Day 3913

Jacket weather has arrived. Our recent rain was accompanied by a cold front, bringing considerably cooler temperatures. This was the first time I've needed a jacket since late last Spring. The last time I actually remember wearing a coat was last March when I was out at McDonald Observatory. There must have been a few more cold days after I returned to Dallas, but my memory isn't as good as it used to be.

The heavy rains washed away all the food the guy set out for the ducks and geese the other day. What a shame. The huge bag of feed was probably pretty expensive. Maybe the ducks ate it all before the rain arrived, but I doubt it. At any rate, I hope the ducks and geese ate hearty before the rain washed their unexpected treasure away. I'm not even sure that the wildlife in the park needs any help finding food, but it made me feel good to see the man attempt to take care of a gaggle of angry geese. People can fend for themselves. My loyalty remains with the animals.

Space X and ULA have both added me to their media lists. I received the notice from Space X today. I don't know if this will amount to anything in the future, but it's another step in the long road to legitimacy as a space journalist. I also got a letter from SpaceFlight Magazine saying that my author copies of the October issue with my article about the Artemis program were on their way. I now have three published articles under my belt and am confident that the fourth will eventually appear in a future issue of Sky and Telescope. This is really slow progress but it beats doing nothing. It's not exactly a natural transition going from writing ads about soft drinks and tacos to becoming a legitimate space journalist.

I was proud of Dawn today. She seems to slowly be learning to trust me. Today Janet had to be gone for a considerable amount of time and Dawn came when I called and ate her meals in the kitchen normally. This may not sound like much, but less than a month ago, she refused to come out of the bedroom until Janet returned to the house. I think this will all work out fine. I have no idea what Dawn went through earlier in her life, but it clearly wasn't good. I think the key to winning Dawn's trust is to be patient and consistent. She may never be completely comfortable with men, but I think she will eventually become comfortable with me. I can see a difference already.

I saw a video today where someone took the music from Bladerunner and added pictures of San Francisco with dark orange forest fire skies. It was kind of eerie, especially considering that the original Bladerunner movie was supposed to take place in 2019. I guess we are entering science fiction territory here. You wonder what else can go wrong in 2020. We've still got three months to go.

I've taken this week's trash to the curb. I'm so bored now that I'm starting to miss my restaurant breakfasts on Friday mornings. I doubt that I'll be going out any time soon though. They now say that indoor dining is pretty high on the danger list. Janet and I survived our birthday dinners, but we'll just stick with take-out meals for a while. When you've stayed healthy this long, you start to get superstitious.

Cleo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3804

We went out for breakfast this morning at a little neighborhood restaurant that had recently reopened. We should have taken Dawn with us, since the place had a nice dog friendly outdoor seating area. You could tell that the restaurant was trying super hard to get back on its feet. All the new distancing rules were followed and everyone was super friendly. I was initially a little sceptical about going to a restaurant, but I'm glad we did. I hope this place makes it. They had only been open a month or so when the pandemic hit. Not very good timing.

We took another very early walk this morning, but the park wasn't empty this time. I guess I should have expected more people since it is Memorial Day weekend. We were expecting rain again, but the skies lightened and we began to see patches of blue during our walk. I got overconfident seeing the weather improve and went up on the roof to remove yesterday's standing water. I should have waited. The rain returned later in the day and the roof is already wet again. This has definitely been the wettest Spring I can remember.

It was time to defrost the little spare refrigerator today. We got this refrigerator during a power outage because it could be powered by our generator. Somehow the refrigerator went from temporary to permanent after the power was restored and is now an essential part of the kitchen. Things that won't fit in the regular refrigerator go here. I wonder if anyone makes a self defrosting dorm refrigerator? We never even looked. It's hard to believe that everybody used to have to defrost their refrigerator. All the places I lived right after college had refrigerators that needed to be defrosted. I never did this very often. Usually my freezer compartment was caked in a thick sheet of ice.

I sure wish that bee hadn't stung me the other day. I've still got a big welt on my leg. Now that I've started looking, I'm seeing the beginnings of nests everywhere. It's time to get some more wasp and hornet spray and get rid of them before they get any bigger. We have wasps who build paper nests and mud daubers who make theirs out of mud. Both critters seems to love our house. The spiders are starting to return as well. Welcome to Summer in Texas.

I've started listening to astronomy podcasts. I was surprised at how many there are. Obviously a lot of people are a lot more industrious about their hobbies than I am. One of the astronomers I met at McDonald Observatory does regular videos about galaxies and deep sky objects. Several people I've met at NASA events have podcasts about rocket related stuff. I watch some of these too. It seems weird to me that there seems to be fewer and fewer really good blogs, but an abundance of podcasts. I like listening to podcasts, but can't imagine doing one myself. I don't even like to talk.

We're not sure if the kennel will be open on Memorial Day, but if it is we'll go photograph a new Dalmatian that recently entered the rescue program. If the kennel is closed I can always make my smoothie and sweep the water off the roof. It's life in the fast lane around here.

Ziggy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3801

Another uneventful day. I set up a few more accounts for online payments this morning. Hope I don't regret this later. I've been a fan of paper for a long time, but I guess it's finally time to move into the future. I just need to convince my Luddite sister to use e-mail and then I won't have to use the post office at all.

