before the place closes early for Christmas Eve. You'd think I could just go to a nearby gas station to get the tire fixed, but my tires are filled with nitrogen instead of air. I always have a way of making even simple things difficult.

Ziggy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 1306

I'm a little apprehensive about flying into the San Francisco airport these days. I'm even more apprehensive about being selected for jury duty. I'd hate to be selected as a juror in a high profile trial. These things have turned into gladiator events with the media whipping the proponents for both sides into a frenzy. In today's increasingly polarized society, it wouldn't matter whether you reached a verdict of guilty or innocent. Whatever you decided, half of the country would hate you. The courts don't make much of an effort to protect their juries either. Once the trial is over, everybody knows who you are.

I probably don't have much to worry about though. Although I have sat reading magazines in the jury pool room more times than I can remember, I've never been selected for a jury panel. Usually, as soon as I declare my occupation as "writer," I am dismissed. Twice, I made it as far as the Voir dire process, but the lawyers on both sides didn't like the way I answered their questions. I'm not exactly sure what most lawyers are looking for in a jury, but I'm definitely not it.

Even more worrisome than being selected for a jury is the thought of being tried by one. It's a sobering experience to walk into a Walmart and realize that the motley crew of shoppers inside might someday constitute a jury of your peers. This frightening thought has been more than enough to keep me on the straight and narrow.

The dogs hogged so much of the bed last night that I found it difficult to sleep. I had so little room that I might as well have been sleeping on a 2x4 plank. When Dot and Dash were younger, they would curl up in tight little balls when they slept. Now they stretch their legs out as far as they can. It doesn't leave much room for the people. I probably didn't need a lot of sleep last night though. I certainly didn't do much today. It was way too hot. I made juice out of the remaining supply of tangerines. I put clean sheets on the bed. I went to the store and got another month's supply of trash bags and paper towels. The dogs got a short walk too. When the temperature is 102, you try to keep everything you do outside on the short side.

Watson is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day