Day 3690

I've changed my reservations so many times that it will make your head spin. The two day event at Kennedy Space Center is now a three day event. I guessed wrong on this new turn of events and will have to change my reservations again. Hopefully, I can add a day to my hotel stay. Currently, I have a choice of attending events for the press or events for social media influencers. I'd like to attend both, but they overlap. I've got to choose one or the other. I'm not complaining though. I'm definitely invited to this launch.

I had to run some errands this morning and was wondering why the traffic was so heavy on a weekend. Then I realized that it was Friday. It's getting harder and harder to tell the difference between Friday and Saturday. I'll probably make the same mistake tomorrow since I forgot to get everything I needed at the store and will need to run the same errands all over again.

I have an opportunity to place a remote camera near the launch site for close up pictures as the rocket lifts off while I'm at Kennedy Space Center. You attach a special sound trigger to the camera and the noise of the launch starts the picture sequence. I don't know if I have the nerve to do this though. Sometimes these remote cameras have been ruined by heat or moisture. I guess alligators might be a problem too. Losing a camera might not be a big deal to a commercial magazine photographer with a production budget, but it would be a big deal to me. I don't have many cameras.

Today was beautiful. It was still a little chilly, but I would prefer to describe the weather as brisk. There was plenty of blue sky and the wind wasn't bad. I only needed my lighter coat. Basically, it was a great day for a walk. I wasn't surprised that I saw a lot of people in the park today. You've got to take advantage of days like these.  It might be completely different tomorrow.

The clear skies reminded me of my plan to visit the little observatory north of town. I wrote the owner and made tentative plans for a visit around the middle of February. The plans will have to remain tentative until a few days ahead of time because you just can't depend on Texas weather. If I booked a day now, there could be ice, snow, or even tornados when the day arrives. Hopefully, we'll have clear skies though.

I wrote a letter to my sister today. I wish she'd just read the blog. I always end up repeating myself in these letters. I still believe it is a good idea to write letters though. It is quickly becoming a lost art. Everyone needs a few Luddite friends just to keep them in practice.

I made myself a delicious omelet instead of going to a restaurant this morning. I'm actually a pretty decent cook, but I've become hooked on drinking smoothies. I'm a bit apprehensive about going without my smoothies for an entire week while I'm out at McDonald Observatory. It really isn't practical to take the Vitamix and a week's worth of fresh fruit and bananas to the mountain though. They'll probably think I'm weird enough as it is.

Cooper is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3430

I'm starting to see Dragonflies again. This is always a good sign that Spring is ending and Summer is beginning. There will be many more Dragonflies as the weather grows warmer but they will never become easier to photograph. These little critters refuse to stay still. I also saw my first baby ducks of the season today. A Mallard Hen was swimming along the shoreline with ten small ducklings in tow. I'm always amazed that baby birds of any species survive. There are many predators in the park.

We got a nice card from the doctors and nurses at the cancer center in today's mail. As Dash's condition began to deteriorate these specialty vets got to know him very well. I think every nurse in the facility wrote a message on the card. I'm glad that Dash is remembered by so many. I'll certainly never forget what he meant to me.

This is the time of year when we usually call the landscaper to clean up the yard and plant new grass. For some reason we haven't made the call this year. On cool mornings I think that I can clean up the yard myself. Of course on hot days I just say never mind. I need to do something. There are still lots of leaves on the ground that will never get raked and the grass in the back yard is looking pretty shabby. Amazingly, some of the sod we planted last Spring is still alive, which hasn't happened in recent memory. It's harder to justify spending the money on landscaping without Dot and Dash. The dogs loved a nice yard to play in. It's not as much of a priority to us.

I'm having trouble making anything a priority. There is nothing to prove anymore. I pick up a guitar now and then, but I never write songs like I used to. I have no interest in making movies even though I still have all the tools. The documentaries I shot back in the early 1970's seem so distant that it's easy to imagine that someone else made them. I definitely don't want to go back to having clients again. The only thing I miss about working is having a steady income stream. Working did impose a structure on my life that was beneficial to a person like me, but I can't say that I really enjoyed the deadlines. You can become very good at jumping through hoops, but it's still just jumping through hoops.