Restaurants in the neighborhood are opening again, but I think I'll just stay home and make an omelette tomorrow instead. I have a feeling that my tradition of going out for breakfast on Friday morning might be gone for good. It's not a fear of the virus that keeps me at home. People have just become more irritating.

It was a little warmer this morning and I could tell that Dawn didn't have quite as much energy. The temperature wasn't bad, but it was quite humid. I didn't have as much energy myself. We're going to have to make an effort to get out earlier. I still tend to stay up quite late and it's hard to get up early in the morning. I don't know how Janet does it. By the time we take our walk with Dawn, she has already been out and run three miles.

I think we're headed for some dark days ahead. When did mask shaming become a thing? Some of our leaders have become petty tyrants. People aren't happy. A recent poll showed a dramatic increase in the number of people in almost every state who would prefer to secede from the union if given the choice. We are talking about building an army of contact tracers to follow your every move. Isn't this what we have criticized China for doing for years? Where is the ACLU when you really need them? A lot of what is going on right now violates the constitution in so many ways and all people have to say is "Well, it's an emergency." The latest version of Apple IOS already has the contact tracing backbone built into the system. All that is waiting is the official government app that we will be implored to download "for our own good." I can almost guarantee that this won't end well.

I think we could end this whole virus mess in a hurry by just banning partying. No more bar hopping, rock concerts, or football stadiums. No more big weddings, cruise ships, or family reunions. Sound extreme? It wouldn't change my life much. I'd actually prefer a ban on large gatherings to an army of contact tracers snooping on everyone. I don't think I'll be installing that Apple tracking app either. Personally, I think individual liberty is still more important that some vaguely defined concept of "the greater good." Unless we can all agree what this greater good actually is, it means nothing.

Just quit the mask shaming you guys. You can look right on the CDC website and see where it says that most masks are completely worthless against a virus. A virus is almost microscopic. When was the last time you saw a picture of a biolab technician wearing a bandana? This is all getting ridiculous. Masks have become nothing more than a symbolic gesture. They're like wearing a team jersey. That's why they are so important to some people. I wear a mask when I am out in public so I'll blend in and not call attention to myself. If the rule was to wear a plastic purple hat, I'd probably do that too. When people are in the mood for witch trials, you definitely don't want to be the witch.

I still think a lot about the David Mountains. Maybe if I lived somewhere very remote and far away from all this nonsense, the world would start to feel normal again.

Casey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3704 - Valentines Day

I wasn't going to go to Sprinkles this year, but then I remembered that Dawn had never had a Pupcake. I had to go. Pupcakes for the dogs has been part of our Valentines Day tradition for a very long time. It was nice that we have a dog around the house so we can continue this tradition for another year. I got some cupcakes for us as well, but this year the day was about Dawn. Janet and I are both really happy to have her as a houseguest.

It was a beautiful day, but the temperature was only in the twenties when I woke up this morning. No pipes froze and it was back above freezing by mid morning, but this was still very cold by Dallas standards.  I'm glad I removed all the water from the roof a few days ago. It would have all turned to ice by now.

I tried the new neighborhood restaurant this morning and it was terrible. I like a good breakfast taco as much as the next guy, but this wasn't the place for me. There was certainly plenty of food. I got my meal in one of those tin foil pie pans piled high with Chorizo, breakfast potatoes, and refried beans. There was a stack of flour tortillas so I could roll my own breakfast tacos, but the food got cold before I could finish it. I'm sure this gutbuster of a meal was exactly what most people wanted, but I should have gone back to the hotel and had French Toast. I wish I knew I was in the mood for a soothing meal before I had consumed a huge plate of Chorizo.

Janet had already left for the gym by the time I returned home. We've been leaving Dawn at home for short periods of time so she will gain some confidence about being alone. Dawn was fine, but I could tell she was glad that her people had returned. She gave me a big Dalmatian smile and started wagging her entire body. I waited until Janet returned to go on my walk. There was no sense in leaving Dawn alone again.

It didn't take me long to realize that this morning's breakfast was going to give me a major case of heartburn. When will I ever learn? I need to be eating cottage cheese and peaches for breakfast instead of  chorizo and refried beans. I thought that a long walk might settle my stomach, but all I got was sore feet. I should have listened to Dawn. I could tell she wanted me to take a nap with her.

I never did get started on my Solar Orbiter story today. I'm so slow that I ran out of time. I guess I was busy enough. I just didn't do what I intended. I paid some bills and took them to the post office. I went to Sprinkles and got cupcakes. I picked up some things for dinner at the grocery store. And I tried with limited success to bleach the stains from our recent roof leak out of the kitchen ceiling.

I'm sure my story would be easier to write if I had a deadline to meet. Deadlines motivate me. My recent trip was fascinating and there is definitely a story here. I just need to get it done before the Solar Orbiter becomes old news. Maybe tomorrow. The only thing that could stop me from writing tomorrow is roof repairs. The roof repairs do have a deadline. I need to find this leak before the next rains arrive.

Dot is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3703

I felt foolish today when I got a letter from one of my editors, saying that he didn't always have time to respond to my mail because he gets 200 to 300 e-mail messages a day. Oops. I guess I've forgotten what it's like to be busy. I probably get 2 to 3 messages a day. I'm sure I still get tons of spam, but I don't even look at my spam folder anymore. Messages of any importance are few and far between. OK. Lesson learned. I guess I don't need to send long chatty letters to busy people.

