Showing posts with label ducks in a row. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ducks in a row. Show all posts

Monday, January 20, 2020

Day 3679

Every week there are fewer Dalmatians at the kennel. The new dogs are getting adopted quickly. Lake went to his new home over the weekend. Hopefully, the remaining dogs will be finding homes soon as well. Hank is looking great now. He's put on a few pounds and doesn't look so skinny now. He's happy and playful as well. We' ve discovered that Larry and Lord enjoy being together and the time they spend with each other seems to be helping both dogs with their shyness. They were both having a great time running around in the outdoor yard today. All Dawn wanted to do was sit in the sun and be petted. We were happy to oblige. It was a nice day and all the dogs except Sock loved being outdoors. Sock still prefers staying inside for some reason.

My memory is shot. I was getting ready to go on my walk this morning when Janet reminded me that it was our day to go up to the kennel. That wasn't the first time I forgot what day it was either. Right after I woke up I heard a big truck stopping and starting on the side street. It sounded like a garbage truck and I almost went out to retrieve the trash can. Jeez. It's not even close to Friday morning. Oh, well. At least I remembered to fix my smoothie for breakfast.

I still haven't received any information about the time and place I'm supposed to meet the NASA folks for the Solar Orbiter launch. Usually, all these details are finalized by now. I haven't heard whether I'll be receiving a press pass either. Hopefully, I'll hear more before the end of the week. If not, I'll have to go ahead and make all my reservations anyway. I've already heard that I've been accepted for this event, but it's always nice to have all your ducks in a row.

My plans to visit the little observatory north of Dallas are also up in the air. Now that the moon is rising much later, this would be a good time to go if the weather could ever make up it's mind. I was hoping for a week of good weather so I'd have time to coordinate with the owner of the observatory. So far, every day is different. Hot, cold, sunny, rain, you never know. It's kind of like weather roulette. It was nice today, but there is already more rain in the forecast. Maybe we'll get several nice nights before the moon returns again.

It's still a long time till Spring, but the days do seem to be getting longer. I got a late start on my walk this afternoon after we returned from the kennel, but the sun still hadn't set yet when I returned home. A month ago, I would have been walking in the dark. I'm walking a little faster than I was a year ago, but the changes haven't been dramatic. I guess I should be happy that I still have the energy to do this every day. Five miles is no marathon, but it's a lot better than sitting around the house.

Tomorrow is probably the last day to rake more leaves before this month's bulky trash pickup. I need to do this, but I'm already looking for ways to avoid the loathsome task. Will I find something better to do? Probably not.

April is today's Dalmatian of the Day
Watch of the Day

Friday, December 20, 2013

Day 1466

I think I could spend the rest of my life just getting my ducks in a row. Now that I know I'm losing the aircraft hanger where my Citroën SM has been safely ensconced for the past decade, I'm scrambling around trying to figure out what to do next. Can I find parts? Can I find a mechanic? Can I find a buyer? One way or another, I've got to get the car running reliably again. Nobody in their right mind would ever buy a non-running Citroën SM. When you open the hood on this thing, you quickly realize that only the French could come up with something so mind-numbingly complex. The transmission is in front of the engine. There are inboard disk brakes, and you have to take off the right front wheel just to change the battery. The steering, brakes and suspension system all operate from a central hydraulic system. If there is a leak, the car sinks to about an inch above the ground and you can't even turn the steering wheel. After sitting ten years in storage, I'm almost certain that the hydraulic system has a leak.

Breakfast was definitely the high point of this day. I love having two poached eggs, served over a bed of spicy pulled pork, peppers, and hash browned potatoes. I linger over three cups of coffee while I eat this delicious Friday morning treat and then I start my day. For one reason or another, everything moved at a snail's pace today. Articles took longer to write. The grocery store was crowded. And the dogs weren't very interested in walking. I blame this all on the weather. After two balmy days this week where the temperature reached 70 degrees, it is turning cold again. A cold front blew through town around mid-afternoon and I'm afraid Winter has returned. Bad weather slows me down enormously. I don't like inclement weather at all. If I could find somewhere where the skies were always blue and the temperature was always 70 degrees, I bet my productivity would double.

While the rest of the world has probably finished their Christmas shopping by now, I haven't even started mine. It just doesn't seem like Christmas is just a few days away. We've got the tree up and a pretty wreath in the hallway, but some days I just forget they are there. It could just as easily be August or February. Maybe I'll get in the spirit of things this weekend. I certainly hope so, since I'm definitely running out of time.

I hope it warms up enough to take the dogs to the dog park on Sunday as well. With the ice storm and a busy holiday work schedule, Dot and Dash haven't had a dog park outing in almost a month. I can tell that Dash really misses these opportunities to be off-leash and mingle with other dogs. Even though he got to spend the night in a fancy hotel and join us on one of our Santa Paws photo events last week, it's not the same as going to a dog park. To heck with a White Christmas, I just want a warm Sunday.

Lexi is today's Dalmatian of the Day
Watch of the Day