I realized tonight that when I cook I always make the same thing. I make a meat sauce using sausage, green peppers, onions, and maybe a little corn and black beans. If it's breakfast, I throw in a couple of eggs and it's an omelet. If it's dinner I pour the sauce over noodles and it's pasta. Either way, it's pretty tasty. I don't need a recipe either.

When I took the trash out to the curb tonight I noticed that a raccoon had gotten into our can. What a mess. Pretty clever raccoon, since there is always a lid on the can. I don't know why this bothered me since it's just garbage. I always neatly bag and seal all the trash in black plastic bags. Of course there is method to this madness. There always is. If the trash truck fails to show up, it's easy for me to put the bags in the car and take them to a dumpster. When I think that a raccoon can easily destroy my orderly world, it all seems kind of hopeless. It's going to take a good breakfast tomorrow morning to make things right again.

Liberty is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 3347

I didn't go out for breakfast this morning. It took me way too long to get organized. Dash was out of sorts when he woke up and wouldn't take his morning meds. We tried hiding the food in ham, turkey, canned dog food and even cake. Nothing worked. I thought that maybe he'd be hungry after a walk, so we suited him up and off we went. It wasn't raining yet, but it was so foggy that my jacket was wet when we returned. Dash seemed to like the weather, but he still wasn't hungry when we got back to the house.

The pills Dash takes are essential, so I knew I wasn't going anywhere. One way or another, he needed to take his meds. I fixed myself an omelet while Dash took a nap. I added some ham, sausage, and smoked Gouda cheese to the eggs and the result was delicious. The smell enticed Dash to the kitchen and this time he was ready to take his pills. I rolled each pill in a small slice of the same ham I'd used for my omelet. Mission accomplished.

Dash didn't poop in the house this morning and it made me nervous. I heard his stomach rumbling while we were walking in the park and I kept expecting the volcano to blow. Dash always poops a lot in the morning. Today was different. He peed in the bed instead. By the time I finished cleaning up, doing the laundry, and washing the breakfast dishes, it was noon. I didn't mind. It was raining outside anyway and there was no place I wanted to go. My omelet tasted better than a restaurant omelet anyway.

After breakfast, I watched a webinar from one of the large auction houses about how to sell your collection. I learned a lot, but it was a little late. I've already sold or consigned most of my collection. The whole presentation seemed to be directed at people who have inherited art and don't know what to do with it. Maybe that's where most of the art at auction comes from. I can see how this happens, but hopefully I can unwind my collections and clean up my mess before I die. If you've ever had to deal with settling an estate, you quickly realize that it's not a pleasant task. Your heirs will enjoy getting a check someday. They probably won't enjoy sorting through a huge pile of your junk.

Dash seemed exceptionally tired today. He spent most of the day sleeping. When this happens, I worry that his walks are wearing him out. I always let Dash set the pace and we walk very slowly, but maybe even this mild exercise has become too much for him. He really enjoyed his walk this morning, but when we returned home, he seemed exhausted. There are no easy answers about aging. I wish Dash could talk so he could tell me whether I was walking for him, or if he was walking for me. I'm just guessing that Dash loves these daily walks. He seems to enjoy walking, but what if all his joints hurt and he's just walking to please me?

I was happy to see the Dow close above 26,000 today. I'd have been even happier if I'd seen the sun.  It was such a dismal day that all I could find to photograph was an ugly weed with water drops on it. Who knows. Maybe the weekend will be nice. As long as I'm wishing, maybe Dash will be stronger tomorrow as well. Maybe I'll even get some sleep.

Maggie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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Day 3081

One year ago today, Dot passed away. It's been a long year. Shortly after Dot died, Janet was diagnosed with breast cancer. Then Dash almost died after experiencing a severe vestibular seizure. Later in the year I discovered that my sister also had cancer and Dash had a large blood clot inside his heart that could break apart and travel to his brain at any moment. We're all still here. Janet is doing great and so is Dash. I hope there is a lot less drama in the year ahead. It would be nice to have a year with no life threatening emergencies whatsoever.