I do need to get started on my article about the launch. I started editing pictures today and reviewing my notes. It usually takes me three or four days to finish an article. I don't think there is any hurry. I'm not even sure at this point if anyone wants the article. The magazine that sent me to Kennedy Space Center just wanted pictures this time. Writing is always good practice though. The more you write, the better you get.

Dawn still seems to be doing well. She seems a lot more comfortable now that the drainage tube has been removed from her neck. She's finished some of her meds as well and her pill schedule is less complicated. With every passing day Dawn gets a little closer to returning to her normal self. Dawn is a quiet, gentle girl. A lot of Dalmatians are constantly getting into trouble, but Dawn is a model of good behavior. This dog is the perfect companion for a solitary writer like myself. I like peace and quiet just as much as she does.

We're finally starting to see some blue sky again, but it still seems very cold. I think we're supposed to get a hard freeze tonight. I don't have to worry as much about setting the outdoor faucets to drip before a freeze anymore. They all leak anyway. I checked a few faucets in the back yard this evening and they were already dripping.

The roofer hasn't responded to my letter. I'm not really surprised. I have to be persistent to get any sort of response from the guy. The current forecast says it is supposed to get up to to 75 degrees this weekend. I hope this is true. If the weather gets warm enough, I'll use the last of the silicon material I have and do my best to stop the leak myself. I wish the roof wasn't such a problem but everyone has problems. This one just happens to be mine.

I just noticed that there's a new restaurant in the neighborhood. Maybe I'll give it a try tomorrow morning. I looked at the menu online and a brisket breakfast taco sounds pretty good right now. Dawn is getting comfortable around the house, so I think it will be fine to leave for an hour or so. I'm going to start writing my article tomorrow as well. I won't bother any editors though. I promise.

Tessa is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3683

Everybody seems to hate paper these days. When I went to breakfast this morning, I didn't get a bill like I normally do. The waitress brought a little portable terminal to the table and asked me to insert my card. When the total came up on the screen, the tip was already included. I think I tip fairly, but I'd like to have a choice. I guess this must be the future. When I got a haircut recently, they had the same type of arrangement. Call me old school, but were those old paper bills really all that bad? I didn't even get a receipt because I declined to leave my e-mail address. Been there, done that. If you leave your e-mail address when you are buying something, you will get spam messages from the company until the end of time.

I picked up some things for dinner tonight on my way home from breakfast and was surprised at how expensive my small purchase turned out to be. It was the crab cakes. They were double what they usually cost. I asked Janet whether the price of crab cakes had gone up and she immediately told me that these weren't what we usually buy. "These crab cakes are huge," she told me. "Of course they're going to cost more." OK. I'll admit that I'm not very observant when I shop. I usually get the right category of thing, but nuances like this often escape me.

This was the first completely cloudless day we've had in a while. It would have been a good day to do yard work, but it was too cold. I got some bleach and a ladder and cleaned away the ugly stains in the sheetrock caused by the recent roof leak instead. The ceiling looks much better now. This would also be a good day to get the telescope out. There's a new moon tonight and the sky is as dark as it's going to get. Maybe I'll still do this, but usually I'm tired and ready for bed as soon as I finish the blog. Like I mentioned earlier, it's cold outside as well. Will I be a wimp or will I start getting in shape for my trip to Mount Locke? I'm not sure yet. The night is young.

The Atlas V rocket passed it's dress rehearsal test today for the upcoming Solar Orbiter launch. So far, it's looks like the launch is still on schedule. That's a good thing since I've already made all my reservations. I'm always afraid that something will change at the last minute and I'll have to rebook everything. I still need to decide what equipment to take. I always like to travel light, but since I will be taking pictures for a magazine, I might need to abandon this strategy.

It was a nice day for a walk. I dressed warmly and enjoyed my time outside. A clear, sunny day always seems to make a big difference. It looks like I'm going to need some new walking shoes soon. The Nike Air shoes I've been wearing are pretty comfortable, but they sure don't last long. I don't know what to wear anymore. The sturdy hiking boots I used to wear seem too heavy now and running shoes are too flimsy. There's a store in town that specialized in walking shoes. Maybe it's time to pay them a visit.

I need to remember that tomorrow is Saturday and I've got a lot of errands to run. For a few hours this morning I thought today was Saturday.

Holly is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3662

What day is it? Ever since Christmas, it's been hard to tell. I don't think anybody has gone back to work yet. There are more people in the park than usual, but the roads are surprisingly empty. I went back to the hotel for breakfast this morning and for a while, I was the only one there. I guess the holiday travelers have gone home and the business travelers haven't arrived yet. I had the same experience at the grocery store a few hours later. Oddly. I had to go out again this afternoon and this time there was a ton of traffic. I'll be glad when the world becomes predictable again.

The hotel has one of those open kitchens where you can watch the chef cook. While I was waiting for someone to take my order, I heard the head chef say "who made this batter?" He looked disgusted and threw it away. I was glad he intervened because I was going to have French Toast again and that batter was for me. The French Toast was delicious again, but I can't eat as much as I used to. Once again, I wish I could order a child's portion.

I had to take a few things to the storage warehouse today and while I was there I tried to see if there was a way to rearrange things to create more space. Nope. I think the place is pretty full. I need to find more space because I don't think the keyboards I have on consignment are going to sell. It's been a year and they haven't gotten much attention. Apparently people don't get as excited about vintage keyboards as they do about vintage guitars. At least this storage warehouse is heated, so if the keyboards have to come back they won't get ruined again.

It was a good day for a walk. It was a little chilly, but the sky was clear and the air was dry. I saw an older guy pointing a camera with a long telephoto lens at some nearby trees. "Are you looking for the owls," I asked. He was, but told me that he hadn't seen any in months. I hadn't either. I asked him if he had photographed the pelicans yet, and he said he was already bored with them. "Are you a birder too" he asked me. Nope. I do see a lot of birds though. Now, I'm wondering where the owls went as well. A few years ago the city even rerouted a bike path around where the owls used to live because it was considered a well known habitat. Now, all the owls are gone. There are plenty of pelicans though. I've never seen this many before.

The Quadrantids meteor shower peaks tonight. As someone with an interest in these things, I should set my alarm clock for 4 AM and get up to take a look. I probably won't though. I've done this before any usually see nothing. There is just too much light pollution in the Dallas area. Even in the middle of the night the sky isn't black. It is kind of a light gray color with a few bright stars poking through. The only time I've actually seen meteors is when I used to walk Dot and Dash before daylight on days when Janet had to go to work early. If I wake up to go to the bathroom at the right time, I might go outside for a while. Otherwise, I'm going to sleep as long as I can. When I have to choose between astronomy and sleep, sleep usually wins.

Although it has seemed like Saturday all week, tomorrow actually is Saturday. I will fill the car with gas, get more fresh fruit for my smoothies, and do all my other Saturday errands. I could have done all this stuff today, but I'm a creature of habit. Saturday errands need to be done on Saturday.

Petey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3661

I took down the Christmas tree today. I guess the new year is officially underway. I can't say that I'm off to a roaring start. I returned a few phone calls, did a load of laundry, and took the trash out to the curb. That was about it. It is hard to get motivated when the weather is cold and the sky is gray.

My Google search history probably reveals something about my state of mind. What are the most reliable RV's? Basically, they're all crap. Where are the best locations for dark skies? Apparently nowhere near Dallas. When is the next interesting launch from Kennedy Space Center? Hmmm. Looks like it is the one where I got waitlisted. I don't do a lot of searches about dog health issues anymore for obvious reasons.

I'm usually pretty good about avoiding computer viruses and malware scams, but I almost got sucked into one today. My version of Adobe Flash is way out of date because very few developers use Flash anymore. There is no use for it. I keep getting notices to upgrade to the current version however. Today, I thought 'why not' and clicked on the upgrade button. Fortunately, my antivirus software wouldn't allow the upgrade to install. I did a little research and discovered that fake Adobe Flash upgrade notices are common and are used to install malware instead of installing a new version of Flash. The notice looked very authentic. There was a genuine looking Adobe logo and the language seemed similar to what Adobe typically uses. You really can't trust anything these days.

My daily walks are mostly about exercise now. There isn't much to see. If there's any activity, it's on the water. I'm still seeing pelicans, but the trees are bare and the flowers are all gone. The only animals I'm seeing lately are squirrels. At least I won't have to worry about snakes for a while. You don't see many snakes in the winter. I still try to memorize things I see along my route. Usually, it's just a tree stump or a mileage marker, but it gives me something to do. The only things I actually need to remember are where the coyote dens and the porta-potties are. I don't really trust coyotes anymore and I'm starting not to trust my bladder either.

I called the tree guy today and he postponed our appointment for another week. That was fine by me. I was in a postponing mood anyway. One of these days I need to call the dermatologist and orthopedic specialist my doctor recommended to me. I've been postponing these things as well. I did make an appointment with my financial adviser. You can't ignore money for too long.

Will I go out for breakfast tomorrow? We're out of fresh fruit again, so I guess it depends on whether I feel like making an omelet. It's a shame that I've lost interest in my Friday breakfast outings. These restaurants worked so well at keeping me connected to the world for a long time. After five or six years I've eaten at just about every place in town. If I've learned anything, it's that it is all just breakfast.

Dash is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3648

I'm trying to expand my horizons. I went to a different part of town and tried a German restaurant for breakfast. The place was crowded with affluent older people and the food was pretty good. This was not like the food I used to eat when I worked in Germany. I had a big plate filled with smoked pork chops, eggs and skillet potatoes. I remember Germans started the day with much lighter fare. In Erlangen I always ate a piece of toast and a single soft boiled egg in an egg cup like all the other locals.

When I returned home, I watched a video of the Starliner launch that I'd really wanted to attend in Florida. I has planned to watch today's launch live on NASA TV, but slept through it. Things didn't go so well. A spacecraft clock got confused and sent the capsule into the wrong orbit. It will be unable to dock with the space station and they'll probably have to do the important orbital test all over again. Oops. Boeing has certainly had its share of high profile problems. First the 737 mess and now this. The big Artemis rocket I visited in New Orleans is also a Boeing project. I bet the Starliner failure will slow Artemis down as well.