The tree trimmers came early this morning. I hadn't even eaten breakfast or walked Dash when I heard the sound of their chain saws. It's sad that the Oak trees are slowing dying. They are very old and we lose a few limbs every year. I hope we can keep the trees as long as we are in the house. The yard would look pretty bare without them. I'm glad the crew was able to remove a large dead limb that was hanging over the house without dropping it on the roof. That would have been a disaster. Luckily, everything went well. I think the trees are safe and secure again for another season. The neighbors didn't even get mad at us today. They don't like it when work crews have to block their driveway.

I'm discovering that it is much more complicated to sell fine art than it is to sell model trains. I was on the phone with several galleries in New York today and there is some initial interest. It appears that I have a fairly discerning eye as a collector. The next step seems to be establishing provenance for the artwork I'm thinking of selling. This might not be easy, since I obtained some of these pieces many, many years ago. If you're the collecting type, be sure to save everything. Model trains without the original boxes were only worth half as much as those where I'd saved the original box and receipts. Artwork without a clear provenance is basically worthless. I save almost everything, but receipts and records from the 1970's might be very hard to find.

I cooked dinner for Janet tonight. It was only spaghetti, but she seemed to like it. I'm always surprised that I'm a pretty decent cook when I put my mind to it. Janet is a superb cook, but neither of us like to spend much time in the kitchen these days. We end up buying "Dinner for Two" at Central Market over and over again. I can see why meal kits like Hello Fresh and Blue Apron are so popular. Nobody really had time to cook anymore.

I still really miss Dot. When Dot and Dash were both young and healthy, life just seemed to make more sense. Dash finally seems to be getting used to being the only dog but I don't think he likes it. Dot was the Alpha dog and Dash looked to her for everything. Even though Dash has become more confident, you can tell that he'd much rather have his sister at his side. I'd much rather have both dogs together again too. They were perfect companions.

You can't bring back the past, but there's always the future. Here's to the future.

Charlie is today's Dalmatian of the Day

Watch of the Day

Day 2948

Another uneventful Friday. My pancakes were delicious. Maybe next week I'll make an omelet. I'd almost forgotten that my special omelet recipe made it into the South by Southwest cookbook a few years ago. I was probably the least famous person in this celebrity studded cookbook, but it was still cool to be selected. The only downside to today's meal was that I used up the last of the Italian sausage. There's only one place in town that makes this stuff the way I like it, so I'll have to drive across town to pick up a new supply next week. Let me know if you hear of any amazing new breakfast restaurants. Until then, I'm content to eat at home.

I talked to a dealer I've known for years about helping me liquidate one of my collections. I didn't think he'd be interested, but he seems willing to help for a percentage of the sale. Before we can get started, I need to provide a complete inventory of the collection. Lord knows how long that will take. Most of the stuff is in unmarked boxes in the storage warehouse. I don't even know what I have anymore. If making an inventory was a pleasant task, I would have done it years ago. I guess I should have known that you can postpone unpleasant tasks, but you can seldom avoid them entirely.

People who collect memories probably have an easier time decluttering than people who collect stuff. We all become forgetful as we grow older. When you forget your memories, your problem is solved. When you forget where you've put all your stuff, the problem just becomes more difficult. I hope I can take care of this collection by the end of the year. Then next year, I'll start on another one.

It was much warmer today. Dash didn't need to wear a sweater under his harness and I didn't need to wear a second coat under my down jacket. The fact that I would call a windy, forty degree day "warm" just goes to show you how cold it's been for the past week. I'm ready for Spring. Unfortunately, I don't think Winter cares what I think. We've had plenty of ice storms in February and March.

I got two more writing assignments today. Two articles isn't enough to pay the electric bill, but it's nice that a few people still remember me. I could write two articles a day indefinitely, but I was in no hurry to start writing immediately. I'm going to save these jobs for next week. Hey, I already wrote something last Thursday. With assignments so few and far between, I need to spread these things out.

Am I the only one who's grown tired of all the drama in Washington DC? All the TV stations have a countdown clock showing how many hours are left before the government shuts down again. Who cares. These shutdowns are meaningless. The government starts back up again in a few days. All the government workers get paid. Both sides blame each other for the mess and then the whole cycle starts all over again. The next time the government shuts down, we should just leave it closed indefinitely and see what we can do without. Congress would be the first to go. They aren't doing anything anyway.

Daisy is today's Dalmatian of the Day

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