It was another cold day. I wasn't that eager to take my walk this morning, but I didn't want to sit around and do nothing. I put on two coats and a pair of gloves and off I went. I wonder if I even have a warm enough coat for winter nights at the observatory. It's much colder in Fort Davis than it is here.   There was light rain in the forecast today, but I managed to complete my walk without getting wet. Today I saw a very tiny woodpecker I need to identify and a tree with strange translucent orange berries. The woodpecker flew away but I did get a picture of the berries.

I learned today that Amazon videos won't play on Safari, Firefox, or my TV. Janet has no problems watching them on her iPad, but the only way I could get them to play was to download a new version of Chrome. I don't really like to use Chrome. After a little research, I discovered that all the problems I was having had something to do with digital rights management. Evidently my older computer doesn't play well with the new rules. Oh, well. As I said yesterday, I'm not all that interested in movies anyway.

Every year around this time I need to decide whether to renew my Avid subscriptions. Last year I decided to drop Media Composer and this year I'm dropping Pro Tools as well. These licenses are expensive and I just don't use this stuff anymore. I have to admit that it's finally getting easier to acknowledge I'm retired. Who was I kidding. I'm not going to shoot any more corporate videos. I don't even know any corporate people these days.

I still can't figure out why I don't sleep as well under blankets. It's counterintuitive. It seems like you'd sleep better when you are cozy and warm. Fitbit says otherwise though. Could it be that I'm sleeping just fine and my Fitbit just doesn't work under a blanket? As I learned from my Amazon Prime experience today, technology can be confusing.

Lexi is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3634

I think we're ready. The costumes, the set, and all the camera gear has been packed up and is ready to load in the car. The new backdrop looks good and everything appears to work. Tomorrow morning we begin the first of this year's Santa Paws events. These Christmas photos have become a popular fundraiser for Dalmatian Rescue and we will be busy. Hopefully all the dogs will be well behaved and none of the equipment will malfunction. We used to just take pictures of dogs with Santa, but now people bring their children and other pets as well. Hey, why stand in line for a shopping mall Santa when you can have your picture taken with the best dog Santa in town.

I woke up to the sound of hammers pounding nearby. I looked out the window and our neighbor was putting on a new roof. Actually, a lot of people in the neighborhood are putting on a new roof. Probably the insurance settlements from last Summer's big storm finally arrived. Why is it so easy for people with a conventional roof to get insurance to pay for roof damage and it is always so difficult for me. I've had large trees fall on our roof and the insurance agent just shrugged and said he didn't see any damage. Basically, when shingles blow off in a wind storm, insurance comes to the rescue. When standing water slowly causes a leak to develop over time, insurance does nothing.

I went out for breakfast again this morning after staying home on Friday for the past month or so. Why won't restaurants let you order a child's portion of anything on the menu? Better yet, why don't they just make their portions a little smaller. I grew up learning that I needed to finish everything on my plate and the habit of cleaning my plate persists until this day. I'm always too full when I go to a restaurant because I am unable to leave with uneaten food still on my plate. Today's breakfast was good, but it reminded me that it's better to stay home where I can control the portion size.

I haven't started packing for the NASA trip yet, but I did get the laptop ready. I thought by connecting Safari to my iCloud account, I could avoid having to remember a lot of passwords. No such luck. I was able to merge my bookmarks, but none of the website passwords transferred. Maybe there was a reason for this, but it just meant extra work for me. I made sure that the airline, hotel, rental car, and NASA information web sites worked, saved the passwords, and then called it a day. Most of this stuff is already on my phone, but like most things in life, it's always good to have a backup.

After running a few errands, writing a letter to my sister, and getting the photo gear organized, I was surprised to discover that there was still time for a walk. I knew I would be returning in the dark again, but I've become a slave to Fitbit and needed the steps. I also need my sleep tonight, so I'm going to try to go to bed early. Lots of luck with that. I never seem to get to bed early.

Emma is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3620

I got waitlisted for the Starliner launch. This pretty much means that I won't be going. Not a lot of people get invited to these launches and very few decide that they don't want to go after they receive an invitation. Cancelations do happen but they are rare. Hey, at least I got accepted to one of the two events I applied for. Strangely, I think there will be more cancelations  for the Michoud Assembly Facility event. It begins at 7 AM. Why so early? I was hoping to fly to New Orleans on the same day as the event to avoid an extra night in a hotel. That's not going to happen. The earliest flights leaving Dallas won't get me there in time.

It rained a lot last night but I haven't been up on the roof yet. It was a windy, cold day and I didn't feel like dealing with the standing water. I'm going to have faith in my repairs and wait until the weather warms up a bit. I may regret this decision, but so far there are no signs of a leak. I think the weather will be much warmer on Sunday. Let's see if I can postpone this awful task for a few days.

The highway department is closing down our street again tonight. Something major must be happening with the bridge construction again. This new shutdown only lasts for one day, so there won't be as much of a disruption as there was before. It will be a little harder to go to the grocery store tomorrow, but it will be a lot easier to get out of the driveway without any traffic. I still don't know why they are replacing this bridge. So far, the new bridge doesn't look any bigger or better than the old one.

Everybody is already making fun of Tesla's new pickup truck. They are saying that this Bladerunner inspired design won't be popular. This is probably true because it appears that the target market is me. I like this thing, even though I will probably never buy an electric car because I'm deeply suspicious of lithium ion batteries. I admire the fact that nothing appears to slow Elon Musk down. His spaceship blew up in Boca Chica a couple of days ago and his live test of the Tesla pickup's shatterproof windows was a disaster. These problems will be fixed and Musk will just keep moving along. I still think he's going to get to Mars before NASA.

It was still raining when I woke up this morning, so I didn't go out for breakfast. I probably would have stayed home even if it had been a nice day. It was a good run while it lasted, but I'm starting to get tired of my Friday breakfast outings. I've tried everything in dozens of restaurants and nothing appeals to me anymore. I just had a bowl of cold cereal and a cup of coffee today. I think I need to start buying more fruit so I can have my smoothie on Friday as well.

I'm disappointed that I won't be able to visit the Dalmatians next Monday. I just realized that I have an appointment with the eye doctor and it's too late to change it. Actually the NASA event in New Orleans begins on a Monday as well. I need to do a better job of planning ahead. I need to block out Monday's on my calendar forever. It's really the only good day to spend a lot of time with the dogs. The kennel is too busy on other days.

I guess I'd better put a bucket out tonight. I don't think the roof will leak, but you never know. Better safe than sorry I say.

Chelsey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3599

I went out for breakfast this morning and almost immediately realized it was a mistake. What was I thinking? Breakfast Enchiladas filled with pulled pork, eggs, cheese, bacon and jalapeños were way too spicy for the way I was feeling. Hey, it was a new restaurant I needed to try. I think next week I'll just stay home and have my smoothie on Friday.

It wasn't quite as cold as yesterday, but I still needed a warm coat when I went out and ran my errands. I went to the bank, the post office, and the grocery store. I could do my banking using an app on my phone. Our mail carrier will pick up mail at the house. And I could even have groceries delivered. I keep going to these places though. Having necessary places to go adds structure to my day. This is probably why I take my five mile walk as well. There's nothing I really want to do, but I need to do something.

The roofer I saw yesterday got me a bid a lot quicker than I expected. The price was no surprise though. It was right in line with all the other bids. I have no idea why a flat roof costs so much more than a normal roof. I have no idea why prices have increased so much in the last fifteen years either. I've resigned myself to the fact that there are no bargains. I just want the job done properly so I won't have to worry about leaks again.

I thought I'd gradually start walking a little faster once I got used to the five mile distance. The opposite has happened. It's actually taking longer to complete the walk than it did in the beginning. I haven't slowed down that much, but I feel like I'm dragging. I guess I'm just not motivated to go any faster. I've convinced myself that the walk does me some good, but I've never been a competitive person. I definitely don't feel like competing with myself.

I encountered a large balloon arch while I was walking today. It wasn't here yesterday. Did someone have a midnight Halloween party in the park last night? Was this the finish line for an early morning 10K or marathon race? Maybe it was just a birthday party. Unfortunately, the balloons will blow away soon and an animal will probably get tangled up in the remains.

I wish I'd hear something from the observatory. It's hard to make plans when you have no idea what is going on. If I'm accepted for an extended stay on the mountain, I don't know whether I'll be excited or apprehensive. Probably it will be a bit of both. On cold days like today, I realize that it is probably even colder in the Davis Mountains. I think a lot about Fort Davis and McDonald Observatory these days but I have no idea whether I'd enjoy the experience of spending time there any more than living in Dallas. I guess to find the answer I need to go out there and see for myself.

I hope it warms up in the next few days. I'd like one more chance to find the roof leak before the next rain arrives later next week. I think it's too cold to even apply the silicon material now. It would have been so much easier if I'd been able to take care of this last summer.

Jeda is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3571

We spent the morning moving dogs around. Jelly Bean needed a distemper booster shot, so we took her to the vet. Jasmine was already at the vet finishing her heartworm treatment, so after Jelly Bean got her shot, we took both dogs back to the kennel. Jelly Bean didn't like riding in the car on the way to the vet. She was just fine on the way back however. The two girls have bonded and feel more secure together. It would be nice if they could find a home together. I think we'll be back at the kennel tomorrow. Someone from Houston wants to look at Sock.

I might have to go back to making my own breakfast on Fridays. Nobody seems to be able to make anything consistently anymore. Even simple things like pancakes and omelets seem to change from week to week. I had my favorite omelet this morning and it was completely different than the same thing two weeks ago. It's frustrating. There was a time when I was able to order the same thing for almost three years and know exactly what I was going to get. Those days are gone. When the chef finally left at this particular restaurant, the whole place folded. Family owned restaurants with a permanent staff are becoming a thing of the past. Turnover seems very high these days. Some places seem to have a completely new staff every time I visit. I shouldn't complain. I wouldn't want to work at a restaurant and I could always stay home.

I keep hearing that a cold wave is on the way, but it never seems to get here. I was expecting rain today, but it was just hot and humid again. It must be raining somewhere in Dallas because I heard thunder around dinnertime. Nothing yet though. As soon as it does rain I'll be complaining about it. I want to live in a place where it is 72 degrees all the time with very low humidity. It would be nice if the place had no snakes, mosquitoes or ticks either.

I wrote the editor of Sky and Telescope today, outlining my future plans to visit observatories. They sounded so positive about my writing when they rejected my initial article that I'm hoping the magazine might be able to help me get access to some places I'd like to visit. This is all going to take a long time. It's hard for someone like me to get access to large telescopes in the first place and then there's the weather. At least I have a bucket list now. Every old person needs a bucket list.

Thoughts of going to rocket launches, large observatories, and dark sky viewing areas have got me interested in buying a van. It's not time for a new car yet, but a Mercedes Sprinter van converted into a camper would be a lot more practical than buying another Land Rover. These vans are small enough to drive in the city and large enough to live in for several weeks at a time. I could go to Boca Chica to watch Space X Starship launches. I could apply to be a Star Party guide at McDonald Observatory and stay on the mountain for several weeks at a time. I could visit places like Joshua Tree and The Badlands to take pictures of the Milky Way. It's something to think about. If I can manage to establish my credentials as a space journalist, I might even get magazines to pay for these trips.

Until then, I'll continue walking around the lake and complaining about my roof. When I'm tired of complaining, I'll go visit the Dalmatians. It's very hard to complain about a Dalmatian.

Jersey is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3563

When I look back, it's amazing how similar my days are. Year after year I talk about the weather. I worry about roof leaks. I try to fix broken things around the house. I watch the latest crisis on TV while I'm eating breakfast. Every now and then something exciting happens. I guess I should be trying to eliminate the monotony and increase the excitement, but I'm not so sure. Often there's not much difference between excitement and sheer panic.

My days are uneventful now and that's OK. I loved having dogs around the house, but my strongest memories are of unexpected injuries, sickness, and middle of the night trips to the emergency room. Somehow, the sadness of losing a dog seems to linger a lot longer than the happiness of playing with a puppy.

It was always exciting to get a big new assignment during my working days. I was proud that I was able to build a successful company on my own. The exciting assignments always turned into stressful deadlines though. I always enjoyed getting new clients and new jobs. I just didn't enjoy doing them.

Sometimes I wake up thinking "what now?" I'm a clever guy. I could do just about anything, but I have no strong desires. Most of the things I've done in my past, I have no desire to repeat. I'm sure I'll apply to be a guest of NASA again. Watching a rocket launch is quite an experience. Once every year or two seems plenty though. Repeating anything too often ruins the magic.

There is a little magic in the idea of becoming a Star Party guide at McDonald Observatory. With so many volunteer opportunities right here in Dallas, I would have to get intrigued about one in a very remote part of the country. I'm definitely not going to buy an RV just so I can work for free in the middle of nowhere. The idea of volunteering for the observatory is still worth exploring though. Maybe they would let me stay in the astronomer's lodge.

I'll save future travel plans for another day. Tomorrow I've got to find a place to go to breakfast. Last week's choice was a disaster. I'm not going back there again. It's getting harder to keep these little Friday morning outings interesting. Like I said earlier, doing anything too often ruins the magic.

Suki is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3557

Every once in a while I go to a restaurant that I thought was terrible just to see if it got any better. Today I went to a place that I remembered as being dirty with rude waiters. The place was very clean and everyone was extremely friendly. I ordered the one thing on the menu that I used to like and it was terrible. What was going on here? Did this place get bought by someone else? It was all very disorienting.

It rained a lot last night, but the rain didn't cool things down. It was still hot and muggy. I knew I would need to go up on the roof and clear the standing water away, but I decided to get my morning walk out of the way first. By the time I returned, I was too tired to go up on the roof and took a nap instead. I kept trying to postpone this task by taking some mail to the post office and updating my phone to IOS 13. Eventually, I turned on both pumps and water came gushing out of the attached hoses. Damn. There was a lot of water up there. I had to deal with it.

I hate going up on the roof these days. It seems like I've been clearing away water forever. Every time it rains, the damaged areas get a little worse. There really isn't a good solution. Since the house is old and has settled, there would still be standing water even with a new roof. To reengineer the roof so it still looked the same but had just enough of a pitch to reliably drain water away is ridiculously expensive. I guess I'll just keep patching things. I'll probably have to go buy a five gallon can of the silicon coating material myself since the roofer still hasn't brought me the coating he promised. Residential roofers don't know how to do a flat roof and commercial roofers aren't interested in doing small jobs like this. They'd rather do a shopping center instead. It's all very tiring. I've gotten bids on a new roof, but nothing seems realistic. This is why I hate rain. If it would just quit raining, I wouldn't have a problem.

Every time I update my phone I get all these messages asking if various apps can connect to Bluetooth or operate in the background. My instinct is always to say no to everything and then the apps quit working. I think I've got everything I use working again, but I keep wishing that people would quit constantly updating everything. I was happy with the way my computer and phone worked five years ago. I really don't care about Dark Mode or a host of new Emojis. As long as I can check the weather and take pictures on my walks, I'm good.

With my five mile walk, a trip to the post office and grocery store, and a lot of manual labor on the roof, I got in quite a few steps today. It will be interesting to see what my regular doctor thinks when I go in for my annual physical soon. I feel healthier than I did last year. I also feel older. Maybe I'm just treading water. Janet and I both think it's important to keep moving. It's amazing how sedentary some people our age have become. It would be nice if I actually liked exercising like Janet does, but I can't complain. Staying active keeps me from wondering about my purpose in life. You don't need a purpose when you are walking. You just walk.

The backyard security light stayed on twice as long as it usually does last night. It was a lot cooler yesterday. Maybe the problem with the photoelectric sensor is temperature related. Maybe the rain washed away some of the spider webs. Who knows. If we still had dogs, I would have replaced this light by now. Some things just don't seem to matter as much anymore.

Rosie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3543

There was something new on the menu when I went to breakfast this morning. I ordered the Braised Short Rib Benedict basically because anything new on a hot Friday morning is a plus. The odd meaty concoction tasted more like a pot roast than ribs and the creamy sauce definitely wasn't Hollandaise. Hey, I'm easy to please when all I've got ahead of me is a long walk in the park.

I picked up something for dinner on the way home and got ready to walk. It's a little harder to leave the house now with a huge tree blocking the path to the back gate. This weather is really getting old. I'm encountering fewer joggers now and even the cyclists are starting to have second thoughts about a ride through the park. If the prairie grass gets much drier it's going to be a fire hazard. The city doesn't usually mow the areas designated as Native Prairie, but occasionally the risk of a grass fire becomes too great. I wouldn't be surprised to see mowers soon.

Doing all my walking at once definitely saves some time. It also saves me the trouble of taking two showers. After I cooled down for a bit and had a piece of cheese for lunch, I decided to finish my article. I'm pleased to say the first draft is done. I'll do some editing and check for typos over the weekend before sending it to the magazine on Monday. It's admittedly a long shot sending an article to an astronomy magazine about a rainy day at an observatory where I saw nothing. Nothing ventured, nothing gained I say. I made the trip and it definitely was an interesting experience. Maybe others will be interested as well.

I'm still used to being paid well to write very short advertisements. Often a day's work wouldn't even fill up a single sheet of paper. Writing much longer pieces where the prospect of any form of payment is often non-existent seems strange. Luckily, I'm retired and don't have anything better to do. I think this would be a stressful way of making a living if you depended on the income.

Janet wants to clean out the greenhouse so we can get the repairs started. Seems like a good idea. It also seems like a lot of work. The building is filled with materials for projects that never got off the ground. There are old bags of fertilizer, half empty bottles of weed killer, a bunch of rusty garden tools, a tiller that never worked in our rock hard soil, several lawn mowers that broke years ago, and lots of unidentified stuff. I should probably keep the live traps that have caught everything from rats to raccoons. We have a lot of critters in our yard.

Tomorrow, we need to transport some of the new Dalmatians from the vet back to the boarding kennel. There are several dogs, so there will be other people helping as well. The dogs have had a rough life so far and have spent most of their time outdoors. The challenge now is to help socialize them and make sure they are healthy. I'm confident that the second phase of their life will be a lot better than the first.

April is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3522

I see a lot of families at the new neighborhood restaurant. I'm amazed that even little babies seem to know how to use iPhones and tablets. It appears that they become familiar with these devices even before they can talk. When a kid starts to act up in public, Mom just pulls a phone out of her purse and the kid become mesmerized. It's going to be a different world when these children grow up. I forget the first thing I learned when I was small, but it certainly wasn't to swipe right.

I made a point to get an early start this morning because I wanted to mow the grass before the heat became unbearable. I was back from the restaurant before 9 AM, but there was no avoiding the heat today. This was going to be another triple digit day. By the time I finished the front yard, I was drenched in sweat. I had thought that the dead patch caused by the June brush pile was filling in nicely, but on closer examination, the new green areas were just weeds. Oh, well. The weeds are nicely trimmed now.

I'm impressed at how much more water the new dehumidifier is collecting. The bucket was almost full when I woke up this morning. I have to empty the bucket several time a day now. It makes me wonder what it is that makes performance gradually deteriorate on these things. Probably the condenser coils that aren't readily accessible get really dirty. It could be something else though. I doubt that it's worth the trouble to find out. You can buy a new dehumidifier for less than it would cost to repair one.

I rested for a while and changed my clothes after I finished mowing the grass and then I got started on my first walk of the day. The long walks are starting to become boring, but I still think the effort is worth it. The changes to my body have been gradual, but I can tell that I am in better shape than when I started these forced marches. I'm surprised that so many people run because walking provides most of the same benefits with a lot less wear and tear on the knees.

I'm still not sleeping as well as I was last month. There must be a reason. Is the temperature too warm? Has our mattress become too soft? Maybe I need the glow from the security light coming through the bedroom window? I wonder a lot about any inconsistency in life. Why is the stock market so volatile? Why aren't cars more reliable? Why does the Internet go down for no reason at all?

Actually the Internet was down when I woke up to drink some water last night. I only noticed because I saw a message on the thermostat on my way to the refrigerator. I reset the router and brought everything back online before I returned to bed. This is probably why I had trouble getting back to sleep. I knew that if I ignored the problem until morning I would just lie in bed thinking about it. It's better for me to take care of these things immediately.

Maybe I'll sleep well tonight. I've had lots of activity today. I can't say that I accomplished much, but I'm certainly tired.

Pogo is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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